Skandapurana 16.11

Sūta said: / Addressed thus at that time, O brahmins, the goddess, her eyes wide with wonder / and her body bristling with horripilation, with beautiful brows, asked again:

The goddess said: / I am blessed, I have acquired merit, my austerities have been well performed, / since I have heard this majesty of the sacred field from Mahādeva.

O Lord, ruler of the gods of gods, ferryman across the ocean of transmigration! / Everything that was previously asked by me has been told by you, O Hara.

And once again, O ruler of the gods of gods, delighted by the nectar of your words, / I do not reach satiety, O god of gods, Maheśvara!

I also desire to ask something regarding the extent of the sacred field of Prabhāsa. / Tell that to me, O lord of desire, taking pity [on me], O Lord of the universe!

Īśvara said: / What is situated in the inner core of the earth is known as Jambudvīpa. / And that, indeed, is divided ninefold according to the division of realms, O fair woman.

The first of these is the realm of Bhārata, and that too is taught to be ninefold. / It measures nine thousand yojanas from south to north.

And it is known to extend eighty thousand [yojanas] from east to west. / In the north is Himavān, and the milk-ocean is recorded in the south.

Between these, O goddess, lies the excellent sacred field of Bhārata. / The four yugas are Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Tiṣya (Kali).

Here alone is this condition of the yugas, and people of the four classes. / Four, three, two, and likewise one hundred autumns

do men live here, O goddess, successively in Kṛta, Tretā, and the other [yugas]. / This earthly lotus with four petals that has been described by me—

its petals in the four directions are the realms beginning with Bhārata: / Bhārata, Ketumāla, Kuru, and Bhadrāśva.

The realm named Bhārata, which has been stated by me to be southern, / to its south, west, and east is the great ocean; / Himavān is to its north, like the string of a bow.

This very realm of Bhārata is the seed of all, O fair-faced woman! / It is the land of action; nowhere else is there the attainment of merit and sin.

Even of the gods, O ruler of the gods, this is always the wish: / 'May we indeed attain human birth on the earth in Bhārata!'

In Bhadrāśva, Viṣṇu has the head of a horse; in Bhārata, he is situated as the Tortoise; / in Ketumāla, as the Boar; and in the north, in the form of the Fish.

In these, regions are established by the arrangement of the lunar asterisms. / Even across the four [realms], O great goddess, the form has nine divisions.

He who is situated in the form of the Tortoise in Bhārata, O great goddess— / I will describe to you the arrangement of his lunar asterisms and planets.

Facing east, the divine Lord stands in the form of the Tortoise, / having covered this realm of Bhārata of nine divisions, O beloved.

Learn from me the lunar asterisms of this one situated ninefold: / Kṛttikā, Rohiṇī, and Saumya (Mṛgaśīrṣa) form the third, situated upon the Tortoise's back.

Raudra (Ārdrā), Punarvasu, and Puṣya: the triad of asterisms in the face. / The one named Āśleṣā, Paitra (Maghā), and the first Phālgunī (Pūrvaphalgunī), O beloved—

this triad of asterisms rests on the southeastern foot. / Uttaraphālgunī, Hasta, and Citrā are recorded as the triad of asterisms

in the right flank of the Tortoise; and another quarter-asterism [belongs there]. / Svātī, Viśākhā, and Maitra (Anurādhā) are recorded as the triad in the southwest.

Aindra (Jyeṣṭhā), Mūla, and Āṣāḍhā (Pūrvāṣāḍhā) are recorded as the triad on the tail. / Āṣāḍhā (Uttarāṣāḍhā), Śravaṇa, and Dhaniṣṭhā are spoken of here

as the triad of asterisms on the northwestern foot, O illustrious lady! / And the asterism Vāruṇa (Śatabhiṣaj), and likewise the two Proṣṭhapadās (Pūrvabhādrapadā and Uttarabhādrapadā)—

the triad is situated on the left flank of the Tortoise, O beloved. / Revatī, that whose deity is the Aśvins (Aśvinī), and Yāmya (Bharaṇī)—this triad of asterisms / is declared on the northeastern foot. Hear the auspicious and inauspicious fruits:

The planet that is the ruler of an asterism, from its debility comes fear / for that region, O great goddess; likewise, upon its exaltation, there is the advent of good fortune.

This divine Tortoise has been declared by me here in Bhārata: / Nārāyaṇa of inconceivable nature, in whom all is established.

Aries and Taurus are in the middle of the heart, and Gemini and the following are in the face. / On the southeastern foot are situated Cancer and Leo.

Leo, Virgo, and Libra are recorded as the triad of signs in the flank. / The lower Balance (Libra) and Scorpio are both on the southwestern foot.

And on the tail is situated Scorpio together with Sagittarius. / On the left foot in the northwest is the triad beginning with Sagittarius and Capricorn.

Aquarius and Pisces occupy his northern flank. / Pisces and Aries, O great goddess, are situated on the northeastern foot.

The regions of the Tortoise and the asterisms are in these regions, O beloved; / and the zodiacal signs are in the asterisms, and the planets are situated in the signs.

Therefore, in afflictions to planets and asterisms, one should predict affliction to regions. / There [in remedy], people perform ritual ablution, gifts, oblations, and the like.

That foot of Viṣṇu, O goddess, in the middle of which is his planet, / is named Nārāyaṇa, of inconceivable nature, the cause, the Lord of the world.

Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, the son of the Earth (Mars), / Jupiter, Saturn, and the teacher of the Asuras (Venus) are the rulers of the signs starting with Aries.

Such is Janārdana in the form of the Tortoise, O great goddess. / On his southwestern foot is the celebrated Saurāṣṭra.

And that is divided ninefold according to the division of cities, O fair lady. / The ninth part of it, in the vicinity of the ocean,

is celebrated as Prabhāsa, always dear to me, O goddess. / It extends twelve yojanas in circumference.

In its middle is declared a pedestal five yojanas broad. / In the middle of that, O goddess, stands my abode near the ocean.

In the middle of that, O great goddess, I dwell in the form of a liṅga.

Three hundred bows to the west of Kṛtasmara, / I dwell there, O ruler of the gods, along with you, O fair-faced woman!

That place of mine, O great goddess, is dearer [to me] even than Kailāsa; / even there, a space of only a cow's hide is most secret, O fair-faced woman!

It should not be spoken of, O goddess of gods, yet revealed out of love for you: / this sacred field of Prabhāsa is illumined by my radiance.

Therefore, O fair-faced lady, in the first kalpa it was called Prabhāsa; / in the second [kalpa], however, radiance was obtained [here] by all the gods headed by Indra.

My splendor shines [here], O ruler of the gods; therefore it is remembered as Prabhāsa. / Where there are mighty asuras, O goddess of gods,

or because of that, it is celebrated among the worlds as Prabhāsa. / Because it shines first on earth among all radiant lights, O goddess, / and is the first tīrtha among tīrthas, for that reason it is celebrated as Prabhāsa.

Or else the sun was made to shine intensely by Viśvakarman; / because the actual falling of radiance took place here, it is therefore called Prabhāsa.

Or else, because the moon, cursed by Dakṣa and devoid of radiance, / obtained radiance there, O goddess, it is remembered as Prabhāsa. / The goddess Sarasvatī carried the Aurva fire, the submarine blaze [to this place];

or because of that, O goddess of the gods, it is celebrated as Prabhāsa. / Because the excellent speech of Brahmā, uttered by brahmins, is constantly heard on the path / there, O great goddess, it is proclaimed as Prabhāsa.

Because the ocean always shines with surging waves, my beloved, / its name ‘Prabhāsa’ has become famous across the three worlds.

Because the sun visibly stays there always, O passionate lady, / it has become renowned on earth under the name ‘Prabhāsa’.

I grant every splendid desire to future beings there; / therefore this tīrtha is renowned across the three worlds by the name of Prabhāsa.

Names vary according to kalpas, O beautiful lady of the gods; / through various etymological explanations, O beloved, they differ according to causes. / The name ‘Prabhāsa’ that is to be given is considered constant.

It rests on the water-principle, O goddess, in the primal body of Viṣṇu. / Thus, O goddess, has the origin of the sacred field been briefly told to you.

I shall tell you again today whatever you ask, O fair-faced lady; / speak quickly, O auspicious one, what is in your heart.

The goddess said: / As the sacred field of Prabhāsa arose in this kalpa, O Hara, / explain to me that at length—its origin and cause.

Īśvara said: / Listen, O goddess, and I will accurately proclaim the cause of the sacred field, / hearing which with devotion, a mortal is freed from all sins.

The māhātmya of the primal sacred field is a secret that destroys sin; / I shall recount it out of love for you, O lady of fair hips, O passionate one.

In this kalpa, O fair-faced lady, right at the beginning, / in the age of the Svāyambhuva Manu, when Brahmā was creating long ago, O goddess,

the sun was born first from his right eye, O beloved. / Then, in course of time, he had two wives.

Of the two, the sky is known as Rājñī, and the earth is remembered as Nikṣubhā. / On the seventh day of the bright half of the month, the sky is united with the sun.

And on the seventh day in the month of Māgha, the sun unites with the earth; / then the earth and the lord Sun enter into conjunction.

Having bathed after her menstrual period, the earth then receives an embryo from the sun; / the sky brings forth an embryo of water on the surface of the earth during these rainy seasons.

Then, for the sustenance of the three worlds, the earth brings forth crops. / Rejoicing through the use of crops, twice-born brahmins make oblations with offerings;

they worship ancestors and deities with the utterances ‘Svāhā’ and ‘Svadhā’. / Because she renders devoid of hunger (niḥkṣudhā) with embryos, herbs, nectar, and ambrosia

mortals, ancestors, and gods, the earth is remembered as Nikṣubhā. / Just as Rājñī was born, and whose daughter she is considered to be,

and the offspring she had, all that I will tell without omission. / Marīci was the son of Brahmā, and Kaśyapa is remembered as the son of Marīci.

From him came Hiraṇyakaśipu, and Prahrāda was his son. / The son of Prahrāda was remembered by the name Virocana.

The sister of Virocana was Saṃjñā, who was the mother [of Yama]; / she is remembered as the granddaughter of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the son of Diti.

She, the descendant of Prahrāda, is declared by the wise to be the wife of Viśvakarman.

Now, the auspicious daughter of Marīci was named Atirūpā; / she was indeed the wife of Aṅgiras and the mother of Bṛhaspati.

The renowned sister of Bṛhaspati was an expounder of the Veda; / she was the wife of Prabhāsa, the eighth of the Vasus.

She gave birth to Viśvakarman, the best among all craftsmen; / he is also known by the name Tvaṣṭṛ, the carpenter of the thirty gods.

This passionate lady, the daughter of that Viśvakarman, the teacher of the gods, / is celebrated in the three worlds as Sureṇu.

She who was described as the daughter of Prahrāda is remembered as the wife of Tvaṣṭṛ; / upon her he begot daughters who are mothers of the world:

Rājñī, Saṃjñā, the sky, and Tvaṣṭrī; she is also conceived as Prabhā. / Her shadow (chāyā), Valayā, is the exalted Nikṣubhā.

She was the divine wife of the great Mārtaṇḍa, / a virtuous lady, devoted to her husband, endowed with beauty and youth.

Formerly, however, he did not approach his wife in human form; / the scorching heat of the sun in this world was due to his own great brilliance.

Upon her incomparable limbs, [his embrace] seemed to cause distress. / And Saṃjñā, seen by the sun, closed her eyes; / because of that, the sun, filled with wrath, addressed words to Saṃjñā:

The sun said: / Because whenever I am seen you shut your eyes, / therefore, O foolish woman, you shall give birth to Yama, the restrainer of creatures.

Īśvara said: / Then the goddess, overcome with fear, cast an unsteady glance; / seeing her unsteady look, the sun spoke to her again:

The sun said: / Because an unsteady glance was cast by you when looking at me again, / therefore you will bring forth an unsteady daughter, a river.

Īśvara said: / Then, on account of that curse of her husband, / Yama was born to her, as well as Yamunā, who is renowned as a very great river; / and as a third son she bore the auspicious Manu Śrāddhadeva.

Unable to bear the sun’s spherical, immensely brilliant radiance, / Saṃjñā then thought in her heart:

“What shall I do? Where shall I go? Where going could I find relief? / How will my husband, the sun, not bring his wrath [upon me]?”

Thinking thus in many ways, the Prajāpati's daughter then, / highly fortunate, regarded taking shelter with her father as best.

Then, having resolved to go to her father's house, the illustrious woman, / [creating] a form made of shadow like her own body, fashioned limb for limb,

looking face to face at that goddess, her own shadow, spoke these words:

Saṃjñā said: / “May you be blessed! I shall go to my own father's dwelling. / You, auspicious one, must remain here without alteration according to my command.

These two young boys of mine and this fair-complexioned girl / are to be cherished, and this is not to be disclosed by you to the lord.

Even if questioned, my departure must not be spoken of by you. / For that reason, I am named Saṃjñā, and you shall be addressed by establishing yourself as that.”

Chāyā said: / “Short of having my hair seized, O goddess, and short of a curse, / I will never reveal what you intend. Go where you desire!”

Īśvara said: / Having been addressed thus, the goddess then went to her father's dwelling. / There she saw Tvaṣṭṛ, whose sins had been washed away by austerity.

She was also welcomed with great respect by Viśvakarman. / Living in her father's house, / the blameless woman dwelt in her father's house for some time [as if] for a thousand years.

Then her father, after praising his daughter with love and respect, / said to the lovely-limbed woman who had not stayed too long:

Viśvakarman said: / “O child, even very many days seem like half a muhūrta / to me merely looking at you; yet dharma is violated.

A long stay among relatives does not bring renown to women. / The desire of relatives is a woman's stay in her husband's home.

Joined with such a husband as the sun, the lord of the three worlds, / you ought not to dwell in your father's home for a long time, dear daughter.

Therefore, go to your husband's home. I have seen you, and you have been honored by me. / You should come again to see me, O pure-smiling one.”

Īśvara said: / Addressed thus by her father, who repeatedly said, “Go, go,” / she worshiped her father and, assuming the form of a mare,

went to the region shaped like a bow to the north of Meru, / the Uttarakurus renowned in the world, O illustrious one.

There the virtuous woman, taking no food, performed austerity in the form of a mare. / Meanwhile, O goddess, the shadow of that [Saṃjñā],

the goddess who was then staying near Vivasvat, intent on Saṃjñā’s instruction— / upon her, the second, the lord sun, ruler of heaven,

thinking, “This is Saṃjñā,” captivated by her beauty and generosity, / begot two sons and likewise a daughter.

He who was equal to the former Manu became known because of that as Sāvarṇi, / the first among the two sons born from the sun, O beauty of the gods.

The other who was born second became the planet Śanaiścara. / The daughter was Tapatī, whom King Saṃvaraṇa chose.

And this river named Tāpī flowed forth from the foot of the Vindhya [mountains], / possessing water ever holy for ritual ablution, flowing to the western ocean.

And another daughter, Bhadrā of great splendor, was also born. / But the earthly Chāyā, [acting] as Saṃjñā, showed toward her own offspring

affection, but the virtuous woman did not do so toward those born previously, / showing a difference day after day in pampering and luxuries.

The passionate woman did not conduct herself toward the others as she did toward her own. / But Manu, who is the future [Manu], O Pārvatī, was patient with her;

he stays on Meru even today, performing austerity, O fair-faced one. / He endured all that from his mother, but Yama could not endure it.

Asking repeatedly, he was greatly provoked by Chāyā. / Out of anger, and out of childishness, and indeed by the power of what was destined to be,

his foot was raised by him in anger to strike [her], / yet, because of his forbearance, it was not dropped upon her body.

With his foot Yama, the son of Saṃjñā, threatened Chāyā.

Then Chāyā, that earthly woman, exceedingly enraged, cursed him, / her lips trembling slightly and the sprout of her hand shaking:

Chāyā said: / “Since you insolently threaten me, your father's wife, with your foot, / therefore this foot of yours will fall to the earth this very day!”

Īśvara said: / Yama, his mind severely tormented by that curse, / righteous in nature, reported everything to his father along with Manu.

Yama said: / “O father, this is a great wonder; it has not been seen by anyone here: / a mother, casting aside maternal love, confers a curse upon her son!

Our mother today does not behave with equal affection toward us, / since, neglecting the elders, she wishes to be [partial] to the younger ones.

My foot was raised toward her, but it was not brought down upon her body. / Whether out of childishness or delusion, you ought to forgive it.

I was cursed in anger by her explicitly as a son, O father; / therefore she cannot be my mother, O best of speakers!

Even when sons are without virtues, a mother does not become devoid of affection. / ‘May your foot fall, son!’—how could this be uttered by her?

Devise a way, O lord, O lord of rays, so that by your favor / this foot of mine does not fall today on account of my mother's curse.”

The sun said: / “Without doubt, son, there must be a great reason in this matter, / because of which wrath entered you, a righteous and great-souled one.

For all curses a counteraction is found; / but for those cursed by a mother, the curse can never be averted anywhere. 126

It is not fitting that this word of your mother be made false; / yet out of love for my son, I will grant you a favor: 127

Worms will take flesh [from your foot] and go down to the surface of the earth. / Thus her word will be fulfilled as true, and you will be saved.” 128

Īśvara said: / Āditya then said to Chāyā: “Why, indeed, among sons / who are equal, is greater affection shown by you to one alone? 129

Surely you are not their mother; you are Saṃjñā, who has gone somewhere. / Even toward defective children, a mother does not bestow a curse. 130

Even if a son should commit thousands of faults, / even if intent on destroying her life, a mother would not commit a sinful act. / Therefore, speak the truth to me; do not fall under the power of a curse!” 131

Īśvara said: / Seeing him ready to curse, the goddess Chāyā-Saṃjñā, the great chaste lady, / trembling with fear before the lord of the day, [spoke of] what had happened. 132

And she said: “I am the daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ, Saṃjñā, O radiant one, / your wife, united with a husband, with you as my husband, O maker of the day!” 133

Though questioned repeatedly in this way by Vivasvat, she did not speak otherwise / with her voice; and he, enraged, prepared to pronounce a curse. 134

Seeing Sūrya, the son of Vivasvat, with his hand raised to curse, / Chāyā related all that deed of Saṃjñā. 135

Hearing that, the blessed Sūrya went to the abode of Tvaṣṭṛ. / Then he worshipped the one worshipped by the three worlds. 136

O Pārvatī, he soothed the one who, glowing with his own brilliance, / had arrived at his own house, wishing to burn [it] up with rage. / And as he asked, “Where is Saṃjñā?”, the creator of the universe spoke: 137

Viśvakarman said: / “She indeed came to my dwelling. May your words be heard: / this renowned form of yours, rich in fiery splendor, is very hard to bear. 138

Unable to endure it, Saṃjñā is therefore practicing austerity in the forest. / Today you will see her, your wife of auspicious conduct. 139

For the sake of your form, she wanders in the forest, performing very great austerity. / In my view, according to the word of Brahmā, if it pleases you, O god, / I will today fashion for you a pleasing form, O lord of the sky!” 140

Īśvara said: / Because the form of the radiant one was formerly circular, / the blessed Ravi therefore said to Tvaṣṭṛ, “So be it.” 141

Permitted by Vivasvat in Śākadvīpa, / Viśvakarman placed him on the lathe and set about paring down that fiery splendor. 142

As the radiant one, the overlord of the entire universe, rotated, / the oceans, filled with riches, were agitated on every side. 143

O ruler of the gods, as he rotated, [the firmament] along with the moon, planets, and stars, / was hurled in downward motion, O highly fortunate lady, and tossed into turmoil. 144

All the rivers had their waters thrown out in every direction; / likewise, the mountains were split apart, their peak-foundations shattered. 145

All the heavenly bodies resting on Dhruva, O lady of excellent complexion, / tied to his spinning rays, fell downward by the thousands. 146

Great clouds roaring with terrible sounds dispersed; / the earth, sky, and ground were thrown into confusion by the whirling of the radiant one. 147

The world was exceedingly distressed at that time, O lady of fair complexion. / As the entire three worlds were whirling, O goddess, the great seers / and the gods along with Brahmā praised the radiant one. 148

The gods said: / “You are the primal god of the gods; this [universe] arose from you yourself. / At the times of creation, preservation, and dissolution, you stand differentiated in threefold division. 149

May there be welfare for you, O lord of the universe, maker of heat, rain, and snow! / Indra, having approached the god as he was being trimmed, then praised him: / ‘Victory, O god, master of the universe! Victory, O god, lord of the universe!’ 150

And then the seven seers, headed by Vasiṣṭha and Atri, / praised him with various hymns, saying, ‘Hail, hail!’ / And the Vālakhilyas praised him with supreme Vedic utterances. 151

The Vālakhilyas said: / “Salutations to you whose essence is the Ṛg[veda], salutations to you whose essence is the Sāma[veda]! / Salutations to you who have the form whose essence is the Yajur[veda], O you who abide in the abode of the Sāman chants, salutations to you! 152

Salutations to you whose body is solely the nature of knowledge, who have shaken off darkness; / to you whose essence is pure light, who have three forms, whose self is spotless! 153

To the highest, the most desirable, the supreme self who is all; / salutations to you whose form pervades the entire universe, whose forms are infinite! 154

To the one who is the cause of all, the ultimate goal of minds that know; / salutations to you whose essence is Sūrya, whose form is imperceptible light! 155

Salutations to you, the maker of light, and salutations to the maker of day! / Salutations to the cause of everything, and to the maker of twilight and moonlight! 156

You are all this universe, O Lord, and as you rotate, / this whole cosmic egg, with everything moving and unmoving, revolves. / Touched by your rays, all this indeed becomes pure. 157

Purity of water and other elements is produced by the touches of your rays. 158

Dharma such as oblations and donations does not result in benefit, / O father, as long as this world is not united with your rays. 159

All the Ṛg verses, and likewise all the Yajus verses, / and all the Sāman chants fall from your body. 160

You are composed of the Ṛg, O lord of the universe, and you alone are composed of the Yajus; / and because you are also composed of the Sāman, therefore, O Lord, you consist of the triple Veda. 161

You alone are the higher and the lower form of Brahman; / you exist in the form of the manifest and the unmanifest, the subtle and the gross. 162

You consist of moments and divisions of time, having the nature of time and its instants. / Be gracious! Of your own will, subdue your form and your own fiery energy! / O god, for the sake of the worlds you endure distress that is hard to bear. 163

O Lord, you are liberation for seekers of liberation; you are the supreme object of meditation for those who meditate; / you are the goal of all living beings who desist from ritual action. 164

May there be peace for the creatures, O ruler of the gods! May there be peace for us, O lord of the worlds!” 165

You alone, the creator, create the universe; you, the protector, are engaged in preserving it. / And in you at the end all this dissolves; there is indeed no other giver of all things, O burning one, than you. (166)

You are Brahmā; you are called Hari and Hara; you are Indra, the lord of wealth, the lord of the fathers, the water-god, the wind, / the moon, fire, and have the forms of space, the great earth, and the like. Are you not the giver of all desires? (167)

Twice-born men devoted to their duties worship you daily with sacrifices, praising [you] with various verses. / Mortals, meditating upon you with humble minds and established in yoga, attain the highest state. (168)

You burn, you ripen the universe, you protect, you reduce to ashes, you reveal with your rays, and you delight with the sunbeams within you; / as the lotus-born [Brahmā] you create, called Acyuta you protect, and at the end of the yuga, having the form of Rudra, you alone destroy. (169)

Īśvara said: / Then Viśvakarman, the lord of creatures, while paring down the sun, / his hair bristling with joy, composed this hymn of praise to Vivasvat: (170)

To Vivasvat, compassionate to those who bow to him, the great-souled one whose seven horses possess equal speed, / endowed with splendor, friend to the lotuses and bees, ever rending the screen that is the mass of darkness, (171)

the exceedingly purifying eye of all, the grantor of multiple objects of desire, / garlanded with bright, stainless rays, the doer of good to all beings, homage! (172)

To the unborn, the creator of the three worlds, the soul of beings, the lord of rays, the bull, / homage to the most supreme of the greatly compassionate, to the sun, the source and dissolution of all things! (173)

To Vivasvat who bears wisdom, the inner self, the foundation of the world, wishing the good of the world, / the self-manifest, the spotless eye of the world, the best of the gods, possessing boundless splendor, homage! (174)

For an instant your beams shine upon the mountain of sunrise; you are sung with the most exalted songs by the host of gods. / And you, having a thousand rays, make the lotus-navel [Viṣṇu] bloom in the world. (175)

From the intoxication of drinking the wine of darkness, your body becomes deeply crimson. / Through your brilliance as the sun, you are wholly intent on nothing other than the creation of the three worlds. (176)

Having mounted your chariot of harmonious parts, whose divine horses are dazzling and swift, / you constantly traverse [the sky] against the army of foes, O Lord, fixed in your delight in the world’s welfare. (177)

With the nectarous essence you satisfy the gods and also the ancestors at the same time. / Therefore, O slayer of the host of foes, having bowed down to you, I pare down your body. (178)

Crafted from auspicious, even color, most sanctified by the dust of your feet; / O you who are affectionate to those bowed [before you], protect me who am bowed down, O purifier of the three worlds, O Ravi! (179)

Thus, to the sole source of the entire universe, the cause of the dwelling that sustains the three worlds, / to Ravi, the lamp of the whole world, the best among the thirty [gods], the god of gods, I bow down! (180)

Īśvara said: / Then Hāhā and Hūhū, both Gandharvas, and Nārada and Tumburu, / skilled in the musical art of the Gandharvas, began to sing to Ravi, (181)

skilled in the three scales of ṣaḍja, madhyama, and gāndhāra, / [producing music] that brings delight with melodic movements, tonal extensions, and good applications, (182)

completed with the seven musical notes, adorned with three pauses, / endowed with the seven compositional elements, six modal types, resting upon the three qualities, (183)

joined with the four kinds of song, arisen from the four syllables, / counteracting the four castes, adorned with seven ornaments, (184)

pure in the three voice-registers, with three tempos, properly established in rhythm, / united with tempo in every thought, dance, and aesthetic sentiment, (185)

endowed with twenty-four virtues; and the singers sang the song. / And Viśvācī, Ghṛtācī, Urvaśī, and Tilottamā, (186)

Menakā, Sahajanyā, and Rambhā, the best of the apsarases, / with fourfold words, threefold rhythm, and three tempos, (187)

with three pauses, instruments, and fourfold dramatic acting, / danced while the lord of the worlds, the sun, was being pared down, (188)

those skilled in emotions displaying many emotions according to rule. / Divine drums and conches by the hundreds and thousands, (189)

struck unceasingly, O great goddess, resounded with deep sounds, / as the Gandharvas sang and the hosts of apsarases danced. (190)

Then flutes, vīṇās, jharjharas, / paṇavas, puṣkaras, mṛdaṅgas, paṭahas, and ānakas were played there; (191)