त्रिप्रवाहा त्रिपथगा कृत्वोर्ध्वाधोगमागमा । जगद्यज्ञोपवीताभा स्फुरन्तीन्दुकलामला
The triple-flowing, triple-path rivers, moving upward and downward, shimmer pure as the crescent moon, resembling the sacred thread of the universe.
इतश् चेतश् च गच्छन्ति शीर्यन्ते प्रोद्भवन्ति च । दिग्लतासु तडित्पुष्पा वातान्ते मेघपल्लवाः
Here and there they go, decaying and arising again—like lightning-flowers on the creepers of the directions, or cloud-shoots at the end of the wind.
गन्धर्वनगरोद्यानविमानावलिमालिता । समुद्रभूमिनभसां पदवी प्रविराजते
The path of the ocean, earth, and sky is adorned with rows of celestial cities, gardens, and flying palaces, shining brilliantly.
लोकान्तरेषु सङ्घेन देवासुरनरोरगाः । उदुम्बरेषु मषका इव घुङ्घुमितास् स्थिताः
In other worlds, gods, demons, humans, and serpents stand together in crowds, humming like gnats on fig trees.
युगकल्पक्षणलवकलाकाष्टाकलङ्कितः । कालो वहत्य् अकलितस् सर्वनाशप्रतीक्षकः
Time, marked by ages, aeons, moments, instants, and fractions, flows on unnoticed, ever awaiting the destruction of all.
एवम् आलोक्य शुद्धेन परेण स्वेन तेजसा । भृशं विस्मयम् आपन्नः किम् एतत् कथम् इत्य् अहम्
Thus, beholding with my own pure and supreme radiance, I became greatly astonished, wondering, 'What is this? How can this be?'
कथं मांसमयेनाक्ष्णा यन् न पश्यामि किञ्चन । तन् मायाजालम् अतुलं पश्यामि मनसाम्बरे
How is it that with these fleshly eyes I see nothing at all, yet in the sky of the mind I perceive this incomparable web of illusion?
अथालोक्य चिरं कालं मनसैवाहम् अम्बरात् । अर्कं तस्माज् जगज्जालाद् एकम् आनीय पृष्टवान्
Then, after observing for a long time with my mind from that sky, I summoned the sun from that net of worlds and questioned him.
आगच्छ देवदेवेश भो भास्कर महाद्युते । स्वागतं ते ऽस्त्व् इति प्रोक्तं मयासौ कथितो ऽप्य् अथ
'Come, Lord of gods, O radiant Sun, of great brilliance! Welcome to you,' I said, and thus addressed him.
कस् त्वं कथम् इदं जातं जगद् एकं जगन्ति वा । यदि जानासि भगवंस् तद् एतत् कथयानघ
'Who are you? How did this one world or these many worlds come into being? If you know, O Blessed One, please tell me this, O faultless one.'
इत्य् उक्तो माम् असाव् अर्कस् सम्परिज्ञातवान् अथ । नमस्कृत्याभ्युवाचेदम् अनिन्द्यपदया गिरा
Thus addressed, the Sun recognized me, and after bowing, replied to me with words beyond reproach.
अस्य दृश्यपिशाचस्य नित्यं कारणताम् अपि । गतः कस्मान् न जानीषे किं माम् ईश्वर पृच्छसि
'Though you have always attained the cause of this visible phantom, why do you not know? Why do you ask me, O Lord?'
अथ मद्वाक्यसन्दर्भे लीला चेत् तव सर्वग । अचिन्तितात् समुत्पन्नं तच् छृणु त्वं वदाम्य् अहम्
But if, in the context of my words, your play, O all-knowing one, has arisen unexpectedly, then listen—I shall tell you.
सद् असद् इति कलाभिर् आततं सद् भ्रमभरभेदविमोहदायिनीभिः । प्रविततरचनाभिर् ईश्वरात्म प्रविलसतीह मनो महन् महात्मन्
The mind of the great soul, radiant here as the Self of the Lord, is extended by the divisions of time as existence and non-existence, and by intricate constructions that bestow confusion through the burden and fragmentation of illusion.
कल्पनाम्नि महादेव ह्यस्तने दिवसे तव । तले कैलासशैलस्य जम्बुद्वीपैककोणके
O Mahadeva, in the day named 'imagination', at the base of Mount Kailasa, in a single corner of Jambudvipa,
सुवर्णजटनाम्ना यत् त्वत्पुत्रैर् जनितप्रजैः । मण्डलं कल्पितं श्रीमद् अनल्पसुखसुन्दरम्
There, a realm called Suvarnajata was established by your sons and their offspring, splendid, exceedingly pleasant, and beautiful.
तत्राभूद् अतिधर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः । इन्दुर् नामातिशान्तात्मा कश्यपस्य कुलोद्भवः
In that place lived a supremely righteous Brahmin, foremost in knowledge of Brahman, named Indu, of exceedingly peaceful nature, born in the lineage of Kashyapa.
तस्मिंस् तदा निवसतो नित्यं स्वजनमण्डले । न बभूवात्मजस् तस्य मरुभूमेस् तृणं यथा
While he dwelled there always among his own people, he had no child, like a blade of grass in a desert.
न व्यराजत सा भार्या तस्य निष्फलपुष्पिता । ऋज्वी गौरी सुशुद्धापि शून्या शरलता यथा
His wife, though upright, fair, and pure, did not shine, being fruitless in flowering, like an empty creeper.
तौ ततो दम्पती खिन्नौ पुत्रार्थं तपसे गिरेः । कैलासस्यांसम् आरूढौ रूढाव् इव वनद्रुमौ
Then, the two spouses, distressed for the sake of a child, ascended the shoulder of Mount Kailasa for austerity, like two trees grown upon a forest slope.
भूतैर् अनावृते शून्ये तस्मिन् कैलासकुञ्जके । तेपाते तौ तपो घोरं जलाहारौ तरुस्थितौ
In that secluded grove of Kailasa, unoccupied by beings and empty, the two performed severe austerity, subsisting on water and standing by a tree.
एकं पानीयचुलकं पीत्वा दिवसपर्यये । निस्पन्दम् उत्थितौ वार्क्षीं वृत्तिम् आश्रित्य संस्थितौ
Drinking a single cup of water each day, they remained motionless, sustaining themselves with the way of the trees.
तस्थतुस् तौ तदा तत्र तावद् वनतरुव्रतौ । यावत् त्रेता द्वापरश् च युगे द्वे एव ते गते
Thus they stood there, living the life of forest trees, until both the Treta and Dvapara ages had passed.
ततस् तुष्टो ऽभवद् देवस् तयोश् शशिकलाधरः । दिनतापोत्तापितयोर् इन्दुः कुमुदयोर् इव
Then the god with the crescent moon on his brow became pleased with them, as the moon delights water lilies scorched by the heat of day.
आजगाम तम् उद्देशं यत्र तौ विप्रदम्पती । सलतापादपं देशं पुष्पाकर इवेश्वरः
He came to that place where the brahmin couple were, a land with creepers and trees, like the lord of the stars approaching a bed of lotuses.
दम्पती तौ वृषारूढं सोमं सोमार्धशेखरम् । फुल्लाननं ददृशतुः कुमुदे शशिनं यथा
The couple beheld Soma, adorned with the crescent moon, riding a bull, his face radiant like the full moon shining upon water lilies.
तौ तं प्रणेमतुर् देवं तुषारामलम् ईश्वरम् । द्यावापृथिव्याव् उदितं परिपूर्णम् इवोडुपम्
They bowed to that god, pure as frost, lord of all, risen like a full moon over heaven and earth.
तर्जयन् पवनाधूतनववेणुवनस्वनम् । मृदूद्दामं स्मितस्यन्दि प्रोवाचाथ वचश् शिवः
Dispelling the gentle sound of the wind stirring the fresh bamboo grove, Shiva, with a soft and radiant smile, then spoke these words:
वरं विप्र गृहाणाशु तुष्टो ऽस्मि तव वाञ्छितम् । मधुमासरसाक्रान्तवृक्षवन् मुदितो भव
O brahmin, quickly accept a boon of your choosing; I am pleased with you. Rejoice like a grove of trees filled with the essence of spring.
भगवन् देवदेवेश दश पुत्रा महाधियः । भव्या भवन्तु मे भूयश् शोको येन न बाधते
O Lord, God of gods, may I have ten sons of great intelligence and good fortune, so that sorrow may not afflict me.