निर्गुणा शङ्करं देवमवोचदमृतं वचः । देव्युवाच गृहाण हरगौरीं त्वं महाकालीं मनोहराम्
the Devi, now beyond qualities, spoke immortal words to Shiva. The Devi said: Take Haragauri, the enchanting Mahakali.
कैलासं कारयित्वा च विहरस्व यथासुखम् । मुख्यस्तमोगुणस्तेऽस्तु गौणौ सत्त्वरजोगुणौ
Having established Kailasa, enjoy as you wish. Let your primary quality be tamas, and the secondary ones be sattva and rajas.
विहरासुरनाशार्थं रजोगुणतमोगुणौ । तपस्तप्तं तथा कर्तुं स्मरणं परमात्मनः
Enjoy for the destruction of demons, with rajas and tamas. Also, perform austerity and remembrance of the Supreme Self.
सर्वसत्त्वगुणः शान्तो गृहीतव्यः सदानघ । सर्वथा त्रिगुणा यूयं सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारकाः
The quality of sattva, peaceful, must always be accepted, O sinless one. In every way, you three are the causes of creation, preservation, and destruction.
एभिर्विहीनं संसारे वस्तु नैवात्र कुत्रचित् । वस्तुमात्रं तु यद्दृश्यं संसारे त्रिगुणं हि तत्
In this world, there is nowhere any substance devoid of these; whatever is seen as mere substance in the world is indeed composed of the three qualities.
दृश्यं च निर्गुणं लोके न भूतं नो भविष्यति । निर्गुणः परमात्मासौ न तु दृश्यः कदाचन
In this world, that which is seen as without qualities has never existed nor will exist; the Supreme Self is without qualities, but is never an object of perception.
सगुणा निर्गुणा चाहं समये शङ्करोत्तमा । सदाहं कारणं शम्भो न च कार्यं कदाचन
O best of Śiva, I am both with qualities and without qualities, according to the circumstance; I am always the cause, O Śambhu, and never the effect.
सगुणा कारणत्वाद्वै निर्गुणा पुरुषान्तिके । महत्तत्त्वमहङ्कारो गुणाः शब्दादयस्तथा
With qualities, I am the cause; without qualities, I am near the Spirit; the great principle, ego, the qualities, and also sound and the rest—
कार्यकारणरूपेण संसरन्ते त्वहर्निशम्
These move about day and night in the forms of cause and effect.
अहङ्कारश्च मे कार्यं त्रिगुणोऽसौ प्रतिष्ठितः । अहङ्कारान्महत्तत्त्वं बुद्धिः सा परिकीर्तिता
Ego is my effect, established as threefold; from ego arises the great principle, which is called intellect.
महत्तत्त्वं हि कार्यं स्यादहङ्कारो हि कारणम् । तन्मात्राणि त्वहङ्कारादुत्पद्यन्ते सदैव हि
The great principle is indeed the effect, and ego is the cause; from ego, the subtle elements are always produced.
कारणं पञ्चभूतानां तानि सर्वसमुद्भवे । कर्मेन्द्रियाणि पंचैव पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणि च
It is the cause of the five elements, from which all arise; and the five organs of action and the five organs of knowledge.
महाभूतानि पञ्चैव मनः षोडशमेव च । कार्यञ्च कारणञ्चैव गणोऽयं षोडशात्मकः
The five great elements and the mind as the sixteenth; this group of sixteen is both effect and cause.
परमात्मा पुमानाद्यो न कार्यं न च कारणम् । एवं समुद्भवः शम्भो सर्वेषामादिसम्भवे
The Supreme Self, the original Person, is neither effect nor cause; thus is the origin of all at the beginning, O Śambhu.
संक्षेपेण मया प्रोक्तस्तव तत्र समुद्भवः । व्रजन्त्वद्य विमानेन कार्यार्थं मम सत्तमाः
In brief, I have explained to you the origin there; now, O best ones, go by the chariot for my purpose.
स्मरणाद्दर्शनं तुभ्यं दास्येऽहं विषमे स्थिते । स्मर्तव्याहं सदा देवाः परमात्मा सनातनः
By remembrance, I will grant you a vision when you are in difficulty; always remember me, O gods, as the eternal Supreme Self.
उभयोः स्मरणादेव कार्यसिद्धिरसंशयम् । ब्रह्मोवाच इत्युक्त्वा विससर्जास्मान्दत्त्वा शक्तीः सुसंस्कृताः
By remembrance from both sides, success in action is certain; Brahmā said: Having thus spoken, she dismissed us, having given us well-prepared powers.
विष्णवेऽथ महालक्ष्मीं महाकालीं शिवाय च । महासरस्वतीं मह्यं स्थानात्तस्माद्विसर्जिताः
To Viṣṇu, Mahālakṣmī; to Śiva, Mahākālī; to me, Mahāsarasvatī; thus, from her place, she sent them forth.
स्थलान्तरं समासाद्य ते जाताः पुरुषा वयम् । चिन्तयन्तः स्वरूपं तत्प्रभावं परमाद्भुतम्
Having reached another place, we became persons; reflecting on that form and its supremely wondrous power.
विमानं तत्समासाद्य संरूढास्तत्र वै त्रयः । न द्वीपोऽसौ न सा देवी सुधासिन्धुस्तथैव च
Having reached that chariot, the three of us were established there; that was not an island, nor was that goddess there, nor the ocean of nectar.
आसाद्य तस्मिन्वितते विमाने प्राप्ता वयं पङ्कजसन्निधौ च । महार्णवे यत्र हतौ दुरत्ययौ मुरारिणा तौ मधुकैटभाख्यौ
Having arrived at that vast chariot, we reached the presence of the lotus; in the great ocean where those two, named Madhu and Kaiṭabha, were slain by the enemy of Mura, difficult to overcome.
तत्त्वनिरूपणवर्णनम् ब्रह्मोवाच एवंप्रभावा सा देवी मया दृष्टाथ विष्णुना । शिवेनापि महाभाग तास्ता देव्यः पृथक्पृथक्
Description of the discernment of reality. Brahmā said: Thus, I saw that goddess of such power, and so did Viṣṇu; and also Śiva, O greatly fortunate one, each saw those goddesses separately.
व्यास उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य पितुर्वाक्यं नारदो मुनिसत्तमः । पप्रच्छ परमप्रीतः प्रजापतिमिदं वचः
Vyāsa said: Having heard his father's words, the eminent sage Nārada, greatly pleased, asked Prajāpati this question:
नारद उवाच पुमानाद्योऽविनाशी यो निर्गुणोऽच्युतिरव्ययः । दृष्टश्चैवानुभूतश्च तद्वदस्व पितामह
Nārada said: O Grandfather, tell me about that primal, imperishable, qualityless, unchanging, and unfailing Person who is both seen and experienced.
त्रिगुणा वीक्षिता शक्तिर्निर्गुणा कीदृशी पितः । तस्याः स्वरूपं मे ब्रूहि पुरुषस्य च पद्मज
O Lotus-born, what is the nature of the qualityless power that is observed as threefold? Tell me the true form of that power and of the Person as well.
यदर्थञ्च मया तप्तं श्वेतद्वीपे महातपः । दृष्टाः सिद्धा महात्मानस्तापसा गतमन्यवः
For what purpose did I perform severe austerity on Śvetadvīpa? There, I saw accomplished great souls, ascetics free from anger.
परमात्मा न सम्प्राप्तो मयाऽसौ दृष्टिगोचरः । पुनः पुनस्तपस्तीव्रं कृतं तत्र प्रजापते
O Prajāpati, the Supreme Self did not appear within the range of my vision; again and again I performed intense austerity there.
भवता सगुणा शक्तिर्दृष्टा तात मनोरमा । निर्गुणा निर्गुणश्चैव कीदृशौ तौ वदस्व मे
Father, you have seen the delightful power with qualities; tell me, what are the qualityless power and the qualityless Person like?
व्यास उवाच इति पृष्ठः पिता तेन नारदेन प्रजापतिः । उवाच वचनं तथ्यं स्मितपूर्वं पितामहः
Vyāsa said: Thus questioned by Nārada, Prajāpati, the Grandfather, replied truthfully, first with a smile.
ब्रह्मोवाच निर्गुणस्य मुने रूपं न भवेद्दृष्टिगोचरम् । दृश्यञ्च नश्वरं यस्मादरूपं दृश्यते कथम्
Brahmā said: O sage, the form of the qualityless cannot be an object of sight; for whatever is seen is perishable—how can the formless be seen?