विज्ञानघन एवायं कचनाकचनात्मकः । स्वयम् एव कचत्य् अन्तर् न कचत्य् एव वा स्वयम्
This is indeed a mass of pure consciousness, appearing as both moving and unmoving; by itself it moves within, or by itself it does not move at all.
संविदंशपरावृत्तिमात्रपेलवरूपिणी । बन्धदृङ् मोक्षदृक् चेति क्लेशस् तत्साधने कियान्
Awareness, appearing merely as the turning of a fraction, is seen as bondage or as liberation; how much suffering is there in striving for that?
संविदुद्बोधनं बन्धस् तदनुद्बोधनं शिवम् । असत् सद्वज् जगद् भाति संविदुद्बोधनोदरम्
The awakening of awareness is bondage; its non-awakening is peace. The world appears as real or unreal, depending on the stirring of awareness.
अजडं बोधनं सुप्तं मोक्ष इत्य् अभिधीयते । प्रबुद्धं बन्ध इत्य् आहुर् यद् इच्छसि तद् आहर
Unclouded awareness in sleep is called liberation; when awakened, it is said to be bondage. Choose whichever you wish.
निर्वाणवासनम् अनन्तम् अजाड्यम् अच्छबोधैकतानम् अपयन्त्रणम् अस्तशङ्कम् । अद्वैतम् ऐक्यरहितं च निरस्तशून्यम् आकाशकोशविशदाशय शान्तम् आस्स्व
Abide in the infinite disposition of nirvana—free from dullness, with pure, undivided knowledge, unrestrained, without fear, nondual, without any sense of unity, devoid of emptiness, with a mind clear as the sky and at peace.
इति ते सर्व आयाता ब्रह्मलोकनिवासिनः । अदृश्यताम् एव गता दीपाẖ क्षीणदशा इव
Thus, all those residing in the world of Brahma came to you; then, like lamps whose oil is spent, they became invisible.
अथ ते द्वादशादित्या ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्मतां गते । जगद्वद् ब्रह्मलोकं तम् अदहन् भासुरार्चिषः
Then, as those twelve suns attained unity with Brahman, their radiant flames consumed the Brahma-world, just as they would the universe.
वैरिञ्चनगरं दग्ध्वा ध्यानं कृत्वा विरिञ्चवत् । ते ऽपि निर्वाणम् आजग्मुर् निस्स्नेहदशदीपवत्
Having burned the city of Brahma, and meditating in the manner of Brahma, they too reached liberation, like ten lamps extinguished, devoid of oil.
तत एकार्णवापूरो विरिञ्चनगरान्तरम् । रात्रौ भुवम् इव ध्वान्तं पूरयाम् आस सूर्मिमान्
Then, a single oceanic flood filled the space between the city of Brahma, covering it like night envelops the earth, surging with waves.
आब्रह्मलोकम् अभवज् जगद् आपूर्णम् अर्णसा । तुल्यं रसैकपूर्णेन पक्वद्राक्षाफलेन तत्
The world, up to the realm of Brahma, was submerged by the waters; it became saturated, like a ripe grape filled entirely with its juice.
तत ऊर्मिगिरिव्रातवेगैर् आवलिताखिलैः । विच्छिन्नाẖ कल्पजलदा जल एव विलिल्यिरे
Then, with the force of mountain-like waves sweeping all, the clouds of the aeon were torn apart and dissolved into the water itself.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र दृष्टवान् अहम् अम्बरात् । यावद् अभ्युत्थितं भीमं भूतं किञ्चिन् नभोऽन्तरात्
Meanwhile, there I saw from the sky something immense and terrifying rising from within the atmosphere.
कल्पान्तजलदाकारं कृष्णम् आपूरिताम्बरम् । आकल्पं सम्भृतं नैशं देहेनेवोत्थितं तमः
It appeared as a cloud at the end of an aeon, black and filling the sky, amassed for ages, night-like, rising as if it were embodied darkness.
तरुणादित्यलक्षाणां तेज आभासुरं दधत् । आदित्यत्रयसङ्काशैस् स्थिरविद्युत्त्रयोल्बणैः
It bore the brilliance of a hundred thousand young suns, shining with the intensity of three suns, and with three fierce, steady flashes of lightning.
नेत्रैर् आभासुरमुखं ज्वालापुञ्जान् समुद्गिरत् । पञ्चाननं दशभुजं त्रिनेत्रं शूलपाणिकम्
With eyes, a radiant face emitting clusters of flames; five-faced, ten-armed, three-eyed, holding a trident.
अमान्तम् अन्तमुक्ते ऽपि व्योम्नीव वितताकृतिम् । खम् इवासिवरश्यामं देहम् आदाय संस्थितम्
Though without beginning or end, its form extended like the sky; taking on a body dark as a rain cloud, established there.
स्थितम् एकार्णवापूर्णाद् ब्रह्माण्डाद् बहिर् अम्बरे । व्योमेव हस्तपादादिसन्निवेशेन लक्षितम्
Standing outside the universe, filling the single ocean in the sky; discernible in the heavens by the arrangement of hands, feet, and other limbs.
घोणानिलपरावृत्तिविधुतैकमहार्णवम् । गोविन्दम् इव दोर्दण्डक्षोभितक्षीरसागरम्
With the great ocean stirred by the turning of the wind from the nostrils; like Govinda agitating the milk ocean with his mighty arms.
कल्पार्णवजलापूरं पुंस्त्वेनेव समुत्थितम् । मूर्तियुक्तम् अहङ्कारम् अकारणकम् आगतम्
Rising as if filled with the waters of the ocean of time, manifesting masculinity; endowed with form, ego appearing without cause.
कुलाचलबृहद्वृन्दम् इवोड्डयनडम्बरैः । पक्षौघैर् उत्थितं व्योम समस्तम् अभिपूरयत्
Like a vast host of great mountains, with tumultuous wings rising; filling the entire sky with its multitude.
ततस् त्रिशूलनयनैर् मया रुद्रो ऽयम् इत्य् असौ । दूराद् एव परिज्ञाय परमेशो नमस्कृतः
Then, by the trident and the three eyes, I recognized from afar: 'This is Rudra,' and I bowed to the Supreme Lord.
किं स तादृग्विधो रुद्रẖ किं कृष्णẖ किं महाकृतिः । किं पञ्चवदनẖ कस्माद् दशबाहुẖ क्व तिष्ठति
Is Rudra truly of such a form? Is he dark? Is he of great stature? Why five-faced, why ten-armed, and where does he reside?
किं त्रिनेत्रẖ किम् उग्रात्मा किम् एकẖ किंप्रयोजनः । केनेरितẖ किम् अकरोत् क्वायासीद् वद मे मुने
Who is the Three-Eyed One? Who is fierce in spirit? Who is the One, and what is his purpose? By whom was he impelled, what did he do, where was he? Tell me, O sage.
काकुत्स्थ रुद्रनामासाव् अहङ्कारस् तथोत्थितः । विषमैकाभिमानात्मा मूर्तिर् अस्यामलं नभः
O Kakutstha, that Rudra named so is the ego arisen thus, whose nature is the pride of singularity, whose form is the stainless sky.
व्योमाकृतिस् स भगवान् व्योमवर्णामलो महान् । चिद्व्योममात्रसारत्वाद् आकाशात्मा स उच्यते
That blessed one has the form of space, vast and pure as the sky; because his essence is only the consciousness-sky, he is called the Self of space.
सर्वभूतात्मभूतत्वात् सर्वगत्वान् महाकृतिः । यानि तस्यानुषक्तानि पञ्चज्ञानेन्द्रियाण्य् अलम्
Because he is the self of all beings and pervades all, his form is great; the five sense organs that are connected to him are indeed his faces.
तानि तस्य मुखान्य् आहुस् तपद्रूपाणि सर्वतः । कर्मेन्द्रियाणि विषयास् ते हि तस्य भुजा दश
Those are called his faces, manifesting as ascetic forms on every side; the organs of action and their objects are his ten arms.
सर्वभूतभरैस् सार्धं ब्रह्मणा परम् एयुषा । यदासौ सम्परित्यक्तस् तदासौ मूर्तिम् आगतः
Together with the burdens of all beings and with the supreme Brahman, when he is completely abandoned, then he assumes a form.
स चाकाशैकरूपात्मा नास्ति तस्य हि साकृतिः । तथा दृश्यत एवासौ भ्रान्तिमात्रं न मूर्तिमान्
And he, whose essence is only the form of space, truly has no form; thus he only appears to be seen, but it is mere illusion, not a real embodiment.
चिदाकाशगते स्फारे भूताकाशे स तिष्ठति । देहे च सर्वभूतानां नित्यं वायुर् इवेश्वरः
Abiding in the vast expanse of the sky of consciousness, he stands in the elemental sky, and in the bodies of all beings, always like the wind, O Lord.