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.
जगत्पदार्थैर् व्यामिश्रैर् अमिश्रैर् मकुरे यथा । व्याप्तम् आभोगिभाङ्करैर् अङ्गै रङ्गभ्रमैस् तथा
The world, filled with objects both mingled and unmixed, appears like a mirror; it is pervaded by limbs that are both delightful and terrifying, swirling in a dance of colors and forms.
मेरुर् नृत्यति लोलोच्चकुलाचलबृहद्भुजः । भ्रमदभ्रपटाटोपो नमत्तरुतनूरुहः
Mount Meru dances, its great arms formed of swaying peaks; the fluttering veils of clouds whirl about, bowing down, while the cries of birds and the trembling of grass accompany the scene.
अत्यजन्तस् समुद्रास् स्वं मर्यादामुद्रणं द्रुताः । भूमेर् नभस्तलं यान्ति नभसो यान्ति भूतलम्
The oceans, swift, abandon their boundaries and limits; the earth rises to the sky, and the sky descends to the earth.
पुराणि घर्घरारावैर् दृश्यन्ते लुठितान्य् अधः । सगृहाट्टालवास्तव्यं न च किञ्चिल् लुठत्य् अधः
Ancient buildings are seen rolling below with a rumbling sound; though houses, palaces, and their dwellers are tossed about, nothing truly falls below.
तस्यां भ्रमन्त्यां चतुरं चन्द्रार्का दिनरात्रयः । नखाग्रलेखालोकान्तर् भान्ति काञ्चनसूत्रवत्
As it revolves, the moon, sun, day, and night—like golden threads—shine within the spaces between the lines at the tips of the nails.
विभान्ति वृष्टयस् तस्या घर्मार्तिजलजालिकाः । इव नीहारहारिण्यो लीलावारिदवाससः
The rains there appear as if they are playful garments of water, streams of heat and water mingling, like mist-dispelling rivers.
खम् एव तस्यास् सम्पन्नं कवरीमण्डलं बृहत् । पातालं चरणा भूमिर् उदरं बाहवो दिशः
For her, the vast expanse of sky became her hair’s circle, immense; the netherworld her feet, the earth her belly, and the directions her arms.
द्वीपाब्धयो ऽन्त्रावलयḫ पार्शुकास् सर्वपर्वताः । प्राणापानावलीदोलाḫ पवनस्कन्धशालिकाः
The continents and oceans were the coils of her intestines, her sides all the mountains; the rising and falling of breath the stalks of wind-bearing grains.
तदानुभूतं नृत्यन्त्यास् तस्या वपुषि विस्तृते । हिमवन्मेरुसह्याद्यैर् दोलान्दोलनम् अद्रिभिः
As she danced, her body expanded, and the Himalaya, Meru, Sahya, and other mountains swayed like swings upon her.
तरदद्रिगुणाश् छाता वलयन्त्या तया स्रजः । पुनẖ कल्पान्त आरब्ध इव ताण्डवहेलया
The garlands she wore, woven with the qualities of the three gunas and mountain peaks, circled her; it was as if, at the end of an age, the cosmic dance had begun in playful abandon.