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.
स्वकन्यां दर्शयित्वा तं सकामं च चकार ह । पुनस्तद्दर्पभङ्गं च शिवद्वारा चकार सः
Showing him his own daughter, he made him filled with desire, and again broke his pride through Śiva.
तत्याज लज्जया देहं पुनर्देहं दधार सः । पुनश्चकार तं पूज्यं ब्रह्माणं ब्रह्मणः प्रभुः
Out of shame, he abandoned his body, then took on another form; once more, the Lord of Brahmā made him worthy of worship.
ज्ञानं ददौ महाज्ञानी ज्ञानानन्दः सनातनः । विष्णोर्बभूव गर्वश्च जगत्पाताऽहमीश्वरः
The eternal one, full of knowledge and bliss, gave him wisdom; but pride arose in Viṣṇu: 'I am the Lord, the sustainer of the worlds.'
तमात्मविस्मृतं कृष्णश्चकार रामजन्मनि । अहं विश्वं बिभर्मीति शेषो दर्पी बभूव ह
Kṛṣṇa made him forget himself at the birth of Rāma; and Śeṣa, thinking 'I uphold the universe,' became proud.
तद्दर्पं गरुडद्वारा चूर्णीभूतं चकार सः । एकदा पूजितो नागैर्गरुडः कृष्णवाहनः
That pride was shattered by Garuda, who made it into dust; once, Garuda, the carrier of Krishna, was worshipped by the serpents.
न पूजितश्च शेषेण स्वदर्पेण पुरा मुने । गरुडेन जितं कोधात्तमनन्तं मनस्विनम्
But formerly, O sage, he was not worshipped by Shesha due to his own pride; Garuda conquered the mighty Ananta out of anger.
चकार मोक्षणं तस्य श्रीकृष्णश्च कृपानिधिः । स्वयं शिवः स्वदर्पाच्च विवाहं न चकार सः
Sri Krishna, the ocean of mercy, granted liberation to him; Shiva himself, due to his own pride, did not perform the marriage.
तं कृत्वा मायया मोहं कारयामास स्त्रीयुतम् । पुनर्जहार तत्पत्नीं दक्षकन्यां महासतीम्
Having caused delusion by his own maya, he made him attached to a woman; then he took back his wife, the virtuous daughter of Daksha.
वर्ष शुशोच तद्देहं क्रोडे कृत्वा च शंकरः । नानास्थानं च बभ्राम रुदञ्छोकान्मुहुर्मुहुः
Shankara grieved for her body for a year, holding it close; he wandered to many places, repeatedly weeping in sorrow.
जन्मान्तरे पुनः प्राप्य तां सतीं पार्वतीं मुदा । विसस्मार च स्वज्ञानं दक्षशप्तः पुनः शिवः
In another birth, Shiva joyfully regained Sati as Parvati; cursed by Daksha, he again forgot his own knowledge.