धत्ते च धरणी लोकान्यद्भयेन चराचरान् । सूयते प्रकृतिः सृष्टौ यद्भयान्महदादिकम्
Out of fear of whom the earth supports the worlds, the moving and unmoving beings, and out of whose fear Prakriti produces creation, beginning with Mahat—
दुर्ज्ञेयं तदभिप्रायं को वा जानाति पुत्रक । यत्प्रभावं न जानन्ति ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः
That intention is difficult to know; who, O child, can understand it? Even Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara do not know his power.
कथं जानामि तच्चेष्टामहं वत्स सुमन्दधीः । कथं जगाम मथुरां त्यक्त्वा वृन्दावनं वनम्
How could I, dull-minded as I am, know his actions, dear one? How did he leave Vrindavan and go to Mathura?
कथं तत्याज गोपीश्च राधां प्राणाधिकां प्रियाम् । यशोदां बान्धवादींश्च नन्दं व नन्दनन्दनः
How did the delight of Nanda abandon the gopis, his beloved Radha who was dearer than life, Yashoda, his relatives, and Nanda himself?
दर्पहा दर्पदः सोऽपि सर्वेषां सर्वदः सदा । बभञ्ज राधादर्पं च सुदाम्नः शापकारणात्
He who destroys pride and bestows pride, who always gives to all—he broke Radha's pride as well, because of Sudama's curse.
अन्येषां भावनाहेतोर्ब्रह्मप्राप्तिस्तथा भवेत् । एवं किंचिद्वितर्कं च कुरुते कमलोद्भवः
For the sake of the devotion of others, so that they might attain Brahman, the lotus-born (Brahma) engages in such deliberation.
चकार दर्पभङ्गं च महाविष्णुः पुरा विभुः । ब्रह्मणश्चतथा विष्णोः शषेस्य च शिवस्य च
Long ago, the great Vishnu, the all-pervading one, broke the pride of Brahma, Vishnu, Shesha, and Shiva as well.
धर्मस्य च यमस्यापि साम्बस्य चन्द्रसूर्ययोः । गरुडस्य च वह्नेश्च गुरोर्दुर्वाससस्तथा
And of Dharma, Yama, Samba, the moon and the sun, Garuda, Agni, the guru, and also Durvasa.
दौवारिकस्य भक्तस्य जयस्य विजयस्य च। सुराणमसुराणां च भवतः कामशक्रयोः
Of the doorkeeper, the devotee, Jaya and Vijaya, of the gods and the asuras, of Bhava, Kama, and Indra.
लक्ष्मणस्यार्जुनस्यापि बाणस्य च भृगोस्तथा । सुमेरोश्च समुद्राणां वायोश्च वरुणस्य च
Of Lakshmana, Arjuna, Bana, Bhrigu, Sumeru, the oceans, Vayu, and Varuna.
सरस्वत्याश्च दुर्गायाः पद्मायाश्च भुवस्तथा । सावित्र्याश्चैव गङ्गाया मनसायास्तथैव च
Of Sarasvati, Durga, Padma, the earth, Savitri, Ganga, and also Manasa.
प्राणाधिष्ठातृदेव्यश्च प्रियायाः प्राणतोऽपि च । प्राणाधिकाया राधाया अन्येषामपि का कथा
Of the goddess who presides over life, of his beloved dearer than life, of Radha who is dearer than life—what need to speak of others?
ह्रत्वा दर्पं च सर्वेषां प्रसादं च चकार सः । कर्ता हर्ता पालयिता स्रष्टा स्रष्टुश्च सर्वतः
Having removed the pride of all, he bestowed his grace; he is the doer, the destroyer, the protector, the creator, and the creator of all creators.
यं स्तोतुमीशो नालं च पञ्चवक्त्रैस्तु शंकरः । स्तोतुं नालं चतुर्वक्त्रो विधाता जगतामपि
Shankara, with his five faces, is not able to praise him; nor is the four-faced creator of the worlds able to praise him.
स्तोतुं नालमनन्तश्च सहस्रवदनैरहो । स्वयं विष्णुर्विश्वव्यापी नालं स्तोतुं जनार्दनः
Even Ananta, with his thousand mouths, is not able to praise him; even Vishnu, who pervades the universe, is not able to praise Janardana.
महाविराण्न शक्तोऽपि यं स्तोतुं परमेश्वरम् । कम्पिता यस्य पुरतः प्रकृतिः परमात्मनः
Even the great Virat, though capable, is not able to praise that Supreme Lord, before whom Prakriti herself trembles.
सरस्वती जडीभूता यं स्तोतुं परमेश्वरम् । महिमानं न जानन्ति वेदा यस्य च नारद
O Nārada, Sarasvatī herself became mute, unable to praise the Supreme Lord, and even the Vedas do not know His greatness.
इत्येवं कथितो ब्रह्मन्प्रभावः परमात्मनः । निर्गुणस्य च कृष्णस्य किं भुयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Thus, O Brahman, I have described the majesty of the Supreme Self, of Kṛṣṇa who is beyond all qualities; what more do you wish to hear?
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तरार्धे नारदनाo श्रीकृष्णप्रभाव- वर्णनं नाम पञ्चपञ्चशात्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-fifth chapter named 'Description of the Power of Śrī Kṛṣṇa' in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the Śrī Kṛṣṇa-janma-khaṇḍa of the Great Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, in the dialogue between Nārada and Śrī Brahmā.
अथ षद्पञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः नारद उवाच किमपूर्वं श्रुतं ब्रह्मन्रहस्यं परमाद्भुतम् । अनन्तचरितं धन्यमनन्तस्याच्युतस्य च
Nārada said: O Brahman, what is that unprecedented, secret, and most wonderful story, blessed and endless, of the infinite Acyuta?
कथं कृष्णो महाविष्णोर्दर्पभङ्ग चकार सः । अन्येषां वा कथमहो तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति
How did Kṛṣṇa break the pride of Mahāviṣṇu, or of others? O Lord, you are worthy to tell this.
स्वतः श्रीकृष्णचरितमतीव मधुरं श्रुतौ । अतीव मधुरं रम्यं काव्यं कविमुखात्ततः
The deeds of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are supremely sweet to hear by themselves, and even more delightful and charming when spoken poetically by the mouths of poets.
नारायण उवाच महाविष्णोरहंकारो बभूव सहसेति च । सर्वं मल्लोमकूपेषु विश्वान्येवाऽहमीश्वरः
Nārāyaṇa said: The pride of Mahāviṣṇu arose, thinking, 'I am the Lord of all, and all the universes exist within the pores of my skin.'
संहारभैरवी भुत्वा तं स जग्रास लीलया । स्यिते मुर्धावशेषे च प्रसादं तं चकार सः
Assuming the form of Bhairavī, the destroyer, he playfully swallowed him, and when only his head remained, he bestowed grace upon him.
सर्वात्मना ध्यायमानः स्तुतो भीतं कृपानिधिः । तच्छरीरं सुसंपन्नं पुनरेव चकार सः
Meditating with his whole being, praised and fearful, the ocean of mercy restored his body to its perfect state again.
ब्रह्मणः सहसा ब्रह्मन्निति दर्पो बभुव ह । अहं त्रिजगतां धाता कर्ताऽहमीश्वरः स्वयम्
Suddenly, O Brahman, pride arose in Brahmā: 'I am the creator of the three worlds, I am the doer, I am the Lord myself.'
मत्परः पूजितो नास्ति मत्परश्च जितेन्द्रियः । इत्येवं मनसा कृत्वा बहुदर्पो बभूव ह
'There is none greater than me, none who has conquered the senses as I have.' Thinking thus in his mind, he became filled with great pride.
तं ब्रहाणां समूहं च दर्शयामास तत्क्षणम् । गोलोके स्वसमीपे च वसन्तं पुरतो विभोः
At that moment, he showed Brahmā the multitude of other Brahmās, dwelling near him in Goloka, before the Lord.
शतवक्त्रं च प्रत्येकं ब्रह्माण्डौघं च लीलया । त्यक्तुकामं स्वदेहं च व्रीडया नतकंधरम्
Each one with a hundred faces, and countless universes, wishing to abandon his own body out of shame, he bowed his head low.
पुनः प्रसादं कृपया तं चकार कृपानिधिः । कालेन मोहिनीद्वारा तमपूज्यं चकार सः
Again, out of compassion, the ocean of mercy bestowed grace upon him, and by means of Mohinī, made him unworthy of worship for a time.