निम्नगासु यथा गङगा तीर्थेषु पुष्करं यथा । वेदप्रणिहितो धर्मो ह्यधर्मस्तद्विपर्ययः
As the Gaṅgā among rivers, as Puṣkara among holy places, so is dharma established by the Veda; and its opposite is adharma.
वेदो नारायणः साक्षाद्वयं पूज्या व्यवस्थया । तस्माच्छास्त्राणि सर्वाणि पुराणानि च सन्ति वै
The Veda is directly Nārāyaṇa; we are to be worshipped according to order; therefore, all the scriptures and Purāṇas exist.
यस्मान्निरूपितो धर्मश्चेतिहासश्च संहिता । तस्माद्धन्याश्च ते वेदा वदन्त्यत्र मनीषिणाः
Because dharma and itihāsa and saṃhitā are determined from it, therefore the wise say that those Vedas are blessed.
यूयं धन्याश्च मान्याश्चेत्युक्ता वेदा मया ततः । ऊयुस्ते न वयं धन्या यज्ञसंघश्य सांप्रतम्
Therefore, I have said that you are blessed and worthy of honor, O Vedas; they replied, 'We are not blessed, but rather the assembly of sacrifice at present.'
वयं व्यवस्थाकर्तारो यज्ञौघः फलदः स्वयम् । तस्माद्धन्यः स एवापि गच्छ गच्छ महामुने
We are the arrangers, the assembly of sacrifice itself gives fruit; therefore, he alone is blessed—go, go, O great sage.
धन्योऽसि यज्ञसंघोऽसीत्युक्तस्तत्र मया विभो । ऊचुस्ते न वयं धन्या धन्यं कर्म शुभं मुने
I said there, 'You are blessed, you are the assembly of sacrifice, O Lord'; they replied, 'We are not blessed, O sage, blessed is the auspicious action.'
शुभकर्मासि धन्यं त्वं नाहं धन्यमुवाच तत् । कर्मणां फलदाता यः कर्महेतुश्च सांप्रतम्
'You are the doer of auspicious deeds, you are blessed, not I,' thus it was said; the giver of the fruits of actions, the cause of actions at present.
धातुर्विधाता भगवान्सर्वादिः सर्वकारकः । श्रीकृष्णः परमात्मा च धन्यो मान्यश्चनिश्चितम्
The Lord, the creator of the creator, the origin of all, the doer of all, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the supreme self, is certainly blessed and worthy of honor.
धर्मालयं ततो गत्वा न दुष्ट्वा जगदीश्वरम् । मथुरामागतो द्रष्टुं परिपूर्णतम् प्रभुम्
Then, going to the abode of dharma, not seeing the Lord of the world, he came to Mathurā to see the most complete Lord.
यज्ञानां तपसां चैव व्रतानां शुभकर्मणाम् । ईश्वरं फलदातारं परमात्मानमेव च
Of sacrifices, austerities, vows, and auspicious actions, the Lord, the giver of fruits, and the supreme self alone.
कारणं कारणानां च ब्रह्मादीनां पुरःसरम् । धन्योऽसीति मयोक्तश्च दक्षिणाभिः सहेति च
The cause of causes, the foremost among Brahmā and others; I said, 'You are blessed,' along with gifts.
इत्युक्तेन भगवता कथितं सर्वकारणम् । दक्षिणाभिश्च फलदो हतयज्ञो ङ्यदक्षिणाः
Thus, the Lord spoke, declaring the cause of all; with gifts, he gives fruit, but a sacrifice without gifts is destroyed.
दक्षिणा विप्रमुद्दिश्य तत्काले तु न दीयते । एकरात्रे व्यतीते तु तद्दानं द्विगुणं भवेत्
If the gift intended for a brāhmaṇa is not given at that time, after one night has passed, the giving must be doubled.
मासे शतगुणं प्रोक्तं द्विमासे तु सहस्रकम् । संवत्सरे व्यतीते तु स दाता नरकं व्रजेत्
In a month, it is said to be a hundredfold; in two months, a thousandfold; if a year passes, the giver goes to hell.
वर्षाणां च सहस्रं च मूत्रकुण्डे निपत्य च । ततश्चाण़्डालतां याति व्याधियुक्तश्च पातकी
After falling into a pit of urine for a thousand years, the sinner then becomes a Chandala, afflicted with disease.
दात्रा न दीयते दानं ग्रहीत्रा चेन्न गृह्यते । उभौ तौ नरकं प्राप्तौ वर्षाणां च सहस्रकम्
If a gift is not given by the donor, or not accepted by the recipient, both of them go to hell for a thousand years.
यजमानश्च चाण्डालो ब्रह्मणस्तत्पुरोहितः । व्याधियुक्तावुभौ तौ च पापिनौ कर्मणः फलात्
The sacrificer and the Brahmin priest both become Chandalas, afflicted with disease, as a result of their sinful actions.
सर्वे देवाश्च मुनयो जहसुर्विस्मयं ययुः । विस्मयं च ययौ नन्दस्तत्याज पुत्रभावकम्
All the gods and sages laughed and were astonished; even Nanda was amazed and abandoned his sense of fatherhood.
रुरोद च सभामध्ये लज्जाहीनः शुचाऽऽकुलः । त्यज मौहमितीत्युक्त्वा बोधयामास पार्वती
He wept in the midst of the assembly, shameless and overwhelmed with grief; Parvati, saying 'Abandon your delusion,' began to instruct him.
नन्द उवाच अमूल्यरत्नं माणिक्यं यथा कुजन्मनो गृहे । स्थितं तेन च देवेश तथाऽहं वञ्चितः प्रभो
Nanda said: Just as a priceless gem or ruby, when kept in the house of a wicked person, is wasted—so, O Lord of the gods, have I been deceived, O Master.
ममापराधं भगवान् क्षमस्व प्रकृतेः पर । यास्यामि न पुनर्गेहं गोकुलं यमुनातटम्
O Lord, forgive my offense, you who are beyond nature; I shall not return again to my home, to Gokula, or to the bank of the Yamuna.
वृन्दावनं तथाऽऽवासं क्रीडावासं गदाग्रज । तत्सर्वं च यशोदाया गोपिकान्तिकमेव च
Nor to Vrindavana, nor to the abode of play, nor to the house of sport, O elder brother of Gadā; all of that, and Yashoda’s presence, and the company of the gopis.
किं ब्रवीमि यशोदां य प्रेयसीं राधिकामपि । प्रेमपात्रं च बालौघं वद भोः कथयामि किम्
What shall I say to Yashoda, or to my beloved Radhika? What can I tell the children, the vessels of love? Tell me, O sir, what shall I say?
इत्युक्त्वा च सभामध्ये मर्च्छां संप्राप नारद । क्रोडे कृत्वा जगन्नाथो बोधयामास तत्क्षणम्
Having spoken thus in the midst of the assembly, Nanda fell unconscious; the Lord of the universe took him into his lap and revived him at that very moment.
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदनाo भगवन्नन्दसंo सप्ताशीतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the eighty-seventh chapter, called 'The Exaltation of the Birth of Shri Krishna,' in the dialogue of Narada and the blessed Nanda, in the great Brahmavaivarta Purana.
अथाष्टाशीतितमोऽध्यायः श्रीकृष्णा उवाच चेतनं कुरु हे तात हे तात चेतनं कुरु । जलबुद्बुदवत्सर्वं संसारं सचराचरम्
Now, the eighty-eighth chapter. Shri Krishna said: Awaken, O father, awaken! All this world, moving and unmoving, is like a bubble on water.
त्याज मोहं महाभाग मायां स्तौहि परत्परामा । ब्रह्मस्वरूपां परमां सर्वमोहनिकृन्तनीम्
Abandon delusion, O greatly fortunate one; praise the supreme Maya, the embodiment of Brahman, the highest, who cuts through all delusion.
मुक्तिप्रदां महाभागां विष्णुमायां सनातनीम् । त्रिपुरस्य वधे घोरे महायुद्धे भयाकुले
Praise the great goddess, the eternal Vishnu-Maya, bestower of liberation, who, in the dreadful battle at the destruction of Tripura, brought fear to all.
येन स्तोत्रेण संभुश्च तया दैत्यं जघान सः । स्तोत्रराजं प्रदास्यामि सर्वमोहनिकृन्तनम्
By whose hymn Shiva destroyed the demon with her power in that battle—I shall give you that king of hymns, which cuts through all delusion.
नन्द उवाच सर्वविघ्नविनाशाय दुःखप्रशमनाय च । विभूतये च यशसे नृणां वाञ्छितसिद्धये
Nanda said: For the removal of all obstacles, for the alleviation of sorrow, for prosperity and fame, and for the fulfillment of people’s desires—