तास्वेका च सती रम्या तपसा शंकरं परम् । आराध्य च वरं लेभे वाञ्छितं नारदं पतिम्
Among them, one chaste and beautiful woman, through austerity, worshipped the supreme Śaṃkara and obtained her desired boon—to have Nārada as her husband.
सा च सृञ्जयकन्या च स्वर्णष्ठीवीसहोदरा । तां विवाहं कुरुष्वेति शंकराज्ञा कथं वृथा
She is the daughter of Sṛñjaya, and the sister of Svarṇaṣṭhīvī; how could the command of Śaṃkara, to marry her, be in vain?
सुन्दरी सुन्दरीष्वेवं कोमलां कमलाकलाम् । पतिव्रतां महाभगां रम्यां सुप्रियवादिनीम्
She is the most beautiful among the beautiful, tender as a lotus petal, devoted to her husband, greatly fortunate, lovely, and sweet-spoken.
कामुकीं कमनीयां च शश्वत्सुस्थिरयौवनाम् । विधात्रा लिखितं कर्म प्राक्तनं केन वार्यते
She is passionate, enchanting, ever in the prime of youth; the deed written by the Creator in a previous life—who can prevent it?
नाभुक्तं क्षीयते कर्म कल्पकोटिशतैरपि । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं शुभाशुभम्
Unexperienced karma does not perish, even in hundreds of millions of aeons; whatever good or bad has been done must certainly be experienced.
सूत उवाच नारायणवचः श्रुत्वा हृदयेन विदूयता । प्रणम्य प्रययौ शीघ्रं नारदः सृञ्जयालयम्
Sūta said: Hearing the words of Nārāyaṇa, Nārada, his heart agitated, bowed and quickly went to the house of Sṛñjaya.
शौनक उवाच अहो सूत महाभाग श्रुतं किं परमाद्भुतम् । किमपूर्वं रहस्यं च सरसं च पुरातनम्
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, greatly fortunate one, what wondrous thing has been heard? What unprecedented, secret, and delightful ancient tale?
अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि विवाहं नारदस्य च । अतीन्द्रियस्य च मुनेर्ब्रह्मपुत्रस्य सांप्रतम्
Now I wish to hear of the marriage of Nārada, the sage beyond the senses, the son of Brahmā, as it happened.
सूत उवाच नारदो मू(गु)ढरुपश्च दृष्टावा सृञ्जयकन्यकाम् । तपस्विनीं महाभागां विष्णुव्रतपरायणाम्
Sūta said: Nārada, disguised in a hidden form, saw the daughter of Sṛñjaya—an ascetic, greatly fortunate, devoted to the vow of Viṣṇu.
ययौ ब्रह्मसभां रम्यां सर्वदेवैः समावृताम् । प्रणम्य पितरं शान्तः सर्वं तत्त्वमुवाच तम्
He went to the delightful assembly of Brahmā, surrounded by all the gods; after bowing to his father, calmly he told him everything in truth.
ब्रह्मा प्रहृष्टवदनः श्रुत्वा वार्तां शुभावहाम् । तपस्विनं च पुत्रं च संप्राप्य जगतां पतिः
Brahmā, with a joyful face, having heard the auspicious news, and having received his ascetic son, the lord of the worlds,
रत्ननिर्माणयानेन सार्धं देवैः शुभे क्षणे । पुत्रं कृत्वा च पुरतो ययौ सृञ्जयमन्दिरम्
Along with the gods, at an auspicious moment, with a vehicle made of jewels, he placed his son before him and went to Sṛñjaya's palace.
तच्छ्रुत्वा सृञ्जयो राजा रत्नभूषणभूषिताम् । गृहीत्वा कन्यकां रम्यां नारदाय ददौ मुदा
Hearing this, King Sṛñjaya, adorned with jeweled ornaments, joyfully took his beautiful daughter and gave her to Nārada.
सर्वस्वं दक्षिणां दत्त्वा मणिमुक्तादिकं तथा । पुटाञ्जलियुतो भूत्वा परिहारे चकार सः
Giving all his wealth as a gift, including gems and pearls, he became joined with folded hands and performed the customary offering.
कन्यां समर्प्य ब्रह्माणं राजा च योगिनां वरः । रुरोद भृशमुच्चैश्च वत्से वत्स इतीरितम्
Having offered his daughter to Brahmā, the king, foremost among yogis, wept loudly, saying, 'O child, O child!'
क्व यासि त्यक्त्वा मद्गेहं शून्यं क मललोचने । अहं यामि वनं घोरं त्वां त्यक्त्वा जीवितो मृतः
'Where are you going, leaving my house empty, O lotus-eyed one? I will go to the dreadful forest; having abandoned you, my life is as good as dead.'
प्रणम्य पितरं कन्या रुदन्तं मातरं तथा । रुदतीं तां रुदन्ती साऽप्यारुरोह रथं विधेः
After bowing to her father, and seeing her mother weeping, the daughter also wept, and ascended the chariot of the Creator.
गृहीत्वा च सभार्यं च पुत्रं धाता मुदाऽन्वितः । प्रययौ ब्रह्मलोकं च देवन्द्रैर्मुनिभिः सह
Taking his son and wife, the Creator, filled with joy, went to the world of Brahmā, together with the gods and sages.
ब्राह्मणान्बोजयामास साङ्गे मङ्गलकर्मणि । देवानपि च सिद्धांश्च वादयामास दुंदुभिम्
He fed the Brahmins, performing auspicious rites with his retinue; he also honored the gods and the Siddhas, and sounded the drum.
नारदस्तु मुनिश्रेष्ठो बाधितः पूर्वकर्मणा । यस्य यत्प्राक्तनं विप्र दुर्लङ्ध्य केन वार्यते
But Nārada, the foremost sage, afflicted by previous karma—whatever one's past destiny, O Brahmin, who can overcome it?
सुरम्ये पुष्पतल्पे च सुगन्धिचन्दनार्चिते । स रेमे रामया सार्ध बुबुधे न दिवानिशम्
On a beautiful bed of flowers, fragrant and adorned with sandalwood, he enjoyed with Rāmā, unaware of day or night.
एवं कृत्वा विवाहं च विरतो मुनिसत्तमः । उवास ब्रह्मलोकेषु वटमूले मनोहरे
Having thus performed the marriage, the best of sages withdrew and dwelt in the charming banyan grove in the worlds of Brahmā.
तत्राऽऽजगाम नग्नश्च प्रज्वलन्ब्रह्मतेजसा । सनत्कुमारो भगवान्साक्षाच्च बालको यथा
There arrived, naked and blazing with Brahmanic radiance, Sanatkumāra, the blessed one, appearing directly like a child.
सृष्टेः पूर्वश्च वयसा यथैव पञ्चहायनः । अयूडोऽनुपनीतश्च वेदसंध्याविहीनकः
Older than creation, yet just five years of age, unmarried, uninitiated, and lacking the twilight rituals of the Vedas.
कृष्णेति मन्त्रं जपति यस्य नारायणो गुरुः । अनन्तकालकल्पं च भ्रातृभिश्च त्रिभिः सह
He recites the mantra 'Kṛṣṇa', for whom Nārāyaṇa is the teacher; for countless ages, together with his three brothers.
वैष्णवानामग्रणीशो ज्ञानिनां च गुरोर्गुरुः । आराद्दृष्ट्वा नारादस्तं भ्रातरं च सतां वरम्
He is the chief among the Vaiṣṇavas, the guru of the wise and the teacher of teachers; having seen Nārada and his brothers, the best among the virtuous.
सहसा शिरसा भूमौ दण्डवत्प्रणनाम तम् । उवाच नारदं बालः प्रहस्य परमार्थकम्
He quickly bowed down to him on the ground, prostrating himself, and, smiling, the boy spoke to Nārada words of the highest truth.
सनत्कुमार उवाच अये भ्रातः किं करोषि कुशलं युवतीपतेः । स्त्रीपुंसोर्वर्धते प्रेम नित्यं तन्नित्यनूतनम्
Sanatkumāra said: O brother, what are you doing, O fortunate lord of maidens? The love between woman and man always grows, ever fresh and new.
अर्गलं ज्ञानमार्गस्य भक्तिद्वारकपाटकम् । मोक्षमार्गव्यवहितं चिरं बन्धनकारणम्
It is a barrier to the path of knowledge, a bolt on the door of devotion, an obstacle on the road to liberation, and a cause of long bondage.
गर्भवासस्य बीजं च परं नरककारणम् । पीयूषबुद्ध्या गरलं भुङ्क्ते पापी नराधमः
It is the seed of dwelling in the womb, the supreme cause of hell; the wicked, lowest of men, take poison as if it were nectar.