स्वयं विधाता जगतां प्रदाता सर्वसंपदाम् । स्वप्रे यत्पादपद्मं च द्रष्टुं नैव क्षमः प्रभो
The Creator himself, the giver of all the worlds and all prosperity, O Lord, is not able to behold even in his own love the lotus feet of whom.
तपसां फरदाता च संस्रष्टा प्राङ्गणे मम । स्वात्मारामेषु पूर्णेषु शुभप्रश्नमनीप्सितम्
The bestower of the fruits of austerities, the creator standing in my courtyard, among those who are self-content and fulfilled, desires to ask an auspicious question.
योगीन्द्रैरपि सिद्धेन्द्रैः सुरेन्द्रैश्च मुनीन्द्रकैः । ध्यानादृष्टश्च यो देवः स शिवः प्राङ्गणे मम
That god, whom even the foremost of yogis, the perfected ones, the lords of gods, and the chief sages see only in meditation, that Śiva is present in my courtyard.
कालस्य कालो भगवान्मृत्योर्मृत्युश्च यः प्रभुः । मृत्युंजयश्च सर्वेशोनराणां दृष्टिगोचरः
He who is the time of time, the blessed Lord who is the death of death, the conqueror of death, the Lord of all, is visible to men.
यस्यमूर्ध्नां सहस्रेषु मूर्ध्नि विश्वं चराचरम् । नास्त्यन्तः सर्ववेदेषु सोऽयं च मम प्राङ्गणे
On whose thousand heads rests the entire universe, moving and unmoving, whose end is not found in all the Vedas—he is in my courtyard.
सर्वकामप्रणेयो हि सर्वाग्रे यस्य पूजनम् । श्रेष्ठो देवगणानां च स गणेशो ममाङ्गणे
He who is to be worshipped first among all, the fulfiller of all desires, the best among the hosts of gods—that Gaṇeśa is in my courtyard.
मुनीनां वैष्णवानां च प्रवनो ज्ञानिनां गुरुः । सनत्कुमारो भगवान्प्रत्यक्षः प्राङ्गणे मम
Among sages and Vaiṣṇavas, the foremost, the guru of the wise—Sanatkumāra, the blessed one, is manifest in my courtyard.
ब्रह्मपुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च प्रपौत्राश्चापि वंशजाः । ते सर्वे मदगृहेऽद्यैव ज्वलन्तो ब्रह्मतेजसा
The sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of Brahmā, all those born in the lineage, today are all shining with the brilliance of Brahman in my house.
अहो कल्पान्तपर्यन्तं तीर्थीभूतो ममाऽऽश्रमः । येषां पादोदकैस्तीर्थ विशुद्धं तद्गृहे मम
Ah, my hermitage has become a sacred place until the end of the aeon; by whose foot-water the holy place is purified, that is in my house.
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि तानि तीर्थानि सागरे । सागरे यानि तीर्थानि विप्रपादेषु तानि च
All the holy places on earth, those holy places in the ocean, and those in the ocean are found at the feet of the Brāhmaṇas.
विप्रपादोदकक्लिन्ना यावत्तिष्ठति मेदिनी । तावत्पुष्करपत्रेषु पिबन्ति पितरो जलम्
As long as the earth remains moistened by the foot-water of Brāhmaṇas, so long do the ancestors drink water from lotus leaves.
विप्रपादोदकं भुक्त्वा दत्त्वा विप्राय दक्षिणाम् । स्रानानां सर्वतीर्थानां फलमाप्नोति निश्चितम्
Having partaken of the Brāhmaṇa's foot-water and given a gift to the Brāhmaṇa, one certainly attains the fruit of all baths at all holy places.
निकृन्तनं च विपदां व्याधिनिर्मुलकारणम् । सुखदं शुभदं सारं विप्रपादोदकं नृणाम्
The foot-water of Brāhmaṇas is the destroyer of calamities, the remover of diseases, the giver of happiness, auspiciousness, and essence for people.
न गङ्गासदृशं तीर्थ न देवो माधवात्परः । सनत्कुमारा द्भक्तो न न हि कल्पतरोस्तरुः
There is no holy place like the Gaṅgā, no god greater than Mādhava, no devotee like Sanatkumāra, and no tree like the wish-fulfilling tree.
न पुष्पं पारिजाताच्च न व्रतं हरिवासरात् । पूजने न हि पूज्यं च न पत्रं तुलसीपरम्
There is no flower like the Pārijāta, no vow like the day of Hari, in worship nothing is more worthy than the tulasī leaf.
न देवी प्रकृतेश्चापि नाऽऽधारः पवनात्परः । न हि स्थूलो महाविष्णोर्न सूक्ष्मं परमाणुतः
There is no goddess greater than Prakṛti, no support greater than wind, no gross form greater than Mahāviṣṇu, nor subtlety greater than the atom.
न ब्राह्मणात्परः पूतो नाऽऽश्रमश्च न तीर्यकम् । न देवो न परः कोऽपि चेत्याह कमलोद्भवः
There is none purer than a Brāhmaṇa, no āśrama greater, no holy place superior, no god higher—so said the lotus-born one.
ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनां प्रकृतेश्च परः प्रभुः । ध्यानासाध्यो दुराराध्यो योगिनामपि निश्चितम्
The Lord who is beyond Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and Prakṛti, is attainable through meditation, difficult to worship, even for yogis—this is certain.
निर्गुणश्च निराकारो भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहः । स एव चक्षुषो नॄणां साक्षाद्देवश्च मद्गृहे
He is without qualities and without form, yet assumes a form out of compassion for devotees; that very Lord, visible to the eyes of men, is manifest in my house.
देवैर्ब्रह्मेशशेषैश्च ध्यातं यत्पादपङ्कजम् । धनेशेन गणेशेन दिनेशेनापि दुर्लभम्
The lotus feet, which are meditated upon by Brahma, Shiva, Shesha, and the gods, are difficult to attain even for Kubera, Ganesha, and Surya.
इत्युक्त्वा भीष्मकः कृष्णं समानीय स्वयं पुरः । तुष्टाव सामवेदोक्तस्तोत्रेण परमेश्वरम्
Having spoken thus, Bhishmaka himself brought Krishna before him and praised the Supreme Lord with a hymn from the Sama Veda.
भीष्मक उवाच सर्वान्तरात्मा सर्वेषां साक्षी निर्लिप्त एव च । कर्मिणां कर्मणामेव कारणानां च कारणम्
Bhishmaka said: You are the inner soul of all, the witness of all, untouched by anything; you are the cause of actions for those who act, and the cause of causes.
केचिद्वदन्ति त्वामेकं ज्योतीरूपं सनातनम् । केचिच्च परमात्मानं जीवो यत्प्रतिबिम्बकः
Some declare you alone to be the eternal form of light; others call you the Supreme Self, whose reflection is the individual soul.
केचित्प्राकृतिकं जीवं सगृणं भ्रान्तबुद्धयः । केचिन्नित्यशरीरं च बुद्धा (धा) श्च सूक्ष्मबुद्धयः
Some, with confused intellects, regard the soul as material and possessing qualities; others, with subtle understanding, see it as eternally embodied and wise.
ज्योतिरभ्यन्तरे नित्यं देहरूपं सनातनम् । कस्मात्तेजः प्रभवति साकारमीश्वरं विना
Within the inner light, there is always the eternal form of the body; how does your radiance shine forth with form, except through the Lord?
एवं स्तुत्वा स चाऽऽचान्तः स्मरन्विष्णुं च नारद । पाद्यं पद्मार्चिते पादपद्मे चायं ददौ मुदा
Having thus praised, and remembering Vishnu, Narada joyfully offered water for washing the feet at the lotus feet worshipped by Padma.
अर्ध्यं च प्रददौ तत्र दूर्वापुष्पजलान्वितम् । मधुपर्कं च सुरभिं सर्वाङ्गे गन्धयन्दनम्
He then gave arghya there, accompanied by grass, flowers, and water; and a fragrant honey mixture, sandal paste for the whole body.
यत्प्रदत्तं महेन्द्रेण शुभकर्मणि यौतुकम् । पारिजातस्य माल्यं च जामातुश्च गले ददौ
He gave the garland of Parijata, which had been presented by Mahendra for auspicious rites, placing it around the neck of the groom.
कुबेरेण च यदत्तममूल्यरत्नभूषणम् । चकार वरणं तस्य स राजा भक्तिपूर्वकम्
He gave the priceless jeweled ornaments bestowed by Kubera, and the king performed the offering with devotion.
कह्निशुद्धांशुकयुगं यद्दत्तं वाह्निना पुरा । ददौ तदेव कृष्णाय परिपूर्णतमाय च
He gave Krishna the pair of pure garments formerly given by Agni, to the one who is most complete.