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?
ज्योतिः स्वरूपं परमं परमात्मानमीश्वरम् । तमनिर्वचनीयं च भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहम्
He is the supreme light, the highest Self, the Lord; he is indescribable, and his form is for the grace of his devotees.
यत्पादपद्भं पद्मा सा त्रैलोक्यजननी परा । सेवते कम्पिता भीता दासीवत्सततं भिया
At his lotus feet, that supreme mother of the three worlds, Lakṣmī, serves constantly, trembling and fearful, like a maidservant.
विष्णुमाया च प्रकृतिर्मूलरूपा सनातनी । ब्रह्मस्वरूपा परमा भीता दक्षिणपार्श्वतः
Viṣṇu's Māyā, the primordial, eternal nature, the supreme form of Brahman, stood fearful at the southern side.
सरस्वती जडीभूता भीता च परमेश्वरी । स्तोतुं न शक्ता वेदाः किं स्तुवन्ति परमेश्वरम्
Sarasvatī, rendered inert and frightened, the supreme goddess, was unable to praise; how then could the Vedas extol the Supreme Lord?
तासां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा चोद्धवो भक्तिविह्वलः । पुलकाञ्चितसर्वाङ्गो रुरोद च पपात च
Hearing their words, Uddhava, overwhelmed with devotion, his whole body bristling with joy, wept and fell down.
मूर्च्छं संप्राप्य भक्त्त्या च ध्यात्वा तं परमेश्वरम् । तुच्छं मेने स चाऽऽत्मानं गोपीं भक्त्याऽप्युवाच सः
Having fainted from devotion and meditating on the Supreme Lord, he considered himself insignificant and, with devotion, spoke to the gopīs.
उद्धव उवाच धन्यं यशस्यं द्वीपानां जम्बुद्वीपं मनौहरम् । यत्र भारतवर्षं च पुण्यदं शुभदं तथा
Uddhava said: Blessed, renowned, and delightful among the continents is Jambudvīpa, where Bhāratavarṣa brings merit and auspiciousness.
वणिजां च पुश्यकृतं वाणिज्यस्थलमीप्सितम् । अत्र कृत्वा सुपुण्यं च भुङ्क्तेऽन्यत्र शुभं फलम्
The land desired by merchants, where their trade yields great merit; having performed virtuous deeds here, one enjoys auspicious fruits elsewhere.
धन्यं भारतवर्षं तु पुण्यदं शुभदं वरम् । गोपीपादाब्जरजसा पूतं परमनिर्मलम्
Truly blessed is Bhāratavarṣa, bestowing merit and supreme purity, sanctified by the dust of the gopīs' lotus feet.
ततोऽपि गोपिका धन्या सान्या योषित्सु भारते । नित्यं पश्यन्ति राधायाः पादपद्मं सुपुण्यदम्
Even more blessed are the gopikās among the women of Bhāratavarṣa, who always behold the lotus feet of Rādhā, the source of supreme merit.