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.
तथा नाम सुदीर्घा सा यथा तस्याश् शिरẖखुरम् । मया दृष्टं प्रयत्नेन चिरोर्ध्वाधोगमागमैः
Thus, she was indeed very tall, and I saw her hoof-like head with effort, after a long time of looking up and down.
आर्द्रान्त्रतन्त्रीग्रथितशिरẖखुरकरोत्करा । अमूला सूत्रवलिता कण्टकानाम् इव स्थली
Her moist intestines and tendons were tangled around her hoof-like head, hands, and feet; rootless, twisted like threads, resembling a field of thorns.
विश्वरूपा यमार्कादिशिरẖकमलजालकैः । कृतमालामलालोकवान्तवह्निमयाचला
She appeared as the embodiment of the universe, adorned with networks of lotus-like heads of Yama, the sun, and others; a garland made of pure light, vomited fire, and mountain forms.
प्रलम्बकर्णा लुलितनासा नृशिरकुण्डला । शुष्कतुम्बीलताष्ठीवा दीर्घलोलासितस्तनी
With drooping ears, twisted nose, human skull earrings; dried gourd-like lips, long, swinging, and smiling breasts.
कुमारबर्हिपिञ्छौघब्राह्ममूर्धजमण्डलैः । लाञ्छितोच्चसुराधीशशिरẖखट्वाङ्गमण्डला
Her head was decorated with clusters of peacock feathers of Kumara and the sacred locks of Brahma; marked with the skull-staff circles of the highest lords among demons.
दन्तेन्दुमालाविमलोद्द्योतपीततमोऽर्णवा । कृष्णोच्चैर् धूमलेखेव वृत्तावर्तविवर्तिनी
With a garland of teeth and moon, shining with pure brilliance, she drank the darkness of the ocean; black, tall, like a streak of smoke, revolving in circular motion.
शुष्कतुम्बीलतेवोच्चैर् आकाशतरुसंश्रिता । विलोलावयवाष्ठीवा वातैḫ पटपटारवा
Like a dried gourd vine, high up on the celestial tree, with limbs swaying wildly, rattling loudly in the wind.
बृहत्तरङ्गोर्ध्वभुजा श्यामलोल्लासशालिनी । एकार्णवोर्मिमालेव नृत्तावर्तविवर्तिनी
With arms raised like vast waves, radiant in dark splendor, she whirls like a single ocean wave, turning in the dance of eddies.
क्षणम् एकभुजाकारा क्षणं बहुभुजाकुला । अनन्तोग्रभुजा क्षिप्रं जगन्नर्तनमण्डपा
For a moment she appears with a single arm, then with a multitude of arms; swiftly, with countless mighty arms, she becomes the pavilion for the world's dance.
क्षिप्रम् एकमुखाकारा क्षिप्रं बहुमुखाकृतिः । अनन्तोग्रमुखी क्षिप्रं निर्मुखी वापि च क्षणम्
Suddenly she takes the form of one face, then of many faces; quickly, with infinite fierce faces, then for a moment, even without a face.