Bhagavata Purana

श्रीनारद उवाच - नातिचित्रमिदं विप्रा वसुदेवो बुभुत्सया । कृष्णं मत्वार्भकं यन्नः पृच्छति श्रेय आत्मनः

Śrī Nārada said: O Brāhmaṇas, it is not surprising that Vasudeva, out of eagerness to know, asks us about the highest good for himself, considering Kṛṣṇa as his own child.

सन्निकर्षोऽत्र मर्त्यानां अनादरणकारणम् । गाङ्गं हित्वा यथान्याम्भः तत्रत्यो याति शुद्धये

Here, among mortals, close association leads to disregard, just as one, leaving the Ganges, seeks other water for purification.

यस्यानुभूतिः कालेन लयोत्पत्त्यादिनास्य वै । स्वतोऽन्यस्माच्च गुणतो न कुतश्चन रिष्यति

He whose realization, by time, creation, dissolution, and so on, is never diminished by himself, by others, or by qualities, from anywhere.

( वसंततिलका ) तं क्लेशकर्मपरिपाकगुणप्रवाहैः अव्याहतानुभवमीश्वरमद्वितीयम् । प्राणादिभिः स्वविभवैरुपगूढमन्यो मन्येत सूर्यमिव मेघहिमोपरागैः

That Lord, who is undivided, whose experience is unobstructed by the flows of suffering, karma, and qualities, yet is concealed by His own powers such as life-force—one may mistake Him, as one mistakes the sun covered by clouds, mist, or eclipse.

( अनुष्टुप् ) अथोचुर्मुनयो राजन् आभाष्यानकदुंदुभिम् । सर्वेषां श्रृणतां राज्ञां तथैवाच्युतरामयोः

Then, O King, the sages, having addressed Anakadundubhi, spoke before all the assembled kings and the two descendants of Acyuta.

कर्मणा कर्मनिर्हार एष साधुनिरूपितः । यच्छ्रद्धया यजेद् विष्णुं सर्वयज्ञेश्वरं मखैः

The destruction of karma by action is thus established by the wise: with faith, one should worship Viṣṇu, the Lord of all sacrifices, through sacrificial rites.

चित्तस्योपशमोऽयं वै कविभिः शास्त्रचक्षुषा । दर्शितः सुगमो योगो धर्मश्चात्ममुदावहः

This tranquility of the mind, indeed, has been shown by poets with the eye of scripture; the path of yoga is easy and brings joy to the self.

अयं स्वस्त्ययनः पन्था द्विजातेर्गृहमेधिनः । यच्छ्रद्धयाऽऽप्तवित्तेन शुक्लेनेज्येत पूरुषः

This is the auspicious path for the twice-born householder, which a person should worship with pure means and faith, according to his acquired wealth.

वित्तैषणां यज्ञदानैः गृहैर्दारसुतैषणाम् । आत्मलोकैषणां देव कालेन विसृजेद्‌बुधः । ग्रामे त्यक्तैषणाः सर्वे ययुर्धीरास्तपोवनम्

The wise should renounce the pursuit of wealth through sacrifices and charity, the pursuit of wife and children through household life, and the pursuit of self through spiritual worlds, O Lord, in due time; those who have abandoned all pursuits in the village have gone, steadfast, to the forest of austerity.

ऋणैस्त्रिभिर्द्विजो जातो देवर्षिपितॄणां प्रभो । यज्ञाध्ययनपुत्रैस्तानि अनिस्तीर्य त्यजन्पतेत्

O Lord, the twice-born is born with three debts—to the gods, sages, and ancestors; by sacrifices, study, and sons, he repays them; if he departs without settling them, he falls.

त्वं त्वद्य मुक्तो द्वाभ्यां वै ऋषिपित्रोर्महामते । यज्ञैर्देवर्णमुन्मुच्य निरृणोऽशरणो भव

You, today, are freed from two debts, O wise one, to the sages and ancestors; having discharged the debt to the gods with sacrifices, become free from debt and without refuge.

वसुदेव भवान्नूनं भक्त्या परमया हरिम् । जगतामीश्वरं प्रार्चः स यद्वां पुत्रतां गतः

O Vasudeva, surely you have worshipped Hari, the Lord of the worlds, with supreme devotion, and He has become your son.

श्रीशुक उवाच - इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसुदेवो महामनाः । तान् ऋषीन् ऋत्विजो वव्रे मूर्ध्नाऽऽनम्य प्रसाद्य च

Śuka said: Hearing these words, Vasudeva, great-minded, bowed his head, pleased the sages and priests, and chose them.

त एनमृषयो राजन् वृता धर्मेण धार्मिकम् । तस्मिन् अयाजयन् क्षेत्रे मखैरुत्तमकल्पकैः

O King, those sages, chosen by him in righteousness, performed sacrifices for him in that field with excellent rituals.

तद्दीक्षायां प्रवृत्तायां वृष्णयः पुष्करस्रजः । स्नाताः सुवाससो राजन् राजानः सुष्ठ्वलङ्कृताः

When the consecration began, the Vrishnis, wearing lotus garlands, bathed and dressed well, O King, and the kings were splendidly adorned.

तन्महिष्यश्च मुदिता निष्ककण्ठ्यः सुवाससः । दीक्षाशालामुपाजग्मुः आलिप्ता वस्तुपाणयः

His queens, joyful, without necklaces, in fine garments, approached the consecration hall, anointed and bearing offerings.

नेदुर्मृदङ्गपटह शङ्खभेर्यानकादयः । ननृतुर्नटनर्तक्यः तुष्टुवुः सूतमागधाः । जगुः सुकण्ठ्यो गन्धर्व्यः संगीतं सहभर्तृकाः

Drums, mridangas, kettledrums, conches, trumpets, and other instruments resounded; dancers and performers danced; bards and genealogists praised; Gandharva women with sweet voices sang music together with their husbands.

तमभ्यषिञ्चन् विधिवद् अक्तं अभ्यक्तमृत्विजः । पत्‍नीभिरष्टादशभिः सोमराजमिवोडुभिः

The priests, according to the ritual, anointed him, already bathed and smeared, with eighteen wives, as the king of Soma is anointed by stars.

ताभिर्दुकूलवलयैः हारनूपुरकुण्डलैः । स्वलङ्कृताभिर्विबभौ दीक्षितोऽजिनसंवृतः

Adorned by them with silk, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, and earrings, he shone, consecrated and clad in a sacrificial garment.

तस्यर्त्विजो महाराज रत्‍नकौशेयवाससः । ससदस्या विरेजुस्ते यथा वृत्रहणोऽध्वरे

His priests, O King, dressed in silk and adorned with jewels, together with the assembly, shone like Indra at the sacrifice.

तदा रामश्च कृष्णश्च स्वैः स्वैः बन्धुभिरन्वितौ । रेजतुः स्वसुतैर्दारैः जीवेशौ स्वविभूतिभिः

Then Rama and Krishna, accompanied by their own relatives, shone with their sons and wives, lords of life with their own splendor.

ईजेऽनुयज्ञं विधिना अग्निहोत्रादिलक्षणैः । प्राकृतैर्वैकृतैर्यज्ञैः द्रव्यज्ञानक्रियेश्वरम्

He worshipped, according to the ritual, with sacrifices marked by agnihotra and others, both ordinary and special, the Lord of sacrifice, knowledge, and action.

अथर्त्विग्भ्योऽददात्काले यथाम्नातं स दक्षिणाः । स्वलङ्कृतेभ्योऽलङ्कृत्य गोभूकन्या महाधनाः

Then, at the proper time, he gave the priests the prescribed gifts, adorning the adorned ones with cows, land, daughters, and great wealth.

पत्‍नीसंयाजावभृथ्यैः चरित्वा ते महर्षयः । सस्नू रामह्रदे विप्रा यजमानपुरःसराः

After performing the rites for the wives and the concluding ablution, those great sages, together with the priests and led by the sacrificer, bathed in the Rama lake.

स्नातोऽलङ्कारवासांसि वन्दिभ्योऽदात्तथा स्त्रियः । ततः स्वलङ्कृतो वर्णान् आश्वभ्योऽन्नेन पूजयत्

Having bathed, he gave his ornaments and garments to the bards, and likewise to the women; then, adorned himself, he honored the priests and others with food.

बन्धून् सदारान् ससुतान् पारिबर्हेण भूयसा । विदर्भकोशलकुरून् काशिकेकय सृञ्जयान्

He lavishly honored his relatives, along with their wives and sons, and the people of Vidarbha, Kosala, Kuru, Kashi, Kekaya, and Sṛñjaya.

सदस्यर्त्विक्सुरगणान् नृभूतपितृचारणान् । श्रीनिकेतमनुज्ञाप्य शंसन्तः प्रययुः क्रतुम्

He honored the assembly members, officiating priests, sages, kings, spirits, ancestors, and wandering mendicants; after taking leave of the Lord's abode, they departed, offering blessings, to the sacrifice.

धृतराष्ट्रोऽनुजः पार्था भीष्मो द्रोणः पृथा यमौ । नारदो भगवान् व्यासः सुहृत्संबंधिबांधवाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his younger brother, the sons of Pṛthā, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Pṛthā, the two sons of Yamā, Nārada, the divine Vyāsa, and their friends and relatives—

बन्धून्परिष्वज्य यदून् सौहृदाक्लिन्नचेतसः । ययुर्विरहकृच्छ्रेण स्वदेशांश्चापरे जनाः

Embracing their kinsmen, the Yadus, their hearts softened by affection, some departed for their own lands, enduring the pain of separation.