Devīdhāmāṣṭikā
Eight verses on the Abode of the Goddess
मातुः कालप्रपातारूढा स्फुरिताप्यनीकिनी ।
अन्यदा चक्षुषां रूपैरजानतामपाकिनाम् ॥१॥
Mātuḥ kālaprapātārūḍhā sphuritāpyanīkinī |
Anyadā cakṣuṣāṃ rūpairajānatāmapākinām || 1 ||
In the air (mātuḥ), there’s a Lotus (anīkinī) bloomed into the mists of Time (kāla-prapāta-ārūḍhā) (which) flashed (sphuritā) though (api) once in a while (anyadā) with forms (rūpaiḥ) to the eyes (cakṣuṣām) unwrought (apākinām) to espy (ajānatām). || 1 ||
का स्वान्तमूलकाधो वा क्षान्तिर्व्योम्नि परीणसा ।
आदौ रक्ष्युपगूढा प्रमतिग्राहसमुद्गता ॥२॥
Kā svāntamūlakādho vā kṣāntirvyomni parīṇasā |
Ādau rakṣyupagūḍhā pramatigrāhasamudgatā || 2 ||
Rooted beneath in the heart (kā…sva-anta-mūlakā…adhaḥ)? Or (vā) just in the Sky (vyomni) awaited (kṣāntiḥ) amply (parīṇasā)? Appeared at first (ādau…tu) as a strange notion of a never seen caring Guide (rakṣī…upa-gūḍhā…pramati-grāha-sam-ut-gatā). || 2 ||
रराजैव रहस्याख्यायिनीव बहु साक्षिणम् ।
अस्था सासूचयन्मेलरूपेणाग्रे पदेन तु ॥३॥
Rarājaiva rahasyākhyāyinīva bahu sākṣiṇam |
Asthā sāsūcayanmelarūpeṇāgre padena tu || 3 ||
(By and by) It (sā) became haunting (bahu), (and) as a Whisper of Secret (rahasya-ākhyāyinī…iva) It shined (rarāja…eva). Revealed (asūcayat) one day (asthā) that the first meeting (mela-rūpeṇa) (was) with a Word (padena…tu) in front of my eyes (sākṣiṇam). || 3 ||
धूर्षदा प्रचतोपादिश्यतोत्तरं दृशस्तथा ।
एतत्सत्यमशक्ता वीक्षितुं बोधाय तत्पदम् ॥४॥
Dhūrṣadā pracatopādiśyatottaraṃ dṛśastathā |
Etatsatyamaśaktā vīkṣituṃ bodhāya tatpadam || 4 ||
(These) eyes (dṛśaḥ) were daft (aśaktā) to see (vīkṣitum) Its Truth (etat-satyam), so (tathā) the Guide (dhūrṣadā) lectured (upādiśyata) on the sly (pracatā), (the lecture told the truth) that the Word (tat-padam) is an Answer (uttaram) awake to (inside) (bodhāya). || 4 ||
विपरीतदृशाद्वय्या नगोऽर्थीयं प्रतीतिमत् ।
ईदृगुत्तरमुन्मीलयत्येषा लिखितेषु गाम् ॥५॥
Viparītadṛśādvayyā nago'rthīyaṃ pratītimat |
Īdṛguttaramunmīlayatyeṣā likhiteṣu gām || 5 ||
The eyes found out (pratītimat) in scrolls (at length) (likhiteṣu): The (īdṛk) Answer’s (uttaram) not for the eyes (na-go-arthīyam), (then) It (eṣā) opened (unmīlayati) One (gām) for a pair of eyes is meant to see only lies (viparīta-dṛśā-dvayyā). || 5 ||
मत्वा सांदृष्टिकेन लिखितान्येते विकस्वरः ।
विरामयति च प्रश्नेनैतं प्रतिभदृष्टये ॥६॥
Matvā sāṁdṛṣṭikena likhitānyete vikasvaraḥ |
Virāmayati ca praśnenaitaṃ pratibhadṛṣṭaye || 6 ||
The Opened One (vikasvaraḥ) having learnt (matvā) the (ete) Scrolls (likhitāni), by the Question (praśnena) now recognized (sāṁdṛṣṭikena), rejects (virāmayati…ca) Itself (etam) (for the sake of Truth) to see the way of the Wise (pratibha-dṛṣṭaye). || 6 ||
अर्धयोगकृते स्वैरं पूर्वथागम्यतोत्तरम् ।
नचिरात्तु कथोद्रिक्तेतः प्रश्नसामसिद्धतः ॥७॥
Ardhayogakṛte svairaṃ pūrvathāgamyatottaram |
Nacirāttu kathodriktetaḥ praśnasāmasiddhataḥ || 7 ||
The Answer (uttaram) was that arrived (āgamyata) at first (pūrvathā) to unite with Its own (svairam) other side (ardha-yoga-kṛte), so the Question (praśnaḥ) finally (nacirāt…tu…itaḥ) found its rest (sāma-siddhataḥ) and left (udriktā) this true myth (behind) (kathā). || 7 ||
दयिता प्रमतिस्तस्य शिव इति वचोऽम्बुजः ।
एषेरहं क एवेति प्रश्नं त्वमन्तरोऽम्बरे ॥८॥
Dayitā pramatistasya śiva iti vaco'mbujaḥ |
Eṣerahaṃ ka eveti praśnaṃ tvamantaro'mbare || 8 ||
The Word (vacaḥ) was ‘Śiva’ (śivaḥ…iti), the Guide’s (pramatiḥ) His (tasya) Wife (dayitā) (, and) the Lotus (ambujaḥ) is truly nigh (antaraḥ), (and) the Question (praśnam) was “Who (kaḥ) am I (aham…eva…iti)?” and you (tvam) must seek (the same) (eṣeḥ) in the Sky (ambare). || 8 ||
॥इति दविद्दुर्वासःकृता देवीधामाष्टिका स्तुतिः॥
|| Iti daviddurvāsaḥkṛtā devīdhāmāṣṭikā stutiḥ ||
(This) is (iti) a hymn (stutiḥ) (called)
Devīdhāmāṣṭikā or
‘Eight verses on the Abode of the Goddess’ (devī-dhāma-āṣṭikā),
from David Durvāsāḥ (david-durvāsaḥ-kṛtā). ||
