राधिकोवाच परं धाम परं ब्रह्म परेशं परमेश्वरम् । विघ्ननिघ्नकरं शान्तं पुष्टं कान्तमनन्तकम्
Rādhikā said: The supreme abode, the supreme Brahman, the highest Lord, the greatest God, destroyer of obstacles, peaceful, nourished, beloved, and endless.
सुरासुरेन्द्रैः सिद्धेन्द्रैः स्तुतं स्तौमि परात्परम् । सुरपद्मदिनेशं च गणेशं मङ्गलायनम्
Praised by the lords of gods and demons, by the perfected ones, I praise the Supreme of the supreme, Gaṇeśa, lord of the gods, source of auspiciousness, ruler of the gods, and lord of the day-lotus.
इदं स्तोत्रं महापुण्यं विघ्नशोकहरं परम् । यः पठेत्प्रातरुत्थाय सर्वविघ्नात्प्रमुच्यते
This hymn, supremely meritorious and remover of obstacles and sorrow—whoever recites it upon rising in the morning is freed from all obstacles.
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदनाo त्रयोविंशत्य- धिकशततमोऽध्योयः
Thus ends the one hundred twenty-third chapter of the glorious Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, in the section concerning the birth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in the conversation with Nārada.
अथ चतुर्विंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्योयः नालायण उवाच राधा संपूज्य विधिना स्तुत्वा लम्बोदरं सती । अमूल्यरत्ननिर्माणं सर्वाङ्गभूषणं ददौ
Now, the one hundred twenty-fourth chapter. Nārāyaṇa said: Rādhā, having worshipped and praised Lambodara according to the proper rite, gave ornaments for every limb, made of priceless jewels.
राधायाः स्तवनं श्रुत्वा पूजां दृष्ट्वा च वस्तु च । उवाच मधुरं शान्तः शान्तां त्रैलोक्यमातरम्
Hearing Rādhā’s hymn, seeing her worship and the gift, he, peaceful, spoke sweetly to the tranquil mother of the three worlds.
गणेश उवाच तव पूजा जगन्मातर्लोकशिक्षाकरी शुभे । ब्रह्मस्वरूपा भवती कृष्णवक्षः स्थलस्थिता
Gaṇeśa said: Your worship, O Mother of the Universe, is the teacher of the worlds, O auspicious one; you are the embodiment of Brahman, abiding at Krishna’s chest.
यत्पादपद्मतुलं ध्यायन्ते ते सुदुर्लभम् । सुरा ब्रह्मेशशेषाद्या मुनीन्द्राः सनकादयः
That which is as rare as the lotus feet you possess is meditated upon by gods, Brahmā, Śeṣa, and others, by the great sages such as Sanaka.
जीवन्मुक्ताश्च भक्ताश्च सिद्धेन्द्राः कपिलादयः । तस्य प्राणाधिदेवी त्वं प्रिया प्राणाधिका परा
The liberated while living, the devotees, the perfected ones like Kapila—all meditate thus; you are the presiding goddess of his life-breath, beloved, dearer than life, supreme.
वामाङ्गनिर्मिता राधा दक्षिणाङ्गश्च माधवः । महालक्ष्मीर्जगन्माता तव वामाङ्गनिर्मिता
Rādhā was formed from the left side, Mādhava from the right; Mahālakṣmī, mother of the universe, was created from your left side.
वसोः सर्वनिवासस्य प्रसूस्त्वं परमेश्वरी । वेदानां जगतामेव मूल्प्रकृतिरीश्वरी
O supreme goddess, you are the mother of all abodes, the source of all existence; you are the primal nature and sovereign of the Vedas and the worlds.
सर्वाः प्राकृतिका मातः सृष्ट्यां च त्वद्विभूतयः । विश्वानि कार्यरूपाणि त्वं च कारणरूपिणी
All natural mothers in creation are your manifestations; you are the cause, and the universe is the effect.
प्रलये ब्रह्मणः पाते तन्निमेषो हरेरपि । आदौ राधां समुच्चार्य पश्चात्कृष्णं परात्परम्
At the time of cosmic dissolution, when Brahmā falls and even Hari blinks, one should first utter Rādhā’s name, then Kṛṣṇa’s, the Supreme of the supreme.
स एव पण्डितो योगी गोलोकं याति लीलया । व्यतिक्रमे महापापी ब्रह्महत्यां लभेत्ध्रुवम्
That wise yogi alone, by such practice, effortlessly attains Goloka; but if one neglects this, even a great sinner certainly incurs the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa.
जगतां भवती माता परमात्मा पिता हरिः । पितुरेव गुरुर्माता पूज्या वन्द्या परात्परा
Rādhā is the mother of the worlds, Hari the Supreme Soul is the father; yet, for the father himself, the mother is the revered teacher, to be honored and worshipped as the Supreme of the supreme.
भजते देवमन्यं वा कृष्णं वा सर्वकारणम् । पुण्यक्षेत्रे महामूढो यदि निन्दति राधिकाम्
If someone, whether worshipping another deity or Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all, in a holy place, foolishly reviles Rādhikā—
वंशहानिर्भवेत्तस्य दुःखशोकमिहैव च । पच्यते निरये घोरे यावच्चन्द्रदिवाकरौ
—his lineage is destroyed, and he suffers sorrow and grief even in this life; he is tormented in a dreadful hell as long as the moon and sun endure.
गुरुश्चज्ञानोद्गिरणाज्ज्ञानं स्यान्मन्त्रतन्त्रयोः । स च मन्त्रश्च तत्तन्त्रं भक्तिः स्याद्ध्रुवयोर्यतः
From the guru’s instruction comes knowledge, and from knowledge, the mantra and tantra arise; from both mantra and tantra, true devotion is born.
निषेव्य मन्त्रं देवानां जीवा जन्मनि जन्मनि । भक्ता भवन्ति दुर्गायाः पादपद्मे सुदुर्लभे
By practicing the mantra of the gods, living beings, birth after birth, become devotees at the exceedingly rare lotus feet of Durgā.
निषेव्य मन्त्रे शंभोश्च जगतां कारणस्य च । तदा प्राप्नोति युवयोः पादपद्मं सुदुर्लभम्
By practicing the mantra of Śaṃbhu, the cause of the worlds, one then attains your two lotus feet, which are exceedingly rare.
युक्योः पादपद्मं च दुर्लभं प्राप्य पुण्यवान् । क्षणार्धं षोडशांशं च नहि मुञ्चति दैवतः
Having attained the rare lotus feet of you both, the meritorious one does not abandon them, not even for half a moment or a sixteenth part thereof.
भक्त्या च युवचोर्मन्त्रं गृहीत्वा वैष्मपादपि । स्तवं वा कवचं वाऽपि कर्ममूलनिकृन्तनम्
By taking up, with devotion, your mantra—even if only a verse or a protective hymn—it cuts the root of karma, even for one fallen from the path.
योजयेत्परया भक्त्या पुण्यक्षेत्रे च भारते । पुरुषाणां सहस्रं च त्वात्मना सार्धमुद्धरेत्
With supreme devotion, in the holy land of Bhārata, one may uplift a thousand men along with oneself.
गुरुमभ्यर्च्य विधिवद्वस्त्रालंकारचन्दनैः । कवचं धारयेद्यो हि विष्णुतुल्यो भवेद्ध्रुवम्
He who, having duly worshipped the guru with garments, ornaments, and sandalwood, wears the protective hymn, surely becomes equal to Viṣṇu.
यद्दत्तं वस्तु मे मातस्तत्सर्वं सार्थकं कुरु । देहि विप्राय मत्प्रीत्या तदा भोक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम्
O Mother, whatever object you have given me, make it all fruitful; give it to a brāhmaṇa for my sake, and then I shall partake of it now.
देवे देयानि दानानि देवे देया च दक्षिणा । तत्सर्वं ब्राह्मणे दद्यात्तदानन्त्याय कल्पते
Gifts meant for the gods and offerings for the gods should all be given to a brāhmaṇa; by this, one attains the infinite.
ब्राह्मणानां मुखं राधे देवानां मुखमुख्यकम् । विप्रभुक्तं च यद्द्रव्यं प्राप्नुवन्त्येव देवताः
O Rādhā, the mouth of the brāhmaṇas is the foremost among the mouths of the gods; whatever substance is enjoyed by the brāhmaṇas is indeed received by the deities.
विप्रांश्च भोजयामास तत्सर्व राधिका सती । बभूव तत्क्षणादेव प्रीतो लम्बोदरो मुने
Rādhikā, the virtuous one, fed the brāhmaṇas all that; and at that very moment, O sage, Lambodara became pleased.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे देवा ब्रह्मेशशेषसंज्ञकाः । आययुर्वटमूलं च देवपूजार्थमेव च
Meanwhile, the gods known as Brahmā, Īśa, and Śeṣa arrived at the foot of the banyan tree, for the purpose of worshipping the deity.
तत्र गत्वा शिवचरो देवान्देवीरुवाच सः । श्रीकृष्णं शुष्ककण्ठश्च भयभीतश्च रक्षकः
There, having arrived, the attendant of Śiva spoke to the goddesses: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with a parched throat, fearful and seeking protection.