Bhagavata Purana

तास्तथा तप्यतीर्वीक्ष्य स्वप्रस्थाणे यदूत्तमः । सान्त्वयामस सप्रेमैः आयास्य इति दौत्यकैः

Seeing them so afflicted as he departed, the foremost of the Yadus comforted them with loving words, assuring them through messengers, 'I will return.'

यावदालक्ष्यते केतुः यावद्रेणू रथस्य च । अनुप्रस्थापितात्मानो लेख्यानीवोपलक्षिताः

As long as the banner was visible and the dust of the chariot could be seen, they continued following, their hearts set upon him, as if drawn by painted images.

ता निराशा निववृतुः गोविन्दविनिवर्तने । विशोका अहनी निन्युः गायन्त्यः प्रियचेष्टितम्

When hope of Govinda's return was gone, they turned back; free from sorrow, they spent their days singing of their beloved's deeds.

भगवानपि सम्प्राप्तो रामाक्रूरयुतो नृप । रथेन वायुवेगेन कालिन्दीं अघनाशिनीम्

O King, the Lord arrived, accompanied by Rama and Akrura, riding swiftly in the chariot, to the purifying Yamuna river.

तत्रोपस्पृश्य पानीयं पीत्वा मृष्टं मणिप्रभम् । वृक्षषण्डमुपव्रज्य सरामो रथमाविशत् अक्रूरस्तावुपामन्त्र्य निवेश्य च रथोपरि । कालिन्द्या ह्रदमागत्य स्नानं विधिवदाचरत्

There, after rinsing his mouth and drinking the clear, jewel-like water, he approached a grove of trees with Rama and entered the chariot; Akrura, having bid them farewell and seated himself atop the chariot, went to the Yamuna's pool and performed ritual bathing.

निमज्ज्य तस्मिन् सलिले जपन् ब्रह्म सनातनम् । तावेव ददृशेऽक्रूरो रामकृष्णौ समन्वितौ

Immersing himself in those waters and reciting the eternal Brahman, Akrura saw Rama and Krishna together.

तौ रथस्थौ कथमिह सुतौ आनकदुन्दुभेः । तर्हि स्वित् स्यन्दने न स्त इत्युन्मज्ज्य व्यचष्ट सः

He wondered, 'How are the sons of Devaki here in the water, when they should be on the chariot?' Rising up, he looked for them.

तत्रापि च यथापूर्वं आसीनौ पुनरेव सः । न्यमज्जद् दर्शनं यन्मे मृषा किं सलिले तयोः

There again, as before, he saw them seated; he submerged once more, questioning whether his vision of them in the water was false.

भूयस्तत्रापि सोऽद्राक्षीत् स्तूयमानमहीश्वरम् । सिद्धचारणगन्धर्वैः असुरैर्नतकन्धरैः

Once more, he saw the great Lord being praised by Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, and Asuras with bowed heads and musical instruments.

सहस्रशिरसं देवं सहस्रफणमौलिनम् । नीलाम्बरं विसश्वेतं शृङ्‌गैः श्वेतमिव स्थितम्

He beheld the divine one with a thousand heads, crowned with a thousand serpent hoods, clad in blue garments, shining white like snowy peaks.

तस्योत्सङ्‌गे घनश्यामं पीतकौशेयवाससम् । पुरुषं चतुर्भुजं शान्तं पद्मपत्रारुणेक्षणम्

On his lap rested a dark, cloud-hued person, dressed in yellow silk, four-armed, peaceful, with lotus-petal reddish eyes.

चारुप्रसन्नवदनं चारुहासनिरीक्षणम् । सुभ्रून्नसं चरुकर्णं सुकपोलारुणाधरम्

His face was beautiful and serene, his gaze adorned with a charming smile; his brows, nose, ears, cheeks, and lips were all lovely and reddish.

प्रलम्बपीवरभुजं तुङ्‌गांसोरःस्थलश्रियम् । कम्बुकण्ठं निम्ननाभिं वलिमत्पल्लवोदरम्

His arms were long and full, his chest broad and splendid, his neck like a conch, his navel deep, his abdomen marked with folds like tender leaves.

बृहत्कतिततश्रोणि करभोरुद्वयान्वितम् । चारुजानुयुगं चारु जङ्‌घायुगलसंयुतम्

His hips and thighs were large, his hands and knees well-formed, his legs graceful and beautifully shaped.

तुङ्‌गगुल्फारुणनख व्रातदीधितिभिर्वृतम् । नवाङ्‌गुल्यङ्‌गुष्ठदलैः विलसत् पादपङ्‌कजम्

His ankles were high, his nails reddish, shining with rays; his feet, adorned with nine toes and thumb-like digits, gleamed like lotus flowers.

सुमहार्हमणिव्रात किरीटकटकाङ्‌गदैः । कटिसूत्रब्रह्मसूत्र हारनूपुरकुण्डलैः

He was adorned with priceless jewels: crown, bracelets, armlets, sacred thread, waistband, garlands, anklets, and earrings.

भ्राजमानं पद्मकरं शङ्‌खचक्रगदाधरम् । श्रीवत्सवक्षसं भ्राजत् कौस्तुभं वनमालिनम्

His lotus hands shone, holding conch, discus, and mace; his chest bore the mark of Srivatsa, the radiant Kaustubha gem, and a garland of forest flowers.

सुनन्दनन्दप्रमुखैः पर्षदैः सनकादिभिः । सुरेशैर्ब्रह्मरुद्राद्यैः नवभिश्च द्विजोत्तमैः

Attended by Sunanda, Nanda, and other associates, by the Sanaka sages, by the lords of the gods such as Brahma and Rudra, and by nine foremost twice-born sages,

प्रह्रादनारदवसु प्रमुखैर्भागवतोत्तमैः । स्तूयमानं पृथग्भावैः वचोभिरमलात्मभिः

By Prahlada, Narada, Vasu and other foremost devotees, who praised him with words, each from their own perspective, their hearts pure and spotless,

श्रिया पुष्ट्या गिरा कान्त्या कीर्त्या तुष्ट्येलयोर्जया । विद्ययाविद्यया शक्त्या मायया च निषेवितम्

Served by Sri (fortune), Pushti (nourishment), speech, brilliance, fame, satisfaction, dissolution, victory, knowledge, ignorance, power, and illusion,

विलोक्य सुभृशं प्रीतो भक्त्या परमया युतः । हृष्यत्तनूरुहो भाव परिक्लिन्नात्मलोचनः

Beholding him, deeply delighted, filled with supreme devotion, his body thrilled with joy, his heart overflowing with emotion, his eyes moist,

गिरा गद्‍गदयास्तौषीत् सत्त्वमालम्ब्य सात्वतः । प्रणम्य मूर्ध्नावहितः कृताञ्जलिपुटः शनैः

With a choked voice, standing firm in goodness, the devotee praised him, bowing low with his head, palms joined in reverence, slowly and with care.

इति श्रीमद्‍भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे अक्रूरप्रतियाने एकोन्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the thirty-ninth chapter, 'Akrura's Return,' in the first half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the supreme scripture for the paramahaṃsas.

अक्रूरकृता भगवत् स्तुति - श्रीअक्रूर उवाच - ( मिश्र ) नतोऽस्म्यहं त्वाखिलहेतुहेतुं नारायणं पूरुषमाद्यमव्ययम् । यन्नाभिजातादरविन्दकोषाद् ब्रह्माऽऽविरासीद् यत एष लोकः

Śrī Akrūra said: I bow to you, the cause of all causes, Nārāyaṇa, the primeval, imperishable Person, from whose navel-lotus Brahmā arose, and from whom this world has come forth.

भूस्तोयमग्निः पवनं खमादिः महानजादिर्मन इन्द्रियाणि । सर्वेन्द्रियार्था विबुधाश्च सर्वे ये हेतवस्ते जगतोऽङ्‌गभूताः

Earth, water, fire, wind, space, the great elements, the origin of the unmanifest, mind, senses, all the objects of the senses, and all the gods—these are the elements that make up the world, O Lord.

नैते स्वरूपं विदुरात्मनस्ते ह्यजादयोऽनात्मतया गृहीताः । अजोऽनुबद्धः स गुणैरजाया गुणात् परं वेद न ते स्वरूपम्

Yet these, beginning with the unmanifest, do not know your true nature, for they are grasped as not-self; even the unborn, bound by qualities to the unborn, knows only what is beyond qualities, not your true form.

( अनुष्टुप् ) त्वां योगिनो यजन्त्यद्धा महापुरुषमीश्वरम् । साध्यात्मं साधिभूतं च साधिदैवं च साधवः

Yogis worship you directly as the Supreme Person, the Lord, O righteous one, as the principle within the self, within beings, and within the gods.

त्रय्या च विद्यया केचित् त्वां वै वैतानिका द्विजाः । यजन्ते विततैर्यज्ञैः नानारूपामराख्यया

Some twice-born, following the Vedic path, worship you through the threefold Veda, with elaborate sacrifices of many forms and names.

एके त्वाखिलकर्माणि सन्न्यस्योपशमं गताः । ज्ञानिनो ज्ञानयज्ञेन यजन्ति ज्ञानविग्रहम्

Others, having renounced all actions and attained tranquility, worship you, the embodiment of knowledge, through the sacrifice of wisdom.