The main principle behind these two verses is oneness of subject and object: Gautama effected a momentous change in human history, just at the place where he was conscious that the idea of asceticism had been stimulating in him a reaction he did not desire. At that moment, the whole universe changed -- beings up in Heaven with spiritual aspirations for the nectar of immortality, as well as material beings Down Under who love the chilled amber nectar, were all at that moment changed.
This principle, great teachers have taught us, is to be studied in the daily round. But the solitary practice of sitting-dhyana might be the best way of investigating it (parama nishchaya-vidhi).
For six years Gautama had been reacting unconsciously to the idea of asceticism, much to Mara's delight. Once the Buddha stopped being a slave to that idea, however, everything began to change -- for the Buddha and equally for the whole earth and all living beings.
3.8
avagamya taM ca kRta-kaaryam
amRta-manaso divaukasaH
harSham atulam agaman muditaa
vimukhii tu maara-pariShat pracukShubhe
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3.8
Sensing the completion of his task,
Heaven-denizens
whose heart's desire was the heavenly nectar
Buzzed with unbridled joy;
But Mara's crew was downcast and trembled.
avagamya = abs. ava- √ gam: to hit upon , think of , conceive , learn , know , understand , anticipate , assure one's self , be convinced
tam (acc. sg. m.): him
ca: and
kRta-kaaryam (acc. sg. m.): having done what was to be done
kRta: done, fulfilled, completed
kaarya: n. work or business to be done
amRta-manasaH (nom. pl. m.): minded towards the deathless
amRta: n. world of immortality , heaven , eternity; n. immortality ; n. the nectar (conferring immortality , produced at the churning of the ocean) , ambrosia
manas: n. thought , imagination , excogitation , invention , reflection , opinion , intention , inclination , affection , desire , mood , temper , spirit (ifc. after a verbal noun or an inf. stem in °tu = having a mind or wishing to)
divaukasaH = nom. pl. divaukas: m. ‘the sky-dwelling’ -- birds, bees, butterflies, and other beings buzzing about in the great blue beyond.
harSham (acc. sg.): m. bristling, erection (especially of the hair in a thrill of rapture or delight); exultation, joy, pleasure, happiness; erection of the sexual organs, sexual excitement
atulam (acc. sg. m.): unequalled, boundless
agamat = 3rd pers. sg. aorist gam: to go, to go to any state or condition
muditaaH (nom. pl. m.): mfn. delighted , joyful , glad , rejoicing in (instr. or comp.)
vimukhii = nom. sg. f. vimukha: mfn. having the face averted , turned backwards ; turning away from (gen.) , disappointed , downcast ; averse or opposed to
tu: but
maara-pariShad (nom. sg.): Mara's entourage
maara: m. death , pestilence ; m. (with Buddhists) the Destroyer , Evil One (who tempts men to indulge their passions and is the great enemy of the buddha and his religion ; four maaras are enumerated in Dharmas. 80 , viz. skandha- , klesha- , devaputra- , and mRiyu-maara ; but the later Buddhist theory of races of gods led to the figment of millions of maaras ruled over by a chief maara)
pariShad: f. (fr. pari-Shad, to sit round) an assembly , meeting , group , circle , audience , council
pracukShube = 3rd pers. sg. perfect pra- √ kShubh: to be moved or shaken or agitated or confused ; to totter , stagger
pra: ind. forward , in front , on , forth
√ kShubh: to shake , tremble , be agitated or disturbed , be unsteady , stumble (literally and metaphorically)
3.9
sa-nagaa ca bhuuH pravicacaala
huta-vaha-sakhaH shivo vavau
nedur api ca sura-dundubhayaH
pravavarSha c'aambu-dhara-varjitaM nabhaH
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3.9
The earth with its mountains shook,
That which feeds the fire blew benignly,
The drums of the gods sounded,
And rain fell from the cloudless sky.
sa-nagaa (nom. sg. f.): having mountains
sa (nom. sg. m.): (possessive prefix)
na-ga m. " not moving " ; mountain
ca: and
bhuuH (nom. sg.) f.: earth
pravicacaala = 3rd. pers. sg. perfect pra-vi- √ cal: to become agitated , tremble , quake
huta-vaha-sakhaH (nom. sg. m.): 'friend of the conductor of the sacrifice,' i.e. that which supplies the sacrificial fire with oxygen -- the wind, a breeze.
huta: sacrifice
vaha: conductor
sakha: friend
shivaH (nom. sg. m.): auspicious
vavau = 3rd pers. sg. perfect vaa: to blow (as the wind)
nedur = 3rd pers. pl. perfect nad: to sound , thunder , roar , etc.
api: also
ca: and
sura-dundubhayaH (nom. pl. m.): the great kettledrums of the gods
sura: gods (as opposed to a-sura, anti-gods, demons)
dundubhi: mf. a sort of large kettledrum
pravavarSha = 3rd pers. sg. perfect pra- √ vRSh: to begin to rain , rain
pra-: ind. before, forth
√ vRSh: to rain
ca: and
ambu-dhara-varjitam (nom. sg. n.): cloudless
ambu-dhara: 'water-holder', cloud
varjita: mfn. excluded , abandoned , avoided ; (with instr. or ifc.) deprived of, wanting , without
nabhaH = nom. sg. nabhas: n. mist , clouds , vapour (esp. of the soma) ; the sky
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