मांसात् तु मेदसो जन्म मेदसो ऽस्थि निरुच्यते अस्थ्नो मज्जा समभवन् मज्जातः शुक्रसंभवः
From flesh, indeed, is the birth of fat, and from fat, bone is declared to arise; from bone comes marrow, and from marrow, semen is produced—
शुक्राद् गर्भः समभवद् रसमूलेन कर्मणा तत्रापां प्रथमो भागः स सौम्यो राशिर् उच्यते
From semen, the embryo is formed, by the action whose root is essence; in this, the first portion of water is called the lunar mass—
गर्भोष्मसंभवो ज्ञेयो द्वितीयो राशिर् उच्यते शुक्रं सोमात्मकं विद्याद् आर्तवं पावकात्मकम्
The embryo born of the heat of the womb is known as the second mass; semen is to be understood as of the nature of Soma, and menstrual blood as of the nature of fire—
भावा रसानुगाश् चैषां बीजे च शशिपावकौ कफवर्गे भवेच् छुक्रं पित्तवर्गे च शोणितम्
Their qualities follow the essences; in the seed, the moon and fire are present; in the phlegmatic group, semen prevails, and in the bilious group, blood—
कफस्य हृदयं स्थानं नाभ्यां पित्तं प्रतिष्ठितम् देहस्य मध्ये हृदयं स्थानं तन् मनसः स्मृतम्
The seat of phlegm is the heart, bile is established at the navel; the heart in the middle of the body is said to be the seat of the mind—
नाभिकोष्ठान्तरं यत् तु तत्र देवो हुताशनः मनः प्रजापतिर् ज्ञेयः कफः सोमो विभाव्यते
The space between the navel and the cavity within is where the god of fire resides; the mind is to be known as Prajapati, and phlegm is manifest as the moon—
पित्तम् अग्निः स्मृतं त्व् एवम् अग्निसोमात्मकं जगत् एवं प्रवर्तिते गर्भे वर्धिते ऽर्बुदसंनिभे
Bile is indeed considered fire; thus, the world is of the nature of fire and moon. In this way, the embryo develops, growing to resemble a lump—
वायुः प्रवेशं संचक्रे संगतः परमात्मनः स पञ्चधा शरीरस्थो भिद्यते वर्तते पुनः
The wind, united with the Supreme Self, enters in; it divides itself fivefold within the body and continues to function—
प्राणापानौ समानश् च उदानो व्यान एव च प्राणो ऽस्य परमात्मानं वर्धयन् परिवर्तते
Prāṇa and apāna, also samāna, udāna, and vyāna; prāṇa moves, nourishing the Supreme Self within—
अपानः पश्चिमं कायम् उदानो ऽर्धं शरीरिणः व्यानस् तु व्याप्यते येन समानः संनिवर्तते
Apāna governs the lower part of the body, udāna the upper half; vyāna pervades throughout, and samāna brings balance—
भूतावाप्तिस् ततस् तस्य जायेतेन्द्रियगोचरा पृथिवी वायुर् आकाशम् आपो ज्योतिश् च पञ्चमम्
Then, from that, the acquisition of the elements arises, perceptible to the senses: earth, wind, space, water, and the fifth, fire—
तस्येन्द्रियनिविष्टानि स्वं स्वं भागं प्रचक्रिरे पार्थिवं देहम् आहुस् तु प्राणात्मानं च मारुतम्
Within him, the senses are established, each in its own part; the body is said to be of earth, and the vital self of wind—
छिद्राण्य् आकाशयोनीनि जलात् स्रावः प्रवर्तते ज्योतिश् चक्षूंषि तेजश् च आत्मा तेषां मनः स्मृतम्
Holes are born from space; from water, flow arises; light becomes the eyes, and consciousness is remembered as their mind.
ग्रामाश् च विषयाश् चैव यस्य वीर्यात् प्रवर्तिताः इत्य् एतान् पुरुषः सर्वान् सृजंल् लोकान् सनातनः
Villages and sense-objects, too, proceed from his power; thus, the eternal Person creates all these worlds.
नैधने ऽस्मिन् कथं लोके नरत्वं विष्णुर् आगतः एष नः संशयो ब्रह्मन्न् एष नो विस्मयो महान्
How did Viṣṇu come to take human birth in this mortal world? This, O Brahman, is our doubt and our great wonder.
कथं गतिर् गतिमताम् आपन्नो मानुषीं तनुम् आश्चर्यं परमं विष्णुर् देवैर् दैत्यैश् च कथ्यते
How did the path of the swiftest lead to a human form? This supreme marvel of Viṣṇu is spoken of by gods and demons alike.
विष्णोर् उत्पत्तिम् आश्चर्यं कथयस्व महामुने प्रख्यातबलवीर्यस्य विष्णोर् अमिततेजसः
Tell us, O great sage, the wondrous origin of Viṣṇu, whose strength and power are renowned, whose brilliance is immeasurable.
कर्मणाश्चर्यभूतस्य विष्णोस् तत्त्वम् इहोच्यताम् कथं स देवो देवानाम् आर्तिहा पुरुषोत्तमः
Now speak here of the true nature of Viṣṇu, whose deeds are astonishing—how that god, the supreme among gods, the remover of distress, came to be.
सर्वव्यापी जगन्नाथः सर्वलोकमहेश्वरः सर्गस्थित्यन्तकृद् देवः सर्वलोकसुखावहः
He is all-pervading, Lord of the universe, supreme ruler of all worlds, the god who creates, sustains, and ends creation, the bringer of happiness to all beings.
अक्षयः शाश्वतो ऽनन्तः क्षयवृद्धिविवर्जितः निर्लेपो निर्गुणः सूक्ष्मो निर्विकारो निरञ्जनः
He is imperishable, eternal, infinite, free from increase and decay, untouched, without qualities, subtle, changeless, and stainless.
सर्वोपाधिविनिर्मुक्तः सत्तामात्रव्यवस्थितः अविकारी विभुर् नित्यः परमात्मा सनातनः
Freed from all limitations, established solely in existence, unchanging, all-pervading, eternal, the supreme self, everlasting.
अचलो निर्मलो व्यापी नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः विशुद्धं श्रूयते यस्य हरित्वं च कृते युगे
Unmoving, pure, all-pervading, ever content, without dependence, whose purity is heard of, and whose greenish hue was in the Kṛta age.
वैकुण्ठत्वं च देवेषु कृष्णत्वं मानुषेषु च ईश्वरस्य हि तस्येमां गहनां कर्मणो गतिम्
Among the gods, he is known as Vaikuṇṭha; among humans, as Kṛṣṇa. Such is the profound course of his actions, the Lord's.
समतीतां भविष्यं च श्रोतुम् इच्छा प्रवर्तते अव्यक्तो व्यक्तलिङ्गस्थो य एष भगवान् प्रभुः
The desire arises to hear of what is past and what is to come—he who is unmanifest, yet marked by manifest signs, this blessed Lord.
नारायणो ह्य् अनन्तात्मा प्रभवो ऽव्यय एव च एष नारायणो भूत्वा हरिर् आसीत् सनातनः
Nārāyaṇa is indeed the infinite self, the inexhaustible source; having become Nārāyaṇa, Hari existed as the eternal one.
ब्रह्मा शक्रश् च रुद्रश् च धर्मः शुक्रो बृहस्पतिः प्रधानात्मा पुरा ह्य् एष ब्रह्माणम् असृजत् प्रभुः
Brahmā, Śakra, Rudra, Dharma, Śukra, and Bṛhaspati—he, the Lord, whose essence is the primordial, long ago created Brahmā.
सो ऽसृजत् पूर्वपुरुषः पुरा कल्पे प्रजापतीन् एवं स भगवान् विष्णुः सर्वलोकमहेश्वरः किमर्थं मर्त्यलोके ऽस्मिन् यातो यदुकुले हरिः
He, the primeval person, in a former cycle, created the progenitors; thus, that blessed Viṣṇu, Lord of all worlds—why did Hari come to the mortal world, into the Yadu lineage?
नमस्कृत्वा सुरेशाय विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे पुरुषाय पुराणाय शाश्वतायाव्ययाय च
Having bowed to the Lord of gods, Viṣṇu, the all-powerful, the primeval Person, the eternal and imperishable one—
चतुर्व्यूहात्मने तस्मै निर्गुणाय गुणाय च वरिष्ठाय गरिष्ठाय वरेण्यायामिताय च
To him who is the essence of the fourfold manifestation, who is both without qualities and with qualities, the most excellent, the greatest, the most worthy, the immeasurable—
यज्ञाङ्गायाखिलाङ्गाय देवाद्यैर् ईप्सिताय च यस्माद् अणुतरं नास्ति यस्मान् नास्ति बृहत्तरम्
To him whose limbs are sacrifice, whose limbs are all things, desired by gods and others, than whom there is nothing subtler, nor anything greater—