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.
तस्या नर्तनलोलाया जगन्मण्डपकोटरे । अरुद्धस्पन्दरूपाया आगमापायचञ्चुरे
Within the pavilion of the world, for her who delights in dancing, whose form is unrestrained vibration, ever flickering with the coming and going of events.
चारुभूषणम् अङ्गेषु देवलोकान्तरावली । आपातालं नभो लम्बं कवरीमण्डलं बृहत्
The beautiful ornaments upon her limbs are the rows of other worlds; her vast hair-circlet hangs from the sky down to the nethermost underworld.
नरकाली च मञ्जीरमाला कलकलाकुला । प्रोता दुष्कृतसूत्रेण पातालचरणे चला
The anklet-garland of hell, resounding with jingling sounds, is strung on the thread of evil deeds, and trembles upon her netherworldly foot.
कस्तूरिकातिलककं क्रियासख्योपकल्पितम् । चित्रितं चित्रगुप्तेन यामे वदनपट्टके
The musk-mark upon her brow is fashioned by the friend of ritual acts, painted by Citragupta on the band of her forehead during the night.
कालीरूपम् उपस्थाय कल्पान्तेषु क्रियाकुलम् । नृत्यत्य् एषा पुनर् देवी स्फुटच्छैलघनारवम्
Assuming the form of Kali, bustling with activity at the end of the aeons, this goddess dances again, her thunderous cries echoing from the peaks of the mountains.
पश्चात्प्रलम्बविभ्रान्तकौमाररथबर्हिभिः । नेत्रत्रयबृहद्रन्ध्रभूरिभाङ्कारभीषणैः
Behind her, wild and swinging, are youthful chariots adorned with peacock feathers, and her three eyes glare fiercely, terrifying with their vast and dreadful gaze.
लम्बलोलशरच्चन्द्रवितीर्णहरमूर्धजैः । उच्चरच्चारुमन्दारगौरीकवरिचामरैः
Her hair, loose and flowing like the autumn moonlight, is scattered across her head; she waves beautiful white mandara flowers and the pale yak-tail fans of Gauri.
उत्ताण्डवाचलाकारभैरवोदरतुम्बकैः । रणत्सहस्ररन्ध्रेन्द्रदेहभिक्षाकपालकैः
She brandishes drums shaped like the belly of Bhairava, echoing the wild dance; she rattles skull bowls taken from Indra's body, each with a thousand holes.
शुष्का शरीरखट्वाङ्गभङ्गैर् आपूरिताम्बरम् । भाययत्य् आत्मनात्मानम् अपि कृष्णैर् घनासितम्
The sky is filled with the dry, broken fragments of bodies and clubs; she herself appears, even to herself, as black as dense clouds.
विश्वरूपशिरश्चक्रचारुपुष्करमालया । ताण्डवेषु विवल्गन्ती महाकल्पेषु राजते
Adorned with garlands of lotus flowers and wheels made from the heads of all beings, she shines forth, whirling in her dance during the great aeons.
प्रमत्तपुष्करावर्तडमरूड्डामरारवैः । तस्याः किल पलायन्ते कल्पान्ते तुम्बुरादयः
With the tumultuous roar of drums and the swirling of lotus ponds, at the end of the aeons, even Tumburu and others flee from her.
नृत्यतो ऽन्ते कृतान्तस्य चन्द्रमण्डलहासिनः । तारकाचन्द्रिकाचारुव्योमपिञ्छावचूलिनः
At the end, as Death dances, his sword gleaming like the moon's disk, his hair adorned with stars and moonlight, he wears a crown of the sky's feathers.
एकस्मिञ् श्रवणे दीर्घा हिमवान् अस्ति मुद्रिका । अपरे ऽपि महामेरुः कान्ता काञ्चनकर्णिका
On one earlobe is the long Himavat mountain as a ring; on the other, the great Meru, a lovely golden ornament.
अत्रैव कुण्डले लोले चन्द्रार्कौ गण्डमण्डले । लोकालोकाचलश्रेणी सर्वतः कटिमेखला
Here, in the swinging earrings, the moon and sun shine on the cheeks; the chain of Lokāloka mountains forms a girdle all around the waist.
इतश् चेतश् च गच्छन्ती विद्युद्वलयवर्णिका । अनिलान्दोलिता भाति नीरदांशुकपट्टिका
Moving here and there, a streak of lightning appears as a decorative band, waving in the wind, shining like a sash of cloud-cloth.
मुसुलैः पट्टिसैश् शूलैः प्रासैस् तोमरमुद्गरैः । तीक्ष्णैः क्षीणजगद्व्रातकृतान्तैर् इव सम्भृतैः
With clubs, spears, tridents, javelins, lances, and maces—sharp and gathered like the deadly agents that destroy the worn-out hosts of the world.
संसारबन्धनादीर्घे पाशे कालकरच्युते । शेषभोगमहासूत्रे प्रोतैर् मालास्य शोभते
In the long noose of worldly bondage, spun by Time, the great serpent Śeṣa is strung as a garland, adorning her.
जीवोल्लसन्मकरिकारत्नतेजोभिर् उज्ज्वला । सप्ताब्धिकङ्कणश्रेणी भुजयोर् अस्य भूषणम्
Radiant with the lustre of living, shining gem-insects, the rows of seven ocean bracelets are her arm ornaments.
व्यवहारमहावर्ता सुखदुःखपरम्परा । रजःपूर्णा तमश्श्यामा रोमाली तस्य राजते
The great whirlpool of worldly dealings, the succession of pleasure and pain, filled with dust and dark as night—this is the line of hair that shines on her.
एवम्प्रायां स कल्पान्ते कृतान्तस् ताण्डवोद्भटाम् । उपसंहृत्य नृत्तेहां सृष्ट्या सह महेश्वरः
In this way, at the end of an age, Death, fierce in his dance, withdraws this play of creation together with the Lord of all.