निर्गुणास्य निरीहस्य सर्वबीजस्य तेयसा । भारावतरणायैव चाऽऽविर्भूतस्य सांप्रतम्
By the power of the attributeless, actionless, and all-seed source, who has now manifested solely for the removal of the earth's burden—
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच शरीरधारिणश्चापि कुशलप्रश्नमीप्सितम् । तत्कथं कुशलप्रश्नं मयि विप्र न विद्यते
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Even for those who possess bodies, the inquiry into well-being is appropriate; but how can such a question of well-being apply to me, O brāhmaṇa?
सनत्कुमार उवाच शरीरे प्राकृते नाथ संततं च शुभाशुभम् । नित्यदेहे क्षेमबीजे शिवप्रश्नमनर्थकम्
Sanatkumāra said: In the material body, O Lord, auspicious and inauspicious things constantly arise; but in the eternal body, which is the seed of welfare, the question of well-being is meaningless.
श्रीभगवानुवाच यो यो विग्रहधारी च स च प्राकृतिकः स्मृताः । देहो न विद्यते विप्र तां नित्यां प्राकृतिं विना
Śrī Bhagavān said: Whoever possesses a form is considered material; O brāhmaṇa, a body cannot exist without that eternal material nature.
सनत्कुमार उवाच रक्तबिन्दूद्भवा देहास्ते च प्राकृतिका स्मृताः । कथं प्रकृतिनाथस्य बीजस्य प्राकृतं वपुः
Sanatkumāra said: Bodies born from the seed of blood are considered material; how can the body of the Lord of Nature, the seed of all, be material?
सर्वबीजस्य सर्वादिर्भवांश्च भगवान्स्वयम् । सर्वेषामवतारणां प्रधानं बीजमव्ययम्
He himself is the origin of all seeds and all beginnings, the Lord; he is the imperishable principal seed of all descents.
कृत्वा वदन्ति वेदाश्च नित्यं सत्यं सनातनम् । ज्योतिःस्वरूपं प्रधानं बीजमव्ययम्
The Vedas always declare him to be the eternal, true, and primeval light-form, the imperishable principal seed.
मायया सगुणं चैव मायेशं निर्गुणं परम् । प्रवदन्ति च वेदाङ्गास्तथा वेदविदः प्रभो
By māyā, he is said to be with attributes, and as the Lord of māyā, he is the supreme without attributes; so declare the Veda-branches and the knowers of the Veda, O Lord.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच संप्रतं वासुदेवोऽहं रक्तपीर्याश्रितं वपुः । कथं न प्रकृतो विप्र शिवप्रश्नमभीप्सितम्
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Now I, Vāsudeva, have assumed a body supported by blood and semen; how then, O brāhmaṇa, is the inquiry into well-being not material?
सनत्कुमार उवाच वासुः सर्वनिवासश्च विश्वानि यस्य लोमसु । तस्य देवः परं ब्रह्म वासुदेव इतीरितः
Sanatkumāra said: Vāsu means the abode of all, and all the worlds dwell in his pores; therefore, that god, the supreme Brahman, is called Vāsudeva.
वासुदेवेति तन्नाम वेदेषु च चतुर्षु च । पुराणेष्वितिहासेषु यात्रादिषु च दृश्यते
The name Vāsudeva is found in all four Vedas, in the Purāṇas, in the Itihāsas, and in texts concerning rituals.
रक्तवीर्याश्रितो देहः क्व ते वेदे निरूपितः । साक्षिणो मुनयश्चैव धर्मः सर्वत्र एव च
Where in the Vedas is a body supported by blood and semen described for you? The sages are witnesses, and dharma is present everywhere.
साक्षिणो मम वेदाश्च रविचन्दौ च संप्रतम्
The Vedas are my witnesses, as are the sun and the moon at this very moment.
भृगुरुवाच सत्यं वदसि त्वमेव वैष्णवाग्रणीः । स्वागतं कुशलं शश्वत्किंनिमित्तमिहाऽऽगतः
Bhṛgu said: You speak the truth; you alone are the foremost among the Vaiṣṇavas. Welcome! May you always be well. For what reason have you come here?
सनत्कुमार उवाच श्रूयतां मुनयः सर्वे श्रूयतां कृष्ण सांप्रतम् । अहो येन निमित्तेन चातिशीघ्रमिहाऽऽगतः
Sanatkumāra said: Let all the sages listen, let Kṛṣṇa also hear now; for what reason has he come here so very swiftly?
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच भगवन्मर्वधर्मज्ञ किंनिमित्तमिहाऽऽगतः । सर्वं जानासि सर्वज्ञ त्वमेव विदुषां वरः
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Lord, knower of dharma, for what reason have you come here? You know everything, O all-knowing one, you alone are the best among the wise.
सनत्कुमार उवाच धन्योऽसि भगवञ्छश्वन्मान्योऽसि जगतामपि । सर्वेश्वरेश्वरोऽसि त्वं तत्परो नास्ति विश्वतः
Sanatkumāra said: Blessed are you, O Lord; you are always to be honored, even by the worlds. You are the Lord of all lords; there is none higher than you in all the universe.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच यज्ञानां च व्रतानां च तपस्यानां द्विजेश्वर। सततं फलदाताऽहं दक्षिणाभिः सहेति य
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O best of the twice-born, I am always the giver of the fruits of sacrifices, vows, and austerities, along with the offerings.
इति श्रुत्वा कुमारश्च जवेन प्रययौ वने । मत्वाऽऽश्चर्य च वचनं वारयामास तेऽपितम्
Hearing this, the youth swiftly departed into the forest; considering the words as wondrous, he restrained his father.
ऋषय ऊचुः हे सिद्धेन्द्र महाभाग कुमार करुणामय । का शङ्कितकथा प्रोक्ता भगवत्कृष्णसंनिधौ
The sages said: O Siddhendra, greatly fortunate one, O compassionate youth, what anxious tale has been spoken in the presence of Lord Krishna?
किं पुत्र दृष्टमाश्चर्य श्रुतं किमपि कुत्रचित् । अतीव कृत्वा विस्तीर्णमस्माकं वक्तुमर्हसि
Child, what marvel have you seen, or what have you heard somewhere? Please tell us in detail, making it clear to us.
एत स्मिन्न्नतरे ब्रह्मा पार्वत्या सह शंकरः । अनन्तश्चापि धर्मश्च श्रीसूर्यश्च निशाकरः
Here, in this assembly, Brahma is present with Parvati and Shankara, as well as Ananta, Dharma, Shri Surya, and the Moon.
आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा दिक्पालाद्याश्च देवताः । श्रीकृष्णः सहसोत्थाय संभाध्य चपृथक्पृथकु
The Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, guardians of the directions, and other deities are here; Shri Krishna, rising suddenly, greeted each one individually.
मधुपर्कादिकं दत्त्वा पूजयामास भक्तितः । प्रणेसुर्ऋषयः सर्वे शेषं शंभुं विधिं शिवाम्
Offering madhuparka and other gifts, he worshipped them with devotion; all the sages bowed to Shesha, Shambhu, Brahma, and Shiva.
परस्परं च संभाषा बभूव द्विजदेवयोः । समुवासाऽऽसने मध्ये कुमारः कनकप्रभः
There was mutual conversation among the twice-born and the gods; the golden-hued youth sat in the midst, upon a seat.
मया गतश्च गोलोको न दृष्टो राधिकापतिः । ततो गतं च वैकुण्ठं तत्र नास्ति चतुर्भुजः
I went to Goloka, but did not see the Lord of Radha; then I went to Vaikuntha, and there was no four-armed one.
ततो गतश्च क्षीरोदस्तत्र नास्ति हरिः स्वयम् । परिश्रान्तो विषण्णश्च स्नातं क्षीरोदधेस्तटे
Then I went to the Milk Ocean, but Hari himself was not there; weary and dejected, I bathed at the shore of the Milk Ocean.
विस्तीर्णवालुकामध्ये कच्छपः शतयोजनः । भीतश्च कम्पितस्तत्र दृष्टो दुःखी च शुष्कितः
In the midst of the vast sands, a tortoise a hundred yojanas in size was seen, trembling and fearful, suffering and dried up.
निःसारितो राघवेण मीनेन च महात्मना । धन्योऽसीति मयोक्तश्च नाहं धन्य उवाच सः
Driven out by Raghava and the great-souled fish, I said, 'You are blessed,' but he replied, 'I am not blessed.'
क्षीरोदः सागरो धन्यो जन्तवो यत्र मद्विधाः । मत्तो महत्तराश्चापि ह्यसंख्याश्च महामुने
The Milk Ocean is blessed, for creatures like me dwell there; even greater than me are countless beings, O great sage.