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.
सूर्यांशुकचदालोलतरङ्गोत्तुङ्गमौक्तिकाः । वहन्त्यस् सरितो यत्र सन्मुक्तावलयश् चलाः
Here, rivers carry pearls rising high like the moving crests of waves stirred by the sun’s rays, and there are shifting garlands of genuine pearls.
इक्षुक्षीरादिसलिला मणिरत्नबिसाङ्कुराः । और्वानलाम्बुजा यत्र वाप्यस् सप्त महार्णवाः
Here are pools with waters of sugarcane juice, milk, and more; with gems, jewels, lotus sprouts, submarine fires, lotuses, and the seven great oceans.
अध उर्व्यां तथोर्ध्वे खे पुण्यापुण्यधनश्रियः । नरामरकिराटानां यत्रातिक्रयविक्रयौ
Below on earth and above in the sky are virtue, vice, wealth, and splendor; here are the buying and selling among humans, gods, and yakshas.
तस्मिन्न् एव जगत्य् अस्मिन् पुरे सङ्कल्पभूभुजा । क्रीडार्थम् आत्मनश् चित्रा देहाववरकाः कृताः
In this very world, in this city, the sovereign of imagination has created wondrous bodily coverings for the sake of his own play.
केचिद् गीर्वाणनामान ऊर्ध्व एव नियोजिताः । नरोरगादयः केचिद् अध एव निवेशिताः
Some, bearing the name of celestials, are stationed above; others, such as humans and serpents, are placed below.
वातयन्त्रप्रवाहेण चलन्तो मांसमृण्मयाः । सितास्थिदारवश् चित्रास् त्वग्लेपमसृणामलाः
Moved by the mechanism of wind, these bodies of flesh and clay move about; some are adorned with white bones and wood, variously smeared with skin, smooth or unclean.
केचिच् चिरेण नश्यन्ति केचिच् छीघ्रविनाशिनः । कचकृष्णोलपोल्लासरचिताच्छादनश्रियः
Some perish after a long time, some are quickly destroyed; their coverings are fashioned with shining, dark, or pale hues.
कर्णाक्षिनासाप्रमुखैर् द्वारैर् नवभिर् अन्विताः । अनारतवहत्प्राणपवनेनोष्णशीतलाः
They are endowed with nine doors, beginning with ears, eyes, and nose, and are made hot or cold by the constant movement of the vital wind.
कर्णनासास्यताल्वादिवातायनगणान्विताः । भुजाद्यङ्गप्रतोलीकाः पञ्चेन्द्रियकुदीपकाः
Fitted with groups of air-windows such as ears, nose, mouth, and palate, with limbs like arms and others as passageways, and with five lamps of the senses.
मायया रचितास् तेषु सङ्कल्पेन महामते । अहङ्कारमहायक्षाः परमालोकभीरवः
Within these, by the power of illusion and imagination, O wise one, the great goblins of ego are fashioned, fearsome even to the supreme light.