Verse 236-239 [Bhadrakāli, Rudrakāli and Kālakāli]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English commentary of verse 236-239:

शाश्वतप्रसरया चिदर्चिषा दीपिताखिलहृषीकमार्गया ।
अर्थपञ्चकमिदं त्वया जगद् भद्रमम्ब गमितं तवान्तरम् ॥ २३६ ॥
वासना स्थितिमयी भवास्पदा त्वं नियोज्य कृतविश्वसंहृता ।
त्वद्भ्रुवा कुटिलया शिवे क्षणात् संहृतः खलु भवः सवासनः ॥ २३७ ॥
कुर्वती जननि सृष्टिचित्रतां या कला भ्रमति वेद्यमण्डले ।
ब्रूहि सा तव कलोन्मुखी यदा त्वं क्रियोत्कुटिलयात्त्यमू तदा ॥ २३८ ॥
उन्मिषन्निमिषदर्कविम्बयाऽनन्तयाम्ब परमार्थमध्यतः ।
अग्निमूर्तिरिह सृज्यते त्वया भक्ष्यतेऽपि च सकृत्प्रभातया ॥ २३९ ॥

śāśvataprasarayā cidarciṣā dīpitākhilahṛṣīkamārgayā |
arthapañcakamidaṃ tvayā jagad bhadramamba gamitaṃ tavāntaram || 236 ||
vāsanā sthitimayī bhavāspadā tvaṃ niyojya kṛtaviśvasaṃhṛtā |
tvadbhruvā kuṭilayā śive kṣaṇāt saṃhṛtaḥ khalu bhavaḥ savāsanaḥ || 237 ||
kurvatī janani sṛṣṭicitratāṃ yā kalā bhramati vedyamaṇḍale |
brūhi sā tava kalonmukhī yadā tvaṃ kriyotkuṭilayāttyamū tadā || 238 ||
unmiṣannimiṣadarkavimbayā'nantayāmba paramārthamadhyataḥ |
agnimūrtiriha sṛjyate tvayā bhakṣyate'pi ca sakṛtprabhātayā || 239 ||

Comparative analysis of commentaries and excerpts in English:

Bhadrakāli

Retinue of Citśakti relentlessly flooding the manifestation as Prāṇā and Jñāna and Karmendriyas, is capable of grasping specific cognition only. This external cognition of Jagat is redirected by Bhadrakāli, in the retracing path to project the same in the Inner-self^[1].

Rudrakāli

Vāsanās are the form of precept and prohibition, which establish in the Sthiti state of Jagat. They limit the Self and induce the created beings to observe the good and evil acts. Rudrakāli by knitting of her eyebrows, swallows the entire manifestion in a second, along with the Vāsanās which cause the creation^[2].

Kālakāli

Jagat, which is the object of knowledge, holding the multitude of living and non-living beings, is pervaded by Śakti in immanent aspect. When it is decided to return the gaze towards the origin, then Kālakāli with her knitted brows, destroys the entire manifestation by giving the right knowledge about the origin of the entire picture.

Notes and Sanskrit references:

[1] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 162-163 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 237.—

rudrakālīkṛtatvaṃ viveke 'pi śrīkramasadbhāvadhṛtapadyoddhāreṇa, yathā- idaṃ sarvamasarvaṃ yat saṃhārantaṃ tu nityaśaḥ | kuṭilekṣaṇarekhāntagrastamastamitaṃ ca yat | tato bodharasāviṣṭā spandamānā nirākulā | dīdhitīnāṃ sahasraṃ yadvamecca pibate bhṛśam || sā kalā līyate yasyāṃ rudrakālīti sā smṛtā | śrīpañcaśatike tu bhadrakālīnāmnā'syāḥ smaraṇam | nāmabhede'pi vastuni na kaścidbhedaḥ | yathoktaṃ tatra-gamāgamasugamyasthā mahābodhāvalokinī | māyāmalavinirmuktā vijñānāmṛtanandinī || sarvalokasya kalyāṇī rudrā rudrasukhapradā | yatraiva śāmyati kalā ruda kālīti sā smṛtā || bhedasya drāvaṇādbhadrā bhadrasiddhikarīti yā |

[2] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 163-164 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 239.—

paramārthāvalagnatayaiva sūryo'pi prakāśate | taduktam—“na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakam” ityādyupakramya “tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti” iti ||