विष्ण्वंशसम्भवो व्यास इति पौराणिका जगुः । सोऽपि मोहार्णवे मग्नो भग्नपोतो वणिग्यथा
The Purāṇikas say Vyāsa was born from the line of Viṣṇu; yet even he, like a merchant whose boat is broken, is sunk in the ocean of delusion.
अश्रुपातं करोत्यद्य विवशः प्राकृतो यथा । अहो मायाबलं चैतद्दुस्त्यजं पण्डितैरपि
Today, helpless like an ordinary man, he sheds tears; ah, this power of Māyā is hard to abandon, even for the learned.
कोऽयं कोऽहं कथं चेह कीदृशोऽयं भ्रमः किल । पञ्चभूतात्मके देहे पितापुत्रेति वासना
Who is this? Who am I? How is this, and what is this confusion? In this body made of five elements, the notion of 'father' and 'son' arises.
बलिष्ठा खलु मायेयं मायिनामपि मोहिनी । ययाभिभूतः कृष्णोऽपि करोति रोदनं द्विजः
Truly, this Māyā is powerful, the deluder even of magicians; overpowered by her, even Kṛṣṇa, the twice-born, weeps.
सूत उवाच तां नत्वा मनसा देवीं सर्वकारणकारणाम् । जननीं सर्वदेवानां ब्रह्मादीनां तथेश्वरीम्
Sūta said: Bowing in mind to the Goddess, the cause of all causes, the mother of all the gods, including Brahmā and others, and their sovereign—
पितरं प्राह दीनं तं शोकार्णवपरिप्लुतम् । अरणीसम्भवो व्यासं हेतुमद्वचनं शुभम्
He spoke to his father Vyāsa, who was born from the fire-sticks, who was miserable and submerged in the ocean of grief, words full of reason and auspiciousness.
पाराशर्य महाभाग सर्वेषां बोधदः स्वयम् । किं शोकं कुरुषे स्वामिन्यथाज्ञः प्राकृतो नरः
O highly fortunate son of Parāśara, you are yourself the giver of understanding to all; why do you grieve, master, like an ordinary man ignorant of the truth?
अद्याहं तव पुत्रोऽस्मि न जाने पूर्वजन्मनि । कोऽहं कस्त्वं महाभाग विभ्रमोऽयं महात्मनि
Today I am your son, but I do not know who I was in a previous birth; who am I, and who are you, O blessed one? This is a confusion, O great soul.
कुरु धैर्यं प्रबुध्यस्व मा विषादे मनः कृथाः । मोहजालमिमं मत्वा मुञ्च शोकं महामते
Be steadfast, awaken, and do not let your mind fall into despair; recognizing this as a net of delusion, abandon sorrow, O wise one.
क्षुधानिवृत्तिर्भक्ष्येण न पुत्रदर्शनेन च । पिपासा जलपानेन याति नैवात्मजेक्षणात्
Hunger is appeased by food, not by seeing one's son; thirst is quenched by drinking water, not by beholding one's own child.
घ्राणं सुखं सुगन्धेन कर्णजं श्रवणेन च । स्त्रीसुखं तु स्त्रिया नूनं पुत्रोऽहं किं करोमि ते
The nose delights in fragrance, the ear in hearing; a woman’s pleasure is with a woman—so, being your son, what can I do for you?
अजीगर्तेन पुत्रोऽपि हरिश्चन्द्राय भूभुजे । पशुकामाय यज्ञार्थे दत्तो मौल्येन सर्वथा
Even a son was given by Ajīgarta to King Hariścandra, for the sake of cattle and for sacrifice, sold for a price in every way.
सुखानां साधनं द्रव्यं धनात्सुखसमुच्चयः । धनमर्जय लोभश्चेत्पुत्रोऽहं किं करोम्यहम्
Wealth is the means to happiness, and happiness is gathered from riches; if you seek wealth out of greed, then what can I, your son, do for you?
मां प्रबोधय बुद्ध्या त्वं दैवज्ञोऽसि महामते । यथा मुच्येयमत्यन्तं गर्भवासभयान्मुने
Instruct me with your wisdom, for you are learned in destiny, O wise one; so that I may be completely freed from the fear of the womb, O sage.
दुर्लभं मानुषं जन्म कर्मभूमाविहानघ । तत्रापि ब्राह्मणत्वं वै दुर्लभं चोत्तमे कुले
Human birth is difficult to obtain in this world of action, O sinless one; and even among humans, to be born a Brāhmaṇa in a noble family is indeed rare.
बद्धोऽहमिति मे बुद्धिर्नापसर्पति चित्ततः । संसारवासनाजाले निविष्टा वृद्धिगामिनी
The thought that I am bound does not depart from my mind; it is firmly established and grows within the net of worldly desires.
सूत उवाच इत्युक्तस्तु तदा व्यासः पुत्रेणामितबुद्धिना । प्रत्युवाच शुकं शान्तं चतुर्थाश्रममानसम्
Sūta said: Thus addressed by his son of boundless intellect, Vyāsa replied to Śuka, who was serene and intent on the fourth stage of life.
व्यास उवाच पठ पुत्र महाभाग मया भागवतं कृतम् । शुभं न चातिविस्तीर्णं पुराणं ब्रह्मसम्मितम्
Vyāsa said: Recite, O blessed son, the Bhāgavata composed by me, auspicious and not overly extensive, a Purāṇa esteemed by the wise as equal to the Veda.
स्कन्धा द्वादश तत्रैव पञ्चलक्षणसंयुतम् । सर्वेषां च पुराणानां भूषणं मम सम्मतम्
It contains twelve books and is endowed with the five characteristics; among all the Purāṇas, it is regarded by me as the ornament.
सदसज्ज्ञानविज्ञानं श्रुतमात्रेण जायते । येन भागवतेनेह तत्पठ त्वं महामते
By merely hearing this Bhāgavata, knowledge of the real and unreal, and true understanding, arise; therefore, recite it, O wise one.
वटपत्रशयानाय विष्णवे बालरूपिणे । केनास्मि बालभावेन निर्मितोऽहं चिदात्मना
To Viṣṇu, who lies on the banyan leaf in the form of a child, by whom was I created in this state of childhood, though I am the conscious self?
किमर्थं केन द्रव्येण कथं जानामि चाखिलम् । इत्येवं चिन्त्यमानाय मुकुन्दाय महात्मने
For what purpose, by whom, and with what means do I know all this? Thus pondering, to Mukunda, the great soul—
श्लोकार्धेन तया प्रोक्तं भगवत्याखिलार्थदम् । सर्वं खल्विदमेवाहं नान्यदस्ति सनातनम्
The Goddess spoke in half a verse, conveying the meaning of all: 'Indeed, all this is only Myself; there is nothing else eternal.'
तद्वचो विष्णुना पूर्वं संविज्ञातं मनस्यपि । केनोक्ता वागियं सत्या चिन्तयामास चेतसा
That statement was previously realized by Viṣṇu in his mind; he wondered, 'By whom was this true speech uttered?' and reflected deeply.
कथं वेद्मि प्रवक्तारं स्त्रीपुंसौ वा नपुंसकम् । इति चिन्ताप्रपन्नेन धृतं भागवतं हृदि
How can I know the one who will speak—the speaker—whether woman, man, or neither? With such thoughts arising, the Bhāgavata was held in the heart.
पुनः पुनः कृतोच्चारस्तस्मिनेवास्तचेतसा । वटपत्रे शयानः सन्नभूच्चिन्तासमन्वितः
Again and again, with mind fixed on that, he uttered the words; lying on the banyan leaf, he was filled with anxious thoughts.
तदा शान्ता भगवती प्रादुरास चतुर्भुजा । शङ्खचक्रगदापद्मवरायुधधरा शिवा
Then the serene Goddess appeared, four-armed, holding conch, discus, mace, and lotus, auspicious and bearing divine weapons.
दिव्याम्बरधरा देवी दिव्यभूषणभूषिता । संयुता सदृशीभिश्च सखीभिः स्वविभूतिभिः
The Goddess was adorned with celestial garments and divine ornaments, accompanied by companions resembling herself, radiant with her own powers.
प्रादुर्बभूव तस्याग्रे विष्णोरमिततेजसः । मन्दहास्यं प्रयुञ्जाना महालक्ष्मीः शुभानना
She manifested before him—before Viṣṇu of immeasurable brilliance—smiling gently, Mahālakṣmī, auspicious-faced.
सूत उवाच तां तथा संस्थितां दृष्ट्वा हृदये कमलेक्षणः । विस्मितः सलिले तस्मिन्निराधारा मनोरमाम्
Sūta said: Seeing her standing thus, the lotus-eyed one, his heart captivated, was astonished in that water, unsupported, wondrous to behold.