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.
पुनर् हास्यमयीं नृत्तलीलां सर्वस्वरूपिणीम् । तनोतीमां जरादुःखशोकाभिनयभूषिताम्
Again, she enacts a play of laughter and dance, taking on every form, adorned with the gestures of old age, suffering, and sorrow.
भूयः करोति भुवनानि वनान्तराणि लोकान्तराणि जनजालककल्पनां च । आचारचारुकलनां च चलाचलां च पङ्काद् यथार्भकजनो रचनाम् अखिन्नः
Once more, she creates worlds, forests, other realms, and the web of people; she fashions the varied conduct of beings, both moving and unmoving, just as a child tirelessly builds shapes from mud.
वृत्ते ऽस्मिन्न् एव चैतेषां कालादीनां महामुने । संसारनाम्नि कैवास्था मादृशानां भवत्व् इह
In this ongoing cycle of time and the rest, O great sage, what steadfastness can there be for people like me in what is called saṃsāra here?
विक्रीता इव तिष्ठाम एतैर् दैवादिभिर् वयम् । धूर्तैः प्रपञ्चचतुरैर् मुग्धा वनमृगा इव
We stand as if sold by these forces of fate and the like—deceived by the cunning tricks of the world, like bewildered forest animals.
एषो ऽनार्यसमाचारः कालः कवलनोन्मुखः । जगत्य् अविरतं लोकं पातयत्य् आपदर्णवे
This time, with its ignoble ways and ever-hungry to devour, relentlessly casts the world into the ocean of calamity.
दहत्य् अन्ते दुराशाभिर् दैवो दारुणचेष्टया । लोकं पुष्पनिकाशाभिर् ज्वालाभिर् दहनो यथा
In the end, fate burns the world with cruel acts and false hopes, just as fire scorches with its blazing, flower-like flames.
धृतिं विधुरयत्य् एकामयदा रूपवल्लभा । स्त्रीत्वात् स्वभावचपला नियतिर् नियमोन्मुखी
Destiny, fickle by nature and fond of forms, undermines resolve with a single affliction, ever inclined to impose its own order, like a woman by her own nature.
ग्रसते ऽविरतं भूतजालं सर्प इवानिलम् । कृतान्तः कर्कशाचारो जरां नीत्वा जगद्वपुः
Death, harsh in conduct, endlessly consumes the multitude of beings like a serpent swallowing the wind, after leading the body of the world into old age.
यमनिर्घृणराजेन्द्रो नार्तं नामानुकम्पते । सर्वभूतदयाचारो जनो दुर्लभतां गतः
Yama, the merciless king, does not show compassion to the suffering; people who practice universal kindness have become exceedingly rare.
सर्वा एव मुने फल्गुविभवा भूतजातयः । दुःखायैव दुरन्ताय दारुणा लोभभूमयः
All living beings, O sage, possess only meager wealth; they are sources of endless, harsh suffering, rooted in greed.
आयुर् अत्यन्ततरलं मृत्युर् एकस् तु निष्ठुरः । तारुण्यं चातितरलं बाल्यं जडतया हृतम्
Life is extremely fleeting, and death alone is relentless; youth is also very transient, and childhood is lost in dullness.
कलाकलङ्कितो लोको बन्धवो भवबन्धनम् । भोगा भवमहारोगास् तृष्णा च मृगतृष्णिका
The world is stained with faults; relatives are bonds in the cycle of becoming; pleasures are the great diseases of existence, and craving is like a mirage.
शत्रवश् चेन्द्रियाण्य् एव सत्यं यातम् असत्यताम् । प्रहरत्य् आत्मनैवात्मा मन एव मनोरिपुः
Indeed, the senses themselves are enemies; truth has turned into untruth; the self strikes itself, and the mind is its own adversary.
अहङ्कारः कलङ्काय बुद्धयः परिपेलवाः । क्रिया दुष्फलदायिन्यो लीलास् स्त्रीनिष्ठतां गताः
Ego is a blemish, intellects are unstable, actions yield poor results, and pastimes have become fixated on women.
वाञ्छाविषयशालिन्यस् सचमत्कृतयः कृताः । नार्यो दोषपताकिन्यो रसा नीरसतां गताः
Desires are attached to their objects, even when they seem delightful; women are banners of faults, and pleasures have become tasteless.
वस्त्व् अवस्तुतया चात्तं दत्तं चित्तम् अहङ्कृतौ । अभावरोधिता भावा भवान्तो नाधिगम्यते
Reality is taken as unreality, and the mind is absorbed in ego; existences are blocked by non-existence, and the end of becoming is not attained.
तप्यते केवलं साधो मतिर् आकुलितान्तरा । रागोरगो विलसति विरागं नोपगच्छति
O noble one, the mind, inwardly agitated, is tormented; the color of passion shines forth, but dispassion is never attained.
रजोगुणाहता दृष्टिस् तमस् सम्परिवर्धते । न चाधिगम्यते सत्त्वं तत्त्वम् अत्यन्तदूरतः
Perception, struck by the quality of rajas, is increasingly enveloped by tamas; and sattva, the true essence, cannot be reached, for it is exceedingly distant.
स्थितिर् अस्थिरतां याता मृतिर् आगमनोन्मुखी । धृतिर् वैधुर्यम् आयाति रतिर् नित्यम् अवस्तुनि
Stability turns into instability, death is ever approaching; firmness becomes confusion, and attachment is always to the unreal.
मतिर् मान्द्येन मलिना पातैकपरमं वपुः । ज्वलतीव जरा देहे प्रविस्फूर्जति दुष्कृतम्
The mind, dulled by sluggishness, is tainted; the body is intent only on decline; old age seems to blaze in the body, and wrongdoing stirs up violently.