आदिसर्गे च नियमः कृतः पङ्कजजन्मना । हिंस्राभिभोजनायास्तु मूढात्मा नात्मवान् इति
At the beginning of creation, the lotus-born one established the rule: the ignorant self is for violent consumption, not for one possessing the Self.
तस्माद् इमौ मयैवाद्य भोक्तव्यौ भोज्यतां गतौ । अभव्य एव निर्दोषं प्राप्तम् अर्थम् उपेक्षते
Therefore, today these two must be eaten by me, as they have become food; only the unfortunate neglect a faultless opportunity that has come.
मा कदाचिद् इमौ स्यातां गुणयुक्तौ महाशयौ । तादृङ्नरविनाशो हि स्वभावान् मे न रोचते
Let these two never become virtuous or noble; the destruction of such men does not suit my nature.
तद् एतौ सम्परीक्षे ऽहं यदि तावद् गुणान्वितौ । तद् भक्ष्यं न करोम्य् एतौ न हिंस्या गुणिनः क्वचित्
Therefore, I will examine these two: if they are endowed with virtue, I will not eat them; the virtuous should never be harmed.
अकृत्रिमं सुखं कीर्तिम् आयुश् चैवाभिवाञ्छता । सर्वाभिमतदानेन पूजनीया गुणान्विताः
Those who desire uncontrived happiness, fame, and long life should honor the virtuous by giving them all that is desired.
यदि नश्यामि देहेन तन् न भोक्ष्ये गुणान्वितम् । सुखयन्ति हि चेतांसि जीविताद् अपि साधवः
If I should perish along with my body, I will not enjoy what is endowed with virtue; for truly, the virtuous bring delight to the hearts even more than life itself.
अपि जीवितदानेन गुणिनं परिपालयेत् । गुणवत्सङ्गमौषध्या मृत्युर् अप्य् एति मित्रताम्
One should protect a virtuous person even at the cost of one's own life; for with the medicine of association with the virtuous, even death becomes a friend.
यत्राहम् अपि रक्षामि राक्षसी गुणशालिनम् । तत्रान्यश् चानुकुर्यात् तं हृद्विचारम् इवामलम्
Where even I, a demoness, protect one endowed with virtue, there another too would act kindly toward him, just as pure reflection arises in the heart.
उदारगुणयुक्ता ये विहरन्तीह देहिनः । धरातलेन्दवस् सङ्गाद् भृशं शीतलयन्ति ते
Those who are endowed with noble virtues and dwell here among embodied beings, are like moons upon the earth, greatly cooling through their association.
मृतिर् गुणतिरस्कारो जीवितं गुणिसंश्रयः । फलं स्वर्गापवर्गादि जीविताद् गुणिसंश्रयात्
Death is the rejection of virtue; life is the shelter of the virtuous; the fruit, whether heaven, liberation, or otherwise, comes from taking refuge in the virtuous during life.
तस्माद् इमौ परीक्षे ऽहं कदाचित् प्रश्नलीलया । किं मानज्ञानकाव् एताव् इति तामरसेक्षणौ
Therefore, I sometimes examine these two, with playful questioning: Are these two possessed of honor, knowledge, and poetry, O lotus-eyed ones?
आदौ विचार्य सुगुणागुणलेशयुक्तिम् आगस् ततो ऽधिकतरं च गुणाद् यादि स्यात् । कुर्यात् ततस् समुपपत्तिवशेन दण्डं दण्ड्यस्य लघ्व् अथ दृढं धनसम्भवे वा
First, one should consider the presence or absence of virtue and the degree of fault; then, if the fault is greater than the virtue, one should impose punishment on the offender, light or severe, or in the form of a fine, according to what is appropriate.
अथ सा राक्षसी रक्षःकुलकाननमञ्जरी । तमस्य् एवाभ्रलेखेव गम्भीरं निननाद सा
Then that demoness, the flower of the demon clan's forest, roared deeply, like a streak of cloud in the darkness.
नादान्ते समुवाचेदं प्रीङ्कारपरुषं वचः । गर्जितानन्तरं जातकरकाशनिशब्दवत्
At the end of the sound, it uttered these harsh, shrill words—like the noise that follows thunder, resembling the crack of lightning.
भो भो घोराटवीव्योमपदवीशशिभास्करौ । महामायातमःपीठशिलाकोटरकीटकौ
Hey! Hey! Moon and sun, rulers of the wild forest sky-path; worms dwelling in the dark hollows of the great illusion's seat.
कौ भवन्तौ महाबुद्धी दुर्बुद्धी वा समागतौ । मद्ग्रासपथम् आपन्नौ क्षणान् मरणकोविदौ
Who are you two—possessors of great wisdom or poor judgment—who have come together, entering the path of my prey, experts in death for a moment?
भो भो भूतक किं स्यास् त्वं क्व तिष्ठसि च देहकम् । दर्शयास्यास् तव गिरः को बिभेत्य् अलिनीध्वनेः
Hey! Hey! Spirit, what are you? Where does your little body stand? Show your face, let your voice be heard—who fears the buzzing of a bee?
सिंहवत् सर्ववेगेन पतन्त्य् अर्थं किलार्थिनः । समम् आकारशब्दाभ्यां भावयास्मान् बिभेषि किम् । न किञ्चिद् दीर्घसूत्राणां सिध्यत्य् आत्मक्षयाद् ऋते
Like lions, those seeking their aim rush forward with all their strength; with equal form and sound, you try to frighten me—why? Nothing succeeds for those who delay, except self-destruction.
राज्ञेत्य् उक्ते रम्यम् उक्तम् इति सञ्चिन्त्य सा तयोः । प्रकाशायाप्य् अधैर्याय ननाद च जहास च
When 'king' was spoken, she thought, 'That was pleasant to hear,' and, due to her own restlessness, she roared and laughed.
ततो ददृशतुस् तौ तां शब्दपूरितदिग्गणाम् । स्वाट्टहासप्रभापिण्डपूरप्रकटिताकृतिम्
Then the two saw her, filling the quarters with sound, her form revealed by the flood of radiance from her laughter.
कल्पाभ्रांशनिकाशेन घृष्टाम् अद्रितटीम् इव । स्वनेत्रविद्युद्वलयावलनाज्वलिताम्बराम्
With the appearance of a cloud fragment from an age, she seemed to have scraped the mountain's edge; her garment was ablaze with flashes from the circles of lightning in her own eyes.
तिमिरैकार्णवौर्वाग्निज्वालाविवलनाम् इव । गर्जद्घनघटाटोपपीवरासितकन्धराम्
With a neck thick and dark as a mass of thunderclouds, she seemed like the swirling flames of a fire rising from an ocean of darkness.
रणद्वदनसंरम्भहाहाहतनिशाचराम् । रोदसीकज्जलस्तम्भलीलयोल्लासितां पुरः
Her face, fierce in battle, resounded with the cries of slain night-dwellers, and before her, the sky appeared enlivened as if with pillars of black collyrium.
ऊर्ध्वकेशीं सिरालाङ्गीं कपिलाक्षीं तमोमयीम् । यक्षरक्षःपिशाचानाम् अप्य् अनल्पभयप्रदाम्
Her hair stood upright, her limbs veined, her eyes tawny, her form composed of darkness—she inspired great fear even among yakṣas, rākṣasas, and piśācas.
दरीरन्ध्रलसत्स्वास्यां वातझाङ्कारभीषणाम् । मुसुलोलूखलालातां हलशूर्पकशेखराम्
Her mouth gaped like a mountain cave, terrifying with the roar of wind; her forehead bore a pestle and mortar, and she wore a plough and winnowing basket as her crown.
स्फुरन्तीम् इव कल्पान्ते वैडूर्यशिखरिस्थलीम् । हासघट्टितविश्वेशां कालरात्रीम् इवोदिताम्
She seemed to shimmer like a peak of beryl at the end of an age, her laughter shaking the lords of the universe, appearing as if the Night of Time had arisen.
घनव्योमाटवीं साभ्रां कृतदेहाम् इवागताम् । शरीरिणीं महाभ्राढ्यां यामिनीम् इव मांसलाम्
She appeared as if the dense, cloud-filled forest of the sky had taken on a body and arrived, a night so massive and fleshy, endowed with a corporeal form.
शरीरसन्निवेशेन पङ्कपीठीम् इवोत्थिताम् । तनुं चन्द्रार्कयुद्धाय तमसेव समाश्रिताम्
With her bodily form, she seemed to have risen from a seat of mud; as if darkness itself, taking shelter, had assumed a body to wage war against the moon and sun.
इन्द्रनीलतटश्वभ्रलम्बाभ्रयुगलोपमौ । उलूखलादिहालाढ्यौ दधानाम् असितौ स्तनौ
Her two breasts, dark as sapphire mountain slopes and resembling a pair of hanging rainclouds, were adorned with pestle and plough.
नग्नाम् अङ्गारकाशेन समालब्धमहातनुम् । द्रुमाभास्पदसमिरललद्भुजलतातनुम्
Her great body, naked, was touched by the glow of embers; her limbs swayed like the branches of a tree stirred by the wind.