मध्यभूस्तादृशी प्रोक्ता सदनानि च पूर्ववत् । तन्मध्ये पञ्चभूतानां स्वामिन्यः पञ्च सन्ति च
The middle region is described as such, with dwellings as before; in its midst are the five mistresses of the five elements.
हृल्लेखा गगना रक्ता चतुर्थी तु करालिका । महोच्छुष्मा पञ्चमी च पञ्चभूतसमप्रभाः
Hrillekha, Gagana, Rakta, the fourth is Karalika, and the fifth is Mahocchushma—these five shine with the brilliance of the five elements.
पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिधारिण्योऽमितभूषणाः । देवीसमानवेषाढ्या नवयौवनगर्विताः
They bear the noose, goad, boon, and fearlessness; adorned with countless ornaments, possessing forms equal to the Goddess, proud in the bloom of youth.
प्रवालसालादग्रे तु नवरत्नविनिर्मितः । बहुयोजनविस्तीर्णो महासालोऽस्ति भूमिप
In front of the coral hall stands a great pavilion, constructed of nine jewels, vast in extent over many yojanas, O King.
तत्र चाम्नायदेवीनां सदनानि बहून्यपि । नवरत्नमयान्येव तडागाश्च सरांसि च
There are many dwellings of the Amnaya Goddesses, all made of nine jewels, as well as ponds and lakes.
श्रीदेव्या येऽवताराः स्युस्ते तत्र निवसन्ति हि । महाविद्या महाभेदाः सन्ति तत्रैव भूमिप
The incarnations of the revered Goddess reside there; the great Vidyas and their many forms are present there as well, O King.
निजावरणदेवीभिर्निजभूषणवाहनैः । सर्वदेव्यो विराजन्ते कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभाः
All the Goddesses shine forth, accompanied by their own attendant deities, ornaments, and vehicles, radiant as millions of suns.
सप्तकोटिमहामन्त्रदेवताः सन्ति तत्र हि । नवरत्नमयादग्रे चिन्तामणिगृहं महत्
There are seventy million great mantra-deities there; before the nine-jewel hall stands a great palace made of wish-fulfilling gems.
तत्रत्यं वस्तुमात्रं तु चिन्तामणिविनिर्मितम् । सूर्योद्गारोपलैस्तद्वच्चन्द्रोद्गारोपलैस्तथा
Every object there is fashioned from wish-fulfilling gems, with pillars made of sunstone and moonstone in the same way.
विद्युत्प्रभोपलैः स्तम्भाः कल्पितास्तु सहस्रशः । येषां प्रभाभिरन्तःस्थं वस्तु किञ्चिन्न दृश्यते
Thousands of pillars are constructed from lightning-like gems, whose radiance makes it impossible to see anything within.
मणिद्वीपवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच तदेव देवीसदनं मध्यभागे विराजते । सहस्रस्तम्भसंयुक्ताश्चत्वारस्तेषु मण्डपाः
That very dwelling of the Goddess shines in the central region, with four pavilions joined by a thousand pillars.
शृङ्गारमण्डपश्चैको मुक्तिमण्डप एव च । ज्ञानमण्डपसंज्ञस्तु तृतीयः परिकीर्तितः
One is called the Pavilion of Love, another the Pavilion of Liberation, the third is known as the Pavilion of Knowledge.
एकान्तमण्डपश्चैव चतुर्थः परिकीर्तितः । नानावितानसंयुक्ता नानाधूपैस्तु धूपिताः
The fourth is called the Pavilion of Solitude; they are adorned with various canopies and perfumed with many kinds of incense.
कोटिसूर्यसमाः कान्त्या भ्राजन्ते मण्डपाः शुभाः । तन्मण्डपानां परितः काश्मीरवनिका स्मृता
The auspicious pavilions shine with the brilliance of millions of suns; around these pavilions is a grove of Kashmiri trees.
मल्लिकाकुन्दवनिका यत्र पुष्कलकाः स्थिताः । असंख्याता मृगमदैः पूरितास्तत्स्रवा नृप
There are abundant groves of jasmine and kunda flowers, filled beyond count with musk, their fragrance pervading everywhere, O King.
महापद्माटवी तद्वद्रत्नसोपाननिर्मिता । सुधारसेन सम्पूर्णा गुञ्जन्मत्तमधुव्रता
Similarly, there is a great lotus forest, with jeweled pathways, filled with nectar, and buzzing with intoxicated bees.
हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णा गन्धपूरितदिक्तटा । वनिकानां सुगन्धैस्तु मणिद्वीपं सुवासितम्
It is filled with swans and cranes, its directions saturated with fragrance; the groves' sweet scents perfume the entire Mani-dvipa.
शृङ्गारमण्डपे देव्यो गायन्ति विविधैः स्वरैः । सभासदो देववरा मध्ये श्रीजगदम्बिका
In the Pavilion of Love, the Goddesses sing with various melodies; among them, with the assembly of divine beings, is Shri Jagadambika.
मुक्तिमण्डपमध्ये तु मोचयत्यनिशं शिवा । ज्ञानोपदेशं कुरुते तृतीये नृप मण्डपे
In the pavilion of liberation, O king, the auspicious one constantly grants release and imparts knowledge in the third pavilion.
चतुर्थमण्डपे चैव जगद्रक्षाविचिन्तनम् । मन्त्रिणीसहिता नित्यं करोति जगदम्बिका
And in the fourth pavilion, Jagadambika, together with her ministers, always contemplates the protection of the world.
चिन्तामणिगृहे राजञ्छक्तितत्त्वात्मकैः परैः । सोपानैर्दशभिर्युक्तो मञ्चकोऽप्यधिराजते
O king, in the mansion of wish-fulfilling jewels, there is also a couch adorned with ten steps, composed of the supreme principles of Shakti.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च ईश्वरश्च सदाशिवः । एते मञ्चखुराः प्रोक्ताः फलकस्तु सदाशिवः
Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishvara, and Sadashiva—these are said to be the legs of the couch, and the plank is Sadashiva himself.
तस्योपरि महादेवो भुवनेशो विराजते । या देवी निजलीलार्थं द्विधाभूता बभूव ह
Upon that, Mahadeva, the Lord of the Worlds, shines forth, and the goddess, who for her own play became twofold, is present.
सृष्ट्यादौ तु स एवायं तदर्धाङ्गो महेश्वरः । कन्दर्पदर्पनाशोद्यत्कोटिकन्दर्पसुन्दरः
At the beginning of creation, he is that very one—Maheshvara, with half his body as hers, surpassing the pride of Kama, beautiful as countless Cupids.
पञ्चवक्त्रस्त्रिनेत्रश्च मणिभूषणभूषितः । हरिणाभीतिपरशून् वरं च निजबाहुभिः
He has five faces, three eyes, adorned with jeweled ornaments, and in his own arms he holds the deer, the axe, and boons.
दधानः षोडशाब्दोऽसौ देवः सर्वेश्वरो महान् । कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशश्चन्द्रकोटिसुशीतलः
That great Lord of all, appearing as a sixteen-year-old, is radiant like ten million suns and as cool as ten million moons.
शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशस्त्रिनेत्रः शीतलद्युतिः । वामाङ्गे सन्निषण्णास्य देवी श्रीभुवनेश्वरी
He is like pure crystal, three-eyed, with a cooling radiance; on his left side is seated the goddess, Shri Bhuvaneshvari.
नवरत्नगणाकीर्णकाञ्चीदामविराजिता । तप्तकाञ्चनसन्नद्धवैदूर्याङ्गदभूषणा
She is resplendent with a girdle adorned with clusters of nine precious gems, and decorated with armlets of heated gold and cat’s-eye gems.
कनच्छ्रीचक्रताटङ्कविटङ्कवदनाम्बुजा । ललाटकान्तिविभवविजितार्थसुधाकरा
Her lotus face is adorned with earrings shaped like the golden Shri Chakra, and her forehead’s radiance surpasses the nectar-rayed moon.
बिम्बकान्तितिरस्कारिरदच्छदविराजिता । लसत्कुङ्कुमकस्तुरीतिलकोद्भासितानना
Her shining teeth outshine the glow of bimba fruit, and her face is brightened by a tilaka of vivid saffron and musk.