गङ्गा सरस्वती पद्मावती च यमुना तथा । गोदावरी स्वर्णरेखा कावेरी नर्मदा मुने
Ganga, Sarasvati, Padmavati, and also Yamuna, Godavari, Svarnarekha, Kaveri, and Narmada, O sage,
शरावती बाहृदा च कृतमाला च पुण्यदा । समाययुश्च ताः सर्वाः प्रणेमुः परमेश्वरम्
Sharavati, Bahuda, and Krtamala, the bestower of merit—all these rivers came and bowed to the Supreme Lord.
उवाच जाह्नवी देवी रुदती परमेश्वरम् । साश्रुनेत्राऽतिदीना सा विरहज्वरकातरा
The goddess Jahnavi, weeping, her eyes full of tears, extremely distressed and tormented by the fever of separation, spoke to the Supreme Lord.
भागीरथयुवाच हे नाथ रमणश्रेष्ठ यासि गोलोकमुत्तमम् । अस्माकं का गतिश्चात्र भविष्यति कलौ युगे
Bhagirathi said: O Lord, best of lovers, as You go to the supreme Goloka, what will be our fate here in the age of Kali?
श्रीभगवानुवाच कलेः पञ्चसहस्राणि वर्षाणि तिष्ठ भूतले । पापानि पापिनो यानि तुभ्यं दास्यन्ति स्नानत
The Blessed Lord said: For five thousand years of Kali, remain on earth; the sins of the sinners will be given to you through bathing.
मन्मन्त्रोपासकस्पर्शाद्भस्मीभूतानि तत्क्षणात् । भविष्यन्ति दर्शनाच्च स्नानादेव हि जाह्नवि
By the touch of those who worship Me with My mantra, those sins will be instantly destroyed; by your sight and by bathing, O Jahnavi, indeed.
हरेर्नामानि यत्रैव पुराणानि भवन्ति हि । तत्र गत्वा सावधानमाभिः सार्धं च श्रोष्यसि
Wherever the names of Hari and the Purāṇas are recited, you should go there attentively and listen together with others.
पुराणश्रवणाच्चैव हरेर्नामानुकीर्तनात् । भस्मीभूतानि पापानि ब्रह्महत्यादिकानि च
By hearing the Purāṇas and by chanting the names of Hari, sins—including those as grave as killing a Brāhmaṇa—are reduced to ashes.
भस्मीभूतानि तान्येव वैष्णवालिङ्गनेन च । तृणानि शुष्ककाष्ठानि दहन्ति पावका यथा
Indeed, those sins are destroyed by embracing Vaiṣṇavas, just as dry grass and wood are burned by fire.
तथाऽपि वैष्णवा लोके पापानि पापिनामपि । पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यान्यपि च जाह्नवि
Even so, Vaiṣṇavas in the world destroy the sins of sinners; and all the holy places and sacred rivers on earth, including the Ganges,
मद्भक्तानां शरीरेषु सन्ति पूतेषु संततम् । मद्भक्तपादरजसा सद्यः पूता वसुंधरा
Are always present in the purified bodies of my devotees; the earth is instantly purified by the dust from my devotees’ feet.
सद्यः पूतानि तीर्थानि सद्याः पूतं जगत्तथा । मन्मन्त्रोपासका विप्रा ये मदुच्छिष्टभोजिनः
The holy places are instantly purified, and so too is the world, by those Brāhmaṇas who worship my mantra and eat my remnants.
मामेव नित्यं ध्यायन्ते ते मत्प्राणाधिकाः प्रियाः । तदुपस्पर्शमात्रेण पूतो वायुश्च पावकः
Those who constantly meditate upon me are dearer to me than life itself; by merely touching them, even the wind and fire are purified.
कलेर्दशसहस्राणि मद्भक्ताः सन्ति भूतले । एकवर्णा भविष्यन्ति मद्भक्तेषु गतेषु च
For ten thousand years of Kali, my devotees will exist on earth; when my devotees depart, only one caste will remain.
मद्भक्तशून्या पृथिवी कलिग्रस्ता भविष्यति । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र कृष्णदेहाद्विनिर्गतः
The earth, devoid of my devotees, will be overtaken by Kali; meanwhile, from the body of Krishna,
चतुर्भुजश्च पुरुषः शतचन्द्रसमप्रभः । शङ्खचक्रगदापद्मधरः श्रीवत्सलाञ्छनः
A four-armed person, radiant like a hundred moons, bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, marked with the Śrīvatsa,
सुन्दरं रथमारुह्य श्रीरोदं स जगाम ह । सिन्धुकन्या च प्रययौ स्वयं मूर्तिमती सती
Mounted upon a beautiful chariot, he departed for the ocean of prosperity; and the daughter of the ocean herself went forth, manifest in form and pure.
श्रीकृष्णमनसा जाता मर्त्यलक्ष्मीर्मनोहरा । श्वेतद्वीपं गते विष्णौ जगत्पालनकर्तरि
Born from the mind of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the enchanting Lakṣmī of mortals, when Viṣṇu went to Śvetadvīpa, the protector of the world,
शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपे च द्विधारूपो बभूव सः । दक्षिणांशश्च द्विभुजो गोपबारकरूपकः
In his form of pure sattva, he became twofold: his southern aspect was two-armed, taking the form of a cowherd boy.
नपीनजलदश्यामः शोभितः पीतवाससा । श्रीवंशवदनः श्रीमान्सस्मितः पद्मलोचनः
Dark as a fresh rain cloud, adorned in yellow garments, with a beautiful face, radiant, smiling, and lotus-eyed.
शतकोटीन्दुसौन्दर्यं शतकोटिस्मरप्रभाम् । दधानः परमानन्दः परिबूर्णतमः प्रभुः
Bearing the beauty of a hundred million moons and the radiance of a hundred million Cupids, he is supreme bliss, the Lord, utterly complete.
परं धाम परं ब्रह्मस्वरूपो निर्गुणः स्वयम् । परमात्मा च सर्वेषां भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहः
He is the supreme abode, the supreme Brahman, of his own nature beyond qualities; the supreme soul of all, whose form is compassion for devotees.
नित्यदेहश्च भगवानीश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । योगिनो यं वदन्त्येवं ज्योतीरूपं सनातनम्
The Lord is eternal-bodied, the ruler, beyond nature; yogis declare him to be the eternal form of light.
ज्योतिरम्यन्तरे नित्यरूपं भक्ता विदन्ति यम् । वेदा वदन्ति सत्यं यं नित्यमाद्यं विचक्षणाः
Within that light, devotees recognize his eternal form; the wise declare him to be the eternal, original, and true one.
यं वदन्ति सुराः सर्वे परं स्वेच्छामयं प्रभूम् । सिद्धेन्द्रा मुनयः सर्वे सर्वरूपं वदन्ति यम्
He whom all the gods call the supreme, the lord who acts by his own will, whom perfected beings, Indra, and all sages declare to be of every form—
यमनिर्वचनीयं च योगीन्द्रः शंकरो वदेत् । स्वयं विधाता प्रवदेत्कारणानां च कारणम्
Whom even the greatest yogi, Shankara, says is indescribable, whom the Creator himself proclaims as the cause of all causes—
शेषो वदेदनन्तं यं नवधारूपमीश्वरम् । तर्काणामेव षण्णां च षड्विधं रूपमीप्सितम्
Whom Shesha describes as infinite, the lord with ninefold forms; whom logic regards as having six desired forms—
वैष्णवानामेकरूपं वेदानामेकमेव च । पुराणानामेकरूपं तस्मान्नवविधं स्मृतम्
Whom the Vaishnavas and the Vedas declare to be of one form, and whom the Puranas also describe as one; thus, he is remembered as having ninefold forms.
न्यायोऽनिर्वचनीयं च यं मतं शंकरो वदेत् । नित्यं वैशेषिकाश्चाऽऽद्यं तं वदन्ति विचक्षणाः
Whom Shankara says is indefinable according to the Nyaya doctrine; whom the wise Vaisheshikas call the eternal and the original.
सांख्य वदन्ति तं देवं ज्योतीरूपं सनातनम् । मीमांसा सर्वरूपं च वेदान्तः सर्वकारणम्
Whom the Sankhyas call the eternal deity of the form of light; whom the Mimamsakas say is of all forms, and Vedanta declares as the cause of all.