युवानं व्याधिहीनं च कन्दर्पादपि सुन्दरम् । संभोगं कारयामास बुबुधे न दिवानिशम्
Young, free from disease, more handsome than even Kama, she arranged their union; he was unaware day and night.
सांप्रतं तव कन्या साऽप्यूषागर्भवती सती । कुलजा कुलयोश्चैव तप्ताङ्गारस्वरूपिणी
Now your daughter, Ushā, is pregnant, O lord; born of noble lineage, she is like burning embers.
दौहित्रो वाऽपि दौहित्री बभुव सांप्रतं तव। कन्यां पश्य महाप्रौढां नगरीं नागरान्विताम्
Your granddaughter has now become a mature maiden; behold her, splendid and adorned with the city and its citizens.
नखविक्षतसर्वाङ्गीं वराधीनां च चञ्चलाम् । पुंसश्च सङ्गिरीं शश्वद्रहस्ये रतिसङ्गिनीम्
Her whole body is marked by scratches from nails; she is restless, dependent on her chosen suitor, and always eager for secret union with a man.
सस्मितां सकटाक्षां च च़ञ्चलेक्षणवीक्षताम् । एवं श्रुत्वा लज्जितश्च बाणस्तत्र चुकोप ह
She smiles, casts sidelong glances, and looks with flickering eyes; hearing this, Bāṇa was ashamed and became angry there.
युद्धाय च मतिं चक्रे वारितः शभुना भृशम् । वारितश्च गणेशेन स्कन्देन शिवया तथा
He resolved to fight, but was firmly restrained by Śambhu; he was also stopped by Gaṇeśa, Skanda, and Śivā.
भैरव्या भद्रकाल्या च योगिनीभिश्च संततम् । अष्टभिर्भैरवैश्चैव रुद्रैरेकादशात्मकैः
He was continually restrained by Bhairavī, Bhadrakālī, the Yoginīs, the eight Bhairavas, and the eleven Rudras.
भूतैः प्रेतैश्च कूष्माण्डैर्वेतालैर्ब्रह्मराक्षसैः । योसीन्द्रैरपि सिद्धेन्द्रै रुद्रैश्चण्डादिभिस्तथा
He was checked by spirits, ghosts, Kūṣmāṇḍas, Vetālas, Brahmarākṣasas, the lords of yogis and siddhas, and fierce Rudras like Caṇḍa.
कोटर्या प्रामदेव्या च यथा मात्रा हिताय च । उवाच शंकरो बाणं मूढं पण्डितमानिनम् हितं सत्यं नीतिशास्त्रं परिणामसुखावहम्
By Koṭarā, Prāmadevī, and his mother for his welfare; Śaṃkara spoke to Bāṇa, who was deluded yet considered himself wise, words of benefit, truth, and the ethical science that brings lasting happiness.
महादेव उवाच शृणु बाण प्रवक्ष्यामि कथामेतां पुरातनीम् । भुवो भारावतरणे भारते स्वयमीश्वरः
Mahādeva said: Listen, Bāṇa, I will tell you this ancient story; when the burden of the earth was to be relieved, the Lord Himself appeared in Bhārata.
निहत्य सर्वान्राजेन्द्रान्द्वारकायां विराजते । यस्य लोमसु विश्वानि तस्य वासः सदीश्वरः
Having slain all the kings, He shines in Dvārakā; in whose hair reside all worlds, whose abode is with the Lord.
वासुदेव इति ख्यातः कथ्यते तेन कोविदैः । धातुर्विधाता भगवांश्चक्रपाणिः स्वयं भुवि
He is known as Vāsudeva, so called by the wise; the Lord, creator of beings, wielder of the discus, Himself on earth.
ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनामीश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । निर्गुणश्च निरीहश्च भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहः
He is the Lord of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, transcending nature; without qualities, without desire, and the embodiment of grace to devotees.
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम परमात्मा च देहिनः । यस्मिन्गते शवो जीवो संग्रामस्तेन संभवेत्
He is the supreme Brahman, the highest abode, the supreme Self of embodied beings; when the soul departs, the body becomes lifeless, and conflict arises with Him.
शस्त्रविद्धो महाकाशो यथा मूढ दिशस्तथा । तथाऽऽत्मा च निराकारो देही च ध्यानहेतुना
When pierced by weapons, the vast sky remains unchanged, O deluded one, just as directions do; so too the Self, formless, abides in the body as the cause of meditation.
तस्य पुत्रोऽनिरुद्धश्च महाबलपराक्रमः । त्रैलोक्यमपि संहर्तुं क्षणेन च क्षमः स्वयम्
His son Aniruddha is mighty and valiant; he is capable of destroying the three worlds in an instant by his own power.
सर्वे वेवाश्च दैत्याश्च बलवन्तो महारथाः । ते सर्वे चानिरुद्धस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
All the gods and demons, powerful and great chariot-warriors, none of them equal even a sixteenth part of Aniruddha's strength.
ययोरेव समं वित्तं ययोरेव समं बलम् । तयोर्विवाहो मैत्री च न तु पुष्टविपुष्टयोः
Marriage and friendship are proper only between those equal in wealth and strength, not between the nourished and the undernourished.
बलिः पिता ते दैत्यानां सारभूतो महारथः । क्षणेन येन नीतश्च सुतलं स हरेः कला
Bali, your father, chief of the demons and a great chariot-warrior, was taken to Sutala in an instant by just a fraction of Hari's power.
सर्वे चांशकलाः पुंसः परिपूर्णतमस्य च । वृन्दावनेश्वरस्यापि कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः
All are but portions and fractions of the supreme person, of the Lord of Vṛndāvana, of Kṛṣṇa, the supreme Self.
पार्वत्युवाच ध्यायते ध्याननिष्ठश्च हृत्पद्मे च दिवानिश्म् । ब्रह्मा महेशः मेषश्च भगवन्तं सनातनम्
Pārvatī said: Brahmā, Maheśa, and Meṣa, absorbed in meditation, contemplate day and night upon the eternal Lord in the lotus of the heart.
दिनेशश्च गणेशश्च योगीन्द्राणां गुरोर्गुरुः । ध्यायते परमात्मानं भगवन्तं सनातनम्
The sun, Gaṇeśa, and the guru of the yogis' gurus, all meditate upon the supreme self, the eternal Lord.
सनत्कुमारः कपिलो नरो नारायणस्तथा । ध्यायते हृदयाम्भोजे भगवन्तं सo
Sanatkumāra, Kapila, Nara, and Nārāyaṇa likewise meditate upon the Lord in the lotus of the heart.
मनवश्च मुनीन्द्राश्च सिद्धेन्द्रा योगिनां वराः । ध्यानासाध्यं च ध्यायन्ते भगवन्तं सo
The Manus, the foremost sages, the chief of the siddhas, and the best among yogis, all meditate upon the Lord, attainable through meditation.
सर्वादिं सर्वबीजं च सर्वेशं च परात्परम् । ध्यायन्ते ज्ञानिनः सर्वे भगवन्तं सo
All the wise contemplate the Lord, who is the origin of all, the seed of all, the Lord of all, and higher than the highest.
गणेश उवाच अभाग्यं च बलेश्चापि वैष्णवस्य महात्मनः । मूढोऽयमीदृशः पुत्रः प्रह्लादस्य च धीमतः
Gaṇeśa said: This is the misfortune of Bali and also of the great-souled Vaiṣṇava; this son, though foolish, is the son of the wise Prahlāda.
स्कन्द उवाच अये भ्रातर्न श्रुता च हिरण्यकशिपोः कथा । हिरण्याक्षस्य च मधोः कैटभस्य महात्मनः
Skanda said: O brother, have you not heard the story of Hiraṇyakaśipu, Hiraṇyākṣa, Madhu, and the great-souled Kaiṭabha?
पूर्वजास्तेऽपि ते दैत्या महाबलपराक्रमाः । क्रमेण विष्णुना नीता लीलया यमसादनम्
Those Daityas, your elders, mighty and valiant, were gradually sent to the abode of Yama by Viṣṇu in sport.
भगवान्यस्य संहर्ता स्वयं नारायणः प्रभुः । तस्य को रक्षिता भ्रातर्निवर्तस्व शुभायच
The Lord Nārāyaṇa himself is the destroyer of that one; O brother, who then can be his protector? Turn back for your own good.
तेषां च वचनं श्रुत्वा तानुवाचासुरेश्वरः । कोपरक्तास्यनयनो धनुष्पाणिर्यथाऽन्तकः
Hearing their words, the lord of the Asuras replied, his mouth and eyes reddened with anger, holding his bow like Death himself.