ययौ राजानम् आपृच्छ्य तद् एव हिमवच्छिरः । दरिद्रा लब्धहेमेव गृहम् उग्रशरीरिणी
Having taken leave of the king, she went to that very summit of the Himalayas, as a poor woman who has found gold returns to her home, though her body was fierce.
तत्रा तृप्तेर् भृशं भुक्त्वा सुखं सुप्त्वा दिनद्वयम् । आसीत् प्रबुद्धा सुस्वच्छा सा समाधिवती पुनः
There, after satisfying her hunger and sleeping comfortably for two days, she awoke refreshed, clear, and again absorbed in deep meditation.
पञ्चभिर् वा त्रिभिर् वापि वर्षैस् सा सम्प्रबुध्यति । तत् ततो मण्डलं याति तेन राज्ञा च पूज्यते
After five years, or even three, she would awaken from that state, then go to the assembly and be honored by that king.
तत्र विश्रम्भगर्भाभिः कथाभिः कञ्चिद् एव सा । स्थित्वा कालं गृहीत्वा तान् वध्यान् स्वास्पदम् एत्य् अथ
There, after spending some time with conversations filled with trust, she would take those condemned ones and return to her own abode.
जीवन्मुक्ततयैवम् एव विपिने साद्यापि रक्षोऽङ्गना । तस्मिन्न् एव गिरौ स्थिता विगलितध्यानैकतानाशया
Even now, that demoness, liberated while living, remains in that forest on that very mountain, her mind free from all absorbed contemplation.
तस्मिन् राजनि शान्तिम् आगतवति त्यक्तैषणेनात्मना । तद्राष्ट्राधिपसौहृदैस् स्वकवलान् आस्वादयन्ती चिरम्
When that king attained peace, having abandoned all desires, she enjoyed her meals for a long time, with the friendship of the ruler of that land.
किरातमण्डले तस्मिन् ये ये सन्ति महीभृतः । तैस् तैस् सह परा मैत्री तस्यास् समभिजायते
In that region of the Kirātas, with all the local kings, she formed the highest friendship with each of them.
सर्वांस् तत्र महोत्पातान् पिशाचादिभयान्य् अपि । रोगांश् च योगसिद्धा सा निवारयति राक्षसी
There, that yogically accomplished demoness wards off all great calamities, fears from spirits and the like, and diseases.
बहुवर्षगणैर् नैषा ध्यानाद् विरतिम् आगता । तत्रागत्य समश्नाति वध्याञ् जन्तून् सुसञ्चितान्
For many years she did not abandon meditation; coming there, she devours the sacrificial victims that have been well gathered.
अद्यापि तत्र ये वध्यास् ते तदर्थं महीभुजा । दीयन्ते मित्रसम्माने के हि नाध्यवसायिनः
Even today, those who are to be sacrificed are given there by the king for that purpose, as a mark of friendship—who indeed would not be resolute?
तस्यां ध्याननिषण्णायां किरातजनमण्डले । अनायान्त्यां चिरं कालं जनदोषप्रशान्तये
While she sits absorbed in meditation among the tribes of hunters, not coming forth for a long time, the people's faults are pacified.
सा देवी कन्दरानाम्नी मङ्गलेतरनामिका । सम्प्रस्थापिता प्रोच्चैः पुरे गहनकोटरे
That goddess, named Kandarā, also called Maṅgaletarā, was established with great honor in a deep cave within the city.
ततः प्रभृति तत्रान्यो यो यो भवति भूमिपः । स कन्दरां भगवतीं प्रतिष्ठापयति स्वयम्
From that time onward, every king who rules there himself installs the goddess Kandarā.
यः कन्दरां प्रतिष्ठां वा न करोति नृपो ऽधमः । तस्योपतापनिचयाः प्रजा निघ्नन्ति यत्नतः
Any inferior king who does not perform the installation of Kandarā, his subjects diligently destroy him with a multitude of calamities.
तत्पूजनाद् अवाप्नोति जनस् तत्रेप्सितं फलम् । स्वभावनावशोच्छूनम् अनर्थायाप्रपूजनम्
By worshipping her, people there obtain the desired result; neglect of her worship, driven by one's own disposition, leads to misfortune.
वध्यलोकोपचारेण सा देवी परिपूज्यते । प्रतिमायां स्थिताद्यापि चित्तस्थफलदायिनी
That goddess, though worshipped with the customary rites for the condemned, remains in the image, still bestowing the fruits that reside in the mind.
सकललोकसमङ्गलकारिणी कवलिताखिलवध्यमहाजना । जयति सात्र किरातजनास्पदा परमबोधवती चिरदेवता
She, the long-honored goddess, abode of the forest-dwellers, endowed with supreme knowledge, brings auspiciousness to all the worlds and devours all the great multitudes destined for destruction—she is victorious here.
एतत् ते कथितं सर्वम् उपाख्यानम् अनिन्दितम् । कर्कट्या वनराक्षस्या यथावद् अनुपूर्वशः
All this blameless tale has been told to you, just as it happened, about the demoness Karkati, in proper sequence.
हिमवद्गह्वरप्रोक्ता सा कथं कृष्णराक्षसी । कथं च कर्कटी नाम्ना यथावद् वद मे प्रभो
O Lord, tell me precisely how that black demoness, spoken of in the caves of the Himalayas, came to be called Karkati by name.
कुलानि सन्त्य् अनेकानि राक्षसानां स्वभावतः । तानि कृष्णानि शुक्लानि हरितान्य् उज्ज्वलानि च
There are many lineages of demons by nature; among them are black, white, green, and radiant ones.
कर्कटप्राणिसदृशः कर्कटो नाम राक्षसः । बभूव तज्जा सा कृष्णा कर्कटी कर्कटाकृतिः
There was a demon named Karkata, resembling a crab-like creature; she was born from him, black in color, called Karkati, and had the form of a crab.
कर्कटीप्रश्नसंस्मृत्या मयैषा कथिता तव । अध्यात्मोक्तिप्रसङ्गेन चित्स्वरूपनिरूपणे
Because of remembering Karkati's question, I have recounted this to you, in the context of spiritual instruction and the exposition of the nature of consciousness.
सम्पन्नम् एवम् एकस्माद् असम्पन्नम् अपि स्फुटम् । इदं जगद् अनाद्यन्तात् पदात् परमकारणात्
Thus, from one cause, both the completed and the uncompleted are clearly manifest; this world, without beginning or end, arises from the supreme cause, step by step.
भाविन्यो वीचयो वारिण्य् अन्यानन्यास् स्थिता यथा । वर्तमाना अपि परे सृष्टयस् संस्थितास् तथा
Just as waves, though appearing and disappearing in water, remain nothing other than water, so too do all these diverse creations, though seemingly present, truly abide in the Supreme.
अज्वलन्न् एव काष्ठेषु वह्निर् अर्थक्रियां यथा । करोति मर्कटादीनां शीतापहरणादिकाम्
Just as fire, though not visibly blazing in wood, still serves its purpose—such as removing cold for monkeys and others—
समं सौम्यत्वम् अजहद् एव नित्योदितस्थिति । तथा ब्रह्म करोतीदं नानाकर्तेव सज् जगत्
In the same way, Brahman, ever serene and unchanging, brings forth this manifold world, as if engaging in various actions, without abandoning its essential tranquility.
अप्य् अनागत एवायम् एवं सर्ग उपागतः । भोस् सालभञ्जिकासंविद् दारुणीव सुबोधिता
Even before it has arisen, this creation has already come forth in this manner—like the awareness of a wooden statue of a woman, which is awakened in the wood itself.
बीजाद् यथानन्यद् अपि फलाद्य् अन्यद् इवोत्थितम् । चितेस् तथानन्यद् अपि चेत्यम् अन्यद् इवोत्थितम्
Just as from a seed, though not different from it, a fruit appears as if distinct, so too from consciousness, though not other than it, the object of consciousness seems to arise as something else.
अच्छेदाद् एकसत्ताया न भेदः फलबीजयोः । चिच्चेत्ययोश् च वार्यूर्म्योर् इव वस्तुनि कश्चन
Because of the indivisibility of a single reality, there is truly no separation between seed and fruit, or between consciousness and its object, just as there is none between water and its waves.
अविचाराद् ऋते भेदो नैतयोर् उपपद्यते । यतः कुतश्चिद् उदितस् स विचारेण नश्यति
Except through lack of inquiry, no division between these two can be established; whatever distinction appears from somewhere, vanishes upon investigation.