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.
नारदस्तु मनु प्राप्य सर्वसिद्धिप्रदं वरम् । श्रीकृष्णे निश्चलां भक्तिं पूर्वकर्मनिकृन्तनीम्
Nārada, having obtained the mantra that grants all perfections, attained unwavering devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which cuts away previous karma.
त्यक्त्वा मायामयीं भार्यां भारतं तपसे ययौ । कृतमालानदीतीरे ददर्श शंकरं परम्
Abandoning his wife, formed of illusion, he went to Bhārata for austerity; on the bank of the Kṛtamālā river, he beheld the supreme Śaṅkara.
दृष्ट्वा च सहसा मूर्ध्ना प्रणनाम शिवं मुनिः । तमुवाच जगन्नाथो भक्तं च भक्तवत्सलः
Seeing him, the sage at once bowed his head to Śiva; the Lord of the universe, lover of devotees, spoke to his devotee.
महादेव उवाच अहो नारद दृष्ट्वा त्वां प्रसन्नोऽहं स्वतेजसा । भक्तानां दर्शनं यत्र सुदिनं तच्छरीरिणाम्
Mahādeva said: O Nārada, seeing you, I am pleased by my own radiance; wherever there is the sight of devotees, that is an auspicious day for embodied beings.
अयं हि परमो लाभो देहिनां बक्तसंगमः । स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु यो ददर्श च वैष्णवाम्
Indeed, the highest gain for embodied beings is association with devotees; one who has seen a Vaiṣṇava is as if bathed in all sacred waters.
अपि प्राप्तो महामन्त्रः सर्वतन्त्रसुदुर्लभः । मया दत्तो गणेशाय स्कन्दाय स्वात्मजाय च
Even the great mantra, exceedingly rare in all systems, has been given by me to Gaṇeśa, Skanda, and my own son.
मह्यं दत्तश्च कृष्णेन गोलोके रासमण्डले । ब्रह्मणे चापि धर्माय धर्मो नारायणाय च
This was given to me by Kṛṣṇa in Goloka, in the circle of the rāsa dance; also to Brahmā, to Dharma, and Dharma to Nārāyaṇa.
ब्रह्मा सनत्कुमाराय तुम्यं दत्तश्च तेन वै । मन्त्रग्रहणमात्रेण जनो नारायणो भवेत्
Brahmā gave it to Sanatkumāra, and thus it was passed on; by merely receiving the mantra, a person becomes Nārāyaṇa.
विचारणं च नास्त्यत्र कालाकालं शुभाशुभम् । पञ्चलक्षजपेनैव पुरश्चरणमस्य च
There is no deliberation here regarding time, auspiciousness or inauspiciousness; with the recitation of five hundred thousand, its rite is accomplished.
ध्यानं च सामवेदोक्तं तेन ध्यायेच्च वैष्णवः । ध्यानं च पापदहनं कर्ममूलनिकृन्तनम्
The meditation described in the Sāma Veda should be performed by the Vaiṣṇava; such meditation burns sin and severs the roots of karma.