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—
विषाणाग्रेण वसुधाम् उज्जहारारिसूदनः यः पुरा पुरुहूतार्थे त्रैलोक्यम् इदम् अव्ययम्
He, the destroyer of enemies, who lifted up the earth with the tip of his tusk—who, long ago, for the sake of Indra, conquered this imperishable threefold world—
ददौ जित्वा वसुमतीं सुराणां सुरसत्तमः येन सैंहवपुः कृत्वा द्विधा कृत्वा च तत् पुनः
He, the best of gods, who, after conquering the earth, gave it to the gods—who, taking on the form of a lion, split it in two and then again—
पूर्वदैत्यो महावीर्यो हिरण्यकशिपुर् हतः यः पुरा ह्य् अनलो भूत्वा और्वः संवर्तको विभुः
He, who in former times slew the mighty ancient demon Hiraṇyakaśipu—who, becoming fire, was the great destructive Aurva at the end of the age—
पातालस्थो ऽर्णवरसं पपौ तोयमयं हरिः सहस्रचरणं ब्रह्म सहस्रांशुसहस्रदम्
Hari, who, dwelling in the netherworld, drank up the oceanic waters—he, the thousand-footed Brahman, the giver of a thousand rays and thousands of gifts—
सहस्रशिरसं देवं यम् आहुर् वै युगे युगे नाभ्यां पद्मं समुद्भूतं यस्य पैतामहं गृहम्
He, the god with a thousand heads, whom they speak of in every age—at whose navel arose the lotus, the ancestral home of the grandsire—
एकार्णवे नागलोके सद्धिरण्मयपङ्कजम् येन ते निहता दैत्याः संग्रामे तारकामये
In the single ocean, in the world of serpents, was the golden lotus with its stalk—by whom the demons were slain in the battle with Tāraka.
येन देवमयं कृत्वा सर्वायुधधरं वपुः गुहासंस्थेन चोत्सिक्तः कालनेमिर् निपातितः
By whom, having assumed a divine form bearing all weapons, and being inspired by the one dwelling in the cave (of the heart), Kālanemi was struck down.
उत्तरान्ते समुद्रस्य क्षीरोदस्यामृतोदधौ यः शेते शाश्वतं योगम् आस्थाय तिमिरं महत्
At the far end of the ocean of milk, in the nectar ocean, he who lies, having entered into eternal yoga, in the great darkness.
सुरारणी गर्भम् अधत्त दिव्यं तपःप्रकर्षाद् अदितिः पुराणम् शक्रं च यो दैत्यगणावरुद्धं गर्भावधानेन कृतं चकार
Aditi, through the intensity of her divine austerity, once conceived the ancient Indra as the embryo from the churning of the gods, and he, by placing the embryo, made Indra, who was beset by the hosts of demons.
पदानि यो योगमयानि कृत्वा चकार दैत्यान् सलिलेशयस्थान् कृत्वा च देवांस् त्रिदशेश्वरांस् तु चक्रे सुरेशं पुरुहूतम् एव
He, having created steps composed of yoga, cast the demons into the waters where they lay, and made the gods the lords of the three worlds, and established Indra as the lord of the gods.