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.
एकपादान्विता क्षिप्रं क्षिप्रं पादशतान्विता । क्षणं चानन्तपादाढ्या निष्पादाकारिणी क्षणम्
Swiftly she has one foot, then a hundred feet; for a moment endowed with countless feet, then for a moment without any feet at all.
कालरात्रिर् इयं सेति मयानुमितदेहिका । काली भगवती सेयम् इति निर्णीतसञ्चरा
This, I surmise, is the embodiment of the night of time; this is the divine Kali, whose movements I have discerned.
ज्वालापूर्णारघट्ठोग्रखाताभनयनत्रया । ज्वलद्वरेन्द्रनीलाद्रिसानूपमललाटभूः
Her three eyes are like blazing furnaces, filled with fierce flames; her forehead resembles the peaks of the blue lordly mountains, shining brilliantly.
लोकालोकेन्द्रनीलाग्रश्वभ्रभीमहनुद्वया । वातस्कन्धगुणप्रोततारामुक्ताकलापिनी
Her two jaws are terrifying, like the dark peaks of the world's boundary mountains; she is adorned with a garland of stars and pearls, woven by the threads of the wind's force.
इन्द्रनीलाद्रितुल्योरुतोरणोच्चे प्रभासुरे । विश्रान्तकाचशैलाभभगभीषणवायसा
With gateways towering and radiant like the Indranīla mountain, and resting places resembling the terrifying cliffs haunted by crows,
नृत्यद्भुजलतापुष्पैर् नखशुभ्राभ्रमण्डलैः । पूर्णचन्द्रशतानीव भ्रमयन्ती नभस्तले
With arms dancing like vines in bloom, their nails shining like circles of white clouds, she whirled in the sky as if turning hundreds of full moons.
भ्रमद्भिर् व्याप्तदिक्चक्रा भुजैẖ कल्पाम्बुदैर् इव । वर्षद्भिḫ पाणिजप्रान्ततारालेखाबृहत्प्रभाः
Her circling arms, vast as wish-fulfilling clouds, filled all directions, and from the tips of her fingers poured forth broad beams of light like lines of stars.
नखपुष्पाङ्गुलीवल्लीजालैर् भ्रान्तभुजद्रुमैः । कृष्णैẖ काननिताशेषगगनाग्रोग्रमूर्तिभिः
With garlands of fingers blossoming with nail-flowers, her whirling arms were like trees, dark as the blackest forest, forming the fierce shapes of the sky’s edge.
तमालतालतन्मूलम् अवदग्धं महानलैः । विडम्बयन्ती चलितं जङ्घासङ्घेन चोपता
She mocked the tamāla and tāla trees, their roots scorched by great fires, as she moved with her mass of restless legs.
अप्य् अनन्ते महाव्योम्नि पारं प्राप्तैश् शिरोरुहैः । कुर्वाणेवाततं वासवनं तिमिरदन्तिनः
Even in the boundless vastness of the sky, her hair seemed to reach the farthest shore, as if creating an endless dark forest for the elephant of night.