प्रादेशः प्रथमम् अभूत् ततो ऽपि हस्तो व्यासं चाप्य् अथ विटपस् ततो ऽभ्रमाला । सोद्यत्सावयवलता बभौ निमेषात् सङ्कल्पद्रुमकणिकाङ्कुरक्रमेण
First, a span appeared, then a hand, then a branch, then a garland of clouds; with swiftly rising shoots and tendrils, it shone forth in an instant, by the sequence of sprouts from the wish-fulfilling tree.
तन्मात्राण्य् अविकलशक्तिमन्ति देहाद् उद्भूतान्य् अथ करणेन्द्रियाणि सम्यक् । सङ्कल्पद्रुमनवपुष्पवत् समन्ताद् बीजे यान्य् अलम् अभवंस् तिरोहितानि
The subtle elements, endowed with undiminished power, emerged from the body, and then the sense organs; just as flowers arise all around from the seed of the wish-fulfilling tree, so too did these come forth, though previously concealed.
अथाभवद् असौ सूची कर्कटी राक्षसी पुनः । सूक्ष्मैव स्थौल्यम् आयाता मेघलेखेव वार्षिकी
Then Sūcī became Karkaṭī, the demoness, once again; remaining subtle, she attained grossness, like a streak of cloud thickening in the rainy season.
निजम् आकारम् आसाद्य किञ्चित् प्रमुदिता सती । बृहद्राक्षसगर्वं तद्बोधात् कञ्चुकवज् जहौ
Having regained her own form, she was somewhat delighted; through realization, she cast off the pride of the great demon, as one discards a cloak.
तत्रैव ध्यायिनी तस्थौ बद्धपद्मासनस्थितिः । आलम्ब्य संविदं शुद्धां संस्थिता गिरिकूटवत्
There she remained meditative, seated in the bound lotus posture; relying on pure awareness, she stood firm like a mountain peak.
अथ सा मासषट्केन ध्यानाद् बोधम् उपागता । महाजलदनादेन प्रावृषीव शिखण्डिनी
Then, after six months, she attained awakening through meditation, like a peacock in the rainy season responding to the great sound of thunderclouds.
प्रबुद्धा सा बहिर्वृत्तिर् बभूव क्षुत्परायणा । यावज्जीवं स्वभावो ऽस्य देहस्य न निवर्तते
Awakened, her attention turned outward and she became absorbed in hunger; for as long as one lives, this nature of the body does not cease.
अथ सा किं ग्रस इति चिन्तयाम् आस चिन्तया । भोक्तव्यं परकीयं च न्यायेन न विना मया
Then she began to ponder, 'What should I consume?' Reflecting, she thought, 'I must not take what belongs to another or what is not rightfully mine.'
यद् आर्यगर्हितं यद् वा न्यायेन न समर्जितम् । तस्माद् ग्रासाद् वरं मन्ये मरणं देहिनाम् इह
'That which is condemned by the noble, or not acquired justly—of such food, I consider death preferable for embodied beings here.'
यदि देहं त्यजामीमं तन् न्यायोपार्जितं विना । न किञ्चिद् अद्मि निर्न्यायं भुक्तो ऽर्थो हि गरायते
'If I abandon this body without obtaining what is rightfully earned, I will not eat anything unjustly; for wealth enjoyed without justice becomes impure.'
यन् न लोकक्रमप्राप्तं तेन भुक्तेन किं भवेत् । न जीवितेन नो मृत्या किञ्चित् कारणम् अस्ति मे
'What is the use of consuming what is not obtained in accordance with the ways of the world? For me, there is no reason either for living or for dying.'
मनोमात्रम् अहं ह्य् आसं देहादिभ्रममात्रकम् । तच् छान्तं स्वावबोधेन देहादेहदृशौ कुतः
'Indeed, I was only mind, merely deluded by the body and such; that has been stilled by my own awareness—so where is the seer and the seen, body and non-body?'
एवं स्थिता मौनवती शुश्राव गगनाद् गिरम् । रक्षस्स्वभावसन्त्यागतुष्टेनोक्तां नभस्वता
Thus established in silence, she heard a voice from the sky, spoken by the wind, pleased with her renunciation of the demon-nature.
गच्छ कर्कटि मूढांस् त्वं ज्ञानेनाश्व् अवबोधय । मूढोत्तारणम् एवेह स्वभावो महताम् इति
Go, Karkati, and awaken the deluded with knowledge; for the very nature of the great is to rescue the ignorant.
बोध्यमानो भवत्यापि यो न बोधम् उपैष्यति । स्वनाशायैव जातो ऽसौ न्याय्यो ग्रासो भवेत् तव
But if, even after being instructed by you, someone does not attain understanding, he is born only for his own destruction, and it is proper for you to consume him.
श्रुत्वेत्य् अनुगृहीतास्मि त्वयेत्य् उक्तवती शनैः । उत्तस्थौ शैलशिखरात् क्रमाद् अवरुरोह च
Hearing this, she slowly said, 'I am favored by you,' and then rose from the mountain peak and gradually descended.
अधित्यकाम् अतीत्याशु गत्वा चोपत्यकातटात् । विवेश शैलपादस्थं किरातजनमण्डलम्
Swiftly crossing the upland, and going to the edge of the valley, she entered the settlement of the Kirata people at the foot of the mountain.
बह्वन्नपशुलोकौघद्रव्यसस्यौषधामिषम् । अनन्तमूलपानान्नमृगकीटखगादिकम्
There was abundant food, livestock, crowds of people, wealth, crops, medicinal herbs, meat, endless roots, drinks, grains, deer, insects, birds, and the like.
प्रचलितगलिताञ्जनाचलाभा हिमगिरिपादनिषेवितं सुदेशम् । तदनु गतवती निशाचरी सा निशि सुघनान्धतमिस्रमार्गभूमौ
It was a fine land, frequented by the feet of the snowy mountain, resembling a moving, melting collyrium mountain; then, at night, the night-stalker went forth on a path thick with deep, dense darkness.
एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र किरातजनमण्डले । हस्तहार्यतमःपिण्डा बभूवासितयामिनी
Meanwhile, in that Kirata settlement, the night became pitch-dark, as if lumps of darkness could be grasped by hand.
नीलमेघपटच्छन्ननिरिन्दुगगनान्तरा । तमालवनसम्पिण्डमण्डलोड्डीनकज्जला
The sky was covered with dark clouds, without a moon, and the darkness was like a mass of tamala forests, as if smeared with lampblack and swirling in circles.
लताघनतया ग्रामकोटरैकान्ध्यमन्थरा । गृहचत्वरसम्बाधनगरे नवयौवना
With the lightness of a creeper, she moves slowly through the dark alleys of the village, a young woman in the city, confined within the narrow courtyards of houses.
चत्वरेषु तमःपिण्डप्रजिह्मीकृतदीपिका । कुञ्चिकाच्छिद्रनिष्क्रान्तदीपिकारोमराजिका
In the courtyards, she is like a mass of darkness, bending the lamps aside; she is the line of lamp-flames emerging through the keyhole.
स्ववयस्येव कर्कट्याः परिनृत्यत्पिशाचिका । मत्तकङ्कालवेताला काष्ठमौनम् इव स्थिता
She dances like the companion of a crab, a wild female spirit; like a drunken ghoul or goblin, she stands in wooden silence.
सुषुप्तमृतभूतौघा घननीहारहारिणी । मन्दमन्दमरुत्स्पन्दशरत्प्रालेयशीकरा
She is the host of deep sleep and death, stealing away the dense fog; she is the gentle, gentle stirring of the wind, the autumnal frost and dew.
सरस्सु विरटद्वारिकोकभेकतरङ्गिका । अन्तःपुरेषु रमणरणन्नारीनरानना
In the lakes, she is the rippling water disturbed by the movement of cranes, frogs, and small waves; in the inner chambers, she is the faces of women and men engaged in playful love.
जङ्गलेषु ज्वलज्ज्वालजटालज्वलनोज्ज्वला । केदारेष्व् अम्बुसंसेकपुष्टपाकमिलत्सिला
In the wilderness, she is the blazing fire with locks of flames burning bright; in the fields, she is the stones warmed and ripened by the sprinkling of water.
नभस्य् अलक्षितस्पन्दपरिवृत्तर्क्षचक्रका । वनेषु विसरद्वातपतत्पुष्पफलद्रुमा
In the sky, she is the unseen movement of the revolving constellation of stars; in the forests, she is the trees whose flowers and fruits are scattered by the blowing wind.
श्वभ्रेषु कौशिकास्यात्तवायस्याद्याहृतारवा । तस्कराक्रान्तपर्यन्तग्राम्याक्रन्दनकर्कशा
In the chasms, she is the echoing cry of the wind swallowed by the mouth of the owl; on the outskirts of villages seized by thieves, she is the harsh wailing of the villagers.
ग्रामेष्व् अचेतनग्राम्या नगरे सुप्तनागरा । वनेषु विसरद्वाता नीडेष्व् अस्पन्दपक्षिणी
In villages, the villagers are insentient; in the city, the citizens are asleep; in the forests, the winds wander; in the nests, the birds are motionless.