सावस्थिता शिलैवैकरूपा निबिडमण्डला । कलधौतमयी स्फारा सन्ध्याजलदसुन्दरी
That stone remains just as it is—solid, of a single form, dense and round, shining like polished moonstone, beautiful as a raincloud at dusk.
ततो ऽहं विस्मयाविष्टḫ प्रविचारितवान् पुनः । शिलायाम् अपरं भागं तथैव परया दृशा
Then, filled with wonder, I examined another part of the stone again, this time with a higher vision.
यावत् तम् अपि पश्यामि जगदारम्भमन्थरम् । तथैव सुषिराकारम् इव नानार्थसुन्दरम्
As long as I looked at that as well, I saw the slow stirring of the world's origin there, appearing hollow in form, beautiful with various meanings.
पुनर् अन्यं तथैवाहं प्रदेशं परिदृष्टवान् । सर्गसंरम्भवलितं तावन्तम् अपि तादृशम्
Again, in the same way, I observed another region, and there too I saw the same—teeming with the bustle of creation, just like before.
यं यं प्रदेशं पश्यामि शिलायास् तत्र तत्र वै । जगत् पश्याम्य् अविकलम् आदर्श इव बिम्बितम्
Whichever part of the stone I look at, here and there, I see the world reflected there in its entirety, just as in a mirror.
प्रविश्यामि जगच् चेत् तत् पश्यामीदम् इवाखिलम् । दृश्यं न चेद् बहिस्स्थस् तत् पश्याम्य् आदर्शबिम्बितम्
If I enter into the world, I see all this as if it were real; if I do not, and remain outside, I see it as a reflection in a mirror.
मयातिकौतुकेनाथ सर्वास् तस्य गिरेश् शिलाः । अन्विष्टा भूमिभागाश् च तृणगुल्मादयस् तथा
Then, with great curiosity, I examined all the rocks of that mountain, as well as the patches of earth, grasses, shrubs, and the like.
यावत् सर्वत्र तत् तादृग् जगद् अस्ति यथास्थितम् । बुद्ध्यैव दृश्यते नाक्ष्णा परया विविधाकृति
Everywhere, the world exists just as it is; it is perceived only by the intellect, not by the ordinary eye, in its various forms.
क्वचित् प्रथमसर्गात्मजायमानप्रजापति । कल्प्यमानर्क्षचन्द्रार्कदिनरात्र्यर्तुवत्सरम्
In some places, the progenitors born from the first creation are being formed, along with the arrangement of stars, moon, sun, days, nights, seasons, and years.
क्वचित् क्वचिन् महीपीठसम्पन्नजनमण्डलम् । क्वचित् किञ्चिद् अखातोग्रचतुस्सागरखातकम्
In some places, there are populated regions with land and people; in others, there are areas bordered by four ocean trenches.
क्वचित् किञ्चिद् असञ्जातसुरं सञ्जातदानवम् । क्वचित् किञ्चित् कृतयुगाचारसज्जनभूतकम्
In some places, there are no gods but demons have arisen; in others, there are virtuous beings living according to the customs of the Krita Yuga.
क्वचित् किञ्चित् कलियुगाचारदुर्जनभूतकम् । क्वचित् किञ्चित् कल्पकालमध्यसंस्थितिसुस्थितम्
In some places, there are wicked beings following the customs of the Kali Yuga; in others, there is a world well-established in the middle period of a kalpa.
क्वचित् किञ्चित् पुरव्यूहदैत्यसङ्गरदुस्तरम् । क्वचित् किञ्चिन् महाशैलजालनिर्विवरावनि
In some places, there are cities fortified and difficult to penetrate due to battles with demons; in others, there are vast mountain ranges with uninterrupted land.
क्वचित् किञ्चिद् असम्पन्नसर्गम् एकाम्बुजोद्भवम् । क्वचित् किञ्चिज् जरामृत्युमुक्तभूतलमानवम्
In some places, there is an incomplete creation, with only a single lotus-born being; in others, there is a world of humans freed from old age and death.
क्वचित् किञ्चिद् असञ्जातचन्द्रशून्यशिरश्शिवम् । अनिर्मथितदुग्धाब्धिमृत्युमत्सुरपूरितम्
In some places, there is something auspicious: a head devoid of the yet-unborn moon, an ocean of milk not yet churned, and filled with gods untouched by death.
असञ्जातामृताश्वेभवैद्यागकमलाविषम् । शुक्रामरमहाविद्यानाशनोत्कसुरव्रजम्
There, the horses of nectar are not yet born, the poison of the lotus of medicine is absent, and the hosts of gods eager to destroy the great knowledge of Shukra and others are not present.
क्वचित् किञ्चिच् च गर्भाङ्गकर्तनोत्कसुरेश्वरम् । अपरिम्लानधर्मत्वात् स्वप्रकाशाखिलप्रजम्
Elsewhere, there is something: the lord of demons eager to cut the limbs of the unborn, and all beings shining by their own light, due to their unfading righteousness.
क्वचित् किञ्चिच् च पूर्वान्यसन्निवेशक्रमस्थिति । अपूर्ववेदशास्त्रार्थसमाचारविचारणम्
In some places, there is something: the existence of previous and other arrangements of order, and the consideration of the conduct and meaning of unprecedented Vedic scriptures.
क्वचित् किञ्चन कल्पान्तसङ्क्षोभाशिवसंस्थिति । क्वचित् किञ्चिच् च दैत्यौघविलुण्ठितसुरालयम्
Somewhere, there is a certain state of auspiciousness amidst the upheaval at the end of an eon; elsewhere, the abodes of gods are plundered by hosts of demons.
क्वचित् किञ्चित् सुरोद्यानगायद्गन्धर्वकिन्नरम् । क्वचित् किञ्चित् समारब्धगीर्वाणासुरसौहृदम्
In some places, there are Gandharvas and Kinnaras singing in the divine gardens; elsewhere, there is the beginning of friendship between gods and demons.
भूतभव्यभविष्यत्स्थजगदाडम्बरं मया । तदानुभूतं वपुषि महाविश्वगणात्मनि
The tumult of the world—past, present, and future—was experienced by me in the body of the great Self, the soul of the entire universe.
एकत्र कल्पविक्षुब्धपुष्करावर्तमन्थरम् । एकत्र सोम्यसकलभूतसन्ततिसुस्थितम्
In one place, there is the churning of the lotus-whorl disturbed by the eon; in another, all beings exist in complete harmony and peace.
एकत्र समरक्षुब्धसुरासुरनरेश्वरम् । एकत्रासम्भवद्भानुनित्याभिन्नतमोघनम्
In one place, the lords of gods and demons were agitated in battle; in another, the sun did not arise, and the mass of darkness remained undivided.
एकत्रासम्भवद्ध्वान्तं कान्तज्वालोदरोपमम् । एकत्र नलिनीनालनिलीनमधुकैटभम्
In one place, darkness prevailed, resembling the interior of a lovely flame; in another, Madhu and Kaiṭabha were hidden within the stalk of a lotus.
एकत्र पद्ममञ्जूषासुप्तबालनवाब्जजम् । एकत्रैकार्णवोदग्रवृक्षविश्रान्तमाधवम्
In one place, the newborn Brahmā slept within the casket of a lotus; in another, Mādhava (Viṣṇu) rested upon a great tree rising from the single ocean.
एकत्र कल्परजनीनिश्शून्यतिमिराकुलम् । शिलाजठरनिस्स्पन्दं व्योमेव वितताकृति
In one place, the night of dissolution was filled with the void and dense darkness; motionless as the belly of a rock, and vast in form like the sky.
सुषुप्तजठराकारम् अप्रज्ञातम् अलक्षणम् । अप्रतर्क्यम् अविज्ञेयं सुषुप्तम् इव सर्वतः
It had the form of deep sleep, unperceived and without distinguishing marks; inconceivable and unknowable, like dreamless sleep everywhere.
एकत्र पक्षविक्षुब्धशैलकाकाकुलाम्बरम् । एकत्र वज्रनिष्पेषद्रवद्भूधरभासुरम्
In one place, the sky was crowded with crows disturbed by the shaking of mountain wings; in another, the brilliance of mountains melted by the blow of a thunderbolt.
एकत्रोद्वृत्तमत्ताब्धिह्रियमाणधराचलम् । एकत्र सुरवृत्रान्धबडिसङ्गरसङ्कुलम्
In one place, the earth was shaken by intoxicated elephants of the underworld; in another, the world was churned at the end of an age upon the head of Śeṣa.
एकत्र मत्तपातालगजकम्पिवसुन्धरम् । एकत्र शेषशिरसẖ कल्पान्तलुठितावनि
In one place, the earth trembled from the wild elephants of the netherworld; in another, the earth was tossed at the end of the aeon upon the head of Śeṣa.