दृढदावानले तत्र सर्वभूतविवर्जिते । महाशिलातलक्षोभरूक्षे पांसुविधूसरे
There, in a place devoid of all living beings, on the hard, rocky, uneven ground, covered with dust, scorched by a fierce forest fire.
तस्थाव् अभ्युत्थितैकासौ निस्तृणे विपुलस्थले । मराव् अकस्मात् सञ्जाता शुष्का तृणशिखा यथा
She stood upright, alone, on the broad ground devoid of grass, suddenly appearing in the desert like a dry blade of grass.
सूक्ष्मस्यैकस्य पादस्य सार्धेनैवाश्रितोर्वरा । स्वसंविदेकपादात्मतपः कर्तुं प्रचक्रमे
Relying only on one and a half toes of her subtle foot, she began to perform austerities, with her own awareness as the single support of her foot.
सूक्ष्मपादतलेनैषा वसुधारेणुसङ्कटम् । निवार्यात्तपदा कृच्छ्राद् यत्नेनोर्ध्वमुखी स्थिता
With the tip of her subtle foot, she blocked the narrowness of the earth's dust, and with effort, stood upright, raising her foot with difficulty.
कृष्णत्वहिंस्रतातैक्ष्ण्या वृत्तास्या पवनाशनैः । यत्नात् पदं निबध्नन्ती रेण्वणूपलसङ्कटे
Binding her foot with effort amid the tightness of dust, sand, and pebbles, she endured darkness, nonviolence, sharpness, a round mouth, and subsisted on air.
अरण्ये क्षुभितां सर्पीं दूरालोकार्थम् उत्थिताम् । पुच्छकोटिस्थितां पातलोलाम् अनुचकार सा
In the forest, she followed a restless snake, which had risen to see far, and was swaying, poised at the tip of its tail.
मुखरन्ध्रविनिष्क्रान्ता तस्या भास्करदीधितिः । सखी बभूव सूच्याभा पश्चाद्भागैकरक्षिणी
The sun's ray, emerging from the snake's mouth, became her companion, resembling a needle, guarding only the rear part.
क्षुद्रे ऽपि स्वजनीभूते याति वत्सलतां जनः । दीधित्यापि सखीवृत्तं सूच्यास् सूचितयाश्रितम्
Even in something small that becomes one's own, people develop affection; even the sun's ray, acting as a friend, was attached to the needle-like companion.
बभूव तस्यास् स्वच्छा या द्वितीया तापसी सखी । एनस्सूचीव मलिना तया पश्चात् कृतैव सा
Her second companion, a hermit woman, was clear and pure; but she herself became tainted by that companion, just as a needle is stained.
सूच्यास्यनिर्गतार्कांशुपाताक्षस्मयकूणितम् । पश्चात् स्मयतता दृष्टा सा धूल्यैवात्र केवलम्
Her face, wrinkled with a smile as the sun's rays emerged from the tip of the needle, was later seen to be smiling only because of the dust there.
धूल्यापि प्रेक्ष्यते या ताम् अपि द्रुमलतादयः । महातपस्विनीं सूचीं द्रष्टुं नोत्कण्ठयन्ति के
Even when she is seen through the dust, trees, creepers, and others do not tire of longing to behold that ascetic needle.
स्थिरबद्धपदाम् एनां सुमनोवृत्तिम् उत्थिताम् । अनिलाः क्षोभयां चक्रुर् मुखनिर्गतभाङ्कृतैः
The winds disturbed her, who stood firm with steady steps and a pure disposition, by the sounds issuing from their mouths.
प्रसूतानि भविष्यामो निगीर्णान्य् अनयाचिरम् । कौसुमानि रजांस्य् अस्या इत्य् आस्यं पर्यपूपुरन्
They filled her mouth, saying, 'We will be born, we will exist, and soon we will be swallowed by her—these pollen grains of flowers.'
तपोहरेन्द्रप्रहितवातनुन्नामिषं रजः । तया त्व् अहृत्त्वव्याजेन न निगीर्णं मुखे ऽपि सत्
But the dust, though driven by winds sent by the lord of ascetics, was not swallowed by her, even though it appeared to be taken into her mouth.
न निगीर्णवती तानि रजांसि दृढनिश्चया । अन्तस्सारतया कार्यं लघवो ऽप्य् आप्नुवन्ति हि
She did not swallow that dust, being firmly resolved; for when there is inner strength, even light things do not prevail.
न पिबन्त्य् आस्यसंस्थानितया पुष्परजांस्य् अपि । विस्मयं पवनः प्राप सुमेरून्मूलनाधिकम् । आशिरःपिहिता पङ्कैः पूरितापि महाजलैः
She does not take in even the pollen that comes to her mouth; the wind was astonished, more than at uprooting Mount Meru, for even when covered with mud and filled with great waters, she remained unmoved.
विधुतापि बृहद्वातैस् त्रासितापि तडिद्भ्रमैः । उद्धूलितापि जलदैः क्षोभिताप्य् अभ्रगर्जितैः
Even when shaken by strong winds, frightened by flashes of lightning, tossed by clouds, and disturbed by the roar of thunderclouds,
अपि वर्षसहस्रैस् सा चित्तस्थदृढनिश्चया । पट्टगण्डकसुप्तेव नाकम्पत तपस्विनी
Even for a thousand years, she remained steadfast in her resolve, unmoved like a stone slab, absorbed in meditation.
निवृत्ताया बहिस्स्पन्दाद् अथ काले ऽसहागते । विचारयन्त्यास् तस्यास् स्वम् आत्मतत्त्वं स्वचेतनम्
When her outward movements ceased and time had passed, she began to contemplate her own true nature and consciousness.
ज्ञानालोकस् समुदभूत् सा परावरदर्शिनी । बभूव निर्मला सूची चित्सूची पावनी परम्
The light of knowledge arose in her, revealing all that is high and low; she became pure, a needle of consciousness, supremely purified.
जाता विदितवेद्या सा स्वयम् एव तया धिया । तपसा दुष्कृते क्षीणे सूची स्वमुखसूचनी
She became aware of what is to be known, through her own intellect; when her misdeeds were exhausted by austerity, the needle pointed to her own essence.
इति वर्षसहस्राणि साकरोद् दारुणं तपः । सप्त सप्तमहालोकसन्तापकरम् उन्मुखी
Thus, for thousands of years, she performed severe austerity, facing the seven great worlds, causing intense heat.
तस्याः कल्पाग्निभीमेन तपसा हिमवान् गिरिः । बभूव तेन ज्वलितो जज्वालेव ततो जगत्
By the fierceness of her austerity, the mountain Himavat was set ablaze like the fire of the end of an age, and the world too seemed to burn.
कस्येदं तपसाक्रान्तं जगद् इत्य् अथ वासवः । नारदं परिपप्रच्छ स तस्याकथयच् च तत्
Then Indra, seeing the world overwhelmed by austerity, asked Narada whose penance this was, and Narada told him.
सप्त वर्षसहस्राणि सूची दीर्घतपस्विनी । मया विज्ञातदेहासौ तेनेदं ज्वलितं जगत्
For seven thousand years, Sūcī, the long-enduring ascetic, has been known to me; because of her, this world is ablaze.
नागाश् श्वसन्ति विदलन्ति नगाः पतन्ति वैमानिका जलदवारिधयः प्रयान्ति । शोषं दिशो ऽर्कसहिता मलिनीभवन्ति सूच्येन्द्र पश्य तपसा क्षयमाययैव
Serpents hiss, mountains split, celestial beings fall, clouds and oceans depart; the directions, along with the sun, become parched and sullied—O Indra, see how austerity, through illusion, brings about destruction.
कर्कटीकटुवृत्तान्तं सर्वम् आकर्ण्य वासवः । नारदं परिपप्रच्छ पुनर्जातकुतूहलः
Having heard the entire account of Karkati and the bitter events, Indra, filled with renewed curiosity, questioned Narada once again.
सूचीवृत्तपिशाचीत्वं तपसोपार्ज्य तत् तया । कर्कट्या हिमवत्कुक्ष्यां के भुक्ता विभवा मुने
O sage, by means of austerity, Karkati attained the state of the needle-demon; who were the beings she consumed in the womb of the Himalayas?
जीवसूची पिशाचीत्वं गता या शूकपेलवम् । असीत् कार्ष्णायसी सूचिस् तस्यास् स्वम् अवलम्बनम्
The vital needle, having become a demoness, entered the tender body of a parrot; her own support was an iron needle, black in color.
तत् स्वम् आलम्बनं त्यक्त्वा व्योमवातरथस्थया । प्राणमारुतमार्गेण तया देहप्रविष्टया
Abandoning that support, she, stationed in the chariot of air and space, entered the body through the path of the vital wind.