Verse 10

Tripura

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

त्रिविष्टपं त्रिमुखं विश्वमातुर्नवरेखाः स्वरमध्यं तदीले । पुरं हन्त्रीमुखं विश्वमातू रवे रेखा स्वरमध्यं तदेषा । बृहत्तिथिर्दशा पञ्चादि नित्या सा षोडशी पुरमध्यं बिभर्ति ॥१०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

त्रि-विष्टपम् । त्रि-मुखम् । विश्व-मातुः । नव-रेखाः । स्वर-मध्यम् । तत् । ईले । पुरम् । हन्त्री-मुखम् । विश्व-मातुः । रवे । रेखाः । स्वर-मध्यम् । तत् । एषा । बृहत्-तिथिः । दशा । पञ्च-आदि । नित्या । सा । षोडशी । पुर-मध्यम् । बिभर्ति ।

IAST Transliteration

triviṣṭapaṃ trimukhaṃ viśvamātur navarekhāḥ svaramadhyaṃ tadīle | puraṃ hantrīmukhaṃ viśvamātū rave rekhā svaramadhyaṃ tadeṣā | bṛhattithiḥ daśā pañcādi nityā sā ṣoḍaśī puramadhyaṃ bibharti ||10||

Translation

I praise Tripurā: the heaven of the three worlds, three-faced, the Mother of the universe, with nine lines, whose center is the “svara” (the central point/sound). This is the City (pura) with the face of the slayer of impurities, the Mother of the universe; in the “rava” (resonance) are the lines, and its center is the “svara.” She, the Eternal One, beginning with the fifteen Nityās—the great lunar day (tithi)—the sixteenth, bears the center of the City.

Academic Translation

I praise that (Tripurā), the heaven of three (worlds), three-faced, the Mother of the universe, having nine lines, whose center is the ‘svara’ (the central point/sound). This is the city (pura) with the face of the slayer (of impurities), the Mother of the universe; in the ‘rava’ (resonance) are the lines; its center is the ‘svara’. She, the eternal one beginning with the fifteen (nityās), the great lunar day (tithi), the sixteenth, bears the center of the city.

Verse Context

• Śakti as Brahman (Tripurā/Śrīvidyā), nāda-bindu (sound-point) as the center of realization
• Mahavakya: Implicitly supports ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’/‘Tat tvam asi’ by identifying the central bindu (svaramadhya) with the ultimate reality realized inwardly; not a direct mahāvākya citation.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose / mixed tantric-upaniṣadic style (non-strict Vedic meter)