कचति ज्ञप्तिर् एवेयं जगद् इत्यादिनामभिः । न तु पृथ्व्यादि सम्पन्नं सर्गादाव् एव किञ्चन
It is only cognition that shines forth here, under names such as 'world' and so on; in the beginning of creation, nothing composed of earth and the like truly exists.
यथा तरङ्गस् सरिति भूत्वा भूत्वा पुनर् भवेत् । विचित्राकारकलनादेशा जातास्य् अलं तथा
Just as a wave, becoming and becoming again, arises in a river, so too do the various forms and arrangements of this world come into being.
एवम् एतज् जगन्मातर् मया मृतम् इहाधुना । ममेदं राजसं जन्म तामसं नो न सात्त्विकम्
Thus, O mother of the world, I have now died here; my birth was of the passionate type, not of darkness nor of purity.
ब्रह्मणस् त्व् अवतीर्णाया अष्टौ जन्मशतानि मे । नानायोनीन्य् अतीतानि पश्यामीवाधुना पुरः
Since the descent of Brahman, I have passed through eight hundred births; I now see before me the various wombs I have traversed.
संसारमण्डले देवि कस्मिंश्चिद् अभवं पुरा । लोकान्तराब्जभ्रमरी विद्याधरवराङ्गना
Within the cycle of worldly existence, O goddess, I was once a bee in the lotus of another world, and a foremost maiden among the Vidyādharas.
दुर्वासनाकलुषिता ततो ऽहं मानुषी स्थिता । संसारमण्डले ऽन्यस्मिंस् तङ्गणेश्वरकामिनी
Tainted by evil tendencies, I then became a human woman; in another realm of worldly existence, I was the beloved of the lord of Tāṅgaṇa.
करञ्जकुञ्जजम्बीरकदम्बवनवासिनी । पत्त्राम्बरधरा श्यामा शबर्य् अहम् अथाभवम्
Dwelling in groves of karañja, kuñja, jambīra, and kadamba trees, wearing leaf garments, dark-complexioned, I then became Śabarī.
वनवासनया मुग्धा सम्पन्नाहम् अथो लता । गुलुच्छनयना पत्त्रहस्ता वननिवासिनी
Inhabiting the forest, simple due to forest life, I became a creeper; with eyes like guluccha fruits, holding leaves in my hands, I lived in the woods.
पुण्याश्रमलता साहं मुनिसङ्गपवित्रिता । वनाग्निदग्धा तस्यैव कन्याभूवं महामुनेः
I was that creeper of the holy hermitage, purified by the company of sages; burned by the forest fire, I became the daughter of that great sage.
अस्त्रीत्वफलदातॄणां कर्मणां परिणामतः । राजाहं चाभवं श्रीमान् सुराष्ट्रेषु समाश् शतम्
As a result of actions that grant the fruits of womanhood, I became a glorious king in Suraṣṭra for a hundred years.
तालीनां तलकच्छेषु राजदुष्कृतदोषतः । नकुली नववर्षाणि कुष्ठनष्टाङ्गिकाभवम्
Because of the fault of royal misdeeds in the hollows at the base of palm trees, I became a mongoose afflicted with leprosy for nine years.
वर्षाण्य् अष्टौ सुराष्ट्रेषु देवि गोत्वं मया कृतम् । सोढुं दुर्जनदुष्टाज्ञबालगोपाललीलया
For eight years in Saurashtra, O goddess, I lived as a cow, enduring the mischief of wicked people and the playful commands of ignorant cowherds.
विहङ्ग्या वैरिविन्यस्ता वागुरा विपिनावनौ । क्लेशेन महता च्छिन्ना अद्येमा वासना इव
As a bird, I was caught by an enemy’s snare in the forest meadows, and with great suffering I broke free, just as these desires are now being severed.
कर्णिकाक्रोडशय्यासु विश्रान्तम् अलिना सह । पद्मकुड्मलकोशेषु भुक्तकिञ्जल्कया रहः
I rested with a bee in the lap of a lotus, in the beds of unopened lotus buds, secretly enjoying the pollen within.
भ्रान्तम् उत्तुङ्गशृङ्गासु हरिण्या हारिनेत्रया । वनस्थलीषु रम्यासु किरातहतमर्मया
I wandered with a deer of beautiful eyes among lofty mountain peaks, and in the lovely forest clearings, I was struck in the vital parts by a hunter.
दृष्टम् अष्टासु दिक्ष्व् अब्धिकल्लोलैर् उह्यमानया । मत्स्याश्वकच्छपास्फोटरटनाटनताडनम्
I beheld, in all eight directions, the ocean’s waves carrying me along, with the sounds of fish, horses, and turtles bursting, neighing, and striking.
पीतं चर्मण्वतीतीरे गायन्त्या मधुरस्वनम् । सारतस् सुरते स्वैरं समन्तात् साधुरञ्जितः
I drank on the shore of a leathery river, singing with a sweet voice; in delightful union, I freely enjoyed, surrounded by the good and the virtuous.
तालीतमालकुञ्जेषु तरलानननेत्रया । क्षीवयेक्षणविक्षोभैः कृतं कान्तावलोकनम्
In the groves of palm and tamala trees, with a woman of restless face and eyes, I gazed upon my beloved, intoxicated by the agitations of her glances.
कनकस्यन्दसन्दोहसुन्दरैर् अङ्कपङ्कजैः । स्वर्गाप्सरोऽम्बुजिन्याशुतोषिता सुरषट्पदा
With lotus-like thighs beautiful as streams of flowing gold, the divine bees—gods—were delighted by the celestial nymph of the heavenly lake.
मणिकाञ्चनमाणिक्यमुक्तानिकरभूतले । कल्पद्रुमवने मेरोर् यूना सह रतं कृतम्
On the jeweled and golden ground, strewn with rubies and pearls, in the wish-fulfilling forest of Mount Meru, union was enjoyed together with a youthful companion.
कल्लोलाकुलकच्छासु लसद्गुलुगुलासु च । वेलावनगुहास्व् अब्धेश् चिरं कूर्मतया स्थितम्
Long did I remain, like a tortoise, in the caves of the ocean’s shore, amidst the waves and the echoing, resonant groves.
नलिनीनालदोलासु दोलनं सरसानिलम् । चलत्पत्त्रसजालासु राजहंसतया कृतम्
I played as a royal swan, swinging on the stalks of lotuses, in the gentle breeze of the lake, among the moving clusters of leaves.
शाद्वलीदलदोलानाम् आन्दोलनविनिद्रताम् । मषकस्य मयालोक्य दीनं मषिकया स्थितम्
Observing the gentle swaying of grass-blade cradles, I saw a weary mosquito lying helplessly with its mate.
तरत्तारतरङ्गासु चञ्चद्वीच्यग्रचुम्बनैः । भ्रान्तं शैलस्रवन्तीषु जलवञ्जुलबालया
On the trembling, wave-tossed waters, kissed by the tips of dancing ripples, I wandered with the young water-vine among the mountain streams.
गन्धमादनमन्दारमन्दिरे मदनातुरः । पतितः पादयोः पूर्वं विद्याधरकुमारकः
Overcome by passion in the fragrant halls of Gandhamadana and Mandara, the young Vidyadhara fell at her feet.
कीर्णकर्पूरपूतेषु तल्पेषु व्यसनातुरा । चिरं विलुलितास्मीन्दोर् बिम्बेष्व् इव शशिप्रभा
Tormented by longing, I lay for a long time on beds sprinkled with camphor, tossed about like moonlight on the orbs of mirrors.
योनिष्व् अनेकविधदुःखशतान्वितासु भ्रान्तं मयोन्नमनसन्नमनाकुलाङ्ग्या । संसारदीर्घसरितश् चलया लहर्या दुर्वारवातहरिणीसरणक्रमेण
With a mind bewildered, rising and falling, and limbs disturbed by the countless forms of suffering in various wombs, I was carried away by the swift current of the long river of worldly existence, driven irresistibly by the wind of fate.
वज्राङ्गसाराद् ब्रह्माण्डकुड्यान् निबिडमण्डलात् । कोटियोजनसंविष्टात् कथं ते निर्गते उभे
From the solid core of adamantine strength, from the dense wall of the cosmic egg, extending over millions of yojanas, how did both of you emerge?
क्व ब्रह्माण्डं क्व तद्भित्तिः क्वात्रासौ वज्रसारता । किलावश्यं स्थिते देव्याव् अन्तःपुरवराम्बरे
Where is the cosmic egg, where its wall, and where is that adamantine solidity? Surely, O goddess, you both remain within the inner sky of the royal palace.
तस्मिन्न् एव गिरिग्रामे तस्मिन्न् एवालयाम्बरे । ब्राह्मणस् स वसिष्ठाख्य आस्वादयति राजताम्
In that very mountain village, in that very house, the brahmin named Vasiṣṭha enjoys his sovereignty.