नाकाशे नाथ भूमौ वा रात्रौ वा दिवसेपि वा। नान्तर्वा न बहिर्वापि स्याद्वधो मे पितामह
Let my death not occur in the sky, nor on earth, neither at night nor by day, nor inside nor outside, O Grandfather.
पशुभिर्वा मृगैर्न स्यात्पक्षिभिर्वा सरीसृपैः। ददासि चेद्वरानेतन्देवदेव वृणोम्यहम्
Let it not be by beasts or wild animals, nor by birds or reptiles; if you grant these boons, O god of gods, I choose them.
एते दिव्या वरास्तात मया दत्तास्तवाद्भुताः। सर्वकामवरांस्तात प्राप्स्यसि त्वमसंशयम्
These wondrous divine boons, dear one, have been granted to you by me; without doubt, you shall obtain all desired blessings.
एवमुक्त्वा स भगवाञ्जगामाकाशमेव हि। रराज ब्रह्मलोके हि ब्रह्मर्षिगणसेवितः
Having spoken thus, the Blessed One went into the sky; in Brahmā's world, he shone, attended by hosts of Brahmarṣis.
ततो देवाश्च नागाश्च गन्धर्वा मुनयस्तथा। वरप्रदानं श्रुत्वैव ते ब्रह्माणमुपस्थितः
Then, the gods, Nāgas, Gandharvas, and sages, having heard of the granting of the boon, approached Brahmā.
वरेणाने भगवन्बाधिष्यति स नोऽसुरः। तत्प्रसीदस्व भगवन्वधोपायोऽस्य चिन्त्यताम्
O Blessed One, with these boons that Asura will oppress us; therefore, be gracious, O Lord, and consider a means for his destruction.
ततो लोकहितं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा देवः प्रजापतिः। प्रोवाच भगवान्वाक्यं सर्वदेवगणांस्तदा
Then, having heard these words for the good of the worlds, the god Prajāpati, the Blessed One, spoke to all the assembled gods.
अवश्यं त्रिदशास्तेन प्राप्तव्यं तपसः फलम्। तपसोऽन्तेऽस्य भगवान्वधं कृष्णः करिष्यति
Certainly, the gods must allow him to obtain the fruit of his austerity; at the end of his penance, the Blessed Kṛṣṇa will bring about his death.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा सुराः सर्वे ब्रह्मणा तस्य वै वधम्। स्वानि स्थानानि दिव्यानि जग्मुस्ते वै मुदान्विताः
Hearing from Brahmā about his destined death, all the gods, filled with joy, returned to their own divine abodes.
लब्धमात्रे वरे चापि सर्वास्ता बाधते प्रजाः। हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यो वरदानेन दर्पितः
But as soon as he obtained the boon, that Daitya Hiraṇyakaśipu, made arrogant by the granting of the boon, began to oppress all beings.
राज्यं चकार दैत्येन्द्रो दैत्यसङ्घैः समावृतः। सप्तद्वीपान्वशेचके लोकालोकान्तरं बलात्
The lord of the Daityas, surrounded by hosts of Daityas, established his rule and forcibly conquered the seven islands and the regions beyond the world.
दिव्यभोगान्समस्तान्वै लोके सर्वानवाप सः। देवांस्त्रिभुवनस्थांस्तु पराजित्य महासुरः
He enjoyed all the celestial pleasures in the world, having defeated the gods dwelling in the three worlds, that great Asura.
त्रैलोक्यं वशमानीय स्वर्गे वसति दानवः। यदा वरमदोन्मत्तो न्यवसद्दानवो दिवि
Having brought the three worlds under his control, the demon dwelt in heaven; intoxicated with the boon, the demon resided in the celestial realm.
अथ लोकान्सगस्तांश्च विजित्य स महाबलः। भवेयमहमेवेन्द्रः सोमोऽग्निर्मारुतो रविः
Then, having conquered those worlds and beings, that mighty one thought: 'I alone shall be Indra, Soma, Agni, Vāyu, and the Sun.'
सलिलं चान्तरिक्षं च नक्षत्राणि दिशो दश। अहं क्रोधश्च कामश्च वरुणो वसवोऽर्यमा
‘I shall be the waters, the atmosphere, the stars, the ten directions; I am wrath and desire, Varuṇa, the Vasus, and Aryaman.’
धनदश्च धनाध्यक्षो यक्षकिम्पुरुषाधिपः। एते भवेयमित्युक्त्वा स्वयं भूत्वा बलात्स च
‘I shall be the Lord of Wealth, the overseer of treasures, the ruler of Yakṣas and Kimpuruṣas’—having declared thus, by force he himself assumed those forms.
एषां गृहीत्वा स्थानानि तेषां कार्याण्यवाप सः। इज्यश्चासीन्मखवरैर्देवकिन्नरसत्तमैः
Seizing their stations, he performed their duties; and he was worshipped with great sacrifices by the foremost of gods and kinnaras.
नरकस्थान्समानीय स्वर्गस्थांश्च चकार सः। एवमादीनि कर्माणि कृत्वा दैत्यपतिर्बली
He brought those dwelling in hell to heaven, and made those in heaven dwell elsewhere; thus, after performing such deeds, the powerful lord of the Daityas—
आश्रमेषु महाभागान्मुनीन्वै शंसितव्रतान्। सत्यधर्मपरान्दान्तान्पुरा धर्षितवांस्तु सः
In the hermitages, he violated the great and virtuous sages, those devoted to truth and righteousness, self-controlled and steadfast in their vows.
याज्ञीयान्कृतबान्दैत्यन्याजकांश्चैव देवताः। यत्रयत्र सुरा जग्मुस्तत्रतत्र व्रजत्युत
He bound those who performed sacrifices, and made the gods unable to offer oblations; wherever the gods went, there he would go as well.
स्थानानि देवतानां तु हृत्वा राज्यमकारयत्। पञ्चकोट्यश्च वर्षाणि अयुतान्येकषष्टि च
Having seized the abodes of the gods, he established his own rule; for fifty-six million and sixty thousand years,
षष्टिश्चैव सहस्राणां जग्मुस्तस्य दुरात्मनः। एतद्वर्षं स दैत्येन्द्रो भोगैश्चर्यमवाप सः
And sixty thousand more, that evil-minded one enjoyed pleasures and sovereignty in that land as the lord of the Daityas.
तेनातिबाध्यमानास्ते दैत्येन्द्रेण बलीयसा। ब्रह्मलोकं सुरा जग्मुः शर्वशक्रपुरोगमाः
Oppressed by that powerful lord of the Daityas, the gods, led by Śiva and Indra, went to the world of Brahmā.
पितामहं समासाद्य खिन्नाः प्राञ्जलयोऽब्रुवन्
Approaching the Grandsire, distressed, with joined palms, they spoke:
भगवन्भूतभव्येश नस्त्रायस्व इहागतान्। भयं दितिसुताद्घोराद्भवत्यद्य दिवानिशम्
‘Lord, master of what has been and what will be, protect us who have come here; day and night, a terrible fear arises from the son of Diti.’
भगवन्सर्वदैत्यानां स्वयम्भूरादिकृत्प्रभुः। स्रष्टा त्वं हव्यकव्यानामव्यक्तः प्रकृतिर्ध्रुवः
‘Lord, you are the self-born, the original master of all the Daityas; you are the creator of offerings to gods and ancestors, the unmanifest, the eternal source of nature.’
श्रूयतामापदेवं हि दुर्विज्ञेया मयापि च। नारायणस्तु पुरुषो विश्वरूपो महाद्युतिः
‘Listen, for even I find this calamity difficult to comprehend; Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Person, of infinite forms and great brilliance.’
अव्यक्तः सर्वभूतानामचिन्त्यो विभुरव्ययः। ममापि स तु युष्माकं व्यसने परमा गतिः
‘He is the unmanifest, the inconceivable, the all-pervading, the imperishable lord of all beings; for me and for you, he is the highest refuge in adversity.’
नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तादहमव्यक्तसम्भवः। मत्तो जज्ञुः प्रजा लोकाः सर्वे देवासुराश्च ते
‘Nārāyaṇa is beyond the unmanifest; I am born from the unmanifest; from me all creatures, worlds, gods, and asuras have arisen.’
देवा यथाहं युष्माकं तथा नारायणो मम। पितामहोऽहं सर्वस्य स विष्णुः प्रपितामहः
‘As I am your progenitor among the gods, so is Nārāyaṇa mine; I am the grandsire of all, and he, Viṣṇu, is the great-grandsire.’