Bhagavata Purana

या याः कथा भगवतः कथनीयोरुकर्मणः । गुणकर्माश्रयाः पुम्भिः संसेव्यास्ता बुभूषुभिः

Whatever stories there are of the Lord, the performer of great deeds, based on His virtues and actions, should be served by those who desire true life.

ऋषय ऊचुः सूत जीव समाः सौम्य शाश्वतीर्विशदं यशः । यस्त्वं शंससि कृष्णस्य मर्त्यानां अमृतं हि नः

The sages said: O gentle Sūta, may you live long with everlasting pure fame, for you proclaim to mortals the nectar of Kṛṣṇa's deeds.

कर्मण्यस्मिन् अनाश्वासे धूमधूम्रात्मनां भवान् । आपाययति गोविन्द पादपद्मासवं मधु

In this uncertain world, where people's minds are clouded, you make us drink the honey-wine of Govinda's lotus feet.

तुलयाम लवेनापि न स्वर्गं नापुनर्भवम् । भगवत् सङ्‌गिसंगस्य मर्त्यानां किमुताशिषः

We would not trade even a moment of association with the Lord's devotees for heaven or liberation—what then of other blessings for mortals?

को नाम तृप्येद् रसवित्कथायां महत्तमैकान्त परायणस्य । नान्तं गुणानां अगुणस्य जग्मुः योगेश्वरा ये भवपाद्ममुख्याः

Who indeed would ever be satisfied by hearing the nectar of stories about the one who is the supreme refuge of the greatest souls? Even the masters of yoga, foremost among those born from Brahma, have not reached the end of the qualities of the one who is beyond all qualities.

तन्नो भवान् वै भगवत्प्रधानो महत्तमैकान्त परायणस्य । हरेरुदारं चरितं विशुद्धं शुश्रूषतां नो वितनोतु विद्वन्

Therefore, you, who are foremost among those devoted to the Supreme, please, O learned one, narrate to us the noble and pure deeds of Hari, for those eager to listen.

स वै महाभागवतः परीक्षिद् येनापवर्गाख्यमदभ्रबुद्धिः । ज्ञानेन वैयासकिशब्दितेन भेजे खगेन्द्रध्वजपादमूलम्

That Parikshit, the great devotee, whose unwavering intelligence was directed toward liberation, attained the feet of the one whose banner bears the eagle, through the knowledge spoken by the son of Vyasa.

तन्नः परं पुण्यमसंवृतार्थं आख्यानमत्यद्‍भुत योगनिष्ठम् । आख्याह्यनन्ता चरितोपपन्नं पारीक्षितं भागवताभिरामम्

Therefore, please narrate to us that supremely auspicious, wondrous, and yoga-centered story, whose meaning is not concealed, which is filled with the endless deeds of the Lord, and which delighted Parikshit and the devotees.

सूत उवाच । अहो वयं जन्मभृतोऽद्य हास्म वृद्धानुवृत्त्यापि विलोमजाताः । दौष्कुल्यमाधिं विधुनोति शीघ्रं महत्तमानामभिधानयोगः

Sūta said: Ah, today we, though born in a lower lineage, have become blessed by following the elders. The association with the words of the greatest souls swiftly removes the impurity of a bad family and mental distress.

कुतः पुनर्गृणतो नाम तस्य महत्तमैकान्त परायणस्य । योऽनन्तशक्तिः भगवाननन्तो महद्‍गुणत्वाद् यमनन्तमाहुः

How much more, then, for one who praises the Supreme, who is the ultimate refuge of the greatest souls? The infinite Lord, whose power is boundless, is called limitless because of his supreme qualities.

एतावतालं ननु सूचितेन गुणैरसाम्यानतिशायनस्य । हित्वेतरान् प्रार्थयतो विभूतिः यस्याङ्‌घ्रिरेणुं जुषतेऽनभीप्सोः

Indeed, what has already been indicated is sufficient to show the unequalled and unsurpassed qualities of the Lord, whose dust of the feet is sought even by those who have abandoned all else, though he himself does not desire such worship.

अथापि यत्पादनखावसृष्टं जगद्विरिञ्चोपहृतार्हणाम्भः । सेशं पुनात्यन्यतमो मुकुन्दात् को नाम लोके भगवत्पदार्थः

Moreover, the water offered for worship by Brahma, which was produced from the nails of his feet, purifies the world; who in this world, desiring the Lord's feet, would not be purified by Mukunda?

यत्रानुरक्ताः सहसैव धीरा व्यपोह्य देहादिषु सङ्गमूढम् । व्रजन्ति तत्पारमहंस्यमन्त्यं यस्मिन्नहिंसोपशमः स्वधर्मः

There, those who are devoted, wise ones, suddenly abandon their attachment to the body and its connections, and proceed to the highest state of the swan-like sages, in which nonviolence, tranquility, and one's own duty prevail.

अहं हि पृष्टोऽर्यमणो भवद्‌भिः आचक्ष आत्मावगमोऽत्र यावान् । नभः पतन्त्यात्मसमं पतत्त्रिणः तथा समं विष्णुगतिं विपश्चितः

I have been questioned by you, O Aryamanas, so I shall explain as far as I have realized. Just as birds fly in the sky according to their own capacity, so too the wise attain the path of Vishnu according to their own understanding.

एकदा धनुरुद्यम्य विचरन्मृगयां वने । मृगाननुगतः श्रान्तः क्षुधितस्तृषितो भृशम्

Once, while wandering in the forest for hunting, with his bow raised, he pursued a deer and became exhausted, greatly hungry and thirsty.

जलाशयमचक्षाणः प्रविवेश तमाश्रमम् । ददर्श मुनिमासीनं शान्तं मीलितलोचनम्

He entered a hermitage, searching for water, and saw a sage seated in tranquility, with eyes closed.

प्रतिरुद्धेन्द्रियप्राण मनोबुद्धिमुपारतम् । स्थानत्रयात्परं प्राप्तं ब्रह्मभूतमविक्रियम्

With senses, breath, mind, and intellect restrained, the sage had attained a state beyond the three realms, becoming one with Brahman, unchanging.

विप्रकीर्णजटाच्छन्नं रौरवेणाजिनेन च । विशुष्यत्तालुरुदकं तथाभूतमयाचत

Covered with matted hair and a deerskin, his throat parched for water, the king begged from him in that condition.

अलब्धतृणभूम्यादिः असम्प्राप्तार्घ्यसूनृतः । अवज्ञातं इवात्मानं मन्यमानश्चुकोप ह

Unable to obtain grass, earth, and other offerings, nor the customary water and kind words, feeling as if he had been disregarded, he became angry.

अभूतपूर्वः सहसा क्षुत्तृड्भ्यामर्दितात्मनः । ब्राह्मणं प्रत्यभूद्‍ब्रह्मन् मत्सरो मन्युरेव च

Never before had he been so afflicted by hunger and thirst; towards the Brahmin arose envy and anger.

स तु ब्रह्मऋषेरंसे गतासुमुरगं रुषा । विनिर्गच्छन् धनुष्कोट्या निधाय पुरमागत्

Then, in anger, he placed a lifeless snake upon the shoulder of the sage, and, leaving the hermitage, returned to his city.

एष किं निभृताशेष करणो मीलितेक्षणः । मृषा समाधिराहोस्वित् किं नु स्यात् क्षत्रबन्धुभिः

Is this one, with all his senses withdrawn and eyes closed, truly absorbed in meditation, or is it merely a pretense? What might be the case with those of the warrior class?

तस्य पुत्रोऽतितेजस्वी विहरन् बालकोऽर्भकैः । राज्ञाघं प्रापितं तातं श्रुत्वा तत्रेदमब्रवीत्

His son, endowed with extraordinary brilliance, was playing among the children; upon hearing that his father had been wronged by the king, he spoke thus at that very place.

अहो अधर्मः पालानां पीव्नां बलिभुजामिव । स्वामिन्यघं यद् दासानां द्वारपानां शुनामिव

Alas, what injustice by the rulers, like the gluttons who eat the offerings! The offense committed against the master by the servants is like that of gatekeepers, or even dogs, against their lord.

ब्राह्मणैः क्षत्रबन्धुर्हि गृहपालो निरूपितः । स कथं तद्‍गृहे द्वाःस्थः सभाण्डं भोक्तुमर्हति

Though a kṣatriya by birth, he has been appointed by the brāhmaṇas as the guardian of the house; how then should such a doorkeeper be entitled to partake of the household’s provisions?

कृष्णे गते भगवति शास्तर्युत्पथगामिनाम् । तद् भिन्नसेतूनद्याहं शास्मि पश्यत मे बलम्

With Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, departed—the guide for those who stray from the path—I now punish those who have broken the bridge of righteousness; behold my power.

इत्युक्त्वा रोषताम्राक्षो वयस्यान् ऋषिबालकः । कौशिक्याप उपस्पृश्य वाग्वज्रं विससर्ज ह

Having spoken thus, his eyes reddened with anger, the young sage among his friends, after purifying himself at the Kauśikī river, released a thunderbolt of words.

इति लङ्‌घितमर्यादं तक्षकः सप्तमेऽहनि । दङ्क्ष्यति स्म कुलाङ्गारं चोदितो मे ततद्रुहम्

Thus, having transgressed the boundary, Takṣaka, urged by me, will bite this destroyer of the dynasty on the seventh day.

ततोऽभ्येत्याश्रमं बालो गले सर्पकलेवरम् । पितरं वीक्ष्य दुःखार्तो मुक्तकण्ठो रुरोद ह

Then, the boy approached the hermitage and, seeing his father with a serpent’s body around his neck, was overcome with sorrow and cried out loudly.