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.
एवम् एतद् असत्सर्गो भर्तुस् ते भाति भासुरः । तथैवायम् इहाभाति पश्याम्य् एतद् अहं सुते
Thus, this unreal creation of your husband shines brilliantly; in the same way, this here appears—I see this, O child.
यथा पत्युर् अमूर्तो ऽस्मात् सर्गात् सर्गो भ्रमात्मकः । जातस् तथायं वद मे जगत्कुड्यनिवृत्तये
Just as from the formless creation of the husband, another creation arises, consisting of delusion, so too does this; tell me, for the removal of the wall of the world.
प्राक्स्मृतिर् भ्रान्तिमात्रात्मा सर्गो ऽयम् उदितो यथा । स्वप्नभ्रमात्मको भाति तथेदं कथ्यते शृणु
Previously, memory was merely of the nature of delusion, and thus this creation arose; it appears as a dream-delusion, so it is said—listen.
अस्ति कश्चिच् चिदाकाशे क्वचित् संसारमण्डपः । आकाशकाचदलवच् छादनाच्छादनाकृतिः
There is, somewhere in the space of consciousness, a pavilion of worldly existence, having the form of covering and uncovering, like the leaves of the sky-born lotus.
मेरुस्तम्भस्थलोकेशपुरश्रीसालभञ्जिकः । चतुर्दशापवरकस् त्रिगर्तो भानुदीपकः
He is like a statue supporting Mount Meru, a city-lord, a splendid salabhanjika, one of the fourteen guardians, a king of the Trigarta region, and a lamp illuminating the sun.
कोणस्थभूतवल्मीकव्याप्तपर्वतलोष्टकः । अनेकपुत्रजरढप्रजेशब्राह्मणास्पदम्
He is like a mountain stone covered by an anthill at the corner, a dwelling place for many sons, elders, rulers, and brahmins.
ऋक्षौघकोशकाराढ्यव्योमोर्ध्वतलकालिमा । नभोनिवासिसिद्धौघमषकाहितघुङ्घुमः
He is like a treasury filled with constellations, dark at the uppermost sky, a buzzing swarm of perfected beings dwelling in the heavens, and the humming of mosquitoes.
पयोदगृहधूमोग्रजालावलितकोणकः । वातमार्गमहावंशस्थितवैमानिकक्रिमिः
He is like a corner enveloped by the dense smoke of cloud-mansions, an aerial insect settled on the great bamboo of the wind's path.
सुरासुरादिदुर्बाललीलाकलकलाकुलः । लोकान्तरपुरग्रामभाण्डोपस्करनिर्भरः
He is filled with the playful chatter of gods, demons, and other children, and crowded with the vessels and implements of cities, towns, and worlds.
सरित्स्रोतोऽब्धिसरसीजलोक्षितमहीतलः । पातालभूतलस्वर्गाभोगभासुरकोटरः
The earth there is washed by the streams of rivers, ocean waves, and lakes, and its cavities shine with the enjoyments of the underworld, earth, and heaven.