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.
शिरस्तस्य दिवं राजन्नाभिः खं चरणौ मही। अश्विनौ कर्णयोर्देवौ चक्षुषी शशिभास्करौ
O King, his head is the heavens, his navel the sky, his feet the earth; the two Aśvins are his ears, the moon and sun his eyes.
इन्द्रवैश्वानरौ देवौ मुखं तस्य महात्मनः। अन्यानि सर्वदैवानि सर्वाङ्गानि महात्मनः
Indra and Agni are the mouth of that great soul; all other gods are the limbs of the great soul.
सर्वं चापि हरौ संस्थं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव। आभूतसम्प्लवान्तेऽथ दृष्ट्वा सर्वं तमोन्वितम्
All is established in Hari, as gems are strung on a thread; at the end of the dissolution of beings, seeing all enveloped in darkness,
नारायणो महायोगी सर्वज्ञः परमात्मवान्। ब्रह्मभूतस्तदात्मानं ब्रह्मणमसृजत्स्वयम्
Nārāyaṇa, the great yogi, all-knowing, possessed of the supreme self, having become Brahman, then created Brahmā from himself.
सोऽध्यक्षः सर्वभूतानां प्रभूतप्रभवोऽच्युतः। सनत्कुमारं रुद्रं च सप्तर्षीश्च तपोधनात्
He, the overseer of all beings, the source of all powers, the imperishable, created Sanatkumāra, Rudra, and the seven sages, rich in austerity.
सर्वमेवासृजद्ब्रह्मा तथा लोकांस्तथा प्रजाः। ते च तद्व्यसृजंस्तत्र प्राप्तकाले युधिष्ठिर
Brahmā created everything: the worlds and the creatures; and they, in turn, created others at the proper time, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
तेभ्योऽभवन्महात्मभ्यो बहुधा ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्। कल्पानां बहुकोट्यश्चसमतीतास्तु भारत
From those great souls arose the eternal Brahman in many forms; countless millions of ages have passed, O Bhārata.
आभूतसम्प्लवाश्चैव बहुधाऽद्धाऽपचक्रमुः। मन्वन्तरयुगा राजन्सङ्कल्पो भूतसम्प्लवाः
Many dissolutions of beings have occurred, O King, in various ways; the cycles of Manus and ages, and the dissolutions of beings, are all determined by will.
चक्रवत्परिवर्तन्ते सर्वं विषमुखं जगत्। सृष्ट्वा चतुर्मुखं देवं देवो नारायणः प्रभुः
Like a wheel, all things revolve; the world faces destruction. Having created the four-faced god, the lord Nārāyaṇa,
स लोकानां हितार्थाय क्षीरोदे वसति प्रभुः। ब्रह्मा च सर्वलोकानां लोकस्य च पितामहः
He, the lord, dwells in the ocean of milk for the welfare of the worlds; and Brahmā, the ancestor of the worlds, is the father of all beings.