अनन्यया प्रेमयुक्तभक्त्या मद्भावमाश्रितः । यज्ञैर्यज तपोदानैर्मामेव परितोषय
With exclusive, loving devotion, taking refuge in My state, worship Me with sacrifices, austerity, and gifts—thus please Me alone.
इत्थं ममानुग्रहतो मोक्ष्यसे भवबन्धनात् । मत्परा ये मदासक्तचित्ता भक्तवरा मताः
Thus, by My grace, you will be freed from the bondage of worldly existence; those who are devoted to Me, whose minds are attached to Me, are considered the best devotees.
प्रतिजाने भवादस्मादुद्धराम्यचिरेण तु । ध्यानेन कर्मयुक्तेन भक्तिज्ञानेन वा पुनः
I promise: from this worldly existence I will quickly deliver them—whether by meditation joined with action, or again by devotion and knowledge.
प्राप्याहं सर्वथा राजन्न तु केवलकर्मभिः । धर्मात्सञ्जायते भक्तिर्भक्त्या सञ्जायते परम्
I am attained in every way, O King, but not by mere actions alone; from righteousness arises devotion, and from devotion arises the supreme.
श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्यामुदितं यत्स धर्मः प्रकीर्तितः । अन्यशास्त्रेण यः प्रोक्तो धर्माभासः स उच्यते
That which is declared in the Śruti and Smṛti is called dharma; what is stated in other texts is said to be only an appearance of dharma.
सर्वज्ञात्सर्वशक्तेश्च मत्तो वेदः समुत्थितः । अज्ञानस्य ममाभावादप्रमाणा न च श्रुतिः
From Me, who am all-knowing and all-powerful, the Veda has arisen; since ignorance does not exist in Me, the Śruti is never invalid.
स्मृतयश्च श्रुतेरर्थं गृहीत्वैव च निर्गताः । मन्वादीनां श्रुतीनां च ततः प्रामाण्यमिष्यते
The Smṛtis have arisen only by taking the meaning from the Śruti; therefore, the authority of the Śrutis of Manu and others is accepted.
क्वचित्कदाचित्तन्त्रार्थकटाक्षेण परोदितम् । धर्मं वदन्ति सोंऽशस्तु नैव ग्राह्योऽस्ति वैदिकैः
Sometimes, in some places, a portion of Dharma is declared with a glance at the meaning of the Tantras; but that part is not to be accepted by those who follow the Vedas.
अन्येषां शास्त्रकर्तॄणामज्ञानप्रभवत्वतः । अज्ञानदोषदुष्टत्वात्तदुक्तेर्न प्रमाणता
Because the authors of other scriptures are subject to ignorance, and their statements are tainted by the fault of ignorance, their words are not authoritative.
तस्मान्मुमुक्षुर्धर्मार्थं सर्वथा वेदमाश्रयेत् । राजाज्ञा च यथा लोके हन्यते न कदाचन
Therefore, one who seeks liberation should always rely on the Veda for Dharma; just as in the world, the king’s command is never to be violated.
सर्वेशान्या ममाज्ञा सा श्रुतिस्त्याज्या कथं नृभिः । मदाज्ञारक्षणार्थं तु ब्रह्मक्षत्रियजातयः
Among all commands, mine alone is the command; how can the Śruti, which is my command, ever be abandoned by men? For the protection of my command, the Brahmin and Kṣatriya castes were created by me.
मया सृष्टास्ततो ज्ञेयं रहस्यं मे श्रुतेर्वचः । यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भूधर
Therefore, know this as my secret: the word of the Śruti is mine. Whenever there is a decline of Dharma, O mountain, and unrighteousness arises,
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदा वेषान्बिभर्म्यहम् । देवदैत्यविभागश्चाप्यत एवाभवन्नृप
Then I assume various forms; and thus, O king, the division between gods and demons has arisen.
ये न कुर्वन्ति तद्धर्मं तच्छिक्षार्थं मया सदा । सम्पादितास्तु नरकास्त्रासो यच्छ्रवणाद्भवेत्
Those who do not practice that Dharma, for their instruction I have always created hells, the mere hearing of which brings fear.
यो वेदधर्ममुज्झित्य धर्ममन्यं समाश्रयेत् । राजा प्रवासयेद्देशान्निजादेतानधर्मिणः
Whoever, abandoning Vedic Dharma, takes refuge in another Dharma, the king should banish such unrighteous persons from his own land.
ब्राह्मणैर्न च सम्भाष्याः पङ्क्तिग्राह्या न च द्विजैः । अन्यानि यानि शास्त्राणि लोकेऽस्मिन्विविधानि च
They should not be spoken to by Brahmins, nor accepted in the line at meals by twice-born; and whatever other various scriptures exist in this world,
श्रुतिस्मृतिविरुद्धानि तामसान्येव सर्वशः । वामं कापालकं चैव कौलकं भैरवागमः
Those that are opposed to Śruti and Smṛti are entirely of the nature of darkness—such as the Vāma, Kāpālika, Kaula, and Bhairava Āgamas.
शिवेन मोहनार्थाय प्रणीतो नान्यहेतुकः । दक्षशापाद् भृगोः शापाद्दधीचस्य च शापतः
These were composed by Śiva for the purpose of delusion, not for any other reason; due to the curse of Dakṣa, the curse of Bhṛgu, and the curse of Dadhīci,
दग्धा ये ब्राह्मणवरा वेदमार्गबहिष्कृताः । तेषामुद्धरणार्थाय सोपानक्रमतः सदा
Those best of Brahmins who were burned and cast out from the Vedic path—for their upliftment, a gradual path was always established.
शैवाश्च वैष्णवाश्श्चैव सौराः शाक्तास्तथैव च । गाणपत्या आगमाश्च प्रणीताः शङ्करेण तु
Thus, the Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Saura, Śākta, and Gāṇapatya Āgamas were composed by Śaṅkara.
तत्र वेदाविरुद्धांशोऽप्युक्त एव क्वचित्क्वचित् । वैदिकैस्तद्ग्रहे देषो न भवत्येव कर्हिचित्
Therein, wherever there is a portion not opposed to the Veda, it is stated; and for those who follow the Veda, there is never any fault in accepting that.
सर्वथा वेदभिन्नार्थे नाधिकारी द्विजो भवेत् । वेदाधिकारहीनस्तु भवेत्तत्राधिकारवान्
In all cases, a twice-born is not qualified for matters contrary to the Veda; but one who lacks Vedic qualification is eligible there.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वैदिको वेदमाश्रयेत् । धर्मेण सहितं ज्ञानं परं ब्रह्म प्रकाशयेत्
Therefore, with all effort, a Vedic follower should rely on the Veda; with Dharma, knowledge reveals the supreme Brahman.
सर्वैषणाः परित्यज्य मामेव शरणं गताः । सर्वभूतदयावन्तो मानाहङ्कारवर्जिताः
Having abandoned all desires, taking refuge in me alone, showing compassion to all beings, free from pride and egoism—
मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा मत्स्थानकथने रताः । संन्यासिनो वनस्थाश्च गृहस्था ब्रह्मचारिणः
Those whose minds are absorbed in me, whose lives are devoted to me, who delight in speaking of my abode—whether renunciants, forest-dwellers, householders, or students—
उपासन्ते सदा भक्त्या योगमैश्वरसञ्ज्ञितम् । तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानामहमज्ञानजं तमः
They always worship with devotion, perceiving me as the embodiment of yoga and lordly power; for those who are ever engaged, I dispel the darkness born of ignorance.
ज्ञानसूर्यप्रकाशेन नाशयामि न संशयः । इत्थं वैदिकपूजायाः प्रथमाया नगाधिप
By the radiance of the sun of knowledge, I destroy it—there is no doubt. Thus, O King of the City, the essential nature of the first Vedic worship has been briefly stated.
स्वरूपमुक्तं संक्षेपाद् द्वितीयाया अथो ब्रुवे । मूर्तौ वा स्थण्डिले वापि तथा सूर्येन्दुमण्डले
Now I will speak of the second: whether in an image, on a pedestal, in the solar or lunar orb,
जलेऽथवा बाणलिङ्गे यन्त्रे वापि महापटे । तथा श्रीहृदयाम्भोजे ध्यात्वा देवीं परात्पराम्
In water, in the Bāṇa-liṅga, in a device, or on a great cloth, and likewise in the lotus of the heart, meditating on the supreme Goddess,
सगुणां करुणापूर्णां तरुणीमरुणारुणाम् । सौन्दर्यसारसीमां तां सर्वावयवसुन्दरीम्
As possessed of qualities, full of compassion, youthful and radiant red, the very limit of beauty, beautiful in every limb,