Narada Describes Patala

Verse 1 (5.99.1)

एतत्तु नागलोकस्य नाभिस्थाने स्थितं पुरम् । पातालमिति विख्यातं दैत्यदानवसेवितम् ॥

etattu nāgalokasya nābhisthāne sthitaṃ puram | pātālamiti vikhyātaṃ daityadānavasevitam

This city, standing at the navel of the world of the Nagas, is known as Patala; Daityas and Danavas dwell in it.

Verse 2 (5.99.2)

इदमद्भिः समं प्राप्ता ये केचिद्भुवि जङ्गमाः । प्रविशन्तो महानादं नदन्ति भयपीडिताः ॥

idamadbhiḥ samaṃ prāptā ye kecidbhuvi jaṅgamāḥ | praviśanto mahānādaṃ nadanti bhayapīḍitāḥ

Whatever moving creatures on earth are carried here along with the waters cry out loudly as they enter, tormented by fear.

Verse 3 (5.99.3)

अत्रासुरोऽग्निः सततं दीप्यते वारिभोजनः । व्यापारेण धृतात्मानं निबद्धं समबुध्यत ॥

atrāsuro'gniḥ satataṃ dīpyate vāribhojanaḥ | vyāpāreṇa dhṛtātmānaṃ nibaddhaṃ samabudhyata

Here the asura-fire, which feeds on water, blazes without ceasing; it knows itself held in check, bound within its limits for the good of the world.

Verse 4 (5.99.4)

अत्रामृतं सुरैः पीत्वा निहितं निहतारिभिः । अतः सोमस्य हानिश्च वृद्धिश्चैव प्रदृश्यते ॥

atrāmṛtaṃ suraiḥ pītvā nihitaṃ nihatāribhiḥ | ataḥ somasya hāniśca vṛddhiścaiva pradṛśyate

Here the gods, having slain their enemies, drank the nectar and laid the rest away; that is why the moon is seen to wane and to wax.

Verse 5 (5.99.5)

अत्रादित्यो हयशिराः काले पर्वणि पर्वणि । उत्तिष्ठति सुवर्णाख्यो वाग्भिरापूरयञ्जगत् ॥

atrādityo hayaśirāḥ kāle parvaṇi parvaṇi | uttiṣṭhati suvarṇākhyo vāgbhirāpūrayañjagat

Here, at the time of every parva, the horse-headed son of Aditi, called Suvarna, rises up, filling the world with the sound of the Veda.

Verse 6 (5.99.6)

यस्मादलं समस्तास्ताः पतन्ति जलमूर्तयः । तस्मात्पातालमित्येव ख्यायते पुरमुत्तमम् ॥

yasmādalaṃ samastāstāḥ patanti jalamūrtayaḥ | tasmātpātālamityeva khyāyate puramuttamam

Because all the forms of water fall here in full, this finest of cities is called Patala.

Verse 7 (5.99.7)

ऐरावणोऽस्मात्सलिलं गृहीत्वा जगतो हितः । मेघेष्वामुञ्चते शीतं यन्महेन्द्रः प्रवर्षति ॥

airāvaṇo'smātsalilaṃ gṛhītvā jagato hitaḥ | megheṣvāmuñcate śītaṃ yanmahendraḥ pravarṣati

From here Airavana, for the good of the world, draws up water and releases into the clouds the cool rain that great Indra pours down.

Verse 8 (5.99.8)

ऐरावतो नागराजो वामनः कुमुदोऽञ्जनः । प्रसूताः सुप्रतीकस्य वंशे वारणसत्तमाः ॥

airāvato nāgarājo vāmanaḥ kumudo'ñjanaḥ | prasūtāḥ supratīkasya vaṃśe vāraṇasattamāḥ

Airavata, king of elephants, Vamana, Kumuda and Anjana — these finest of elephants were born in the line of Supratika.

Verse 9 (5.99.9)

अत्र नानाविधाकारास्तिमयो नैकरूपिणः । अप्सु सोमप्रभां पीत्वा वसन्ति जलचारिणः ॥

atra nānāvidhākārāstimayo naikarūpiṇaḥ | apsu somaprabhāṃ pītvā vasanti jalacāriṇaḥ

Here dwell whales of many shapes and many forms, creatures of the water, who live on the moon's radiance, drinking it in the waters.

Verse 10 (5.99.10)

अत्र सूर्यांशुभिर्भिन्नाः पातालतलमाश्रिताः । मृता हि दिवसे सूत पुनर्जीवन्ति वै निशि ॥

atra sūryāṃśubhirbhinnāḥ pātālatalamāśritāḥ | mṛtā hi divase sūta punarjīvanti vai niśi

Here creatures pierced by the sun's rays take refuge in the depths of Patala; they die by day, charioteer, and come back to life by night.

Verse 11 (5.99.11)

उदयन्नित्यशश्चात्र चन्द्रमा रश्मिबाहुभिः । अमृतं स्पृश्य संस्पर्शात्संजीवयतिदेहिनः ॥

udayannityaśaścātra candramā raśmibāhubhiḥ | amṛtaṃ spṛśya saṃsparśātsaṃjīvayatidehinaḥ

Rising here every day, the moon touches the nectar with the arms of his rays, and by that touch brings embodied beings back to life.

Verse 12 (5.99.12)

अत्र तेऽधर्मनिरता बद्धाः कालेन पीडिताः । दैतेया निवसन्ति स्म वासवेन हृतश्रियः ॥

atra te'dharmaniratā baddhāḥ kālena pīḍitāḥ | daiteyā nivasanti sma vāsavena hṛtaśriyaḥ

Here dwell those Daityas given to unrighteousness, bound and afflicted by time, whose glory Vasava took from them.

Verse 13 (5.99.13)

अत्र भूतपतिर्नाम सर्वभूतमहेश्वरः । भूतये सर्वभूतानामचरत्तप उत्तमम् ॥

atra bhūtapatirnāma sarvabhūtamaheśvaraḥ | bhūtaye sarvabhūtānāmacarattapa uttamam

Here the one called Bhutapati, great lord of all beings, practised the highest austerity for the welfare of all creatures.

Verse 14 (5.99.14)

अत्र गोव्रतिनो विप्राः स्वाध्यायाम्नायकर्शिताः । त्यक्तप्राणा जितस्वर्गा निवसन्ति महर्षयः ॥

atra govratino viprāḥ svādhyāyāmnāyakarśitāḥ | tyaktaprāṇā jitasvargā nivasanti maharṣayaḥ

Here live brahmins who keep the cow-vow, great seers worn thin by study and recitation of the Veda, who have given up their lives and won heaven.

Verse 15 (5.99.15)

यत्रतत्रशयो नित्यं येनकेनचिदाशितः । येनकेनचिदाच्छन्नः स गोव्रत इहोच्यते ॥

yatratatraśayo nityaṃ yenakenacidāśitaḥ | yenakenacidācchannaḥ sa govrata ihocyate

One who always lies down wherever he happens to be, eats whatever he is given, and covers himself with whatever comes to hand — he is called here a keeper of the cow-vow.

Verse 16 (5.99.16)

पश्य यद्यत्र ते कश्चिद्रोचते गुणतो वरः । वरयिष्यामि तं गत्वा यत्नमास्थाय मातले ॥

paśya yadyatra te kaścidrocate guṇato varaḥ | varayiṣyāmi taṃ gatvā yatnamāsthāya mātale

See whether any groom here pleases you for his virtues; then I will go to him and ask for him with care, Matali.

Verse 17 (5.99.17)

अण्डमेतज्जले न्यस्तं दीप्यमानमिव श्रिया । आप्रजानां निसर्गाद्वै नोद्भिद्यति न सर्पति ॥

aṇḍametajjale nyastaṃ dīpyamānamiva śriyā | āprajānāṃ nisargādvai nodbhidyati na sarpati

This egg lying in the water, as if blazing with splendour, has neither hatched nor stirred since the creation of beings.

Note on the text: Corrected अण्डमेतञ्जले → अण्डमेतज्जले (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्ज for the sandhi ज्ज of एतत् + जले, critical edition etaj jale).

Verse 18 (5.99.18)

नास्य जातिं निसर्गं वा कथ्यमानं शृणोमि वै । पितरं मातरं चापि नास्य जानाति कश्चन ॥

nāsya jātiṃ nisargaṃ vā kathyamānaṃ śṛṇomi vai | pitaraṃ mātaraṃ cāpi nāsya jānāti kaścana

I never hear its birth or its nature told; and no one knows its father or its mother.

Note on the text: Corrected श्रृणोमि → शृणोमि (misprint in Wikisource; श्रृ for शृ, critical edition śṛṇomi).

Verse 19 (5.99.19)

अतः किल महानग्निरन्तकाले समुत्थितः । धक्ष्यते मातले सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् ॥

ataḥ kila mahānagnirantakāle samutthitaḥ | dhakṣyate mātale sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram

From it, they say, a great fire will rise at the end of time and burn the whole of the three worlds, Matali, with all that moves and all that is still.

Verse 20 (5.99.20)

मातलिस्त्वब्रवीच्छ्रुत्वा नारदस्याथ भाषितम् । न मेऽत्र रोचते कश्चिदन्यतो व्रज माचिरम् ॥

mātalistvabravīcchrutvā nāradasyātha bhāṣitam | na me'tra rocate kaścidanyato vraja māciram

When he had heard Narada's words, Matali said: 'No one here pleases me. Let us go elsewhere without delay.'

Note on the text: Kanva resumes the narrative here (the critical edition heads 5.97.20 kaṇva uvāca); the input had carried Narada's heading on.