तत्रापि भारतं वर्षं कर्मक्षेत्रमुशन्ति हि । अन्यानि चाष्टवर्षाणि भौमस्वर्गप्रदानि च
Yet, among them, the land of Bharata is called the field of action; the other eight regions grant heavenly pleasures on earth.
स्वर्गिणां पुण्यशेषस्य भोगस्थानानि नारद । पुरुषाणां चायुतायुर्वज्राङ्गा देवसन्निभाः
For those who have remaining merit from heaven, O Nārada, these are places of enjoyment; the men there have ten thousand years of life, bodies like thunderbolts, and resemble the gods.
पुरुषा नागसाहस्रैर्दशभिः परिकल्पिताः । महासौरतसन्तुष्टाः कलत्राढ्याः सुखान्विताः
The men are formed with the strength of ten thousand elephants, greatly satisfied in love, possessing many wives, and endowed with happiness.
एकवर्षोनके चायुष्याप्तगर्भाः स्त्रियोऽपि हि । त्रेतायुगसमः कालो वर्तते सर्वदैव हि
In each of those regions, women are long-lived, free from pregnancy, and the passage of time is always like the Tretā Yuga.
भुवनकोशवर्णने इलावृतभद्राश्ववर्षवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच तेषु वर्षेषु देवेशाः पूर्वोक्तैः स्तवनैः सदा । पूजयन्ति महादेवीं जपध्यानसमाधिभिः
Description of the cosmic regions: the lands of Ilāvṛta and Bhadrāśva. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: In those regions, O lords of the gods, they always worship the Great Goddess with the hymns previously mentioned, through recitation, meditation, and absorption.
सर्वर्तुकुसुमश्रेणी शोभिता वनराजयः । फलानां पल्लवानां च यत्र शोभा निरन्तरम्
The forests there are adorned with clusters of flowers in every season, and there is unbroken beauty of fruits and young shoots.
तेषु काननवर्षेषु वर्षपर्वतसानुषु । गिरिद्रोणीषु सर्वासु निर्मलोदकराशिषु
In those forested regions, on the slopes of the mountains, in all the mountain valleys, and in the clear waters—
विकचोत्पलमालासु हंससारससञ्चयैः । विमिश्रितेषु तेष्वेव पक्षिभिः कूजितेषु च
Among garlands of blooming lotuses, mingled with flocks of swans and cranes, and filled with the calls of birds—
जलक्रीडादिभिश्चित्रविनोदैः क्रीडयन्ति च । सुन्दरीललितभ्रूणां विलासायतनेषु च
They play with various delightful water games and amusements, in the abodes of beautiful, graceful women.
तत्रत्या विहरन्त्यत्र स्वैरं युवतिभिः सह । नवस्वपि च वर्षेषु भगवानादिपूरुषः
There, the inhabitants freely enjoy themselves with young women; and in all nine regions, the Blessed Primeval Person—
(नारायणाख्यो लोकानामनुग्रहरसैकदृक् ।) देवीमाराधयन्तास्ते स च सर्वैश्च पूज्यते । आत्मव्यूहेनेज्ययासौ सन्निधत्ते समाहितः
(Known as Nārāyaṇa, the single-minded bestower of grace upon the worlds,) they worship the Goddess, and he too is honored by all; by his own emanation and worship, he is present there, fully concentrated.
इलावृते तु भगवान् पद्मजाक्षिसमुद्भवः । एक एव भवो देवो नित्यं वसति साङ्गनः
In Ilāvṛta, the Blessed Lord, born from the lotus-eyed one, alone, as the god Bhava, eternally dwells there with his attendants.
तत्क्षेत्रे नापरः कश्चित्प्रवेशं वितनोति च । भवान्याः शापतस्तत्र पुमान्तस्त्री भवति स्फुटम्
In that sacred place, no one else is permitted entry; by the curse of Bhavani, any man who enters there is clearly transformed into a woman.
भवानीनाथकैः स्वीणामसंख्यैर्गणकोटिभिः । संरुध्यमानो देवेशो देवं सङ्कर्षणं भजन्
Surrounded by countless hosts of Bhavani's own attendants, the Lord of the gods, seeking refuge, worshipped Sankarshana.
आत्मना ध्यानयोगेन सर्वभूतहितेच्छया । तां तामसीं तुरीयां च मूर्तिं प्रकृतिमात्मनः
With his own mind absorbed in meditation, desiring the welfare of all beings, he approached that tamasic and transcendent form of his own nature.
उपधावते चैकाग्रमनसा भगवानजः । श्रीभगवानुवाच ॐनमो भगवते महापुरुषाय सर्वगुणसंख्यानायानन्तायाव्यक्ताय नम इति
The Blessed Lord, with one-pointed mind, approached her, the unborn one, and said: 'Om, obeisance to the Blessed Great Person, to the one whose qualities are countless, to the infinite, to the unmanifest—obeisance.'
भजे भजन्यारणपादपङ्कजं भगस्य कृत्स्नस्य परं परायणम् । भक्तेष्वलं भावितभूतभावनं भवापहं त्वा भव भावमीश्वरम्
I worship the lotus feet of the Supreme Refuge of all prosperity, the ultimate goal, who is sufficient for the devotees, who cherishes those devoted to him, who removes the suffering of existence—O Lord of existence, I worship you, the Lord of all beings.
न यस्य मायागुणकर्मवृत्तिभि- र्निरीक्षितो ह्यण्वपि दृष्टिरज्यते । ईशे यथा नो स्त्रतमन्युरंहसा कस्तं न मन्येत जिगीषुरात्मनः
He whose vision is not disturbed in the slightest by the activities of maya, qualities, or actions—just as the Lord is not agitated by sudden anger—who would not honor him, who seeks victory over himself?
असद्दृशो यः प्रतिभाति मायया क्षीबेव मध्वासवताग्रलोचनः । न नागवध्वोऽर्हण ईशिरे ह्रिया यत्पादयोः स्पर्शनधर्षितेन्द्रियाः
He who appears, through maya, as something other than he is—like a drunken man sees honey as water—yet the wives of the serpents are not worthy to worship him, for their senses are overpowered by the mere touch of his feet.
यमाहुरस्य स्थितिजन्मसंयमं त्रिभिर्विहीनं यमनन्तमॄषयः । न वेद सिद्धार्थमिव क्यचित्स्थितं भूमण्डलं मूर्धसहस्रधामसु
The sages declare that his maintenance, creation, and dissolution are free from the three gunas and endless; no one knows his true purpose, just as no one can fully know the earth among the thousand-peaked abodes.
यस्याद्य आसीद् गुणविग्रहो महान् विज्ञानधिष्ण्यो भगवानजः किल । यत्सवतोऽहं त्रिवृता स्वतेजसा वैकारिकं तामसमैन्द्रियं सृजे
He in whom, at the beginning, the great form of qualities arose, who is established in knowledge, who is truly the unborn Lord—by whose own power I create, in threefold ways, the vaikārika, tamasic, and indriya forms.
एते वयं यस्य वशे महात्मनः स्थिताः शकुन्ता इव सूत्रयन्त्रिताः । महानहंवैकृततामसेन्द्रियाः सृजाम सर्वे यदनुग्रहादिदम्
We, who are under the control of that great soul, stand like birds bound by a string; all of us, endowed with the great ego, the transformed tamasic and indriya forms, create by his grace all this.
यन्निर्मितां कर्ह्यपि कर्मपर्वणीं मायां जनोऽयं गुरुसर्गमोहितः । न वेद निस्तारणयोगमञ्जसा तस्मै नमस्ते विलयोदयात्मने
This world, deluded by the great creation, does not know the means of liberation from the maya he has fashioned, bound to the cycles of action; to him, the essence of dissolution and creation, I bow.
श्रीनारायण उवाच एवं स भगवान् रुद्रो देवं सङ्कर्षणं प्रभुम् । इलावृतमुपासीत देवीगणसमाहितः
Sri Narayana said: Thus, the Blessed Rudra, attended by the hosts of goddesses, worshipped the Lord Sankarshana in Ilavrita.
तथैव धर्मपुत्रोऽसौ नाम्ना भद्रश्रवा इति । तत्कुलस्यापि पतयः पुरुषा भद्रसेवकाः
In the same way, the son of Dharma, named Bhadraśravas, and the lords of his lineage, the men devoted to Bhadra, also worshipped.
भद्राश्ववर्षे तां मूर्तिं वासुदेवस्य विश्रुताम् । हयमूर्तिभिदा तां तु हयग्रीवपदाङ्किताम्
In the land of Bhadrāśva, they worshipped that renowned form of Vāsudeva, known as the horse-headed one, marked with the feet of Hayagrīva.
परमेण समाध्यन्यवारकेण नियन्त्रिताम् । एवमेव च तां मूर्तिं गृणन्त उपयान्ति च
Restrained by supreme concentration and unwavering meditation, in the same way, they praised and approached that form.
भद्रश्रवस ऊचुः ॐ नमो भगवते धर्मायात्मविशोधनाय नम इति । अहो विचित्रं भगवद्विचेष्टितं घ्नन्तं जनोऽयं हि मिषन्न पश्यति । ध्यायन्न सद्यर्हि विकर्म सेवितुं निर्हृत्य पुत्रं पितरं जिजीवुषुः
Bhadraśravas and his followers said: 'Om, obeisance to the Blessed Lord of Dharma, the purifier of the self, obeisance.' Ah, how wondrous are the Lord's deeds! Though people are struck down, they do not see; though they meditate, they are not ready to abandon wrong actions; desiring to live, they abandon both son and father.
वदन्ति विश्वं कवयः स्म नश्वरं पश्यन्ति चाध्यात्मविदो विपश्चितः । तथापि मुह्यन्ति तवाज मायया सुविस्मितं कृत्यमजं नतोऽस्मि तम्
The wise declare that the universe is perishable, and those who know the self perceive this; yet, even so, they are bewildered by your maya, O unborn one. Your deeds are truly astonishing; I bow to you.
विश्वोद्भवस्थाननिरोधकर्म ते ह्यकर्तुरङ्गीकृतमप्यपावृतः । युक्तं न चित्रं त्वयि कार्यकारणे सर्वात्मनि व्यतिरिक्ते च वस्तुतः
Your acts of creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe, though you are the non-doer, are openly accepted; it is not surprising, for in you, who are both the cause and effect, the all-pervading and the transcendent, all things exist in reality.