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.
उह्यन्ते मेरवो येन तेन निश्श्वासवायुना । घनघुङ्घुमदिग्वक्त्रगगनोग्राङ्गघोषिणा
By her breath, which roared like a mighty wind, even the Meru mountains were shaken, and the sky resounded with the deep bellowing of her fierce mouths.
घनमारुतघूत्कारैẖ क्ष्वेडागेयं प्रगायता । नियतानुनयेनेव वलितास्यानुवृत्तिना
She sang with the howling of dense winds, her mouth turned aside in constant, plaintive melody, as if always echoing a song of longing.
ततो नृत्तवशावेशाद् वर्धमानशरीरिणी । मया दृष्टावधानेन गगनाभोगपूरिणी
Then, under the sway of the dance, her body expanding, I beheld with attentive gaze, filling the expanse of the sky.
यावत् तया धृता देहे हेलावलनसारवा । माला मलयकैलाससह्यमन्दरमेरुभिः
As long as she held her form, swaying with playful ease, her garland was strung with the Malaya, Kailasa, Sahya, Mandara, and Meru mountains.
आसंस् तस्या युगान्ताभ्रमालिकाḫ पट्टपट्टिकाः । आदर्शमण्डलान्य् अग्रे त्रीणि लोकान्तराणि च
The ends of her garment were like rows of clouds at the end of an age; before her were circles like mirrors and the three worlds within them.
कर्णयोर् हिमवन्मेरू रुप्यकाञ्चनपुत्रिके । ब्रह्माण्डघुर्घुरैर् माला महती कटिमेखला
On her ears were miniature Himalayas and Merus, fashioned of silver and gold; a great girdle at her waist was a garland of universes, resounding with thunder.
स्रजẖ कुलाचलैश् शृङ्गवनपत्तनगुच्छकाः । तरत्पुरवरद्वीपग्रामपेलवपल्लवाः
Her garlands were clusters of peaks, forests, and cities; delicate leaves were the villages, towns, and islands of splendid cities.
अस्या अङ्गेषु दृष्टानि पुराणि नगराणि च । ऋतवश् च त्रयो लोका मासाहोरात्रमालिकाः
On her limbs were seen ancient cities and towns; the three seasons, the worlds, and garlands of months, days, and nights.
मुक्तालतादिकं नद्यẖ कालिन्दीत्रिपथादिकाः । धर्माधर्माव् उभौ कर्णभूषणे चान्यकर्णयोः
Necklaces of pearls and the like were rivers—Kalindi, the triple-stream, and others; righteousness and unrighteousness adorned her ears as ornaments.
स्तनास् तस्यास् तु चत्वारस् स्रवद्धर्मपयोलवाः । वेदास् सकलशास्त्रार्थचतुस्संस्थानचूचुकाः
She had four breasts, dripping with the milk of righteousness; the Vedas, with their fourfold meanings, were the nipples upon them.
त्रिशूलैḫ पट्टिसैḫ प्रासैश् शरशक्त्यृष्टिमुद्गरैः । निर्यदायुधजालानि स्रग्दामानि बिभर्ति सा
She bears garlands and chains made of an array of weapons—tridents, spears, javelins, arrows, lances, pikes, and maces.
चतुर्दशविधा भूतजातयो यास् सुरादिकाः । तस्याश् शरीरशायिन्यस् ता लोमावलयस् स्थिताः
The fourteen kinds of beings, beginning with the gods, who dwell in her body, are situated in the circles of her hair.
तस्याश् च नगरग्रामगिरयो देहशायिनः । नृत्यन्त्यास् सह नृत्यन्ति पुनर्जन्ममुदेव ते
The cities, villages, and mountains that rest in her body dance along with her as she dances, and thus they too rejoice in repeated birth.
जङ्गमात्मकम् एवैतज् जगद् अस्थावरं तदा । नृत्यतीति मया ज्ञातं परलोके सुखं स्थितम्
I have understood that this world, both moving and unmoving, is indeed her own form; as she dances, it too dances, while in the other world it abides in happiness.
निगीर्णं जगद् अङ्गस्थं कृत्वा तृप्तिम् उपागता । परिनृत्यति सा मत्ता जगज्जीर्णाहिचातकी
Having swallowed the world that resides in her limbs, she, intoxicated, attains satisfaction and dances on, like a rainbird devouring an aged serpent.
आदर्शप्रतिबिम्बस्थम् इवाभात्य् अखिलं जगत् । तस्या वपुषि विस्तीर्णे खरूपिणि खरूपधृत्
The entire world appears as if reflected in a mirror, within her vast body—rough in form, bearing a rough shape.
तज्जगन्नर्तनं चारु तद्देहादर्शसंस्थितम् । चिरं मया तदा दृष्टम् अविनष्टं पुरस्स्थितम्
That beautiful dance of the world, established in the mirror of her body, I beheld for a long time—undiminished and present before me.
विवलत्तारकाजालं भ्रमत्पर्वतमण्डलम् । मषकव्यूहवद् वातव्याधूतामरदानवम्
The web of trembling stars, the whirling circle of mountains, and the gods and demons tossed by the wind appeared like swarms of gnats.
सङ्ग्रामोन्मुक्तचक्राभद्वीपार्णववृताम्बरम् । हेलाविवलनावर्तप्रौढशैलधरातृणम्
The sky is encircled by the tumult of battle, surrounded by the ocean of islands, and covered with the tumultuous waves that playfully toss about, as if bearing great mountains and blades of grass alike.
नीलमेघांशुकावृत्तिवातघुङ्घुमिताम्बरम् । काष्ठाद्र्यस्थिपुरास्फोटपटत्पटपटारवम्
The sky, wrapped in the garments of dark clouds, resounds with the roaring of the wind; the thunderous crashing of collapsing wooden mountains and cities echoes with a sharp, rattling clamor.