यस्य चैवात्मजो ब्रह्मा सर्वस्य जगतः पिता । कथं न वासुदेवोऽयमर्च्यश्चेज्यश्च मानवैः
He whose very son is Brahma, the father of all creation—how could Vasudeva not be worthy of worship and honor by humankind?
वारितोऽसि मया तात मुनिर्भिर्वेदपारगैः । मा गच्छ संयुगं तेन वासुदेवेन धन्विना
You have been restrained by me, dear one, and by sages accomplished in the Vedas: do not go to battle with Vasudeva, the wielder of the bow.
मा पाण्डवैः सार्धमिति तत्त्वं मोहान्न बुध्यसे। मन्ये त्वां राक्षसं क्रूरं तथा चासि तमोवृतः
You do not understand the truth, out of delusion, about not fighting alongside the Pandavas; I think you are a cruel rakshasa, and indeed you are enveloped in darkness.
यस्माद्द्विषसि गोविन्दं पाण्डवं तं धनञ्जयम् । नरनारायणौ देवी कोऽन्यो द्विष्याद्धि मानवः
Because you hate Govinda and that Pandava, Dhananjaya—Nara and Narayana incarnate—what other human would ever hate them?
तस्माद्ब्रवीमि ते राजन्नेष वै शाश्वतोऽव्ययः । सर्कवलोकमयो नित्यः शास्ता धाता धरो ध्रुवः
Therefore I tell you, O King: he is eternal, imperishable, pervading all worlds, the everlasting ruler, creator, supporter, and the unchanging one.
यो धारयति लोकांस्त्रींश्चराचरगुरुः प्रभुः । योद्धा जयश्च जेता च सर्वप्रकृतिरीश्वरः
He who upholds the three worlds, the lord and teacher of all that moves and does not move, the warrior, the victorious, the conqueror, the lord of all natures.
राजन्सर्वमयो ह्येष तमोरागविवर्जितः । यतः कृष्णस्ततो धर्मो यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
O King, he is all-pervading, free from darkness and passion; where Krishna is, there is righteousness, and where there is righteousness, there is victory.
तस्य माहात्म्ययोगेन योगेनात्ममयेन च । धृताः पाण्डुसुता राजञ्जयश्चैषां भविष्यति
By his greatness and his union with the Self, the sons of Pandu are sustained, O King, and victory will be theirs.
श्रेयोयुक्तां सदा बुद्धिं पाण्डवानां दधाति यः। बलं चैव रणे नित्यं भयेभ्यश्चैव रक्षति
He always bestows wise counsel upon the Pandavas, grants them strength in battle, and protects them from all dangers.
स एष शाश्वतो देवाः सर्वगुह्यमयः शिवः । वासुदेव इति ज्ञेयो यन्मां पृच्छसि भारत
He is the eternal one, O King, the source of all mysteries, the auspicious one—known as Vasudeva, about whom you question me, O Bharata.
ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रिकयैर्वैश्यैः शूद्रैश्च कृतलक्षणैः । सेव्यतेऽभ्यर्च्यते चैव नित्ययुक्तैः स्वकर्मभिःक
He is served and worshipped by Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, each established in their own duties and always devoted to their work.
द्वापरस्य युगस्यान्ते आदौ कलियुगस्य च। सात्वतं विधिमास्थाय गीतः संकर्षणेन वै
At the end of the Dvapara age and the beginning of Kali Yuga, following the Satvata rite, this teaching was sung by Sankarshana.
स एष सर्वं सुरमर्त्यलोकं समुद्रकक्ष्यान्तरितां पुरीं च। युगेयुगे मानुषं चैव वासं पुनःपुनः सृजते वासुदेवाःक
He, Vāsudeva, again and again creates all the worlds of gods and mortals, the city surrounded by the ocean, and human abodes in every age.
वासुदेवो महद्भूतं सर्वलोकेषु कथ्यते। तस्यागमं प्रतिष्ठां च ज्ञातुमिच्छे पितामह
Vāsudeva is spoken of as a great wonder in all the worlds; Grandfather (Brahmā) wishes to know his origin and foundation.
वासुदेवो महद्भूतं सर्वदैवतदैवतम् । न परं पुण्डरीकाक्षाद्दृश्यते भरतर्षभ
Vāsudeva is the great wonder, the god of all gods; nothing surpasses the lotus-eyed one, O best of Bharatas.
श्रुतं मे तात रामस्य जामदग्न्यस्य जल्पतः। नारदस्य च देवर्षेः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्य च। असितो देवलश्चापि वालखिल्यास्तपोधनाः
I have heard, dear one, from the words of Rāma, son of Jamadagni, from the divine sage Nārada, from Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, and also from Asita, Devala, and the ascetic Vālakhilyas.
मार्कण्डेयश्च गोविन्दे कथयत्यद्भुतं महत्। सर्वभूतादिभूतात्मा महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः
And from Mārkaṇḍeya, who tells of Govinda's wondrous greatness: the soul of all beings and elements, the great-souled, supreme person.
आपो वायुश्च तेजश्च त्रयमेतदकल्पयत्। स सृष्ट्वा पृथिवीं देवीं सर्वलोकेश्वरः प्रभुः
He fashioned water, wind, and fire—these three; having created the earth, the sovereign lord of all worlds.
अप्सु वै शयनं चक्रे महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः । सर्वदेवमयो देवः शयानः शयने सुखम्
The great-souled, supreme person made his bed upon the waters; the god who embodies all gods lay happily upon his couch.
मुखतः सोऽग्निमसृजत्प्राणाद्वायुमथापि च। सरस्वतीं च वेदांश्च मनसः ससृजेऽच्युत
From his mouth he created fire, from his breath wind, and from his mind, Achyuta produced Sarasvatī and the Vedas.
एषक लोकान्ससर्जादौ देवांश्च ऋषिभिः सह। अमृतं चैव मृत्युं च प्रजानां प्रभवाप्ययौ
At the beginning, he created the worlds, the gods together with the sages, and both immortality and mortality—the origin and end of creatures.
एष धर्मश्च धर्मज्ञो वरदः सर्वकामदः । एष कर्ता च कार्यं च आदेरादिः स्वयं प्रभुः
He is dharma, knower of dharma, giver of boons, fulfiller of all desires; he is both the doer and the deed, the beginning of beginnings, the lord himself.
भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च पूर्वमेतदकल्पयत् । उभे सन्ध्ये दिवः खं च नियमांश्च जनार्दनः
He first fashioned the past, present, and future; both twilights, the sky of heaven, and the cosmic laws, O Janārdana.
ऋषींश्चैव हि गोविन्दस्तपश्चैवाभ्यकल्पयत् । स्रष्टारं जगतश्चापि महात्मा प्रभुरव्ययः
Govinda also created the sages and austerity; the great-souled, imperishable lord is the creator of the world.
अग्रजं सर्वभूतानां संकर्षणमकल्पयत्। शेषं चाकल्पयद्देवमनन्तमिति तं विदुः
He created Saṃkarṣaṇa, the eldest of all beings, and fashioned the god Śeṣa, whom they know as Ananta.
यो धारयति भूतानि धरां चेमां सपर्वताम्। ध्यानयोगेन विप्राश्च तं विदन्ति महौजसम्। कर्णस्रोतोभवं चापि मधुं नाम महासुरम्
He upholds all beings and this earth with its mountains; the sages, through meditation and yoga, know him as possessing great energy, and also as Madhu, the mighty asura born from the stream of the ear.
तमुग्रमुग्रकर्माणमुग्रां बुद्धइं समास्थितम् । हरन्तं ब्रह्मणो वेदाञ्जघान ब्रह्मणः पिता। ब्रह्मणोपचितिं कुर्वन्महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः
That fierce one, fierce in deeds, established among fierce intellects, who took away Brahmā's Vedas, was slain by Brahmā's father, the great-souled, supreme person, performing an offering to Brahmā.
तस्य तात वधादेव देवदानवमानवाः । मधुसूदनमित्याहुर्ऋषयश्च जनार्दनम्
Because of his slaying, O dear one, gods, demons, and men call him Madhusūdana, and the sages call him Janārdana.
वराहं नारसिंहं च त्रिविक्रममिति प्रभुम् । एष धाता विधाता च सर्वेषां प्रामिनां हरिः
Varāha, Nārasiṃha, and Trivikrama—these are his lordly forms; he is the sustainer and creator of all beings, Hari.
परं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षान्न भूतं न भविष्यति। मुखतः सोसृजद्विप्रान्बाहुभ्यां क्षत्रियांस्तथा
There is nothing higher than the lotus-eyed one, nor has there been nor will be; from his mouth he created the Brahmins, and from his arms the Kṣatriyas.