पवनस्य यथा स्पन्दस् तथैवेच्छा शिवस्य सा । यथास्पन्दो ऽनिलश् शान्तḫ प्रशान्तेच्छस् तथा शिवः
Just as the movement of wind is its impulse, so is the will of Śiva; when the wind’s movement ceases, it is still, and likewise, when will is at peace, Śiva is tranquil.
अमूर्तो मूर्तम् आकाशे शब्दाडम्बरम् आनिलः । यथा स्पन्दस् तनोत्य् एवं शिवेच्छा कुरुते जगत्
The formless wind produces sound and tumult in space when it moves; in the same way, the will of Śiva brings forth the world through its vibration.
नृत्यन्त्याथ यदा तत्र तया तस्मिन् पराम्बरे । काकतालीययोगेन संरम्भवशतस् स्वयम्
Then, when she (the will) dances there in that supreme expanse, by a chance conjunction, through the force of her own agitation—
निकटस्थश् शिवस् स्पृष्टस् स मनाङ्मात्रम् अन्तिकात् । वाडवो ऽग्निस् स्वनाशाय वहन्त्येवाम्बुलेखया
When Śiva, who is nearby, is touched even slightly by her, just as the submarine fire is carried away for its own destruction by a mere streak of water—
स्पृष्टमात्रे शिवे तस्मिंस् ततḫ परमकारणे । प्रवृत्ता प्रकृतिर् गन्तुं सा शनैस् तनुतां तदा
As soon as she touches Śiva, the supreme cause, then nature (prakṛti) begins to move, and at that moment, she gradually becomes subtle.
अनन्ताकारतां त्यक्त्वा सम्पन्ना गिरिमात्रिका । ततो नगरमात्रासौ ततश् च द्रुमसुन्दरी
Having abandoned her infinite forms, she becomes like a mountain; then she is only as large as a city, and after that, she becomes a beautiful tree.
ततो व्योमसमाकारा शिवस्यैवाकृतिं ततः । सा प्रविष्टा सरिच् छान्तसंरम्भेव महार्णवम्
Then, having taken on the form of space, she assumed the very shape of Shiva; she entered into him, just as a tranquil river merges into the great ocean.
एक एवाभवद् अथो शिवया परिवर्जितः । शिव एव शिवे शान्ते आकाशे शमशोभितः
Thereafter, only one remained, without the distinction of Shiva and Shakti; Shiva alone, peaceful, adorned with serenity, in the expanse of space.
भगवञ् शिवसंस्पृष्टा सा शिवा परमेश्वरी । किमर्थम् आगता शान्तिम् इति मे ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
O venerable one, touched by Shiva, that supreme Shakti—why did she attain peace? Tell me the truth of this.
सा राम प्रकृतिḫ प्रोक्ता शिवेच्छा परमेश्वरी । जगन्मायेति विख्याता स्पन्दशक्तिर् अकृत्रिमा
O Rama, she is called Prakriti, the supreme will of Shiva; renowned as the world-maya, the innate power of vibration, uncontrived.
स परḫ प्रकृतेḫ प्रोक्तḫ पुरुषḫ पावनाकृतिः । शिवरूपधरश् शान्तḫ परमाकाशशक्तिमान्
He is called the Supreme Purusha, pure in form; bearing the form of Shiva, peaceful, endowed with the power of the supreme expanse.
भ्रमति प्रकृतिस् तावत् संसारे भ्रमरूपिणी । स्पन्दमात्रात्मिका सेच्छा चिच्छक्तिḫ परमेश्वरी
Prakriti, in the form of a bee, wanders in samsara; her nature is mere vibration, her will is the supreme power of consciousness.
यावन् न पश्यति शिवं नित्यतृप्तम् अनामयम् । अजडं पदम् आद्यन्तवर्जितं तर्जितद्वयम्
As long as she does not perceive Shiva—ever content, free from affliction, the uninsentient state, devoid of beginning and end, transcending duality—
संविन्मात्रैकधर्मत्वात् काकतालीययोगतः । संविद्देवी शिवं स्पृष्ट्वा तन्मय्य् एव भवत्य् अलम्
Because consciousness alone is the single reality, by a chance conjunction, the goddess of consciousness, having touched Shiva, becomes completely absorbed in him.
प्रकृतिḫ पुरुषं स्पृष्ट्वा प्रकृतित्वं समुज्झति । तदन्तर् एकतां गत्वा नदी रूपम् इवार्णवे
When nature touches the spirit, it abandons its own nature; merging within, they become one, like a river losing its form in the ocean.
आपगा हि पयोमात्रा सङ्गतार्णव एव सा । यदा तदा तम् एवाशु प्राप्य तत्रैव लीयते
For a river is nothing but water, and when it joins the ocean, it swiftly attains and dissolves into that very ocean.
चितिश् शिवेच्छा सा देवं तम् एवासाद्य शाम्यति । जन्मस्थानं शिलां प्राप्य तीक्ष्णा धारा यथायसी
Consciousness, which is the will of Shiva, having reached that divine one, becomes still—just as a sharp stream is stilled upon reaching its rocky source.
पुंसश् छाया निजा छायां प्रविष्टस्य शरीरकम् । यथाशु प्रविशत्य् एव प्रकृतिḫ पुरुषं तथा
Just as a person's shadow quickly enters the body when he enters a house, so does nature swiftly enter the spirit.
चेतित्वा चिन् निजं भावं पुरुषाख्यं सनातनम् । भूयो भ्रमति संसारे नेह तत्तां प्रयाति हि
Having become aware of its own eternal nature called spirit, consciousness again wanders in the world; for here, it does not attain the ultimate reality.
साधुर् वसति चौरौघे तावद् यावद् असौ न तम् । परिजानाति विज्ञाय न तत्र रमते पुनः
A good man dwells among a band of thieves until he recognizes one as such; once he knows, he no longer delights there.
द्वैते तावद् असद्रूपे रमते ऽनुमते चितिः । परं पश्यति नो यावत् तं दृष्ट्वा तन्मयी भवेत्
Consciousness delights in duality, which is unreal, only so long as it consents; but when it perceives the supreme, seeing that, it becomes one with it.
चिति निर्वाणरूपं तत् प्रकृतिḫ परमं पदम् । प्राप्य तत्ताम् अवाप्नोति सरिद् अब्धाव् इवाब्धिताम्
Consciousness is of the nature of liberation; nature is the supreme state. Upon attaining that reality, it becomes that, just as a river becomes the ocean upon entering it.
तावद् विमोहवशतश् चितिर् आकुलेषु सर्गेषु संसरति जन्मदशाश्रितेषु । यावन् न पश्यति परं तम् अथाशु दृष्ट्वा तत्रैव मज्जति घनं मधुनीव भृङ्गी
So long as consciousness, under the sway of delusion, wanders through the tumultuous cycles of creation, bound to the states of birth, until it perceives the Supreme; and upon seeing That, it swiftly merges there, just as a bee sinks into thick honey.
सम्प्राप्य कस् त्यजति नाम तद् आत्मतत्त्वं प्राप्यानुभूय च जहाति रसायनं कः । शाम्यन्ति येन सकलानि निरन्तराणि दुẖखानि जन्ममृतिमोहमयानि राम
Who, having attained and experienced the essence of the Self, would ever abandon it? Who would forsake the elixir, Rama, by which all the uninterrupted sufferings—those woven of birth, death, and delusion—are stilled?
शृणु राम कथं तत्र महाकाशे तथास्थितः । देहभ्रान्तिं तु तां त्यक्त्वा स रुद्रो ऽप्य् उपशाम्यति
Listen, Rama, to how even Rudra, established in that vast expanse, relinquishes the illusion of the body and attains tranquility.
स रुद्रस् तौ जगत्खण्डौ तदा चित्र इवार्पिताः । निस्स्पन्दा एव तत्रासन् प्रेक्षमाणे स्थिते मयि
There, Rudra and those two fragments of the world appeared as if displayed in a painting, motionless, while I stood observing.
ततो मुहूर्तमात्रेण स रुद्रस् तौ नभोऽन्तरे । खण्डौ विलोकयाम् आस दृशार्केणेव रोदसी
Then, within a brief moment, Rudra gazed at those two fragments suspended in space, as the eye of the sun surveys the heavens.
ततो निमेषमात्रेण घोणाश्वासेन खण्डकौ । तौ समानीय चिक्षेप पातालान्तर् इवानने
Then, in the span of a blink, with a forceful breath, he drew those fragments together and cast them into the depths, as if into his mouth.
अतिष्ठद् एक एवासाव् अथ खे खम् इवाखिले । भुक्तब्रह्माण्डखण्डोग्रचण्डमण्डकमण्डलः
He alone remained, vast in the sky like the sky itself, having consumed the fierce, blazing spheres and fragments of the universe.
ततो मुहूर्तमात्रेण लघुस् सो ऽभ्रम् इवाभवत् । ततो ऽभवद् द्रुमसमस् ततस् स्तम्भनिभो ऽभवत्
Then, within a brief moment, he became light as a cloud; then he became like a tree, and after that, he took on the form of a pillar.