तुर्ये धर्मकलासर्गे नरनारायणौ ऋषी । भूत्वात्मोपशमोपेतं अकरोद् दुश्चरं तपः
Fourth, in the art of dharma, he manifested as the pair Nara–Narayana, both sages living austerity, calming the self and abandoning harmful penances.
पञ्चमः कपिलो नाम सिद्धेशः कालविप्लुतम् । प्रोवाचासुरये सांख्यं तत्त्वग्रामविनिर्णयम्
Fifth was Kapila, a siddha‑lord stirred by the fashion of time; he taught the Asurya (Sankhya) system, deciding the assembly of principles.
षष्ठे अत्रेरपत्यत्वं वृतः प्राप्तोऽनसूयया। आन्वीक्षिकीमलर्काय प्रह्लादादिभ्य ऊचिवान्
Sixth, he entered as Atri’s descendant, free from envy and established; addressing Prahlāda and others, he taught the investigative science to the bright‑headed.
ततः सप्तम आकूत्यां रुचेर्यज्ञोऽभ्यजायत । स यामाद्यैः सुरगणैः अपात् स्वायंभुवान्तरम्
Seventh, born amid ecstatic praise, he became the sacrificial priest who, with the foremost gods, crossed over the regions of Svayambhuva.
अष्टमे मेरुदेव्यां तु नाभेर्जात उरुक्रमः । दर्शयन्वर्त्म धीराणां सर्वाश्रम नमस्कृतम्
Eighth, in the mountain goddess Meru, a mighty‑thighed form arose, showing paths to the resolute and bowing to all hermitages.
ऋषिभिर्याचितो भेजे नवमं पार्थिवं वपुः । दुग्धेमामोषधीर्विप्राः तेनायं स उशत्तमः
Requested by sages, he sent a ninth earthly form: the best among men—nourished by milk and herbs, revered by brahmanas—this was the excellent sovereign.
रूपं स जगृहे मात्स्यं चाक्षुषोदधिसंप्लवे। नाव्यारोप्य महीमय्यां अपाद् वैवस्वतं मनुम्
He assumed a fish‑like shape and perceived the ocean’s flood; placing a boat upon the oceanic earth, he brought down Vaivasvata Manu.
सुरासुराणां उदधिं मथ्नतां मन्दराचलम् । दध्रे कमठरूपेण पृष्ठ एकादशे विभुः
He churned the ocean of the gods and demons, and Mount Mandara was used as the churner; in the guise of a stubborn tortoise he supported the back of that mountain at eleven places.
धान्वन्तरं द्वादशमं त्रयोदशममेव च। अपाययत्सुरान्अन्यान् मोहिन्या मोहयन्स्त्रिया
He became Dhanvantari in the twelfth, and in the thirteenth likewise; beguiling and being beguiled, he subdued other gods, ensnaring them through delusion.
चतुर्दशं नारसिंहं बिभ्रद् दैत्येन्द्रमूर्जितम् । ददार करजैरूरौ एरकां कटकृत् यथा
In the fourteenth he bore the Narasimha form, famed as the slayer of the demon-king; roaring like thunder, he shook the earth and tore the demon apart with his claws as a lion rends flesh.
पञ्चदशं वामनकं कृत्वागादध्वरं बलेः। पदत्रयं याचमानः प्रत्यादित्सुस्त्रिविष्टपम्
In the fifteenth he appeared as the dwarf Vamana, striking down the pride of the strong and, asking for three paces of land, reclaimed the earth from the three worlds.
अवतारे षोडशमे पश्यन् ब्रह्मद्रुहो नृपान् । त्रिःसप्तकृत्वः कुपितो निःक्षत्रां अकरोन्महीम्
In the sixteenth incarnation he punished kings who plotted against Brahma; enraged by triple offenses, he utterly destroyed the Kshatriya power on earth.
ततः सप्तदशे जातः सत्यवत्यां पराशरात् । चक्रे वेदतरोः शाखा दृष्ट्वा पुंसोऽल्पमेधसः
Then, born in the seventeenth to Satyavati from Parashara, he established a branch of the Vedic lore, seeing the decline of men’s intelligence and the scarcity of learned people.
नरदेवत्वमापन्नः सुरकार्यचिकीर्षया । समुद्रनिग्रहादीनि चक्रे वीर्याण्यतः परम्
Having attained the status of a great man, desirous of serving the gods, he subdued the ocean and accomplished other feats, displaying power surpassing all.
एकोनविंशे विंशतिमे वृष्णिषु प्राप्य जन्मनी । रामकृष्णाविति भुवो भगवान् अहरद्भरम्
In the nineteenth year of the Vrishnis’ generations he was born as Ramachandra or Krishnachandra; the Lord, celebrated on earth, filled the day with glory.
ततः कलौ संप्रवृत्ते सम्मोहाय सुरद्विषाम्। बुद्धो नाम्नां जनसुतः कीकटेषु भविष्यति
Now in the age to come, in the final dusk when the gods’ enemies are deluded, a son named Buddho will be born among the beetles of mankind—one afflicted by confusion.
अथासौ युगसंध्यायां दस्युप्रायेषु राजसु । जनिता विष्णुयशसो नाम्ना कल्किर्जगत्पतिः
At the junction of the age, amid robber-like kings, a progeny named Kalki, famed for Vishnu’s renown, will be the sovereign of the world.
अवतारा ह्यसङ्ख्येया हरेः सत्त्वनिधेर्द्विजाः । यथाविदासिनःकुल्याः सरसः स्युः सहस्रशः
Indeed, the number of Vishnu’s incarnations is endless; among the twice-born there are countless repositories of his being—each clan furnishing thousands of such manifestations.
ऋषयो मनवो देवा मनुपुत्रा महौजसः। कलाः सर्वे हरेरेव सप्रजापतयः तथा
Sages, Manus, gods, and sons of Manu of mighty vigour—all arts are solely those of Hari; likewise the Prajapatis act as his manifestations.
एते चांशकलाःपुंसःकृष्णस्तु भगवान्स्वयम् । इन्द्रारिव्याकुलं लोकं मृडयन्ति युगे युगे
These fragmented portions (aṁśa-kalāḥ) are living beings, while Krishna Himself is the Supreme Lord; in every age He playfully reestablishes a world troubled as by Indra's wrath.
जन्म गुह्यं भगवतो य एतत्प्रयतो नरः। सायंप्रातर्गृणन्भक्त्या दुःखग्रामाद् विमुच्यते
This birth of the Lord is secret: a man who attentively invokes it morning and evening with devotion is freed from the village of sorrows.
एतद् रूपं भगवतो ह्यरूपस्य चिदात्मनः । मायागुणैर्विरचितं महदादिभिरात्मनि
That form of the Lord is indeed the form of the conscious Self, fashioned within the self by the qualities of māyā and by great primordial principles.
यथा नभसि मेघौघो रेणुर्वा पार्थिवोऽनिले । एवं द्रष्टरि दृश्यत्वं आरोपितं अबुद्धिभिः
Just as clouds in the sky, dust on the earth, or wind in the air are seen by the seer, so too visible and invisible appearances are superimposed by the unenlightened.
अतः परं यदव्यक्तं अव्यूढगुणबृंहितम्। अदृष्टाश्रुतवस्तुत्वात् स जीवो यत् पुनर्भवः
Therefore that which is beyond, unmanifest and arrayed with qualities, unseen and unheard as a reality, is what the living being again becomes—this is rebirth.
यत्रेमे सदसद् रूपे प्रतिषिद्धे स्वसंविदा । अविद्ययाऽऽत्मनि कृते इति तद्ब्रह्मदर्शनम्
Where the same Self appears in forms of being and non-being and one's own consciousness is opposed, that beholding of Brahman is due to ignorance acting in the Self.
यद्येषोपरता देवी माया वैशारदी मतिः । संपन्न एवेति विदुः महिम्नि स्वे महीयते
If this goddess named Māyā—clever and finely skilled—is present and endowed with capacities, then the wise know she is complete and is magnified in her own greatness.
एवं जन्मानि कर्माणि ह्यकर्तुरजनस्य च । वर्णयन्ति स्म कवयो वेदगुह्यानि हृत्पतेः
Thus births and actions, even of the agentless, are described by poets (kavayaḥ) who reveal in the heart the secret Vedic truths of the Lord.
(उपेंद्रवज्रा) स वा इदं विश्वममोघलीलः सृजत्यवत्यत्ति न सज्जतेऽस्मिन्। भूतेषु चान्तर्हित आत्मतंत्रः षाड्वर्गिकं जिघ्रति षड्गुणेशः
That imperishable, unfailing Play of the world is always creating and dissolving without binding itself here; within beings the inner principle acts, and the sixfold divisions scent the six qualities.
न चास्य कश्चिन्निपुणेन धातुः अवैति जन्तुः कुमनीष ऊतीः। नामानि रूपाणि मनोवचोभिः सन्तन्वतो नटचर्यामिवाज्ञः
No being can fashion (perfect) this principle by craft; names, forms, and the word of mind proceed in succession like actors following a traditional role.
स वेद धातुः पदवीं परस्य दुरन्तवीर्यस्य रथाङ्गपाणेः। योऽमायय ासन्ततयानुवृत्त्या भजेत तत्पादसरोजगन्धम्
That principle knows the supreme station of another—the mighty one who wields the chariot's reins; whoever constantly worships by that unbroken devotion will experience the fragrance of lotus-feet.