सोपि तत्र समासीनो मुनिभिस्सम्यगर्चितः प्रतिनंद्य च तान् सर्वान् पप्रच्छ कुशलं ततः
He too, having taken his seat there and being duly honored by the sages, greeted them all and then inquired about their well-being.
अत्र वः कुशलं विप्राः कच्चिद्वृत्ते महाक्रतौ कच्चिद्यज्ञहनो दैत्या न बाधेरन्सुरद्विषः
Are you all well, O brahmins? Has the great sacrifice proceeded properly? Have the demons, haters of the gods, not disturbed the sacrifice?
प्रायश्चित्तं दुरिष्टं वा न कच्चित्समजायत स्तोत्रशस्त्रगृहैर्देवान् पित्ःन् पित्र्यैश्च कर्मभिः
Has any misfortune or need for expiation arisen, either through faulty rites or otherwise, in your worship of the gods with hymns, weapons, and ancestral offerings?
कच्चिदभ्यर्च्य युष्माभिर्विधिरासीत्स्वनुष्ठितः निवृत्ते च महासत्रे पश्चात्किं वश्चिकीर्षितम्
Has the prescribed ritual been properly performed by you? Now that the great sacrifice is completed, what do you intend to do next?
इत्युक्ता मुनयः सर्वे वायुना शिवभाविना प्रहृष्टमनसः पूताः प्रत्यूचुर्विनयान्विताः
Thus addressed, all the sages, purified and gladdened in heart by the wind-god devoted to Shiva, replied with humility.
अद्य नः कुशलं सर्वमद्य साधु भवेत्तपः अस्मच्छ्रेयोभिवृद्ध्यर्थं भवानत्रागतो यतः
Today, all is well with us; today, our austerity is truly fruitful, for you have come here for the increase of our welfare.
शृणु चेदं पुरावृत्तं तमसाक्रांतमानसैः उपासितः पुरास्माभिर्विज्ञानार्थं प्रजापतिः
Now listen to this ancient event: in the past, when our minds were clouded by darkness, we worshipped Prajapati to gain knowledge.
सोप्यस्माननुगृह्याह शरण्यश्शरणागतान् सर्वस्मादधिको रुद्रो विप्राः परमकारणम्
He, the refuge of those who seek refuge, graciously told us: 'Rudra surpasses all; O brahmins, he is the supreme cause.'
तमप्रतर्क्यं याथात्म्यं भक्तिमानेव पश्यति भक्तिश्चास्य प्रसादेन प्रसादादेव निर्वृतिः
His true nature cannot be comprehended by reasoning; only the devoted perceive it, and by his grace alone does devotion arise, and from his grace comes liberation.
तस्मादस्य प्रसादार्थं नैमिषे सत्रयोगतः यजध्वं दीर्घसत्रेण रुद्रं परमकारणम्
Therefore, to obtain his grace, you should worship Rudra, the supreme cause, here at Naimisha, with a long sacrificial session.
तत्प्रसादेन सत्रांते वायुस्तत्रागमिष्यति तन्मुखाज्ज्ञानलाभो वस्तत्र श्रेयो भविष्यति
By his grace, at the end of the sacrifice, Vayu will come there; from his mouth knowledge will be gained, and there will be supreme benefit.
इत्यादिश्य वयं सर्वे प्रेषिता परमेष्ठिना अस्मिन्देशे महाभाग तवागमनकांक्षिणः
Thus instructed by the supreme lord, we have all been sent to this place, O noble one, eagerly awaiting your arrival.
दीर्घसत्रं समासीना दिव्यवर्षसहस्रकम् अतस्तवागमादन्यत्प्रार्थ्यं नो नास्ति किंचन
Seated in this long sacrifice lasting a thousand divine years, we have no other desire except your coming.
इत्याकर्ण्य पुरावृत्तमृषीणां दीर्घसत्रिणाम् वायुः प्रीतमना भूत्वा तत्रासीन्मुनिसंवृतः
Hearing this account of the ancient event concerning the long-sacrificing sages, Vayu, his mind gladdened, sat there surrounded by the sages.
ततस्तैर्मुनिभिः पृष्टस्तेषां भावविवृद्धये सर्गादि शार्वमैश्वर्यं समासाद वदद्विभुः
Then, questioned by those sages for the growth of their understanding, the mighty one began to speak of the creation and the lordly power of Shiva.
तत्र पूर्वं महाभागा नैमिषारण्यवासिनः प्रणिपत्य यथान्यायं पप्रच्छुः पवनं प्रभुम्
There, at first, the blessed inhabitants of Naimisha forest, having bowed properly, questioned the lord of the wind.
भवान् कथमनुप्राप्तो ज्ञानमीश्वरगोचरम् कथं च शिवभावस्ते ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः
How did you attain the knowledge that pertains to the Lord? And how did you come to possess the nature of Shiva, who is the unmanifest-born of Brahma?
एकोनविंशतिः कल्पो विज्ञेयः श्वेतलोहितः तस्मिन्कल्पे चतुर्वक्त्रस्स्रष्टुकामो ऽतपत्तपः
The nineteenth kalpa is to be known as Shvetalohita; in that kalpa, the four-faced one, desiring to create, performed austerity.
तपसा तेन तीव्रेण तुष्टस्तस्य पिता स्वयम् दिव्यं कौमारमास्थाय रूपं रूपवतां वरः
By his intense austerity, his father himself, the best among those endowed with beauty, was pleased and assumed a divine youthful form.
श्वेतो नाम मुनिर्भूत्वा दिव्यां वाचमुदीरयन् दर्शनं प्रददौ तस्मै देवदेवो महेश्वरः
Becoming the sage named Śveta, he uttered divine speech; the great god Maheśvara, lord of gods, granted him a vision.
तं दृष्ट्वा पितरं ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मणो ऽधिपतिं पतिम् प्रणम्य परमज्ञानं गायत्र्या सह लब्धवान्
Seeing his father, Brahmā, lord and master of creation, he bowed and, together with Gāyatrī, attained supreme knowledge.
ततस्स लब्धविज्ञानो विश्वकर्मा चतुर्मुखः असृजत्सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
Then Viśvakarman, the four-faced, having obtained knowledge, created all beings, both immovable and moving.
यतश्श्रुत्वामृतं लब्धं ब्रह्मणा परमेश्वरात् ततस्तद्वदनादेव मया लब्धं तपोबलात्
Because the nectar of knowledge was obtained by Brahmā from the Supreme Lord, so too, by the power of my austerity, I received it from his mouth.
किं तज्ज्ञानं त्वया लब्धं तथ्यात्तथ्यंतरं शुभम् यत्र कृत्वा परां निष्ठां पुरुषस्सुखमृच्छति
What is that knowledge which you have obtained—true and truly auspicious—by which, having realized the highest goal, a person attains happiness?
पशुपाशपतिज्ञानं यल्लब्धं तु मया पुरा तत्र निष्ठा परा कार्या पुरुषेण सुखार्थिना
The knowledge of the soul, its bonds, and the Lord, which I obtained in ancient times—upon that supreme foundation a person seeking happiness should firmly stand.
अज्ञानप्रभवं दुःखं ज्ञानेनैव निवर्तते ज्ञानं वस्तुपरिच्छेदो वस्तु च द्विविधं स्मृतम्
Suffering, arising from ignorance, is dispelled only by knowledge; knowledge is the discernment of reality, and reality is said to be of two kinds.
अजडं च जडं चैव नियंतृ च तयोरपि पशुः पाशः पतिश्चेति कथ्यते तत्त्रयं क्रमात्
Both the sentient and the insentient, and the controller of both—these three are called, in order: the soul, the bond, and the Lord.
अक्षरं च क्षरं चैव क्षराक्षरपरं तथा तदेतत्त्रितयं भूम्ना कथ्यते तत्त्ववेदिभिः
The imperishable, the perishable, and that which is beyond both—these three are described in fullness by those who know reality.
अक्षरं पशुरित्युक्तः क्षरं पाश उदाहृतः क्षराक्षरपरं यत्तत्पतिरित्यभिधीयते
The imperishable is called the soul, the perishable is declared to be the bond, and that which is beyond both perishable and imperishable is named the Lord.
किं तदक्षरमित्युक्तं किं च क्षरमुदाहृतम् तयोश्च परमं किं वा तदेतद् ब्रूहि मारुत
What is this imperishable that is spoken of, and what is called the perishable? And what is the highest beyond these two? Tell me this, O Wind-god.