Bhagavata Purana

स्वेच्छावतारचरितैः अचिन्त्यनिजमायया । करिष्यति उत्तमश्लोकः तद् ध्यायेद् हृदयङ्‌गमम्

The Lord, praised in sublime verses, will manifest by His own inconceivable power and by His freely chosen deeds; one should meditate on Him as present in the heart.

परिचर्या भगवतो यावत्यः पूर्वसेविताः । ता मंत्रहृदयेनैव प्रयुञ्ज्यान् मंत्रमूर्तये

All the forms of service to the Lord that were previously performed should now be offered to the Lord’s form established by mantra, with the heart absorbed in the mantra.

एवं कायेन मनसा वचसा च मनोगतम् । परिचर्यमाणो भगवान् भक्तिमत्परिचर्यया

Thus, when the Lord is served with body, mind, and speech, and with devotion arising from the heart, He is truly worshipped.

पुंसां अमायिनां सम्यक् भजतां भाववर्धनः । श्रेयो दिशत्यभिमतं यद्धर्मादिषु देहिनाम्

To those men who are free from deceit and worship Him properly, the Lord increases their devotion and grants the highest good they desire, which is not attained by ordinary duties.

विरक्तश्चेन्द्रियरतौ भक्तियोगेन भूयसा । तं निरन्तरभावेन भजेताद्धा विमुक्तये

One who is detached from sense pleasures should worship Him with constant and sincere devotion through the yoga of devotion, for complete liberation.

इत्युक्तस्तं परिक्रम्य प्रणम्य च नृपार्भकः । ययौ मधुवनं पुण्यं हरेश्चरणचर्चितम्

Having been thus instructed, the prince circumambulated and bowed, then went to the sacred Madhuvana, sanctified by the Lord’s footprints.

तपोवनं गते तस्मिन् प्रविष्टोऽन्तःपुरं मुनिः । अर्हितार्हणको राज्ञा सुखासीन उवाच तम्

When he had gone to the forest of penance, the sage entered the inner chambers, was properly honored by the king, and, seated comfortably, spoke to him.

नारद उवाच - राजन् किं ध्यायसे दीर्घं मुखेन परिशुष्यता । किं वा न रिष्यते कामो धर्मो वार्थेन संयुतः

Nārada said: O King, why do you sit long in thought, your face dried with sorrow? Is it that desire or duty, joined with wealth, is not being fulfilled?

राजोवाच - सुतो मे बालको ब्रह्मन् स्त्रैणेना-करुणात्मना । निर्वासितः पञ्चवर्षः सह मात्रा महान्कविः

The king said: O brāhmaṇa, my son, a mere child of five, has been exiled with his mother by a cruel-hearted woman; he is a great sage.

अप्यनाथं वने ब्रह्मन् मा स्मादन्त्यर्भकं वृकाः । श्रान्तं शयानं क्षुधितं परिम्लानमुखाम्बुजम्

O brāhmaṇa, though he is helpless in the forest, may the wolves not harm that child—tired, lying down, hungry, his lotus-face withered.

अहो मे बत दौरात्म्यं स्त्रीजितस्योपधारय । योऽङ्‌कं प्रेम्णाऽऽरुरुक्षन्तं नाभ्यनन्दमसत्तमः

Alas, consider my wretchedness, conquered by a woman! I did not welcome that innocent one, who wished to climb into my lap out of love—how base I am!

नारद उवाच - मा मा शुचः स्वतनयं देवगुप्तं विशाम्पते । तत्प्रभावं अविज्ञाय प्रावृङ्‌क्ते यद्यशो जगत्

Nārada said: O protector of the people, do not grieve for your son, who is guarded by the gods. Not knowing his greatness, you lament, though his fame will spread throughout the world.

सुदुष्करं कर्म कृत्वा लोकपालैरपि प्रभुः । ऐष्यत्यचिरतो राजन् यशो विपुलयंस्तव

Having performed a deed difficult even for the guardians of the worlds, O King, he will soon attain for you a fame that will become immense.

मैत्रेय उवाच - इति देवर्षिणा प्रोक्तं विश्रुत्य जगतीपतिः । राजलक्ष्मीमनादृत्य पुत्रं एवान्वचिन्तयत्

Maitreya said: Hearing these words spoken by the divine sage, the lord of the earth, disregarding royal opulence, thought only of his son.

तत्राभिषिक्तः प्रयतः तां उपोष्य विभावरीम् । समाहितः पर्यचर दृष्यादेशेन पूरुषम्

There, having been consecrated and purified, he spent the night in observance, and with focused mind, served the Supreme Person as instructed.

त्रिरात्रान्ते त्रिरात्रान्ते कपित्थबदराशनः । आत्मवृत्त्यनुसारेण मासं निन्येऽर्चयन् हरिम्

At the end of every three nights, subsisting on wood-apple and jujube fruits, he spent a month worshipping Hari according to his capacity.

द्वितीयं च तथा मासं षष्ठे षष्ठेऽर्भको दिने । तृणपर्णादिभिः शीर्णैः कृतान्नोऽभ्यर्चयन् विभुम्

In the second month, on every sixth day, the boy prepared food from fallen leaves, grass, and such, and worshipped the Lord.

तृतीयं चानयन् मासं नवमे नवमेऽहनि । अब्भक्ष उत्तमश्लोकं उपाधावत्समाधिना

In the third month, on every ninth day, he subsisted on water alone and, absorbed in meditation, approached the Glorious Lord.

चतुर्थमपि वै मासं द्वादशे द्वादशेऽहनि । वायुभक्षो जितश्वासो ध्यायन् देवमधारयत्

In the fourth month, on every twelfth day, he lived on air, having conquered his breath, and sustained his meditation on the Lord.

पञ्चमे मास्यनुप्राप्ते जितश्वासो नृपात्मजः । ध्यायन् ब्रह्म पदैकेन तस्थौ स्थाणुरिवाचलः

When the fifth month arrived, the prince, having mastered his breath, stood on one leg, meditating on the Absolute, unmoving like a pillar.

सर्वतो मन आकृष्य हृदि भूतेन्द्रियाशयम् । ध्यायन् भगवतो रूपं नाद्राक्षीत् किंचनापरम्

Withdrawing his mind from everywhere and fixing it in his heart, the seat of the elements and senses, he meditated on the form of the Lord and saw nothing else.

आधारं महदादीनां प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरम् । ब्रह्म धारयमाणस्य त्रयो लोकाश्चकम्पिरे

As he sustained the Supreme, the Lord of primordial matter and the great elements, the support of all, the three worlds began to tremble.

यदैकपादेन स पार्थिवार्भकः तस्थौ तदङ्‌गुष्ठनिपीडिता मही । ननाम तत्रार्धमिभेन्द्रधिष्ठिता तरीव सव्येतरतः पदे पदे

When that royal boy stood on one foot, the earth, pressed by his big toe, bent wherever he stood, as an elephant's platform tilts under its weight.

तस्मिन् अभिध्यायति विश्वमात्मनो द्वारं निरुध्यासुमनन्यया धिया । लोका निरुच्छ्वासनिपीडिता भृशं सलोकपालाः शरणं ययुर्हरिम्

As he meditated on the Self of the universe, closing the door of his senses with unwavering concentration, the worlds and their guardians, oppressed and breathless, sought refuge in Hari.

देवा ऊचुः - नैवं विदामो भगवन् प्राणरोधं चराचरस्याखिलसत्त्वधाम्नः । विधेहि तन्नो वृजिनाद्विमोक्षं प्राप्ता वयं त्वां शरणं शरण्यम्

The gods said: O Lord, we do not know such restraint of life-breath in all beings, moving and unmoving, whose abode is You. Please grant us release from this distress; we have come to You, the ultimate refuge.

श्रीभगवानुवाच - मा भैष्ट बालं तपसो दुरत्ययान् निवर्तयिष्ये प्रतियात स्वधाम । यतो हि वः प्राणनिरोध आसीत् औत्तानपादिर्मयि सङ्‌गतात्मा

The Blessed Lord said: Do not fear. I will cause the boy to desist from this arduous austerity. Return to your own realms. For it was because of his union with Me that your breath was restrained, O sons of Uttānapāda.

सूत उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) इति भीतः प्रजाद्रोहात् सर्वधर्मविवित्सया । ततो विनशनं प्रागाद् यत्र देवव्रतोऽपतत्

Sūta said: Thus, out of fear of harming his subjects and desiring to know all righteousness, he went to the place where Devavrata lay.

तदा ते भ्रातरः सर्वे सदश्वैः स्वर्णभूषितैः । अन्वगच्छन् रथैर्विप्रा व्यासधौम्यादयस्तथा

At that time, all his brothers, with horses adorned in gold, followed in chariots, as did the sages Vyāsa, Dhaumya, and others.

भगवानपि विप्रर्षे रथेन सधनञ्जयः । स तैर्व्यरोचत नृपः कुबेर इव गुह्यकैः

The Blessed Lord, too, O sage among the Brāhmaṇas, together with Dhanañjaya, rode in a chariot; among them, the king shone like Kubera among the Yakṣas.