सूत सुव्यक्तमखिलं कथितं शङ्करस्य तु सर्वात्मभावं रुद्रस्य स्वरूपं वक्तुमर्हसि
Sūta, you have clearly narrated everything about Śaṅkara; now you should speak of the essential nature of Rudra, who is the soul of all.
भूर्भुवः स्वर्महश्चैव जनः साक्षात्तपस् तथा सत्यलोकश् च पातालं नरकार्णवकोटयः
The worlds Bhū, Bhuvaḥ, Svar, Mahas, Jana, Tapas, and Satya, as well as Pātāla, the realms of hell, and countless oceanic abysses—
तारकाग्रहसोमार्का ध्रुवः सप्तर्षयस् तथा वैमानिकास्तथान्ये च तिष्ठन्त्यस्य प्रसादतः
Stars, planets, moon, sun, Dhruva, the seven sages, and celestial beings, and others, all exist by his grace.
अनेन निर्मितास्त्वेवं तदात्मानो द्विजर्षभाः समष्टिरूपः सर्वात्मा संस्थितः सर्वदा शिवः
By him, all these are created, O best of twice-born; he is established as the totality, the soul of all, always as Śiva.
सर्वात्मानं महात्मानं महादेवं महेश्वरम् न विजानन्ति संमूढा मायया तस्य मोहिताः
The deluded, bewildered by his Māyā, do not know the soul of all, the great soul, the great god, the great lord.
तस्य देवस्य रुद्रस्य शरीरं वै जगत्त्रयम् तस्मात्प्रणम्य तं वक्ष्ये जगतां निर्णयं शुभम्
The body of that god, Rudra, is indeed the three worlds; therefore, bowing to him, I shall speak the auspicious determination of the worlds.
पुरा वः कथितं सर्वं मयाण्डस्य यथा कृतिः भुवनानां स्वरूपं च ब्रह्माण्डे कथयाम्यहम्
Earlier, I have told you everything about the creation of the cosmic egg; now I shall describe the nature of the worlds within the Brahmāṇḍa.
पृथिवी चान्तरिक्षं च स्वर्महर्जन एव च तपः सत्यं च सप्तैते लोकास्त्वण्डोद्भवाः शुभाः
The earth, the atmosphere, heaven, the world of Mahar, Jana, Tapas, and Satya—these seven auspicious worlds arise from the cosmic egg.
अधस्तादत्र चैतेषां द्विजाः सप्त तलानि तु महातलादयस्तेषां अधस्तान्नरकाः क्रमात्
Below these, O twice-born, are seven realms called Talas, beginning with Mahātala; beneath them, in order, are the hells.
महातलं हेमतलं सर्वरत्नोपशोभितम् प्रासादैश् च विचित्रैश् च भवस्यायतनैस् तथा
Mahātala is adorned with gold and all kinds of gems, and with splendid palaces and various abodes belonging to Bhava.
अनन्तेन च संयुक्तं मुचुकुन्देन धीमता नृपेण बलिना चैव पातालस्वर्गवासिना
It is associated with Ananta, with the wise king Mucukunda, with the mighty ruler, and with those who dwell in Pātāla and Svarga.
शैलं रसातलं विप्राः शार्करं हि तलातलम् पीतं सुतलमित्युक्तं वितलं विद्रुमप्रभम्
O Brahmins, Rasātala is a mountain; Śārkara is Talātala; Pīta is called Sutala; Vitala shines like coral.
सितं हि अतलं तच्च तलं यच्च सितेतरम् क्ष्मायास्तु यावद्विस्तारो ह्य् अधस्तेषां च सुव्रताः
Atala is white, and so is Tala; and whatever else is white among them; O virtuous ones, their extent is as great as the earth below.
तलानां चैव सर्वेषां तावत्संख्या समाहिता सहस्रयोजनं व्योम दशसाहस्रमेव च
The number of all these Talas is thus established; the sky is a thousand yojanas, and ten thousand as well.
लक्षं सप्तसहस्रं हि तलानां सघनस्य तु व्योम्नः प्रमाणं मूलं तु त्रिंशत्साहस्रकेण तु
A hundred thousand and seven thousand is the measure of the dense Talas; the root of the sky is thirty thousand.
सुवर्णेन मुनिश्रेष्ठास् तथा वासुकिना शुभम् रसातलमिति ख्यातं तथान्यैश् च निषेवितम्
O best of sages, Rasātala is renowned as golden and auspicious, inhabited by Vāsuki and others.
विरोचनहिरण्याक्षनरकाद्यैश् च सेवितम् तलातलमिति ख्यातं सर्वशोभासमन्वितम्
Talātala is served by Virocana, Hiraṇyākṣa, Naraka, and others; it is known as being endowed with all splendor.
वैनायकादिभिश्चैव कालनेमिपुरोगमैः पूर्वदेवैः समाकीर्णं सुतलं च तथापरैः
Sutala is filled with the ancient gods, led by Vaināyaka and Kālanemi, and with others as well.
वितलं दानवाद्यैश् च तारकाग्निमुखैस् तथा महान्तकाद्यैर् नागैश् च प्रह्लादेनासुरेण च
Vitala is inhabited by Dānavas, Tāraka, Agnimukha, Mahāntaka, Nāgas, and by the Asura Prahlāda.
वितलं चात्र विख्यातं कम्बलाश्वनिषेवितम् महाकुम्भेन वीरेण हयग्रीवेण धीमता
Vitala is also renowned as being served by Kambala and Aśva; by the heroic Mahākumbha and the wise Hayagrīva.
शङ्कुकर्णेन संभिन्नं तथा नमुचिपूर्वकैः तथान्यैर् विविधैर् वीरैस् तलं चैव सुशोभितम्
It is divided by Śaṅkukarṇa, by Namuci and his followers, and by various other heroes; Tala is thus beautifully adorned.
तलेषु तेषु सर्वेषु चाम्बया परमेश्वरः स्कन्देन नन्दिना सार्धं गणपैः सर्वतो वृतः
In all these realms, the supreme lord is present with Ambā, Skanda, Nandin, and surrounded everywhere by the Gaṇas.
तलानां चैव सर्वेषाम् ऊर्ध्वतः सप्तसप्तमाः क्ष्मातलानि धरा चापि सप्तधा कथयामि वः
Above all the Talas, there are seven sets of seven earth realms; I shall describe to you the seven divisions of the earth.
सप्तद्वीपा तथा पृथ्वी नदीपर्वतसंकुला समुद्रैः सप्तभिश्चैव सर्वतः समलंकृता
The earth consists of seven continents, filled with rivers and mountains, and is adorned on all sides by seven oceans.
जम्बूः प्लक्षः शाल्मलिश् च कुशः क्रौञ्चस्तथैव च शाकः पुष्करनामा च द्वीपास्त्वभ्यन्तरे क्रमात्
Jambū, Plakṣa, Śālmalī, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka, and Puṣkara—these are the islands within, in order.
सप्तद्वीपेषु सर्वेषु साम्बः सर्वगणैर्वृतः नानावेषधरो भूत्वा सान्निध्यं कुरुते हरः
In all the seven islands, Hara, surrounded by all his hosts, assumes various forms and manifests his presence.
क्षारोदेक्षुरसोदश् च सुरोदश् च घृतोदधिः दध्यर्णवश् च क्षीरोदः स्वादूदश्चाप्यनुक्रमात्
Salt water, sugarcane juice, wine, clarified butter, curd-ocean, milk-ocean, and sweet water—these are the oceans, in sequence.
समुद्रेष्विह सर्वेषु सर्वदा सगणः शिवः जलरूपी भवः श्रीमान् क्रीडते चोर्मिबाहुभिः
In all these oceans, at all times, Śiva with his attendants, taking the form of water, the glorious one, sports with arms of waves.
क्षीरार्णवामृतमिव सदा क्षीरार्णवे हरिः शेते शिवज्ञानधिया साक्षाद्वै योगनिद्रया
Just as nectar is in the ocean of milk, so Hari always lies in the milk-ocean, in direct awareness of Śiva, in yogic sleep.
यदा प्रबुद्धो भगवान् प्रबुद्धमखिलं जगत् यदा सुप्तस्तदा सुप्तं तन्मयं च चराचरम्
When the Blessed Lord awakens, the whole world awakens; when he sleeps, all that moves and does not move, pervaded by him, sleeps as well.