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.
अर्केन्दुवह्निनयनं चलद्दशदिगम्बरम् । घनदीर्घप्रभाजालम् आलानं श्यामलत्विषाम्
With eyes like the sun, moon, and fire, moving across the ten directions of the sky, a net of dense and extended radiance binds those with dark luster.
वाडवाग्निदृशं लोलभुजोर्मिभरभासुरम् । एकार्णवार्णो द्राग् देहबन्धेनेव समुत्थितम्
With the gaze of the submarine fire, restless arms shining with the weight of waves, a single ocean-hued form swiftly arose, as if bound by the body.
पश्याम्य् अनन्तरम् अहं यावत् तस्य शरीरतः । छायेव परिनिर्याति नर्तनानुविधायिनी
Immediately after, I see from his body a shadow departing, following his movements like a dancer.
सूर्येष्व् अविद्यमानेषु महातमसि मन्थरे । स्थिते कथम् इयं छाया भवेद् इति मतिर् मम
When the suns are absent and great darkness is thickly settled, how can this shadow exist? Such is my thought.
यावद् विचारयाम्य् आशु तावत् तस्य तदा पुरः । सा स्थिता परिनृत्यन्ती विशीर्णा स्त्री त्रिलोचना
As I quickly ponder this, that shadow stands before him, dancing, disheveled, a three-eyed woman.
कृष्णा कृशा सिरालाङ्गी जर्जरा विकृताकृतिः । ज्वालाकुलानलालोलवनसम्भारशेखरा
Dark, thin, with veined limbs, frail and deformed in appearance, crowned with blazing fire and wild forest materials.
भिन्नाञ्जनतमश्श्यामा यामिनीवाकृतिं गता । तमश्श्रीर् देहयुक्तेव साकारेवाम्बरद्युतिः
Black as shattered collyrium, resembling the form of night, the glory of darkness, as if joined to a body, with a tangible radiance like the sky.
अतिदीर्घा करालास्या नभो मातुम् इवोद्यता । दीर्घजानुभुजभ्रान्त्या मातुकामेव दिङ्मुखम्
Very tall, with a fierce mouth, rising as if to devour the sky, with long knees and arms moving, like a mother facing all directions.
कृशा बहूपवासेव परिनिम्नमहाहनुः । कज्जलश्यामला मेघमालेव पवनाकुला
Thin, as if from frequent fasting, with a deeply sunken jaw; dark as soot, like a cloud disturbed by the wind.
कृशाशक्ता यदोत्थातुं सुदीर्घा विधिना तदा । ग्रथितेव सिरारूपैर् दामभिर् दैर्घ्यशालिभिः
Emaciated and weak, when she tried to rise, her long form seemed bound by veins, like cords stretched out in length.