अथोदपतद् उन्नासदिङ्नागवदनध्वनिः । पातालतलताल्वन्तर्विस्फोटामोटनोद्भटः
Then arose a tremendous noise, like the roaring of serpents with uplifted heads, bursting forth from the depths of the earth, echoing from the hollow of the netherworld.
चञ्चलाचलकीलोर्वी चचाल जलचालिता । लोलशेवालवल्लीव व्यालोलाम्भोधिलङ्घिता
The earth, shaken by the movement of the waters and the trembling of the mountains, quivered like a swaying creeper, tossed by the surging ocean.
अथ दुर्वारनिर्घोषनिर्घाताडम्बरान्विता । पुस्फोटेव पतन्तीव द्यौर् दिशाम् अमरारवैः
Then, accompanied by an unbearable tumult and thunderous clamor, the sky seemed to burst and fall, resounding with the cries of the gods from every direction.
आवर्तवलनाकाराẖ केतवḫ पेतुर् अम्बरात् । हेमरत्नमहीमुक्तास् सिन्दूरभुजगा इव
Banners, shaped like whirling eddies, fell from the sky, golden and jeweled, resembling red serpents released from the earth.
ककुब्भ्यो नभसो भूमेर् उदगुर् दग्धदिक्तटाः । वलज्ज्वालाजटाटोपा विविधोत्पातपङ्क्तयः
From the quarters of the sky and the earth arose scorched, bitter winds; rows of various calamities appeared, with the tumult of blazing, tangled tongues of flame.
पृथ्व्यादीन्य् अमरादीनि ब्रह्मोन्मुक्तानि सर्वतः । द्विविधानि महाभूतान्य् अलं सङ्क्षोभम् आययुः
The elements—earth and the rest—and the realms of the gods, all released from Brahma, became agitated everywhere; the great elements manifested in twofold forms, bringing utter turmoil.
चन्द्रार्कानिलशक्राग्निलोका हलहलाकुलाः । परिपातपरा आसन् ब्रह्मलोकगतेश्वराः
The worlds of the moon, sun, wind, Indra, and fire were in turmoil, overwhelmed by confusion; their rulers, having gone to the world of Brahma, were intent only on preservation.
कम्पैẖ कटकटारावैḫ पतत्पादपपङ्क्तयः । भूमेर् अन्वभवन् भूरिदोलान्दोलनम् अद्रयः
With trembling and rattling sounds, rows of trees fell; the mountains on earth experienced great swaying, as if rocked by a mighty swing.
भूकम्पलोलकैलासमेरुमन्दरकन्दराः । पेतुẖ कल्पतरून्मुक्तरत्नस्तबकवृष्टयः
The caves of Kailasa, Meru, and Mandara shook with the earthquake; showers of jewel clusters, released from the wish-fulfilling trees, fell down.
लोकान्तराद्रिपुरवारिधिकाननानाम् उत्पातकल्पपवनेन मिथो हतानाम् । कोलाहलैर् जगद् अभूत् प्रविकीर्णशीर्णं पूर्णार्णवे त्रिपुरपूर इवाभिपाती
The worlds, mountains, cities, oceans, and forests, struck against each other by the storm of calamity, resounded with tumult; the universe became scattered and broken, like the flooding of Tripura into a full ocean.
अथाकृष्टवति प्राणान् स्वयम्भुवि नभोभुवः । विराडात्मनि तत्याज वातस्कन्धस्थितिं स्थिराम्
Then, as the vital airs were drawn into the Self-born, the firm support of the wind in the cosmic body departed from the sky and the earth.
ते हि तस्य किल प्राणास् तेनाक्रान्तेषु तेष्व् अपि । ऋक्षचक्रस्थितिं को ऽन्यश् चक्रे भूतैकधारिणीम्
For when his vital airs were thus withdrawn, and those supports were overcome, who else could maintain the wheel of the stars and the unity of the elements?
वातस्कन्धे समाक्रान्ते ब्रह्मणा प्राणमारुते । शमं गन्तुं परित्यज्य संस्थितिं क्षोभम् आगते
When the wind-bearing ether, infused with the vital air of Brahman, is disturbed and loses its composure, stability gives way to agitation.
निराधारास् सवाताग्निदेहोल्मुकवद् आपतन् । व्योम्नस् तारास् तरोḫ पुष्पनिकरा इव भूतले
Unsupported, they fell with wind and fire, like sparks from a blazing flame, or like stars from the sky, or clusters of flowers from trees to the earth.
कालपाकगलन्मूला जगत्षण्डफलादयः । प्रशान्तपवनाधारा विमानावलयो ऽपतन्
When the roots matured by time dissolved, the worlds, the fruits and others of the cosmic tree, and the circles of celestial abodes, fell as the supporting wind grew calm.
प्रशमोन्मुखतां याते ब्राह्मे सङ्कल्पनेन्धने । सिद्धानां गतयश् शेमुर् इद्धानाम् अर्चिषाम् इव
When the fire of Brahman’s resolve turned toward quiescence, the movements of the perfected beings came to rest, like the flames of a blazing fire subsiding.
प्रभ्रमन्त्यो ऽम्बरे कल्पमारुतैस् तनुतूलवत् । स्वशक्त्यपचये मूकास् सिद्धसन्ततयो ऽपतन्
Tossed about in the sky by the winds of dissolution, like tufts of cotton, the lineages of perfected beings, their own power spent, fell silent and mute.
सकल्पद्रुमजालानि सेन्द्रादिनगराणि च । पेतुर् भूकम्पलोलस्य शिरांस्य् अमरभूभृतः
The forests of wish-fulfilling trees, along with the cities of Indra and others, fell, as the heads of the lords of immortals trembled with the quaking of the earth.
वक्षि सङ्कल्पमात्रात्मा विराड् ब्रह्मा जगद्वपुः । किम् अङ्गं तस्य भूलोकẖ किं स्वर्गẖ किं रसातलम्
Tell me, the universal form, Virāṭ Brahmā, whose essence is mere thought—what part of him is the earth, what is heaven, and what is the netherworld?
कथम् एतानि चाङ्गानि ब्रह्मंस् तस्य स्थितानि वा । कथं वा सो ऽन्तरे तस्य स्वस्यैव वपुषस् स्थितः
How, O Brahman, are these limbs of his established, or how does he himself abide within his own body?
ब्रह्मा सङ्कल्पमात्रात्मा निराकृतिर् इदं स्थितम् । जगद् इत्य् एव जातो मे निश्चयẖ कथयेतरत्
Brahman is of the nature of mere thought, formless; this world stands thus. My settled understanding is that what is called 'the world' is nothing but this.
आदौ तावद् इदं नासन् न सद् आस्ते निरामयम् । चिन्मात्रपरमाकाशम् आशाकोशैकपूरकम्
In the beginning, this did not exist; nor did anything real exist—there was only pure, untainted space of consciousness, filled solely with the vastness of possibility.
तत् स्वाम् आकाशतां चैतच् चेत्यम् इत्य् अवबुध्यते । स्वरूपम् अजहन् नित्यं चित्त्वाद् भवति चेतनम्
That, by its own nature, is recognized as space, as 'this is to be known'; never abandoning its own essence, being consciousness, it becomes the aware principle.
विद्धि त्वं चेतनं जीवं स घनत्वान् मनस् स्थितम् । एतावति स्थिते जाले न किञ्चित् साकृति स्थितम्
Know yourself as that awareness, the living being, which, due to its density, abides as mind; while this net remains, nothing else with real form exists.
शुद्धं व्योमैव चिद्व्योम स्थितम् आत्मनि पूर्ववत् । यद् एतत् प्रतिभातं तु तद् अनन्यच् छिवात् ततः
Pure space alone, the space of consciousness, remains in the self as before; whatever appears is nothing other than that, arising from the auspicious alone.
अथ तन् मन आभोगि भाविताहङ्कृति स्फुरत् । सङ्कल्पात्मकम् आकाशम् आस्ते तिमितम् अव्ययम्
Then, that mind, inclined toward enjoyment, with a developed sense of 'I', shines forth; the space formed of thought remains, flickering yet imperishable.
तत् सङ्कल्पचिदाभासनभो ऽहम् इति भावितम् । असन्तम् एवानुभवत् सन्निवेशं खम् एव खे
That, manifesting as the appearance of thought and consciousness, is conceived as 'I am'; though unreal, it experiences arrangement—space within space.
वेत्ति भावितम् आत्मानं पश्यत्य् अनुभवत्य् अपि । सङ्कल्पकात्मकं शून्यम् एव देह इति स्थितम्
It knows itself as conceived, sees and experiences itself; what is established as the body is truly only the void formed of thought.
शून्यम् एव यथाकारि सङ्कल्पनगरं भवान् । पश्यत्य् एवम् अजो देहं खे खम् एवानुभूतवान्
Just as you perceive the city of imagination as truly empty, so the unborn one experiences the body as mere space within space.
संविदो निर्मलत्वात् स यावदिच्छं तथाविधम् । अनुभूयानुभवनं स्वेच्छयैवोपशाम्यति
Because consciousness is pure, it freely experiences whatever it wishes, and by its own will, that experience comes to rest.