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Translations Prose - The Complete Works of Swami Vivekanand - Vol - 4

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Volume 4


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Translation: Poems

  • To a Friend
  • The Hymn of Creation
  • The Hymn of Samadhi
  • A Hymn to the Divine Mother
  • A Hymn to Shiva
  • A Hymn to the Divinity of Shri Ramakrishna
  • And let Shyama Dance there"
  • A Song I Sing to Thee

  • TO A FRIEND

    ( Rendered from a Bengali poem composed by Swami Vivekananda)

    Where darkness is interpreted as light,

    Where misery passes for happiness,

    Where disease is pretended to be health,

    Where the new-born's cry but shows 'tis alive;

    Dost thou, O wise, expect happiness here ?

    Where war and competition ceaseless run,

    Even the father turns against the son,

    Where "self", "self" — this always the only note,

    Dost thou, O wise, seek for peace supreme here?

    A glaring mixture of heaven and hell,

    Who can fly from this Samsâr (Samsâra, the world) of Mâyâ?

    Fastened in the neck with Karma's fetters,

    Say, where can the slave escape for safety?

    The paths of Yoga and of sense-enjoyment,

    The life of the householder and Sannyâs,

    Devotion, worship, and earning riches,

    Vows, Tyâga, and austerities severe,

    I have seen through them all. What have I known?

    — Have known there's not a jot of happiness,

    Life is only a cup of Tantalus;

    The nobler is your heart, know for certain,

    The more must be your share of misery.

    Thou large-hearted Lover unselfish, know,

    There's no room in this sordid world for thee;

    Can a marble figure e'er brook the blow

    That an iron mass can afford to bear?

    Couldst thou be as one inert and abject,

    Honey-mouthed, but with poison in thy heart,

    Destitute of truth and worshipping self,

    Then thou wouldst have a place in this Samsar.

    Pledging even life for gaining knowledge,

    I have devoted half my days on earth;

    For the sake of love, even as one insane,

    I have often clutched at shadows lifeless;

    For religion, many creeds have I sought,

    Lived in mountain-caves, on cremation-grounds,

    By the Ganga and other sacred streams,

    And how many days have I passed on alms!

    Friendless, clad in rags, with no possession,

    Feeding from door to door on what chance would bring.

    The frame broken under Tapasyâ's (Of austerities) weight;

    What riches, ask thou, have I earned in life?

    Listen, friend, I will speak my heart to thee;

    I have found in my life this truth supreme —

    Buffeted by waves, in this whirl of life,

    There's one ferry that takes across the sea (The sea of Samsara)

    Formulas of worship, control of breath,

    Science, philosophy, systems varied,

    Relinquishment, possession, and the like,

    All these are but delusions of the mind —

    Love, Love — that's the one thing, the sole treasure.

    In Jiva and Brahman, in man and God,

    In ghosts, and wraiths, and spirits, and so forth,

    In Devas, beasts, birds, insects, and in worms,

    This Prema (love) dwells in the heart of them all.

    Say, who else is the highest God of gods?

    Say, who else moves all the universe?

    The mother dies for her young, robber robs —

    Both are but the impulse of the same Love!

    Beyond the ken of human speech and mind,

    It dwells in weal and woe; 'tis that which comes

    As the all-powerful, all-destroyer

    Kâli, and as the kindliest mother.

    Disease, bereavement, pinch of poverty,

    Dharma, (Virtue) and its opposite Adharma, (Vice)

    Are but ITS worship in manifold modes;

    Say, what does by himself a Jiva do?

    Deluded is he who happiness seeks,

    Lunatic he who misery wishes,

    Insane he too who fondly longs for death,

    Immortality — vain aspiration!

    For, far, however far you may travel,

    Mounted on the brilliant mental car,

    'Tis the same ocean of the Samsar,

    Happiness and misery whirling on.

    Listen O Vihangam, (Bird, here addressed to the bound soul) bereft of wings,

    'Tis not the way to make good your escape;

    Time and again you get blows, and collapse,

    Why then attempt what is impossible?

    Let go your vain reliance on knowledge,

    Let go your prayers, offerings, and strength,

    For Love selfless is the only resource;—

    Lo, the insects teach, embracing the flame'

    The base insect's blind, by beauty charmed,

    Thy soul is drunken with the wine of Love;

    O thou Lover true, cast into the fire

    All thy dross of self, thy mean selfishness.

    Say — comes happiness e'er to a beggar?

    What good being object of charity?

    Give away, ne'er turn to ask in return,

    Should there be the wealth treasured in thy heart.

    Ay, born heir to the Infinite thou art,

    Within the heart is the ocean of Love, "Give", "Give away" —

    whoever asks return,

    His ocean dwindles down to a mere drop.

    From highest Brahman to the yonder worm,

    And to the very minutest atom,

    Everywhere is the same God, the All-Love;

    Friend, offer mind, soul, body, at their feet.

    These are His manifold forms before thee,

    Rejecting them, where seekest thou for God?

    Who loves all beings without distinction,

    He indeed is worshipping best his God.


    THE HYMN OF CREATION

    ( Rendered from Bengali)

    One Mass, devoid of form, name, and colour,

    Timeless, devoid of time past and future,

    Spaceless, voiceless, boundless, devoid of all —

    Where rests hushed even speech of negation. ("Neti, Neti", "Not this, not this."

    Brahman cannot be described in any positive way.)

    From thence, down floweth the river causal,

    Wearing the form of desire radiant,

    Its heaving waters angrily roaring

    The constant roar, "I am", "I am".

    In that ocean of desire limitless,

    Appear shining waves, countless, infinite,

    Oh, of what power manifold they are,

    Of what forms myriad, of what repose,

    Of what movements varied, who can reckon?

    Millions of moons, millions of suns,

    Taking their birth in that very ocean,

    Rushing headlong with din tumultuous,

    Overspread the whole firmament, drowning

    The points of heaven in light effulgent.

    In it arise and reside what beings,

    Quick with life, dull, and lifeless — unnumbered,

    And pleasure and pain, disease, birth, and death!

    Verily, the Sun is He, His the ray,

    Nay, the Sun is He, and He is the ray.


    THE HYMN OF SAMADHI

    ( Rendered from Bengali)

    Lo! The sun is not, nor the comely moon,

    All light extinct; in the great void of space

    Floats shadow-like the image-universe.

    In the void of mind involute, there floats

    The fleeting universe, rises and floats,

    Sinks again, ceaseless, in the current "I".

    Slowly, slowly, the shadow-multitude

    Entered the primal womb, and flowed ceaseless,

    The only current, the "I am", "I am".

    Lo! 'Tis stopped, ev'n that current flows no more,

    Void merged into void — beyond speech and mind!

    Whose heart understands, he verily does.


    A HYMN TO THE DIVINE MOTHER

    O Thou most beautiful! Whose holy hands

    Hold pleasure and hold pain! Doer of good!

    Who art Thou? The water of existence

    By Thee is whirled and tossed in mighty waves.

    Is it, O Mother, to restore again

    This universe's broken harmony

    That Thou, without cessation, art at work?

    Oh! May the Mother of the universe —

    In whose activity no respite rests,

    Incessantly distributing the fruits

    Of action done, guiding unceasingly

    All action yet to come — bestow Her boon

    Of blessing on me, Her child, for evermore.

    I realise, I know, that it is Thou

    Who boldest in Thy hands dread Karma's rope.


    Is it inherent nature? Something uncreate?

    Or Destiny? Some unforeseen result? —

    Who lacking nothing, is accountable,

    Whose chain of will, untrammelled, grasps the laws,

    May She, the Primal Guide, my shelter be!

    Manifestations of Her glory show

    In power of immeasurable might,

    Throughout the universe, powers that swell

    The sea of birth and death, forces that change

    And break up the Unchanged and changed again.

    Lo! Where shall we seek refuge, save in Her?

    To friend and foe Thy lotus-eyes are even;

    Ever Thine animating touch brings fruit

    To fortunate and unfortunate alike;

    The shade of death and immortality —

    Both these, O mother, are Thy grace Supreme!

    Mother Supreme! Oh, may Thy gracious face

    Never be turned away from me, Thy child!


    What Thou art, the Mother! the All. How praise?

    My understanding is so little worth.

    'Twere like desire to seize with hands of mine

    The sole Supporter of the universe!

    So, at Thy blessed feet — contemplated

    By the Goddess of Fortune Herself — the abode

    Of fearlessness, worshipped by service true —

    There, at those blessed feet, I take refuge!


    She who, since birth, has ever led me on

    Through paths of trouble to perfection's goal,

    Mother-wise, in Her own sweet playful ways,

    She, who has always through my life inspired

    My understanding, She, my Mother, She,

    The All, is my resort, whether my work

    O'erdow with full fruition or with none.


    A HYMN TO SHIVA

    Salutation to Shiva! whose glory

    Is immeasurable, who resembles sky

    In clearness, to whom are attributed

    The phenomena of all creation,

    The preservation and dissolution

    Of the universe! May the devotion,

    The burning devotion of this my life

    Attach itself to Him, to Shiva, who,

    While being Lord of all, transcends Himself.


    In whom Lordship is ever established,

    Who causes annihilation of delusion,

    Whose most surpassing love, made manifest,

    Has crowned Him with a name above all names,

    The name of "Mahâdeva", the Great God!

    Whose warm embrace, of Love personified,

    Displays, within man's heart, that all power

    Is but a semblance and a passing show,

    In which the tempest of the whole past blows,

    Past Samskâras, (The accumulated effects of past desires and actions) stirring the energies

    With violence, like water lashed to waves;

    In which the dual consciousness of "I" and "Thou" Plays on: I salute that

    mind unstable,

    Centred in Shiva, the abode of calm!

    Where the ideas of parent and produced,

    Purified thoughts and endless varied forms,

    Merge in the Real one; where the existence ends

    Of such conceptions as "within", "without" —

    The wind of modification being stilled —

    That Hara I worship, the suppression

    Of movements of the mind. Shiva I hail;


    From whom all gloom and darkness have dispersed

    That radiant Light, white, beautiful

    As bloom of lotus white is beautiful;

    Whose laughter loud sheds knowledge luminous;

    Who, by undivided meditation, Is realised in the self-controlled heart:

    May that Lordly Swan of the limpid lake

    Of my mind, guard me, prostrate before Him!

    Him, the Master-remover of evil,

    Who wipes the dark stain of this Iron Age;

    Whom Daksha's Daughter gave Her coveted hand;

    Who, like the charming water-lily white,

    Is beautiful; who is ready ever

    To part with life for others' good, whose gaze

    Is on the humble fixed; whose neck is blue (Nilkantha, a name of Shiva)

    With the poison (The all-destructive evil) swallowed:

    Him, we salute!


    A HYMN TO THE DIVINITY OF SHRI RAMAKRISHNA

    ( Rendered from Bengali)

    We salute Thee!

    Lord! Adored of the world,

    Samsâra's bondage breaker, taintless Thou,

    Embodiment of blessed qualities,

    Thou transcendest all Gunas: human form

    Thus bearest.

    Thee we salute and adore!

    Refuge of mind and speech, Thou art beyond

    The reach of either. Radiance art Thou

    In all radiance that is. The heart's cave

    Is by Thy visitance resplendent made.

    Verily Thou art that which dispelleth

    The densest darkness of Tamas in man.

    Lo! In variety of melody

    Forth-breaking in fine harmony most sweet,

    Hymns of Thy devotees, accompanied

    By Mridanga (A kind of drum) playing with music's grace,

    Fill the air, in evening worship to Thee.

    One glancing vision at Thine eyes divine

    Cleared by the collyrium of Jnâna

    Defies delusion. O thou blotter-out

    Of all the taints of sin, Intelligence

    Pure, unmingled is Thy form. Of the world

    Thou art embellisher. Self-luminous

    Art Thou. O Ocean of feeling sublime,

    And of Love Divine, O God-maddened One,

    Devotees win Thy blessed feet and cross

    Safely the swelling sea of Samsara.

    O Lord of the world, though Thy Yoga power

    Thou shinest as the Incarnation clear

    Of this our time. O thou of strict restraint,

    Only through Thine unstinted grace we see

    The mind in Samâdhi completely merged;

    Mercy Incarnate! austere are Thy deeds.

    Thou dealest to the evil of Misery

    Destruction. Kali's (Of the Iron Age) binding cords

    Are cut by Thee asunder. Thine own life

    Thou gavest freely, O sweet Sacrifice,

    O best of men! O Saviour of the world!

    Devoid wert Thou of the idea of sex,

    Thought of possession charmed Thee not. To Thee

    Obnoxious was all pleasure. Give to us,

    O greatest among Tyâgis, (Renouncers) love intense

    Unto Thy sacred feet; give, he implore!

    Fearless art Thou, and past all gloom of doubt;

    Thy mind is wrapt in its own firm resolve;

    Thy lovers, whose devotion mounts above

    The realm of reason, who renounce the pride

    Of caste and parentage, of name and fame —

    Their safe refuge art Thou alone, O Lord!

    My one true treasure is Thy blessed feet,

    Reaching which the whole universe itself

    Seems like a puddle in the hollow made

    By hoof of passing cow.

    O offering

    To Love! O Seer of equality

    In all! O verily, in Thee the pain

    And evil of this mortal world escapes,

    And vanishes, O cherished One.


    "AND LET SHYAMA DANCE THERE"

    ( Rendered from Bengali)

    Beaut'ous blossoms ravishing with perfume,

    Swarms of maddened bees buzzing all around;

    The silver moon — a shower of sweet smile,

    Which all the dwellers of heaven above

    Shed lavishly upon the homes of earth;

    The soft Malaya (A fabulous Sandal-wood mountain in the South.

    Hence, Malaya breeze means a fragrant breeze from the South.)

    breeze, whose magic touch Opens to view distant memory's folds;

    Murmuring rivers and brooks, rippling lakes

    With restless Bhramaras (A beetle somewhat like a humble-bee,

    which lives solely on honey.) wheeling over

    Gently waving lotuses unnumbered;

    Foaming flow cascades — a streaming music —

    To which echo mountain caves in return;

    Warblers, full of sweet-flowing melody,

    Hidden in leaves, pour hearts out — love discourse;

    The rising orb of day, the painter divine,

    With his golden brush but lightly touches

    The canvas earth and a wealth of colours

    Floods at once o'er the bosom of nature,

    — Truly a museum of lovely hues —

    Waking up a whole sea of sentiments.

    The roll of thunder, the crashing of clouds,

    War of elements spreading earth and sky;

    Darkness vomiting forth blinding darkness,

    The Pralaya (The time of cosmic destruction) wind angrily roaring;

    In quick bursts of dazzling splendour flashes

    Blood-red terrific lightning, dealing death;

    Monster waves roaring like thunder, foaming,

    Rush impetuous to leap mountain peaks;

    The earth booms furious, reels and totters,

    Sinks down to its ruin, hurled from its place;

    Piercing the ground, stream forth tremendous flames.

    Mighty ranges blow up into atoms.

    A lovely villa, on a lake of blue —

    Festooned with dusters of water-lilies;

    The heart-blood of ripe grapes capped with white foam

    Whispering softly tells tale of passion;

    The melody of the harp floods the ears,

    And by its air, time, and harmony rich,

    Enhances desire in the breast of man;

    What stirring of emotions! How many

    Hot sighs of Love! And warm tears coursing down!

    The Bimba-red (A kind of fruit of a rich red colour) lips of the youthful fair,

    The two blue eyes — two oceans of feelings;

    The two hands eager to advance — love's cage —

    In which the heart, like a bird, lies captive.

    The martial music bursts, the trumpets blow,

    The ground shakes under the warriors' tread;

    The roar of cannon, the rattle of guns,

    Volumes of smoke, the gruesome battlefield,

    The thundering artillery vomits fire

    In thousand directions; shells burst and strike

    Vital parts of the body; elephants

    And horses mounted are blown up in space;

    The earth trembles under this infernal dance;

    A million heroes mounted on steeds

    Charge and capture the enemy's ordnance,

    Piercing through the smoke and shower of shells

    And rain of bullets; forward goes the flag,

    The emblem of victory, of heroism

    With the blood, yet hot, streaming down the staff,

    Followed by the rifles, drunk with war-spirit;

    Lo! the ensign falls, but the flag proceeds

    Onwards on the shoulder of another;

    Under his feet swell heaps of warriors

    Perished in battle; but he falters not.

    The flesh hankers for contacts of pleasure,

    The senses for enchanting strains of song,

    The mind hungers for peals of laughter sweet,

    The heart pants to reach realms beyond sorrow;

    Say, who cares exchange the soothing moonlight

    For the burning rays of the noontide sun?

    The wretch whose heart is like the scorching sun,

    — Even he fondly loves the balmy moon;

    Indeed, all thirst for joy. Breathes there the wretch

    Who hugs pain and sorrow to his bosom?

    Misery in his cup of happiness,

    Deadly venom in his drink of nectar,

    Poison in his throat — yet he clings to hope!

    Lo! how all are scared by the Terrific,

    None seek Elokeshi (She with untied hair, a name of Kâli, the Divine

    Mother) whose form is Death.

    The deadly frightful sword, reeking with blood,

    They take from Her hand, and put a lute instead!

    Thou dreaded Kâli, the All-destroyer,

    Thou alone art true; Thy shadow's shadow

    Is indeed the pleasant Vanamâli. (Literally, he who is garlanded

    with wild flowers.

    The Shepherd Krishna in His aspect of youthful sport.)

    O Terrible Mother, cut quick the core,

    Illusion dispel — the dream of happiness,

    Rend asunder the fondness for the flesh.

    True, they garland Thee with skulls, but shrink back

    In fright and call Thee, "O All-merciful!"

    At Thy thunder peal of awful laughter,

    At Thy nudeness — for space is thy garment —

    Their hearts sink down with terror, but they say,

    "It is the demons that the Mother kills!"

    They only pretend they wish to see Thee,

    But when the time comes, at Thy sight they flee.

    Thou art Death! To each and all in the world

    Thou distributes" the plague and disease

    — Vessels of venom filled by Thine own hands.

    O thou insane! Thou but cheatest thyself,

    Thou cost not turn thy head lest thou behold.

    Ay, the form terrible of the Mother.

    Thou courtest hardship hoping happiness,

    Thou wearest cloak of Bhakti and worship,

    With mind full of achieving selfish ends.

    The blood from the severed head of a kid

    Fills thee with fear — thy heart throbs at the sight —

    Verily a coward! Compassionate? (The idea is that the brave

    alone can be compassionate, and not the coward.) Bless my soul!

    A strange state of things indeed!

    To whom shall I tell the truth? — Who will see?

    Free thyself from the mighty attraction —

    The maddening wine of love, the charm of sex.

    Break the harp! Forward, with the ocean's cry!

    Drink tears, pledge even life — let the body fall.

    Awake, O hero! Shake off thy vain dreams,

    Death stands at thy head — does fear become thee?

    A load of misery, true though it is — This Becoming (The wheel of

    constant birth and death, hence the world.) — know this to be thy God!

    His temple — the Shmashân (The cremation-ground.) among

    corpses And funeral pyres; unending battle —

    That verily is His sacred worship; Constant defeat — let that not unnerve thee;

    Shattered be little self, hope, name, and fame;

    Set up a pyre of them and make thy heart

    A burning-ground.

    And let Shyâmâ (The Dark One, Kali.) dance there.


    A SONG I SING TO THEE

    ( Rendered from Bengali)

    A song I sing. A song I sing to Thee!

    Nor care I for men's comments, good or bad.

    Censure or praise I hold of no account.

    Servant am I, true servant of Thee Both (Purusha and Prakriti together.),

    Low at Thy feet, with Shakti, I salute!

    Thou standest steadfast, ever at my back,

    Hence when I turn me round, I see Thy face,

    Thy smiling face. Therefore I sing again

    And yet again. Therefore I fear no fear;

    For birth and death lie prostrate at my feet.

    Thy servant am I through birth after birth,

    Sea of mercy, inscrutable Thy ways;

    So is my destiny inscrutable;

    It is unknown; nor would I wish to know.

    Bhakti, Mukti, Japa, Tapas, all these,

    Enjoyment, worship, and devotion too —

    These things and all things similar to these,

    I have expelled at Thy supreme command.

    But only one desire is left in me —

    An intimacy with Thee, mutual!

    Take me, O Lord across to Thee;

    Let no desire's dividing line prevent.

    The eye looks out upon the universe,

    Nor does it seek to look upon itself;

    Why should it? It sees itself in others.

    Thou art my eyes! Thou and Thou alone;

    For every living temple shrines Thy face.

    Like to the playing of a little child

    Is every attitude of mine toward Thee.

    Even, at times, I dare be angered with Thee;

    Even, at times, I'd wander far away: —

    Yet there, in greyest gloom of darkest night,

    Yet there, with speechless mouth and tearful eyes,

    Thou standest fronting me, and Thy sweet Face

    Stoops down with loving look on face of mine.

    Then, instantly, I turn me back to Thee,

    And at Thy feet I fall on bended knees.

    I crave no pardon at Thy gentle hands,

    For Thou art never angry with Thy son.

    Who else with all my foolish freaks would bear?

    Thou art my Master! Thou my soul's real mate.

    Many a time I see Thee — I am Thee!

    Ay, I am Thee, and Thou, my Lord, art me!

    Thou art within my speech. Within my throat

    Art Thou, as Vinâpâni, (Goddess of learning) learned, wise.

    On the flow of Thy current and its force

    Humanity is carried as Thou wilt.

    The thunder of Thy Voice is borne upon the boom

    Of crashing waves, of over-leaping seas;

    The sun and moon give utterance to Thy Voice;

    Thy conversation, in the gentle breeze

    Makes itself heard in truth, in very truth,

    True! True! And yet, the while, these gross precepts

    Give not the message of the Higher Truth

    Known to the knower!

    Lo! The sun, the moon,

    The moving planets and the shining stars,

    Spheres of abode by myriads in the skies,

    The comet swift, the glimmering lightning-flash,

    The firmament, expanded, infinite —

    These all, observant watchful eyes behold,

    Anger, desire, greed, Moha, (delusion) and the rest (Such as pride and malice, the sixfold evil),

    Whence issues forth the waving of the play

    Of this existence; the home wherein dwells

    Knowledge, and non-knowledge — whose centre is

    The feeling of small self, the "Aham!" "Aham!"

    Full of the dual sense of pleasure and of pain,

    Teeming with birth and life, decay and death,

    Whose arms are "The External" and "The Internal", All things that are,

    down to the ocean's depths,

    Up to sun, moon, and stars in spanless space —

    The Mind, the Buddhi, Chitta, Ahamkâr,

    The Deva, Yaksha, man and demon, all,

    The quadruped, the bird, the worm, all insect life,

    The atom and its compound, all that is,

    Animate and inanimate, all, all —

    The Internal and the External — dwell

    In that one common plane of existence!

    This outward presentation is of order gross,

    As hair on human brow, Ay! very gross.

    On the spurs of the massive Mount Meru (The name of a fabulous

    mountain round which the planed are said to revolve.)

    The everlasting snowy ranges lie,

    Extending miles and miles beyond more miles.

    Piercing through clouds into the sky above

    Its peaks thrust up in hundreds, glorious,

    Brilliantly glistening, countless, snowy-white:

    Flash upon flash of vivid lightning fleet,

    The sun, high in his northern solstice hung,

    With force of thousand rays concentrating,

    Pours down upon the mountain floods of heat,

    Furious as a billion thunderbolts,

    From peak to peak.

    Behold! The radiant sun

    Swoons, as it were, in each. Then melts

    The massive mountain with its crested peaks!

    Down, down, it falls, with a horrific crash!

    Water with water lies commingled now,

    And all has passed like to a passing dream.

    When all the many movements of the mind

    Are, by Thy grace, made one, and unified,

    The light of that unfoldment is so great

    That, in its splendour, it surpasses far

    The brilliance of ten thousand rising suns.

    Then, sooth, the sun of Chit (Knowledge) reveals itself.

    And melt away the sun and moon and stars,

    High heaven above, the nether worlds, and all!

    This universe seems but a tiny pool

    Held in a hollow caused by some cow's hoof.

    This is the reaching of the region which

    Beyond the plane of the External lies.

    Calmed are the clamours of the urgent flesh,

    The tumult of the boastful mind is hushed,

    Cords of the heart are loosened and set free,

    Unfastened are the bandages that bind,

    Attachment and delusion are no more!

    Ay! There sounds sonorous the Sound

    Void of vibration. Verily! Thy Voice!

    Hearing that Voice, Thy servant, reverently,

    Stands ever ready to fulfil Thy work.

    "I exist. When, at Pralaya time

    This wondrous universe is swallowed up;

    Knowledge, the knower and the known, dissolved;

    The world no more distinguishable, now,

    No more conceivable; when sun and moon

    And all the outspent stars, remain no more —

    Then is the state of Mahâ-Nirvâna,

    When action, act, and actor, are no more,

    When instrumentality is no more;

    Great darkness veils the bosom of the dark —

    There I am present.

    "I am present! At Pralaya time,

    When this vast universe is swallowed up,

    Knowledge, and knower, and the known

    Merged into one.

    The universe no more

    Can be distinguished or can be conceived

    By intellect. The sun and moon and stars are not.

    Over the bosom of the darkness, darkness moves

    Intense Devoid of all the threefold bonds,

    Remains the universe. Gunas are calmed

    Of all distinctions. Everything deluged

    In one homogeneous mass, subtle,

    Pure, of atom-form, indivisible —

    There I am present.

    "Once again, I unfold Myself — that 'I';

    Of My 'Shakti' the first great change is Om;

    The Primal Voice rings through the void;

    Infinite Space hears that great vibrant sound.

    The group of Primal Causes shakes off sleep,

    New life revives atoms interminable;

    Cosmic existence heaves and whirls and sways,

    Dances and gyrates, moves towards the core,

    From distances immeasurably far.

    The animate Wind arouses rings of Waves

    Over the Ocean of great Elements;

    Stirring, falling, surging, that vast range of Waves

    Rushes with lightning fury. Fragments thrown

    By force of royal resistance through the path

    Of space, rush, endless, in the form of spheres

    Celestial, numberless. Planets and stars

    Speed swift; and man' abode, the earth revolves.

    "At the Beginning, I the Omniscient One,

    I am! The moving and the un-moving,

    All this Creation comes into being

    By the unfoldment of My power supreme.

    I play with My own Maya, My Power Divine.

    The One, I become the many, to behold

    My own Form.

    "At the Beginning, I, the Omniscient One,

    I am! The moving and the un-moving,

    All this Creation comes into being

    By the unfoldment of My power supreme.

    Perforce of My command, the wild storm blows

    On the face of the earth; clouds clash and roar;

    The flash of lightning startles and rebounds;

    Softly and gently the Malaya breeze

    Flows in and out like calm, unruffled breath;

    The moon's rays pour their cooling current forth;

    The earth's bare body in fair garb is clothed,

    Of trees and creepers multitudinous;

    And the flower abloom lifts her happy face,

    Washed with drops of dew, towards the sun."