इयं तु गौतमी पुत्र यत्र क्वापि ममाज्ञया सर्वेषां सर्वदा नॄणां स्नानान् मुक्तिं प्रदास्यति
O son, this Gautamī, wherever she may be by my command, will always grant liberation to all people through bathing.
अश्वमेधसहस्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च कृत्वा यत् फलम् आप्नोति तद् अस्य श्रवणाद् भवेत्
The fruit obtained by performing a thousand aśvamedha sacrifices and a hundred vājapeya rituals is attained simply by hearing this.
यस्यैतत् तिष्ठति गृहे पुराणं ब्रह्मणोदितम् न भयं विद्यते तस्य कलिकालस्य नारद
O Nārada, in whose house this Purāṇa, spoken by Brahmā, is kept, there is no fear for him from the age of Kali.
यस्य कस्यापि नाख्येयं पुराणम् इदम् उत्तमम् श्रद्दधानाय शान्ताय वैष्णवाय महात्मने
This supreme Purāṇa should be told to anyone who is faithful, peaceful, a devotee of Viṣṇu, and a great soul.
इदं कीर्त्यं भुक्तिमुक्तिदायकं पापनाशकम् एतच्छ्रवणमात्रेण कृतकृत्यो भवेन् नरः
This should be recited, for it grants enjoyment and liberation, destroys sin, and by merely hearing it, a person becomes fulfilled.
लिखित्वा पुस्तकम् इदं ब्राह्मणाय प्रयच्छति सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः पुनर् गर्भं न संविशेत्
Whoever writes this book and gives it to a brāhmaṇa, freed from all sins, does not enter the womb again.
नहि नस् तृप्तिर् अस्तीह शृण्वतां भगवत्कथाम् पुनर् एव परं गुह्यं वक्तुम् अर्हस्य् अशेषतः
We are not yet satisfied here, listening to the stories of the Lord; you should again speak the supreme secret in full.
अनन्तवासुदेवस्य न सम्यग् वर्णितं त्वया श्रोतुम् इच्छामहे देव विस्तरेण वदस्व नः
You have not fully described the infinite Vāsudeva; we wish to hear, O Deva, tell us in detail.
प्रवक्ष्यामि मुनिश्रेष्ठाः सारात् सारतरं परम् अनन्तवासुदेवस्य माहात्म्यं भुवि दुर्लभम्
O best of sages, I will declare the very essence, the highest essence, the greatness of infinite Vāsudeva, which is rare on earth.
आदिकल्पे पुरा विप्रास् त्व् अहम् अव्यक्तजन्मवान् विश्वकर्माणम् आहूय वचनं प्रोक्तवान् इदम्
In the beginning of the kalpa, O brāhmaṇas, I, born from the unmanifest, summoned Viśvakarman and spoke these words.
वरिष्ठं देवशिल्पीन्द्रं विश्वकर्माग्रकर्मिणम् प्रतिमां वासुदेवस्य कुरु शैलमयीं भुवि
O foremost among divine craftsmen, Visvakarman, chief of artisans, create on earth an image of Vasudeva made of stone.
यां प्रेक्ष्य विधिवद् भक्ताः सेन्द्रा वै मानुषादयः येन दानवरक्षोभ्यो विज्ञाय सुमहद् भयम्
Seeing this image, made according to the proper rites, devotees—together with Indra and other humans—will recognize the great danger from the Daityas and Rakshasas.
त्रिदिवं समनुप्राप्य सुमेरुशिखरं चिरम् वासुदेवं समाराध्य निरातङ्का वसन्ति ते
Having reached heaven and the peak of Mount Sumeru, and having long worshipped Vasudeva, they dwell there free from fear.
मम तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वकर्मा तु तत्क्षणात् चकार प्रतिमां शुद्धां शङ्खचक्रगदाधराम्
Hearing my words, Visvakarman at once made a pure image, holding the conch, discus, and mace.
सर्वलक्षणसंयुक्तां पुण्डरीकायतेक्षणाम् श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मसंयुक्ताम् अत्युग्रां प्रतिमोत्तमाम्
It was endowed with all auspicious marks, with eyes like a blooming lotus, adorned with the Srivatsa mark, exceedingly powerful, and the best of images.
वनमालावृतोरस्कां मुकुटाङ्गदधारिणीम् पीतवस्त्रां सुपीनांसां कुण्डलाभ्याम् अलंकृताम्
Its chest was adorned with a garland of forest flowers, wearing a crown and armlets, clothed in yellow garments, with broad shoulders, and decorated with earrings.
एवं सा प्रतिमा दिव्या गुह्यमन्त्रैस् तदा स्वयम् प्रतिष्ठाकालम् आसाद्य मयासौ निर्मिता पुरा
Thus, that divine image, at that time, was established by me with secret mantras, at the proper time for installation, in ancient days.
तस्मिन् काले तदा शक्रो देवराट् खेचरैः सह जगाम ब्रह्मसदनम् आरुह्य गजम् उत्तमम्
At that time, Shakra, king of the gods, together with the celestial beings, went to Brahma's abode, ascending the excellent elephant.
प्रसाद्य प्रतिमां शक्रः स्नानदानैः पुनः पुनः प्रतिमां तां समाराध्य स्वपुरं पुनर् आगमत्
Having repeatedly worshipped the image with baths and offerings, Shakra honored that image and then returned to his own city.
तां समाराध्य सुचिरं यतवाक्कायमानसः वृत्राद्यान् असुरान् क्रूरान् नमुचिप्रमुखान् स च
Having worshipped it for a long time, with restrained speech, body, and mind, he overcame the cruel Asuras, beginning with Vritra and led by Namuchi.
निहत्य दानवान् भीमान् भुक्तवान् भुवनत्रयम् द्वितीये च युगे प्राप्ते त्रेतायां राक्षसाधिपः
Having slain the terrible Danavas, he enjoyed the three worlds. When the second age, the Treta, arrived, the lord of the Rakshasas appeared.
बभूव सुमहावीर्यो दशग्रीवः प्रतापवान् दश वर्षसहस्राणि निराहारो जितेन्द्रियः
He was the mighty and powerful Dasagriva, who, for ten thousand years, remained without food, having conquered his senses.
चचार व्रतम् अत्युग्रं तपः परमदुश्चरम् तपसा तेन तुष्टो ऽहं वरं तस्मै प्रदत्तवान्
He performed a most severe vow, an extremely difficult austerity, and by that penance I was satisfied and granted him a boon.
अवध्यः सर्वदेवानां स दैत्योरगरक्षसाम् शापप्रहरणैर् उग्रैर् अवध्यो यमकिंकरैः
He became invulnerable to all the gods, to Daityas, Nagas, and Rakshasas, and immune to the fierce weapons of curses and to the servants of Yama.
वरं प्राप्य तदा रक्षो यक्षान् सर्वगणान् इमान् धनाध्यक्षं विनिर्जित्य शक्रं जेतुं समुद्यतः
Having obtained the boon, that Rakshasa defeated the Yakshas and all these hosts, and, after conquering the lord of wealth, set out to defeat Shakra.
संग्रामं सुमहाघोरं कृत्वा देवैः स राक्षसः देवराजं विनिर्जित्य तदा इन्द्रजितेति वै
Engaging in a most terrible battle with the gods, that Rakshasa defeated the king of the gods, and from then on was known as Indrajit.
राक्षसस् तत्सुतो नाम मेघनादः प्रलब्धवान् अमरावतीं ततः प्राप्य देवराजगृहे शुभे
That Rakshasa's son, named Meghanada, seized Amaravati, and, having reached the splendid house of the king of the gods—
ददर्शाञ्जनसंकाशां रावणस् तु बलान्वितः प्रतिमां वासुदेवस्य सर्वलक्षणसंयुताम्
Ravana, endowed with great strength, saw the image of Vasudeva, dark as collyrium, adorned with all auspicious marks.
श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मसंयुक्तां पद्मपत्त्रायतेक्षणाम् वनमालावृतोरस्कां मुकुटाङ्गदभूषिताम्
She was adorned with the mark of Śrīvatsa, her eyes wide like lotus petals, her chest encircled by a garland of forest flowers, and she was embellished with a crown and armlets.
शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्तां पीतवस्त्रां चतुर्भुजाम् सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तां सर्वकामफलप्रदाम्
Holding a conch, discus, and mace in her hands, dressed in yellow garments, four-armed, adorned with every ornament, she grants all desired rewards.