भिक्षां कृत्वा तु कवचमानीय च नृपस्य च
Having begged alms and brought the king’s armor,
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे देवा जग्मुः स्वस्थानमुत्तमम्
Meanwhile, the gods departed to their supreme abodes.
परशुराम उवाच कालभेदे जयो नृणां कालभेदे पराजयः
Paraśurāma said: Victory for men depends on time; defeat too depends on time.
अधीतं विधिवद्दत्तं कृत्स्ना पृथ्वी सुशासिता
What is learned, what is given according to rule, the whole earth well-governed,
जिताः सर्वे च राजेन्द्रा लीलया रावणो जितः
All the kings have been conquered, and Rāvaṇa was defeated with ease.
रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा परमधार्मिकः
Hearing Rāma’s words, the king, supremely righteous,
राजोवाच गताः कतिविधा भूपा मादृशा धरणीतले
The king said: How many kings like me have gone from the earth?
बुद्धिस्तेजो विक्रमश्च विविधा रणमन्त्रणा
Intellect, brilliance, valor, and various strategies of battle,
आचारो विनयो विद्या प्रतिष्ठा परमं तपः
Conduct, humility, knowledge, reputation, and supreme austerity,
सा च स्त्री प्राणतुल्या मे साध्वी पद्मांशसम्भवा 3.40.
That woman, equal to my life, virtuous, born from the lotus, Padmā,
आबाल्यात्संगिनी शश्वच्छयने भोजने रणे
From childhood she has been my companion, always in sleep, in meals, and in battle.
त्वया न दृष्टं युद्धं मे पुरेयं शोचना स्थिता
You have not seen my battle in the city; I remain in sorrow.
काले सिंहः सृगालं च सृगालः सिंहमेव च
In time, the lion becomes a jackal, and the jackal becomes a lion.
महिषं मक्षिका काले गरुडं च तथोरगः
In time, the buffalo becomes a fly, and the serpent becomes Garuḍa.
इन्द्रं च मानवः काले काले ब्रह्मा मरिष्यति
At the appointed time, O man, even Indra and Brahmā will die.
मरिष्यन्ति सुराः सर्वे त्रिलोकस्थाश्चराचराः
All the gods, and all beings, both moving and unmoving, who dwell in the three worlds, will perish.
कालस्य कालः श्रीकृष्णः स्रष्टुः स्रष्टा यथेच्छया
Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the time of time, the creator of the creator, acting according to his own will.
महास्थूलात्स्थूलतमः सूक्ष्मात्सूक्ष्मतमः कृशः
He is subtler than the subtlest, finer than the finest, and yet greater than the greatest.
ततः क्षुद्रविराड् जातः सर्वेषां कारणं परम् 3.40.
Then, from him arose the subtle cosmic person, the supreme cause of all.
नाभेः कमलदण्डस्य योऽन्तं न प्राप यत्नतः
He could not reach the end of the stalk of the lotus arising from the navel, despite great effort.
तपश्चक्रे ततस्तत्र लक्षवर्षं च वायुभुक्
Then, subsisting on air, he performed austerities there for one hundred thousand years.
गोपगोपीपरिवृतं द्विभुजं मुरलीधरम्
He saw the two-armed bearer of the flute, surrounded by cowherds and cowherdesses.
दृष्ट्वाऽनुज्ञां गृहीत्वा च प्रणम्य च पुनः पुनः
Having seen him, receiving his permission, and bowing again and again,
यः शिवः सृष्टिसंहर्त्ता स च स्रष्टुर्ललाटजः
He who is Śiva, the creator and destroyer, is also the one born from the creator’s forehead.
सृष्टिकारणभूताश्च ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are the causes of creation.
तेऽपि देवाः प्राकृतिकाः प्राकृतश्च महाविराट्
Even those gods are products of nature, and so is the great cosmic person.
न शक्तः परमेशोऽपि तां शक्तिं प्रकृतिं विना
Even the supreme lord is not able to act without that power, without Prakṛti.
सा च कृष्णे तिरोभूय सृष्टिसंहारकारके
That power, having merged into Kṛṣṇa, becomes the cause of creation and dissolution.
कुलालश्च कटं कर्तुं यथाऽशक्तो मृदं विना 3.40.
Just as a potter is unable to make a pot without clay,
सा च शक्तिः सृष्टिकाले पञ्चधा चेश्वरेच्छया
That power, at the time of creation, divides fivefold by the will of the Lord.