Shiva's Plea and the Birth of Death

Verse 1 (12.263.1)

प्रजासर्गनिमित्तं मे कार्यवत्तामिमां प्रभो । विद्धि सृष्टास्त्वया हीमा मा कुप्यासां पितामह ॥

prajāsarganimittaṃ me kāryavattāmimāṃ prabho | viddhi sṛṣṭāstvayā hīmā mā kupyāsāṃ pitāmaha

My lord, because of the creation of beings I have a request to make of you: know that these creatures were made by you. Do not be angry with them, Grandsire.

Verse 2 (12.263.2)

तव तेजोग्निना देव प्रजा दह्यन्ति सर्वशः । ता दृष्ट्वा मम कारुण्यं मा कुप्यासां जगत्प्रभो ॥

tava tejogninā deva prajā dahyanti sarvaśaḥ | tā dṛṣṭvā mama kāruṇyaṃ mā kupyāsāṃ jagatprabho

By the fire of your energy, O god, the creatures are being burned everywhere. Seeing them, I am moved to pity; do not be angry with them, lord of the world.

Verse 3 (12.263.3)

न कुप्ये न च मे कामो न भवेयुः प्रजा इति । लाघवार्थं धरण्यास्तु ततः संहार इष्यते ॥

na kupye na ca me kāmo na bhaveyuḥ prajā iti | lāghavārthaṃ dharaṇyāstu tataḥ saṃhāra iṣyate

I am not angry, nor do I wish that the creatures should cease to be. It is to lighten the burden of the earth that destruction is wanted.

Note on the text: Corrected नभवेयुः → न भवेयुः (Wikisource runs the two words together; the critical edition reads na bhaveran). The page's note glosses it as न भवेयुः.

Verse 4 (12.263.4)

इयं हि मां सदा देवी भारार्ता समचोदयत् । संहारार्थं महादेव भारेणाप्सु निमज्जती ॥

iyaṃ hi māṃ sadā devī bhārārtā samacodayat | saṃhārārthaṃ mahādeva bhāreṇāpsu nimajjatī

This goddess, weighed down by her burden, has always urged me toward destruction, O Mahadeva, as she sinks into the waters under her load.

Verse 5 (12.263.5)

यदाऽहं नाधिगच्छामि बुद्ध्या बहु विचारयन् । संहारमासां वृद्धानां ततो मां क्रोध आविशत् ॥

yadā'haṃ nādhigacchāmi buddhyā bahu vicārayan | saṃhāramāsāṃ vṛddhānāṃ tato māṃ krodha āviśat

When, though I turned it over long in my mind, I could find no way to destroy these swollen multitudes, anger entered me.

Verse 6 (12.263.6)

संहारात्त्वं निवर्तस्व मा क्रुधो विबुधेश्वर । मा प्रजाः स्थावरं चैव जङ्गमं च व्यनीनशः ॥

saṃhārāttvaṃ nivartasva mā krudho vibudheśvara | mā prajāḥ sthāvaraṃ caiva jaṅgamaṃ ca vyanīnaśaḥ

Turn back from destruction. Do not be angry, lord of the gods. Do not destroy the creatures, the unmoving and the moving alike.

Note on the text: Corrected निवर्तस्य → निवर्तस्व and विवुधेश्वर → विबुधेश्वर (misprints in Wikisource; य for व in the imperative ending, and व for ब; a non-word each time). The alignment found no match: the CE verse 12.249.6 has the same shape but different wording in line 1 (CE saṃhārāntaṃ prasīdasva mā krudhas tridaśeśvara) and a different verb form at the end of line 2 (vinīnaśaḥ); the page's readings are recension variants, kept.

Verse 7 (12.263.7)

पल्वलानि च सर्वाणि सर्वं चैव तृणोलपम् । स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव भूतग्रामं चतुर्विधम् ॥

palvalāni ca sarvāṇi sarvaṃ caiva tṛṇolapam | sthāvaraṃ jaṅgamaṃ caiva bhūtagrāmaṃ caturvidham

All the pools, all the grass and reeds, the unmoving and the moving, the fourfold community of beings —

Note on the text: Corrected तृणीलपम् → तृणोलपम् (misprint in Wikisource; ी for ो, the critical edition reads tṛṇolapam; the page's note glosses उलप as a kind of grass).

Verse 8 (12.263.8)

अकाले भस्मसाद्भूतं जगत्सर्वमुपप्लुतम् । प्रसीद भगवन्साधो वर एष वृतो मया ॥

akāle bhasmasādbhūtaṃ jagatsarvamupaplutam | prasīda bhagavansādho vara eṣa vṛto mayā

the whole world, ravaged out of season, has turned to ashes. Be gracious, blessed one, good one; this is the boon I have chosen.

Verse 9 (12.263.9)

नष्टा न पुनरेष्यन्ति प्रजा ह्येताः कथंचन । तस्मान्निवर्ततामेतत्तेन स्वेनेव तेजसा ॥

naṣṭā na punareṣyanti prajā hyetāḥ kathaṃcana | tasmānnivartatāmetattena sveneva tejasā

Once destroyed, these creatures will never return in any way. Therefore let this be called back, as though by that same energy of your own.

Note on the text: Line 2 निवर्ततामेतत्तेन स्वेनेव तेजसा is kept as printed (all valid words; a recension reading); the critical edition reads nivartyatām etat tejaḥ svenaiva tejasā.

Verse 10 (12.263.10)

उपायमन्यं संपश्य भूतानां हितकाम्यया । यथामी जन्तवः सर्वे न दह्येरन्पितामह ॥

upāyamanyaṃ saṃpaśya bhūtānāṃ hitakāmyayā | yathāmī jantavaḥ sarve na dahyeranpitāmaha

Out of care for the good of beings, find another means, so that all these creatures may not be burned, Grandsire.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match; CE 12.249.10 is the same verse with recension variants (CE prajānāṃ hitakāmyayā … yatheme jantavaḥ sarve nivarteran paraṃtapa); the page's note records निवर्तेरन्परंतप as a manuscript variant.

Verse 11 (12.263.11)

अभावं हि न गच्छेयुरुत्सन्नप्रजनाः प्रजाः । पुत्रत्वेनानुसंकल्प्य त्वयाहं तपसाप्यज । अधिदैवे नियुक्तोस्मि त्वया लोकहितेप्सुना ॥

abhāvaṃ hi na gaccheyurutsannaprajanāḥ prajāḥ | putratvenānusaṃkalpya tvayāhaṃ tapasāpyaja | adhidaive niyuktosmi tvayā lokahitepsunā

Let the creatures not pass into non-existence, their lines of begetting cut off. You, unborn one, having conceived me as your son through your austerity, have placed me in charge of the divine sphere, out of your wish for the good of the worlds.

Note on the text: Line 2 corrected from the page's `पुत्रत्वेनानुसंकल्प्ये तदाऽहं तप्य दानवैः।' to पुत्रत्वेनानुसंकल्प्य त्वयाहं तपसाप्यज (the page's line is corrupt: अनुसंकल्प्ये, तप्य and दानवैः give no sense here; the critical edition's star line 12.249.11b*0699_01 reads putratvenānusaṃkalpya tvayāhaṃ tapasāpy aja, which is followed). Removed the backtick, closing quote mark and doubled daṇḍa Wikisource prints around that line. Lines 1 and 3 = CE 12.249.11a and 11c (line 3 त्वया लोकहितेप्सुना against CE tvayā lokeṣv iheśvara). The alignment found no match.

Verse 12 (12.263.12)

त्वद्भवं हि जगन्नाथ एतत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । प्रसाद्य त्वां महादेव याचाम्यावृत्तिजाः प्रजाः ॥

tvadbhavaṃ hi jagannātha etatsthāvarajaṅgamam | prasādya tvāṃ mahādeva yācāmyāvṛttijāḥ prajāḥ

All this, moving and unmoving, has come from you, lord of the world. Having appeased you, great god, I ask that the creatures be those who are born again and again.

Verse 13 (12.263.13)

श्रुत्वा तु वचनं देवः स्थाणोर्नियतवाङ्मनाः । तेजस्तत्सन्निजग्राह पुनरेवान्तरात्मनि ॥

śrutvā tu vacanaṃ devaḥ sthāṇorniyatavāṅmanāḥ | tejastatsannijagrāha punarevāntarātmani

Hearing the words of Sthanu, the god, with speech and mind restrained, drew that energy back into his own self.

Note on the text: Corrected नियतवाङ्भनाः → नियतवाङ्मनाः (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म, the critical edition reads niyatavāṅmanāḥ).

Verse 14 (12.263.14)

ततोऽग्निमुपसंगृह्य भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः । प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कल्पयामास वै प्रभुः ॥

tato'gnimupasaṃgṛhya bhagavām̐llokapūjitaḥ | pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca kalpayāmāsa vai prabhuḥ

Then, taking the fire back, the blessed lord, honoured by the worlds, ordained both going forth and withdrawal.

Verse 15 (12.263.15)

उपसंहरतस्तस्य तमग्निं रोषजं तदा । प्रादुर्बभूव विश्वेभ्यः खेभ्यो नारी महात्मनः ॥

upasaṃharatastasya tamagniṃ roṣajaṃ tadā | prādurbabhūva viśvebhyaḥ khebhyo nārī mahātmanaḥ

As he drew back that fire born of his wrath, a woman appeared from all the openings of the great-souled one.

Verse 16 (12.263.16)

कृष्णरक्ताम्बरधरा कृष्णनेत्रतलान्तरा । दिव्यकुण्डलसंपन्ना दिव्याभरणभूषिता ॥

kṛṣṇaraktāmbaradharā kṛṣṇanetratalāntarā | divyakuṇḍalasaṃpannā divyābharaṇabhūṣitā

She wore garments of black and red, her eyes dark within, and she was adorned with divine earrings and divine ornaments.

Note on the text: The page reads कृष्णरक्ताम्बरधरा कृष्णनेत्रतलान्तरा; the critical edition reads kṛṣṇā raktāmbaradharā raktanetratalāntarā. Kept as printed (a recension variant).

Verse 17 (12.263.17)

सा विनिःसृत्य वै खेभ्यो दक्षिणामाश्रिता दिशम् । ददृशाते च तां कन्यां देवौ विश्वेश्वरावुभौ ॥

sā viniḥsṛtya vai khebhyo dakṣiṇāmāśritā diśam | dadṛśāte ca tāṃ kanyāṃ devau viśveśvarāvubhau

Issuing forth from those openings, she went to the southern direction; and both gods, the lords of the universe, saw that maiden.

Verse 18 (12.263.18)

तामाहूय तदा देवो लोकानामादिरीश्वरः । मृत्यो इति महीपाल जहि चेमाः प्रजा इति ॥

tāmāhūya tadā devo lokānāmādirīśvaraḥ | mṛtyo iti mahīpāla jahi cemāḥ prajā iti

Then the god, the original lord of the worlds, called her and said, 'Death!', and, O protector of the earth, 'Slay these creatures.'

Verse 19 (12.263.19)

त्वं हि संहारबुद्ध्या मे चिन्तिता रुषितेन च । तस्मात्संहर सर्वास्त्वं प्रजाः सजडपण्डिताः ॥

tvaṃ hi saṃhārabuddhyā me cintitā ruṣitena ca | tasmātsaṃhara sarvāstvaṃ prajāḥ sajaḍapaṇḍitāḥ

You were thought of by me, in my anger, with the idea of destruction; therefore destroy all these creatures, the dull and the learned together.

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints no heading; the verse is wholly Brahma's address to Death, introduced by verse 18.

Verse 20 (12.263.20)

अविशेषेण चैव त्वं प्रजाः संहर कामिनि । मम त्वं हि नियोगेन श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यसि ॥

aviśeṣeṇa caiva tvaṃ prajāḥ saṃhara kāmini | mama tvaṃ hi niyogena śreyaḥ paramavāpsyasi

And destroy the creatures without distinction, O lovely woman. By carrying out my command you will gain the highest good.

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints no heading; the verse is wholly Brahma's address to Death, continuing verse 19.

Verse 21 (12.263.21)

एवमुक्ता तु या देवी मृत्युः कमलमालिनी । प्रदध्यौ दुःखिता बाला साश्रुपातमतीव च ॥

evamuktā tu yā devī mṛtyuḥ kamalamālinī | pradadhyau duḥkhitā bālā sāśrupātamatīva ca

Thus addressed, the goddess Death, wearing a garland of lotuses, fell to brooding in distress, the young woman shedding many tears.

Verse 22 (12.263.22)

पाणिभ्यां चैव जग्राह तान्यश्रूणि जनेश्वरः । मानवानां हितार्थाय ययाचे पुनरेव ह ॥

pāṇibhyāṃ caiva jagrāha tānyaśrūṇi janeśvaraḥ | mānavānāṃ hitārthāya yayāce punareva ha

The lord of men caught those tears in his two hands, and for the good of mankind he entreated her once more.