ज्ञानं प्राप्य तदा दध्यौ कृष्णं परमपूरुषम्। ततो ददर्श तत्रैव ब्रह्मज्योतिः सनातनम्
Then, attaining knowledge, he meditated on Krishna, the Supreme Person; thereupon he saw there the eternal Brahman-light.
नवीनजलदश्यामं द्विभुजं पीतवाससम् । सस्मितं मुरलीहस्तं भक्तानुग्रहकातरम्
He saw one dark as a fresh raincloud, two-armed, clad in yellow garments, smiling, holding a flute, eager to bestow grace upon devotees.
जहास बालकस्तुष्टो दृष्ट्वा जनकमीश्वरम् । वरं तदा ददौ तस्मै वरेशः समयोचितम्
The boy, pleased, laughed upon seeing the lord, his father; then the bestower of boons granted him a suitable boon.
मत्समो ज्ञानयुक्तश्च क्षुत्पिपासादिवर्जितः । ब्रह्माण्डासंख्यनिलयो भव वत्स लयावधि
Be equal to me in knowledge, free from hunger and thirst; O child, be the abode of countless universes until dissolution.
निष्कामो निर्भयश्चैव सर्वेषां वरदो भव । जरामृत्युरोगशोकपीडादिवर्जितो भव
Be desireless and fearless, and the giver of boons to all; be free from old age, death, disease, sorrow, and suffering.
इत्युक्त्वा तस्य कर्णे स महामन्त्रं षडक्षरम् । त्रिःकृत्वश्च प्रजजाप वेदाङ्गप्रवरं परम्
Having said this, he recited into his ear the great six-syllabled mantra, repeating three times the supreme Vedic formula.
प्रणवादिचतुर्थ्यन्तं कृष्ण इत्यक्षरद्वयम् । वह्निजायान्तमिष्टं च सर्वविघ्नहरं परम्
The two syllables 'Kṛṣṇa', ending with the fourth vowel and preceded by praṇava, and ending with 'born of fire', are esteemed and supremely remove all obstacles.
मन्त्रं दत्त्वा तदाहारं कल्पयामास वै विभुः। श्रूयतां तद् ब्रह्मपुत्र निबोध कथयामि ते
Having given the mantra, the Lord then arranged the offering; listen, O son of Brahmā, I will tell you.
प्रतिविश्वं यन्नैवेद्यं ददाति वैष्णवो जनः । तत्षोडशांशो विषयिणो विष्णोः पज्वदशास्य वै
Whatever offering a Vaiṣṇava gives to Viṣṇu in the world, that is but a sixteenth part for the enjoyer, while the rest belongs to Viṣṇu himself.
निर्गुणस्यात्मनश्चैव परिपूर्णतमस्य च । नैवेद्ये चैव कृष्णस्य न हि किञ्चित्प्रयोजनम्
For the attributeless Self, who is completely full, there is truly no need for any offering to Kṛṣṇa.
यद्यद्ददाति नैवेद्यं तस्मै देवाय यो जनः । स च खादति तत्सर्वं लक्ष्मीनाथो विराट् तथा
Whatever offering a person gives as food to that Deity, the Lord of Lakṣmī, the Cosmic Person, indeed eats all of it.
तं च मन्त्रवरं दत्त्वा तमुवाच पुनर्विभुः । वरमन्यं किमिष्टं ते तन्मे ब्रूहि ददामि च
Having given him that excellent mantra, the Lord again spoke to him: 'What other boon do you desire? Tell me, and I shall grant it.'
कृष्णस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा तमुवाच विराड् विभुः । कृष्णं तं बालकस्तावद्वचनं समयोचितम्
Hearing Kṛṣṇa's words, the Cosmic Person replied to him; the boy then spoke words appropriate to the occasion.
बालक उवाच वरो मे त्वत्पदाम्भोजे भक्तिर्भवतु निश्चला। सततं यावदायुर्मे क्षणं वा सुचिरं च वा
The boy said: 'May I have unwavering devotion to your lotus feet, for as long as my life lasts, whether for a moment or for a long time.'
त्वद्भक्तियुक्तलोकेऽस्मिञ्जीवन्मुक्तश्च सन्ततम्। त्वद्भक्तिहीनो मूर्खश्च जीवन्नपि मृतो हि सः
In this world, one endowed with your devotion is always liberated while living; but one devoid of your devotion, though alive, is truly dead and ignorant.
किं तज्जपेन तपसा यज्ञेन पूजनेन च। व्रतेन चोपवासेन पुण्येन तीर्थसेवया
What is the use of recitation, austerity, sacrifice, worship, vows, fasting, merit, or pilgrimage—
कृष्णभक्तिविहीनस्य मूर्खस्य जीवनं वृथा । येनात्मना जीवितश्च तमेव न हि मन्यते
—for the foolish person devoid of devotion to Kṛṣṇa? His life is in vain, for he does not consider the very self by which he lives.
यावदात्मा शरीरेऽस्ति तावत्स शक्तिसंयुतः । पश्चाद्यान्ति गते तस्मिन्स्वतन्त्राः सर्वशक्तयः
As long as the self remains in the body, it is endowed with power; when it departs, all powers become independent.
स च त्वं च महाभाग सर्वात्मा प्रकृतेः परः । स्वेच्छामयश्च सर्वाद्यो ब्रह्मज्योतिः सनातनः
And you, O greatly fortunate one, are the Self of all, beyond nature, composed of your own will, the first of all, the eternal light of Brahman.
इत्युक्त्वा बालकस्तत्र विरराम च नारद । उवाच कृष्णः प्रत्युक्तिं मधुरां श्रुतिसुन्दरीम्
Having spoken thus, the boy became silent there, O Nārada; Kṛṣṇa spoke a sweet and melodious reply.
"श्रीकृष्ण उवाच सुचिरं सुस्थिरं तिष्ठ यथाहं त्वं तथा भव । ब्रह्मणोऽसंख्यपाते च पातस्ते न भविष्यति
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: 'Remain for a long time, firm and steady; become as I am. Even at the end of countless Brahmā's lives, your fall will not occur.'
अंशेन प्रतिब्रह्माण्डे त्वं च क्षुद्रविराड् भव । त्वन्नाभिपद्माद् ब्रह्मा च विश्वस्रष्टा भविष्यति
'By a portion of yourself, in each universe, you will become the lesser Virāṭ; from your navel-lotus, Brahmā, the creator of the world, will arise.'
ललाटे ब्रह्मणश्चैव रुद्राश्चैकादशैव ते । शिवांशेन भविष्यन्ति सृष्टिसंहरणाय वै
'On Brahmā's forehead, eleven Rudras will be born from you, by a portion of Śiva, for the purpose of creation and dissolution.'
कालाग्निरुद्रस्तेष्वेको विश्वसंहारकारकः। पाता विष्णुश्च विषयी रुद्रांशेन(क्षुद्रांशेन) भविष्यति
'Among them, one will be Kālāgni Rudra, the cause of the destruction of the universe; Viṣṇu will be the protector, and by a portion of Rudra, he will become the enjoyer.'
मद्भक्तियुक्तः सततं भविष्यसि वरेण मे । ध्यानेन कमनीयं मां नित्यं द्रक्ष्यसि निश्चितम्
By my boon, you shall always remain endowed with devotion to me; through meditation, you will surely behold me, the beautiful one, at all times.
मातरं कमनीयां च मम वक्षःस्थलस्थिताम्। यामि लोकं तिष्ठ वत्सेत्युक्त्वा सोऽन्तरधीयत
And you will see the lovely Mother, abiding upon my chest; having said, 'Go, remain in the world,' he vanished from sight.
गत्वा स्वलोकं ब्रह्माणं शङ्करं समुवाच ह। स्रष्टारं स्रष्टुमीशं च संहर्तुं चैव तत्क्षणम्
Having gone to his own realm, he approached Brahmā and Śaṅkara, the creator and the destroyer, and addressed them at that very moment.
"श्रीभगवानुवाच सृष्टिं स्रष्टुं गच्छ वत्स नाभिपद्मोद्भवो भव । महाविराड् लोमकूपे क्षुद्रस्य च विधे शृणु
"The Blessed Lord said: Go, child, be born from the lotus of the navel; O great Virāṭ, listen also about the lesser one arising from the pore of hair.
गच्छ वत्स महादेव ब्रह्मभालोद्भवो भव। अंशेन च महाभाग स्वयं च सुचिरं तप
Go, child, O Mahādeva, be born from the radiance of Brahmā; O highly fortunate one, perform austerity yourself for a long time, and also by a portion of yourself.
इत्युक्त्वा जगतां नाथो विरराम विधेः सुत। जगाम ब्रह्मा तं नत्वा शिवश्च शिवदायकः
Having thus spoken, the Lord of the worlds became silent; Brahmā, bowing to him, departed, and so did Śiva, the bestower of auspiciousness.