स्थाणुरुवाच पजासर्गनिमित्तं मे कार्यवत्तामिमां प्रभो। विद्धि सृष्टास्त्वया हीमा मा कुप्यासां पितामह॥
Sthanu said Know, O lord, that my prayer to you is in behalf of the created beings of the universe! These beings have been created by you. Do not be angry with them, O Grandfather.
तव तेजोऽग्निना देव प्रजा दह्यन्ति सर्वशः। ता दृष्ट्वा मम कारुण्यं मा कुष्यासां जगत्प्रभो॥
By the fire born of your anger, illustrious one, all the created beings are being burnt. Seeing them placed in such a condition, I am filled with compassion. Do not be angry with them, O maker of the universe.
प्रजापतिरुवाच न कुप्ये न च मे कामो न भवेयुः प्रजा इति। लाघवार्थं धरण्यास्तु ततः संहार इष्यते॥
The lord of all created beings said, I am not angry, nor is it my desire that all the create beings should perish. It is only for lightening the lord of the Earth that destruction is desirable.
इयं हि मां सदा देवी भारार्ता समचोदयत्। संहारार्थं महादेव भारेणाप्सु निमज्जति॥
The godess Earth, suffering from the load of creatures, requested me, O Mahadeva, for destroying them, especially as she appeared to sink under their load into the water.
यदाहं नाधिगच्छामि बुद्ध्या बहु विचारयन्। संहारमासां वृद्धानां ततो मां क्रोध आविशत्॥
When after exercising my intelligence even for a long time I could not find out the means by which to bring about the destruction of this overgrown population, it was then that I was possessed by ire.
स्थाणुरुवाच संहारार्थं प्रसीदस्व मा क्रुधो विबुधेश्वर। मा प्रजाः स्थावरं चैव जङ्गमं च व्यनीनशत्॥
Do not give way to anger, O lord of the celestials, about the destruction of living creatures! Be-pleased! Let not these mobile and immobile beings be destroyed.
पल्वलानि च सर्वाणि सर्वं चैव तृणोपलम्। स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव भूतग्रामं चतुर्विधम्॥ तदेतद् भस्मसाद्भूतं जगत् सर्वमुपल्लुतम्। प्रसीद भगवन् साधो वर एष वृतो मया॥
All tanks, all sorts of grass and herbs, all immobile beings, and all the four divisions of mobile creatures, are being consumed. The whole universe is about to be shorn of beings. Be pleased, O divine Lord! O you of pious soul this is the boon that I seek at your hands.
नष्टा न पुनरेष्यन्ति प्रजा ह्येताः कथंचन। तस्मानिवर्ततामेतत् तेन स्वेनैव तेजसा॥
If destroyed, these creatures would not return. Therefore, let this energy of yours be neutralised by your own energy.
उपायमन्यं सम्पश्य भूतानां हितकाम्यया। यथामी जन्तवः सर्वे न दोरन् पितामह॥ अभावं हि न गच्छेयुरुच्छिन्नप्रजनाः प्रजाः। अधिदैवे नियुक्तोऽस्मि त्वया लोकेश्वरेश्वर॥
Moved by pity for all created beings, find some means so that, O Grandfather, these living creatures may not be consumed! Oh, let not these living creatures die with even their descendants thus destroyed! You have appointed me to preside over the consciousness of all living creatures, O Lord of all the lords of the universe.
त्वद्भवं हि जगन्नाथ एतत् स्थावरजङ्गमम्। प्रसाद्य त्वां महादेव याचाम्यावृत्ति जाः प्रजाः॥
All this inobile and immobile creatures, O lord of the universe, originated from you. Pacifying you, O god of gods, I beg of you that living creatures may repeatedly come back into the world, undergoing repeated deaths!
नारद उवाच श्रुत्वा तु वचनं देवः स्थाणोनियतवाङ्मनाः। तेजस्तत् संनिजग्राह पुनरेवान्तरात्मनि॥
Narada continued Hearing these words of Sthanu, the divine Brahma of controlled speech and mind himself suppressed that energy of his within his own heart.
ततोऽग्निमुपसंगृह्य भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः। प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कल्पयामास वै प्रभुः॥
Suppressing that fire that had been destroying the universe, the illustrious Brahma, worshipped of all, and endued with illimitable power, then arranged for both birth and death of all living creatures.
उपसंहरतस्तस्य तमग्नि रोषजं तदा। प्रादुर्बभूव विश्वेभ्यः खेभ्यो नारी महात्मनः॥ कृष्णरक्ताम्बरधरा कृष्णनेत्रतलान्तरा। दिव्यकुण्डलसम्पन्ना दिव्याभरणभूषिता॥
After the Self-create had withdrawn and suppressed that fire, there came out, from all the pores of his body, a lady dressed in robes of black and red, with black eyes, black palms, wearing a pair of charming ear-rings and bedecked with celestial ornaments.
सा विनिःसृत्य वै खेभ्यो दक्षिणामाश्रिता दिशम्। ददृशाते च तां कन्यां देवौ विश्वेश्वरावुभौ॥
Having originated from Brahman's body, the lady sat on his right. The two foremost of gods thereupon espied her.
तामाहूय तदा देवो लोकानामादिरीश्वरः। मृत्यो इति महीपाल जहि चेमाः प्रजा इति॥
Then, O king, the powerful Self-create, the prime Cause of all the worlds, saluted her and said, O Death, kill these creatures of the universe.
त्वं हि संहारबुद्ध्या मे चिन्तिता रुषितेन च। तस्मात् संहर सर्वांस्त्वं प्रजाः सजडपण्डिताः॥
Filled with ire and resolved to encompass the destruction of created beings, I have called you. Do you, there, begin to destroy all creatures foolish or learned.
अविशेषेण चैव त्वं प्रजाः संहर कामिनि। मम त्वं हि नियोगेन श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यसि॥
O lady, kill all created beings without any exception. At my command you will acquire great prosperity.
एवमुक्ता तु सा देवी मृत्युः कमलमालिनी। प्रदध्यौ दुःखिता बाला साश्रुपातमतीव॥
Thus addressed, the the goddess Death, adorned with a garland of lotuses, began to think sorrowfully and shed profuse tears.
पाणिभ्यां चैव जग्राह तान्यश्रूणि जनेश्वरः। मानवानां हितार्थाय ययाचे पुनरेव ह॥
Without suffering her tears, however, to fall down, she held them, O king, in her joinedhands. She then solicited the Self-born, moved by the desire of doing good to mankind.