त्रयस् तस्य महाबाहो देहा दिग्भरणक्षमाः । जगद् आकृष्य तिष्ठन्ति उत्तमाधममध्यमाः
Three bodies of his, mighty-armed and capable of bearing the directions, stand drawing in the worlds, distinguished as superior, inferior, and intermediate.
व्योमन्य् एवातिवितते जातो ऽसौ त्रिशरीरकः । तत्रैव च स्थितिं यातश् शब्दवातखपक्षिवत्
He was born in the vast expanse of the sky, possessing three bodies; and there itself he remained, like sound, wind, and wings.
तत्रैवापारगगने नगरं तेन निर्मितम् । चतुर्दशमहारथ्यं विभागत्रयभूषितम्
In that limitless sky, he constructed a city, adorned with fourteen grand avenues and embellished with threefold divisions.
वनोपवनमालाढ्यं क्रीडाशिखरिसुन्दरम् । मुक्तालताविवलितं वापीसप्तकभूषितम्
Rich with garlands of forests and gardens, beautiful with playful peaks, entwined with strings of pearls, and decorated with seven pools.
शीतलोष्णात्मकाक्षीणदीपद्वयविराजितम् । ऊर्ध्वाधोगतिरूपेण वणिङ्मार्गेण सङ्कुलम्
Radiant with twin lamps of coolness and warmth, teeming with paths moving upward and downward, and bustling with merchants.
तस्मिन्न् एवातिविपुले पत्तने तेन भूभृता । सञ्चारिणो विरचिता मुग्धाववरका गणाः
In that exceedingly vast city, the ruler created groups of inhabitants, charming and sheltered.
ऊर्ध्वे केचिद् अधः केचिन् मध्ये केचिन् नियोजिताः । केचिच् चिरेण नश्यन्तः केचिच् छीघ्रविनाशिनः
Some were placed above, some below, some in the middle; some perished slowly, others vanished quickly.
असितच्छादनाच्छन्ना नवद्वारविभूषिताः । अनारतवहद्वाता बहुवातायनान्विताः
Covered by dark coverings, adorned with nine gates, constantly swept by strong winds, and furnished with many windows.
दीपपञ्चकसालोकास् त्रिस्थूणाश् शुक्लदारवः । मसृणालेपमृदवः प्रतोलीकुलसङ्कुलाः
Illuminated by five lamps, supported by three pillars of white wood, smooth and soft with polished surfaces, crowded with bustling streets.
मायया रचितास् तेन राज्ञा तेषु महामते । रक्षितारो महायक्षा नित्यम् आलोकभीरवः
By means of illusion, that king, O wise one, created mighty yakshas as guardians among them, who are always terrifying in appearance.
अथाववरकौघेषु चलत्सु स महीपतिः । करोति विविधाः क्रीडा नीडेष्व् इव विहङ्गमः
Then, as the waves of enclosure move, that ruler engages in various amusements within the nests, like a bird.
त्रिशरीरस् स तेष्व् अन्तस् तैर् यक्षैस् सह पुत्रक । लीलालसम् उषित्वाशु पुनर् निष्क्रम्य गच्छति
With three bodies, he dwells among them, together with those yakshas, O child, delighting in play, and then swiftly departs again.
तस्येच्छा जायते वत्स कदाचिच् चलचेतसः । पुरं भविष्यन्निर्माणं किञ्चिद् यामीति निश्चला
Sometimes, O child, when his mind is unsettled, he has the desire: 'Let me go to some city yet to be created,' and this wish is unwavering.
भूताविष्ट इवावेगात् तत उत्थाय धावति । पुरं तद् अप्य् अवाप्नोति गन्धर्वैर् इव निर्मितम्
As if possessed by a spirit, impelled by force, he rises and runs forth; he attains that city, as if fashioned by gandharvas.
तस्येच्छा जायते नाम कदाचिज् जडचेतसः । विनाशं सम्प्रयामीति तेनाशु स विनश्यति
Sometimes, when his mind is dull, he has the desire: 'Let me go to destruction,' and by that, he perishes at once.
पुनर् उत्पद्यते तूर्णं खान् महोर्मिर् इवाम्भसः । व्यवहारं तनोत्य् उच्चैः पुनर् आरम्भमन्थरम्
He arises again swiftly, like a great wave from water, and acts vigorously, then again begins with sluggishness.
स्वयैव व्यवहृत्याथ कदाचित् परिदूयते । किं करोमीदम् अज्ञो ऽस्मि दुःखितो ऽस्मीति शोचति
By his own actions, at times he becomes distressed, lamenting: 'What shall I do? I am ignorant, I am unhappy,' and grieves.
मुदम् एत्य कदाचिच् च स्वयम् आयाति पीनताम् । प्रावृड्वर्षजलोल्लासपूराद् इव नदीरयः
Sometimes, joy arises and itself grows abundant, just as a river swells with the delight of monsoon rains.
पिबति वल्गति गच्छति जृम्भते स्फुरति भाति न भाति च भासुरः । सुत महामहिमा स महीपतिः पतिर् अपाम् इव वातरयाकुलः
He drinks, he frolics, he moves, he stretches, he quivers, he shines and does not shine—this radiant one, O son, of great glory, is like a king, lord of the earth, stirred by the wind as the lord of waters.
अथापृच्छत् सुतस् तत्र जम्बुद्वीपे महानिशि । कदम्बाग्रावचूलस्थं पितरं पावनाशयः
Then, on a great night in Jambudvīpa, the son asked his father, who was seated at the tip of a kadamba branch and whose heart was pure.
को ऽसौ स्वोत्थ इति ख्यातो भूपस् तातोत्तमाकृतिः । कथितं च किम् एतन् मे त्वयैतद् ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
Who is this, renowned as self-arisen, O father, of excellent form among kings? And what is this that has been spoken to me? Please tell me this truthfully.
क्व भविष्यति निर्माणं वर्तमाने क्व गम्यताम् । उभयार्थविरुद्धत्वान् मोहार्थाय वचस् तव
Where will creation occur? Where is its destination in the present? Your words, being contradictory in both respects, are spoken for the sake of confusion.
शृणु पुत्र यथाभूतम् एतत् ते कथयाम्य् अहम् । येन संसारचक्रस्य तत्त्वम् अस्यावबुध्यसे
Listen, my son, I will tell you as it truly is, so that you may understand the essence of the cycle of worldly existence.
असदभ्युत्थितारम्भम् अवस्तुमयम् आततम् । संसारसंस्थानम् इदम् एवम् आकथितं मया
This structure of worldly existence, arising from the unreal and spread out as a non-substantial thing, has thus been described by me.
परमान् नभसो जातस् सङ्कल्पस् स्वोत्थ उच्यते । जायते स्वयम् एवासौ स्वयम् एव विलीयते
The supreme arises from space; intention is called self-arisen. It is born by itself and dissolves by itself.
तत्स्वरूपम् इदं सर्वं जगद् आभोगि विद्यते । जायते तेन जातेन तस्मिन् नष्टे विनश्यति
All this world appears as its very own form; it is born when that is born, and when that ceases, it perishes.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्ररुद्रादींस् तस्यैवावयवान् विदुः । विटपान् इव वृक्षस्य शृङ्गाणीव महीभृतः
Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Rudra, and the others are known as its limbs, just as branches are to a tree, or peaks to a mountain.
शून्ये व्योमनि तेनेदं निर्मितं त्रिजगत्पुरम् । प्रतिभासानुसन्धानमात्रेणैत्य विरिञ्चताम्
In the empty sky, this threefold world-city is fashioned by it, attaining the state of the Creator merely through the sequence of appearances.
यत्रेमे विततालोका लोककोशाश् चतुर्दश । वनोपवनपाल्यश् च यत्रोद्यानपरम्पराः
Here are spread out these worlds and the fourteen cosmic spheres, and here are forests, groves, and a succession of gardens.
क्रीडाशिखरिणो यत्र सह्यमन्दरमेरवः । शीतोष्णदीप्ती चन्द्रार्कौ दीपौ यत्रानिलाक्षतौ
Here, the playful peaks—Sahya, Mandara, Meru—are found; here, the cool and hot radiances, the moon and sun, and the two lamps, wind and fire.