रजस् तस्या गुणः सर्गं सा करोति सदैव हि या तृतीया हरेर् मूर्तिः प्रजापालनतत्परा
Rajas is her quality; she always creates the world—this third form of Hari, intent on the protection of creatures.
सा तु धर्मव्यवस्थानं करोति नियतं भुवि प्रोद्धतान् असुरान् हन्ति धर्मव्युच्छित्तिकारिणः
She indeed establishes righteousness unfailingly on earth, and destroys the arrogant asuras who act to abolish righteousness.
पाति देवान् सगन्धर्वान् धर्मरक्षापरायणान् यदा यदा च धर्मस्य ग्लानिः समुपजायते
She protects the gods and the gandharvas devoted to the defense of righteousness; and whenever there arises a decline of righteousness,
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजत्य् असौ भूत्वा पुरा वराहेण तुण्डेनापो निरस्य च
and the rise of unrighteousness, then she manifests herself; formerly, as the Boar, she drove away the waters with her snout,
एकया दंष्ट्रयोत्खाता नलिनीव वसुंधरा कृत्वा नृसिंहरूपं च हिरण्यकशिपुर् हतः
and with a single tusk she lifted up the earth, like a lotus; and, taking the form of Narasiṃha, she slew Hiraṇyakaśipu.
विप्रचित्तिमुखाश् चान्ये दानवा विनिपातिताः वामनं रूपम् आस्थाय बलिं संयम्य मायया
Others, such as Vipracitti and the leading Dānavas, were also destroyed; assuming the form of Vāmana, she subdued Bali by her power of illusion.
त्रैलोक्यं क्रान्तवान् एव विनिर्जित्य दितेः सुतान् भृगोर् वंशे समुत्पन्नो जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान्
Having conquered the sons of Diti, she traversed the three worlds; born in the lineage of Bhṛgu, she became the mighty son of Jamadagni.
जघान क्षत्रियान् रामः पितुर् वधम् अनुस्मरन् तथात्रितनयो भूत्वा दत्तात्रेयः प्रतापवान्
Rāma, remembering the murder of his father, destroyed the kṣatriyas; likewise, becoming the son of Atri, the glorious Dattātreya appeared.
योगम् अष्टाङ्गम् आचख्याव् अलर्काय महात्मने रामो दाशरथिर् भूत्वा स तु देवः प्रतापवान्
He taught the eightfold yoga to the great-souled Alarka; and, becoming the son of Daśaratha, that mighty god was Rāma.
जघान रावणं संख्ये त्रैलोक्यस्य भयंकरम् यदा चैकार्णवे सुप्तो देवदेवो जगत्पतिः
He slew Rāvaṇa in battle, who was a terror to the three worlds; and when the god of gods, the lord of the universe, slept in the single ocean,
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तं नागपर्यङ्कगो विभुः योगनिद्रां समास्थाय स्वे महिम्नि व्यवस्थितः
the mighty one, lying upon the serpent-bed, entered yogic sleep for a thousand ages, remaining established in his own glory.
त्रैलोक्यम् उदरे कृत्वा जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् जनलोकगतैः सिद्धैः स्तूयमानो महर्षिभिः
Having placed the three worlds, with all that moves and is still, within his belly, he was praised by the perfected beings from Janaloka and by the great sages.
तस्य नाभौ समुत्पन्नं पद्मं दिक्पत्त्रमण्डितम् मरुत्किञ्जल्कसंयुक्तं गृहं पैतामहं वरम्
From his navel arose a lotus, adorned with petals facing the directions, joined with filaments of wind—a most excellent ancestral abode.
यत्र ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नो देवदेवश् चतुर्मुखः तदा कर्णमलोद्भूतौ दानवौ मधुकैटभौ
There Brahmā was born, the god of gods with four faces; then, from the wax of his ears, were born the Dānavas Madhu and Kaiṭabha.
महाबलौ महावीर्यौ ब्रह्माणं हन्तुम् उद्यतौ जघान तौ दुराधर्षौ उत्थाय शयनोदधेः
Mighty and powerful, they sought to slay Brahmā; but he, rising from the ocean-bed, slew those two formidable ones.
एवमादींस् तथैवान्यान् असंख्यातुम् इहोत्सहे अवतारो ह्य् अजस्येह माथुरः सांप्रतस् त्व् अयम्
In this way, and in countless other forms, does the unborn one descend here; now, indeed, this present descent is in Mathurā.
इति सा सात्त्विकी मूर्तिर् अवतारं करोति च प्रद्युम्नेति समाख्याता रक्षाकर्मण्य् अवस्थिता
Thus, that sattvic form also descends as an incarnation, known as Pradyumna, established in the act of protection.
देवत्वे ऽथ मनुष्यत्वे तिर्यग्योनौ च संस्थिता गृह्णाति तत्स्वभावश् च वासुदेवेच्छया सदा
Whether abiding among the gods, as a human, or in the animal realm, it always assumes the nature appropriate to that state, by the will of Vāsudeva.
ददात्य् अभिमतान् कामान् पूजिता सा द्विजोत्तमाः एवं मया समाख्यातः कृतकृत्यो ऽपि यः प्रभुः मानुषत्वं गतो विष्णुः शृणुध्वं चोत्तरं पुनः
When worshipped, O best of twice-born, she grants desired wishes; thus I have described the Lord, who, though accomplished, took human birth as Viṣṇu. Now hear further.
शृणुध्वं मुनिशार्दूलाः प्रवक्ष्यामि समासतः अवतारं हरेश् चात्र भारावतरणेच्छया
Hear, O best of sages, I will briefly declare here the incarnation of Hari, undertaken with the wish to relieve the burden of the earth.
यदा यदा त्व् अधर्मस्य वृद्धिर् भवति भो द्विजाः धर्मश् च ह्रासम् अभ्येति तदा देवो जनार्दनः
Whenever, O twice-born, unrighteousness increases and righteousness declines, then the god Janārdana—
अवतारं करोत्य् अत्र द्विधा कृत्वात्मनस् तनुम् साधूनां रक्षणार्थाय धर्मसंस्थापनाय च
—takes incarnation here, dividing his own form in two, for the protection of the virtuous and the establishment of righteousness.
दुष्टानां निग्रहार्थाय अन्येषां च सुरद्विषाम् प्रजानां रक्षणार्थाय जायते ऽसौ युगे युगे
For the destruction of the wicked and other enemies of the gods, and for the protection of beings, he is born age after age.
पुरा किल मही विप्रा भूरिभारावपीडिता जगाम धरणी मेरौ समाजे त्रिदिवौकसाम्
Long ago, O brāhmaṇas, the earth, oppressed by a heavy burden, went to Mount Meru, to the assembly of the dwellers in heaven.
सब्रह्मकान् सुरान् सर्वान् प्रणिपत्याथ मेदिनी कथयाम् आस तत् सर्वं खेदात् करुणभाषिणी
There, bowing to all the gods along with Brahmā, the earth, speaking with compassion out of distress, related everything.
अग्निः सुवर्णस्य गुरुर् गवां सूर्यो ऽपरो गुरुः ममाप्य् अखिललोकानां वन्द्यो नारायणो गुरुः
Agni is the teacher of gold, Sūrya is the other teacher of cows; but for me, and for all the worlds, Nārāyaṇa alone is the venerable teacher.
तत्सांप्रतम् इमे दैत्याः कालनेमिपुरोगमाः मर्त्यलोकं समागम्य बाधन्ते ऽहर्निशं प्रजाः
Now, these Daityas, led by Kālanemi, having come to the world of mortals, oppress the people day and night.
कालनेमिर् हतो यो ऽसौ विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना उग्रसेनसुतः कंसः संभूतः सुमहासुरः
Kālanemi, who was slain by the mighty Viṣṇu, has now been born as Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, a most powerful asura.
अरिष्टो धेनुकः केशी प्रलम्बो नरकस् तथा सुन्दो ऽसुरस् तथात्युग्रो बाणश् चापि बलेः सुतः
Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśī, Pralamba, and likewise Naraka, Sūnda the fierce asura, and Bāṇa, son of Bali—
तथान्ये च महावीर्या नृपाणां भवनेषु ये समुत्पन्ना दुरात्मानस् तान् न संख्यातुम् उत्सहे
—and many other great warriors, evil-hearted, born in the palaces of kings—I am unable to count them all.