Bhagavata Purana

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.

दृष्ट्वा निपतितं भूमौ दिवश्च्युतं इवामरम् । प्रणेमुः पाण्डवा भीष्मं सानुगाः सह चक्रिणा

Seeing Bhīṣma fallen on the ground, like a god fallen from heaven, the Pāṇḍavas, along with their followers and the wielder of the discus, bowed to him.

तत्र ब्रह्मर्षयः सर्वे देवर्षयश्च सत्तम । राजर्षयश्च तत्रासन् द्रष्टुं भरतपुङ्गवम्

There, all the great sages among the Brahmanas, the foremost among the divine sages, and the royal sages assembled to see the chief of the Bharatas.

पर्वतो नारदो धौम्यो भगवान् बादरायणः । बृहदश्वो भरद्वाजः सशिष्यो रेणुकासुतः

Parvata, Narada, Dhaumya, the venerable Badarayana, Brihadasva, Bharadvaja with his disciples, and the son of Renuka were present.

वसिष्ठ इन्द्रप्रमदः त्रितो गृत्समदोऽसितः । कक्षीवान् गौतमोऽत्रिश्च कौशिकोऽथ सुदर्शनः

Vasishtha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gritsamada, Asita, Kakshivan, Gautama, Atri, Kaushika, and Sudarshana were also there.

अन्ये च मुनयो ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मरातादयोऽमलाः । शिष्यैरुपेता आजग्मुः कश्यपाङ्‌गिरसादयः

Other sages as well, O Brahman, pure-hearted ones like Brahmarata and others, arrived with their disciples—Kashyapa, Angiras, and the rest.

तान् समेतान् महाभागान् उपलभ्य वसूत्तमः । पूजयामास धर्मज्ञो देशकालविभागवित्

Having perceived those assembled, most fortunate ones, the best of the Vasus, who knew righteousness and the proper distinctions of place and time, honored them.

कृष्णं च तत्प्रभावज्ञ आसीनं जगदीश्वरम् । हृदिस्थं पूजयामास माययोपात्त विग्रहम्

He also worshipped Krishna, who knew His own majesty, seated there as Lord of the universe, present in the heart, having assumed a form through His own maya.

पाण्डुपुत्रान् उपासीनान् प्रश्रयप्रेमसङ्गतान् । अभ्याचष्टानुरागाश्रैः अन्धीभूतेन चक्षुषा

He addressed the sons of Pandu, who were seated with humility and affection, with eyes blinded by tears of deep attachment.

अहो कष्टमहोऽन्याय्यं यद् यूयं धर्मनन्दनाः । जीवितुं नार्हथ क्लिष्टं विप्रधर्माच्युताश्रयाः

Alas, how grievous, how unjust it is that you, O sons of Dharma, who are afflicted, devoted to the Brahmanas, to righteousness, and to Acyuta, are not fit to suffer or to live in distress.

संस्थितेऽतिरथे पाण्डौ पृथा बालप्रजा वधूः । युष्मत्कृते बहून् क्लेशान् प्राप्ता तोकवती मुहुः

With the great warrior Pandu gone, Kunti, left with young children and as a widow, has endured many hardships for your sake, time and again, like one with a child.