काञ्चनानि च पद्मानि जातानि विमले जले॥ कथं मत्स्याश्च सौवर्णा दृश्यन्ते सह कच्छपैः। आत्मनस्त्वनुभावाद् वा कस्य वैतत्तपोबलम्॥ अजानतां नः सर्वेषां सर्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि।
kāñcanāni ca padmāni jātāni vimale jale|| kathaṃ matsyāśca sauvarṇā dṛśyante saha kacchapaiḥ| ātmanastvanubhāvād vā kasya vaitattapobalam|| ajānatāṃ naḥ sarveṣāṃ sarvamākhyātumarhasi|
English Meaning
And golden lotuses spring in in lucent water,-how golden fishes are discovered in it along with tortoises! Have these sprung from your power; or do they owe their existence to the ascetic energy of any other? It behoves you to relate all this to us who are ignorant of everything.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)