Dashak 1 · Samāsa 7

Now I shall worship the poet-lords (kaveśvara) — the Īśvaras of the world of speech (śabda-sṛṣṭi); or else Parameśvara himself in the descent of Vedas (veda-avatāra).

Or this is the very abode (nija-sthāna) of Sarasvatī; or the life of many arts; or the true dwelling of many words.

Or the glory of human purpose (puruṣārtha); or the greatness of the Lord-of-the-world; through many skillful means, poets were created for the sake of great renown (sat-kīrti).

Or oceans of word-jewels (śabda-ratna); or open lakes of pearls (mukta); or rich mines (vairāgara) of many intellects — they came forth [from this source].

Or mines of spiritual treatises (adhyātma-grantha); or speaking wish-gems (cintāmaṇi); or the milk of many wish-cows (kāma-dhenu) — overflowing to the listeners.

Or the wish-trees of imagination (kalpanā-kalpataru); or the chief support of liberation (mokṣa-paḍībharu); or the many extensions of merger-unity (sāyojyatā-vistāra) — expanded forth.

Or the essential good (nija-svārtha) of the world-beyond (para-loka); or the hidden path (gupta-pantha) of the yogis; or the supreme purpose (paramārtha) of the jñānīs — having come into form.

Or the recognition-mark (khūṇa) of the untainted (nirañjana); or the identifying-sign (voḷakhaṇa) of the nirguṇa; the characteristic of what is distinct from māyā — these are the poets.

Or the inner essence (bhāva-garbha) of the śruti; or the unattainable gain (alabhya-lābha) of the Lord; or [the thing] that becomes easily accessible as the self-knowledge (nija-bodha) in the form of the poet.

The poet is the eye-ointment (añjana) of the seeker of liberation (mumukṣu); the poet is the discipline of sādhakas; the poet is the definite composure (samādhāna) of the realized (siddha).

The poet is the refuge (āśraya) of one's own dharma; the poet is the mind's mind-conquest (mano-jaya); the poet is the humility (vinaya) of the righteous — a producer of humility.

The poet is the protection of dispassion (vairāgya); the poet is the ornament of devotees; the many protections of dharma — these are the poets.

The poet is the loving state of the affectionate; the poet is the meditation-form of the meditators; the poet's wide fame (vāḍa-kīrti) spreads through worshippers.

The poet is the root of many disciplines; the poet is the fruit of many efforts; the sheer accomplishment of many tasks is by the poet's grace (prasāda).

First comes the poet's verbal play (vāg-vilāsa); then in listening, rasa wells up; by the poet's light of intellect (mati-prakāśa), poetry itself becomes possible.

The poet is the fitness of the learned; the poet is the authority of the powerful; the poet is the skill of the discerning (vicakṣaṇa) in many modes.

The poet is the composition of poetics (prabandha); the poet is the many styles, modes, and meters (dhāṭī, mudrā, chanda); the poet [negotiates] prose and verse, identity and difference — author of verbal composition.

The poet is the ornament of creation (sṛṣṭi-ālankāra); the poet is the adornment of Lakṣmī; the determination of all accomplishments — these are the poets.

The poet is the adornment of the assembly (sabhā-maṇḍana); the poet is the decoration of fortune (bhāgya-bhūṣaṇa); the protector of many happinesses — these are the poets.

The poet is the form-maker of the gods; the poet is the describer of the ṛṣis' greatness; the powers of many śāstras — the poets expound them.

Were there no activity of the poet, whence would the uplift of the world (jagad-uddhāra) come? Therefore the poets are the support (ādhāra) of all creation.

Many sciences, any sort of knowing-ness — without the poet-lords, they do not exist. From the poet comes all knowing (sarva-jñatā).

In the past, Vālmīki, Vyāsa and others — many poet-lords have arisen. From them, discernment (viveka) [came] to all people.

In earlier times poetic works were made; only therefore did learning (vyutpatti) come into being. By that, in the panditas, the highest fitness was ingrained.

Thus in the past, many great poet-lords arose; they exist now, and will arise in the future — salutation to them.

Images of manifold cleverness (cāturya); or else Bṛhaspati himself; the Vedas and śrutis say they are spoken by the mouths [of poets].

For the sake of benefit to others (paropakāra), many conclusions have been expounded; and at last they spoke in fullness, beyond doubt (samśaya-atīta).

Or clouds of nectar that have poured; or currents of the nine rasas (nava-rasa) that have rushed forth; or lakes of many joys, brimming over.

Or storehouses of the treasure of discernment (viveka-nidhi), manifest in human form; packed with the reasoning of many things.

Or the deposit (ṭhevaṇa) of the Primal Śakti, diminishing many objects; obtained through the merit of past accumulated karma (pūrva-sañcita) for the people of the world.

Or boats of joy that have set sail; poured with undying bliss (akṣaya ānanda); come to the use of the world's people for many applications (prayoga).

Or the wealth of the Nirañjana; or the yogic state of Virāṭ; or the fruit-declaration of devotion (bhakti-phala-śruti) that has come to fruition.

Or the prowess (pavāḍa) of Īśvara; when one looks, vaster than the sky; denser than the construction of the universe — such is poetic composition (kavi-prabandha-racanā).

Now enough of this reasoning. The poet-lords are the support of the world. To them my salutation, eight-limbed (sāṣṭānga) with feeling (bhāva).