इति प्राप्य वरं शंभोर्महर्षिर्जगदम्बिकाम् । वरदानोन्मुखीं देवीं प्रणनाम महेश्वरीम्
Having thus obtained the boon from Śambhu, the great sage bowed to Jagadambikā, to the goddess Maheśvarī, who was ready to grant boons.
कोटिचंद्रकलाकान्तिं सुस्मितां परिपूज्य च । तुष्टाव भक्त्या सततमिलायाः पुंस्त्वकाम्यया
He worshipped her, radiant as millions of moonbeams, smiling beautifully, and praised her always with devotion, desiring manhood from Ilā.
जय देवि महादेवि भक्तानुग्रहकारिणि । जय सर्वसुराराध्ये जयानंतगुणालये
Victory to you, O goddess, great goddess, bestower of grace to devotees! Victory to you, worshipped by all the gods, abode of endless virtues!
नमो नमस्ते देवेशि शरणागतवत्सले । जय दुर्गे दु:खहंत्रि दुष्टदैत्यनिषूदिनि
Salutations again and again to you, O queen of the gods, who is affectionate to those who seek refuge. Victory to you, Durgā, remover of suffering, destroyer of wicked demons!
भक्तिगम्ये महामाये नमस्ते जगदम्बिके । संसारसागरोत्तारपोतीभूतपदाम्बुजे
Accessible through devotion, great Māyā, salutations to you, O mother of the universe, whose lotus feet are the boat that carries beings across the ocean of worldly existence.
ब्रह्मादयोऽपि विबुधास्त्वत्पादांबुजसेवया । विश्वसर्गस्थितिलयप्रभुत्वं समवाप्नुयुः
Even Brahmā and the other gods, by serving your lotus feet, attain lordship over creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe.
प्रसन्ना भव देवेशि चतुर्वर्गप्रदायिनि । कस्त्वां स्तोतुं क्षमो देवि केवलं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम्
Be gracious, O queen of the gods, giver of the four aims of life; who is able to praise you, O goddess? I am only one who bows before you.
एवं स्तुता भगवती दुर्गा नारायणी परा । भक्त्या वसिष्ठमुनिना प्रसन्ना तत्क्षणादभूत्
Thus praised by the sage Vasiṣṭha with devotion, the supreme goddess Durgā Nārāyaṇī was immediately pleased.
तदोवाच महादेवी प्रणतार्तिहरी मुनिम् । सुद्युम्नभवनं गत्वा कुरु भक्त्या मदर्चनम्
Then the great goddess, remover of the distress of those who bow to her, spoke to the sage: 'Go to the house of Sudyumna and worship me with devotion.'
सुद्युम्नं श्रावय प्रीत्या पुराणं मत्प्रियंकरम् । देवीभागवतं नाम नवाहोभिर्द्विजोत्तम
'Recite to Sudyumna with affection the Purāṇa dear to me, called the Devī Bhāgavata, over nine days, O best of twice-born.'
श्रवणादेव सततं पुंस्त्वमस्य भविष्यति । इत्युक्त्वा च तिरोधानं गच्छतःस्म शिवेश्वरौ
Simply by hearing, he will regain manhood always—so spoke Śiva and Pārvatī, and then they vanished from sight.
वसिष्ठस्तां दिशं नत्वा समागत्याश्रमं निजम् । समाहूय च सुद्युम्नं देव्याराधनमादिशत्
Vasiṣṭha, bowing in that direction, returned to his own hermitage, and, summoning Sudyumna, instructed him to worship the Goddess.
आश्विनस्य सिते पक्षे संपूज्य जगदंबिकाम् । नवरात्रविधानेन श्रावयामास भूपतिम्
In the bright fortnight of Āśvina, he worshipped the Mother of the Universe according to the rite of Navarātra, and had the king listen to it.
श्रुत्वा भक्त्यापि सुद्युम्नः श्रीमद्भागवतामृतम् । प्रणम्याभ्यर्च्य च गुरुं लेभे पुंस्त्वं निरंतरम्
Sudyumna, hearing the divine nectar of the Bhāgavata with devotion, bowed and worshipped his guru, and obtained uninterrupted manhood.
राज्यासनेऽभिषिक्तस्तु वसिष्ठेन महर्षिणा । भुवं शशास धर्मेण प्रजाश्चैवानुरंजयन्
Consecrated on the royal throne by the great sage Vasiṣṭha, he ruled the earth righteously, delighting his subjects.
ईजे च विविधैर्यज्ञैः संपूर्णवरदक्षिणैः । पुत्रेषु राज्यं संदिश्य प्राप देव्याः सलोकताम्
He performed various sacrifices with abundant gifts, entrusted the kingdom to his sons, and attained the same world as the Goddess.
इति कथितमशेषं सेतिहासं च विप्रा यदि पठति सुभक्त्या मानवो वा शृणोति । स इह सकलकामान्प्राप्य देव्याः प्रसादात्परममृतमथान्ते याति देव्याः सलोकम्
Thus, O brāhmaṇas, whoever reads or hears this entire story with devotion, attains all desires here by the grace of the Goddess, and at the end reaches her world and the supreme nectar.
अथ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः सूत उवाच। इति श्रुत्वा कथां दिव्यां विचित्रां कुंभसंभवः । शुश्रूषुः पुनराहेदं विशाखं विनयान्वितः
Sūta said: Having heard this wondrous and divine tale, Kumbhasaṃbhava, eager to listen further, humbly addressed Viśākha again.
अगस्त्य उवाच। देवसेनापते . देव विचित्रेयं श्रुता कथा । पुनरन्यच्च माहात्म्यं वद भागवतस्य मे
Agastya said: O commander of the gods, I have heard this marvelous story; now tell me further about the greatness of the Bhāgavata.
स्कन्द उवाच। मित्रावरुणसंभूत मुने शृणु कथामिमाम् । यत्रैकदेश महिमा प्रोक्ता भागवतस्य तु
Skanda said: O sage, listen to this story, born from Mitra and Varuṇa, in which a portion of the glory of the Bhāgavata is told.
वर्ण्यते धर्मविस्तारो गायत्रीमधिकृत्य च । गायत्र्या महिमा यत्र तद्भागवतमिष्यते
Here is described the expanse of dharma, centering on the Gāyatrī; the greatness of Gāyatrī is recounted, and that is considered Bhāgavata.
भगवत्या इदं यस्मात्तस्माद्भागवतं विदुः । ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाराध्या परा भगवती हि सा
Because this belongs to the Goddess, it is known as Bhāgavata; for she, the supreme Goddess, is worshipped by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva.
ऋतवागिति विख्यातो मुनिरासीन्महामतिः । तस्य पुत्रोऽभवत्काले गण्डान्ते पौष्णभान्तिमे
A sage of great wisdom named Ṛtavāk was renowned; in due time, he had a son at the end of Pauṣṇa.
स तस्य जातकर्मादि क्रियाश्चक्रे यथाविधि । चूडोपनयनादींश्च संस्कारानपि सोऽकरोत्
He performed for him the birth rites and other ceremonies as prescribed, and also the rituals such as tonsure and initiation.
यत आरभ्य जातोऽसौ पुत्रस्तस्य महात्मनः । तत एवाथ स मुनिः शोकरोगाकुलोऽभवत्
From the time that son was born to that great-souled sage, the sage became afflicted with grief and illness.
रोषलोभपरीतात्मा तथा मातापि तस्य च । बहुरागार्दिता नित्यं शुचा दुःखीकृता भृशम्
His mind, and likewise the mother’s, became overwhelmed by anger and greed; she, filled with many attachments, was constantly distressed and deeply sorrowful.
ऋतवाक्स मुनिश्चिन्तामवाप भृशदुःखितः । किमेततत्कारणं जातं पुत्रो मेऽत्यंतदुर्मतिः
The sage Ṛtavāk, greatly troubled, fell into anxiety: 'Why has my son become so utterly wicked?'
कस्यचिन्मुनिपुत्रस्य बलात्पत्नीं जहार च । मेने शिक्षां पितुर्नासौ न च मातुर्विमूढधीः
By force, he abducted the wife of another sage’s son; he paid no heed to his father’s teaching, nor to his mother’s, his mind deluded.
ततो विषण्णचित्तस्तु ऋतवागब्रवीदिदम् । अपुत्रता वरं नॄणां न कदाचित्कुपुत्रता
Then, with a heart full of sorrow, Ṛtavāk spoke these words: For men, it is better to have no son at all than to have a wicked son.
पितॄन्कुपुत्रः स्वर्यातान्निरये पातयत्यपि । यावज्जीवेत्सदा पित्रोः केवलं दुःखदायकः
An evil son causes his ancestors to fall from heaven into hell; as long as he lives, he brings only suffering to his parents.