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.
एकार्णवपयḫपूरे घर्घरारावरंहसि । त्रैलोक्यखण्डसम्भारे प्रोह्यमाने महाम्भसि
In the vast ocean’s flood, roaring with thunderous sounds, as the mass of the three worlds was driven about in the great waters.
नासीत् कश्चित् परित्राता दाता वा वचसो ऽपि च । शक्नोति कḫ परित्रातुं कालेन कवलीकृतम्
There was no one to save, nor anyone to give even a word; who could rescue what was swallowed by Time?
नाकाशम् आसीन् न दिगन्तम् आसीद् अधो ऽपि नासीन् न तदोर्ध्वम् आसीत् । भूतं न चासीन् न च सर्ग आसीद् आसीत् परं केवलम् एव वारि
There was no sky, no horizon, no below, nor above; neither being nor creation existed—only water, utterly alone, remained.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे चक्षुर् व्योमस्थो ऽहम् अथात्यजम् । ब्रह्मलोके महीलोके प्रभाते ऽर्कḫ प्रभाम् इव
Meanwhile, my vision, dwelling in the sky, transcended; in Brahma’s world and on earth, I shone like the sun at dawn.
यावद् दृष्टो मया तत्र शैलाद् इव विनिर्मितः । परमेष्ठी समाधिस्थḫ प्रधानपरिवारवान्
There I saw, as if fashioned from a mountain, Parameṣṭhī absorbed in meditation, surrounded by his chief attendants.
समूहश् चैव वेदानां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । शुक्रो बृहस्पतिश् चैव शक्रो वैश्रवणो यमः
There was also a gathering of Vedas, of sages with purified minds—Śukra, Bṛhaspati, Śakra, Vaiśravaṇa, and Yama.
सोमो ऽथ वरुणो ऽग्निश् च तथान्ये च सुरर्षयः । देवगन्धर्वसिद्धानां साध्यानां चैव नायकाः
Then Soma, Varuna, Agni, and other sages among the gods, as well as the leaders of the gods, gandharvas, siddhas, and sadhyas,
लिपिकर्मार्पिताकारास् सर्वे ध्यानपरायणाः । बद्धपद्मासनास् तत्र निर्जीवा इव संस्थिताः
All, whose forms were shaped by the work of scribes, were absorbed in meditation, seated in the lotus posture, remaining there as if lifeless.
अथैते द्वादशादित्यास् तम् एवोद्देशम् आगताः । बद्धपद्मासनास् तस्थुस् तथैवाशु यथैव ते
Then, those twelve Adityas also arrived at that very place, and, quickly, just as the others, stood seated in the lotus posture.
ततो मुहूर्तमात्रेण दृष्टवान् नाहम् अब्जजम् । पुरो विनिद्रतां यातस् स्वप्नदृष्टम् इवाग्रगम्
After a brief moment, I did not see the lotus-born one before me; he had entered a state like sleep, as if seen in a dream.
ब्रह्मलोकजनं सर्वम् अहं ताम् अपि वासनाम् । नापश्यं स्वप्ननगरं बुध्यमान इवाग्रगम्
All the inhabitants of Brahma’s world, along with that very impression, I did not see; it was like awakening from a dream city.
अरण्यं शून्यम् एवासीत् तद् ब्रह्मनगरं तदा । कठिनाकाण्डविध्वस्तं पृथिव्याम् इव पत्तनम्
That city of Brahma became deserted, like a wilderness, destroyed and desolate, as a ruined city on earth.
सर्व एव गताẖ क्वापि ते तथा तादृशास् तदा । ऋषयो मुनयो वेदा देवा विद्याधरादयः
All those sages, ascetics, Vedas, gods, vidyadharas, and others had departed somewhere, just like that, at that time.
ज्ञातं ततो ऽवधानेन मया नभसि तिष्ठता । यावन् निर्वाणम् आपन्ना ब्रह्मवत् सर्व एव ते
Then, with careful attention, as I stood in the sky, I understood that all of them had attained nirvana, like Brahma.
वासनायां विलीनायाम् अदर्शनम् उपागताः । स्वप्नलोकाः प्रबुद्धानाम् इव स्वं रूपम् आगताः
When the latent impressions have dissolved, the worlds of dream become invisible, just as they return to their own nature for those who have awakened.
आकाशात्मैव देहो ऽयं भाति वासनया स्फुटः । तदभावात् तु नाभाति स्वप्नो बोधवतो यथा
This body, whose essence is space, appears clearly due to latent impressions; in their absence, it does not appear—just as a dream does not appear to one who is awake.
अन्तरिक्षगतो देहो यथा स्वप्ने ऽवलोक्यते । बोधे तद्वासनाशान्तौ न किञ्चिद् अपि लक्ष्यते
Just as, in a dream, one sees a body moving through the sky, so too, when those latent impressions are pacified in waking, nothing at all is perceived.
जाग्रत्य् अपि तथैवायं वासनायाḫ परिक्षये । नैवातिवाहिको नैव लक्ष्यते ऽत्राधिभौतिकः
In the waking state as well, when these latent impressions are exhausted, neither the subtle nor the gross physical body is perceived here.
स्वप्नानुभव एषो ऽत्र दृष्टान्तẖ केन खण्ड्यते । आबालम् एतत् संसिद्धम् अनुभूतं श्रुतं स्मृतम्
Who can refute this analogy of dream experience? From childhood onward, it is well established, directly experienced, heard, and remembered.
अपह्नवेच् च वा यो ऽपि स्वम् एवानुभवं शठः । स त्याज्यẖ को ह्य् अलीकेन सुप्तम् उद्बोधयेत् किल
Even if someone deceitfully denies his own experience, he should be disregarded—for who indeed can awaken one who is asleep with falsehood?