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.
परं नारायणं त्यक्त्वा यस्याऽऽस्ते विषये मनः । स वञ्चितो मायया चामृतं त्यक्त्वा विषं भजेत्
Abandoning the supreme Nārāyaṇa, whose mind dwells in sense-objects, is deceived by illusion and chooses poison over nectar.
सर्वेषां कर्मभोगेऽस्ति कर्मिणामीश्वरं विना । वयं विधातुः पुत्राश्च सा बुद्धिरिति देहिनाम्
For all enjoyers of action, there is enjoyment only by the Lord; we are all children of the Creator—this is the understanding of embodied beings.
यदि ते नास्ति भोगश्च कथं गन्धर्वजन्म च ।कथं दासीसुतस्त्वं च मुक्तश्च भक्तसङ्गतः
If you have no enjoyment, then how did you gain birth among the Gandharvas? How are you the son of a maidservant, and how are you liberated, joined with devotees?
निर्गच्छ तपसे भ्रातस्त्यज मयामयीं प्रियाम् । सुपुण्ये भारते वर्षे तपसा भज माधवम्
Go forth for austerity, brother; abandon the beloved formed of illusion. In the most virtuous land of Bhārata, worship Mādhava through austerity.
स्थिते नारायणे स्वेशे परे स्वपददातरि । विषयी विषयान्धश्च वञ्चितो मायया ध्रुवम्
While Nārāyaṇa, the supreme giver of his own abode, remains, the sense-bound and sense-blinded are certainly deceived by illusion.
गृहाण मम मन्त्रं च कृष्ण इत्यक्षरद्वयम् । सर्वेषामेव सन्त्राणां सारात्सारं परात्परम्
Take my mantra—'Kṛṣṇa', these two syllables—the essence of all deliverance, the supreme of the supreme.
सर्वेषु च पुराणेषु वेदेषु च चतुर्षु च । धर्मशास्त्रैषु तन्त्रैषु नास्त्येवास्मात्परो मनुः
In all the Purāṇas, in the four Vedas, in the Dharmaśāstras and Tantras, there is truly no teaching higher than this.
नारायणेन दत्तो मे पुष्करे सूर्यपर्वणि । असंख्यकल्प जप्त्वाऽहं भ्रमामि सर्वपूजितः
Given to me by Nārāyaṇa at Puṣkara on the festival of the Sun, I have recited it for countless aeons and wander, honored by all.
इत्युक्त्वा स्नापयित्वा तं ददौ दस्मै परं मनुम् । दिवानिशं स जपति पूतया मणिमालया
Having spoken thus, after bathing him, he gave him that supreme mantra; day and night he recited it, with a purified garland of gems.
तस्मै शुभाशिषं दत्त्वा मन्त्रं च वैष्णवाग्रणीः । गोलोकं प्रययौ द्रष्टुं भगवन्तं सनातनम्
Giving him auspicious blessings and the mantra, the foremost of Vaiṣṇavas went to Goloka to see the eternal Lord.