श्रुत्वाहं तस्य तद् वाक्यम् अब्रवं द्विजसत्तमाः दुःखितस्य च दीनस्य पाण्डवस्य महात्मनः
Hearing his words, O best of twice-born, I spoke to the great-souled Pandava, who was afflicted and dejected.
अलं ते व्रीडया पार्थ न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि अवेहि सर्वभूतेषु कालस्य गतिर् ईदृशी
Enough of your shame, Partha; you should not grieve. Know that such is the course of time for all beings.
कालो भवाय भूतानाम् अभवाय च पाण्डव कालमूलम् इदं ज्ञात्वा कुरु स्थैर्यम् अतो ऽर्जुन
Time brings about the creation and destruction of beings, O Pandava. Knowing that all is rooted in time, steady yourself, O Arjuna.
नद्यः समुद्रा गिरयः सकला च वसुंधरा देवा मनुष्याः पशवस् तरवश् च सरीसृपाः
Rivers, oceans, mountains, the entire earth, gods, humans, animals, trees, and reptiles—
सृष्टाः कालेन कालेन पुनर् यास्यन्ति संक्षयम् कालात्मकम् इदं सर्वं ज्ञात्वा शमम् अवाप्नुहि
All these are created by time and, in time, will again meet their end. Knowing that all is of the nature of time, attain peace.
यथात्थ कृष्णमाहात्म्यं तत् तथैव धनंजय भारावतारकार्यार्थम् अवतीर्णः स मेदिनीम्
Just as you have described Krishna’s greatness, so it is, O Dhananjaya; he descended to earth for the purpose of relieving its burden.
भाराक्रान्ता धरा याता देवानां संनिधौ पुरा तदर्थम् अवतीर्णो ऽसौ कामरूपी जनार्दनः
When the earth, weighed down, approached the gods long ago, for that purpose Janardana, the wish-formed, descended.
तच् च निष्पादितं कार्यम् अशेषा भूभृतो हताः वृष्ण्यन्धककुलं सर्वं तथा पार्थोपसंहृतम्
That task has been accomplished; all the earth’s rulers have been slain, the entire clan of the Vrishnis and Andhakas, as well as the sons of Pritha, have been withdrawn.
न किंचिद् अन्यत् कर्तव्यम् अस्य भूमितले ऽर्जुन ततो गतः स भगवान् कृतकृत्यो यथेच्छया
There is nothing further to be done by him on earth, O Arjuna; thus, the Blessed Lord, his work complete, departed as he wished.
सृष्टिं सर्गे करोत्य् एष देवदेवः स्थितिं स्थितौ अन्ते तापसमर्थो ऽयं सांप्रतं वै यथा कृतम्
This Lord of gods creates at the beginning of creation, sustains in the time of preservation, and at the end, is capable of withdrawal—just as he has now done.
तस्मात् पार्थ न संतापस् त्वया कार्यः पराभवात् भवन्ति भवकालेषु पुरुषाणां पराक्रमाः
Therefore, Partha, you should not grieve over defeat; in the course of existence, the valor of men rises and falls.
यतस् त्वयैकेन हता भीष्मद्रोणादयो नृपाः तेषाम् अर्जुन कालोत्थः किं न्यूनाभिभवो न सः
For by you alone, Bhishma, Drona, and other kings were slain; O Arjuna, their defeat too arose from time—how is your own defeat any less?
विष्णोस् तस्यानुभावेन यथा तेषां पराभवः त्वत्तस् तथैव भवतो दस्युभ्यो ऽन्ते तदुद्भवः
Just as, by the power of Viṣṇu, their defeat occurred, so too, by your own power, defeat at the hands of the Dasyus will arise for you in the end.
स देवो ऽन्यशरीराणि समाविश्य जगत्स्थितिम् करोति सर्वभूतानां नाशं चान्ते जगत्पतिः
That Lord, entering other bodies, sustains the world and, at the end, brings about the destruction of all beings, O Lord of the world.
भवोद्भवे च कौन्तेय सहायस् ते जनार्दनः भवान्ते त्वद्विपक्षास् ते केशवेनावलोकिताः
In creation and dissolution, O son of Kuntī, Janārdana is your ally; at the end of your life, your enemies will be regarded by Keśava.
कः श्रद्दध्यात् सगाङ्गेयान् हन्यास् त्वं सर्वकौरवान् आभीरेभ्यश् च भवतः कः श्रद्दध्यात् पराभवम्
Who would believe that you, slayer of Gāṅgeya, destroyed all the Kauravas? And who would believe that you were defeated by the Ābhīras?
पार्थैतत् सर्वभूतेषु हरेर् लीलाविचेष्टितम् त्वया यत् कौरवा ध्वस्ता यद् आभीरैर् भवाञ् जितः
O Pārtha, all this is the sportive action of Hari among all beings: that you destroyed the Kauravas, and that you were conquered by the Ābhīras.
गृहीता दस्युभिर् यच् च रक्षिता भवता स्त्रियः तद् अप्य् अहं यथावृत्तं कथयामि तवार्जुन
And when you were seized by the Dasyus and your wives were protected by you, I shall also recount that, O Arjuna, just as it happened.
अष्टावक्रः पुरा विप्र उदवासरतो ऽभवत् बहून् वर्षगणान् पार्थ गृणन् ब्रह्म सनातनम्
Once, long ago, the sage Aṣṭāvakra, devoted to vows, spent many years, O Pārtha, reciting the eternal Brahman.
जितेष्व् असुरसंघेषु मेरुपृष्ठे महोत्सवः बभूव तत्र गच्छन्त्यो ददृशुस् तं सुरस्त्रियः
When the hosts of Asuras were defeated, there was a great festival on the summit of Meru; as the divine women went there, they saw him.
रम्भातिलोत्तमाद्याश् च शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः तुष्टुवुस् तं महात्मानं प्रशशंसुश् च पाण्डव
Rambhā, Tilottamā, and others by the hundreds and thousands praised and extolled that great-souled one, O Pāṇḍava.
आकण्ठमग्नं सलिले जटाभारधरं मुनिम् विनयावनताश् चैव प्रणेमुः स्तोत्रतत्पराः
Immersed up to his neck in water, bearing matted locks, the sage was bowed to with reverence by those devoted to praise, who offered their salutations.
यथा यथा प्रसन्नो ऽभूत् तुष्टुवुस् तं तथा तथा सर्वास् ताः कौरवश्रेष्ठ वरिष्ठं तं द्विजन्मनाम्
As he became more and more pleased, so did all those women, O best of the Kauravas, praise that foremost of twice-born ones.
प्रसन्नो ऽहं महाभागा भवतीनां यद् इष्यते मत्तस् तद् व्रियतां सर्वं प्रदास्याम्य् अपि दुर्लभम्
"I am pleased, O greatly fortunate ones; whatever is desired by you, ask it of me. I shall grant all, even that which is difficult to obtain."
रम्भातिलोत्तमाद्याश् च दिव्याश् चाप्सरसो ऽब्रुवन्
Then Rambhā, Tilottamā, and the other divine Apsarases spoke.
प्रसन्ने त्वय्य् असंप्राप्तं किम् अस्माकम् इति द्विजाः
"If you are pleased, O twice-born one, what is unattainable for us?"
इतरास् त्व् अब्रुवन् विप्र प्रसन्नो भगवन् यदि तद् इच्छामः पतिं प्राप्तुं विप्रेन्द्र पुरुषोत्तमम्
But the others said, "O sage, if you are pleased, O blessed one, we desire to obtain as a husband, O best of Brāhmaṇas, the supreme man."
एवं भविष्यतीत्य् उक्त्वा उत्ततार जलान् मुनिः तम् उत्तीर्णं च ददृशुर् विरूपं वक्रम् अष्टधा
Saying, "So it shall be," the sage rose from the water; and as he emerged, they saw him deformed, crooked in eight ways.
तं दृष्ट्वा गूहमानानां यासां हासः स्फुटो ऽभवत् ताः शशाप मुनिः कोपम् अवाप्य कुरुनन्दन
Seeing him, some of them, trying to conceal their laughter, burst out; the sage, becoming angry, cursed them, O joy of the Kurus.
यस्माद् विरूपरूपं मां मत्वा हासावमानना भवतीभिः कृता तस्माद् एष शापं ददामि वः
"Because, seeing me in this deformed form, you laughed and showed me disrespect, therefore I pronounce this curse upon you."