नित्यः सत्यो हि कृष्णश्च परिबूर्णतमः प्रभुः । गणेशः कार्तिकेयश्च भवानपि तयोः परः
Krishna is eternal and true, the Lord filled with complete perfection; Ganesha and Kartikeya too, but you are beyond even them.
किंकरेषु प्रियो बाणो न हि कृष्णात्परः प्रियः । वैकुण्ठेऽहं महालक्ष्मीर्गोलोके राधिका स्वयम्
Among servants, Bana is dear, but none is dearer than Krishna; in Vaikuntha I am Mahalakshmi, in Goloka I am Radhika herself.
शिवाऽहं शिवलोकेऽपि ब्रह्मलोके सरस्वती । अहं निहत्य दैत्यांश्च दक्षकन्या सती पुरा
I am Shiva in Shivaloka, Sarasvati in Brahmaloka; I was Sati, Daksha's daughter, who once destroyed the demons.
त्वन्निन्दया त्यक्तदेहा सा चाहं शैलकन्यका । रक्तबीजस्य युद्धे च कानी च मूर्तिभेदतः
Having abandoned the body due to your reproach, I became the daughter of the mountain; in the battle with Raktabija, I appeared in various forms.
सावित्री वेदमाताऽहं सीता जनककन्यका । रुक्मिणी द्वारवत्यां च भारते भीष्मकन्यका
I am Savitri, mother of the Vedas; Sita, daughter of Janaka; in Dvaraka I am Rukmini, in Bharat I am Bhishmaka's daughter.
सुदाम्नः शापतो दैवाद्वृषभानसुताऽधुना । धर्मपत्नी च कृष्णस्य पुण्ये वृन्दावने वने
By the curse of Sudama and by fate, I am now the daughter of Vrishabhanu; I am Krishna's wife in the sacred forest of Vrindavana.
भगवन्तं च सर्वज्ञं त्वां शिवं च सनातम् । किं वाऽहं कथयामीति कर्तव्यं समयोचितम्
You are the all-knowing Lord, the eternal Shiva; what more should I say that is fitting for the occasion?
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदनाo बाणयुद्धेऽष्टाद- शाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred eighteenth chapter, titled 'The Battle with Bana,' in the Great Brahma Vaivarta Purana, in the section concerning the birth of Krishna, as narrated by Narada.
अथैकोनविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः नारायण उवाच पार्वतीवचनं श्रुत्वा गमेशश्च शिवः स्वयम् । कार्तिकेयश्च काली च तां प्रशंसां चकार ह
Now begins the one hundred nineteenth chapter. Narayana said: Hearing Parvati's words, Ganesha and Shiva themselves, along with Kartikeya and Kali, praised her.
उवाच भगवाञ्शंभुर्जगतां मातरं पराम् । ज्योतिः स्वरूपां परमां मूलप्रकृतिमीश्वरीम्
The blessed Shambhu spoke to the supreme Mother of the worlds, who is the embodiment of light, the supreme, the primal nature, the sovereign.
महादेव उवाच त्वया यधक्तं देवेशि सर्व वेदोक्तमीप्सितम् । अयुक्तमुपहास्यं व समरं परमात्मना
Mahadeva said: O goddess of the gods, all that you have spoken is in accordance with the Vedas and desirable; it is improper and laughable to wage war with the Supreme Self.
बाणो ददातु कन्यां दां स्वर्णभूषणभूषिताम् । सामञ्जस्यं यशस्यं च शुभदं सर्वकर्मसु
Let Bana give his daughter, adorned with golden ornaments, in marriage; this will bring harmony, fame, and auspiciousness in all actions.
न ददाति यदा बाणो हिरण्यकशिपोः प्रजा । युद्धे पराङ्मुखो भीतो भगवत्ययशस्करः
If Bana, descendant of Hiranyakashipu, does not give her, then, turning away in fear in battle, he will bring disgrace upon the blessed one.
बाणो गच्छतु संनाही रणशास्रविशारदः । पश्चाच्चा ऽऽगमनं कुर्मो वयं सांनाहिकाः शिवे
Let Bana, equipped and skilled in the science of war, go forth; afterwards, we will return, O Shiva, as is proper for those equipped for battle.
उवाच बाणं तां दातुं स च न स्वीचकार ह । दुर्गा तं बोधयामास न बुबोध च सद्वचः
He was told to give his daughter to Bana, but he did not agree; Durga tried to instruct him, but he did not heed her good words.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तां च सभामेव महोरमाम् । आजगाम महाधर्मो बलिश्च वैष्णवाग्रणीः
Meanwhile, into that great assembly hall came Mahadharma and Bali, the foremost among Vaishnavas.
रथं लत्नेन्द्रनिर्माणं समारुह्य महाबलः । प्रतप्तैः सप्तभिर्दैत्यैः सेवितः श्वेतचामरैः
Mounting a chariot crafted by the divine architect Tvaṣṭṛ, the mighty one was attended by seven Daityas, fanning him with white chowries.
दैत्येन्द्राणां सप्तलक्षैरावृतः परमास्त्रवित् । अवरुह्य रथात्तूर्णं गणेशं च शिवां शिवाम्
Surrounded by seven hundred thousand Daitya chiefs, all masters of supreme weapons, he swiftly descended from the chariot and approached Gaṇeśa, Śiva, and Śivā.
प्रणम्य कार्तिकेयं च स उवास च संसदि । उत्तस्थुरारात्तं दृष्ट्वा ते सर्वे शंकरं विना
Having bowed to Kārtikeya, he took his seat in the assembly; seeing him arrive, all present rose, except for Śaṃkara.
महादेव उवाच भगवंश्चतुरस्त्वं च प्रदाता सर्वसंपदाम् । अयं हि परमो लाभो वैष्णवानां समागमः
Mahādeva said: O Lord, you are wise in all directions and the bestower of every prosperity; truly, the greatest gain for Vaiṣṇavas is your association.
तीर्थान्यपि च पूतानि वैष्णवस्पर्शमात्रतः । सर्वेषामाश्रमाणां च पूजितो ब्राह्मणः शुचिः
Even the holy places are purified merely by the touch of a Vaiṣṇava; and among all the āśramas, the pure brāhmaṇa is worshipped.
ततोऽधिकः पूजितोऽपि ब्राह्मणो यदि वैष्णवः । न हि पूतं च पश्यमि वैष्णवब्राह्मणात्परम्
Yet greater is the worship of a brāhmaṇa who is a Vaiṣṇava; I see nothing purer than a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa.
स पूतः पवनादेव स पूतश्च हुताशानात् । तीर्थेम्योऽपि च सर्वेभ्यो बिभेति च ततः सुरः
He is purified by air, he is purified by fire; even all the holy places are surpassed by him, and the gods are in awe of him.
न हि पापानि तद्देहे वह्नौ शुष्कतृणादिवत्
Indeed, sins in his body are consumed like dry grass in fire.
बलिरुवाच कथं स्तौषि जगन्नाथ भृत्यमस्तव्यमीश्वरः । प्रदत्तं परमेश्वर्य त्वया नाथ सुदुल्रभम्
Bali said: How is it, Lord of the universe, that you praise your own servant? O Supreme Lord, you have granted a boon most rare.
अधुना स्थापितो दैवात्सर्वाधः सुतलेऽपि च । इन्द्राय दत्तमैश्वर्य मत्तो भक्तात्सुरेश्वर
Now, by fate, I have been placed beneath all in Sutala; and the sovereignty given to Indra has come from me, your devoted servant, O Lord of gods.
त्वया वामनरूपेण सर्वरूपोऽसि सर्वतः । बाणं बोधय भद्रं च मम प्राणात्मजं परम्
You, in the form of Vāmana, are all-formed and everywhere; awaken Bāṇa, my beloved son, and bless him.
आत्मना सह युद्धं च देवेष्वपि विगर्हितम् । इत्युक्त्वा च शिवं नत्वा शिरसा प्रणनाम तम्
Even among the gods, fighting with one's own self is condemned; having said this, he bowed his head to Śiva and paid him homage.
सामवेदोक्तस्तोत्रेण तुष्टाव परमेश्वरम् । पुलकाञ्चितसर्वाङ्गः साश्रुनेत्रोऽतिविह्वलः
With a hymn from the Sāmaveda, he praised the Supreme Lord, his whole body bristling with joy, his eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed.
ध्यायमानश्च नित्यं यो हृत्पद्मे सुमनोहरे । शुक्रेण दत्तं मन्त्रं च जप्त्वा चैकादशाक्षरम्
Always meditating upon him in the beautiful lotus of his heart, he recited the eleven-syllable mantra given by Śukra.