कृत्वा त्रिकालस्नानं च निर्मले यमुनाजले । कृत्वाऽष्टदलपद्मं च स्निग्धेन चन्दनेन च
Having bathed three times a day in the pure waters of the Yamunā, and having made an eight-petaled lotus with fragrant sandalwood,
ध्यानेन गर्गदत्तेन शुद्धेन मनसा सति । संपूज्य परमानन्दं सानन्दं व्रज तत्पदम्
With meditation given by Garga, and with a pure mind, worship the Supreme Bliss; joyfully attain that supreme state.
कृत्वा निकृन्तनं कर्म पिदृभिः शतकैः सह । वैष्णवेन सहाऽऽलापं कुरुष्व सततं सति
Having performed the ritual of cutting with hundreds of your ancestors, always engage in conversation with a Vaiṣṇava, O faithful one.
वरं हुतवहज्वालां भक्तो वाञ्छति पञ्जरम् । वरं च कण्टके वासं वरं च विष्भक्षणम्
A devotee would rather choose the flames of fire, or desire a cage, or prefer to dwell among thorns, or even to consume poison—
हरिभक्तिविहीनानां न सङ्गं नाशकारणम् । स्वयं नष्टो भक्तिहीनो बृद्धिणेदं करोति च
For those devoid of devotion to Hari, there should be no association, nor any cause for destruction; one without devotion is himself lost and brings about ruin.
अङ्कुरो भक्तिवृक्षस्य भक्तसङ्गेन वर्धते । परं हरिकथालापपीयूषासेचनेन च
The sprout of the tree of devotion grows by association with devotees, and especially by the watering of the nectar of discussions about Hari.
अभक्तालापदीपाग्निज्वालायाः कलयापि च । अङ्कुरः शुष्कतां याति पुनः सेकेन वर्धते
By even a fraction of the fiery lamp of talk with non-devotees, the sprout dries up; but with watering, it grows again.
तस्मादभक्तसङ्गं च सावधानः परित्यज । यथा दृष्ट्वा कालसर्पं नरो भीत्वा पलायते
Therefore, carefully avoid the company of non-devotees, just as a man, seeing a deadly serpent, flees in fear.
यशोदे च प्रयत्नेन स्वात्मनः पुत्रमीश्वरम् । राम नारायणनन्त मुकुन्द मधुसूदन
O Yaśodā, with effort, recite the names of your son, the Lord—Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, Ananta, Mukunda, Madhusūdana—
कृष्ण केशव कंसारे हरे वैकुण्ठ वामन । इत्येकादश नामानि पठेद्वा पाठयेदिति
Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, enemy of Kaṃsa, Hari, Vaikuṇṭha, Vāmana—thus these eleven names, one should recite or have recited.
जन्मकोटिसहस्राणां पातकादेव मुच्यते । राशब्दो विश्ववचनो मश्चापीश्वरवाचकः
By this, one is freed from the sins of thousands of millions of births; the syllable 'rā' is a universal word, and 'ma' is also a name of the Lord.
विश्वानामीश्वरो यो हि तेन रामः प्रकीर्तितः । रमते रमया सार्वं तेन रामं विदुर्बुधा
He who is the Lord of all the worlds is called Rāma; because he delights and causes all to delight, the wise know him as Rāma.
रमाया रमणस्थानं रामं रामविदो विदुः । राश्चेति लक्ष्मीवचनो मश्चापीश्वरवाचकः
Those who know the ways of Rāma understand Rāma as the beloved of Ramā; 'rā' is a word of Lakṣmī, and 'ma' is a term for the Lord.
लक्ष्मीपतिं गतिं रामं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः । नाम्नां सहस्रं दिव्यानां स्मरणे यत्फलं लभेत्
The wise declare Rāma, the husband of Lakṣmī, as the supreme goal; by remembering a thousand divine names, one attains the fruit that comes from their recitation.
तत्फलं लभते नूनं रामोच्चारणमात्रतः । सारूप्यमुक्तिवचनो सारेति च विदुर्बुधाः
Indeed, simply uttering the name 'Rāma' grants that very fruit; the learned know that 'sā' means resemblance and liberation.
यो देवोऽप्ययनं तस्य स च नारायणः स्मृतः । नाराश्च कृतपापाश्चाप्ययनं गमनं स्मृतम्
That god whose abode is the highest is remembered as Nārāyaṇa; 'nārāḥ' are those who have committed sins, and 'ayana' means going or attaining.
यतो हि गमनं तेषां सोऽयं नारायणः स्मृतः । सकृन्नारायणेत्युक्त्वा पुमान्कल्मशतत्रयम्
Because he is the destination for them, he is called Nārāyaṇa; by uttering 'Nārāyaṇa' even once, a person is freed from threefold sin.
गङ्गादिसर्वतीर्थेषु स्नातो भवति निश्चितम् । नारं च मोक्षणं पुण्यमयनं ज्ञानमीप्सितम्
He is considered as having bathed in all holy places like the Gaṅgā; 'nāra' means liberation, 'ayana' means merit, and knowledge is the desired aim.
तयोर्ज्ञानं भवेद्यस्मात्सोऽयं नारायणः प्रभुः । नास्त्यन्तो यस्य वेदेषु पुराणेषु चतुर्षु च
Because knowledge arises from these two, he is the Lord Nārāyaṇa; whose end is not found in the Vedas or in the four Purāṇas.
शास्त्रेष्वन्येषु योगेषु तेनानन्तं विदुर्बुधाः । मुकुमध्ययमानं च निर्वाणं मोक्षवाचकम्
In other scriptures and yogas as well, the wise know him as infinite; 'muku' means liberation, 'madhya' means absorption, and 'nirvāṇa' signifies release.
* तद्ददाति च यो देवो मुकुंदस्तेन कीर्तितः । मुकुं भक्तिरसप्रेमवचनं वेदसंमतम्
He who gives that, the god is praised as Mukunda; 'muku' is the word for devotion, the essence of love, as approved by the Vedas.
** यस्तं ददाति भक्तेभ्यो मुकंदस्तेन कीर्तितः । सूदनं मधुदैत्यस्य यस्मात्स मधुसूदनः
He who gives that to devotees is thus called Mukunda; because he slew the demon Madhu, he is known as Madhusūdana.
इति सन्तो वदन्तीशं वेदे भिन्नार्थमीप्सितम् । मधु क्लीबं च माध्वीके कृतकर्मशुभाशुभे
Thus, the saints speak of the Lord in the Veda, each seeking a different meaning; 'madhu' means weak, intoxicating, and refers to actions, both good and bad.
भक्तानां कर्मणां चैव सूदनं मधुसूदनः । परिणामाशुभं कर्मं भ्रान्तानां मधुरं मधु
Because he destroys the actions of devotees, he is called Madhusūdana; for the deluded, 'madhu' means sweet, but their actions end in misfortune.
करोति सूदनं यो हि स एव मधुसूदनः । कृषिरुत्कृष्टवचनो णश्च सद्भक्तिवाचकः
He who destroys these is indeed Madhusūdana; 'kṛṣ' means excellent, and 'ṇa' signifies true devotion.
अश्चापि दातृवचनः कृष्णं तेन विदुर्बुधाः । कृषिश्च परमानन्दे णश्च तद्दास्यकर्मणि
And 'ṇa' also means giver, so the wise know him as Kṛṣṇa; 'kṛṣi' is supreme bliss, and 'ṇa' is service to him.
तयोर्दाता च यो देवस्तेन कृष्णः प्रकीर्तितः । कोटिजन्मार्जिते पापे कृषिःक्लेशे च वर्तते
He who gives both is therefore called Kṛṣṇa; 'kṛṣi' is the suffering accumulated from millions of births.
भक्तानां णश्च निर्वाणे तेन कृष्णः प्रकीर्तितः । नाम्नां सहस्रं दिव्यानां त्रिरावृत्त्या चयत्फलम्
And 'ṇa' is liberation for devotees, thus he is called Kṛṣṇa; the fruit obtained by reciting a thousand divine names three times,
एकावृत्त्या तु कृष्णस्य तत्फलं लभते नरः । कृष्णनाम्नः परं नाम न भूतं न भविष्यति
A man attains that fruit by reciting the name of Kṛṣṇa just once; there has never been, nor will there be, a name higher than Kṛṣṇa's.
सर्वेभ्यश्च परं नाम कृष्णेति वैदिका विदुः । कृष्ण कृष्णोति हे गोपि यस्तं स्मरति नित्यशः
The Vedic knowers declare that among all names, the supreme name is 'Kṛṣṇa'; he who always remembers 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa,' O Gopī,