Bhagavata Purana

नमस्ते वासुदेवाय नमः सङ्‌कर्षणाय च । प्रद्युम्नायनिरुद्धाय सात्वतां पतये नमः

Salutations to Vāsudeva, salutations to Saṅkarṣaṇa; to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, salutations to the Lord of the Sātvatas.

नमो बुद्धाय शुद्धाय दैत्यदानवमोहिने । म्लेच्छप्रायक्षत्रहन्त्रे नमस्ते कल्किरूपिणे

Salutations to Buddha, the pure one, who deludes the Daityas and Dānavas; salutations to You in the form of Kalki, destroyer of the impure and the unrighteous rulers.

भगवन् जीवलोकोऽयं मोहितस्तव मायया । अहं ममेत्यसद्‍ग्राहो भ्राम्यते कर्मवर्त्मसु

O Lord, this world of living beings is bewildered by Your māyā; grasping the false notions of 'I' and 'mine,' it wanders along the paths of karma.

अहं चात्मात्मजागार दारार्थस्वजनादिषु । भ्रमामि स्वप्नकल्पेषु मूढः सत्यधिया विभो

I, deluded, wander among things like body, children, home, wealth, and relatives, thinking them real; O Lord, I roam in dreamlike illusions, mistaking them for truth.

अनित्यानात्मदुःखेषु विपर्ययमतिर्ह्यहम् । द्वन्द्वारामस्तमोविष्टो न जाने त्वात्मनः प्रियम्

With a mind confused by opposites, immersed in darkness, I do not know what is truly dear to my own self, being attached to impermanent, non-self, and painful things.

यथाबुधो जलं हित्वा प्रतिच्छन्नं तदुद्‍भवैः । अभ्येति मृगतृष्णां वै तद्वत्त्वाहं पराङ्‌मुखः

Just as an ignorant person, leaving water concealed by vegetation, pursues a mirage, so too do I, turning away from You, chase after illusions.

नोत्सहेऽहं कृपणधीः कामकर्महतं मनः । रोद्धुं प्रमाथिभिश्चाक्षैः ह्रियमाणमितस्ततः

I, of pitiable mind, struck down by desires and actions, am unable to restrain my mind, which is being carried away here and there by the senses, which are difficult to control.

( वसंततिलका ) सोऽहं तवाङ्‌घ्र्युपगतोऽस्म्यसतां दुरापं तच्चाप्यहं भवदनुग्रह ईश मन्ये । पुंसो भवेद् यर्हि संसरणापवर्गः त्वय्यब्जनाभ सदुपासनया मतिः स्यात्

Thus I have come to Your feet, which are difficult for the unworthy to attain; even this I consider to be by Your grace, O Lord. Liberation from the cycle of birth and death comes to a person when, O Lotus-naveled One, the mind is devoted to proper worship of You.

( अनुष्टुप् ) नमो विज्ञानमात्राय सर्वप्रत्ययहेतवे । पुरुषेशप्रधानाय ब्रह्मणेऽनन्तशक्तये

Salutations to the One who is pure consciousness, the cause of all certitude; to the Lord of Puruṣa and Pradhāna, to Brahman of infinite power.

नमस्ते वासुदेवाय सर्वभूतक्षयाय च । हृषीकेश नमस्तुभ्यं प्रपन्नं पाहि मां प्रभो

Salutations to Vāsudeva, the destroyer of all beings; O Hṛṣīkeśa, salutations to You—protect me, who has surrendered, O Lord.

इति श्रीमद्‍भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे अक्रूरस्तुतिर्नाम चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the fortieth chapter, named 'Akrura's Praise,' in the first half of the tenth book of the glorious Bhagavata Mahapurana, the scripture of the supreme renunciates.

रामकृष्णयोर्मथुरायां प्रवेशः; रजकवधः वायकमालाकारयोरनुग्रहेणं च श्रीशुक उवाच - ( अनुष्टुप् ) स्तुवतस्तस्य भगवान् दर्शयित्वा जले वपुः । भूयः समाहरत् कृष्णो नटो नाट्यमिवात्मनः

Śrī Śuka said: As he was offering praise, the Lord revealed His form in the water, and then, like an actor concluding his performance, Kṛṣṇa withdrew it once more.

सोऽपि चान्तर्हितं वीक्ष्य जलाद् उन्मज्ज्य सत्वरः । कृत्वा चावश्यकं सर्वं विस्मितो रथमागमत्

Seeing that the vision had vanished, he quickly emerged from the water, completed all his necessary duties, and, astonished, returned to the chariot.

तं अपृच्छद् हृषीकेशः किं ते दृष्टमिवाद्‍भुतम् । भूमौ वियति तोये वा तथा त्वां लक्षयामहे

Hṛṣīkeśa asked him: 'What wondrous thing did you see—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—that you appear so amazed?'

श्रीअक्रूर उवाच - अद्‍भुतानीह यावन्ति भूमौ वियति वा जले । त्वयि विश्वात्मके तानि किं मेऽदृष्टं विपश्यतः

Śrī Akrūra said: 'Whatever marvels exist here—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—are all found in You, the soul of the universe. What could I have seen that is not already known to me?'

यत्राद्‍भुतानि सर्वाणि भूमौ वियति वा जले । तं त्वानुपश्यतो ब्रह्मन् किं मे दृष्टमिहाद्‍भुतम्

Wherever all wonders are found—on earth, in the sky, or in the water—seeing You, O Brahman, what marvel could I have witnessed here?

इत्युक्त्वा चोदयामास स्यन्दनं गान्दिनीसुतः । मथुरां अनयद् रामं कृष्णं चैव दिनात्यये

Having spoken thus, the son of Gāndinī urged the chariot onward, and at day's end brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā.

मार्गे ग्रामजना राजन् तत्र तत्रोपसङ्‌गताः । वसुदेवसुतौ वीक्ष्य प्रीता दृष्टिं न चाददुः

On the way, O King, villagers gathered here and there, and, seeing the sons of Vasudeva, were delighted and could not turn their gaze away.

तावद् व्रजौकसस्तत्र नन्दगोपादयोऽग्रतः । पुरोपवनमासाद्य प्रतीक्षन्तोऽवतस्थिरे

Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja, led by Nanda and the cowherds, arrived at the city's gardens and waited there in anticipation.

तान् समेत्याह भगवान् अक्रूरं जगदीश्वरः । गृहीत्वा पाणिना पाणिं प्रश्रितं प्रहसन्निव

Meeting them, the Lord, master of the universe, greeted Akrūra, taking his extended hand in His own, smiling warmly.

भवान् प्रविशतामग्रे सहयानः पुरीं गृहम् । वयं त्विहावमुच्याथ ततो द्रक्ष्यामहे पुरीम्

You should enter the city and your house ahead of us, accompanied by your chariot. We will remain here for now, and then come to see the city.

श्रीअक्रूर उवाच - नाहं भवद्‍भ्यां रहितः प्रवेक्ष्ये मथुरां प्रभो । त्यक्तुं नार्हसि मां नाथ भक्तं ते भक्तवत्सल

Śrī Akrūra said: 'O Lord, I will not enter Mathurā without You both. Do not abandon me, O master, for I am Your devotee and You are fond of Your devotees.'

आगच्छ याम गेहान् नः सनाथान् कुर्वधोक्षज । सहाग्रजः सगोपालैः सुहृद्‌भिश्च सुहृत्तम

Come, let us go to our homes and make them blessed, O Acyuta, together with Your elder brother, the cowherds, and Your dearest friends.

पुनीहि पादरजसा गृहान्नो गृहमेधिनाम् । यच्छौचेनानुतृप्यन्ति पितरः साग्नयः सुराः

Sanctify the homes of us householders with the dust of Your feet; by its purity, even the ancestors, the sacrificial fires, and the gods are never fully satisfied.

अवनिज्याङ्‌घ्रियुगलं आसीत् श्लोक्यो बलिर्महान् । ऐश्वर्यं अतुलं लेभे गतिं चैकान्तिनां तु या

After washing Your pair of feet, the great Bali became worthy of praise, attained incomparable prosperity, and the ultimate devoted path.

आपस्तेऽङ्‌घ्र्यवनेजन्यः त्रींल्लोकान् शुचयोऽपुनन् । शिरसाधत्त याः शर्वः स्वर्याताः सगरात्मजाः

The waters from washing Your feet purified the three worlds; Śiva placed them on his head, and the sons of Sagara ascended to heaven.

देवदेव जगन्नाथ पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तन । यदूत्तमोत्तमःश्लोक नारायण नमोऽस्तु ते

O God of gods, Lord of the universe, whose hearing and praise are holy, O foremost among the Yadus, praised by the best of hymns, O Nārāyaṇa, I bow to You.

श्रीभगवनुवाच । आयास्ये भवतो गेहं अहमार्यसमन्वितः । यदुचक्रद्रुहं हत्वा वितरिष्ये सुहृत्प्रियम्

The Blessed Lord said: I will come to your house, accompanied by the noble ones. After slaying the wicked Yadu king, I will bring joy to my friends.

श्रीशुक उवाच - एवमुक्तो भगवता सोऽक्रूरो विमना इव । पुरीं प्रविष्टः कंसाय कर्मावेद्य गृहं ययौ

Śuka said: Thus addressed by the Lord, Akrūra, though troubled in mind, entered the city, reported his task to Kaṃsa, and went to his house.