सर्वत्र दृश्यते विप्र व्यापकः पादवर्जितः । यं न पश्यंति देवेंद्रा मुनयस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः
Everywhere is seen, O Brahmin, the all-pervading One, without feet, whom even the lords of the gods and seers who perceive the truth do not see.
स च पश्यति तान्सर्वान्सत्यासत्यपदे स्थितान् । व्यापकं विमलं सिद्धं सिद्धिदं सर्वनायकम्
But He sees all those who abide in the realms of truth and untruth—the all-pervading, stainless, perfected One, bestower of perfection, the Lord of all.
यं जानाति महायोगी व्यासो धर्मार्थकोविदः । तेजोमूर्तिः स चाकाशमेकवर्णमनंतकम्
That One is known by the great yogi Vyāsa, knower of dharma and artha, whose form is radiance, who is like the sky, of one color, and endless.
तदेतन्निर्मलं रूपं श्रुतिराख्याति निश्चितम् । व्यासश्चैव हि जानाति मार्कंडेयश्च तत्पदम्
This pure form is certainly proclaimed by the Veda, and Vyāsa indeed knows it, as does Mārkaṇḍeya, who has attained that state.
अर्वाचीनं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः । यदा संहृत्य भूतात्मा स्वयमेकः प्रगच्छति
Now I will tell you the recent story; listen with focused mind: when the soul of beings, having withdrawn everything, proceeds alone.
अप्सु शय्यां समास्थाय शेषभोगासनस्थितः । तमाश्रित्य स्वपित्येको बहुकालं जनार्दनः
Lying upon the waters, seated on the couch of Śeṣa, Janārdana rests alone for a long time, taking refuge there.
जलांधकारसंतप्तो मार्कंडेयो महामुनिः । स्थानमिच्छन्स योगात्मा निर्विण्णो भ्रमणेन सः
Burned by the darkness of the waters, the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, desiring a place and weary from wandering, became disheartened, his soul absorbed in yoga.
भ्रममाणः स ददृशे शेषपर्यंकशायिनम् । सूर्यकोटिप्रतीकाशं दिव्याभरणभूषितम्
As he wandered, he saw Him reclining on the couch of Śeṣa, radiant like ten million suns, adorned with divine ornaments.
दिव्यमाल्यांबरधरं सर्वव्यापिनमीश्वरम् । योगनिद्रा गतं कांतं शंखचक्रगदाधरम्
Clad in celestial garlands and garments, the all-pervading Lord, beautiful, gone to yogic sleep, holding conch, discus, and mace.
एका नारी महाभागा कृष्णांजनचयोपमा । दंष्ट्राकरालवदना भीमरूपा द्विजोत्तम
There was one woman of great fortune, dark as a mass of black collyrium, with a mouth terrible with fangs, of fearsome form, O best of Brahmins.
तयोक्तोसौ मुनिश्रेष्ठो मा भैरिति महामुनिः । पद्मपत्रं सुविस्तीर्णं पंचयोजनमायतम्
By her, the best of sages was told, 'Do not fear,' O great sage. There was a lotus leaf, wide as five yojanas in length.
तस्मिन्पत्रे महादेव्या मार्कण्डेयो निवेशितः । केशवे सति सुप्तेपि नास्त्यत्र च भयं तव
On that leaf, by the great goddess, Mārkaṇḍeya was placed; even while Keśava sleeps, there is no fear for you here.
तामुवाच स योगींद्र का त्वं भवसि भामिनि । अस्मिन्विनिर्जिते चैका भवती परिबृंहिता
To her, the lord of yogis said, 'Who are you, O radiant lady, who alone remain here, flourishing, when all else is destroyed?'
पृष्टैवं मुनिना देवी सादरं प्राह भूसुर । नागभोगांकपर्यंके स यः स्वपिति केशवः
Thus questioned by the sage, the goddess respectfully replied, 'He who sleeps on the couch of the serpent, that is Keśava.'
अस्याहं वैष्णवी शक्तिः कालरात्रिरिहोच्यते । मामेवं विद्धि विप्रेंद्र सर्वमायासमन्विताम्
I am his Vaiṣṇavī power, here called Kālarātrī; know me thus, O foremost of Brahmins, as endowed with all māyā.
महामाया पुराणेषु जगन्मोहाय कथ्यते । इत्युक्त्वा सा गता देवी अंतर्धानं हि पिप्पलः
The great māyā is spoken of in the Purāṇas as deluding the world. Having said this, the goddess vanished from sight, O Pippala.
देव्यामनुगतायां तु मार्कंडेयस्य पश्यतः । तस्य नाभ्यां समुत्पन्नं पंकजं हाटकप्रभम्
As the goddess departed, before the eyes of Mārkaṇḍeya, from his navel arose a lotus, shining like gold.
तस्माज्जज्ञे महातेजा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । तस्माद्विजज्ञिरे लोकाः सर्वे स्थावरजंगमाः
From that was born the greatly radiant Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds; from him all worlds, both immobile and mobile, were produced.
इंद्राद्या लोकपालाश्च देवाश्चाग्निपुरोगमाः । अर्वाचीनं स्वरूपं तु दर्शितं हि मया नृप
Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, and the gods led by Agni, O king, have had their accessible form revealed by me.
अर्वाचीनस्वरूपोयं पराचीनो निराश्रयः । यदा स दर्शयेत्कायं कायरूपा भवंति ते
This accessible form is distinct; the inaccessible is without support. When one reveals the body, the forms become embodied.
ब्रह्माद्याः सर्वलोकाश्च अर्वाचीना हि पिप्पल । अर्वाचीना अमी लोका ये भवंति जगत्त्रये
Brahma and all the worlds, O Pippala, are accessible. These worlds that exist in the threefold universe are accessible.
पराचीनः स भूतात्मा यं सुपश्यंति योगिनः । मोक्षरूपं परं स्थानं परब्रह्मस्वरूपकम्
The inaccessible is the essence of beings, which yogis clearly perceive; it is the form of liberation, the supreme state, the nature of the supreme Brahman.
अव्यक्तमक्षरं हंसं शुद्धं सिद्धिसमन्वितम् । पराचीनस्य यद्रूपं विद्याधर तवाग्रतः
Unmanifest, imperishable, the swan, pure, endowed with accomplishment—this is the form of the inaccessible, O Vidyadhara, before you.
सर्वमेव मया ख्यातमन्यत्किं ते वदाम्यहम् । पिप्पल उवाच- कस्मादेतन्महाज्ञानमुद्भूतं तव सुव्रत
Everything has been declared by me; what else should I tell you? Pippala said: From where has this great knowledge arisen in you, O virtuous one?
अर्वाचीनगतिं विद्वान्पराचीनगतिं तथा । त्रैलोक्यस्य परं ज्ञानं त्वय्येवं परिवर्तते
Knowing the accessible path and likewise the inaccessible path, the supreme knowledge of the three worlds revolves in you thus.
तपसो नैव पश्यामि परां निष्ठां हि सुव्रत । यजनंयाजनंतीर्थंतपोवाकृतवानसि
I do not see the highest attainment of austerity, O virtuous one; you have performed worship, sacrificial rites, pilgrimages, and austerity.
तत्प्रभावं वदस्वैवं केन ज्ञानं तवाखिलम् । सुकर्मोवाच- तप एव न जानामि न कृतं कायशोषणम्
Tell me, then, the cause of this, how all this knowledge has come to you. Sukarma said: I do not know austerity, nor have I practiced bodily mortification.
यजनं याजनं वापि न जाने तीर्थसाधनम् । न मया साधितं ध्यानं पुण्यकालं सुकर्मजम्
I do not know worship or sacrificial rites, nor the accomplishment of pilgrimages; I have not practiced meditation nor earned merit through good deeds.
स्फुटमेकं प्रजानामि पितृमातृप्रपूजनम् । उभयोरपि हस्तेन मातापित्रोस्तु नित्यशः
I know only one thing clearly: the reverent honoring of father and mother, always with both hands.
पादप्रक्षालनं पुण्यं स्वयमेव करोम्यहम् । अंगसंवाहनं स्नानं भोजनादिकमेव च
I myself perform the virtuous washing of their feet, massaging their limbs, bathing, and serving food and the like.