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.
अक्षौहिण्यो हि बहुला दिव्यमूर्तिधृताः सुराः महाबलानां दृप्तानां दैत्येन्द्राणां ममोपरि
Numerous divisions of gods, assuming divine forms, have come upon me, opposed by the proud and mighty lords of the Daityas.
तद्भूरिभारपीडार्ता न शक्नोम्य् अमरेश्वराः विभर्तुम् आत्मानम् अहम् इति विज्ञापयामि वः
Thus, O lords of immortals, oppressed by this heavy burden, I am unable to support myself; I make this known to you.
क्रियतां तन् महाभागा मम भारावतारणम् यथा रसातलं नाहं गच्छेयम् अतिविह्वला
O greatly fortunate ones, do what must be done to relieve my burden, so that, overwhelmed, I may not sink into the netherworld.
इत्य् आकर्ण्य धरावाक्यम् अशेषैस् त्रिदशैस् ततः भुवो भारावतारार्थं ब्रह्मा प्राह च चोदितः
Hearing the words of the earth, all the gods, for the purpose of relieving her burden, prompted Brahmā, who then spoke.
यद् आह वसुधा सर्वं सत्यम् एतद् दिवौकसः अहं भवो भवन्तश् च सर्वं नारायणात्मकम्
What the earth has spoken is all true, O dwellers of heaven: I, Bhava, and all of you are, in essence, forms of Nārāyaṇa.
विभूतयस् तु यास् तस्य तासाम् एव परस्परम् आधिक्यं न्यूनता बाध्यबाधकत्वेन वर्तते
As for his manifestations, among them there exists mutual superiority and inferiority, operating through the dynamics of dominance and subordination.
तद् आगच्छत गच्छामः क्षीराब्धेस् तटम् उत्तमम् तत्राराध्य हरिं तस्मै सर्वं विज्ञापयाम वै
Come, let us go to the excellent shore of the Milk Ocean; there, worshipping Hari, we shall fully disclose everything to him.
सर्वदैव जगत्यर्थे स सर्वात्मा जगन्मयः स्वल्पांशेनावतीर्योर्व्यां धर्मस्य कुरुते स्थितिम्
For the sake of the world, he, the soul of all, pervading the universe, descends to earth with but a small portion of himself and establishes dharma.
इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रययौ तत्र सह देवैः पितामहः समाहितमना भूत्वा तुष्टाव गरुडध्वजम्
Having spoken thus, the grandsire departed there together with the gods; concentrating his mind, he praised the bearer of the Garuḍa banner.
नमो नमस् ते ऽस्तु सहस्रमूर्ते सहस्रबाहो बहुवक्त्रपाद नमो नमस् ते जगतः प्रवृत्ति विनाशसंस्थानपराप्रमेय
Salutations to you, O thousand-formed, thousand-armed, many-faced and many-footed; salutations to you, inscrutable one, devoted to the origination, dissolution, and preservation of the world.