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.
सर्वासाम् अन्त्रतन्त्रीणां स्नायुमेदोवसासृजाम् । रन्ध्रेषु पक्षिण्येवान्तर् निलीनं मलिनाङ्गया
Within all the channels, tendons, nerves, fat, and blood, she, with impure limbs, hid herself like a bird within crevices.
यस्यां नाड्यां न यो वायुर् माति तत् ताम् उपेतया । तत्र शूलं कृतं मूलं न्यग्रोधाग्र इवोत्कटम्
Wherever the wind does not move in a particular channel, she entered there and established a sharp pain, like the fierce root of a banyan tree.
तच् छरीरेन्द्रियैस् तानि तथान्यानि बहूनि च । भुक्तानि नरमांसानि भोजनान्य् उचितानि च
Through that body and its senses, as well as many others, she consumed human flesh and other suitable foods.
सुप्तं विवलितानल्पमालया मुग्धबालया । कान्तवक्षस्स्थलस्यूतम्लिष्टपत्त्रकपोलया
Asleep, she stirs slightly, her garland askew, a young maiden with tender cheeks pressed against her lover’s chest.
विहृतं वीतशोकासु विहङ्ग्या वनवीथिषु । कल्पद्रुमोत्थपुष्पाभ्रद्विगुणाम्भोदपङ्क्तिषु
She has wandered, free from sorrow, like a bird along the forest paths, among rows of clouds of flowers rising from wish-fulfilling trees, doubled in splendor.
पीत आमोदिमन्दारमकरन्दकणासवः । वनेष्व् अमरशैलानाम् अलिन्यालिनिलीनया
She has drunk the fragrant nectar of pollen from the mandara blossoms in the forests of the celestial mountains, hidden among the swarms of bees.
चर्वितानि शवाङ्गानि गृध्रगर्वातिवृद्धया । खड्गयष्ट्येव सङ्ग्रामे वीराङ्गानि जवेद्धया
She has chewed on corpses’ limbs, like an aged vulture proud of its strength, or like a sword-staff in battle, devouring the bodies of heroes with speed.
सर्वाङ्गकोशनाडीषु दिक्ष्व् इवानिललेखया । उड्डीनम् अवडीनं च काक्येव व्योमवीथिषु
In all the channels and sheaths of the body, like the wind’s trace in every direction, she rises and falls, like a crow along the pathways of the sky.
विराडात्महृदि प्राणा वातस्कन्धास् स्फुरन्ति खे । यथा तथा प्रस्फुरितं प्रति देहगृहं तया
Within the cosmic Self, the breaths vibrate in the sky, carried by the wind’s current; in the same way, she vibrates in every bodily dwelling.
सर्वप्राणिशरीरेषु भ्रान्तं चिच्छक्तिदुष्टया । दीपप्रभाभासितया गृहिण्येव स्वसद्मसु
She wanders in the bodies of all living beings, distorted by the power of consciousness, like a housewife illuminating her own home with the light of a lamp.
विहृतं रुधिरेष्व् अन्तर् द्रवशक्त्येव वारिषु । अब्धिष्व् आवर्तवृत्त्येव जठरेषु विवल्गितम्
She moves within the blood, like the power of fluid in water; in the oceans, like the motion of whirlpools; in the belly, she writhes and turns.
सुप्तं मेदस्सु शुभ्रेषु शेषाङ्गेष्व् इव शौरिणा । स्वादितस् स्वामगन्धो ऽन्तर् वातशक्त्यामृतं यथा
As the fragrance of camphor lies dormant within pure substances, or as nectar is hidden within the power of the wind, so too is the innate scent tasted within by the one who possesses it.
तरुगुल्मौषधादीनां हृत्स्थारण्यानिलश्रिया । परिभुक्तान्य् अशक्तानि हिंसया वीक्षितानि च
The inner forest of trees, bushes, and herbs is enjoyed by the wind that resides in the heart; yet, when consumed, they become powerless, and when struck, they are merely observed.
अहं जीवमयी सूची स्याम् इतीच्छावरेण सा । सम्पन्ना मानसी सूचिश् चेतनी पावनी शिता
The desire, 'May I become a needle made of living consciousness,' arises; thus, the mental needle is formed—conscious, pure, and sharp.
अदृश्यया तया तेन मारुतोग्रतुरङ्गया । अयस्सूचीनिलयया विहृतं दिक्षु रुद्धया
With that invisible, exceedingly swift, wind-like needle, whose abode is air, movement is made in all directions, yet it remains concealed.
पीतं भुक्तं विलसितं हसितं दत्तम् आहृतम् । नर्तितं गीतम् उषितम् अनन्तैः प्राणिदेहकैः
Drinking, eating, playing, laughing, giving, taking, dancing, singing, and staying awake—all these are performed by countless embodied beings.
अदृश्यया शरीरिण्या मनः पवनदेहया । कृतम् आकाशरूपिण्या न तद् अस्ति न यत् तया
By the invisible embodied one, whose body is mind and wind, all acts are accomplished in the form of space; there is nothing that is not done by it.
मत्तयाशक्तया स्वादुरसांश् चर्वितुम् एतया । बालयालानम् आश्रित्य करिण्येव विवल्गितम्
By this intoxicated, powerless one, delighting in sweet tastes, wandering is done, taking support of the play of children, like a female elephant in heat.
कल्लोलबहलाद्यूनदेहदुष्टनदीष्व् अलम् । वेगैर् वैधुर्यकारिण्या मत्तया मकरायितम्
In rivers that are impure, diminished, or agitated by waves, this intoxicated one, whose speed brings about faintness, becomes like a crocodile.
अशक्तया निगिरितुं मेदोमांसं तया हृदि । दूनं सुचिरम् अर्थाढ्यवृद्धातुरधिया यथा
Unable to restrain the fat and flesh within the heart, she suffers for a long time, like one whose mind is weakened by abundance of wealth and old age.