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.
अथेह धन्या भगवन्त इत्थं यद्वासुदेवेऽखिललोकनाथे। कुर्वन्ति सर्वात्मकमात्मभावं न यत्र भूयः परिवर्तउग्रः
Blessed indeed here are those, O Lord, who in this way make themselves wholly one with Vasudeva, the Lord of all worlds; where such integral selfhood is, fierce change no longer occurs.
इदं भागवतं नाम पुराणं ब्रह्मसम्मितम् । उत्तमश्लोकचरितं चकार भगवान् ऋषिः
This is the Purāṇa called the Bhāgavata, agreed upon as Brahman; the Lord made it a supreme poem of noble deeds.
(अनुष्टुप्) निःश्रेयसाय लोकस्य धन्यं स्वस्त्ययनं महत् । तदिदं ग्राहयामास सुतं आत्मवतां वरम्
It brings the highest welfare and blessedness to the world; hearing it is the greatest good — thus he taught this foremost instruction to the best of those who are self-realized.
सर्ववेदेतिहासानां सारं सारं समुद्धृतम्। स तु संश्रावयामास महाराजं परीक्षितम्
He extracted the essence from all the Vedas and histories, distilling their cream; then he proclaimed it to King Parīkṣit.
प्रायोपविष्टं गङ्गायां परीतं परमर्षिभिः । कृष्णे स्वधामोपगते धर्मज्ञानादिभिः सह
Seated once on the banks of the Gaṅgā and beloved of the great sages, when Krishna reached his own abode he was accompanied by those versed in righteousness and knowledge.
कलौ नष्टदृशामेष पुराणार्कोऽधुनोदितः। तत्र कीर्तयतो विप्रा विप्रर्षेर्भूरितेजसः
In this age, where true vision is lost, a sun among Purāṇas has now risen; there the Brahmins, praising, filled with radiance, proclaimed it among the sage-Brahmins.
अहं चाध्यगमं तत्र निविष्टस्तद् अनुग्रहात्। सोऽहं वः श्रावयिष्यामि यथाधीतं यथामति
I too, having entered that teaching by grace, will recount it to you as I received and as my mind comprehends.
व्यास उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) इति ब्रुवाणं संस्तूय मुनीनां दीर्घसत्रिणाम् । वृद्धः कुलपतिः सूतं बह्वृचः शौनकोऽब्रवीत्
Vyāsa said: Thus speaking in praise of the long-sitting sages, the venerable head of the clan addressed the sūta — Bhaṛvācchhauna ka — and spoke.
शौनक उवाच । सूत सूत महाभाग वद नो वदतां वर । कथां भागवतीं पुण्यां यदाह भगवान् शुकः
Śaunaka said: O sūta, noble sūta, speak — tell us — your best account: what is the sacred Bhāgavata teaching that Śuka the exalted declared?
कस्मिन् युगे प्रवृत्तेयं स्थाने वा केन हेतुना । कुतः सञ्चोदितः कृष्णः कृतवान् संहितां मुनिः
In what age did this begin, at what place and for what cause was Krishna’s assembly composed by the sage?
तस्य पुत्रो महायोगी समदृङ् निर्विकल्पकः । एकान्तमतिः उन्निद्रो गूढो मूढ इवेयते
His son, the great yogin, equal-seeing and free of conceptual distinctions, single-minded, half-asleep, hidden and seeming like a fool, was of one resolute view.
(वसंततिलका) दृष्ट्वानुयान्तमृषिमात्मजमप्यनग्नं देव्यो ह्रिया परिदधुर्न सुतस्य चित्रम् । तद्वीक्ष्य पृच्छति मुनौ जगदुस्तवास्ति स्त्रीपुम्भिदा न तु सुतस्य विविक्तदृष्टेः
Seeing the sage’s son following after him, unclothed, the goddess, abashed, did not display the boy’s form; observing that, the two sages ask whether the world exists — whether the child be both male and female, not simply secluded in sight.
(अनुष्टुप्) कथमालक्षितः पौरैः संप्राप्तः कुरुजाङ्गलान् । उन्मत्तमूकजडवद् विचरन् गजसाह्वये
How was he perceived by townsfolk when he entered the Kurujangala wilderness, wandering like a mad, heavy‑faced elephant at a war elephant’s call?
कथं वा पाण्डवेयस्य राजर्षेर्मुनिना सह । संवादः समभूत् तात यत्रैषा सात्वती श्रुतिः
How, O son, did that dialogue occur between the kingly-sage of the Pāṇḍavas and the munificent ascetic? Tell me where that sattvic teaching was heard.
स गोदोहनमात्रं हि गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् । अवेक्षते महाभागः तीर्थीकुर्वन् तदाश्रमम्
A great fortunate man observes in a householder’s home nothing more than the milking of cows; he regards that hermitage as a pilgrimage and does penance there.