आसीत् कल्पे समुत्पन्ने नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे प्रलीना देवगन्धर्वदैत्यविद्याधरोरगाः
When a new cycle arose, and all that was movable and immovable was destroyed, the gods, gandharvas, demons, vidyādharas, and serpents were dissolved.
तमोभूतम् इदं सर्वं न प्राज्ञायत किंचन तस्मिञ् जागर्ति भूतात्मा परमात्मा जगद्गुरुः
All this became enveloped in darkness; nothing was discernible. In that state, the soul of beings, the supreme soul, the teacher of the world, remained awake.
श्रीमांस् त्रिमूर्तिकृद् देवो जगत्कर्ता महेश्वरः वासुदेवेति विख्यातो योगात्मा हरिर् ईश्वरः
The glorious Lord, creator of the Trimurti, the great Lord who fashioned the universe, is renowned as Vāsudeva—he is the soul of yoga, Hari, the Supreme Lord.
सो ऽसृजद् योगनिद्रान्ते नाभ्यम्भोरुहमध्यगम् पद्मकेशरसंकाशं ब्रह्माणं भूतम् अव्ययम्
At the end of his yogic slumber, he created Brahmā, imperishable being, who appeared in the center of the lotus arising from his navel, shining like the filaments of a lotus.
तादृग्भूतस् ततो ब्रह्मा सर्वलोकमहेश्वरः पञ्चभूतसमायुक्तं सृजते च शनैः शनैः
Then Brahmā, having become thus, the great Lord of all worlds, gradually created all things, endowed with the five elements.
मात्रायोनीनि भूतानि स्थूलसूक्ष्माणि यानि च चतुर्विधानि सर्वाणि स्थावराणि चराणि च
All beings, gross and subtle, born from various wombs and sources—of four kinds, both stationary and moving—were brought forth.
ततः प्रजापतिर् ब्रह्मा चक्रे सर्वं चराचरम् संचिन्त्य मनसात्मानं ससर्ज विविधाः प्रजाः
Then Brahmā, Lord of creatures, created all that moves and does not move; reflecting with his mind upon himself, he produced various kinds of beings.
मरीच्यादीन् मुनीन् सर्वान् देवासुरपितॄन् अपि यक्षविद्याधरांश् चान्यान् गङ्गाद्याः सरितस् तथा
He created all the sages beginning with Marīci, as well as gods, asuras, ancestors, yakṣas, vidyādharas, and others, and also rivers such as the Gaṅgā.
नरवानरसिंहांश् च विविधांश् च विहंगमान् जरायून् अण्डजान् देवि स्वेदजोद्भेदजांस् तथा
He created humans, monkeys, lions, and various birds, as well as those born from wombs, from eggs, O Goddess, and those born from sweat and from splitting.
ब्रह्म क्षत्रं तथा वैश्यं शूद्रं चैव चतुष्टयम् अन्त्यजातांश् च म्लेच्छांश् च ससर्ज विविधान् पृथक्
He created the four classes—Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras—and separately, various outcastes and foreigners.
यत् किंचिज् जीवसंज्ञं तु तृणगुल्मपिपीलिकम् ब्रह्मा भूत्वा जगत् सर्वं निर्ममे स चराचरम्
Whatever is known as living—grass, bushes, ants—Brahmā, having become all, created the entire world, both moving and unmoving.
दक्षिणाङ्गे तथात्मानं संचिन्त्य पुरुषं स्वयम् वामे चैव तु नारीं स द्विधा भूतम् अकल्पयत्
Then, contemplating himself, he formed a male from his right side and a female from his left, thus dividing himself in two.
ततः प्रभृति लोके ऽस्मिन् प्रजा मैथुनसंभवाः अधमोत्तममध्याश् च मम क्षेत्राणि यानि च
From that time onward in this world, beings are born from sexual union—of lower, middle, and higher kinds, as are all my fields.
एवं संचिन्त्य देवो ऽसौ पुरा सलिलयोनिजः जगाम ध्यानम् आस्थाय वासुदेवात्मिकां तनुम्
Thus reflecting, that god of old, born from the waters, entered into meditation and assumed a form composed of Vāsudeva.
ध्यानमात्रेण देवेन स्वयम् एव जनार्दनः तस्मिन् क्षणे समुत्पन्नः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्
By mere meditation of the god, Janārdana himself arose in that very moment, with a thousand eyes and a thousand feet.
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणः सलिलध्वान्तमेघाभः श्रीमाञ् श्रीवत्सलक्षणः
The thousand-headed Puruṣa, with eyes like lotuses, dark as a rain-cloud over the waters, glorious, and marked with the Śrīvatsa.
अपश्यत् सहसा तं तु ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः आसनैर् अर्घ्यपाद्यैश् च अक्षतैर् अभिनन्द्य च
Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds, suddenly saw him, and welcomed him with seats, water for washing feet and hands, and unbroken grains.
तुष्टाव परमैः स्तोत्रैर् विरिञ्चिः सुसमाहितः ततो ऽहम् उक्तवान् देवं ब्रह्माणं कमलोद्भवम् कारणं वद मां तात मम ध्यानस्य सांप्रतम्
Viriñci, with mind composed, praised him with supreme hymns; then I addressed the god, Brahmā born from the lotus: 'Tell me, dear one, the reason for my meditation at this time.'
जगद्धिताय देवेश मर्त्यलोकैश् च दुर्लभम् स्वर्गद्वारस्य मार्गाणि यज्ञदानव्रतानि च
'For the welfare of the world, O Lord of gods, and for mortals who rarely attain it, the paths to heaven—sacrifices, gifts, and vows—'
योगः सत्यं तपः श्रद्धा तीर्थानि विविधानि च विहाय सर्वम् एतेषां सुखं तत्साधनं वद
'Yoga, truth, austerity, faith, and various sacred places—setting aside all these, tell me the means by which happiness is attained.'
स्थानं जगत्पते मह्याम् उत्कृष्टं च यद् उच्यते सर्वेषाम् उत्तमं स्थानं ब्रूहि मे पुरुषोत्तम
O Lord of the universe, tell me of that supreme place which is said to be the most excellent, the highest abode of all, O Supreme Person.
विधातुर् वचनं श्रुत्वा ततो ऽहं प्रोक्तवान् प्रिये शृणु ब्रह्मन् प्रवक्ष्यामि निर्मलं भुवि दुर्लभम्
Hearing the words of the Creator, I then spoke, dear one: Listen, O Brahman, I shall declare that pure and rare place on earth.
उत्तमं सर्वक्षेत्राणां धन्यं संसारतारणम् गोब्राह्मणहितं पुण्यं चातुर्वर्ण्यसुखोदयम्
It is the highest of all sacred fields, blessed, a means to cross over worldly existence, meritorious, beneficial to cows and Brahmins, and brings happiness to all four orders.
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नॄणां क्षेत्रं परमदुर्लभम् महापुण्यं तु सर्वेषां सिद्धिदं वै पितामहे
That field, exceedingly rare, grants both enjoyment and liberation to people, is supremely meritorious for all, and bestows success, O Ancestor.
तस्माद् आसीत् समुत्पन्नं तीर्थराजं सनातनम् विख्यातं परमं क्षेत्रं चतुर्युगनिषेवितम्
From there arose the eternal king of sacred fords, renowned as the supreme field, honored in all four ages.
सर्वेषाम् एव देवानाम् ऋषीणां ब्रह्मचारिणाम् दैत्यदानवसिद्धानां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम्
It is revered by all the gods, sages, celibates, demons, Dānavas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas.
नागविद्याधराणां च स्थावरस्य चरस्य च उत्तमः पुरुषो यस्मात् तस्मात् स पुरुषोत्तमः
Also by Nāgas, Vidyādharas, and all beings, moving and unmoving; because the Supreme Person abides there, he is called the Supreme Person.
दक्षिणस्योदधेस् तीरे न्यग्रोधो यत्र तिष्ठति दशयोजनविस्तीर्णं क्षेत्रं परमदुर्लभम्
On the southern shore of the ocean stands a banyan tree; there is a field, ten yojanas wide, supremely rare.
यस् तु कल्पे समुत्पन्ने महदुल्कानिबर्हणे विनाशं नैवम् अभ्येति स्वयं तत्रैवम् आस्थितः
Whoever, at the beginning of a cosmic cycle, remains established there is not destroyed, even when the great dissolution occurs.
दृष्टमात्रे वटे तस्मिंश् छायाम् आक्रम्य चासकृत् ब्रह्महत्यात् प्रमुच्येत पापेष्व् अन्येषु का कथा
By merely seeing that banyan tree, or repeatedly standing in its shade, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin; what need to speak of other sins?