दैत्यैरसुरसङ्घैश्च समाकीर्णां भयाकुलाम् । विषमोपप्लवां पुत्रबन्धुहीनां च कुत्रचित्
He saw it filled with hosts of demons and asuras, overwhelmed by fear, afflicted by calamities, and in some places bereft of sons and relatives.
पितृमातृकलत्रादिविहीनामतिचञ्चलाम् । शत्रुग्रस्तां च तां दृष्ट्वा जगाम वाक्पतिं प्रति
Deprived of father, mother, wife, and others, exceedingly unstable, seized by enemies—seeing her thus, he went to the Lord of Speech.
शक्रो मन्दाकिनीतीरे ददर्श गुरुमीश्वरम् । ध्यायमानं परं ब्रह्म गङ्गातोये स्थितं परम्
On the bank of the Mandakini, Shakra saw his guru, the Lord, absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Brahman, standing in the waters of the Ganga, transcendent.
सूर्याभिसम्मुखं पूर्वमुखं च विश्वतोमुखम् । साश्रुनेत्रं पुलकिनं परमानन्दसंयुतम्
Facing the sun, facing east, facing all directions, his eyes filled with tears, his body thrilled, united with supreme bliss.
वरिष्ठं च गरिष्ठं च धर्मिष्ठं श्रेष्ठसेवितम् । प्रेष्ठं च बन्धुवर्गाणामतिश्रेष्ठं च ज्ञानिनाम्
Most excellent, most venerable, most righteous, served by the best, dearest to his kin, and supreme among the wise.
ज्येष्ठं च भ्रातृवर्गाणामनिष्टं सुरवैरिणाम् । दृष्ट्वा गुरुं जपन्तं च तत्र तस्थौ सुरेश्वरः
Eldest among his brothers, unwelcome to the enemies of the gods; seeing his guru reciting mantras, the Lord of the gods stood there.
प्रहरान्ते गुरुं दृष्ट्वा चोत्थितं प्रणनाम सः । प्रणम्य चरणाम्भोजे रुरोदोच्चैर्मुहुर्मुहुः
At the end of the day, seeing his guru rise, he bowed down; bowing at his lotus feet, he wept aloud again and again.
वृत्तान्तं कथयामास ब्रह्मशापादिकं तथा । पुनर्वरोपलब्धिं च ज्ञानप्राप्तिं सुदुर्लभाम्
He recounted the events, including Brahma's curse, and also the regaining of his boon and the attainment of knowledge, which is most rare.
वैरिग्रस्तां च स्वपुरीं क्रमेणैव सुरेश्वरः । शिष्यस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा सुबुद्धिर्वदतां वरः
Hearing his disciple's words, the wise lord of the gods, best among speakers, gradually returned to his own city, now seized by the enemy.
बृहस्पतिरुवाचेदं कोपसंरक्तलोचनः । गुरुरुवाच श्रुतं सर्वं सुरश्रेष्ठ मा रोदीर्वचनं शृणु
With eyes reddened by anger, Brihaspati, the revered teacher, spoke these words: 'All has been heard, O best of gods; do not weep, but listen to my words.'
न कातरो हि नीतिज्ञो विपत्तौ च कदाचन । सम्पत्तिर्वा विपत्तिर्वा नश्वरा श्रमरूपिणी
One who knows policy is never fearful in adversity; both prosperity and misfortune are transient and bring toil.
पूर्वस्य कर्मायत्ता च स्वयं कर्ता तयोरपि । सर्वेषां च भवत्येव शश्वज्जन्मनि जन्मनि
Both are dependent on previous actions, though one acts for oneself in each; for all beings, in every birth, this is always so.
चक्रनेमिक्रमेणैव तत्र का परिदेवना । उक्तं हि स्वकृतं कर्म भुज्यतेऽखिलभारते
Just as the rim of a wheel turns in order, what cause is there for lamentation? It is said in the great Bharata that one must experience the results of one's own deeds.
शुभाशुभं च यत्किञ्चित्स्वकर्मफलभुक् पुमान् । नाभुक्तं क्षीयते कर्म कल्पकोटिशतैरपि
Whatever is auspicious or inauspicious, a person must enjoy the fruit of their own actions; karma does not perish without being experienced, even in hundreds of millions of aeons.
अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम् । इत्येवमुक्तं वेदे च कृष्णेन परमात्मना
One must certainly experience the results of good and bad actions performed; thus it is declared in the Veda by Krishna, the Supreme Self.
सामवेदोक्तशाखायां सम्बोध्य कमलोद्भवम् । जन्मभोगावशेषे च सर्वेषां कृतकर्मणाम्
In the branch of the Sama Veda, addressing the lotus-born one, it is said that all beings must experience, according to their actions, the remainder of birth and enjoyment.
अनुरूपं हि तेषां च भारतेऽन्यत्र चैव हि । कर्मणा ब्रह्मशापं च कर्मणा च शुभाशिषम्
Accordingly, both in Bharata and elsewhere, by action one receives the curse of Brahma or a blessing.
कर्मणा च महालक्ष्मीं लभेद्दैन्यं च कर्मणा । कोटिजन्मार्जितं कर्म जीविनामनुगच्छति
By action one attains Mahalakshmi, and by action, poverty; the karma accumulated over millions of births follows living beings.
न हि त्यजेद्विना भोगं तच्छायेव पुरन्दर । कालभेदे देशभेदे पात्रभेदे च कर्मणाम्
It does not leave without being experienced, O Purandara, just like a shadow; with differences of time, place, and recipient, there is also difference in the results of actions.
न्यूनताधिकभावोऽपि भवेदेव हि कर्मणा । वस्तुदानेन वस्तूनां समं पुण्यं दिने दिने
Even increase or decrease in the result arises from action; by giving objects, the merit is equal each day.
दिनभेदे कोटिगुणमसंख्यं वा ततोऽधिकम् । समे देशे च वस्तूनां दाने पुण्यं समं सुर
On different days, the merit may be a crore-fold or countless times greater; but in the same place, the merit of giving objects is equal, O god.
देशभेदे कोटिगुणमसंख्यं वा ततोऽधिकम् । समे पात्रे समं पुण्यं वस्तूनां कर्तुरेव च
With difference of place, the merit may be a crore-fold or countless times greater; with the same recipient, the merit for the giver is equal.
पात्रभेदे शतगुणमसंख्यं वा ततोऽधिकम् । यथा फलन्ति सस्यानि न्यूनान्यप्यधिकानि च
With difference of recipient, the merit may be a hundredfold or countless times greater; just as crops yield more or less for farmers, depending on the field and the recipient.
कर्षकाणां क्षेत्रभेदे पात्रभेदे फलं तथा । सामान्यदिवसे विप्रदानं समफलं भवेत्
So too, with difference of field and recipient, the result varies; on an ordinary day, giving to a Brahmin yields equal fruit.
अमायां रविसंक्रान्त्यां फलं शतगुणं भवेत् । चातुर्मास्यां पौर्णमास्यामनन्तं फलमेव च
On the new moon or at the sun's transit, the fruit becomes a hundredfold; at the four-monthly sacrifice or on the full moon, the fruit is infinite.
ग्रहणे शशिनः कोटिगुणं च फलमेव च । सूर्यस्य ग्रहणे वापि ततो दशगुणं भवेत्
At a lunar eclipse, the fruit is a crore-fold; at a solar eclipse, the fruit is ten times greater than that.
अक्षयायामक्षयं तदसंख्यं फलमुच्यते । एवमन्यत्र पुण्याहे फलाधिक्यं भवेदिति
For that which is imperishable, the fruit is said to be inexhaustible and countless; likewise, on other auspicious days, the merit is even greater.
यथा दाने तथा स्नाने जपेऽन्यपुण्यकर्मसु । एवं सर्वत्र बोद्धव्यं नराणां कर्मणां फलम्
Just as with giving, so too with bathing, recitation, and other virtuous acts; thus, everywhere, one should understand the results of human actions.
यथा दण्डेन चक्रेण शरावेण भ्रमेण च । कुम्भं निर्माति निर्माता कुम्भकारो मृदा भुवि
Just as a potter fashions a pot from clay on the earth, using a stick, a wheel, a bowl, and rotation—
तथैव कर्मसूत्रेण फलं धाता ददाति च । यस्याज्ञया सृष्टमिदं तं च नारायणं भज
In the same way, the Giver bestows the fruit through the thread of action; worship that Nārāyaṇa by whose command this world was created.