एकार्णवो ऽथ ववृधे शनैश् शीघ्रं सरिच्छतैः । भुवने जडकल्लोलैẖ कोपो मूर्खाशये यथा
Then the single ocean gradually swelled, swiftly, with hundreds of rivers, its dull waves rising in the world, just as anger surges in the mind of a fool.
मुसुलोपमया पूर्वं ततस् स्तम्भनिभाङ्गया । ततस् तालद्रुमाकारधारयासारसारया
At first, with a flood like pounding pestles, then with a force like pillars, and then with a torrent resembling the trunks of palm trees.
ततो नदीप्रवाहोग्रजलपातैकपातया । सप्तद्वीपमहीपीठसममेदुरमेघया
Then, with the fierce downpour of river-currents, falling in a single cascade, and with clouds as dense as the earth's seven island-continents.
वह्निर् विदाहकृद् वृष्ट्या शमम् अभ्याययौ तथा । शास्त्रसज्जनसद्दृष्ट्या मौर्ख्यम् आपत्प्रदं यथा
The fire that brought destruction was subdued by the rain, just as folly that brings calamity is subdued by the vision of scripture and the wise.
ऊर्ध्वाधरस्थपरिवृत्तपदार्थजातम् अन्तẖक्वणत्खनखनायितशैलमज्जम् । ब्रह्माण्डकोटरम् अभूद् विधुरं कुबाललीलाविलोलम् इव बिल्वफलं विशुष्कम्
The cavity of the cosmic egg became desolate, its upper and lower regions turned about, filled with the echoing, metallic clatter of collapsing mountains—like a withered bael fruit, tossed about in a child's play, dry and hollow within.
वातवर्षहिमोत्पातघातभग्ने धरातले । जलवेगो ऽगमद् वृद्धिं कलाव् इव महीपतिः
On the earth, shattered by storms, rains, hail, and calamities, the surge of waters grew ever greater, just as a king's power increases in times of strife.
गङ्गाप्रवाहप्रतिमधारापातविवर्धितैः । सरित्सहस्रैस् सहसा मेरुमन्दरसुन्दरैः
With thousands of rivers, their streams swelling like the flow of the Ganges, suddenly beautifying Meru and Mandara mountains as they poured down.
आदित्यपथसम्प्राप्तकन्दरो जडमन्थरः । एकार्णवस् समुच्छून आसीन् मूर्ख इवेश्वरः
A single ocean, sluggish and inert, filled the caves that reached the sun's path—like a foolish lord, bloated and unmoving.
विपुलावर्तवृत्त्यान्तर् विवृताद्रितरत्तृणः । स्फुरत्तुङ्गतरङ्गाग्रनिगीर्णादित्यमण्डलः
Within its vast, whirling eddies, mountains and grass were swept away; the sun's orb was swallowed by the crest of its leaping waves.
मेरुमन्दरकैलासविन्ध्यसह्यजलेचरः । चलितावनिपङ्कान्तर्लीनव्यालमृणालकः
The waters swept over Meru, Mandara, Kailasa, Vindhya, and Sahya; forests were uprooted, and serpents vanished into the mud.
अर्धदग्धद्रुमवनव्यूहावलनसङ्कटः । त्रैलोक्यभस्मसम्मृष्टिमषीकर्दमकुत्सितः
Half-burnt forests and groves were tossed about in the tumult; the three worlds were smeared with the muddy ink of their own ashes.
नभस्स्तम्भबृहद्धारानालभास्करपुष्करः । धाराजलमहाम्भोदविलीननलिनीदलः
The sky was filled with massive columns of water, obscuring the sun's lotus; the great flood submerged even the lotus leaves floating on the streams.
दिण्डीरपर्वतप्रान्तप्राप्तवृत्तान्तवारिदः । भ्रमदिन्द्रानलार्केन्दुपुरपत्तनपूरनौः
A flood of waters, bearing news from the slopes of the Dindira mountain, with ships filling the cities of the gods, fire, and moon, surges forth.
काष्ठवत्प्रोह्यमानोग्रसुरासुरनरोत्करः । शनैẖक्रमोच्छूनतया लिहन्न् आदित्यमण्डलम्
A mass of gods, demons, and men is swept away like logs, and as it gradually swells, it seems to lick the orb of the sun.
तरत्तारतरारावधारासारसमुद्भवैः । बुद्बुदैḫ परिसन्दिग्धप्रोह्यमानमहाचलः
A great mountain is tossed about, surrounded by bubbles arising from the roaring, surging streams of stars and planets.
भ्रमद्बुद्बुदविश्रान्तभ्रान्तकल्पान्तवारिदः । उत्तारकैस् तैर् नयनैḫ पश्यन्न् अपरवारिदम्
A deluge at the end of an age, filled with swirling bubbles, comes to rest, and with those rescuers—its waves—looks upon the other ocean.
महाप्रलयवार्योघघोषघुङ्घुमितान्तरः । एकप्रवाहापहृतसर्वोर्वीकुलपर्वतः
Within, the tumult of the great flood's waters resounds, and a single current sweeps away all the earth's mountains and lands.
चण्डवातकृतापूर्वजलौघकुलपर्वतः । महाघुरुघुरारावघर्घरोग्रपयोरयः
Mountains and lands are heaped up by fierce winds and unprecedented torrents, while the dreadful, rumbling roar of the great flood resounds.
ब्रह्माण्डकुड्यसङ्घट्टपरावृत्तिभिर् उद्धतः । कुर्वन् योजनलक्षाणि विनतान्य् उन्नतानि च
It surges, rebounding from the walls of the cosmic egg, making leagues by the hundred thousand sink and rise.
तृणैर् इव तरङ्गेषु दोलान्दोलनम् अद्रिभिः । कुर्वद्भिर् उपलाघातभग्नभास्करमण्डलः
Mountains are tossed and swung on the waves like blades of grass, and the blows of stones shatter the disk of the sun.
शून्यब्रह्माण्डविपुलजलघातकुलायके । लीनान् अचलकाकोलान् गृह्णन् सलिलजालकैः
In the vast nest of the void-like universe, struck by the force of great waters, he gathers the sunken, motionless, and agitated beings with nets of water.
मृतामृतबृहद्भूतमज्जनोन्मज्जनाकुलान् । तरङ्गमकुरान् कर्षन् प्रतिबिम्बान्वितान् इव
He draws in those overwhelmed by immersion and emergence, who are both dead and alive, great and small, like reflected images caught by the waves.
मृतशिष्टान् पुरभ्रष्टान् फेनाद्रितटकोटिषु । दधज् जलबलश्रान्तांस् त्रिदशान् मषकान् इव
He bears those who remain dead, those cast out from their cities, exhausted by the force of the waters, on the crests of foam and mountain peaks, like gods as if they were gnats.
विमलाद्यतनाकाशविपुलान् अम्बुबुद्बुदान् । सहस्रसङ्ख्यान् वलयंल् लोचनानीव वासवः
He holds countless pure, newly-formed bubbles of water, vast as the sky, like Indra holding a circle of shining eyes.
शरद्व्योमसमाभोगैर् वलद्भिर् बुद्बुदेक्षणैः । पश्यन्न् इव नदीधारान् मेघान् आत्मप्रपूरकान्
With the swelling, single-eyed bubbles, resembling the expanse of the autumn sky, he seems to watch the streams of rivers and clouds that fill his own being.
पुष्करावर्तकाभ्राणां बाहुभिर् वीचिमण्डलैः । कुर्वन्न् आलिङ्गनानीव सपक्षाद्रिवद् उत्थितैः
With his arms of circling waves, he seems to embrace the whirling lotuses and clouds, rising up like winged mountains.
त्रिजगद्ग्राससन्तृप्तḫ प्रगायन्न् इव घर्घरैः । रवैर् नृत्यन्न् इवोग्राद्रिकटकैर् वीचिदोर्द्रुमैः
With roaring sounds, as if singing in satisfaction after devouring the three worlds, and with the fierce, rocky crests of waves, he seems to dance.
नदीधाराधरैर् ऊर्ध्वे मध्ये दग्धैर् धराधरैः । अधो धराधरैर् नागैर् अधरः पङ्कगैर् वृतः
Above, he is covered by the river-stream clouds; in the middle, by scorched mountains; below, by mountains, serpents, and mud-dwellers.
धारात्रिपथगापूरैर् निपतद्भिर् निरन्तरम् । मग्नोन्मग्नोह्यमानाद्रिशृङ्गदिण्डीरबुद्बुदः
With torrents filling the river’s course, falling ceaselessly, the mountain’s peaks were battered, resounding like bubbles bursting.
उह्यमानगलत्स्वर्गखण्डक्रन्दन्नभश्चरः । वहद्विद्याधरीवृन्दपद्मिनीसुन्दरान्तरः
Swept along, fragments of heaven tumbled, crying out in the sky, while the beautiful interiors of lotus ponds carried hosts of Vidyādharas.