Muni's PlayStabaka 2
Verse 2.5
Sanskrit
महेशगर्भतः समस्तभूतबीजकोशतः
किरन्त्यशेषविश्वमप्यपारदिव्यवैभवा ।
विचित्रचेष्टयाऽऽद्यया विधूतनाथनिद्रया
जगन्नुता जयत्यसावनादिशक्तिरद्भुता ॥ २.५॥
Word-by-word
महेश-गर्भतः (from the womb/interior of the Great Lord) समस्त-भूत-बीज-कोशतः (from the storehouse of the seeds of all beings) किरन्ती (scattering/projecting) अशेष-विश्वम् (the entire universe) अपि (even/also) अपार-दिव्य-वैभवा (of boundless divine majesty) विचित्र-चेष्टया-आद्यया (by Her first wondrous movement) विधूत-नाथ-निद्रया (having shaken off the sleep of the Lord) जगन्-नुता (praised by the world) जयति (is victorious) असौ (this) अनादि-शक्तिः (beginningless Power) अद्भुता (wondrous).
Translation
Victory to this wondrous, beginningless Power, praised by the world, who possesses boundless divine majesty; from the core of the Great Lord—the storehouse of the seeds of all existence—She projects the entire universe by Her first mysterious movement, shaking off the creative slumber of the Lord.
Verse 2.10
Sanskrit
चितिः परैव कामना रसेन केनचिद्युता
चितिः परैव सर्वदाऽप्यनस्त्यजस्य तु क्रिया ।
चितिः परैव गोचरावभासिका मतिः स्मृता
त्रितैवमन्यथा चितेश्चिरन्तनैरुदीर्यते ॥ २.१०॥
Word-by-word
चितिः (Consciousness) परा (Supreme) एव (indeed) कामना (Desire/Will) रसेन (with a flavor/essence) केनचित् (by a certain) युता (joined); चितिः (Consciousness) परा (Supreme) एव (indeed) सर्वदा (always) अपि (even) अनस्त-अजस्य (of the never-setting/eternal Unborn Lord) तु (indeed) क्रिया (Action); चितिः (Consciousness) परा (Supreme) एव (indeed) गोचर-अवभासिका (illuminating the field of sense-objects) मतिः (Intellect/Knowledge) स्मृता (is known); त्रिता (triad) एवम् (thus) अन्यथा (in different modes) चितेः (of Consciousness) चिरन्तनैः (by the ancients) उदीर्यते (is proclaimed).
Translation
Supreme Consciousness itself becomes Desire (Kāmanā) when touched by a certain creative relish; it is the eternal Action (Kriyā) of the never-failing Unborn Lord; and it is known as the Intellect (Mati) when it illuminates the field of sensory objects. Thus, the ancients proclaim this threefold nature of the one Consciousness.
Verse 2.13
Sanskrit
तपोऽग्निधूमजालके भवन्ति तैजसाणवो
भवन्ति जीवनाणवो भवन्ति पार्थिवाणवः ।
क्रमेण तद्विसृष्टिरीशशक्तिपाकवैभवे
सहस्रभानुमण्डलं तु गोचरादि गृह्यताम् ॥ २.१३॥
Word-by-word
तपः-अग्नि-धूम-जालके (in the network of smoke from the fire of creative heat) भवन्ति (arise) तैजस-अणवः (luminous atoms/energy particles) भवन्ति (arise) जीवन-अणवः (life-atoms/watery particles) भवन्ति (arise) पार्थिव-अणवः (earthy/solid atoms); क्रमेण (sequentially) तत्-विसृष्टिः (that projection/creation) ईश-शक्ति-पाक-वैभवे (in the majesty of the ripening/maturation of the Lord’s power) सहस्र-भानु-मण्डलं (the orb of a thousand suns/the solar sphere) तु (indeed) गोचर-आदि (the field of perception etc.) गृह्यताम् (should be understood).
Translation
From the “smoke-network” of the primordial fire of creative heat (Tapas), there emerge—in sequence—luminous atoms (energy), life-sustaining atoms (liquidity), and solid earthy atoms. This gradual manifestation is the result of the ripening majesty of the Divine Power; let the solar orb be understood as the primary field for these perceivable objects.
Verse 2.16
Sanskrit
वधूपुमाकृती ततो बभूवथुर्युवां शिवे
त्वमीश्वरश्च लीलया विहर्तुमत्र विष्टपे ।
अहो प्रभुं नभस्तनुं त्वदीयगर्भसम्भवा-
द्भणन्ति कालि तत्र चित्रभाषणास्त्वदात्मजम् ॥ २.१६॥
Word-by-word
वधू-पुम्-आकृती (female and male forms) ततः (then) बभूवथुः (you two became) युवाम् (you two) शिवे (O Auspicious Mother); त्वम् (You) ईश्वरः (the Lord) च (and) लीलया (by divine play) विहर्तुम् (to wander/sport) अत्र (here) विष्टपे (in the world); अहो (Oh!) प्रभुम् (the Lord) नभस्तनुम् (whose body is space/sky) त्वदीय-गर्भ-सम्भवात् (due to being born from Your womb) भणन्ति (they say) कालि (O Kali) तत्र (there) चित्र-भाषणाः (those of wondrous speech/poets) त्वत्-आत्मजम् (your son).
Translation
O Auspicious Mother, You and the Lord then assumed female and male forms to sport in this world as a divine play; O Kali, it is a wonder that poets of marvelous speech call the Space-bodied Lord your “son,” since He was born from Your cosmic womb.
Note on the "Son" Paradox
This is a beautiful poetic “Virodhabhasa” (apparent contradiction). While Shiva is the Mother’s eternal consort, as the manifest Space (Akasha), He is seen as being “born” from her primordial power (Shakti).
Verse 2.17
Sanskrit
पुमानथो स बिम्बतो हिरण्मयो दिवाकरे
धियाऽपि नैव केवलं हिरण्मयेन वर्ष्मणा ।
इदं तु कार्यरूपमन्यदुच्यते बुधैः प्रभो-
रिहान्तरे नृणां पुनर्वपुस्तदम्ब बिम्बितम् ॥ २.१७॥
Word-by-word
पुमान् (The Person/Purusha) अथो (then) सः (He) बिम्बतः (from the orb) हिरण्मयः (golden) दिवाकरे (in the Sun); धिया (by intellect/consciousness) अपि (also) न (not) एव (certainly) केवलम् (only) हिरण्मयेन (by golden) वर्ष्मणा (with body/stature); इदम् (this) तु (but) कार्य-रूपम् (the manifested form/effect) अन्यद् (another) उच्यते (is called) बुधैः (by the wise) प्रभोः (of the Lord); इह (here) अन्तरे (within) नृणाम् (of humans) पुनः (again) वपुः (body) तत् (that) अम्ब (O Mother) बिम्बितम् (is reflected).
Translation
That Golden Person within the solar orb is “golden” not just in physical form, but in pure intellect as well; the wise call this the manifested form of the Lord, which, O Mother, is reflected once again within the very bodies of human beings.
Verse 2.20
Sanskrit
नभोऽन्तरे हिरण्मयं विभुं प्रचक्षते हरं
दिनेशबिम्बबिम्बितं भणन्ति पङ्कजासनम् ।
इहास्मदन्तरालयं वदन्ति विष्णुमच्युतं
सवित्रि जन्मिनामियं त्रिमूर्तिवादिधोरणि ॥ २.२०॥
Word-by-word
नभः-अन्तरे (within the sky) हिरण्मयम् (golden) विभुम् (all-pervasive) प्रचक्षते (they call) हरम् (Hara/Shiva) दिनेश-बिम्ब-बिम्बितम् (reflected in the solar orb) भणन्ति (they say) पङ्कज-आसनम् (Brahma/lotus-seated); इह (here) अस्मद्-अन्तरालयम् (within our inner space/heart) वदन्ति (they say) विष्णुम् (Vishnu) अच्युतम् (imperishable) सवित्रि (O Mother/Creatrix) जन्मिनाम् (of living beings) इयम् (this) त्रिमूर्ति-वादि-धोरणि (the path/view of the Trimurti-proponents).
Translation
O Mother, the proponents of the Trimurti view declare that the golden, all-pervasive Lord in the sky is Hara (Shiva), the one reflected in the solar orb is Brahma, and the one residing within our own hearts is the imperishable Vishnu.
Verse 2.21
Sanskrit
नभोऽन्तरे प्रचक्षते हिरण्मयाङ्गमीश्वरं
दिनेशबिम्बपूरुषं हिरण्यगर्भमाख्यया ।
विराजमानमक्षरं विराजमन्तरे नृणां
सवित्रि तत्त्ववेदिनामियं तु नामकल्पना ॥ २.२१॥
Word-by-word
नभः-अन्तरे (within the sky) प्रचक्षते (they call) हिरण्मय-अङ्गम् (golden-bodied) ईश्वरम् (Ishvara) दिनेश-बिम्ब-पूरुषम् (the Person of the solar orb) हिरण्यगर्भम् (Hiranyagarbha) आख्यया (by the name); विराज-मानम् (shining/manifest) अक्षरम् (imperishable) विराजम् (Viraj) अन्तरे (within) नृणाम् (of humans) सवित्रि (O Mother) तत्त्व-वेदिनाम् (of the knowers of truth) इयम् (this) तु (indeed) नाम-कल्पना (convention of names).
Translation
O Mother, the knowers of truth (Vedantins) use different names: they call the Golden Being in the sky ‘Ishvara’, the Person in the solar orb ‘Hiranyagarbha’, and the radiant, imperishable spirit within humans ‘Viraj’.
Verse 2.22
Sanskrit
हिरण्मयाङ्गमम्बरे वदन्ति सोममम्बिके
दिवाकरस्य मण्डले तु बिम्बितं पुरन्दरम् ।
शरीरिणामिहान्तरेऽग्निमालपन्ति भासुरं
चिरन्तनोक्तिदर्शिनामियं शिवे प्रणालिका ॥ २.२२॥
Word-by-word
हिरण्मय-अङ्गम् (golden-bodied) अम्बरे (in the sky) वदन्ति (they say) सोमम् (Soma/Moon) अम्बिके (O Mother); दिवाकरस्य (of the Sun) मण्डले (in the orb) तु (indeed) बिम्बितम् (reflected) पुरन्दरम् (Purandara/Indra); शरीरिणाम् (of embodied beings) इह (here) अन्तरे (within) अग्निम् (Agni/Fire) आलपन्ति (they declare) भासुरम् (radiant) चिरन्तन-उक्ति-दर्शिनाम् (of those who see/follow the ancient/Vedic words) इयम् (this) शिवे (O Shive) प्रणालिका (tradition/method).
Translation
O Shive, those who follow the ancient Vedic tradition speak of the Golden Being in the sky as Soma, the one reflected in the solar orb as Indra (Purandara), and the radiant one within the bodies of beings as Agni.
Verse 2.23
Sanskrit
सरोरुहाक्षवाग्वधूमनोहरौ तु पूर्वव-
त्सुधांशुबिम्बपूरुषस्तु रुद्रसंज्ञकः शिवे ।
हिरण्मयोऽन्तरिक्षजात ईश्वरः सदाशिवः
सदेव वस्तु काञ्चनाङ्गि पञ्चमूर्तिवादिनाम् ॥ २.२३॥
Word-by-word
सरोरुह-अक्ष (Lotus-eyed/Vishnu) वाग्वधू-मनोहरौ (Charming husband of Saraswati/Brahma) तु (indeed) पूर्ववत् (as before); सुधांशु-बिम्ब-पूरुषः (the Person of the nectar-rayed/solar orb) तु (indeed) रुद्र-संज्ञकः (named Rudra) शिवे (O Shive); हिरण्मयः (Golden) अन्तरिक्ष-जातः (born in the mid-region/sky) ईश्वरः (Ishvara) सदाशिवः (Sadashiva); सद्-एव (always indeed) वस्तु (the reality) काञ्चन-अङ्गि (O Golden-bodied One) पञ्च-मूर्ति-वादिनाम् (of the proponents of the five forms).
Translation
O Golden-bodied Mother, for the proponents of the ‘Five Forms’ (Pancha-brahma), Vishnu and Brahma remain as stated before, but the Person in the solar orb is named Rudra, and the Golden Lord of the sky is Sadashiva—it is the same Reality in all.
Comparative Traditions Table
| Tradition | The Sky (Cosmic) | The Sun (Intermediate) | The Heart (Individual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puranic (Trimurti) | Hara (Shiva) | Brahma | Vishnu |
| Vedantic | Ishvara | Hiranyagarbha | Viraj |
| Vedic (Ancient) | Soma | Indra | Agni |
| Shaiva (Pancha-Murti) | Sadashiva | Rudra | (Vishnu/Brahma/Ishvara) |
Reference: Umasahasram