शनैश्चरात्तथा चोर्ध्वं ज्ञेयं सप्तर्षिमण्डलम् सप्तर्षिभ्यो ध्रुवश्चोर्ध्वं समस्तं त्रिदिवं ध्रुवे
Above Śanaiścara, know that the circle of the Seven Sages is situated; above the Seven Sages is Dhruva, and above Dhruva is the entire heaven.
द्विगुणेषु सहस्रेषु योजनानां शतेषु च ग्रहान्तरम् अथैकैकम् ऊर्ध्वं नक्षत्रमण्डलात्
At a distance of two thousand yojanas, and hundreds of yojanas more, each planet is situated above the circle of the constellations.
ताराग्रहान्तराणि स्युर् उपर्युपर्यधिष्ठितम् ग्रहाश्च चन्द्रसूर्यौ च दिवि दिव्येन तेजसा
The spaces between the stars and planets are established one above the other; the planets, the Moon, and the Sun shine in the sky with divine radiance.
नक्षत्रेषु च युज्यन्ते गच्छन्तो नियतक्रमात् चन्द्रार्कग्रहनक्षत्रा नीचोच्चगृहमाश्रिताः
They are joined with the constellations, moving in a fixed order; the Moon, Sun, planets, and stars occupy their own low and high houses.
समागमे च भेदे च पश्यन्ति युगपत्प्रजाः परस्परं स्थिता ह्येवं युज्यन्ते च परस्परम्
When they come together or separate, people see them simultaneously, for they are thus positioned and joined with one another.
असंकरेण विज्ञेयस् तेषां योगस्तु वै बुधैः इत्येवं संनिवेशो वै पृथिव्या ज्योतिषां च यः
Their conjunctions are to be understood by the wise without confusion; thus is the arrangement of the earth and the luminaries.
द्वीपानामुदधीनां च पर्वतानां तथैव च वर्षाणां च नदीनां च ये च तेषु वसन्ति वै
Of the continents, oceans, mountains, regions, and rivers, and those who dwell among them—
इत्येषो ऽर्कवशेनैव संनिवेशस्तु ज्योतिषाम् आवर्तः सान्तरो मध्ये संक्षिप्तश्च ध्रुवात्तु स
Thus, by the power of the Sun, this arrangement of the luminaries is established; it is a revolving system with an inner space, compact in the middle, and fixed from Dhruva.
सर्वतस्तेषु विस्तीर्णो वृत्ताकार इवोच्छ्रितः लोकसंव्यवहारार्थम् ईश्वरेण विनिर्मितः
All these are vast, circular, and elevated, created by the Lord for the conduct of the world.
कल्पादौ बुद्धिपूर्वं तु स्थापितो ऽसौ स्वयम्भुवा इत्येष संनिवेशो वै सर्वस्य ज्योतिरात्मकः
At the beginning of the kalpa, this was established by the Self-born, with forethought; this is the arrangement of all that is composed of light.
वैश्वरूपं प्रधानस्य परिणाहो ऽस्य यः स्मृतः तेषां शक्यं न संख्यातुं याथातथ्येन केनचित् गतागतं मनुष्येण ज्योतिषां मांसचक्षुषा
This is said to be the universal form of the primordial substance, its extent; none can truly count their coming and going, nor can a human with fleshly eyes perceive the movements of the luminaries.
कथं जगाम भगवान् पुरारित्वं महेश्वरः ददाह च कथं देवस् तन्नो विस्तरतो वद
How did the blessed Lord Maheśvara become the destroyer of cities, and how did the god burn them? Tell us this in detail.
पृच्छामस्त्वां वयं सर्वे बहुमानात्पुनः पुनः त्रिपुरं तद्यथा दुर्गं मयमायाविनिर्मितम् देवेनैकेषुणा दग्धं तथा नो वद मानद
We all ask you again and again with great respect: how was Tripura, the formidable city built by Maya the magician, burned by the god with a single arrow? Tell us this, O giver of honor.
शृणुध्वं त्रिपुरं देवो यथा दारितवान् भवः मयो नाम महामायो मायानां जनको ऽसुरः
Hear how the god destroyed Tripura: Maya, the great magician, an asura and father of illusions, was its creator.
निर्जितः स तु संग्रामे तताप परमं तपः तपस्यन्तं तु तं विप्रा दैत्यावन्यावनुग्रहात्
Defeated in that battle, he performed intense austerity; and as he was engaged in penance, O Brahmins, the Daityas, out of compassion for him,
तस्यैव कृत्यमुद्दिश्य तेपतुः परमं तपः विद्युन्माली च बलवांस् तारकाख्यश्च वीर्यवान्
undertook severe austerity themselves, for his sake. Among them were Vidyunmali, mighty in strength, and Taraka, powerful in valor.
मयतेजःसमाक्रान्तौ तेपतुर्मयपार्श्वगौ लोका इव यथा मूर्तास् त्रयस् त्रय इवाग्नयः
Endowed with the energy of Maya, and remaining at Maya’s side, the two performed austerity, appearing like three embodied worlds, or like three fires.
लोकत्रयं तापयन्तस् ते तेपुर्दानवास्तपः हेमन्ते जलशय्यासु ग्रीष्मे पञ्चतपे तथा
The Danavas, burning the three worlds, performed austerity—lying on water in winter, and enduring the fivefold heat in summer.
वर्षासु च तथाकाशे क्षपयन्तस्तनूः प्रियाः सेवानाः फलमूलानि पुष्पाणि च जलानि च
During the rains, and likewise in the open sky, they wore away their bodies, subsisting on fruits, roots, flowers, and water, dear to those who serve.
अन्यदाचरिताहाराः पङ्केनाचितवल्कलाः मग्नाः शैवालपङ्केषु विमलाविमलेषु च
At other times, they lived on whatever food they could find, clad in bark smeared with mud, immersed in clear and muddy ponds alike.
निर्मांसाश्च ततो जाताः कृशा धमनिसंतताः तेषां तपःप्रभावेन प्रभावविधुतं यथा
Thus, they became fleshless, thin, with veins prominent; by the power of their austerity, their radiance was as if swept away.
निष्प्रभं तु जगत्सर्वं मन्दमेवाभिभाषितम् दह्यमानेषु लोकेषु तैस्त्रिभिर्दानवाग्निभिः
All the worlds became dim, and speech was feeble, as the worlds were scorched by the three fires of those Danavas.
तेषामग्रे जगद्बन्धुः प्रादुर्भूतः पितामहः ततः साहसकर्तारः प्राहुस्ते सहसागतम्
Then, before them, the grandsire of the world, Pitamaha, appeared; and those heroes, seeing him arrive suddenly, spoke to him.
स्वकं पितामहं दैत्यास् तं वै तुष्टुवुरेव च अथ तान्दानवान्ब्रह्मा तपसा तपनप्रभान्
The Daityas praised their own grandsire, Pitamaha; and then Brahma, seeing the Danavas radiant with the heat of their austerity,
उवाच हर्षपूर्णाक्षो हर्षपूर्णमुखस्तदा वरदो ऽहं हि वो वत्सास् तपस्तोषित आगतः
spoke with eyes and face full of joy: 'I am come, O children, pleased by your austerity, to grant you a boon.'
व्रियताम् ईप्सितं यच्च साभिलाषं तदुच्यताम् इत्येवमुच्यमानास्तु प्रतिपन्नं पितामहम्
'Ask for whatever you desire, whatever you wish for—let it be spoken.' Thus addressed, they approached Pitamaha.
विश्वकर्मा मयः प्राह प्रहर्षोत्फुल्ललोचनः देव दैत्याः पुरा देवैः संग्रामे तारकामये
Visvakarma Maya, his eyes wide with delight, spoke: 'O god, formerly the Daityas were defeated by the gods in the battle of Taraka.'
निर्जितास्ताडिताश्चैव हताश्चाप्यायुधैरपि देवैर्वैरानुबन्धाच्च धावन्तो भयवेपिताः
'They were struck, slain even by weapons, and, pursued by enmity, fled trembling in fear from the gods.'
शरणं नैव जानीमः शर्म वा शरणार्थिनः सो ऽहं तपःप्रभावेन तव भक्त्या तथैव च
'We knew neither refuge nor safety, though seeking shelter. By the power of austerity and by devotion to you, I—'
इच्छामि कर्तुं तद्दुर्गं यद्देवैरपि दुस्तरम् तस्मिंश्च त्रिपुरे दुर्गे मत्कृते कृतिनां वर
'wish to build that fortress which even the gods find difficult to overcome. In that triple fortress, O bestower of boons, for my sake—'