ऊर्ध्वं तिर्यगधश्चैव यावती जगतो गतिः। सदेवकेषु लोकेषु भगवान्केशवो मुखम्
Above, across, and below—wherever the world moves, in all realms with gods, the Blessed Keśava is the mouth.
अयं तु पुरुषो बालः शिशुपालो न बुध्यते। सर्वत्र सर्वदा कृष्णं तस्मादेवं प्रभाषते
But this man, the child Śiśupāla, does not understand; therefore, he speaks thus about Kṛṣṇa everywhere and always.
यो हि धर्मं विचिनुयादुत्कृष्टं मतिमान्नरः। स वै पश्येद्यथा धर्मं न तथा चेदिराडयम्
The wise man who seeks out the highest dharma truly perceives it; but the king of Cedi does not see dharma in this way.
सवृद्धबालेष्वथवा पार्थिवेषु महात्मसु। को नार्हं मन्यते कृष्णं को वाप्येनं न पूजयेत्
Among elders and children, or among great kings, who does not consider Kṛṣṇa worthy? Who indeed would not worship him?
अथैनां दुष्कृतां पूजां शिशुपालो व्यवस्यति। दुष्कृतायां यथान्यायं तथाऽयं कर्तुमर्हति
Now, Śiśupāla declares this worship to be improper; for an improper act, he ought to act accordingly, as is right.
गाङ्गेयेनैवमुक्तस्तु शिशुपालश्चुकोप तम्। क्रुद्धं सुनीथं दृष्ट्वाऽथ सहदेवोऽब्रवीत्तदा
When Gāṅgeya spoke thus, Śiśupāla became angry with him; seeing Sunītha enraged, Sahadeva then spoke.
मतिपूर्वमिदं सर्वं चेदिराज मया कृतम्। तन्मे निगदतस्तत्त्वं कारणादत्र मे शृणु
Everything here, O King of Cedi, has been done by me after careful thought; hear from me the truth and the reason for it.
स पार्थिवानां सर्वेषां गुरुः कृष्णोऽपरो न हि। तस्मादभ्यर्चितोऽस्माभिः सर्वे संमन्तुमर्हथ
Among all the kings, Kṛṣṇa is the foremost; there is no other; therefore, we have honored him, and you all should agree.
यो वा सहते कश्चिद्राज्ञां सबलवाहनः। क्षिप्रं युद्धाय निर्यातु तस्य मूर्ध्न्याहितं पदम्
If any king, with his army and vehicles, can endure this, let him quickly go forth to battle; let the honored place be set upon his head.
ततो न व्याजहारैषां कश्चिद्बुद्धिमतां सताम्
Then none among these wise and virtuous men spoke in opposition.
मानिनां बलिनां राज्ञां मध्ये सन्दर्शिते पदे। एवमुक्ते सुनीथस्य सहदेवेन केशवे
When the place was shown among proud and powerful kings, and Sahadeva spoke thus about Keśava to Sunītha,
स्वभावरक्ते नयने कोपाद्रक्ततरे कृते। तस्य कोपं समुद्भूतं ज्ञात्वा भीष्मः प्रतापवान्
His eyes, naturally red, became even redder with anger; perceiving his rising wrath, mighty Bhīṣma,
आचचक्षे पुनस्तस्मै कृष्णस्यैवोत्तरान्गुणान्। स सुनीथं समामन्त्र्य तांश्च सर्वान्महीक्षितः
Again described to him the superior qualities of Kṛṣṇa; addressing Sunītha and all the kings,
उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठं इदं मतिमतां वरः। सहदेवेन राजानो यदुक्तं केशवं प्रति। तत्तथेति विजानीध्वं भूयश्चात्र विबोधत
He spoke, the best among speakers, the foremost among the wise: 'What the kings have said to Keśava through Sahadeva, know that it is so; listen further here.'
ततो भीष्मस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा वचः काले युधिष्ठिरः। ज्ञापनार्थाय सर्वेषां भीष्मं पुनरथाब्रवीत्
Then, hearing Bhīṣma's words at that moment, Yudhiṣṭhira spoke again to Bhīṣma, for the sake of informing all.
विस्तरेणास्य देवस्य कर्माणीच्छामि सर्वशः। श्रोतुं भगवतस्तानि प्रब्रवीहि पितामह
I wish to hear in detail all the deeds of this divine one; tell me those of the Blessed Lord, O grandsire.
कर्मणामानुपूर्वा च प्रादुर्भावाश्च ये विभोः। यथा च प्रकृतिः कृष्णे तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
Tell me, O grandsire, the sequence of his deeds, his manifestations, and the nature of Kṛṣṇa.
एवमुक्तस्तदा भीष्मः प्रोवाच भरतर्षभ। युधिष्ठिरममित्रघ्नं तस्मिन्त्राजसमागमे
Thus addressed, Bhīṣma spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira, the destroyer of foes, in that assembly of kings.
समक्षं वासुदेवस्य देवस्येव शतक्रतोः। कर्माण्यसुकराण्यन्यैराचचक्षे जनाधिप
In the presence of Vāsudeva, as before the god Indra, the king described deeds difficult for others to accomplish.
शृण्वतां पार्थिवानां च धर्मराजस्य चान्तिके। इदं मतिमतां श्रेष्ठः कृष्णं प्रति विशाम्पते
While the kings listened, and in the presence of Dharmarāja, the best among the wise spoke this to the lord of men regarding Kṛṣṇa.
म्नैवामन्त्र्य राजेन्द्र चेदिराजमरिन्दमम्। भीमकर्मा ततो भीष्णो भूयः स इतमब्रवीत्
Without addressing the king of Cedi, the foe of enemies, Bhīṣma, performer of mighty deeds, spoke again thus.
वर्तमानामतीतां च शृणु राजन्युधिष्ठिर
Hear, O King Yudhiṣṭhira, of the present and past deeds.
ईश्वरस्योत्तमस्यैनां कर्मणां गहनां गतिम्। अव्यक्तो व्यक्तलिङ्गस्थो य एष भगवान्प्रभुः
The supreme Lord, master of all, abides in the subtle and manifest forms; the course of these actions is deep and mysterious.
पुरा नारायणो देवः स्वयम्भूः प्रपितामहः। सहस्रशीर्षः पुरुषो ध्रवोऽनन्तः सनातनः
In ancient times, Nārāyaṇa, the self-born god, the great ancestor, the thousand-headed Purusha, steadfast, infinite, eternal, existed.
सहस्रास्यः सहस्राश्चः सहस्रचरणो विभुः। सहस्रवाहुः सर्वज्ञो देवो नामसहस्रवान्
He is the lord with a thousand faces, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, a thousand arms; all-knowing, the god with a thousand names.
सहस्रमुकुटो देवो विश्वरूपो महाद्युतिः। अनेकवर्णो देवादिरव्यक्ताद्वै परे स्थितः
The god with a thousand crowns, of universal form and great brilliance, of many colors, the origin of the gods, stands beyond the unmanifest.
असृजत्सलिलं पूर्वं स च नारायणः प्रभुः। ततस्तु भगवांस्तोये ब्रह्माणमसृजत्स्वयम्
He, the lord Nārāyaṇa, first created the waters; then, in those waters, the blessed one himself created Brahmā.
ब्रह्मा चतुर्मुखो लोकान्सर्वांस्तानसृजत्स्वयम्। आदिकाले पुरा ह्येवं सर्वलोकस्य चोद्भवः। पुरा यः प्रलये प्राप्ते नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे
Brahmā, four-faced, created all the worlds himself at the beginning; thus, in ancient times, arose all creation, when, at the time of dissolution, all that is movable and immovable was destroyed.
ब्रह्मादिषु प्रलीनेषु नष्टे लोके चराचरे। आभूतसम्प्लवे प्राप्ते प्रलीने प्रकृतौ महान्
When Brahmā and others are dissolved, when the world, both animate and inanimate, is destroyed, when the great dissolution of beings occurs and all is merged into primal nature,
एकस्मिष्ठति सर्वात्मा स तु नारायणः प्रभुः। नारायणस्य चाङ्गानि सर्वदैवानि भारत
Then, only Nārāyaṇa, the lord, remains, the soul of all; and, O Bhārata, all the gods are but limbs of Nārāyaṇa.