कलंकी येन रूपेण तद्वक्ष्यामि निशामय । स मुमोच कलंकाच्च लोकशिक्षार्थमीश्वरः
By what form he was stained, I will now tell you—listen; the Lord removed the blemish for the instruction of the world.
सत्राजितः सूर्यभक्तस्तपस्तब्त्वा च पुष्करे । स्यमन्तकं मणिश्रेष्ठं संप्राप भास्करादपि
Satrājit, a devotee of the sun, performed austerities at Puṣkara and obtained from the Sun the most excellent jewel, Syamantaka.
अष्टौ भारान्सुवर्णानां प्रसूते नित्यमेव च । विष्गोर्मणावधिष्ठानं महापूते च पुण्यदे
It continually produces eight loads of gold, and is established in the abode of serpents; in the great purifier, it bestows merit.
सत्राजितः सत्यभामां दत्त्वा कृष्णाय भक्तितः । यौतुकार्थे मणिं दातुमुद्यतो महते महान्
Satrājit, out of devotion, gave Satyabhāmā to Kṛṣṇa, and prepared to give the jewel as a bridal gift, a great offering.
तं निषिध्य प्रसेनश्च दुर्मतिः कालपीडितः । मणिं गृहीत्वा प्रययौ पुण्यां वाराणसीं पुरीम्
But Prasena, of evil mind and afflicted by fate, forbade him, took the jewel, and went to the holy city of Vārāṇasī.
निहत्य तं पथि बलात्सिंहः सबल एव च । मणिं जग्राह रुचिरं सूत्रबद्धं गले दधौ
A lion, along with its pride, killed him by force on the way, seized the beautiful jewel, and wore it on a string around its neck.
कलिङ्गराजपुत्रश्च ब्रह्मशापात्सुदारुणात् । विप्रेणाम्युदितस्तेन पशुयोनिं जगाम् सः
The son of the king of Kaliṅga, due to a terrible curse of Brahmā, was cast down by a brāhmaṇa and entered the womb of an animal.
निहत्य सिंहं गहने भल्लूको जाम्बवान्बली । मणिं गृहीत्वा प्रययौ स्वपुरं रत्ननिर्मितम्
A mighty bear, Jāmbavān, killed the lion in the forest, took the jewel, and went to his own city, built of gems.
ऊचुः सर्वे द्वारकायां मणिं जगाह माधवः । तस्य बुद्धिं न जानीमः केनोपायेन वेति च
All in Dvārakā said, 'Mādhava has taken the jewel; we do not know by what means or with what intention.'
इति श्रुत्वा तु भगवान्कलंककृन्तनाय च । प्रययौ काननं घोरं चौरचिह्नेन वर्त्मना
Hearing this, the Blessed Lord, to remove the stain upon himself, went by a path marked by thieves into the dreadful forest.
मृतं प्रसेनं दृष्ट्वा च दुःखी सिहं ददर्श सः । मणिशून्यं च तं दृष्ट्वा विषसाद च माधवः
Seeing Prasena dead, he sorrowed, and saw the lion; seeing it without the jewel, Mādhava became dejected.
सर्वंज्ञात्वा च सर्वज्ञो भल्लूकभवनं ययौ । रुदन्तं बालकं तत्र धात्रीक्रोडे ददर्श सः
Knowing everything, the all-knowing one went to the bear's dwelling; there he saw a child weeping in the nurse's lap.
बालकं बोधयामास सा धात्री करुणान्विता । मणिं गृहाण बालेति तव ह्येष स्यमन्तकः
The compassionate nurse began to awaken the child, saying, 'Take the jewel, child, for this is the Syamantaka.'
सिंहः प्रसेनमवधीत्सिंहो जाम्बवता हतः । सुकुमारक मा रोदीस्तव ह्येष स्यमन्तकः
'The lion killed Prasena, and the lion was slain by Jāmbavān; do not weep, gentle child, for this is your Syamantaka.'
इति धात्र्युक्तसुश्लोकं यश्च स्मृत्वा जलं पिबेत् । दैवदृष्टनष्टचन्द्रद्रोषादेव प्रमृच्यते
Whoever, remembering this well-spoken speech of the nurse, drinks water, is freed from the loss of the moon caused by fate.
कामतो यदि पश्यन्ति दाम्भिका वेदनिन्दकाः । कलङ्किनो भवन्त्येवमित्याह कमलोद्भवः
If, out of desire, hypocrites or revilers of the Veda see it, they become stained—so says the lotus-born one.
कृष्णो धात्रीवचः श्रुत्वा मणिं जग्राह बालकात् । धात्री गत्वा च भल्लूकं कथयामास कोपतः
Kṛṣṇa, hearing the nurse's words, took the jewel from the child; the nurse, going to the bear, spoke to him in anger.
जाम्बवांश्च समागत्य तुष्टाव प्रणिपत्य सः । कन्यां जाम्बवतीं तस्मै यौतुकार्थं मणिं ददौ
Jāmbavān, coming there, praised and bowed to him; he gave his daughter Jāmbavatī and the jewel as a bridal gift.
द्वारकां मणिमानीय दर्शयामास यादवान् । प्रभुश्च सर्वतः शुद्धो निष्कलङ्को बभूव सः
Bringing the jewel to Dvārakā, he showed it to the Yādavas; the Lord became pure and free from all stain.
एतत्ते कथितं वत्स मणेराख्यानमुत्तमम् । अध्यायश्रवणादेव निष्कलंको भवेन्नरः
Thus, O child, the excellent story of the jewel has been told to you; merely by hearing this chapter, a man becomes free from stain.
यच्छ्रु तं धर्मवक्त्रेण तदुक्तं च यथागमम् । सुदुर्लभमुपाख्यानं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
You have heard that rare narrative, spoken by the expounder of dharma and recounted according to tradition; what more do you wish to hear?
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदानाo स्यमन्तकमणिः हरणं नाम द्वाविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the great Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, in the section on the birth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, this is the one hundred and twenty-second chapter, entitled 'The Theft of the Syamantaka Jewel by Nārada.'
अथ त्रयोविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः नारद उवाच गणेशपूजनाख्यानं पुराणेषु च दुर्लभम् । श्रुतं तद्ब्रह्मणो वक्त्रात्सामान्यं च समासतः
Now, the one hundred and twenty-third chapter. Nārada said: The account of the worship of Gaṇeśa, which is rare even in the Purāṇas, has been heard from the mouth of Brahmā, summarized in general.
महिमानं गणपतेः सर्वबूज्येश्वरस्य च । व्यासेन श्रोतुमिच्छामि योगीन्द्राणां गुरोर्गुरोः
I wish to hear in detail the greatness of Gaṇapati, the Lord of all beings, from Vyāsa, the guru of the lords of yogis.
सिद्धाश्रमे महापूज त्रैलोक्यस्थैः कृता पुरा । राधामाधवयोस्तत्र पुनः संमीलरं पुरा
In the hermitage of the perfected ones, a great worship was formerly performed by those who dwell in the three worlds; there, in ancient times, was also the reunion of Rādhā and Mādhava.
अतीते वर्षशतके श्रीदाम्नः शापमोक्षणे । आदौ चकार पूजां च सा च राधा कथं मुने
A hundred years ago, at the release of Śrīdāma's curse, Rādhā first performed worship there—how did she do so, O sage?
स्थितेषु च सुरेन्द्रेषु ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादिषु । नागेन्द्रे च स्थिते शेषे नागेषु च महत्सु च
When the lords of the gods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others were present, and the lord of serpents, Śeṣa, along with the great serpents, was also there,
राजेन्द्रेषु च भूमौ च बलिष्ठेष्वसुरेषु च । गन्धर्वेषु च रक्षःसु चान्येषु बलवत्सु च
When the lords of kings on earth, the mighty asuras, the gandharvas, the rākṣasas, and other powerful beings were present,
विस्तरेण महाभाग तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
O greatly fortunate one, you ought to explain this to me in detail.
नारायण उवाच त्रेलोक्ये पृथिवी धन्या मान्या पुण्यवती सती । तत्र भारतवर्षं च कर्मणां फलदं शुभम्
Nārāyaṇa said: Among the three worlds, the earth is blessed, honored, virtuous, and chaste; there, Bhāratavarṣa is the auspicious land where actions bear fruit.