त्वमेव गत्वा जानीहि किमिदं यक्षमित्यपि । नान्यः कोऽपि समर्थोऽस्ति ज्ञातुं यक्षं परं महः
You alone must go and find out what this Yaksha is; no one else is capable of knowing the supreme greatness of the Yaksha.
सहस्राक्षवचः श्रुत्वा गुणगौरवगुम्फितम् । साभिमानो जगामाशु यत्र यक्षं विराजते
Hearing the words of the thousand-eyed one, woven with praise and respect, he, full of pride, quickly went to where the Yaksha was shining forth.
यक्षं दृष्ट्वा ततो वायुं प्रोवाच मृदुभाषया । कोऽसि त्वं त्वयि का शक्तिर्वद सर्वं ममाग्रतः
Seeing the Yaksha, Vayu spoke gently: Who are you? What power is in you? Tell me everything before me.
ततो यक्षवचः श्रुत्वा गर्वेण मरुदब्रवीत् । मातरिश्वाहमस्मीति वायुरस्मीति चाब्रवीत्
Hearing the Yaksha’s words, Marut replied with pride: I am Matarishva, I am Vayu.
वीर्यं तु मयि सर्वस्य चालने ग्रहणेऽस्ति हि । मच्चेष्टया जगत्सर्वं सर्वव्यापारवद्भवेत्
All strength to move and grasp things is in me; by my action, the entire world becomes full of activity.
इति श्रुत्वा वायुवाणीं निजगाद परं महः । तृणमेतत्तवाग्रे यत्तच्चालय यथेप्सितम्
Hearing Vayu’s speech, the supreme greatness said: Move this blade of grass before you, as you wish.
नोचेद्गर्वं विहायैनं लज्जितो गच्छ वासवम् । श्रुत्वा यक्षवचो वायुः सर्वशक्तिसमन्वितः
If you cannot, abandon your pride and, ashamed, return to Indra; hearing the Yaksha’s words, Vayu, endowed with all power,
उद्योगमकरोत्तच्च स्वस्थानान्न चचाल ह । लज्जितोऽगाद्देवपार्श्वे हित्वा गर्वं स चानिलः
made an effort, but the blade did not move from its place; ashamed, Anila went to the gods, abandoning his pride.
वृत्तान्तमवदत्सर्वं गर्वनिर्वापकारणम् । नैतञ्ज्ञातुं समर्थाः स्म मिथ्यागर्वाभिमानिनः
He told everything that had happened, the cause of his pride’s destruction; we were not capable of knowing this, being falsely proud and arrogant.
अलौकिकं भाति यक्षं तेजः परमदारुणम् । ततः सर्वे सुरगणाः सहस्राक्षं समूचिरे
The Yaksha’s radiance shines as supernatural, supremely fierce; then all the host of gods spoke to the thousand-eyed one.
देवराडसि यस्मात्त्वं यक्षं जानीहि तत्त्वतः । तत इन्द्रो महागर्वात्तद्यक्षं समुपाद्रवत्
O king of the gods, since you are here, know the Yaksha truly; then Indra, full of great pride, approached that Yaksha.
प्राद्रवच्च परं तेजो यक्षरूपं परात्परम् । अन्तर्धानं ततः प्राप तद्यक्षं वासवाग्रतः
He approached the supreme radiance, the Yaksha’s form, beyond all; then the Yaksha vanished before Indra.
अतीव लज्जितो जातो वासवो देवराडपि । यक्षसम्भाषणाभावाल्लघुत्वं प्राप चेतसि
Indra, the king of the gods, became extremely ashamed; from the absence of conversation with the Yaksha, he felt diminished in his mind.
अतः परं न गन्तव्यं मया तु सुरसंसदि । किं मया तत्र वक्तव्यं स्वलघुत्वं सुरान्प्रति
From now on, I should not go to the assembly of the gods; what can I say there, having become insignificant before the gods?
देहत्यागो वरस्तस्मान्मानो हि महतां धनम् । माने नष्टे जीवितं तु मृतितुल्यं न संशयः
Therefore, renouncing the body is the best boon; honor is the wealth of the great; when honor is lost, life is as good as dead, without doubt.
इति निश्चित्य तत्रैव गर्वं हित्वा सुरेश्वरः । चरित्रमीदृशं यस्य तमेव शरणं गतः
Having resolved thus, right there, the lord of the gods abandoned his pride and sought refuge in the one whose conduct was like this.
तस्मिन्नेव क्षणे जाता व्योमवाणी नभस्तले । मायाबीजं सहस्राक्ष जप तेन सुखी भव
At that very moment, a voice arose in the sky: O thousand-eyed one, recite the seed-mantra of Maya and by that become happy.
ततो जजाप परमं मायाबीजं परात्परम् । लक्षवर्षं निराहारो ध्यानमीलितलोचनः
Then he recited the supreme seed-mantra of Maya, the highest of all, for a hundred thousand years, fasting, his eyes closed in meditation.
अकस्माच्चैत्रमासीयनवम्यां मध्यगे रवौ । तदेवाविरभूत्तेजस्तस्मिन्नेव स्थले पुनः
Suddenly, on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, when the sun was at its zenith, that very radiance appeared again in that same place.
तेजोमण्डलमध्ये तु कुमारीं नवयौवनाम् । भास्वज्जपाप्रसूनाभां बालकोटिरविप्रभाम्
In the midst of that circle of light, there was a maiden in the bloom of youth, shining like a fresh hibiscus flower, radiant as the rising sun.
बालशीतांशमुकुटां वस्त्रान्तर्व्यञ्जितस्तनीम् । चतुर्भिर्वरहस्तैस्तु वरपाशाङ्कुशाभयान्
She wore a crown adorned with the crescent moon, her breasts hinted beneath her garments, and with her four hands she held the boons, noose, goad, and gesture of fearlessness.
दधानां रमणीयाङ्गीं कोमलाङ्गलतां शिवाम् । भक्तकल्पद्रुमामम्बां नानाभूषणभूषिताम्
Her form was beautiful and graceful, with delicate limbs, auspicious, the Mother who is the wish-fulfilling tree for devotees, adorned with various ornaments.
त्रिनेत्रां मल्लिकामालाकबरीजूटशोभिताम् । चतुर्दिक्षु चतुर्वेदैर्मूर्तिमद्भिरभिष्टुताम्
She had three eyes, her hair was decorated with a garland of jasmine and a cluster of buds, and in all four directions she was praised by the embodied forms of the four Vedas.
दन्तच्छटाभिरभितः पद्मरागीकृतक्षमाम् । प्रसन्तस्मेरवदनां कोटिकन्दर्पसुन्दराम्
Her teeth shone all around, making the earth appear as if studded with rubies; her face was serene and smiling, surpassing millions of Cupids in beauty.
रक्ताम्बरपरीधानां रक्तचन्दनचर्चिताम् । उमाभिधानां पुरतो देवीं हैमवतीं शिवाम्
She was clad in red garments, anointed with red sandal paste, known as Uma, the shining daughter of the Himalayas, standing before him as the auspicious Goddess.
निर्व्याजकरुणामूर्तिं सर्वकारणकारणाम् । ददर्श वासवस्तत्र प्रेमगद्गदितान्तरः
She was the embodiment of unfeigned compassion, the cause of all causes; there, Vasava beheld her, his heart choked with love.
प्रेमाश्रुपूर्णनयनो रोमाञ्चिततनुस्ततः । दण्डवत्प्रणनामाथ पादयोर्जगदीशितुः
His eyes filled with tears of love, his body thrilled with joy, then he bowed down in full prostration at the feet of the Ruler of the universe.
तुष्टाव विविधैः स्तोत्रैर्भक्तिसन्नतकन्धरः । उवाच परमप्रीतः किमिदं यक्षमित्यपि
With his head bowed in devotion, he praised her with various hymns, and, supremely delighted, he asked, 'What is this wonder?'
प्रादुर्भूतं च कस्मात्तद्वद सर्वं सुशोभने । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रोवाच करुणार्णवा
'How and why has this manifestation appeared? Tell me everything, O beautiful one.' Hearing his words, the ocean of compassion spoke.
रूपं मदीयं ब्रह्मैतत्सर्वकारणकारणम् । मायाधिष्ठानभूतं तु सर्वसाक्षि निरामयम्
'This form of mine is Brahman, the cause of all causes; it is the foundation of Māyā, the witness of all, free from affliction.'