हुताशनज्वलितशिखोज्ज्वलत्प्रभम् उपस्थितं शरदमलार्कतेजसम् विराजते कमलमुदारवर्चसं महात्मनस्तनुरुहचारुदर्शनम्
Its blazing flames shone like sacrificial fire, radiant with the pure brilliance of the autumn sun; the splendid lotus, of noble luster, appeared near the great soul’s beautiful chest.
अथ योगवतां श्रेष्ठम् असृजद्भूरितेजसम् स्रष्टारं सर्वलोकानां ब्रह्माणं सर्वतोमुखम्
Then he created the foremost among those endowed with yoga, radiant with great splendor—the Brahmā, the creator of all worlds, facing in every direction.
यस्मिन्हिरण्मये पद्मे बहुयोजनविस्तृतम् सर्वतेजोगुणमयं पार्थिवैर्लक्षणैर्वृतम्
Within that golden lotus, vast for many leagues, filled with all the qualities of radiance, and adorned with earthly marks—
तच्च पद्मं पुराणज्ञाः पृथिवीरूपमुत्तमम् नारायणसमुद्भूतं प्रवदन्ति महर्षयः
That lotus, the knowers of the ancient lore declare, is the supreme form of the earth, said by the great sages to have arisen from Nārāyaṇa.
या पद्मा सा रसा देवी पृथिवी परिचक्ष्यते ये पद्मसारगुरवस् तान्दिव्यान् पर्वतान्विदुः
That Padmā is the goddess Rasā, who is called the earth; those who are teachers of the essence of the lotus know those divine mountains.
हिमवन्तं च मेरुं च नीलं निषधमेव च कैलासं मुञ्जवन्तं च तथान्यं गन्धमादनम्
These are Himavat, Meru, Nīla, Niṣadha, Kailāsa, Muñjavān, and also Gandhamādana.
पुण्यं त्रिशिखरं चैव कान्तं मन्दरमेव च उदयं पिञ्जरं चैव विन्ध्यवन्तं च पर्वतम्
Also the sacred Triśikhara, the lovely Mandara, Udaya, Piñjara, and the Vindhya mountain.
एते देवगणानां च सिद्धानां च महात्मनाम् आश्रयाः पुण्यशीलानां सर्वकामफलप्रदाः
These are the abodes of the hosts of gods and the great-souled siddhas, of those of virtuous conduct, bestowing all desired fruits.
एतेषामन्तरे देशो जम्बूद्वीप इति स्मृतः जम्बूद्वीपस्य संस्थानं यज्ञिया यत्र वै क्रियाः
Between these lies the region known as Jambūdvīpa, whose form is that of Jambūdvīpa, where indeed the sacrificial rites are performed.
एभ्यो यत्स्रवते तोयं दिव्यामृतरसोपमम् दिव्यास्तीर्थशताधाराः सुरम्याः सरितः स्मृताः
From these flows water, like the divine nectar of immortality; hundreds of divine, delightful rivers and sacred fords are known.
स्मृतानि यानि पद्मस्य केसराणि समन्ततः असंख्येयाः पृथिव्यास्ते विश्वे वै धातुपर्वताः
The countless filaments remembered as the stamens of the lotus are, in truth, all the mineral mountains of the earth.
यानि पद्मस्य पर्णानि भूरीणि तु नराधिप ते दुर्गमाः शैलचिता म्लेच्छदेशा विकल्पिताः
The many leaves of the lotus, O king, are those difficult regions, heaped with mountains, which are designated as the lands of foreigners.
यान्यधोभागपर्णानि ते निवासास्तु भागशः दैत्यानामुरगाणां च पतङ्गानां च पार्थिव
Those leaves beneath, O ruler, are the dwellings, in their respective parts, of the demons, serpents, and insects.
तेषां महार्णवो यत्र तद्रसेत्यभिसंज्ञितम् महापातककर्माणो मज्जन्ते यत्र मानवाः
There, among them, is the great ocean, known as 'that essence,' where humans who commit grave sins are submerged.
पद्मस्यान्तरतो यत्तद् एकार्णवगता मही प्रोक्ताथ दिक्षु सर्वासु चत्वारः सलिलाकराः
Within the lotus, the earth that entered the single ocean is spoken of; and in all directions, there are four reservoirs of water.
एवं नारायणस्यार्थे मही पुष्करसंभवा प्रादुर्भावो ऽप्ययं तस्मान् नाम्ना पुष्करसंज्ञितः
Thus, for the sake of Nārāyaṇa, the earth arising from the lotus appeared; therefore, it is called by the name 'Puṣkara.'
एतस्मात्कारणात्तज्ज्ञैः पुराणैः परमर्षिभिः याज्ञिकैर्वेददृष्टान्तैर् यज्ञे पद्मविधिः स्मृतः
For this reason, the learned, the ancient sages, and the ritualists, by the evidence of the Vedas, have remembered the lotus method in sacrifice.
एवं भगवता तेन विश्वेषां धारणाविधिः पर्वतानां नदीनां च ह्रदानां चैव निर्मितः
Thus, by the Blessed One, the method of sustaining all things was established—the mountains, rivers, and lakes.
विभुस्तथैवाप्रतिमप्रभावः प्रभाकराभो वरुणः सितद्युतिः शनैः स्वयंभूः शयनं सृजत्तदा जगन्मयं पद्मविधिं महार्णवे
Then the mighty, peerless, radiant Varuṇa, resembling the sun, shining with pale light, slowly, the self-born, created his bed—the lotus method—in the great ocean, encompassing the world.
विघ्नस्तपसि सम्भूतो मधुर्नाम महासुरः तेनैव च सहोद्भूतो ह्य् असुरो नाम कैटभः
An obstacle arose in the austerity: the great demon named Madhu was born, and with him, his brother, the demon named Kaitabha.
तौ रजस्तमसौ विष्णोः सम्भूतौ तामसौ गणौ एकार्णवे जगत्सर्वं क्षोभयन्तौ महाबलौ
These two, born from the passion and darkness of Viṣṇu, were powerful, tamasic beings, who disturbed the entire world in the single ocean.
दिव्यरक्ताम्बरधरौ श्वेतदीप्तोग्रदंष्ट्रिणौ किरीटकुण्डलोदग्रौ केयूरवलयोज्ज्वलौ
Clad in divine red garments, with shining white, fierce fangs, adorned with towering crowns and earrings, their armlets and bracelets gleamed.
महाविवृतताम्राक्षौ पीनोरस्कौ महाभुजौ महागिरेः संहननौ जङ्गमाविव पर्वतौ
With wide, coppery eyes, broad chests, mighty arms, built like great mountains, they moved like living peaks.
नवमेघप्रतीकाशाव् आदित्यसदृशाननौ विद्युदाभौ गदाग्राभ्यां कराभ्यामतिभीषणौ
Resembling new clouds, with faces like the sun, shining like lightning, they were terrifying, holding maces in their hands.
तौ पादयोस्तु विन्यासाद् उत्क्षिपन्ताविवार्णवम् कम्पयन्ताविव हरिं शयानं मधुसूदनम्
Placing their feet, as if lifting up the ocean, they seemed to shake Hari, the sleeping slayer of Madhu.
तौ तत्र विचरन्तौ स्म पुष्करे विश्वतोमुखम् योगिनां श्रेष्ठमासाद्य दीप्तं ददृशतुस्तदा
There, wandering in the lotus with faces turned everywhere, they encountered the foremost of yogis, blazing in splendor, and saw him.
नारायणसमाज्ञातं सृजन्तमखिलाः प्रजाः दैवतानि च विश्वानि मानसानसुरानृषीन्
They saw him, commanded by Nārāyaṇa, creating all beings—the gods, the entire world, the mind-born, the demons, and the sages.
ततस्तावूचतुस्तत्र ब्रह्माणमसुरोत्तमौ दीप्तौ मुमूर्षू संक्रुद्धौ रोषव्याकुलितेक्षणौ
Then those two, the foremost demons, blazing, intent on killing, enraged, with eyes wild with wrath, spoke to Brahmā there.
कस्त्वं पुष्करमध्यस्थः सितोष्णीषश्चतुर्भुजः आधाय नियमं मोहाद् आस्ते त्वं विगतज्वरः
Who are you, seated in the midst of the lotus, white-turbaned, four-armed, calmly observing restraint, free from all affliction, and yet deluded?
एह्यागच्छावयोर् युद्धं देहि त्वं कमलोद्भव आवाभ्यां परमीशाभ्याम् अशक्तस्त्वमिहार्णवे
Come, let us fight, O you born from the lotus! You are powerless here in the ocean before us, the two supreme lords.