गन्तुम् इच्छामि परमं पदं यत् ते सनातनम् प्रसादात् तव देवेश पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम्
I wish to attain that supreme abode of yours, which is eternal and, by your grace, O Lord of the gods, is rarely reached again after return.
भक्तो ऽसि मे मुनिश्रेष्ठ माम् आराधय नित्यशः मत्प्रसादाद् ध्रुवं मोक्षं प्राप्यसि त्वं समीहितम्
You are my devotee, O best of sages; worship me always. By my grace, you will certainly obtain the liberation you desire.
मद्भक्ताः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः स्त्रियः शूद्रान्त्यजातिजाः प्राप्नुवन्ति परां सिद्धिं किं पुनस् त्वं द्विजोत्तम
My devotees among Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, women, Shudras, and those of lowest birth attain the highest perfection; how much more so you, O foremost of twice-born.
श्वपाको ऽपि च मद्भक्तः सम्यक् श्रद्धासमन्वितः प्राप्नोत्य् अभिमतां सिद्धिम् अन्येषां तत्र का कथा
Even a dog-eater who is my devotee, endowed with proper faith, attains the desired perfection; what need to speak of others in that regard?
एवम् उक्त्वा तु तं विप्राः स देवो भक्तवत्सलः दुर्विज्ञेयगतिर् विष्णुस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having spoken thus to him, O Brahmins, that god, who is affectionate to his devotees and whose path is hard to discern, Vishnu, vanished right there.
गते तस्मिन् मुनिश्रेष्ठाः कण्डुः संहृष्टमानसः सर्वान् कामान् परित्यज्य स्वस्थचित्तो भवत् पुनः
When he had departed, O best of sages, Kandu, with a joyful mind, renounced all desires and again became composed in himself.
सर्वेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य निर्ममो निरहंकृतिः एकाग्रमानसः सम्यग् ध्यात्वा तं पुरुषोत्तमम्
Restraining all his senses, free from possessiveness and ego, with a mind concentrated, he properly meditated upon that Supreme Person.
निर्लेपं निर्गुणं शान्तं सत्तामात्रव्यवस्थितम् अवाप परमं मोक्षं सुराणाम् अपि दुर्लभम्
He attained the supreme liberation, untouched, without qualities, peaceful, established only in existence, which is difficult even for the gods to obtain.
यः पठेच् छृणुयाद् वापि कथां कण्डोर् महात्मनः विमुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever recites or hears the story of the great-souled Kandu becomes freed from all sins and attains the heavenly world.
एवं मया मुनिश्रेष्ठाः कर्मभूमिर् उदाहृता मोक्षक्षेत्रं च परमं देवं च पुरुषोत्तमम्
Thus, O best of sages, I have described the land of action, the supreme field of liberation, and the supreme god, the Supreme Person.
ये पश्यन्ति विभुं स्तुवन्ति वरदं ध्यायन्ति मुक्तिप्रदं भक्त्या श्रीपुरुषोत्तमाख्यम् अजरं संसारदुःखापहम्
Those who see, praise, and meditate with devotion upon the Supreme Person, known as Shri Purushottama, the giver of boons and liberation, ageless and remover of worldly suffering,
ते भुक्त्वा मनुजेन्द्रभोगम् अमलाः स्वर्गे च दिव्यं सुखं पश्चाद् यान्ति समस्तदोषरहिताः स्थानं हरेर् अव्ययम्
After enjoying the pleasures of kingship and pure divine happiness in heaven, they later go, free from all faults, to the imperishable abode of Hari.
व्यासस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा मुनयः संयतेन्द्रियाः प्रीता बभूवुः संहृष्टा विस्मिताश् च पुनः पुनः
Hearing Vyasa's words, the sages, with controlled senses, became pleased, joyful, and repeatedly amazed.
अहो भारतवर्षस्य त्वया संकीर्तिता गुणाः तद्वच् छ्रीपुरुषाख्यस्य क्षेत्रस्य पुरुषोत्तम
Ah! You have described the virtues of Bharata's land, and likewise those of the field called Shri Purusha, O Purushottama.
विस्मयो हि न चैकस्य श्रुत्वा माहात्म्यम् उत्तमम् पुरुषाख्यस्य क्षेत्रस्य प्रीतिश् च वदतां वर
Indeed, hearing the supreme glory of the field called Purusha, amazement is not only for one; joy too, O best of speakers.
चिरात् प्रभृति चास्माकं संशयो हृदि वर्तते त्वदृते संशयस्यास्य च्छेत्ता नान्यो ऽस्ति भूतले
For a long time, a doubt has remained in our hearts; except for you, there is no one on earth who can dispel this doubt.
उत्पत्तिं बलदेवस्य कृष्णस्य च महीतले भद्रायाश् चैव कार्त्स्न्येन पृच्छामस् त्वां महामुने
We ask you, O great sage, about the birth of Baladeva, Krishna, and Bhadrā, in full detail, on earth.
किमर्थं तौ समुत्पन्नौ कृष्णसंकर्षणाव् उभौ वसुदेवसुतौ वीरौ स्थितौ नन्दगृहे मुने
For what purpose were both Krishna and Sankarshana born, the heroic sons of Vasudeva, and why did they reside in Nanda's house, O sage?
निःसारे मृत्युलोके ऽस्मिन् दुःखप्राये ऽतिचञ्चले जलबुद्बुदसंकाशे भैरवे लोमहर्षणे
In this world of mortals, devoid of substance, filled mostly with suffering, exceedingly unstable, resembling a water bubble, terrifying and hair-raising—
विण्मूत्रपिच्छलं कष्टं संकटं दुःखदायकम् कथं घोरतरं तेषां गर्भवासम् अरोचत
How did they find any pleasure in dwelling in the womb, which is slippery with excrement and urine, painful, distressing, and the cause of suffering, and even more dreadful than all these?
यानि कर्माणि चक्रुस् ते समुत्पन्ना महीतले विस्तरेण मुने तानि ब्रूहि नो वदतां वर
O sage, tell us in detail what actions they performed when they were born on earth—O best of speakers, recount these deeds for us.
समग्रं चरितं तेषाम् अद्भुतं चातिमानुषम् कथं स भगवान् देवः सुरेशः सुरसत्तमः
Relate to us their entire, wondrous, and superhuman conduct—how that blessed Lord, the god of gods, the best among the gods—
वसुदेवकुले धीमान् वासुदेवत्वम् आगतः अमरैश् चावृतं पुण्यं पुण्यकृद्भिर् अलंकृतम्
Came as the wise Vāsudeva in the family of Vasudeva, surrounded by the immortals, adorned by the virtuous and the righteous.
देवलोकं किम् उत्सृज्य मर्त्यलोक इहागतः देवमानुषयोर् नेता द्योर् भुवः प्रभवो ऽव्ययः
Why did he leave the world of the gods and come here to the world of mortals—the leader of gods and men, the imperishable origin of heaven and earth?
किमर्थं दिव्यम् आत्मानं मानुषेषु न्ययोजयत् यश् चक्रं वर्तयत्य् एको मानुषाणाम् अनामयम्
For what reason did he, the divine Self, enter among humans—he who alone turns the wheel, bringing well-being to mankind?
स मानुष्ये कथं बुद्धिं चक्रे चक्रगदाधरः गोपायनं यः कुरुते जगतः सार्वभौतिकम्
How did he, the bearer of the discus and mace, direct his mind toward humanity—he who became the protector of cows and the entire world of beings?
स कथं गां गतो विष्णुर् गोपत्वम् अकरोत् प्रभुः महाभूतानि भूतात्मा यो दधार चकार च
How did Viṣṇu, the Lord, come to earth and become a cowherd—he who upholds and sustains the great elements and is the soul of all beings?
श्रीगर्भः स कथं गर्भे स्त्रिया भूचरया धृतः येन लोकान् क्रमैर् जित्वा त्रिभिर् वै त्रिदशेप्सया
How was he, the glorious one, held in the womb of a woman on earth—he who conquered the worlds step by step in three strides, as desired by the gods?
स्थापिता जगतो मार्गास् त्रिवर्गाश् चाभवंस् त्रयः यो ऽन्तकाले जगत् पीत्वा कृत्वा तोयमयं वपुः
He who established the paths of the world and brought forth the three aims of life—who, at the end of time, drank up the universe, taking on a form made of water—
लोकम् एकार्णवं चक्रे दृश्यादृश्येन चात्मना यः पुराणः पुराणात्मा वाराहं रूपम् आस्थितः
He who made the world into a single ocean with his visible and invisible Self—he, the ancient one, who once assumed the form of a boar—