सञ्चारयन् क्रियाङ्गुल्या कोणकेष्व् अर्कदीपिकाम् । जगत्सद्मनि कारुण्यात् क्व किम् अस्तीति वीक्षते
With the finger of action, he moves the lamp of the sun into the corners; out of compassion, he observes what and where things are in the house of the world.
प्रेक्ष्याहानि निमेषेण सूर्याक्ष्णा पाकवन्त्य् अलम् । लोकपालफलान्य् अत्ति जगज्जीर्णवनाद् अयम्
Beholding the days ripen in a moment with the sun’s eye, he consumes the fruits of the world-guardians, like one who devours the produce of an ancient forest.
जगज्जीर्णकुटीकीर्णान् अर्पयत्य् उग्रकोटरे । क्रमेण गुणवल्लोकमणीन् मृत्युसमुद्गके
Death, like a fierce chest, gradually deposits the jewels of worlds—worn-out huts of the universe—into its dreadful cavity.
गुणैर् आपूर्यते यैव लोकरत्नावली भृशम् । भूषार्थम् इव ताम् अङ्गे कृत्वा भूयो निकृन्तति
The string of world-gems, thoroughly filled with qualities, he adorns upon himself as if for decoration, and then again cuts it off.
दिनहंसानुसृतया निशेन्दीवरमालया । ताराकेसरयाजस्रं चपलो वलयत्य् अलम्
With the garland of night-lotuses following the swan of day, the fickle one ever encircles the sky with the rays of stars as filaments.
शैलोर्णद्युधराशृङ्गजगदूर्णायुसौनिकः । प्रत्यहं पिबति प्रोक्ष्य तारारक्तकणान् अपि
The wine-seller of life, who stirs the mountain, river, cloud, and world, daily drinks up, after sprinkling, even the red drops of stars.
तारुण्यनलिनीसोम आयुर्मातङ्गकेसरी । न तद् अस्ति न यस्यायं तुच्छातुच्छस्य तस्करः
There is nothing—no youth, no lotus, no moon, no lion’s mane of life—that this thief of the trivial and the great does not seize.
कल्पकेलिविलासेन पिष्टपातितजन्तुना । न्यग्भावोद्भवहासेन रमते स्वात्मनात्मनि
With the sport of the world-cycle, crushing and casting down creatures, he delights in his own self, with the smile of arising and subsiding.
कर्ता भोक्ताथ संहर्ता स्मर्ता सर्वपदं गतः । सर्वम् एव करोतीदं न करोति च किञ्चन
He is the doer, the enjoyer, the destroyer, the rememberer, who has reached every state; he does all this, yet does nothing at all.
सकलम् अप्य् अकलाकलितान्तरं सुभगदुर्भगरूपधरं वपुः । प्रकटयन् सहसैव च गोपयन् विलसतीह हि कालबलं नृषु
The power of time, shining among people, at once reveals and conceals the entire form—bearing both auspicious and inauspicious shapes, and marked by all divisions of time.
अस्योड्डामरलीलस्य दूरास्तसकलापदः । संसारे राजपुत्रस्य कालस्याकलितौजसः
All the steps of this grand play are far removed from the prince in the world, whose strength has not been measured by time.
अस्मिन्न् आचरतो दीनैर् मुग्धैर् भूतमृगव्रजैः । आखेटकं जर्जरिते जगज्जङ्गलजालके
In this, as he acts, with the herds of bewildered, miserable creatures, the world, worn out, becomes a hunting ground in the thicket of existence.
एकदेशोल्लसच्चारुवडवानलपङ्कजा । क्रीडापुष्करिणी रम्या कल्पकालमहार्णवः
In one place, a beautiful lotus of submarine fire arises; a delightful lake of play, the great ocean of the age of dissolution.
कटुतिक्ताम्ब्लभूताढ्यैस् सदधिक्षीरसागरैः । तैर् एव तैः पर्युषितैर् जगद्भिः कालवर्तनम्
The course of time in the world is filled with those very beings, aged in the sour, bitter, and salty seas of existence.
चण्डी चतुरसञ्चारा सर्वमातृगणान्विता । संसारवनविन्यस्तनरैणाकर्षणी वृकी
The fierce one, moving in all directions, accompanied by all the hosts of mothers, is the she-wolf in the forest of existence, drawing the deer of men.
पृथ्वी करतले पृथ्वी पानपात्री रसान्विता । कमलोत्पलकल्हारलोलजालकमालिता
The earth is on her palm, the earth is a drinking vessel filled with flavors, adorned with nets of swaying lotuses, water-lilies, and garlands of flowers.
विरावी विकटास्फालो नृसिंहो भुजपञ्जरे । सटाविकटपीनांसः कान्तः क्रीडाशकुन्तकः
Roaring, striking fiercely, the man-lion in the cage of arms, with a mane broad and muscular, is the beloved playful bird.
अलाबुवीणामधुरश् शरद्व्योमामलच्छविः । देवः किल महाकालो लीलाकोकिलबालकः
Sweet as the music of a gourd-vina, with the pure radiance of the autumn sky, the god, indeed, is Mahakala, the playful young cuckoo.
अजस्रस्फूर्जिताकारो वान्तदुःखशराशनिः । अभावनामकोदण्डः परिस्फुरति सर्वतः
With a form that constantly roars, casting away the arrows of suffering, wielding the bow named 'non-conception', it vibrates everywhere.
अनुत्तमस्फुरितविलासवर्धितो भ्रमन् हरन् परिविलसन् विदारयन् । जरज्जगज्जरढविलोलमर्कटः परिस्फुरद्वपुर् इह काल ईहते
Enhanced by the supreme play of vibration, wandering, seizing, whirling, tearing apart, this aged, world-worn, restless monkey—here, time—makes its body pulse.
अत्रैव दुर्विलासानां चूडामणिर् इवापरः । करोत्य् अस्तीति लोकेन दैवं कालश् च कथ्यते
Here, among these difficult pleasures, another jewel appears; the world calls it fate and time, believing it to act.
क्रियामात्राद् ऋते यस्य स्वपरिस्पन्दरूपिणः । नान्यद् आलक्ष्यते रूपं कर्मणो न समीहितम्
Apart from mere activity, nothing else is perceived of karma, whose nature is only its own vibration; no intended form is found.
तेनेयम् अखिला भूतसन्ततिर् नित्यपेलवा । तापेन हिममालेव नीता विधुरतां भृशम्
By this, the entire succession of beings remains ever frail, and, like snow under heat, is thoroughly driven into distress.
यद् इदं दृश्यते किञ्चिज् जगदाभोगिमण्डलम् । तत् तस्य नर्तनागारम् इहासाव् अभिनृत्यति
Whatever is seen here—the sphere of the world's enjoyment—is his dance hall; here, he dances.
तृतीयं च कृतान्तेति नाम बिभ्रत् सुदारुणम् । कापालिकवपुर् मत्तं दैवं जगति नृत्यति
The third, bearing the dreadful name 'Death', with a skull-bearing body, intoxicated, fate dances in the world.
नृत्यतो हि कृतान्तस्य नितान्तम् अविरामिणः । नित्यं नियतिकान्ताया मुने परमकामिनः
For, as Death dances ceaselessly, always with his beloved, Lady Destiny, O sage, the supreme lover.
शेषश् शशिकलाशुभ्रो गङ्गावाहश् च तौ त्रिधा । उपवीते अवीताभे उभे संसारवक्षसि
The remainder, pure as a crescent moon, and the Ganga-bearing one—these two, in threefold form, as the sacred thread upon the chest of worldly existence, both shine with the radiance of the thread and the threadless.
चन्द्रार्कमण्डले हेमकटके करमूलयोः । लीलासरसिजं हस्ते ब्राह्मं ब्रह्माण्डकर्णिकम्
The orbs of the moon and sun, golden bracelets at the bases of the hands, the playful lotus in the hand, and the divine lotus-heart of the cosmic egg—these adorn.
ताराबिन्दुचितं लोलपुष्करावर्तपल्लवम् । एकार्णवपयोधौतम् एकम् अम्बरम् अम्बरम्
Adorned with stars and drops, with the trembling petals of a lotus whirl, washed by the waters of the single ocean—one sky, only sky.
एवंरूपस्य तस्याग्रे नियतिर् नित्यकामिनी । अनस्तमितसंरम्भम् आरम्भैः परिनृत्यति
Before such a form, Destiny, ever desirous, dances with unceasing passion, with beginnings that never cease.