brahma ha devebhyo vijigye tasya ha brahmaṇo vijaye devā amahīyanta || 1||
Brahman once achieved a victory for the sake of the gods, and in that victory of Brahman, the gods grew arrogant, thinking the glory was theirs alone.
ta aikṣantāsmākamevāyaṃ-vi~jayo-'smākamevāya-mmahimeti | taddhaiṣāṃ-vi~jajñau tebhyo ha prādurbabhūva tanna vyajānata kimidaṃ-ya~kṣamiti || 2||
They thought, "This victory is ours, and this glory is ours." Brahman, knowing this, appeared before them; but they did not recognize what this mysterious Being was.
te-'gnimabruvañjātaveda etadvijānīhi kimidaṃ-ya~kṣamiti tatheti || 3||
They said to Agni, "O Jataveda, go and find out what this mysterious Being is." He replied, "So be it."
tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko-'sītyagnirvā ahamasmītyabravījjātavedā vā ahamasmīti || 4||
He rushed toward It, and the Being asked him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am Agni, known as Jataveda."
tasminstvayi kiṃ-vī~ryamityapīdaṃ sarva-ndaheyaṃ-ya~dida-mpṛthivyāmiti || 5||
The Being asked, "What power resides in you?" Agni replied, "I can burn everything whatsoever that exists on this earth."
tasmai tṛṇa-nnidadhāvetaddaheti | tadupapreyāya sarvajavena tanna śaśāka dagdhuṃ sa tata eva nivavṛte naitadaśakaṃ-vi~jñātuṃ-ya~detadyakṣamiti || 6||
The Being placed a straw before him and said, "Burn this." Agni rushed at it with all his might, but could not burn it. He returned from there and said, "I could not discover what this mysterious Being is."
atha vāyumabruvanvāyavetadvijānīhi kimetadyakṣamiti tatheti || 7||
Then they said to Vayu, "O Vayu, go and find out what this mysterious Being is." He replied, "So be it."
tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko-'sīti vāyurvā ahamasmītyabravīnmātariśvā vā ahamasmīti || 8||
He rushed toward It, and the Being asked him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am Vayu, known as Matarishvan."
tasminstvayi kiṃ-vī~ryamityapīdaṃ sarvamādadīya yadida-mpṛthivyāmiti || 9||
The Being asked, "What power resides in you?" Vayu replied, "I can blow away everything whatsoever that exists on this earth."
tasmai tṛṇa-nnidadhāvetadādatsveti tadupapreyāya sarvajavena tanna śaśākādātuṃ sa tata eva nivavṛte naitadaśakaṃ-vi~jñātuṃ-ya~detadyakṣamiti || 10||
The Being placed a straw before him and said, "Take this up." Vayu rushed at it with all his might, but could not move it. He returned from there and said, "I could not discover what this mysterious Being is."
athendramabruvanmaghavannetadvijānīhi kimetadyakṣamiti tatheti tadabhyadravattasmāttirodadhe || 11||
Then the gods said to Indra, "O Maghavan, ascertain what this mysterious being is." He agreed and rushed toward it, but the being vanished from his sight.
sa tasminnevākāśe striyamājagāma bahuśobhamānāmumāṃ haimavatī-ntāgṃhovāca kimetadyakṣamiti || 12||
In that very space, he encountered a woman of radiant beauty, Uma, the daughter of Himavat. He asked her, "What is this mysterious being?"
|| iti kenopaniṣadi tṛtīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||
