मध्यस्थः सर्वदा कार्यो विवादेऽस्मिन्द्वयोरिह । ऋषिरुवाच। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं दिव्यं सज्जीभूतौ कृतोद्यमौ
In this dispute between you two, the one who remains in the middle must always act as the witness.
जग्मतुर्मातुमग्रस्थं लिङ्गमद्भुतदर्शनम् । पातालमगमद्विष्णुर्ब्रह्माऽप्याकाशमेव च
The sage said: Hearing that divine command, both became alert and determined; they set out to measure the wondrous liṅga.
परिमातुं महालिङ्गं स्वमहत्त्वविवृद्धये । विष्णुर्गत्वा कियद्देशं श्रान्तः सर्वात्मना यतः
Viṣṇu went downward to Pātāla, and Brahmā went upward into the sky, each seeking to measure the great liṅga to prove his own greatness.
न प्रापांतं स लिंगस्य परिवृत्य ययौ स्थलम् । ब्रह्माऽगच्छत्ततश्चोर्ध्वं पतितं केतकीदलम्
Viṣṇu, having traveled a great distance, became utterly exhausted, yet could not reach the end of the liṅga, so he returned to the surface.
शिवस्य मस्तकात्प्राप्य परावृत्तो मुदावृतः । आगत्य तरसा ब्रह्मा विष्णवे केतकीदलम
Brahmā, ascending further, saw a ketakī flower petal falling from Śiva's head; delighted, he turned back.
दर्शयित्वा च वितथमुवाच मदमोहितः । लिङ्गस्य मस्तकादेतद्गृहीतं केतकीदलम्
Returning swiftly, Brahmā, intoxicated with pride and delusion, showed the ketakī petal to Viṣṇu and said deceitfully: 'This ketakī petal was taken from the top of the liṅga.'
अभिज्ञानाय चानीतं तव चित्तप्रशान्तये । श्रुत्वा तद्ब्रह्मणो वाक्यं दृष्ट्वा च केतकीदलम्
'I brought it as proof, to calm your mind.' Hearing Brahmā's words and seeing the ketakī petal—
हरिस्तं प्रत्युवाचेदं साक्षी क: कथयाधुना । यथार्थवादी मेधावी सदाचारः शुचिः समः
Hari replied to him: 'Who is the witness to this now? One who is truthful, wise, virtuous, pure, and impartial is always the witness in any dispute.'
साक्षी भवति सर्वत्र विवादे समुपस्थिते । ब्रह्मोवाच। दूरदेशात्समायाति साक्षी कः समयेऽधुना
The witness is always present wherever a dispute arises.' Brahmā said: 'Who, at this moment, can come from a distant place as a witness?
यत्सत्यं तद्वचः सेयं केतकी कथयिष्यति । इत्युक्त्वा प्रेरिता तत्र ब्रह्मणा केतकी स्फुटम्
Whatever is true, let this ketakī declare it.' Having said this, Brahmā prompted the ketakī flower there to speak clearly.
वचनं प्राह तरसा शार्ङ्गिणं प्रत्यबोधयत् । शिवमूर्ध्नि स्थितां ब्रह्मा गृहीत्वा मां समागतः
She quickly spoke these words and awakened the wielder of Śārṅga, saying: 'Brahmā, having taken me, who was situated on Śiva’s head, has come here.'
सन्देहोऽत्र न कर्तव्यस्त्वया विष्णो कदाचन । मम वाक्यं प्रमाणं हि ब्रह्मा पारङ्गतोऽस्य ह
O Viṣṇu, you must never entertain any doubt here; my word is the authority, for Brahmā has indeed reached the end of this.
गृहीत्वा मां समायातः शिवभक्तैः समर्पिताम् । केतक्या वचनं श्रुत्वा हरिराह स्मयनिव
Having taken me, who was offered by the devotees of Śiva, Brahmā has arrived; hearing Ketakī’s statement, Hari spoke with a slight smile.
महादेवः प्रमाणं मे यद्यसौ वचनं वदेत् । ऋषिरुवाच। तदाकर्ण्य हरेर्वाक्यं महादेव: सनातनः
If Mahādeva himself confirms this statement, then it is proof for me.' The sage said: Hearing these words of Hari, the eternal Mahādeva—
कुपितः केतकीं प्राह मिथ्यावादिनि मा वद । गच्छतो मध्यतः प्राप्ता पतिता मस्तकान्मम
—became angry and said to Ketakī: 'Do not speak, you who utter falsehood! You fell from my head as Brahmā was passing through the middle.'
मिथ्याभिभाषिणी त्यक्ता मया त्वं सर्वदेव हि । ब्रह्मा लज्जापरो भूत्वा ननाम मधुसूदनम्
'You, who speak falsely, have been rejected by me and by all the gods.' Brahmā, overcome with shame, then bowed to Madhusūdana.
शिवेन केतकी त्यक्ता तद्दिनात्कुसुमेषु वै । एवं मायाबलं विद्धि ज्ञानिनामपि मोहदम्
From that day, Ketakī was rejected by Śiva and among flowers. Thus, know that the power of Māyā can delude even the wise.
अन्येषां प्राणिनां राजन्का वार्ता विभ्रमं प्रति । देवानां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं सर्वदेव रमापतिः
O King, what need is there to speak of the confusion of other beings? Even for the accomplishment of the gods’ purposes, the Lord of Lakṣmī—
दैत्यान्वञ्चयते चाशु त्यक्त्वा पापभयं हरिः । अवतारकरो देवो नानायोनिषु माधवः
—quickly deceives the demons, abandoning fear of sin; Mādhava, the god, takes incarnations in various forms.
त्यक्त्वाऽऽनन्दसुखं दैत्यैर्युद्धं चैवाकरोद्विभुः । नूनं मायाबलं चैतन्माधवेऽपि जगद्गुरौ
Abandoning bliss and happiness, the Lord fought with the demons; surely, this is the power of Māyā, even in Mādhava, the teacher of the world.
सर्वज्ञे देवकार्यांशे का वार्ताऽन्यस्य भूपते । ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि परमा प्रकृतिः किल
O King, what need is there to speak of others, when even the all-knowing, in the course of divine duties, are affected? Indeed, the supreme nature overpowers even the minds of the wise.
बलादाकृष्य मोहाय प्रयच्छति महीपते । यया व्याप्तमिदं सर्वं भगवत्या चराचरम्
By force, she draws them into delusion, O King; by her, the entire world, moving and unmoving, is pervaded—by the Goddess.
मोहदा ज्ञानदा सैव बन्धमोक्षप्रदा सदा । राजोवाच। भगवन्ब्रूहि मे तस्याः स्वरूपं बलमुत्तमम्
She alone gives both delusion and knowledge, always granting bondage and liberation.
उत्पत्तिकारणं चापि स्थानं परमकं च यत् । ऋषिरुवाच। न चोत्पत्तिरनादित्वान्नृप तस्याः कदाचन
The king said: O Lord, tell me her true nature and supreme power, her cause of origin, and her highest abode.' The sage said: O King, she never has an origin, for she is beginningless.
नित्यैव सा परा देवी कारणानां च कारणम् । वर्तते सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिः सर्वात्मना नृप
She is the eternal supreme Goddess, the cause of all causes; she exists in all beings as the universal power, O King.
शववच्छक्तिहीनस्तु प्राणी भवति सर्वथा । चिच्छक्तिः सर्वभूतेषु रूपं तस्यास्तदेव हि
Indeed, a being without power is like a corpse in every way; consciousness is her very form present in all beings.
आविर्भावतिरोभावौ देवानां कार्यसिद्धये । यदा स्तुवंति तां देवा मनुजाश्च विशांपते
Her manifestation and withdrawal occur for the accomplishment of the gods’ purposes, whenever the gods and men praise her, O King.
प्रादुर्भवति भूतानां दुःखनाशाय चाम्बिका । नानारूपधरा देवी नानाशक्तिसमन्विता
Ambikā appears among beings to remove their suffering, taking on various forms, endowed with manifold powers.
आविर्भवति कार्यार्थं स्वेच्छया परमेश्वरी । दैवाधीना न सा देवी यथा सर्वे सुरा नृप
The Supreme Lady manifests of her own will for the sake of her work; O King, she is not subject to fate as all the other gods are.
न कालवशगा नित्यं पुरुषार्थप्रवर्तिनी । अकर्ता पुरुषो द्रष्टा दृश्यं सर्वमिदं जगत्
She is never under the control of time, always engaged in the purposes of beings; the person is not the doer, but the seer, and all this world is the seen.