पद्मप्रभाः पद्मवर्णाः पद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणाः । पद्मपत्रसुगन्धाश्च जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः
There, people are radiant like lotuses, lotus-colored, with eyes like lotus petals, and possess the fragrance of lotus leaves.
अनिष्पन्दा इष्टगन्धा निराहारा जितेन्द्रियाः । देवलोकच्युताः सर्वे तथा विरजसो नृप
They are motionless, possess delightful fragrance, are without need of food, have mastered their senses; all have fallen from the world of the gods, and are free from passion, O king.
त्रयोदशसहस्राणि वर्षाणां ते जनाधिप । आयुःप्रमाणं जीवन्ति नरा भरतसत्तम
There, O best of Bharatas, men live for thirteen thousand years, O lord of men, as the measure of their lifespan.
क्षीरोदस्य समुद्रस्य तथैवोत्तरतः प्रभुः । हरिर्वसति वैकुण्ठः शकटे कनकोञ्ज्वले
To the north of the Milk Ocean, O lord, Hari dwells in Vaikuṇṭha, in a chariot shining with gold.
अष्टचक्रं हि तद्यानं भूतयुक्तं मनोजवम् । अग्निवर्णं महातेजो जाम्बूनदविभूषितम्
That vehicle has eight wheels, is filled with beings, swift as thought, of the color of fire, of great brilliance, adorned with Jāmbūnada gold.
स प्रभुः सर्वभूतानां विभुश्च भरतर्षभ । संक्षेपो विस्तरश्चैव कर्ता कारयिता तथा
He is the lord and pervader of all beings, O best of Bharatas; he is both the abridger and the expander, the doer and the cause.
पृथिव्यापस्तथाऽऽकाशं वायुस्तेजश्च पार्थिव । स यज्ञः सर्वभूतनामास्यं तस्य हुताशनः
Earth, water, space, wind, and fire, O king, he is the sacrifice of all beings; his mouth is the fire into which offerings are made.
एवमुक्तः संजयेन धृतराष्ट्रो महामनाः। ध्यानमन्वगमद्राजा पुत्रान्प्रति जनाधिप
Thus addressed by Saṃjaya, the great-minded Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the king, entered into meditation concerning his sons.
स विचिन्त्य महातेजाः पुनरेवाब्रवीद्वचः। असंशयं सूतपुत्र कालः संक्षिपते जगत्
Reflecting thus, the mighty one again spoke these words: 'Without doubt, O son of a charioteer, Time contracts the world.'
सृजते च पुनः सर्वं नेह विद्यति शाश्वतम् । नरो नारायणश्चैव सर्वज्ञः सर्वभूतहृत्
He creates all again, and nothing here is eternal; both Nara and Nārāyaṇa, all-knowing, are the hearts of all beings.
देवा वैकुण्ठ इत्याद्दुर्वेदा विष्णुरिति प्रभुम्
The gods call him Vaikuṇṭha; the learned know him as Viṣṇu, the Lord.
भारतस्यास्य वर्षस्य तथा हैमवतस्य च। प्रमाणमायुषः सूत बलं चापि शुभाशुभम्
O Sūta, tell me the measure of life, strength, and the auspicious and inauspicious aspects of this land of Bhārata and also of the Himālayan region.
अनागतमतिक्रान्तं वर्तमानं च संजय । आचक्ष्व मे विस्तरेण हरिवर्षं तथैव च
O Sañjaya, describe to me in detail what is yet to come, what has passed, and what is present, as well as Harivarṣa.
चत्वारि भारते वर्षे युगानि भरतर्षभ। कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च तिष्यं च कुरुवर्धन
O best of the Bharatas, there are four ages in the land of Bhārata: Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Tiṣya, O enhancer of the Kuru line.
पूर्वं कृतयुगं नाम ततस्रेतायुगं प्रभो । संक्षेपाद्द्वापरस्याथ ततस्तिष्यं प्रवर्तते
First is the age called Kṛta, then comes the Tretā age, and after that, in brief, is Dvāpara; then Tiṣya begins.
चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां कुरुसत्तम। आयुःसंख्या कृतयुगे संख्याता राजसत्तम
O best of the Kurus, in the Kṛta age, the lifespan is counted as four thousand years, O best of kings.
तथा त्रीणि सहस्राणि त्रेतायां मनुजाधिप । द्वे सहस्रे द्वापरे तु भुवि तिष्ठन्ति सांप्रतम्
Likewise, O lord of men, in the Tretā age it is three thousand years; in Dvāpara, two thousand years remain on earth at present.
न प्रमाणस्थितिर्ह्यस्ति तिष्येऽस्मिन्भरतर्षभ । गर्भस्थाश्च म्रियन्तेऽत्र तथा जाता म्रियन्ति च
O best of the Bharatas, in this Tiṣya age, there is no fixed measure of life; here, some die in the womb and others die after birth.
महाबला महासत्वाः प्रज्ञागुणसमन्विताः। प्रजायन्ते च जाताश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
In those times, people of great strength, great spirit, and endowed with intelligence and virtues are born, both by the hundreds and by the thousands.
जाताः कृतयुगे राजन्धनिनः प्रयदर्शनाः । प्रजायन्ते च जाताश्च मुनयो वै तपोधनाः
O king, those born in the Kṛta age are wealthy and pleasing to behold; and those born are also sages rich in austerity.
महोत्साहा महात्मानो धार्मिकाः सत्यवादिनः। प्रियदर्शना वपुष्मन्तो महावीर्या धनुर्धराः
They are of great energy, noble-minded, righteous, speakers of truth, pleasing in appearance, handsome, of great valor, and skilled with the bow.
वरार्हा युधि जायन्ते क्षत्रियाः शूरसत्तमाः। त्रेतायां क्षत्रिया राजन्सर्वे वै चक्रवर्तिनः
Worthy of honor in battle, the Kṣatriyas born are the foremost of heroes; in the Tretā age, O king, all Kṣatriyas are universal sovereigns.
सर्ववर्णाश्च जायन्ते सदा चैव च द्वापरे । महोत्साहा वीर्यवन्तः परस्परजयैषिणः
In Dvāpara, people of all classes are always born, full of energy and valor, each seeking to conquer the other.
तेजसाल्पेन संयुक्ताः क्रोधनाः पुरुषा नृप। लुब्धा अनृतकाश्चैव तिष्ये जायन्ति भारत
O king, in Tiṣya, men are born with little brilliance, prone to anger, greedy, and untruthful, O Bhārata.
ईर्ष्या मानस्तथा क्रोधो मायाऽसूया तथैव च। तिष्ये भवति भूतानां रागो लोभश्च भारत
In Tiṣya, O Bhārata, beings are afflicted by envy, pride, anger, deceit, and jealousy, as well as passion and greed.
संक्षेपो वर्तते राजन्द्वापरेऽस्मिन्नराधिप । गुणोत्तरं हैमवतं हरिवर्षं ततः परम्
O king, in this Dvāpara age, there is a decline; after that, the Himālayan region and Harivarṣa are superior in qualities.
जम्बूखण्डस्त्वया प्रोक्तो यथावदिह सञ्जय। विष्कम्भमस्य प्रब्रूहि परिमाणं तु तत्त्वतः
O Sañjaya, you have properly described Jambūdvīpa; now tell me its breadth and true dimensions.
समुद्रस्य प्रमाणं च सम्यगच्छिद्रदर्शनम् । शाकद्वीपं च मे ब्रूहि कुशद्वीपं च सञ्जय
Describe to me accurately the measure of the ocean, its true extent, and also tell me about Śākadvīpa and Kuśadvīpa, O Sañjaya.
शाल्मलिं चैव तत्त्वेन क्रौञ्चद्वीपं तथैव च। ब्रूहि गावल्गणे सर्वं राहोः सोमार्कयोस्तथा
And likewise, O Gāvalgaṇa, tell me in detail about Śālmalī and also about Krauñca-dvīpa, as well as about Rāhu, Soma, and the Sun.
राजन्सुबहवो द्वीपा यैरिदं सन्ततं जगत्। सप्त द्वीपान्प्रवक्ष्यामि चन्द्रादित्यौ ग्रहं तथा
O King, there are many dvīpas by which this entire world is encompassed; I will describe the seven dvīpas, as well as the Moon, the Sun, and the planets.