इह धूमस् स्फुरद्वह्निकण आवर्तवृत्तिमान् । स्थित आपीडवान् व्योम्नि रत्नपूर इवाम्बरे
Here, the smoke, full of flickering sparks and moving in circular currents, stands amassed in the sky, like a heap of jewels in the firmament.
गौरम् अम्बरम् आभाति ज्वालाशिखरतेजसा । मृत्योर् इवोत्सवे दत्तः कुङ्कुमाङ्कः कदर्थकः
The sky shines pale with the brilliance of the flame-crests, marked with saffron as if for the festival of death, a sign of destruction.
अहो नु विषमं वैरं वर्तते वृत्तिवर्जितम् । ह्रियन्ते राजनार्यो ऽपि वरवीरैर् उदायुधैः
Alas, how terrible and unjust is this enmity, devoid of all virtue; even noble kings are slain by mighty warriors bearing excellent weapons.
लोलस्रग्दामकुसुमैर् मार्गप्रकरकारिकाः । अर्धनिर्दग्धकवरीकीर्णवक्षस्स्थलाम्बराः
With garlands and ornaments loosened and flowers scattered, the women who once adorned the royal paths now have their garments half-burnt and their breasts and chests strewn with ashes.
आलोलाम्बरसंलक्ष्यनितम्बजघनस्थलाः । पतन्माणिक्यवलया वलितावनिमण्डलाः
Their hips and loins are revealed as their garments sway and fall, jeweled bracelets slip from their arms to the ground, and their bodies bend toward the earth.
छिन्नहारलताजालविकीर्णामलमौक्तिकाः । दृष्टादृष्टस्तनश्रोणिपार्श्वोद्यत्कनकप्रभाः
Necklaces and strings of pearls are broken and scattered, and the golden radiance from their breasts, hips, and sides—some seen, some hidden—shines forth.
कुररीकर्कशाक्रन्दमन्दीकृतरणारवाः । धारापात्यस्रुनाराचभिन्नपार्श्वस्थचेतनाः
The tumult of battle is subdued by the harsh cries of vultures, and the wounded, pierced by arrows and bleeding, lie senseless on the ground.
रक्तकर्दमबाष्पाम्बुक्लिन्नग्रथितवाससः । भुजमूलार्पितभुजैर् नीयमाना बलान् नृभिः
Their garments are soaked with tears, blood, and mud; their arms rest on the shoulders of others as they are led away by the soldiers.
क इवास्मत्परित्राता स्याद् इत्य् आदीनवीक्षितैः । उत्पलैर् इव वर्षद्भिः परिरोदितसैनिकाः
With eyes full of distress, as if asking, 'Who will save us now?', the soldiers weep, their tears falling like a shower of lotuses.
मृणालकोमलाच्छोरुमूलजालैस् सुनिर्मलैः । स्वच्छाम्बरतलालक्ष्यैर् आकाशनलिनीनिभाः
With thighs as soft as lotus stalks, adorned with pure, delicate anklets, and garments clear as crystal, they resemble lotuses blooming in the sky.
आलोलमाल्यवसनाभरणाङ्गरागा ईर्ष्याकुलाननचलालकवल्लरीकाः । आनन्दसुन्दरनिरङ्कुशमथ्यमानात् कामार्णवात् समुदिता इव राजलक्ष्म्यः
With garlands, garments, ornaments, and cosmetics in disarray, their faces agitated by jealousy and their curling locks trembling, the royal ladies seemed as if they had arisen from the ocean of desire, being churned by the unbridled rod of delightful beauty.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे राजमहिषी मत्तयौवना । तद् विवेश गृहं लक्ष्मीर् इव पङ्कजकोटरम्
Meanwhile, the queen, intoxicated by youth, entered the palace like Lakshmi entering the heart of a lotus.
आलोलमाल्यवसना च्छिन्नहारलताकुला । अनुयाता वयस्याभिर् दासीभिर् भयविह्वला
Her garlands and garments were disordered, her necklace of creepers broken and tangled; accompanied by her friends and maidservants, she was overcome with fear.
चन्द्राननावदाताङ्गी श्वासोत्कम्पिपयोधरा । तारकाकारदशना स्थिता द्यौर् इव रूपिणी
Her face was like the moon, her limbs spotless, her breasts heaving with anxious breath; her teeth shone like stars, and she stood there, a celestial beauty like the sky embodied.
अथ तस्या वयस्यैका राजानं तं व्यजिज्ञपत् । वृत्रसङ्ग्रामसंरभ्दम् अमरेन्द्रम् इवाप्सराः
Then one of her companions informed the king, just as an apsara might announce to Indra, excited in the battle with Vritra.
देव देवी सहास्माभिः पलाय्यान्तःपुरान्तरात् । शरणं देवम् आयाता वातार्तेव लता द्रुमम्
O lord, the queen has come with us, fleeing from the inner chambers, seeking your protection, like a creeper blown by the wind seeking refuge with a tree.
राजदारा हृतास् स्तेनैर् बलवद्भिर् उदायुधैः । ऊर्मिजालैर् महाब्धीनां तीरे द्रुमलता इव
The royal women have been seized by powerful, well-armed thieves, like creepers on the shore of the great ocean caught in a net of waves.
अन्तःपुराधिपास् सर्वे पिष्टाश् शत्रुभिर् उद्धतैः । अशङ्किताभिपतितैर् वातैर् इव वनद्रुमाः
All the chiefs of the inner apartments have been crushed by bold enemies who attacked unexpectedly, like forest trees struck down by sudden winds.
पूरेणाशङ्कम् आयातैः परैर् नः पुरम् आहृतम् । रात्रौ वर्षास्व् इवोद्गारैर् उदकप्लववारिभिः
Our city has been seized by outsiders who arrived suddenly and unexpectedly, like torrents of floodwaters overflowing during the rainy night.
धूम्रवर्मभिर् उन्नादैर् लेलिहानाग्रहेतिभिः । वह्निभिर् नः पुरं व्याप्तं परयोधैश् च भूरिभिः
Our city has been overrun by enemy warriors in great numbers, with blazing fires whose smoky armor roars and whose licking flames brandish their sharp tips.
परिवारविलासिन्यो देव्य आहृत्य मूर्धजैः । आक्रन्दन्त्यो बलान् नीताः कुरर्य इव धीवरैः
The noble ladies of our households, their hair disheveled, were seized and carried off, wailing aloud, by the enemy forces—like cranes snatched away by fishermen.
इति नो येयम् आयाता शाखा प्रसरशालिनी । आपत् ताम् अलम् उद्धर्तुं देवस्यैवास्ति शक्तिता
Thus has this calamity, spreading out its branches, come upon us; only the power of the deity is sufficient to rescue us from such a disaster.
इत्य् आकर्ण्यावलोक्यासौ देव्यौ युद्धाय याम्य् अहम् । क्षम्यतां मम भार्येयं युष्मत्पादाब्जषट्पदी
Hearing and seeing this, I go forth to battle, O goddess; forgive me, for this wife of mine is like a bee at your lotus feet.
इत्य् उक्त्वा निर्ययौ राजा कोपाकुलितचेतनः । मत्तेभनिर्भिन्नवनः कन्दराद् इव केशरी
Having spoken thus, the king, his mind agitated with anger, went out—like a lion emerging from a cave after the forest has been shattered by a mad elephant.
लीला लीलां ददर्शाथ स्वाकारसदृशाकृतिम् । प्रतिबिम्बम् इवायाताम् आदर्शे चारुदर्शनाम्
Then Lila beheld Lila herself, appearing with a form identical to her own, like a beautiful reflection approaching in a mirror.
किम् इदं देवि मे ब्रूहि कस्माद् इयम् अहं स्थिता । या साभवम् अहं पूर्वं कथं सेयम् इह स्थिता
Tell me, goddess, what is this? Why do I stand here as this one? How is it that I, who formerly existed elsewhere, am now present here as this?
मन्त्रिप्रभृतयः पौरा योधास् सबलवाहनाः । सर्व एव त एवेमे स्थितास् तत्र तथैव ये
The ministers, citizens, warriors with their armies and vehicles—all these are exactly the same ones who are established there in that place.
तत्रापीदम् अयं देवि सर्वे कथम् इह स्थिताः । बहिर् अन्तश् च मकुर इवैते किं प्रचेतनाः
Here too, O goddess, how are all these present here? Are they conscious, both outwardly and inwardly, like reflections in a mirror?
यथा ज्ञप्तिर् उदेत्य् अन्तस् तथानुभवति क्षणात् । चितिश् चेत्यार्थताम् एति चित्तं चित्तार्थताम् इव
Just as awareness arises within, so it is experienced in an instant; consciousness takes the form of the object of cognition, just as the mind seems to take the form of the content of the mind.
यादृग्भावन एवान्तश्चेतनस् तनुते स्मृतिम् । तादृगर्थजगद्रूपस् तत्रैवोदेति तत्क्षणात्
Whatever kind of imagination arises within, that very awareness extends memory; in that very instant, a world of corresponding objects appears in that same place.