Bhagavata Purana

स वा अयं सख्यनुगीत सत्कथो वेदेषु गुह्येषु च गुह्यवादिभिः । य एक ईशो जगदात्मलीलया सृजत्यवत्यत्ति न तत्र सज्जते

He, whose friendship is sung, whose sacred stories are told in the Vedas and in secret by those who know the mysteries, is the sole Lord, the soul of the universe, who by His play creates, maintains, and destroys, yet is not attached to these.

यदा ह्यधर्मेण तमोधियो नृपा जीवन्ति तत्रैष हि सत्त्वतः किल । धत्ते भगं सत्यमृतं दयां यशो भवाय रूपाणि दधत् युगे युगे

Whenever kings of darkened minds live by unrighteousness, then indeed, from among the Sātvatas, He assumes forms, bearing fortune, truth, compassion, and fame, for the welfare of the world, age after age.

अहो अलं श्लाघ्यतमं यदोः कुलं अहो अलं पुण्यतमं मधोर्वनम् । यदेष पुंसां ऋषभः श्रियः पतिः स्वजन्मना चङ्क्रमणेन चाञ्चति

Ah, how truly praiseworthy is the lineage of Yadu! How supremely holy is the forest of Madhu, where this foremost of men, the Lord of Śrī, delights both by His birth and by His wandering.

अहो बत स्वर्यशसः तिरस्करी कुशस्थली पुण्ययशस्करी भुवः । पश्यन्ति नित्यं यदनुग्रहेषितं स्मितावलोकं स्वपतिं स्म यत्प्रजाः

Indeed, Kuśasthalī, which eclipses the fame of heaven and brings virtue to the earth, is blessed, for its people, by His grace, constantly behold their Lord’s smiling, glancing face.

नूनं व्रतस्नानहुतादिनेश्वरः समर्चितो ह्यस्य गृहीतपाणिभिः । पिबंति याः सख्यधरामृतं मुहुः व्रजस्त्रियः सम्मुमुहुः यदाशयाः

Surely, the Lord has been worshipped by these women through vows, ritual baths, offerings, and other observances, for He has taken their hands in marriage; repeatedly drinking the nectar of His affectionate speech, the women of Vraja became utterly absorbed in Him.

या वीर्यशुल्केन हृताः स्वयंवरे प्रमथ्य चैद्यः प्रमुखान्हि शुष्मिणः । प्रद्युम्न साम्बाम्ब सुतादयोऽपरा याः चाहृता भौमवधे सहस्रशः

Those whom He won at their own svayamvara by the price of His valor, after subduing powerful kings like Shishupala and others, and those other maidens, daughters of kings such as Pradyumna and Samba, whom He rescued by slaying Bhauma, were brought to Him by the thousands.

एताः परं स्त्रीत्वमपास्तपेशलं निरस्तशौचं बत साधु कुर्वते । यासां गृहात् पुष्करलोचनः पतिः न जातु अपैत्याहृतिभिः हृदि स्पृशन्

These women, though they had abandoned all decorum and purity, have indeed attained the highest womanhood, for their lotus-eyed husband never departs from their homes, touching their hearts with His presence.

(अनुष्टुप्) एवंविधा गदन्तीनां स गिरः पुरयोषिताम् । निरीक्षणेन अभिनन्दन् सस्मितेन ययौ हरिः

As the women of the city spoke in this way, Hari, with a smiling glance, acknowledged their words and proceeded on His way.

अजातशत्रुः पृतनां गोपीथाय मधुद्विषः । परेभ्यः शङ्कितः स्नेहात् प्रायुङ्क्त चतुरङ्‌गिणीम्

Ajātaśatru, out of affection and concern for the safety of the enemy of Madhu, deployed his fourfold army to protect Him from possible threats by others.

अथ दूरागतान् शौरिः कौरवान् विरहातुरान् । सन्निवर्त्य दृढं स्निग्धान् प्रायात्स्वनगरीं प्रियैः

Then Śauri, seeing the Kauravas who had come from afar and were distressed by separation, affectionately persuaded them to return, and departed for His own city with His beloveds.

कुरुजाङ्गलपाञ्चालान् शूरसेनान् सयामुनान् । ब्रह्मावर्तं कुरुक्षेत्रं मत्स्यान् सारस्वतानथ

He passed through the lands of the Kurus, Jāngalas, Pāñcālas, Śūrasenas, those along the Yamunā, Brahmāvarta, Kurukṣetra, Matsyas, and Sārasvatas.

मरुधन्वमतिक्रम्य सौवीराभीरयोः परान् । आनर्तान् भार्गवोपागात् श्रान्तवाहो मनाग्विभुः

Crossing the desert of Marudhanva, He went to the regions of the Sauvīras and Ābhīras, and then to Ānarta, accompanied by Bhārgava, His horses somewhat fatigued.

तत्र तत्र ह तत्रत्यैः हरिः प्रत्युद्यतार्हणः । सायं भेजे दिशं पश्चात् गविष्ठो गां गतस्तदा

At each place, Hari was duly honored by the local people; in the evening, He turned westward and, seeking pasture, went to the land of the cows.

अनुजानीहि नौ भूमन् तवानुचरकिङ्‌करौ । दर्शनं नौ भगवत ऋषेरासीदनुग्रहात्

"O Supreme Lord, permit us, Your servants and attendants, to depart; by the sage's grace, we have been blessed with the sight of the Lord."

( वसंततिलका ) वाणी गुणानुकथने श्रवणौ कथायां हस्तौ च कर्मसु मनस्तव पादयोर्नः । स्मृत्यां शिरस्तव निवासजगत्प्रणामे दृष्टिः सतां दर्शनेऽस्तु भवत्तनूनाम्

May our speech be used in recounting Your virtues, our ears in hearing Your stories, our hands in Your service, our minds at Your feet; may our heads bow in remembrance to You, the abode of the universe, and may our eyes behold the holy ones who embody You.

श्रीशुक उवाच । ( अनुष्टुप् ) इत्थं सङ्‌कीर्तितस्ताभ्यां भगवान् गोकुलेश्वरः । दाम्ना चोलूखले बद्धः प्रहसन्नाह गुह्यकौ

Śuka said: Thus, as the two praised Him, the Lord of Gokula, bound to the mortar by the rope, smiled and spoke to the celestial beings.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । ज्ञातं मम पुरैवैतद् ऋषिणा करुणात्मना । यत् श्रीमदान्धयोर्वाग्भिः विभ्रंशोऽनुग्रहः कृतः

The Blessed Lord said: This was already known to Me, revealed by the compassionate sage, that by the words of those blinded by wealth, you were deprived of your position and received My grace.

साधूनां समचित्तानां सुतरां मत्कृतात्मनाम् । दर्शनान्नो भवेद्‍बन्धः पुंसोऽक्ष्णोः सवितुर्यथा

For those who are virtuous, even-minded, and wholly devoted to Me, there is no bondage from seeing Me, just as the sun does not bind the eyes of men.

तद्‍गच्छतं मत्परमौ नलकूबर सादनम् । सञ्जातो मयि भावो वां ईप्सितः परमोऽभवः

Now go to your own abode, O Nalakūbara, for the supreme devotion you both desired for Me has arisen in your hearts.

श्रीशुक उवाच । इत्युक्तौ तौ परिक्रम्य प्रणम्य च पुनः पुनः । बद्धोलूखलमामन्त्र्य जग्मतुर्दिशमुत्तराम्

Śuka said: Thus addressed, the two circumambulated Him, bowed again and again, took leave of the bound mortar, and departed for the northern direction.

इत्थं भावेन कथितो भगवान् भगवत्तमः । न इत्थं भावेन हि परं द्रष्टुं अर्हन्ति सूरयः

In this way, the Supreme Lord was revealed through devotion; without such devotion, even the wise are not able to behold Him.

नास्य कर्मणि जन्मादौ परस्य अनुविधीयते । कर्तृत्वप्रतिषेधार्थं माययारोपितं हि तत्

His actions, birth, and so forth are not subject to the laws governing others; these are ascribed to Him by Māyā, only to refute the notion of agency.

अयं तु ब्रह्मणः कल्पः सविकल्प उदाहृतः । विधिः साधारणो यत्र सर्गाः प्राकृतवैकृताः

This is called the Brahmā's kalpa, which is described as having distinctions; in it, the general process of creation occurs, both primary and secondary.

परिमाणं च कालस्य कल्पलक्षण विग्रहम् । यथा पुरस्ताद् व्याख्यास्ये पाद्मं कल्पमथो श्रृणु

I will explain the measure of time, the form that marks a kalpa, and, as before, describe the Padma Kalpa—now listen.

शौनक उवाच । यदाह नो भवान् सूत क्षत्ता भागवतोत्तमः । चचार तीर्थानि भुवः त्यक्त्वा बंधून् सु-दुस्त्यजान्

Śaunaka said: O Sūta, you told us that Vidura, the foremost devotee, left behind his most difficult-to-abandon relatives and wandered to holy places on earth.

क्षत्तुः कौशारवेः तस्य संवादोऽध्यात्मसंश्रितः । यद्वा स भगवान् तस्मै पृष्टः तत्त्वं उवाच ह

The conversation between Vidura, son of Vyāsa, and the sage Kauśārava was based on spiritual inquiry; or, that great soul, when questioned, spoke the truth to him.

ब्रूहि नः तद् इदं सौम्य विदुरस्य विचेष्टितम् । बन्धुत्याग निमित्तं च यथैव आगतवान् पुनः

Please tell us, gentle one, what Vidura did, and for what reason he renounced his family and then returned again.

सूत उवाच । राज्ञा परीक्षिता पृष्टो यद् अवोचत् महामुनिः । तद्वोऽभिधास्ये श्रृणुत राज्ञः प्रश्नानुसारतः

Sūta said: What the great sage replied when King Parīkṣit asked him, I will now relate to you—listen, as it follows the king’s questions.

राजोवाच। कस्मिन्कर्मणि देवस्य मयोऽहन्जगदीशितुः। यथा चोपचिता कीर्तिः कृष्णेनानेन कथ्यताम्

The king said: In which action of the Lord, the maker of the universe and my own self, was his fame increased by Kṛṣṇa? Please describe this.