ब्रह्मोवाच त्वामहं स्तोतुमिच्छामि भक्तानुग्रहकारकम्
Brahma said: I wish to praise you, who bestows grace upon devotees.
त्रैलोक्यलोचनं लोकनाथं पापविमोचनम्
The eye of the three worlds, lord of all, liberator from sin.
कर्मानुरूपफलदं कर्मबीजं दयानिधिम्
Giver of fruits according to deeds, seed of action, treasure of compassion.
ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानामंशं च त्रिगुणात्मकम् सुखदं मोक्षदं सारं भक्तिदं सर्वकामदम्
Portion of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara, composed of the three qualities; giver of happiness, giver of liberation, essence, giver of devotion, fulfiller of all desires.
सर्वेश्वरं सर्वरूपं साक्षिणं सर्वकर्मणाम्
Lord of all, of all forms, witness of all actions.
शश्वद्रसहरं पश्चाद्रसदं सर्वसिद्धिदम्
Always the essence of rasa, later the essence of rasa, giver of all accomplishments.
स्तवराजमिदं प्रोक्तं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं परम्
This king of praises has been spoken, most secret among secrets, supreme.
आन्ध्यं कुष्ठं च दारिद्र्यं रोगः शोको भयं कलिः
Blindness, leprosy, poverty, disease, sorrow, fear, and the age of Kali.
महाकुष्ठी च गलितश्चक्षुर्हीनो महाव्रणी
One afflicted with great leprosy, fallen, deprived of sight, bearing great wounds.
मासं कृत्वा हविष्यान्नं श्रुत्वाऽतो मुच्यते ध्रुवम्
Having listened and eaten oblation food for a month, he is certainly freed.
पुष्करं गच्छतं शीघ्रं भास्करं भजतं सुतौ
As they swiftly went to Puṣkara, the two sons worshipped the Sun.
तौ निषेव्य दिनेशं तं नीरुजौ संबभूवतुः
Having served that lord of the day, they both became free from illness.
सर्वविघ्नहरं सारं विघ्नेशं विघ्ननाशनम्
He who removes all obstacles, the essence, the lord of obstacles, the destroyer of hindrances.
नारद उवाच तेजसा विक्रमेणैव मत्प्रश्नं श्रोतुमर्हसि
Nārada said: By your brilliance and might alone, you are worthy to hear my question.
विघ्ननिघ्नस्य यद्विघ्नं श्रुतं तत्परमाद्भुतम्
That the remover of obstacles himself faced an obstacle is a most wondrous thing I have heard.
अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि परं सन्देहभञ्जनम्
Now I wish to hear that which dispels the highest doubt.
स्थितेष्वन्येषु बहुषु जन्तुष्वब्जभुवः पते
O lord born from the lotus, among the many other beings who exist—
श्रीनारायण उवाच गोप्यं सर्वपुराणेषु वेदेषु च सुदुर्लभम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: This is a secret in all the Purāṇas and exceedingly rare in the Vedas.
तारणं सर्वदुःखानां कारणं सर्वसम्पदाम्
It is the deliverance from all sorrows, the cause of all prosperity.
महालक्ष्म्याश्च चरितं सर्वमङ्गलमङ्गलम्
And it is the conduct of Mahālakṣmī, the most auspicious of all that is auspicious.
शृणु तात प्रवक्ष्येऽहमितिहासं पुरातनम्
Listen, dear one, I shall now recount an ancient legend.
एकदैव महेन्द्रश्च पुष्पभद्रां नदीं ययौ
Once, indeed, Mahendra went to the river Puṣpabhadrā.
तत्तीरेऽतिरहःस्थाने पुष्पोद्याने मनोहरे
On its bank, in a most delightful flower-garden, a place for long stays—
भ्रमरध्वनिसंयुक्ते पुंस्कोकिलरुतश्रवे
Where the air was filled with the hum of bees and the calls of cuckoos—
ददर्श रम्भां तत्रैव चन्द्रलोकात्समागताम्
There he saw Rambhā, who had come from the realm of the moon.
इच्छन्तीमीप्सितां क्रीडां गच्छन्तीं मदनाश्रमम्
Desiring her wished-for play, she was going to Madana's hermitage.
सुश्रोणीं सुदतीं श्यामां बिम्बाधरसरोरुहाम्
She was slender-waisted, lovely-toothed, dark-complexioned, with lips like bimba fruit and lotus-like.
सस्मितास्यशरच्चन्द्रां सुकटाक्षं च बिभ्रतीम्
Her face was smiling, like the autumn moon, and she cast charming glances.
वह्निशुद्धांशुकधरां रत्नभूषणभूषिताम्
She wore garments purified by fire and was adorned with jeweled ornaments.
नीलोत्पलदलश्यामकज्जलोज्जललोचनाम्
Her eyes shone with dark collyrium, and her complexion was like the blue petals of a lotus.