अलीकम् इदम् उत्पन्नम् अलीकं च विवर्धते । अलीकम् एव स्वदते तथालीकं विलीयते
This which has arisen is unreal, and the unreal alone increases; it experiences only the unreal, and thus the unreal dissolves.
चिन्मात्रस्यान्तरे सर्गश् चिन्मात्रं सकलान्तरे । तत्त्वात् समस्तसत्तानां चिन्मात्रं सर्वम् एव वा
Within pure consciousness is creation; pure consciousness is within all; in truth, all beings are pure consciousness, or rather, everything is pure consciousness.
चिन्मात्रम् एव बहिर् अन्तर् उपर्य् अधस्तान् मानप्रमेयम् इति मातृपदं च धत्ते । नित्योपशान्तम् इति तेन समस्तसत्ता नित्यं स्थितं सुसमम् एकम् अपेततुर्यम्
Pure consciousness alone is inside, outside, above, below, as the knower, the means, and the known; thus it assumes the position of the knower. Ever peaceful, by this, all existence abides always as one, perfectly balanced, beyond the fourth state.
अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीमम् इतिहासं पुरातनम् । राक्षस्योक्तं महाप्रश्नजालम् आवलिताखिलम्
Here they recount this ancient tale, the great web of questions spoken by a demoness, all-encompassing.
अस्ति कज्जलपङ्काद्रेर् इवोग्रा सालभञ्जिका । हिमाद्रेर् उत्तरे पार्श्वे कर्कटी नाम राक्षसी
There is, like the fierce Sālabhañjikā of the sooty mountain, a demoness named Karkaṭī on the northern side of the Himalayas.
विषूचिकाभिधाना या कन्या सा न्यायबाधिका । विन्ध्याटवीव देहेन युक्त्या कार्श्यम् उपागता
She, called Viṣūcikā, is a maiden afflicted by justice, emaciated in body like the Vindhya forest by reasoning.
महाबलाग्निनयना रोदोरन्ध्रावपूरिणी । नीलाम्बराम्बरा कृष्णा देहबद्धेव यामिनी
With eyes blazing like great fires, her nostrils filled with smoke, clad in dark blue garments, black as night bound in a body.
नीहारवसनाच्छन्ना मेदुराभ्रशिरःपटा । लम्बाभ्रबिम्बोरसिजा नित्योर्ध्वतिमिरोर्ध्वजा
Shrouded in mist-like robes, with a headcloth like a dense cloud, her breasts like hanging rain-clouds, ever bearing the banner of darkness.
स्थिरविद्युल्लतानेत्रा तमालतरुतारका । वैडूर्यशूर्पाग्रनखी भस्मनीहारहासिनी
Her eyes steady as lightning streaks, stars among tamāla trees; her nails tipped like the edge of a cat's-eye gem, laughing with a garland of ashes.
निर्मांसनरदेहौघपुष्पस्रग्दामभूषिता । सर्वाङ्गोग्रान्त्रसम्प्रोतशवमालाविराजिता
Adorned with garlands of flowers made from heaps of fleshless human bodies, she shines with a necklace of corpses strung with fierce entrails on every limb.
वेतालावेशविवलत्कालकङ्कालकुण्डला । अर्कादानोत्कदीप्ताभ्रभीमोग्रभुजमण्डला
Her earrings are dreadful skulls, agitated by the possession of spirits; her mighty arms blaze like thunderclouds seized by the sun.
तस्या विपुलकायत्वाद् दुर्लभत्वान् निजान्धसः । अतृप्तो ऽर्णवलेखाया इवाभूज् जाठरो ऽनलः
Because of her immense body and the scarcity of her own food, the fire in her belly was never satisfied, like a flame that cannot be quenched by a mere trace of water.
न कदाचन सा तृप्तिम् उपायाति महोदरी । वडवानलजिह्वेव चिन्तयाम् आस चैकदा
Never did that great-bellied one attain satisfaction; like the tongue of the submarine fire, she was always restless, and once she began to reflect.
जम्बुद्वीपगतान् सर्वान् निगिरामि जनान् यदि । अनारतम् अनुच्छ्वासं जलराशीन् इवार्णवः
If I were to swallow all the people living on Jambudvīpa, I would still not cease my constant hunger, just as the ocean never stops inhaling the rivers.
मेघेन मृगतृष्णेव तन् मे क्षुद् उपशाम्यति । अविरुद्धैव सा युक्तिर् ययापदि हि जीव्यते
My hunger is not appeased even by clouds or mirages; only that method is suitable which allows one to survive in adversity.
मन्त्रौषधतपोदानदेवपूजादिरक्षितम् । समम् एव जनं सर्वं निर्बाधं कः प्रबाधते
Who can trouble all people equally, when they are protected by mantras, herbs, charity, austerity, worship of the gods, and the like, and are free from obstacles?
तपः करोमि परमम् अखिन्नेनैव चेतसा । तपसैव महोग्रेण यद् दुरापं तद् आप्यते
I shall perform supreme austerity with an unwavering mind; for by the power of intense austerity, even what is difficult to obtain can be attained.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य सा सर्वजन्तुजातजिघत्सया । तपोऽर्थम् अथ सस्मार प्रदेशं भूतदुर्गमम्
Thinking thus, driven by the hunger to consume all living beings, she then remembered a remote and forbidding place suitable for austerity.
आरुरोह च तच् छृङ्गं स्थिरविद्युद्विलोचना । हस्तपादादिमद्देहा श्यामलेवाभ्रमण्डली
And she climbed that peak, her eyes steady as lightning, her body endowed with hands and feet, dark as a mass of clouds.
तत्राम्बराम्बरा स्नातुं तपः कर्तुं कृतस्थितिः । अतिष्ठद् एकपादेन चन्द्रार्कास्पन्दलोचना
There, she stood firm to bathe in the sky and practice austerity, standing on one foot, her eyes unmoving like the moon and sun.
क्रमेण दिवसाः पक्षास् तस्या मासर्तवो ययुः । शीतातपेष्व् अलोलायाः कृत्ताया इव शैलतः
Gradually, for her who remained unmoved by cold or heat, like a rock that has been cut, days, fortnights, months, and seasons passed by.
सा बभूवाभ्रमालायास् समा संस्तम्भिताकृतिः । कृष्णोत्थितोर्ध्वकेशी खम् आहर्तुम् इव चोद्भुजा
She became like a garland of clouds, her form completely motionless, her hair rising upwards and dark, as if she were reaching up to seize the sky with her arms.
आलोक्य तां पवनजर्जरिताङ्गकत्वक्क्लीवां सझाङ्कृतिरणत्पवनावधूतैः । ऊर्ध्वस्थमूर्धजतमःपटलैर् दधानां तारौघमौक्तिकम् अजस् समुपाजगाम
Seeing her, with skin worn thin by the wind, her body slack, her form swaying with the gusts that made her ornaments ring, her hair standing up and shrouded in darkness, adorned with a stream of pearls, the unborn one approached her.
अथ वर्षसहस्रेण तां पितामह आययौ । दारुणं हि तपस् सिद्ध्यै विष्ठाग्निर् अपि शीतहा
Then, after a thousand years, the Grandfather (Brahma) came to her; for the accomplishment of severe austerity, even fire fed with excrement is overcome by cold.
मनसैव प्रणम्यैनं सा तथेति स्थिता सती । को वरः क्षुत्क्षयायालम् इति चिन्तान्विताभवत्
She, bowing to him in her mind, stood there, saying, 'So be it,' and began to ponder, 'What boon is sufficient to end hunger?''
अनायसी चायसी च स्याम् अहं जीवसूचिका । अस्योक्त्या द्विविधा सूचीभूत्वालक्ष्या विशाम्य् अहम्
Let me become both effortless and made of iron, the needle of life; by this request, becoming a twofold needle, I will enter unnoticed and vanish.
प्राणेन सह सर्वेषां हृदयं सुरभिर् यथा । यथाभिमतम् एतेन ग्रसेयं सकलं जनम्
Along with the breath, let me enter the heart of all beings, as fragrance does, and by this means, let me consume all people as I wish.
क्रमेण क्षुद्विनाशाय क्षुद्विनाशः परं सुखम् । इति सञ्चिन्तयन्तीं ताम् उवाच कमलोद्भवः
As she reflected, 'Gradually, the destruction of hunger brings supreme happiness,' the lotus-born one spoke to her.
अन्यादृष्टस् तया दृष्टस् त्व् अमृताभ्ररवोपमम् । पुत्रि कर्कटिके रक्षःकुलशैलाभ्रमालिके
She saw another vision, like a cloud of nectar; 'Daughter Karkaṭikā, garland of the mountain of the demon clan,' he said.
उत्तिष्ठ त्वयि तुष्टो ऽस्मि गृहाणाभिमतं वरम् । भगवन् भूतभव्येश स्याम् अहं जीवसूचिका
'Arise, I am pleased with you; choose whatever boon you desire.' 'Lord, master of past and future, may I become Jīvasūcikā.'