पातालम् इव पानीयं सर्पो बिलम् इव क्षणात् । चण्डवायुर् इवाकाशम् अविशत् तन्मुखं जवात्
Like water into the netherworld, like a serpent into its hole in a moment, like a fierce wind into the sky, it swiftly entered that mouth.
समुदेत्यापिबद् रुद्रस् स मुहूर्तेन तत्पयः । कृष्णाङ्गो ऽर्क इव ध्वान्तं सत्सम्पर्क इवागुणम्
Rudra rose up and drank that water in an instant, just as the sun with dark rays swallows darkness, or virtue absorbs vice in the presence of the good.
आब्रह्मलोकपातालं शान्तं शून्यम् अथाभवत् । रजोधूमानिलाम्भोदभूतमुक्तं समं नभः
From Brahma’s world down to the netherworld, all became peaceful and empty; the sky was uniform, freed from dust, smoke, wind, water, and elements.
केवलं तत्र दृश्यन्ते चत्वारो व्योमनिर्मलाः । इमे पदार्था निस्स्पन्दाश् शृणु तान् रघुनन्दन
There, only four pure forms in the sky are seen; these objects are motionless—listen to them, O delight of the Raghu lineage.
एकस् तावद् असौ मध्ये रुद्रẖ कृष्णाम्बराकृतिः । निराधारस् स्थितो व्योम्नि निस्स्पन्दो ऽम्भोधिबिम्बवत्
One stands in the center—Rudra, dark as a rain-cloud, unsupported, unmoving in the sky, like the reflection of the ocean.
द्वितीयो ऽवस्थितो दूरे पृथ्व्याकाशतलोपमः । भागो ब्रह्माण्डसदनस्याधḫ पातालसप्तकात्
The second is situated afar, resembling the surface of the earth and sky—a portion of the cosmic abode, below the seven netherworlds.
पातालभूतलदिवां सशैलेन्द्रदिवौकसाम् । व्याप्तिḫ पार्थिवभागेन पङ्कमात्रात्मना मनाक्
The expanse of the netherworld, the earth, and the heavens, together with the mountains and the dwellers of the sky, is pervaded by the earthly element, present even in the smallest particle of mud.
तृतीयो ऽत्र पदार्थो ऽभूद् ऊर्ध्वं ब्रह्माण्डभागभूः । दृष्टिक्षयात् स दूरत्वाल् लक्ष्यते गगनासितः
Here, the third element is the region above, the realm of the cosmic egg; because of the limits of perception and its remoteness, it appears as the dark expanse of the sky.
दूरविश्लिष्टयोर् मध्यं यत् तद् ब्रह्माण्डखण्डयोः । तद् आकाशम् अनाद्यन्तं ब्रह्म निर्मलम् आततम्
The space that lies between the two distant divisions of the cosmic egg is the sky—beginningless, endless, pure, and all-pervading Brahman.
चतुर्थो ऽसौ पदार्थस् तु तदा संलक्षितो मया । चतुष्टयाद् ऋते नान्यद् एतस्माद् एव किञ्चन
That fourth element was then perceived by me; apart from these four, there is nothing else whatsoever.
बहिẖ किं विद्यते ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मसद्मकवाटतः । कास् तत्रावरणा ब्रूहि कियत्यस् संस्थिताẖ कथम्
O Brahman, what exists outside the enclosure of the abode of Brahma? What coverings are there? Tell me, how many are established and in what manner?
ब्रह्माण्डखण्डयोḫ पारे ततो दशगुणं जलम् । सन्ध्याकाशम् अनन्तं तं वर्जयित्वाततं स्थितम्
Beyond the divisions of the cosmic egg, there is a layer of water, ten times greater, and the infinite twilight sky, which, except for that, is spread out and established.
ततस् तथैव ज्वालात्म तेजो दशगुणं स्थितम् । ततस् तथैव पवनḫ पावनो निर्मलस् स्थितः
Then, in the same way, there is a layer of flaming radiance, ten times greater; after that, likewise, there is the pure wind, established and purifying.
ततस् तथैव विमलं नभो दशगुणं स्थितम् । ततḫ परमम् अत्यच्छं ब्रह्माकाशम् अनन्तकम्
Then, in the same way, there is the pure ether, ten times greater; beyond that is the supreme, utterly clear, infinite space of Brahman.
अन्यत्रान्यत्र तस्याथ दृष्टयो ऽन्यास् तथैव खे । कचन्त्य् असङ्ख्या दूरस्था मिथोऽदृष्टात्मसृष्टयः
Elsewhere, in other places, its visions are likewise in the sky; countless and distant, mutually unseen, creations of the self.
ऊर्ध्वे ब्रह्माण्डखण्डस्य तस्याधस्तान् मुनीश्वर । तज् जलादि महाकारं क्व कथं केन धार्यते
Above is the fragment of the cosmos, below it, O sage, are water and the other great elements—where, how, and by what are they sustained?
स पार्थिवḫ पदार्थानां स्थितẖ कड्ढकरत्नवत् । भागास् तम् एव धावन्ति ते सुता मातरं यथा
That earthly element stands like a jewel among objects; its parts rush toward it, as children toward their mother.
अतो यद् एव नेदीयो ब्रह्माण्डाख्यं महीवपुः । तत् पदार्थाḫ प्रधावन्ति तृषितास् सलिलं यथा
Therefore, whatever is nearest to the great form called the cosmos, objects hasten toward it, as the thirsty toward water.
अवलम्ब्य तद् एवातस् संस्थितास् ते जलादयः । न स्थितिं प्रविमुञ्चन्ति स्वां यथावयवा इव
Relying on that alone, water and the rest remain established; they do not abandon their own place, just as limbs do not.
ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्माण्डखण्डे ते तिष्ठतẖ कथम् उच्यताम् । किमाकृती धृते केन कथं वा परिनश्यतः
O Brahman, tell me how those elements remain in the fragment of the cosmos—what form do they have, by what are they held, and how do they perish?
अधृतं धृतम् एवोच्चैर् अपतच् चैव वा पतत् । अनाकृत्य् एव साकारं जगत् स्वप्नपुरं यथा
Unheld, yet held aloft; falling, yet not falling; formless, yet with form—the world is like a city in a dream.
किम् अस्य नाम पतति किं वा केनास्य धार्यते । यथा संवित्तिकचनं तथैतद् अवतिष्ठते
What is it that falls, and by what is it sustained? Just as a thought arises in awareness, so does this stand.
यथा केशोण्डुकं व्योम्नि यथा व्योमनि शून्यता । यथा वा पवने स्पन्दो जगच् चिद्गगने तथा
Just as a ball of hair in the sky, as emptiness in space, or as vibration in the wind—so too is the world in the sky of consciousness.
चितौ सङ्कल्पनगरं ब्रह्माण्डाख्यं जगद्गृहम् । खे खम् एवात्यनाकारम् अत्याकारम् इव स्थितम्
In consciousness, the city of imagination—called the cosmic egg, the house of the world—exists in space, as space itself, formless yet appearing as if with form.
पातसंवित्समुद्भूतं पतद् आस्ते दिवानिशम् । उत्पतन्त्या विदोद्भूतम् उत्पतच् चैव तिष्ठति
What arises from the awareness of falling remains falling day and night; what arises from the awareness of rising remains rising as it rises.
स्थितिसंवित्समुद्भूतं स्थितम् आस्ते दिवानिशम् । गच्छन्त्या संविदोद्भूतं गच्छद् आस्ते दिवानिशम्
What arises from the awareness of staying remains steady day and night; what arises from the awareness of going remains moving day and night.
एति नाशविदा नाशं महाकल्पादिवेदनैः । जायते जन्मसंवित्त्या व्योम्नि सर्गादिवेदनैः
Destruction comes by the awareness of destruction, as known in the great cycles of time; birth arises by the awareness of birth, as known in the creation of the cosmos.
आभाति मौक्तिकगणश् शरदम्बरान्तर् दृष्टाव् असत्य उदितो ऽप्य् अतिसत्यरूपः । भ्रान्त्या यथा नभसि विस्फुरतां तथैषां सङ्ख्यां विधातुम् इह को जगतां समर्थः
The multitude of pearls seen within the autumn sky appears unreal, yet seems exceedingly real; just as their number cannot be determined due to illusion, who indeed is capable of counting the worlds?
अथ राघव रुद्रं तं तदा तस्मिन् महाम्बरे । प्रवृत्तं नर्तितुं मत्तम् अपश्यं वितताकृतिम्
Then, O Raghava, I saw Rudra in that vast sky, beginning to dance, intoxicated, his form expanded everywhere.
व्योमेवाकृतिम् आपन्नम् अजहद्व्यापितां निजाम् । महाकारं घनश्यामं दशाशापरिपूरकम्
He had assumed the very form of space, yet had not abandoned his own pervasiveness—vast, dark as a rain cloud, filling all ten directions.