Critical Edition
नारद उवाच इदं रसातलं नाम सप्तमं पृथिवीतलम् यत्रास्ते सुरभिर्माता गवाममृतसंभवा
M. N. Dutt: Narada said The name of this (region) is Rasatala which is the seventh region in the nether regions of the earth, where lives Surabhi, the mother of cows, who was born out of nectar.
क्षरन्ती सततं क्षीरं पृथिवीसारसंभवम् षण्णां रसानां सारेण रसमेकमनुत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: She always distills milk which is produced from the essence of earthly things-which is of the one taste, having nothing superior to it, constituted of the essence of the six different tastes.
अमृतेनाभितृप्तस्य सारमुद्गिरतः पुरा पितामहस्य वदनादुदतिष्ठदनिन्दिता
M. N. Dutt: Surabhi, having no defect, herself rose from the mouth of the Grandfather, who satiated with nectar, was in days of old, vomiting the essence of all things.
यस्याः क्षीरस्य धाराया निपतन्त्या महीतले ह्रदः कृतः क्षीरनिधिः पवित्रं परमुत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: One stream, even of whose milk, having fallen on the face of the earth made a lake which is called the excellent and holy sea-milk.
पुष्पितस्येव फेनस्य पर्यन्तमनुवेष्टितम् पिबन्तो निवसन्त्यत्र फेनपा मुनिसत्तमाः
M. N. Dutt: The limit of the sea is surrounded by foam which looks like flowers and here live those best among Munis-the drinkers of foam, drinking it.
फेनपा नाम नाम्ना ते फेनाहाराश्च मातले उग्रे तपसि वर्तन्ते येषां बिभ्यति देवताः
M. N. Dutt: They are known as drinkers of foam, O Matali, who practice austere asceticism and of whom the gods are afraid.
अस्याश्चतस्रो धेन्वोऽन्या दिक्षु सर्वासु मातले निवसन्ति दिशापाल्यो धारयन्त्यो दिशः स्मृताः
M. N. Dutt: She has got four calves, O Matali which are in the several cardinal points for they bear the load of these points.
पूर्वां दिशं धारयते सुरूपा नाम सौरभी दक्षिणां हंसका नाम धारयत्यपरां दिशम्
M. N. Dutt: The child of Surabhi, named Surupa supports the eastern point and the one named Hansika supports another point-the south.
पश्चिमा वारुणी दिक्च धार्यते वै सुभद्रया महानुभावया नित्यं मातले विश्वरूपया
M. N. Dutt: The western point, under the protection of Varuna, is supported by Subhadra who is ever of a great nature and of a universal foam.
सर्वकामदुघा नाम धेनुर्धारयते दिशम् उत्तरां मातले धर्म्यां तथैलविलसंज्ञिताम्
M. N. Dutt: The cow, named Sarvakamadugha, supports another point, O Matali, which is the direction in which virtue rules and so named after Kubera the God of wealth.
आसां तु पयसा मिश्रं पयो निर्मथ्य सागरे मन्थानं मन्दरं कृत्वा देवैरसुरसंहितैः
AI Translation: Having churned the ocean with the milk of these, and having made Mandara the churning rod, the gods and demons together,
उद्धृता वारुणी लक्ष्मीरमृतं चापि मातले उच्चैःश्रवाश्चाश्वराजो मणिरत्नं च कौस्तुभम्
AI Translation: The Varuni Lakshmi was lifted up, and also the nectar, O Matale, And the king of horses, Ucchaihsravas, and the jewel, the Kaustubha.
सुधाहारेषु च सुधां स्वधाभोजिषु च स्वधाम् अमृतं चामृताशेषु सुरभिः क्षरते पयः
M. N. Dutt: Surabhi yields milk that is Sudha to those that live on Sudha and Svadha to those who subsist on Svadha and Amrita to those who feed on Amrita.
अत्र गाथा पुरा गीता रसातलनिवासिभिः पौराणी श्रूयते लोके गीयते या मनीषिभिः
M. N. Dutt: The song, that was sung here in days of old by the inhabitants of Rasatala, is still heard to be sung in this world by wise men.
न नागलोके न स्वर्गे न विमाने त्रिविष्टपे परिवासः सुखस्तादृग्रसातलतले यथा
M. N. Dutt: "Neither in the region of the Nagas, nor in Svarga, nor in Vimana, nor in Trivistapa (all names for heaven) is residence so happy as in the nether regions."