ब्रह्मोवाच तव भागं करिष्यामो मखमध्ये यथा शृणु । तेन त्वं कुरु कार्यं नो विष्णुं बोधय माचिरम्
Brahma said: 'We will give you your share in the sacrifice—listen as I tell you. By that, do our task and quickly awaken Vishnu.'
होमकर्मणि पार्श्वे च हविर्दानात्पतिष्यति । तत्ते भागं विजानीहि कुरु कार्यं त्वरान्विता
At the side of the sacrificial rite, from the offering of oblations, your share will fall; know that as your portion, and perform the task with speed.
सूत उवाच इत्युक्ता ब्रह्मणा वम्री धनुषोऽग्रं त्वरान्विता । चखाद संस्थितं भूमौ विमुक्ता ज्या तदाभवत्
Suta said: Thus addressed by Brahma, the termite quickly ate the tip of the bow that was resting on the ground, and then the bowstring was released.
प्रत्यञ्जायां विमुक्तायां मुक्ता कोटिस्तथोत्तरा । शब्दः समभवद्घोरस्तेन त्रस्ताः सुरास्तदा
As the bowstring was released and the tip sprang upward, a terrible sound arose, and the gods were frightened by it.
ब्रह्माण्डं क्षुभितं सर्वं वसुधा कम्पिता तदा । समुद्राश्च समुद्विग्नास्त्रेसुश्च जलजन्तवः
The entire cosmic egg was shaken, the earth trembled, the oceans were agitated, and the aquatic creatures were terrified.
ववुर्वातास्तथा चोग्राः पर्वताश्च चकम्पिरे । उल्कापाता महोत्पाता बभूवुर्दुःखशंसिनः
Fierce winds blew, mountains shook, meteors fell, and great omens of disaster appeared.
दिशो घोरतराश्चासन्सूर्योऽप्यस्तंगतोऽभवत् । चिन्तामापुः सुराः सर्वे किं भविष्यति दुर्दिने
The directions became even more terrifying, and the sun itself set; all the gods were seized by anxiety, wondering what would happen on this dreadful day.
एवं चिन्तयतां तेषां मूर्धा विष्णोः सकुण्डलः । गतः समुकुटः क्वापि देवदेवस्य तापसाः
As they were thus worrying, the head of Vishnu, adorned with earrings and crown, vanished somewhere, O ascetics, from the Lord of gods.
अन्धकारे तदा घोरे शान्ते ब्रह्महरौ तदा । शिरोहीनं शरीरं तु ददृशाते विलक्षणम्
Then, in that dreadful darkness, while Brahma and Shiva were calm, they saw the body, now headless, of Vishnu, appearing strange.
दृष्ट्वा कबन्धं विष्णोस्ते विस्मिताः सुरसत्तमाः । चिन्तासागरमग्नाश्च रुरुदुः शोककर्शिताः
Seeing Vishnu's trunk, the best of the gods were astonished; plunged into an ocean of worry, they wept, tormented by grief.
हा नाथ किं प्रभो जातमत्यद्भुतममानुषम् । वैशसं सर्वदेवानां देवदेव सनातन
"Alas, Lord! What has happened, O Master? This is most astonishing and inhuman—a calamity for all the gods, O eternal God of gods!"
मायेयं कस्य देवस्य यया तेऽद्य शिरो हृतम् । अच्छेद्यस्त्वमभेद्योऽसि अप्रदाह्योऽसि सर्वदा
"By whose magic, O God, has your head been taken today? You are always uncut, unbroken, and unburnable."
एवं गते त्वयि विभो मरिष्यन्ति च देवताः । कीदृशस्त्वयि नः स्नेहः स्वार्थेनैव रुदामहे
"With you in this state, O Lord, the gods will perish. What kind of affection do we have for you, that we weep only for our own sake?"
नायं विघ्नः कृतो दैत्यैर्न यक्षैर्न च राक्षसैः । देवैरेव कृतः कस्य दूषणं च रमापते
"This obstacle was not caused by demons, nor by yakshas or rakshasas; it was made by the gods themselves. O Lord of Lakshmi, whose fault is this?"
पराधीनाः सुराः सर्वे किं कुर्मः क्व व्रजाम च । शरणं नैव देवेश सुराणां मूढचेतसाम्
"All the gods are powerless—what can we do, and where can we go? O Lord of gods, there is no refuge for the deluded-minded gods."
न चैषा सात्त्विकी माया राजसी न च तामसी । यया छिन्नं शिरस्तेऽद्य मायेशस्य जगद्गुरोः
"Nor is this the sāttvic, nor rājasic, nor tāmasic māyā by which your head, O Lord of Māyā, Teacher of the world, was severed today."
क्रन्दमानांस्तदा दृष्ट्वा देवाञ्छिवपुरोगमान् । बृहस्पतिस्तदोवाच शमयन्वेदवित्तमः
Seeing the gods, led by Shiva, weeping at that time, Brihaspati, the knower of the Vedas, spoke to calm them.
रुदितेन महाभागाः क्रन्दितेन तथापि किम् । उपायश्चात्र कर्तव्यः सर्वथा बुद्धिगोचरः
"O blessed ones, what is the use of crying and wailing? Some means must certainly be devised, within the reach of our understanding."
दैवं पुरुषकारश्च देवेश सदृशावुभौ । उपायश्च विधातव्यो दैवात्फलति सर्वथा
"O Lord of gods, both fate and human effort are equal; a means must be undertaken, for results always arise from destiny."
इन्द्र उवाच दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिक्पौरुषमनर्थकम् । विष्णोरपि शिरश्छिन्नं सुराणां चैव पश्यताम्
Indra said: "I consider fate supreme; shame on human effort, which is useless. Even Vishnu's head was cut off before the very eyes of the gods."
ब्रह्मोवाच अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कालेनापादितं च यत् । शुभं वाप्यशुभं वापि दैवं कोऽतिक्रमेत्पुनः
Brahma said: "Whatever is brought by time must certainly be experienced, whether good or bad; who can ever surpass fate?"
देहवान्सुखदुःखानां भोक्ता नैवात्र संशयः । यथा कालवशात्कृत्तं शिरो मे शम्भुना पुरा
"There is no doubt that one with a body must experience pleasure and pain, just as, in the past, my head was cut off by Shiva, under the power of time."
तथैव लिङ्गपातश्च महादेवस्य शापतः । तथैवाद्य हरेर्मूर्धा पतितो लवणाम्भसि
"In the same way, the fall of the linga happened by the curse of Mahadeva; and so today, Hari's head has fallen into the salt ocean."
सहस्रभगसंप्राप्तिर्दुःखं चैव शचीपतेः । स्वर्गाद्भ्रंशस्तथा वासः कमले मानसे सरे
"The thousandfold division, the suffering of Shachi's lord, the fall from heaven, and the dwelling in the lotus-filled Manasa lake—all these occurred."
एते दुःखस्य भोक्तारः केन दुःखं न भुज्यते । संसारेऽस्मिन्महाभागास्तस्माच्छोकं त्यजन्तु वै
These are the experiencers of suffering—who here does not undergo pain? In this world, O blessed ones, therefore let them abandon sorrow.
चिन्तयन्तु महामायां विद्यादेवीं सनातनीम् । सा विधास्यति नः कार्यं निर्गुणा प्रकृतिः परा
Let them contemplate the Great Māyā, the eternal Goddess of Knowledge; she, the supreme, attributeless Nature, will accomplish our purpose.
ब्रह्मविद्यां जगद्धात्रीं सर्वेषां जननीं तथा । यया सर्वमिदं व्याप्तं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्
She is the knowledge of Brahman, the supporter of the universe, the mother of all beings; by whom this entire world, the three realms with all that moves and does not move, is pervaded.
सूत उवाच इत्युक्त्वा वै सुरान्वेधा निगमानादिदेश ह । देहयुक्तान्स्थितानग्रे सुरकार्यार्थसिद्धये
Sūta said: Having thus spoken to the gods, the Creator instructed the Vedas, which were present in embodied form before him, for the accomplishment of the gods’ purpose.
ब्रह्मोवाच स्तुवन्तु परमां देवीं ब्रह्मविद्यां सनातनीम् । गूढाङ्गीं च महामायां सर्वकार्यार्थसाधनीम्
Brahmā said: Let them praise the supreme Goddess, the eternal knowledge of Brahman, the one with hidden limbs, the Great Māyā, who accomplishes all aims.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य वेदाः सर्वाङ्गसुन्दराः । तुष्टुवुर्ज्ञानगम्यां तां महामायां जगत्स्थिताम्
Hearing his words, the Vedas, beautiful in every part, praised that Great Māyā, who is realized through knowledge and who upholds the world.