कर्मणाम् आनुपूर्व्या च प्रादुर्भावाश् च ये विभो या वास्य प्रकृतिर् ब्रह्मंस् ताश् चाख्यातुं त्वम् अर्हसि
O Brahman, you should recount the successive deeds and manifestations of the Lord, as well as his nature.
प्रश्नभारो महान् एष भवद्भिः समुदाहृतः यथाशक्त्या तु वक्ष्यामि श्रूयतां वैष्णवं यशः
This question you have raised is weighty; I will speak as best I can. Listen to the glory of Vishnu.
विष्णोः प्रभावश्रवणे दिष्ट्या वो मतिर् उत्थिता तस्माद् विष्णोः समस्ता वै शृणुध्वं याः प्रवृत्तयः
By fortune your minds have arisen to hear of Vishnu's power; therefore, listen to all the activities of Vishnu.
सहस्रास्यं सहस्राक्षं सहस्रचरणं च यम् सहस्रशिरसं देवं सहस्रकरम् अव्ययम्
The imperishable God whom they praise has a thousand faces, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, a thousand heads, and a thousand hands.
सहस्रजिह्वं भास्वन्तं सहस्रमुकुटं प्रभुम् सहस्रदं सहस्रादिं सहस्रभुजम् अव्ययम्
He is the radiant Lord with a thousand tongues, a thousand crowns, a thousand gifts, a thousand beginnings, and a thousand arms, imperishable.
हवनं सवनं चैव होतारं हव्यम् एव च पात्राणि च पवित्राणि वेदिं दीक्षां समित् स्रुवम्
He is the offering, the libation, the priest, the oblation itself, the vessels, the purifiers, the altar, the consecration, the fuel, and the ladle.
स्रुक्सोमसूर्यमुशलं प्रोक्षणीं दक्षिणायनम् अध्वर्युं सामगं विप्रं सदस्यं सदनं सदः
He is the ladle, the soma, the sun, the pestle, the sprinkling vessel, the southern path, the sacrificer, the singer of Sama, the priest, the member, the seat, and the assembly.
यूपं चक्रं ध्रुवां दर्वीं चरूंश् चोलूखलानि च प्राग्वंशं यज्ञभूमिं च होतारं च परं च यत्
He is the sacrificial post, the wheel, the fixed place, the spoon, the offering dish, the mortar, the eastern enclosure, the sacrificial ground, the chief priest, and whatever else there is.
ह्रस्वाण्य् अतिप्रमाणानि स्थावराणि चराणि च प्रायश्चित्तानि वार्घ्यं च स्थण्डिलानि कुशास् तथा
He is the small and exceedingly large things, the immobile and mobile, the expiations, the arghya, the platforms, and the kusa grass as well.
मन्त्रयज्ञवहं वह्निं भागं भागवहं च यत् अग्रासिनं सोमभुजं हुतार्चिषम् उदायुधम्
He is the fire that carries the mantras and sacrifices, the portion, the bearer of the portion, the one who eats first, the drinker of soma, the flame of the offering, and the weapon raised.
आहुर् वेदविदो विप्रा यं यज्ञे शाश्वतं प्रभुम् तस्य विष्णोः सुरेशस्य श्रीवत्साङ्कस्य धीमतः
The knowers of the Vedas, the Brahmins, declare that the eternal Lord in the sacrifice is Vishnu, the wise ruler of the gods, marked with Srivatsa.
प्रादुर्भावसहस्राणि समतीतान्य् अनेकशः भूयश् चैव भविष्यन्ति ह्य् एवम् आह पितामहः
Thousands of manifestations have passed in many ways, and many more will occur; so says the grandsire.
यत् पृच्छध्वं महाभागा दिव्यां पुण्याम् इमां कथाम् प्रादुर्भावाश्रितां विष्णोः सर्वपापहरां शिवाम्
O blessed ones, you ask about this divine and holy tale, based on Vishnu's manifestations, which removes all sins and brings auspiciousness.
शृणुध्वं तां महाभागास् तद्गतेनान्तरात्मना प्रवक्ष्याम्य् आनुपूर्व्येण यत् पृच्छध्वं ममानघाः
O blessed ones, listen to it with your inner self absorbed in him; I will recount in order what you have asked, O sinless ones.
वासुदेवस्य माहात्म्यं चरितं च महामतेः हितार्थं सुरमर्त्यानां लोकानां प्रभवाय च
The greatness and deeds of Vasudeva, the wise one, are for the benefit of gods and mortals and for the prosperity of the worlds.
बहुशः सर्वभूतात्मा प्रादुर्भवति वीर्यवान् प्रादुर्भावांश् च वक्ष्यामि पुण्यान् दिव्यान् गुणान्वितान्
The soul of all beings, powerful, manifests repeatedly; I will recount the manifestations, holy, divine, and endowed with virtues.
सुप्तो युगसहस्रं यः प्रादुर्भवति कार्यतः पूर्णे युगसहस्रे ऽथ देवदेवो जगत्पतिः
He who, after sleeping for a thousand ages, arises for action—when a thousand ages are complete, then the God of gods, the Lord of the universe, manifests.
ब्रह्मा च कपिलश् चैव त्र्यम्बकस् त्रिदशास् तथा देवाः सप्तर्षयश् चैव नागाश् चाप्सरसस् तथा
Brahmā, Kapila, Tryambaka, the thirty gods, the seven sages, the serpents, and the celestial nymphs—all these also appear.
सनत्कुमारश् च महानुभावो मनुर् महात्मा भगवान् प्रजाकरः पुराणदेवो ऽथ पुराणि चक्रे प्रदीप्तवैश्वानरतुल्यतेजाः
Sanatkumāra, the great-souled one, Manu, the illustrious progenitor, the ancient god—he, blazing with the radiance of fire, then created the ancient things.
यो ऽसौ चार्णवमध्यस्थो नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे नष्टे देवासुरनरे प्रनष्टोरगराक्षसे
He who abides in the midst of the cosmic ocean, when all that is stationary and moving is lost, when gods, demons, humans, serpents, and rākṣasas have perished—
योद्धुकामौ दुराधर्षौ ताव् उभौ मधुकैटभौ हतौ भगवता तेन तयोर् दत्त्वामितं वरम्
Those two, Madhu and Kaiṭabha, fierce and eager for battle, were slain by the Lord, who first granted them a great boon.
पुरा कमलनाभस्य स्वपतः सागराम्भसि पुष्करे तत्र संभूता देवाः सर्षिगणास् तथा
Long ago, as the lotus-naveled one slept upon the ocean’s waters, from the lotus there arose the gods along with the hosts of sages.
एष पौष्करको नाम प्रादुर्भावो महात्मनः पुराणं कथ्यते यत्र देवश्रुतिसमाहितम्
This manifestation, called Pauṣkaraka, of the great soul, is recounted as the Purāṇa, wherein the divine revelation is contained.
वाराहस् तु श्रुतिमुखः प्रादुर्भावो महात्मनः यत्र विष्णुः सुरश्रेष्ठो वाराहं रूपम् आस्थितः
The manifestation of the great soul as the Boar, as declared in the scriptures, is where Viṣṇu, the foremost of gods, assumed the form of a boar.
वेदपादो यूपदंष्ट्रः क्रतुदन्तश् चितीमुखः अग्निजिह्वो दर्भरोमा ब्रह्मशीर्षो महातपाः
With Vedas as his feet, sacrificial post as his tusks, sacrifices as his teeth, altar as his mouth, fire as his tongue, sacred grass as his hair, Brahmā as his head, and great austerity.
अहोरात्रेक्षणो दिव्यो वेदाङ्गः श्रुतिभूषणः आज्यनासः स्रुवतुण्डः सामघोषस्वरो महान्
With day and night as his eyes, divine, adorned with the limbs of the Vedas, clarified butter as his nose, ladle as his snout, possessing the great sound of Sāman chants.
सत्यधर्ममयः श्रीमान् क्रमविक्रमसत्कृतः प्रायश्चित्तनखो घोरः पशुजानुर् मुखाकृतिः
He is composed of truth and righteousness, resplendent, honored for his measured steps, with expiation as his nails, terrible, with the form of a beast’s jaw.
उद्गतान्त्रो होमलिङ्गो बीजौषधिमहाफलः वाद्यन्तरात्मा मन्त्रस्फिग् विकृतः सोमशोणितः
With upward-moving entrails, bearing the mark of sacrifice, the great fruit of seeds and herbs, the inner soul of musical instruments, with mantras as his hips, strange, with soma and blood.
वेदिस्कन्धो हविर्गन्धो हव्यकव्यातिवेगवान् प्राग्वंशकायो द्युतिमान् नानादीक्षाभिर् अन्वितः
With the altar as his shoulders, the scent of oblations, surpassing in speed the offerings to gods and ancestors, with the eastern sacrificial enclosure as his body, radiant, endowed with various initiations.
दक्षिणाहृदयो योगी महासत्त्रमयो महान् उपाकर्माष्टरुचकः प्रवर्गावर्तभूषणः
With the right as his heart, a yogin, composed of great sacrificial sessions, skilled in rites, adorned with the eightfold ladle and the Pravargya vessel.