भारतव्यपदेशेन ह्याम्नायार्थश्च दर्शितः । दृश्यते यत्र धर्मादि स्त्रीशूद्रादिभिरप्युत
By Bhārata’s instruction the meaning of the Veda has been shown to me; there one sees how duties and such can even be degraded by women and śūdras.
तथापि बत मे दैह्यो ह्यात्मा चैवात्मना विभुः । असंपम्पन्न इवाभाति ब्रह्मवर्चस्य सत्तमः
Yet tell me, O fate: the body is indeed mortal while the self is supreme in the self; though not perfectly pure, it still shines faintly with the power of Brahman.
किं वा भागवता धर्मा न प्रायेण निरूपिताः । प्रियाः परमहंसानां त एव ह्यच्युतप्रियाः
What indeed is dharma as declared by the blessed? It is rarely defined; what pleases supreme renunciants is precisely that which the Unfailing One dislikes.
तस्यैवं खिलमात्मानं मन्यमानस्य खिद्यतः । कृष्णस्य नारदोऽभ्यागाद् आश्रमं प्रागुदाहृतम्
Thinking himself utterly worthless and feeling distressed, that very man was approached by Narada, and he was invited by name to the hermitage of Krishna.
तमभिज्ञाय सहसा प्रत्युत्थायागतं मुनिः । पूजयामास विधिवत् नारदं सुरपूजितम्
Knowing him thus, the sage suddenly rose and came; he properly worshipped Narada, who was honored like a deity.
सूत उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) अथ तं सुखमासीन उपासीनं बृहच्छ्रवाः । देवर्षिः प्राह विप्रर्षिं वीणापाणिः स्मयन्निव
Suta said: Then that blissful listener, Bṛhaspati, addressed the seated ascetic like a brahman—stringed instrument in hand—smiling as if playing a vina.
नारद उवाच । पाराशर्य महाभाग भवतः कच्चिदात्मना । परितुष्यति शारीर आत्मा मानस एव वा
Narada said: O glorious son of Parashara, is there anything about your own self that satisfies you—your body, your inner self, or merely the mind?
जिज्ञासितं सुसंपन्नं अपि ते महदद्भुतम् । कृतवान् भारतं यस्त्वं सर्वार्थपरिबृंहितम्
You, who have achieved the desired enquiry and wondrously accomplished much, O Bharata, have done all things rife with meaning—why then do you still wonder?
जिज्ञासितमधीतं च यत्तद् ब्रह्म सनातनम् । तथापि शोचस्यात्मानं अकृतार्थ इव प्रभो
Even after having learned what is to be known—the eternal Brahman—still your self laments as if nothing were gained, O lord.
व्यास उवाच । (उपेंद्रवज्रा) अस्त्येव मे सर्वमिदं त्वयोक्तं तथापि नात्मा परितुष्यते मे । तन्मूलमव्यक्तमगाधबोधं पृच्छामहे त्वात्मभवात्मभूतम्
Vyasa said: Indeed all this you have told me, yet my self is not satisfied. I ask about the root, the unmanifest, deep and cognizant source—please inquire into my being and that which became my self.
स वै भवान् वेद समस्तगुह्यं उपासितो यत्पुरुषः पुराणः । परावरेशो मनसैव विश्वं सृजत्यवत्यत्ति गुणैरसङ्गः
He is the one you know—the knower of all mysteries, the ancient Purusha—who, supreme among spirits, by mind alone creates and pervades the world, acting without attachment, producing and withdrawing by his qualities.
त्वं पर्यटन्नर्क इव त्रिलोकीं अन्तश्चरो वायुरिवात्मसाक्षी । परावरे ब्रह्मणि धर्मतो व्रतैः स्नातस्य मे न्यूनमलं विचक्ष्व
You wander the three worlds like the sun, inwardly moving like the air witness of the self; O exalted one in supreme Brahman, by duties and vows bathe me so I may be cleansed and reduced of impurities.
श्रीनारद उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) भवतानुदितप्रायं यशो भगवतोऽमलम् । येनैवासौ न तुष्येत मन्ये तद्दर्शनं खिलम्
Narada said: Your fame, born from the Lord and spotless, is nearly universal; by that very fame I think one should not be content—such seeing is futile.
यथा धर्मादयश्चार्था मुनिवर्यानुकीर्तिताः । न तथा वासुदेवस्य महिमा ह्यनुवर्णितः
Just as dharma and related aims are praised among eminent sages, so too is glory recounted; yet the greatness of Vasudeva cannot be described in the same way.
(वंशस्थ) न यद् वचश्चित्रपदं हरेर्यशो जगत्पवित्रं प्रगृणीत कर्हिचित् । तद्वायसं तीर्थमुशन्ति मानसा न यत्र हंसा निरमन्त्युशिक्क्षयाः
Not whatever words, ornate and many‑toned, ever praise the fame of Hari as the purifier of the world; these are like the sacred waters of the Vāyu‑tirtha in the mind — not where swans perish clinging to straw.
तद्वाग्विसर्गो जनताघविप्लवो यस्मिन् प्रतिश्लोकमबद्धवत्यपि । नामान्यनन्तस्य यशोऽङ्कितानि यत् श्रृण्वन्ति गायन्ति गृणन्ति साधवः
That outflow of speech — a flood of people‑praising sound — in which, line by line, even when not tightly bound, the countless names and marks of the Infinite are sung, heard and repeated by the virtuous.
नैष्कर्म्यमप्यच्युतभाववर्जितं न शोभते ज्ञानमलं निरञ्जनम् । कुतः पुनः शश्वदभद्रमीश्वरे न चार्पितं कर्म यदप्यकारणम्
Even actionless knowledge, if devoid of the changeless nature of the Unfallen, does not shine as spotless, stainless wisdom; how then can action, which is ever associated with misfortune and not offered to the Lord, be free of cause?
अथो महाभाग भवानमोघदृक् शुचिश्रवाः सत्यरतो धृतव्रतः । उरुक्रमस्याखिलबंधमुक्तये समाधिनानुस्मर तद्विचेष्टितम्
Therefore, O fortunate one of clear vision, of pure fame and steady virtue, for freeing the mighty wheel from all bonds remember and meditate on what the seers have practised in samādhi.
ततोऽन्यथा किञ्चन यद्विवक्षतः पृथग् दृशस्तत् कृतरूपनामभिः । न कर्हिचित् क्वापि च दुःस्थिता मतिः लभेत वाताहतनौरिवास्पदम्
Otherwise, whatever you have here declared — when seen separately and by those who make it into a fixed form — no one ever finds a settled mind; it becomes like a wind‑struck, sloped place full of holes.
जुगुप्सितं धर्मकृतेऽनुशासतः स्वभावरक्तस्य महान् व्यतिक्रमः । यद्वाक्यतो धर्म इतीतरः स्थितो न मन्यते तस्य निवारणं जनः
Despised is the great transgression of one attached to nature who, having been instructed in righteous action, departs; when the law is spoken as duty and someone stands elsewhere, people do not reckon that he can be restrained.
विचक्षणोऽस्यार्हति वेदितुं विभोः अनन्तपारस्य निवृत्तितः सुखम् । प्रवर्तमानस्य गुणैरनात्मनः ततो भवान् दर्शय चेष्टितं विभोः
The discerning one should know the Lord’s withdrawing as the bliss beyond the limitless sea; show, then, from the qualities of one set in motion who is non‑self, what the Lord’s manifested conduct has been.
त्यक्त्वा स्वधर्मं चरणाम्बुजं हरेः भजन् अपक्वोऽथ पतेत् ततो यदि । यत्र क्व वाभद्रमभूदमुष्य किं को वार्थ आप्तोऽभजतां स्वधर्मतः
Having abandoned his proper duty — the lotus of footprints of the Lord — even an unripe votary will fall; where then was there any harm for him? Who, having taken refuge, gained anything by abandoning his own duty?
(इंद्रवंशा) तस्यैव हेतोः प्रयतेत कोविदो न लभ्यते यद्भ्रमतामुपर्यधः । तल्लभ्यते दुःखवदन्यतः सुखं कालेन सर्वत्र गभीररंहसा
For that very reason one skilled should endeavour: what is attained is not obtained by roaming about; what appears like sorrow elsewhere is acquired as happiness in time, deeply and with secrecy everywhere.
(वंशस्थ) न वै जनो जातु कथञ्चनाव्रजेत् मुकुंदसेव्यन्यवदङ्ग संसृतिम् । स्मरन् मुकुंदाङ्घ्र्युपगूहनं पुनः विहातुमिच्छेन्न रसग्रहो जनः
No person ever entirely breaks away from transmigration merely by serving another of Mukunda’s limb‑forms; remembering to hide himself at Mukunda’s feet again and again, a man will not wish to abandon the taste for worldly attachment.
इदं हि विश्वं भगवानिवेतरो यतो जगत्स्थाननिरोधसंभवाः । तद्धि स्वयं वेद भवांस्तथापि वै प्रादेशमात्रं भवतः प्रदर्शितम्
Indeed this world is not other than the Lord, because the world’s positions arise from the restraint of being; yet he himself knows you — and even so has merely shown you a small realm.
त्वमात्मनात्मानमवेह्यमोघदृक् परस्य पुंसः परमात्मनः कलाम् । अजं प्रजातं जगतः शिवाय तन् महानुभावाभ्युदयोऽधिगण्यताम्
You, O spotless seer, behold the self in the self of another: the supreme of persons, the supreme self’s art. May that unborn, the life of the created world and auspiciousness, be attained by the great‑souled ones!
इदं हि पुंसस्तपसः श्रुतस्य वा स्विष्टस्य सूक्तस्य च बुद्धिदत्तयोः । अविच्युतोऽर्थः कविभिर्निरूपितो यदुत्तमश्लोक गुणानुवर्णनम्
This human, whether born of austerity, learning, or gifted hymns, has an unerring theme that poets have defined: the highest verse describing virtues to be extolled.
(इंद्रवंशा) अहं पुरातीतभवेऽभवं मुने दास्यास्तु कस्याश्चन वेदवादिनाम् । निरूपितो बालक एव योगिनां शुश्रूषणे प्रावृषि निर्विविक्षताम्
(Indravamsha) O sage, I was present in ancient times and will be again; to whom are servants given among those like Vedas? Even a child among yogins, described, listened attentively to the sages' ministrations.
ते मय्यपेताखिलचापलेऽर्भके दान्तेऽधृतक्रीडनकेऽनुवर्तिनि । चक्रुः कृपां यद्यपि तुल्यदर्शनाः शुश्रूषमाणे मुनयोऽल्पभाषिणि
Those who received me in childhood — simple, gentle, playful yet restrained — showed compassion equally and had compatible sight; the ascetics attending them spoke little while serving.
उच्छिष्टलेपाननुमोदितो द्विजैः सकृत्स्म भुञ्जे तदपास्तकिल्बिषः । एवं प्रवृत्तस्य विशुद्धचेतसः तद्धर्म एवात्मरुचिः प्रजायते
Delighted by leftover food smeared upon the face by twice-born ones, I tasted it once and thus committed no sin; for one engaged like this, with a purified mind, duty itself becomes the soul's delight.