जगद् गलितमेर्वादि यात्य् एकार्णवतां यदा । वायवीं धारणां बद्ध्वा खं प्लवे ऽचलधीस् तदा
When the world, along with Meru and others, dissolves and becomes a single ocean, having established the wind-concentration, I float in the sky with unwavering mind.
ब्रह्माण्डपारम् आसाद्य तत्त्वान्ते विमले पदे । सुषुप्तावस्थया तावत् तिष्ठाम्य् अचलरूपया
Having reached the edge of the cosmic egg, at the end of the principle, in the pure state, I remain in deep sleep, in the form of immovability.
यावत् पुनः कमलजस् सृष्टिकर्मणि तिष्ठति । ततः प्रविश्य ब्रह्माण्डं तिष्ठामि पतगालये
As long as the lotus-born (Brahma) remains engaged in the work of creation, then, entering the cosmic egg, I dwell in the abode of the bird (Garuda).
यथा तिष्ठसि पक्षीश धारणाभिर् अखण्डितः । कल्पान्तेषु तथा कस्मान् नान्ये तिष्ठन्ति योगिनः
Just as you remain, O lord of birds, unbroken by concentrations, so at the end of the cycles, why do not other yogis remain likewise?
ब्रह्मन् नियतिर् एषा हि दुर्लङ्घ्या पारमेश्वरी । मयेदृशेन वै भाव्यं भाव्यम् अन्यैस् तु तादृशैः
O Brahman, this is the law, supreme and untransgressable; what is to be, must be by one such as me, and by others who are likewise.
न शक्यते तोलयितुम् अवश्यभवितव्यता । यद् यथा तत् तथैतद् धि स्वभावस्यैष निश्चयः
It cannot be weighed or altered, what must inevitably occur; whatever happens, happens thus—this is the certainty of its nature.
मत्सङ्कल्पवशेनैव कल्पे कल्पे पुनः पुनः । अस्मिन्न् एव गिरेश् शृङ्गे तरुर् इत्थं भवत्य् अयम्
By the power of my intention alone, again and again in each cycle of creation, this tree comes to be upon this very mountain peak.
अत्यन्तम् एव दीर्घायुर् भवान् विहगनायक । ज्ञानविज्ञानवान् वीरो योगयोग्यमनोगतिः
You, leader of birds, are endowed with exceedingly long life, possessing knowledge and wisdom, heroic, and your mind is fit for yoga.
दृष्टानेकविधानल्पसर्गसङ्घसमागमः । किं किं स्मरसि कल्याणिंश् चित्रम् अस्मिञ् जगत्त्रये
Having witnessed the gathering of countless small creations in various forms, what wondrous and auspicious things do you remember in these three worlds?
बृहद्गिरिशिलारूक्षाम् अजाततृणवीरुधम् । अशैलवनवृक्षौघां स्मरामीमां धराम् अधः
I recall this earth below, rough with large mountain stones, where grass and plants had not yet arisen, and forests of trees upon the hills had not yet gathered.
दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च । भस्मभारभरापूर्णां स्मरामीमां धराम् अधः
I remember this earth below, filled for ten thousand years and ten hundred years with heaps of ashes.
अनुत्पन्नदिनाधीशाम् अजातशशिमण्डलाम् । अविभक्तदिनालोकां संस्मरामि धराम् अधः
I recall the earth below, where the lords of days had not yet arisen, the moon's orb was unborn, and the light of day was undivided.
मेरुरत्नतटोद्द्योतैर् अर्धप्रकटकोटरम् । लोकालोकम् इवाद्याद्रिं भुवनं संस्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember the primeval mountain, shining with the brilliance of jewel-studded slopes, its caves half revealed, like the boundary between worlds and non-worlds.
प्रवृद्धासुरसङ्ग्रामे म्रियमाणान् नरान् इव । पलायमानान् अभितस् संस्मरामि सुरान् अहम्
I remember the gods fleeing in all directions, like men dying in the midst of a great battle with demons.
चतुर्युगानि पञ्चाशद् असुरैर् मत्तकाशिभिः । दैत्यान्तःपुरतां प्राप्तां संस्मरामि धराम् इमाम्
I recall this earth, which for fifty cycles of four ages was possessed by intoxicated and radiant asuras, having become the inner quarters of the daityas.
अत्यन्तान्तरितान्तान्तसमस्तासुरमण्डलाम् । अजदेवत्रयीशेषां संस्मरामि जगत्कुटीम्
I remember the world-dwelling, entirely pervaded at its utmost depths by asura hosts, with only the three Vedas of the gods remaining.
चतुर्युगार्धं चरमं नीरन्ध्रां घनपादपैः । अदृष्टनरनिर्माणां संस्मरामि धराम् इमाम्
I remember this earth, for half a cycle of four ages, utterly dense with great trees, where no human creation was seen.
एवं चतुर्युगं साग्रं नीरन्ध्रैर् अचलैर् युताम् । अप्रवृत्तजनाचारां संस्मरामि धराम् इमाम्
In this way, I recall the earth for a full cycle of four ages, filled completely with mountains, where the conduct of people had not yet begun.
अजातषण्मुखां मत्ततारकोद्वासितामराम् । दैत्यपक्षजयोद्रिक्तां संस्मरामि जगत्कुटीम्
I remember the world-dwelling before the birth of the six-faced one, when the gods were driven away by the intoxicated Tāraka, and the daitya faction was exceedingly triumphant.
चतुर्युगानि त्रीण्य् अम्बुपूरप्लुतककुम्मुखीम् । मेरुदण्डाङ्कितां मध्ये संस्मरामि धराम् इमाम्
For three cycles of four ages, I recall this earth, its surface flooded with water, marked in the middle by the axis of Meru.
भयाद् अन्तर्हिताशेषवैमानिकनभश्चराम् । द्यां निरृक्षनिशेशार्कां संस्मरामि तमोमयीम्
I remember the sky, composed of darkness, where all celestial beings and sky-dwellers had vanished in fear, and the sun was entirely unseen.
अनगस्त्याम् अगस्त्याशाम् एकपर्वततां गतां । मत्ते विन्ध्यमहाशैले संस्मरामि जगत्कुटीम्
I remember the world-dwelling when, in the land of the south, only a single mountain remained, and the mighty Vindhya was intoxicated.
एतांश् चान्यांश् च वृत्तान्तान् संस्मरामि बहून् अपि । किं तेन बहुनोक्तेन सारं सङ्क्षेपतश् शृणु
I recall these and many other stories as well; but what is the use of saying so much? Listen to the essence in brief.
असङ्ख्यातान् मनून् ब्रह्मन् स्मरामि शतशो गतान् । सर्गान् आरम्भबहुलांश् चतुर्युगशतानि च
O Brahman, I remember countless Manus who have passed away by the hundreds, and many creations full of beginnings, and hundreds of cycles of four ages.
एकदेवमयं शुद्धं पुरुषासुरवर्जितम् । अलोकत्रितयं चैकस्वर्गं सर्गं स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember a creation that was pure, consisting of only one deity, without men or demons, without the three worlds or heavens—just one heaven.
सुरापब्राह्मणं मत्तं निषिद्धसुरशूद्रकम् । बहुनाथसतीकं च कञ्चित् सर्गं स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember a certain creation where the Brahmins drank liquor, were intoxicated, where forbidden gods and Shudras existed, and where there were many husbands and wives.
वृक्षनीरन्ध्रभूलोकम् अकल्पितमहार्णवम् । स्वर्गसञ्जातपुरुषं कञ्चित् सर्गं स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember a certain creation where the earth was hollow like a tree, where there was no vast ocean, and where people were born in heaven.
अपर्वतम् अभूमिं च व्योमस्थामरमानवम् । अचन्द्रार्कप्रकाशाढ्यं कञ्चित् सर्गं स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember a certain creation without mountains or land, where gods and humans dwelled in the sky, and which was filled with light not from the moon or sun.
अनिन्द्रम् अमहीपालम् अमध्यस्थाधमोत्तमम् । समसर्वककुब्भूतं कञ्चित् सर्गं स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember a certain creation without Indra, without kings, without any distinction of middle, lower, or higher; where all directions were alike and everything was uniform.
सर्गप्रारम्भकलनाविभागे भुवनत्रये । देवासुरविनिर्माणं द्वीपाब्धिवलयोदयः
At the beginning of creation, in the division of the three worlds, there was the formation of gods and demons, and the arising of continents and oceans.