सत्यमुक्तं च सत्यस्य यत्तदेव यथोचितम् । धत्ते भारावतरणे पृथिव्याश्च मनोहरम्
What has been spoken is true, and whatever is proper for the truth, that alone he assumes for the uplifting of the earth, and it is wondrous to behold.
सुखमाह्लादकं रम्यं भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहम् । किमनिर्वचनीयं च रूपं जनमनोहरम्
His form is delightful, pleasing, charming, and grants grace to devotees; it is indescribable, and captivating to all beings.
कोटिकन्दर्पलावण्यं लीलाधाम शुभाक्षयम् । यत्पादपद्ममधुरं मधु मन्दाकिनीजलम्
He possesses beauty surpassing millions of Cupids, is the abode of divine play, inexhaustibly auspicious; his lotus feet are sweet, like honey and the water of the celestial Ganges.
दध्रे शिरसि भक्त्या च सर्वेशः शंकरः परः । शश्वत्करोति वैरागी तीर्थकीर्तेश्च कीर्तनम्
The supreme Lord Śaṅkara, with devotion, placed those sweet lotus feet upon his head; he, ever detached, continually sings the glories of holy places.
क्षणं नृत्यति भक्त्या च पञ्चवक्त्रेण गायति । आहारं भूषणं वस्त्रं परित्यज्य दिगम्बरः
For a moment, he dances in devotion, sings with his five mouths, and, abandoning food, ornaments, and clothing, remains clad only by the directions.
ब्रह्म ज्योतिः स्वरूपं च ध्यात्वा शुभ्रं सुनिर्मलम् । ब्रह्मा च तपसा जन्म नयत्येव हि सेवया
Meditating on the radiant, pure, and spotless form of Brahman, Brahmā, through austerity and service, attains birth (in the world).
सुशीलोवाच निर्मञ्छनार्हं न भवेत्तस्य कामशतं शतम् । चन्द्रोऽशिवनीकुमारो वा रुपेषु केन गण्यते
Suśīla said: For him, not even a hundred thousand desires are worthy of cleansing; how can the moon, the son of Śiva, or anyone else be compared to his form?
असंख्येषु च विश्वेषु ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादयः । मुनयो मनवः सिद्धा भक्ताः सन्तश्च संततम्
In countless universes, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, sages, Manus, siddhas, devotees, and the virtuous constantly (meditate upon him).
ध्यायन्ते यत्पदाम्भोजं निर्गुणस्याऽऽत्मनश्च वै । वेदाः स्तोतुं न शक्ताश्च यमीशं च सरस्वती
They meditate upon his lotus feet, who is beyond qualities and the Self; even the Vedas and Sarasvatī are unable to praise that Lord.
जडीभूता च भीता च स्तवनेन क्षमाण्येतु । सहस्रवक्त्रः स्तवने कम्पितश्च निरन्तरम्
Becoming stupefied and fearful, Sarasvatī is unable to praise him; even the thousand-headed (Śeṣa) trembles constantly in his hymns.
वेदानां जनको ब्रह्मा स्तोत्रेण तस्य हीश्वरः । तं सत्यं नित्यमीशं च माधवी परिनिन्दति
Brahmā, the progenitor of the Vedas, is powerless to praise him; yet Mādhavī finds fault with that true, eternal Lord.
अपवित्रा सभा भूता गोपीनां जीवनं वृथा । तासु पुण्यवती शोकः प्रणश्यति न संशयः
A gathering of gopīs becomes impure, and their lives are in vain; among them, for the virtuous, sorrow is surely destroyed—there is no doubt.
रत्नमालोवच दधार वामहस्तेन शैलं गोवर्धनं हरिः) । ततः किं तद्दशः शौर्य जगतां जनकस्य च
Ratnamālā said: Hari lifted the Govardhana mountain with his left hand; what then can be said of his valor and that of the progenitor of the worlds?
शैलानां च सहस्रं यो भेतुं शक्तश्च दैत्यराट् । लीलामात्रेण तेषां च लक्षं हन्तु क्षमो हरिः
The king of the demons may be able to break a thousand mountains, but Hari, with a mere play, is capable of destroying a hundred thousand of them.
यदंशकलया जातः सूकरो विष्णुरीश्वरः । वसुधां दशनाग्रेण चोद्दधार च लीलया
When Viṣṇu, the Lord, was born as a boar by a mere portion of himself, he effortlessly lifted up the earth with the tip of his tusk.
शैलानां च सहस्राणि यत्र सन्ति महीतले । दैत्याश्च वाऽप्यसंख्याश्च वीराः शूरास्तथैव च
On that earth there are thousands of mountains, and countless Daityas, as well as many valiant and heroic warriors.
तेनैव कर्मणा तस्य न शौर्यं न च पौरुषम् । न यशाश्च प्रशंसा वा सखि सर्वात्मनाऽऽत्मना
By that very act, neither his heroism nor his manliness, nor his fame or praise, O friend, were fully expressed by his own true self.
पारिजातोवाच सप्तद्वीपा च वसुधा सशैलवनसागरा । काञ्चनीभूमिसहिता सर्वाधारा मनोहरा
Pārijāta said: The earth with seven continents, along with its mountains, forests, and oceans, with golden lands, the support of all, and enchanting to behold—
सप्त स्वर्गाश्च विविधा ब्रह्मलोकावधि प्रिये । विचित्राः सुन्दराश्चैव पातालानां च सप्त च
And the seven diverse heavens, up to Brahmaloka, dear one, and the seven lower worlds, each wondrous and beautiful—
एतैः परिमितं विश्वं ब्रह्माण्डं ब्रह्मणा कृतम् । महद्विष्णोर्लोमकूपे तदेवं चाणुवत्स्थितम्
With these, the universe, the cosmic egg, was delimited and created by Brahmā; all this exists like a tiny atom in a pore of great Viṣṇu’s body.
तस्य यावन्ति लोमानि तानि विश्वानि सन्ति च । स एव षोडशांशश्च कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः
As many hairs as he has, so many universes exist; he is but a sixteenth portion of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Self.
तस्यैव किं यशः शौर्चं महिमानमनूपमम् । घस्मरी गोपकन्या च किं वा जानाति माधवी
What can be said of his fame, heroism, or incomparable greatness? What could Ghasmarī, the cowherd maiden, or even Mādhavī know of it?
माधव्युवाच मया यदुक्तं न ज्ञात्वा मूढा जल्पन्ति गोपिकाः । उद्धव शुणु मे वाक्यं यन्मया कथितं शुभम्
Mādhavī said: Without understanding what I have said, the foolish cowherd girls speak; Uddhava, listen to my words, which I have spoken for good.
स्वेच्छया सगुणो विष्णुः स्वेच्छया निर्गुणोभवेत् । भुवो भारावतरणे गोपवेषः शिशुर्विभुः
By his own will, Viṣṇu becomes possessed of qualities, and by his own will, he becomes without qualities; to relieve the burden of the earth, the Lord took the form of a cowherd boy.
यदि वेदाः पुराणानि सिद्धाः सन्तश्च संततम् । ब्रह्मेशशेषभक्ताश्च न जानन्ति यमीश्वरम्
If the Vedas, the Purāṇas, the perfected ones, and the saints, as well as the devotees of Brahmā, Śiva, and Śeṣa, do not know that Lord—
तं किं जानामि मूढाऽहं घस्मरी गोपकन्यका । तथाऽपि मद्वचः सत्यं श्रूयतां वत्स तत्क्षणम्
Then how could I, a foolish, gluttonous cowherd girl, know him? Still, let my words, which are true, be heard by you for a moment, dear one.
किमनिर्वचनीयं च रूपं शौर्यं यशो बलम् । वीर्यं वेषं च सिद्धिं चाप्यन्यो वा यो गुणो हरेः
Who can describe his form, heroism, fame, strength, valor, appearance, accomplishment, or any other quality of Hari?
स्वेच्छामयस्य तस्यैव सगुणस्य च सांप्रतम् । किमनिर्वचनीयं च वर्तते तद्विशेषणम्
Of him, who is made of his own will and now possesses qualities, who can describe the indescribable attributes that exist in him?
निर्गुणस्य च विष्णोश्च वेहहीनस्य स्वात्मनः । वर्तते च किमाख्येयं तस्य रूपादिकं च किम्
And of Viṣṇu, who is without qualities, without form, his own self—what can be said of his form and other attributes?
मां निन्दति महामूढा न बुद्धा वचनं मम । एषा जानाति किं मूढा तं सत्यं प्रकृतेः परम्
That great fool insults me and does not heed my words; how could she, in her ignorance, know that truth which is beyond nature?