अहम् एवोर्वशी विप्र त्वां जिज्ञासार्थम् आगता परीक्षितो निश्चितवान् भवान् सत्यतपा ऋषिः
"I myself am Urvashi, O Brahmin, come here to test you; you have been examined and found to be a sage of true austerity."
गच्छ शूकरवोद्देशं रूपतीर्थेति विश्रुतम् सिद्धिं यास्यसि विप्रेन्द्र ततस् त्वं माम् अवाप्स्यसि
"Go to the place called Shukaravoddesa, renowned as the Rupa-tirtha; there you will attain success, O best of Brahmins, and then you will obtain me."
इत्य् उक्त्वा दिवम् उत्पत्य सा जगामोर्वशी द्विजाः स च सत्यतपा विप्रो रूपतीर्थं जगाम ह
Having spoken thus, Urvashi rose up to the heavens, O twice-born ones, and Satyatapa, the virtuous brahmin, went to the sacred place called Rupatirtha.
तत्र शान्तिपरो भूत्वा नियमव्रतधृक् शुचिः देहोत्सर्गे जगामासौ गान्धर्वं लोकम् उत्तमम्
There, intent on peace, observing vows and discipline, pure, at the time of leaving his body, he attained the highest Gandharva world.
तत्र मन्वन्तरशतं भोगान् भुक्त्वा यथार्थतः बभूव सुकुले राजा प्रजारञ्जनतत्परः
There, enjoying pleasures as appropriate for a hundred cycles of Manu, he was then born in a noble family as a king devoted to delighting his subjects.
स यज्वा विविधैर् यज्ञैः समाप्तवरदक्षिणैः पुत्रेषु राज्यं निक्षिप्य ययौ शौकरवं पुनः
That sacrificer, having completed many sacrifices with abundant gifts, entrusted the kingdom to his sons and again went to the Shaurava world.
रूपतीर्थे मृतो भूयः शक्रलोकम् उपागतः तत्र मन्वन्तरशतं भोगान् भुक्त्वा ततश् च्युतः
Dying at Rupatirtha, he once more reached the world of Indra; there, after enjoying pleasures for a hundred cycles of Manu, he fell from there.
प्रतिष्ठाने पुरवरे बुधपुत्रः पुरूरवाः बभूव तत्र चोर्वश्याः संगमाय तपोधनाः
In the excellent city of Pratishthana, Pururavas, son of Budha, was born; there, O ascetics, he united with Urvashi.
एवं पुरा सत्यतपा द्विजातिस् तीर्थे प्रसिद्धे स हि रूपसंज्ञे आराध्य जन्मन्य् अथ चार्च्य विष्णुम् अवाप्य भोगान् अथ मुक्तिम् एति
Thus, formerly, Satyatapa, a twice-born, at the renowned holy place named Rupa, worshipped and honored Vishnu in that birth, and thereby attained enjoyments and then liberation.
श्रुतं फलं गीतिकाया अस्माभिः सुप्रजागरे कृष्णस्य येन चाण्डालो गतो ऽसौ परमां गतिम्
We have heard, during this auspicious night, the fruit of the song, by which even a Chandala attained the supreme state through Krishna.
यथा विष्णौ भवेद् भक्तिस् तन् नो ब्रूहि महामते तपसा कर्मणा येन श्रोतुम् इच्छाम सांप्रतम्
O greatly wise one, tell us how devotion to Vishnu arises—by what austerity or action—this we now wish to hear.
शृणुध्वं मुनिशार्दूलाः प्रवक्ष्याम्य् अनुपूर्वशः यथा कृष्णे भवेद् भक्तिः पुरुषस्य महाफला
Hear, O best of sages, I will explain in order how devotion to Krishna, which yields great fruit to a person, arises.
संसारे ऽस्मिन् महाघोरे सर्वभूतभयावहे महामोहकरे नॄणां नानादुःखशताकुले
In this terrible cycle of existence, which brings fear to all beings, which causes great delusion and is filled with hundreds of various sufferings for people—
तिर्यग्योनिसहस्रेषु जायमानः पुनः पुनः कथंचिल् लभते जन्म देही मानुष्यकं द्विजाः
Being born again and again in thousands of animal wombs, somehow, O twice-born, an embodied being attains human birth.
मानुषत्वे ऽपि विप्रत्वं विप्रत्वे ऽपि विवेकिता विवेकाद् धर्मबुद्धिस् तु बुद्ध्या तु श्रेयसां ग्रहः
Even in human birth, one attains brahminhood; even among brahmins, discrimination; from discrimination comes understanding of dharma, and through understanding, the grasping of what is truly beneficial.
यावत् पापक्षयं पुंसां न भवेज् जन्म संचितम् तावन् न जायते भक्तिर् वासुदेवे जगन्मये
Until the accumulated karma of sins is destroyed for a person, devotion to Vasudeva, the soul of the universe, does not arise.
तस्माद् वक्ष्यामि भो विप्रा भक्तिः कृष्णे यथा भवेत् अन्यदेवेषु या भक्तिः पुरुषस्येह जायते
Therefore, O brahmins, I will explain how devotion to Krishna arises, and how the devotion that a person has for other deities arises here.
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा तद्गतेनान्तरात्मना तेन तस्य भवेद् भक्तिर् यजने मुनिसत्तमाः
By action, by mind, by speech, with the inner self absorbed in that, thus devotion arises for him in worship, O best of sages.
स करोति ततो विप्रा भक्तिं चाग्नेः समाहितः तुष्टे हुताशने तस्य भक्तिर् भवति भास्करे
He then, O brahmins, performs devotion to Agni with concentration; when the fire is pleased, his devotion turns to the Sun.
पूजां करोति सततम् आदित्यस्य ततो द्विजाः प्रसन्ने भास्करे तस्य भक्तिर् भवति शंकरे
He constantly performs worship of the Sun, O twice-born; when the Sun is pleased, his devotion turns to Shankara.
पूजां करोति विधिवत् स तु शंभोः प्रयत्नतः तुष्टे त्रिलोचने तस्य भक्तिर् भवति केशवे
He who performs worship of Śaṃbhu according to the proper method, with diligence—when the Three-eyed One is pleased, his devotion turns toward Keśava.
संपूज्य तं जगन्नाथं वासुदेवाख्यम् अव्ययम् ततो भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च स प्राप्नोति द्विजोत्तमाः
Having duly worshipped that Lord of the universe, the imperishable one called Vāsudeva, he attains both enjoyment and liberation, O best of twice-born.
अवैष्णवा नरा ये तु दृश्यन्ते च महामुने किं ते विष्णुं नार्चयन्ति ब्रूहि तत्कारणं द्विज
O great sage, those men who are seen to be non-Vaiṣṇavas—why do they not worship Viṣṇu? Tell me the reason for this, O twice-born.
द्वौ भूतसर्गौ विख्यातौ लोके ऽस्मिन् मुनिसत्तमाः आसुरश् च तथा दैवः पुरा सृष्टः स्वयंभुवा
O best of sages, two types of beings are known in this world: the demonic and the divine—both were created long ago by the self-born.
दैवीं प्रकृतिम् आसाद्य पूजयन्ति ततो ऽच्युतम् आसुरीं योनिम् आपन्ना दूषयन्ति नरा हरिम्
Those who attain the divine nature worship Acyuta; those who fall into the demonic womb revile Hari.
मायया हतविज्ञाना विष्णोस् ते तु नराधमाः अप्राप्य तं हरिं विप्रास् ततो यान्त्य् अधमां गतिम्
Deprived of true understanding by illusion, those lowest of men do not attain Hari, O brāhmaṇas, and thus go to a degraded state.
तस्य या गह्वरी माया दुर्विज्ञेया सुरासुरैः महामोहकरी नॄणां दुस्तरा चाकृतात्मभिः
His illusion, which is like a deep cavern, is difficult for gods and demons to comprehend; it causes great delusion among people and is insurmountable for those of impure mind.
इच्छामस् तां महामायां ज्ञातुं विष्णोः सुदुस्तराम् वक्तुम् अर्हसि धर्मज्ञ परं कौतूहलं हि नः
We wish to know that great illusion of Viṣṇu, which is so hard to overcome. You, who know dharma, ought to tell us, for we are greatly curious.
स्वप्नेन्द्रजालसंकाशा माया सा लोककर्षणी कः शक्नोति हरेर् मायां ज्ञातुं तां केशवाद् ऋते
That illusion, resembling a dream or a magic show, draws in the world—who is able to know the illusion of Hari, except for Keśava himself?
या वृत्ता ब्राह्मणस्यासीन् मायार्थे नारदस्य च विडम्बनां तु तां विप्राः शृणुध्वं गदतो मम
Now hear from me, O brāhmaṇas, as I recount the deception that once befell a brāhmaṇa and also Nārada, for the sake of illustrating illusion.