एककर्तृकमेतद्वा बहुकर्तृकमन्यथा । अकर्तृकं न कार्यं स्याद्विरोधोऽयं विभाति मे
Is this the work of a single creator, or of many creators, or otherwise? If there is no creator, then there can be no effect; this contradiction appears to me.
इति सन्देहसन्दोहे मग्नं मां तारयाधुना । विकल्पकोटीः कृर्वाणं संसारेऽस्मिन् प्रविस्तरे
Thus, immersed in a multitude of doubts, lift me up now, as I am caught in endless alternatives in this vast world.
ब्रुवन्ति शंकरं केचिन्मत्वा कारणकारणम् । सदाशिवं महादेवं प्रलयोत्पत्तिवर्जितम्
Some say that Śaṅkara is the cause of causes—Sadāśiva, the great god, free from creation and dissolution.
आत्मारामं सुरेशं च त्रिगुणं निर्मलं हरम् । संसारतारकं नित्यं सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारणम्
He is self-content, lord of the gods, of three qualities, pure, the remover; the savior from worldly existence, eternal, the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction.
अन्ये विष्णुं स्तुवन्त्येनं सर्वेषां प्रभुमीश्वरम् । परमात्मानमव्यक्तं सर्वशक्तिसमन्वितम्
Others praise Viṣṇu as the lord and master of all, the supreme self, unmanifest, endowed with all powers.
भुक्तिदं मुक्तिदं शान्तं सर्वादिं सर्वतोमुखम् । व्यापकं विश्वशरणमनादिनिधनं हरिम्
He grants enjoyment and liberation, is peaceful, the origin of all, facing all directions, all-pervading, the refuge of the universe, without beginning or end—Hari.
धातारं च तथा चान्ये ब्रुवन्ति सृष्टिकारणम् । तमेव सर्ववेत्तारं सर्वभूतप्रवर्तकम्
Others declare the creator as the cause of creation, the knower of all, the mover of all beings.
चतुर्मुखं सुरेशानं नाभिपद्मभवं विभुम् । स्रष्टारं सर्वलोकानां सत्यलोकनिवासिनम्
The four-faced lord of the gods, born from the lotus of the navel, the mighty one, creator of all worlds, dwelling in the world of truth.
दिनेशं प्रवदन्त्यन्ये सर्वेशं वेदवादिनः । स्तुवन्ति चैव गायन्ति सायं प्रातरतन्द्रिताः
Others speak of the sun as the lord of all, as declared by the Vedic teachers; they praise and sing of him, tirelessly, evening and morning.
यजन्ति च तथा यज्ञे वासवं च शतक्रतुम् । सहस्राक्षं देवदेवं सर्वेषां प्रभुमुल्बणम्
Likewise, in sacrifices, they worship Vāsava, the thousand-eyed Indra, god of gods, the powerful lord of all.
यज्ञाधीशं सुराधीशं त्रिलोकेशं शचीपतिम् । यज्ञानां चैव भोक्तारं सोमपं सोमपप्रियम्
Lord of sacrifice, lord of the gods, lord of the three worlds, husband of Śacī, the enjoyer of sacrifices, drinker of soma, beloved of soma.
वरुणं च तथा सोमं पावकं पवनं तथा । यमं कुबेरं धनदं गणाधीशं तथापरे
Others worship Varuṇa, Soma, Agni, Vāyu, Yama, Kubera the giver of wealth, and Gaṇeśa as well.
हेरम्बं गजवक्त्रं च सर्वकार्यप्रसाधकम् । स्मरणात्सिद्धिदं कामं कामदं कामगं परम्
Heramba, the elephant-faced one, fulfiller of all tasks, bestower of success by remembrance, giver of desires, supreme among those who grant wishes.
भवानीं केचनाचार्याः प्रवदन्त्यखिलार्थदाम् । आदिमायां महाशक्तिं प्रकृतिं पुरुषानुगाम्
Some teachers declare Bhavānī as the giver of all aims, the primordial Māyā, the great power, Prakṛti, following Puruṣa.
ब्रह्मैकतासमापन्नां सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारिणीम् । मातरं सर्वभूतानां देवतानां तथैव च
United with Brahman, she is the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction, the mother of all beings and of the gods as well.
अनादिनिधनां पूर्णां व्यापिकां सर्वजन्तुषु । ईश्वरीं सर्वलोकानां निर्गुणां सगुणां शिवाम्
Beginningless and endless, complete, pervading all creatures, the sovereign of all worlds, without qualities, with qualities, and auspicious.
वैष्णवीं शाङ्करीं ब्राह्मीं वासवीं वारुणीं तथा । वाराहीं नारसिंहीं च महालक्ष्मीं तथाद्भुताम्
The Vaiṣṇavī, Śāṅkarī, Brāhmī, Vāsavī, Vāruṇī, Vārāhī, Nārasiṃhī, and the wondrous Mahālakṣmī—
वेदमातरमेकां च विद्यां भवतरोः स्थिराम् । सर्वदुःखनिहन्त्रीं च स्मरणात्सर्वकामदाम्
And the one who is the Mother of the Vedas, the knowledge steadfast as the tree of existence, the destroyer of all suffering, and the fulfiller of all desires by remembrance—
मोक्षदां च मुमुक्षूणां कामदां च फलार्थिनाम् । त्रिगुणातीतरूपां च गुणविस्तारकारकाम्
The giver of liberation to those who seek it, the granter of wishes to those who desire results, whose form transcends the three guṇas, and who is the cause of the expansion of the guṇas—
निर्गुणां सगुणां तस्मात्तां ध्यायन्ति फलार्थिनः । निरंजनं निराकारं निर्लेपं निर्गुणं किल
Both without qualities and with qualities, therefore those who seek results meditate upon her; truly, she is stainless, formless, untouched, and without qualities.
अरूपं व्यापकं ब्रह्म प्रवदन्ति मुनीश्वराः । वेदोपनिषदि प्रोक्तस्तेजोमय इति क्वचित्
The great sages declare that Brahman is formless, all-pervading; in the Vedas and Upaniṣads it is sometimes described as composed of light.
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्रनयनस्तथा । सहस्रकरकर्णश्च सहस्रास्यः सहस्रपात्
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand hands and ears, a thousand faces, and a thousand feet.
विष्णोः पादमथाकाशं परमं समुदाहृतम् । विराजं विरजं शान्तं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
The supreme space is said to be the foot of Viṣṇu; the wise declare it to be pure, stainless, and peaceful.
पुरुषोत्तमं तथा चान्ये प्रवदन्ति पुराविदः । नैकोऽपीति वदन्त्यन्ये प्रभुरीशः कदाचन
Others, learned in the ancient lore, call him the Supreme Person; yet others say he is not one alone, but is ever the Lord and Master.
अनीश्वरमिदं सर्वं ब्रह्माण्डमिति केचन । न कदापीशजन्यं यज्जगदेतदचिन्तितम्
Some say this entire universe is without a Lord, not at any time created by a master, and that this world is inconceivable.
सदैवेदमनीशं च स्वभावोत्थं सदेदृशम् । अकर्तासौ पुमान्प्रोक्तः प्रकृतिस्तु तथा च सा
This is always said to be without a Lord, arising from its own nature, ever thus; he is called the non-agent man, and she is said to be Prakṛti.
एवं वदन्ति साङ्ख्याश्च मुनयः कपिलादयः । एते सन्देहसन्दोहाः प्रभवन्ति तथाऽपरे
Thus speak the Sāṅkhya sages, such as Kapila; and from these, many doubts and uncertainties arise.
विकल्पोपहतं चेतः किं करोमि मुनीश्वर । धर्माधर्मविवक्षायां न मनो मे स्थिरं भवेत्
My mind, afflicted by these alternatives, O great sage, cannot remain steady regarding the distinction between dharma and adharma.
को धर्मः कीदृशोऽधर्मश्चिह्नं नैवोपलभ्यते । देवाः सत्त्वगुणोत्पन्नाः सत्यधर्मव्यवस्थिताः
What is dharma, and what is adharma? No clear mark is found. The gods, born of the quality of sattva, are established in truth and righteousness.
पीड्यन्ते दानवैः पापैः कुत्र धर्मव्यवस्थितिः । धर्मस्थिताः सदाचाराः पाण्डवा मम वंशजाः
Yet they are oppressed by wicked Dānavas; where, then, is the order of dharma? The Pāṇḍavas, my descendants, established in dharma and good conduct—