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—
येन विश्वम् इदं व्याप्तम् अजेन सचराचरम् आविर्भावतिरोभावदृष्टादृष्टविलक्षणम्
By whom this entire universe, with all that moves and does not move, is pervaded—who is unborn, manifest and unmanifest, seen and unseen, and distinct from all.
वदन्ति यत् सृष्टम् इति तथैवाप्य् उपसंहृतम् ब्रह्मणे चादिदेवाय नमस्कृत्य समाधिना
That which is said to be creation, and likewise dissolution, after bowing to Brahman, the primeval god, is realized through meditation.
अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने सदैकरूपरूपाय जिष्णवे विष्णवे नमः
Salutations to Viṣṇu, the changeless, pure, eternal Supreme Self, whose form is ever one, the victorious.
नमो हिरण्यगर्भाय हरये शंकराय च वासुदेवाय ताराय सर्गस्थित्यन्तकारिणे
Homage to Hiraṇyagarbha, to Hari, to Śaṅkara, to Vāsudeva, to the Deliverer, the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the worlds.
एकानेकस्वरूपाय स्थूलसूक्ष्मात्मने नमः अव्यक्तव्यक्तभूताय विष्णवे मुक्तिहेतवे
Salutations to Viṣṇu, whose nature is one and many, who is both gross and subtle, who is both manifest and unmanifest, and who is the cause of liberation.
सर्गस्थितिविनाशानां जगतो यो जगन्मयः मूलभूतो नमस् तस्मै विष्णवे परमात्मने
To Him who is the root cause of creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the world, who is the essence of the universe—salutations to Viṣṇu, the Supreme Self.
आधारभूतं विश्वस्याप्य् अणीयांसम् अणीयसाम् प्रणम्य सर्वभूतस्थम् अच्युतं पुरुषोत्तमम्
Having bowed to Him who is the foundation of the universe, subtler than the subtlest, abiding in all beings, the infallible, the Supreme Person.
ज्ञानस्वरूपम् अत्यन्तं निर्मलं परमार्थतः तम् एवार्थस्वरूपेण भ्रान्तिदर्शनतः स्थितम्
He whose essence is knowledge, utterly pure in the highest sense, who abides as the true nature of all things, though perceived variously due to delusion.
विष्णुं ग्रसिष्णुं विश्वस्य स्थितिसर्गे तथा प्रभुम् अनादिं जगताम् ईशम् अजम् अक्षयम् अव्ययम्
To Viṣṇu, the devourer at dissolution, the Lord in creation and preservation, the beginningless, the ruler of the worlds, unborn, imperishable, and undecaying.
कथयामि यथा पूर्वं यक्षाद्यैर् मुनिसत्तमैः पृष्टः प्रोवाच भगवान् अब्जयोनिः पितामहः
I shall recount as formerly spoken by the blessed Lotus-born Father, when asked by the foremost sages and yakṣas.