सूक्ष्मदृश्या वेधदात्री क्षणाद् विस्मृतिम् एति वा । तीक्ष्णा भेदकरी क्रूरा सूचिचेष्टेव दैविकी
Subtle, barely visible, the piercer may bring forgetfulness in an instant; sharp, penetrating, and cruel, it acts like a divine needle.
तन्तुवेधनमात्रेण हतो ऽन्य इति तोषिता । दुर्जनो येन तेनैव नाशितो वेत्ति दुष्टताम्
Satisfied when another is harmed merely by piercing a thread, the wicked person knows only that by which he destroys, not his own wickedness.
पङ्के मज्जति याति खे विहरति व्योमानिलैर् दिक्तटाञ् शेते पांसुषु भूतले पथि गृहे हट्टे वने ऽन्तःपुरे । हस्ते श्रोत्रसरोरुहे ऽथ मृदुनि स्वस्थोर्णिकागण्डके रन्ध्रे काष्ठमृदां च नाडिहृदये द्रव्यात्मसत्तैव सा
It sinks in mud, moves through the sky, plays with the winds of space, lies on the ground, on the road, in the house, in the market, in the forest, in the inner chamber; in the hand, in the lotus of the ear, or in soft woolen balls at home, in holes, in wood or clay, in the channels of the heart—such is the very substance of things.
इत्य् उक्तवत्य् अथ मुनौ दिवसो जगाम सायन्तनाय विधये ऽस्तम् इनो जगाम । स्नातुं सभा कृतनमस्करणा जगाम श्यामाक्षये रविकरैश् च सहाजगाम
After the sage had spoken thus, the day drew to its evening close; the sun set, and the assembly, having offered their salutations, departed to bathe, accompanied by the sun's fading rays.
अथ सा बहुकालेन कर्कटी नाम राक्षसी । सर्वेषां नरमांसानां नूनं तृप्तिम् उपाययौ
Then, after a long time, the demoness named Karkati truly attained satisfaction from consuming all human flesh.
पूर्वेणैव किलाह्ना सा तृप्ता रुधिरबिन्दुना । सूच्यां किम् इव मात्य् अन्तस् तृष्णासूचिस् तु दुर्भरा
Indeed, on the previous day she had been satisfied by a mere drop of blood; but how can the needle of thirst be filled within, when it is so hard to endure?
चिन्तयाम् आस हा कष्टं किम् इदं सूचितां गता । सूक्ष्मास्मि हतशक्तिश् च मयि ग्रासो न माति च
She thought, 'Alas, how wretched is this state I have reached, reduced to a needle's form! I am subtle, my strength is gone, and I cannot even consume a morsel.'
क्व मे तानि विशालानि गतान्य् अङ्गानि दुर्धियः । कालमेघविलासानि वने शीर्णानि पर्णवत्
Where have my vast limbs gone, O foolish mind? Like leaves withered in the forest by the play of dark clouds, they have vanished.
मय्य् अस्यां मन्दभाग्यायां मनाग् अपि न माति च । स्वादुमांसरसग्रासो वसावासित आसवः
In me, so unfortunate, not even a trace remains of the delight in consuming sweet, juicy flesh or the intoxication of fat and blood.
पङ्के ऽन्तर् विनिमज्जामि पतामि धरणीतले । हतास्मि जनपदौघैस् तस्करैर् दलितास्मि च
I sink into the mire, I fall upon the ground; I am destroyed by the multitudes of people, I am crushed by thieves.
हा हताहम् अनाथाहम् अनाश्वासा निरास्पदा । दुःखाद् दुःखे निमज्जामि सङ्कटात् सङ्कटे ऽपि च
Alas, I am ruined, I am helpless, I have no comfort, no refuge; I sink from sorrow into deeper sorrow, from hardship into even greater hardship.
न मे सखी न मे दासी न मे माता न मे पिता । न मे बन्धुर् न मे भृत्यो न मे भ्राता न मे सुतः
I have no friend, no servant, no mother, no father; I have no relative, no attendant, no brother, no son.
न मे देहो न मे स्थानं न मे कश्चित् समाश्रयः । नैकस्थानसमाश्वासो भ्रमामि वनपर्णवत्
I have no body, no dwelling, no one at all to rely upon; I wander, trusting in no single place, like a leaf in the forest.
आपदां धुरि तिष्ठामि निविष्टास्मि सुदारुणे । अभावम् अभिवाञ्छामि सो ऽपि सम्पद्यते न मे
I bear the burden of calamities, settled in great distress; I long for nonexistence, yet even that does not come to me.
स्वको देहः परित्यक्तो मूढचेतनया मया । काचबुद्ध्या विमूढेन हस्ताच् चिन्तामणिर् यथा
My own body was abandoned by me in deluded consciousness, with a mind clouded, like a fool letting a wish-fulfilling gem slip from his hand.
आपतन्ती मनोमोहं पूर्वम् आपत् प्रयच्छति । पश्चाद् अनर्थविस्ताररूपेण प्रविजृम्भते
Misfortune first brings delusion to the mind, then arrives itself; afterwards, it expands in the form of ever-increasing adversity.
बुसेषु परिसुप्तास्मि मार्गेषु लुलितास्मि च । व्रणेषु प्रेषितास्म्य् अन्तर् हा मे दुःखपरम्परा
I have slept on the ground, I have been tossed along the roads, I have been thrust into wounds within—alas, my endless succession of sorrows!
परप्रेष्यकरी नित्यं परसञ्चारचारिणी । परं कार्पण्यम् आयाता जाता परवशास्म्य् अहम्
Always serving others, always moving about for others, I have reached utter wretchedness; I have become subject to others’ will.
भृतिं करोमि तुच्छैव सापि वेधनरूपिणी । अहो ममाल्पभाग्याया दौर्भाग्यम् अपि दुर्लभम्
I earn a meager wage, and even that is marked by hardship; alas, for one as unfortunate as I am, even misfortune is hard to come by.
उत्थितस् स्फारवेतालः कुर्वन्त्याश् शान्तिम् एव मे । सर्वनाशो धनादाने प्रवृत्ताया ममोदितः
The fierce Vetala has arisen, bringing me only destruction as I attempt to find peace; ruin has come upon me as I set out to give away my wealth.
किम् अन्धया मया तादृक् सन्त्यक्तं तन् महावपुः । यथा नाशेन वा भाव्यं तथोदेत्य् अशुभा मतिः
Why did I, so blind, abandon that great body? When destruction is inevitable, such inauspicious thoughts arise.
माम् अवान्तरनिर्दग्धां न्यूनां कीटकणाद् अपि । उद्धरिष्यति को नाम पांसुराशिषु हारिताम्
Who indeed will rescue me, burned within and diminished, more insignificant than an insect's wing, lost among heaps of dust?
विविक्तमनसां बुद्धौ क्व स्फुरन्ति हताशयाः । ग्राममार्गतृणानीव गिरेर् उपरि वासिनाम्
How can hopes that have been destroyed arise in the mind of those who are inwardly detached, like blades of grass from a village path appearing atop a mountain?
स्थितानाम् अज्ञसम्बोधे कथम् अभ्युदयो भवेत् । अण्व् अप्य् उदेति प्राकाश्यं न खद्योतानुसेविनः
How can there be progress for those who remain in ignorance? Even a tiny spark of light does not arise for one who follows only fireflies.
अतः कियन्तं नो जाने कालम् आवलितापदम् । मयापच्छ्वभ्रगर्तेषु लुठितव्यं हतेहया
Therefore, I do not know how long I must continue to roll in pits of misery, as one whose hope has been destroyed.
कदा स्याम् अञ्जनमहाशैलपुत्रकरूपिणी । द्यावापृथिव्योर् वैडूर्यस्तम्भताम् अनुतिष्ठती
When will I become like the daughter of the great mountain Anjana, standing as a pillar of beryl between heaven and earth?
मेघमालासमभुजा स्थिरविद्युच्छटेक्षणा । नीहारजालवसना प्रोच्चकेशासिताम्बरा
With arms like banks of clouds, eyes like steady flashes of lightning, clothed in veils of mist, with hair unbound and dark garments.
लम्बोदराभ्रसन्दर्शप्रनर्तितशिखण्डिनी । लम्बलोलस्तनी श्यामदेहपातद्रवत्सुरा
With a belly like a cloud, her crest feather dances, her long, swinging breasts are dark as the body of a rain-cloud, and she flows like liquor.
हासभस्मच्छटाच्छन्नसूर्यमण्डलरोधिनी । कृतान्तग्रसनोद्युक्तकृत्यैकाकृतिधारिणी
Her laughter veils the sun’s disk with ashes, she blocks its light, and she assumes the form of the one intent on devouring the end of all things.
कुणालोलूखलबृसीशूर्पस्रग्दामभारिणी । पर्वतात् पर्वते शृङ्गे न्यस्य पादं विहारिणी
She bears a garland heavy with pestles, mortars, winnowing baskets, and ropes; she roams, placing her foot from mountain to mountain peak.