सात्त्विकं वेदशास्त्रादि साहित्यं चैव राजसम् । तामसं युद्धवार्ता च परदोषप्रकाशनम्
Sāttvika hearing is of the Vedas, scriptures, and similar; rājasika is of literature; tāmasika is talk of war and exposing the faults of others.
सात्त्विकं त्रिविधं प्रोक्तं प्रज्ञावद्भिश्च पण्डितैः । उत्तमं मध्यमं चैव तथैवाधममित्युत
Sāttvika is also said to be threefold by the learned and wise: superior, middling, and inferior.
उत्तमं मोक्षफलदं स्वर्गदं मध्यमं तथा । अधमं भोगदं प्रोक्तं निर्णीय विदितं बुधैः
Superior gives the fruit of liberation, middling gives heaven, and inferior is said to give enjoyment—thus determined and known by the wise.
साहित्यं चैव त्रिविधं स्वीयायां चोत्तमं स्मृतम् । मध्यमं वारयोषायां परोढायां तथाधमम्
Literature too is threefold: one's own is considered superior, that of a courtesan is middling, and that of another's wife is inferior.
तामसं त्रिविधं ज्ञेयं विद्वद्भिः शास्त्रदर्शिभिः । आततायिनियुद्धं यत्तदुत्तममुदाहृतम्
Tāmasika is to be known as threefold by those learned in scripture: fighting with aggressors is called superior.
मध्यमं चापि विद्वेषात्पाण्डवानां तथारिभिः । अधमं निर्निमित्तं तु विवादे कलहे तथा
Middling is fighting out of enmity, as with the Pāṇḍavas and their foes; inferior is quarrelling and conflict without cause.
तदत्र श्रवणं मुख्यं पुराणस्य महामते । बुद्धिप्रवर्धनं पुण्यं ततः पापप्रणाशनम्
Therefore, O wise one, hearing the Purāṇa is foremost; it increases understanding, brings merit, and destroys sin.
तदाख्याहि महाबुद्धे कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । श्रुतां द्वैपायनात्पूर्वं सर्वार्थस्य प्रसाधिनीम्
So, O greatly intelligent one, narrate the auspicious Purāṇic tale, as you heard it before from Vyāsa, which brings about all good.
सूत उवाच यूयं धन्या महाभागा धन्योऽहं पृथिवीतले । येषां श्रवणबुद्धिश्च ममापि कथने किल
Sūta said: You are blessed, O noble ones, and I am blessed on this earth, for you have the desire to hear and I the opportunity to speak.
पुरा चैकार्णवे जाते विलीने भुवनत्रये । शेषपर्यङ्कसुप्ते च देवदेवे जनार्दने
Long ago, when the three worlds were dissolved in the one ocean, and Janārdana, Lord of the gods, lay asleep on the serpent-bed,
विष्णुकर्णमलोद्भूतौ दानवौ मधुकैटभौ । महाबलौ च तौ दैत्यौ विवृद्धौ सागरे जले
From the earwax of Viṣṇu arose the two Dānavas, Madhu and Kaiṭabha, great in might, who grew in the waters of the ocean.
क्रीडमानौ स्थितौ तत्र विचरन्तावितस्ततः । तावेकदा महाकायौ क्रीडासक्तौ महार्णवे
There, those two, of great bodies, remained playing and wandering in the vast ocean, absorbed in their sport.
चिन्तामवापतुश्चित्ते भ्रातराविव संस्थितौ । नाकारणं भवेत्कार्यं सर्वत्रैषा परम्परा
Then, like brothers, they came to ponder in their minds: 'Nothing happens without cause; this is the universal rule.'
आधेयं तु विनाधारं न तिष्ठति कथञ्चन । आधाराधेयभावस्तु भाति नो चित्तगोचरः
Without a support, the supported cannot exist in any way; the relationship of support and supported does not appear to the mind.
क्व तिष्ठति जलं चेदं सुखरूपं सुविस्तरम् । केन सृष्टं कथं जातं मग्नावावाञ्जले स्थितौ
Where does this pleasant, expansive water exist? By whom was it created, and how did it come to be? Immersed in it, how do we remain afloat?
आवां वा कथमुत्पन्नौ केन वोत्पादितावुभौ । पितरौ क्वेति विज्ञानं नास्ति कामं तथावयोः
And how were we two born, and by whom were both of us produced? Where are our parents? We truly have no knowledge of this.
सूत उवाच एवं कामयमानौ तौ जग्मतुर्न विनिश्चयम् । उवाच कैटभस्तत्र मधुं पार्श्वे स्थितं जले
Sūta said: Thus, as the two desired to know, they could not reach a conclusion. Then, there, Kaiṭabha spoke to Madhu, who was standing nearby in the water.
कैटभ उवाच मधो वामत्र सलिले स्थातुं शक्तिर्महाबला । वर्तते भ्रातरचला कारणं सा हि मे मता
Kaiṭabha said: Madhu, in this water, the power to remain is due to a great and unshakable force. Brother, that is what I consider to be the cause.
तया ततमिदं तोयं तदाधारं च तिष्ठति । सा एव परमा देवी कारणञ्च तथावयोः
By her this water is pervaded, and she is its support. She alone is the supreme Goddess and likewise the cause of us both.
एवं विबुध्यमानौ तौ चिन्ताविष्टौ यदासुरौ । तदाकाशे श्रुतं ताभ्यां वाग्बीजं सुमनोहरम्
As those two demons thus became aware, filled with thought, at that moment they heard in the sky a seed-syllable, most delightful to the mind.
गृहीतं च ततस्ताभ्यां तस्याभ्यासो दृढः कृतः । तदा सौदामनी दृष्टा ताभ्यां खे चोत्थिता शुभा
Then, having taken hold of it, the two practiced it with firm repetition. At that time, they saw a radiant flash, auspicious, rising in the sky.
ताभ्यां विचारितं तत्र मन्त्रोऽयं नात्र संशयः । तथा ध्यानमिदं दृष्टं गगने सगुणं किल
There, the two considered: 'This is indeed a mantra, there is no doubt.' In the same way, they saw this meditation in the sky, endowed with qualities.
निराहारौ जितात्मानौ तन्मनस्कौ समाहितौ । बभूवतुर्विचिन्त्यैवं जपध्यानपरायणौ
Fasting, self-controlled, their minds absorbed and concentrated, the two became devoted solely to recitation and meditation, reflecting in this way.
एवं वर्षसहस्रं तु ताभ्यां तप्तं महत्तपः । प्रसन्ना परमा शक्तिर्जाता सा परमा तयोः
Thus, for a thousand years, the two performed great austerity. The supreme power became pleased and appeared before them in her highest form.
खिन्नौ तौ दानवौ दृष्ट्वा तपसे कृतनिश्चयौ । तयोरनुग्रहार्थाय वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
Seeing those two demons exhausted but resolute in their penance, for their blessing, a bodiless voice spoke.
वरं वां वाञ्छितं दैत्यौ ब्रूतं परमसम्मतम् । ददामि परितुष्टास्मि युवयोस्तपसा किल
O Daityas, ask for the boon you desire, whatever is most agreeable to you. I am satisfied with your austerity and will grant it.
सूत उवाच इति श्रुत्वा तु तां वाणीं दानवावूचतुस्तदा । स्वेच्छया मरणं देवि वरं नौ देहि सुव्रते
Sūta said: Hearing that voice, the two demons then spoke: 'O Devi, grant us this boon, O virtuous one: let us die only by our own will.'
वागुवाच वाञ्छितं मरणं दैत्यौ भवेद्वा मत्प्रसादतः । अजेयौ देवदैत्यैश्च भ्रातरौ नात्र संशयः
The voice said: By my grace, O Daityas, your desired death shall come only by your own wish. Among gods and demons, you two brothers will be invincible—of this there is no doubt.
सूत उवाच इति दत्तवरौ देव्या दानवौ मददर्पितौ । चक्रतुः सागरे क्रीडां यादोगणसमन्वितौ
Sūta said: Thus, having received the boon from the Goddess, the two demons, filled with pride, played in the ocean, accompanied by hosts of aquatic beings.
कालेन कियता विप्रा दानवाभ्यां यदृच्छया । दृष्टः प्रजापतिर्ब्रह्मा पद्मासनगतः प्रभुः
O Brahmins, after some time, by chance, the two demons saw Prajāpati Brahmā, the Lord, seated upon a lotus.