आस्थानं पूरयाम् आसुर् महीपालानुयायिनः । उत्फुल्लकमलाकीर्णं हंसा इव सरोवरम्
The followers of the kings filled the audience hall, like swans filling a lake covered with blooming lotuses.
सिंहासनसमीपस्थे हैमवेत्रासने शुभे । उपाविशद् असौ लीला लीलेव स्मरचेतसि
She, Lila, sat near the splendid golden staff by the throne, just as playfulness itself would sit in the mind of love.
ददर्श तान् नृपान् भृत्यान् सर्वान् एव यथास्थितान् । गुरून् आर्यान् सखीन् भृत्यान् सुहृत्सम्बन्धिबान्धवान्
She saw all the kings and attendants just as they were, as well as elders, noble ones, friends, servants, well-wishers, relatives, and kin.
सकलम् एव हि पूर्ववद् एव सा समवलोक्य मुदं परमां ययौ । नृपतिराष्ट्रजनः खलु जीवतीत्य् उदितया च बभौ शशिवच् छ्रिया
Beholding everything exactly as before, she was filled with supreme joy; and, as it was said that the king and the people of the kingdom were indeed alive, she shone with beauty like the moon.
इत्थं विनोदयामीदं दुःखितं चित्तम् इत्य् अलम् । बोधयित्वेङ्गितैर् भूपान् आस्थानाद् उत्थिताथ सा
Thus, thinking, 'Let me cheer this sorrowful mind,' and having instructed the kings with gestures, she then rose from the assembly.
प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं भर्तुः पार्श्वे ऽन्तःपुरमण्डपे । विवेश पुष्पगुप्तस्य चिन्तयाम् आस चेति सा
Entering the inner palace, she went to her husband's side in the inner pavilion, and there she entered the chamber of Puṣpagupta and began to reflect.
अहो विचित्रा मायेयम् एते ऽस्मत्पुरमानवाः । बहिर् अन्तश् चिदादर्शे तत्र चेह च संस्थिताः
Ah, how wondrous is this illusion! These people of our city appear both outside and within the mirror of consciousness, existing there and here alike.
तालीतमालहिन्तालमालिता गिरयो ऽप्य् अमी । यथा तत्र तथेहापि बत मायेयम् आतता
These mountains—palmyra, tamāla, and hintāla—are adorned here just as they are there; truly, this illusion is spread out in both places.
आदर्शे बहिर् अन्तश् च यथा शैलो ऽनुभूयते । बहिर् अन्तश् चिदादर्शे तथा सर्गो ऽनुभूयते
Just as a mountain is experienced both outside and within a mirror, so too is creation experienced both outside and within the mirror of consciousness.
अत्र भ्रान्तिमयस् सर्गः कस् स्यात् कः पारमार्थिकः । इति पृच्छामि वागीशीम् अभ्यर्च्योत्तमसंशयम्
Here, which creation is illusory and which is real? Thus I ask the goddess of speech, having worshipped her, about this supreme doubt.
इति निश्चित्य तां देवीं पूजयाम् आस सा तदा । ददर्श च पुरः प्राप्तां कुमारीरूपधारिणीम्
Having thus resolved, she worshipped that goddess at that time, and saw her appear before her in the form of a maiden.
भद्रासनगतां देवीम् उपविश्य पुरोगता । परमार्थमहाशक्तिं लीलापृच्छद् भुवि स्थिता
Seated in the auspicious posture before the goddess, Lila, established on earth, questioned the supreme power of ultimate reality.
अनुकम्प्यस्य नो देवि भजन्त्य् उद्वेगम् उत्तमाः । त्वयैव किल सर्गादौ स्थापितेति पुरास्थितिः
O goddess, the noble do not become agitated for the sake of one who is to be shown compassion; it is said that in the beginning of creation, you alone established this ancient order.
तद् इयं यत् पुरा प्रह्वा पृच्छामि परमेश्वरि । त्वं ब्रूहि त्वत्कृतो नूनं सफलो मे ऽस्त्य् अनुग्रहः
Therefore, O supreme goddess, I humbly ask you about this matter from before; please tell me—surely, by your grace, my request will bear fruit.
अस्त्य् आदर्शो जगन्नाम्नः खाद् अप्य् अधिकनिर्मलः । यस्य योजनकोटीनां कोटयो ऽवयवो मनाक्
There exists a mirror of the world’s name, even purer than the sky, whose parts are countless crores of yojanas in extent.
निस्सन्धिबन्धो ऽभिघनो मृदुर् मसृणशीतलः । अचेत्यचिद् इति ख्यातो नाम्ना निर्भित्तिर् अग्रहः
It is seamless, solid, soft, smooth, and cool; known by the name 'insentient-conscious', it is unbroken and without grasping.
दिक्कालकलनाकाशप्रकाशनियतिक्रमाः । यत्रेमे प्रतिबिम्बन्ति परां परिमितिं गताः
In it are reflected all those who have transcended the limits of direction, time, calculation, space, illumination, and destiny.
त्रिजगत्प्रतिबिम्बश्रीर् बहिर् अन्तश् च संस्थिता । तत्राम्ब कृत्रिमा का स्यात् कासौ वा स्याद् अकृत्रिमा
O mother, the glory of the reflection of the three worlds exists both outside and within there; what could be artificial in that, and what could be natural?
अकृत्रिमत्वं सर्गस्य कीदृशं वद सुन्दरि । कीदृशं कृत्रिमत्वं स्याद् यथावत् कथयेति मे
O beautiful one, tell me truly: what is the nature of the uncontrived creation, and what is the nature of the contrived? Explain this to me as it truly is.
यथाहम् इह तिष्ठामि त्वं च देवि स्थिताम्बिके । असाव् अकृत्रिमस् सर्ग इति देवेशि वेद्म्य् अहम्
Just as I stand here, and you, O goddess Ambika, are present, so too is that uncontrived creation, O queen of the gods—this I know.
यत्राधुना स भर्ता मे स्थितस् सर्गस् स कृत्रिमः । अहं मन्ये यतश् शून्यो देशकालाद्यपूरकः
Where now my husband abides—that creation is contrived, I think, for it is empty, lacking space, time, and other such factors.
कृत्रिमो ऽकृत्रिमात् सर्गो न कदाचन जायते । न हि कारणतः कार्यम् उदेत्य् असदृशं क्वचित्
A contrived creation never arises from the uncontrived; for an effect never emerges from a cause that is dissimilar.
दृश्यते कारणात् कार्यं सुविलक्षणम् अम्बिके । अम्ब्व् आदातुम् अशक्ता मृद् घटस् तज्जस् तदास्पदम्
Indeed, O Ambika, we see that an effect is distinctly different from its cause: water cannot be drawn from clay, yet a pot, which arises from clay, serves as its vessel.
सम्पद्यते हि यत् कार्यं कारणैस् सहकारिभिः । मुख्यकारणवैचित्र्यं किञ्चित् तस्यावलोक्यते
Whatever effect comes into being does so with the help of cooperating causes; yet, in that, some peculiarity of the primary cause is always observed.
न च त्वद्भर्तृसर्गस्य किञ्चित् पृथ्व्यादि कारणम् । न भूमण्डलतो भूमिर् जाता तत्र वरानने
But in the creation of your husband, O lovely-faced one, there is no cause such as earth and the like; the earth there did not arise from the terrestrial globe.
गता चिद् इत उड्डीय कुतस् स्याद् इहभूतलम् । सहकारीणि कान्य् एव कारणान्य् अत्र कारणम्
Consciousness has departed from here, soaring away—so how could this earth exist here? What cooperating causes, what cause at all, is present in this creation?
कारणानाम् अभावे ऽपि यद् एति सहकारिणाम् । तत् पूर्वकारणान् नान्यत् सर्वेणेत्य् अनुभूयते
Even when causes are absent, that which arises from auxiliaries is nothing other than the effect of prior causes, as is experienced by all.
स्मृतिस् सा देवि मद्भर्तुस् तथा स्फारत्वम् आगता । स्मृतेश् च कारणं वेद्मि सर्गो ऽयम् इति निश्चयः
That memory, O Devi, belonging to my husband, has thus become manifest; and I know the cause of memory—this creation is its certainty.
स्मृतिर् आकाशरूपैव यथा तज्जस् तथैव ते । भर्तृसर्गो ऽनुभूतो हि स खम् एव तथाबले
Memory is of the nature of space; just as that arises, so too for you. The creation of the husband has indeed been experienced, and it is like space in its power.
स्मृत्याकाशमयस् सर्गो यथा भर्तुर् ममोदितः । तथैवेमम् अहं मन्ये स सर्गो ऽत्र निदर्शनम्
The creation, made of memory and space, as spoken of by my husband, I likewise consider this creation here as an illustration.