मायां न सेवे भद्रं ते न वृथाधर्ममाचरे। शुद्धभावं गतो भक्त्या शास्त्रद्वेद्मि जनार्दनम्
I do not serve illusion, nor do I act in vain unrighteousness; having attained pure devotion, I know Janardana through the scriptures.
दुर्योधन हृषीकेशं प्रपद्यस्व जनार्दनम्। आप्तो नः सञ्जयस्तात शरणं गच्छ केशवम्
O Duryodhana, take refuge in Hrishikesha, in Janardana; Sanjaya is devoted to us, O father—seek shelter with Kesava.
भगवान्देवकीपुत्रो लोकांश्चेन्निहनिष्यति। प्रवदन्नर्जुने सख्यं नाहं गच्छेऽद्य केशवम्
If the Blessed Son of Devaki destroys the worlds, even while speaking friendship to Arjuna, I will not go to Kesava today.
अवाग्गान्धारि पुत्रस्ते गच्छत्येष सुदुर्मतिः । ईर्षुर्दुरात्मा मानी च श्रेयसां वचनातिगः
Your son, O Gandhari, departs speechless, with a wicked mind; envious, evil-hearted, proud, he disregards words of welfare.
ऐश्वर्यकाम दुष्टात्मन्वृद्धानां शासनातिग। ऐश्वर्यजीतिते हित्वा पितरं मां च बालिश
Desiring power, with a corrupt heart, disobeying the elders' commands, and abandoning both his father and me, the foolish one seeks dominion.
वर्धयन्दुर्हृदां प्रीतिं मां च शोकेन वर्धयन् । निहतो भीमसेनेन स्मर्ताति वचनं पितुः
Increasing the joy of the wicked and increasing my sorrow, when he is slain by Bhimasena, he will remember his father's words.
प्रियोऽसि राजन्कृष्णस्य धृतराष्ट्र निबोध मे। यस्य ते सञ्जयो दूतो यस्त्वां श्रेयसि योक्ष्यते
O Dhritarashtra, know this from me: you are dear to Krishna, O King. Sanjaya is his messenger to you, and he will guide you toward what is best.
जानात्येष हृषीकेशं पुराणं यच्च वै परम्। शुश्रूषमाणमैकाग्र्यं मोक्ष्यते महतो भयात्
This Hrishikesha knows the ancient and the supreme; one who listens to him with single-minded attention is freed from great fear.
वैचित्रवीर्य पुरुषाः क्रोधहर्षसमावृताः । सिता बहुविधैः पाशैर्ये न तुष्टाः स्वकैर्धनैः
O son of Vichitravirya, men overwhelmed by anger and delight, bound by many kinds of white snares, are not satisfied even with their own wealth.
यमस्य वशमायान्ति काममूढाः पुनः पुनः । अन्धनेत्रा यथैवान्धा नीयमानाः स्वकर्मभिः
Deluded by desire, they repeatedly fall under Yama's control, just as the blind, led by the blind, are carried along by their own actions.
एष एकायनः पन्था येन यान्ति मनीषिणः । तं दृष्ट्वा मृत्युमत्येति महांस्तत्र न सञ्जति
This is the single path by which the wise proceed; seeing it, one overcomes death, and there is no confusion there.
अङ्ग सञ्जय मे शंस पन्थानमकुतोभयम्। येन गत्वा हृषीकेशं प्राप्नुयां सिद्धिमुत्तमाम्
O Sanjaya, tell me of that path, free from all fear, by which, having gone, I may reach Hrishikesha and attain the highest perfection.
नाकृतात्मा कृतात्मानं जातु विद्याञ्जनार्दनम् । आत्मनस्तु क्रियोपायो नान्यत्रेन्द्रियनिग्रहात्
One who has not mastered himself can never know one who has; the means for self-mastery lies only in the restraint of the senses.
इन्द्रियाणामुदीर्णानां कामत्यागोऽप्रमादतः। अप्रमादोऽविहिंसा च ज्ञानयोनिरसंशयम्
Renunciation of desire, without negligence, when the senses are agitated; vigilance and non-injury—these are certainly the source of knowledge.
इन्द्रियाणां यमे यत्तो भव राजन्नतन्द्रितः । बुद्धिश्च ते मा च्युवतु नियच्छैनां यतस्ततः
O King, be vigilant in restraining the senses; let your intellect not waver, but control it with all your effort.
एतज्ज्ञानं विदुर्विप्रा ध्रुवमिन्द्रियधारणम्। एतज्ज्ञानं च पन्थाश्च येन यान्ति मनीषिणः
The wise know this to be true knowledge: steadfast control of the senses. This is knowledge, and this is the path by which the wise proceed.
अप्राप्यः केशवो राजन्निन्द्रियैरजितैर्नृभिः। आगमाधिगमाद्योगाद्वशी तत्त्वे प्रसीदति
O King, Kesava cannot be attained by men whose senses are unrestrained; but through discipline, study, and yoga, one who is self-controlled finds favor with the Truth.
भूयो मे पुण्डरीकाक्षं सञ्जयाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः। नामकर्मार्थवित्तात प्राप्नुयां पुरुषोत्तमम्
Once more, tell me of the lotus-eyed one, as Sanjaya asks; by knowing his name, deeds, and meaning, may I attain the Supreme Person.
श्रुतं मे वासुदेवस्य नामनिर्वचनं शुभम्। यावत्तत्राभिजानेऽहमप्रमेयो हि केशवः
I have heard the auspicious explanation of Vasudeva's name; as far as I understand, Kesava is indeed immeasurable.
वसनात्सर्वभूतानां वसुत्वाद्देवयोनितः। वासुदेवस्ततो वेद्यो बृहत्त्वाद्विष्णुरुच्यते
Because he dwells in all beings, because he is the essence, and because he is born of the divine, he is to be known as Vasudeva; and because of his vastness, he is called Vishnu.
मौनाद्ध्यानाच्च योगाच्च विद्दि भारत माधवम्। सर्वतत्त्वलयाच्चैव मधुहा मधुसूदनः
Know, O Bharata, that through silence, meditation, and yoga, and through the dissolution of all elements, Madhava is known; and because he slew Madhu, he is called Madhusudana.
कृषिर्भूवाचकः शब्दो गश्च निर्वृतिवाचकः। विष्णुस्तद्भावयोगाच्च कृष्णो भवति सात्वतः
The word 'krishi' means earth, and 'ga' means bliss; by the union of these, Vishnu becomes Krishna among the Satvatas.
पुण्डरीकं परं धाम नित्यमक्षयमव्ययम् । तद्भावात्पुण्डरीकाक्षो दस्युत्रासाज्जानार्दनः
The supreme, eternal, imperishable abode is the lotus; because of this, he is called Lotus-eyed, and because he puts an end to the fear of robbers, he is Janardana.
यतः सत्वं न च्यवते यच्च यत्वान्न हीयते। सात्वतः सात्वतस्तस्मादार्षभाद्वृषभेक्षणः
Because his essence does not fall away, and because he does not diminish by giving, he is called Satvata; and from the Rishabha, he is called Vrishabhekshana.
न जायते जनित्राऽयमजस्तस्मादनीकजित् । देवानां स्वप्रकाशत्वाद्दमाद्दामोदरो विभुः
He is not born from a mother; he is unborn, therefore he is called Anīkajit. Because of the self-luminosity of the gods and his self-restraint, Damodara is the all-pervading one.
हर्षात्सुखात्सुखैश्वर्याद्धृषीकेशत्वमश्रुते । बाहुभ्यां रोदसी बिभ्रन्महाबाहुरिति स्मृतः
From joy, happiness, and supreme sovereignty, he is called Hṛṣīkeśa, the unheard-of. Bearing the heavens and the earth with his two arms, he is remembered as the mighty-armed one.
अघो न क्षीयते जातु यस्मात्तस्मादधोक्षजः। नराणामयनाच्चापि ततो नारायणः स्मृतः
Because sin never diminishes in him, he is called Adhokṣaja. And because he is the refuge of men, he is therefore remembered as Nārāyaṇa.
पूरणात्सदनाच्चापि ततोऽसौपुरुषोत्तमः। असतश्च सतश्चैव सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययात्। सर्वस्य च सदा ज्ञानात्सर्वमेतं प्रचक्षते
Because he fills and supports all, he is called Puruṣottama. From the origin and dissolution of all that exists and does not exist, and from his constant knowledge of everything, all this is declared.
सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः कृष्णः सत्यमत्र प्रतिष्ठितम्। सत्यात्सत्यं तु गोविन्दस्तस्मात्सत्योपि नामतः
Kṛṣṇa is established in truth, and truth is established in him. Govinda is the truth of truth; therefore, he is also named Satyopi.
विष्णुर्विक्रमणाद्देवो जयनाञ्जिष्णुरुच्यते। शाश्वतत्वादनन्तश्च गोविन्दो वेदनाद्भवाम्
Viṣṇu is called the god because of his stride; he is called Jaya and Jiṣṇu. Because he is eternal, he is Ananta, and Govinda arises from his knowledge of the Vedas.