ब्रह्मादयः सुराः सर्वे यदाराधनतत्पराः । वर्तन्ते सर्वदा राजंस्तां न सेवेत को जनः
O King, all the gods beginning with Brahma are always intent on worshipping her; who then would not serve her?
य इदं शृणुयान्नित्यं सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात् । भगवत्या समाख्यातं विष्णवे यदनुत्तमम्
Whoever listens to this daily, which has been perfectly declared by the Goddess to Vishnu, attains all desires.
तेन श्रुतेन ते राजंश्चित्ते शान्तिर्भविष्यति । पितॄणां चाक्षयः स्वर्गः पुराणश्रवणाद्भवेत्
By hearing this, O King, peace will arise in your mind; and by hearing this Purana, your ancestors will gain undiminishing heaven.
भुवनेश्वरीवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच - भगवन् भवता प्रोक्तं यज्ञमम्बाभिधं महत् । सा का कथं समुत्पन्ना कुत्र कस्माच्च किंगुणा
Janamejaya said: O Lord, you have spoken of the great sacrifice called Ambā; who is she, how did she arise, where, for what reason, and with what qualities?
कीदृशश्च मखस्तस्याः स्वरूपं कीदृशं तथा । विधानं विधिवद्ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञोऽसि दयानिधे
And what is the nature of her sacrifice, what is its true form? Tell me the proper procedure, O all-knowing, ocean of compassion.
ब्रह्माण्डस्य तथोत्पत्तिं वद विस्तरतस्तथा । यथोक्तं यादृशं ब्रह्मन्नखिलं वेत्सि भूसुर
Also, describe in detail the origin of the universe, as it has been said, and as you know it entirely, O best of the twice-born.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च त्रयो देवा मया श्रुताः । सृष्टिपालनसंहारकारकाः सगुणास्त्वमी
I have heard of three gods—Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra—who are endowed with qualities and perform creation, preservation, and destruction.
स्वतन्त्रास्ते महात्मानः पाराशर्य वदस्व मे । आहोस्वित्परतन्त्रास्ते श्रोतुमिच्छामि साम्प्रतम्
Are those great souls independent, O descendant of Parāśara? Or are they dependent on another? I wish to hear this now.
मृत्युधर्माश्च ते नो वा सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणः । अधिभूतादिभिर्युक्ता न वा दुःखैस्त्रिधात्मकैः
Are they subject to death and fate, or are they of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss? Are they connected with the elements and so on, or not afflicted by the threefold miseries?
कालस्य वशगा नो वा ते सुरेंद्रा महाबलाः । कथं ते वै समुत्पन्ना कस्मादिति च संशयः
Are those mighty lords of the gods under the control of time, or not? How did they arise, and for what reason? This is my doubt.
हर्षशोकयुतास्ते वै निद्रालस्यसमन्विताः । सप्तधातुमयास्तेषां देहाः किं वान्यथा मुने
Are they subject to joy and sorrow, joined with sleep and laziness? Are their bodies composed of the seven elements, or otherwise, O sage?
कैर्द्रव्यैर्निर्मितास्ते वै कैर्गुणैरिन्द्रियैस्तथा । भोगश्च कीदृशस्तेषां प्रमाणमायुषस्तथा
Of what substances are they made, with what qualities and senses? What is their enjoyment, and what is the measure of their lifespan?
निवासस्थानमप्येषां विभूतिं च वदस्व मे । श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं ब्रह्मन् विस्तरेण कथामिमाम्
Tell me also their places of residence and their powers; I wish to hear this story from you in detail, O Brahman.
व्यास उवाच - दुर्गमः प्रश्नभारोऽयं कृतो राजंस्त्वयाऽधुना । ब्रह्मादीनां समुत्पत्तिः कस्मादिति महामते
Vyasa said: O King, you have now put forth a difficult question—the origin of Brahma and the others, and for what reason, O wise one.
एतदेव मया पूर्वं पृष्टोऽसौ नारदो मुनिः । विस्मितः प्रत्युवाचेदमुत्थितः शृणु भूपते
This very question was once asked by me to the sage Narada; astonished, he replied after rising—listen, O King.
कस्मिंश्च समये चाहं गङ्गातीरे स्थितं मुनिम् । अपश्यं नारदं शान्तं सर्वज्ञं वेदवित्तमम्
Once, at a certain time, I saw the tranquil sage Narada, knower of all, best versed in the Vedas, standing on the bank of the Ganga.
दृष्ट्वाहं मुदितो भूत्वा पादयोरपतं मुनेः । तेजाज्ञप्तः समीपेऽस्य संविष्टश्च वरासने
Seeing him, I became joyful and fell at the feet of the sage; instructed by his command, I sat nearby on a noble seat.
श्रुत्वा कुशलवार्तां वै तमपृच्छं विधेः सुतम् । निर्विष्टं जाह्नवीतीरे निर्जने सूक्ष्मवालुके
After hearing words of well-being, I questioned him, the son of Brahma, who was absorbed on the solitary, fine-sanded bank of the Jahnavi.
मुनेऽतिविततस्यास्य ब्रह्माण्डस्य महामते । कः कर्ता परमः प्रोक्तस्तन्मे ब्रूहि विधानतः
O wise sage, in this vast universe, who is declared to be the supreme creator? Tell me this in detail.
कस्मादेतत्समुत्पन्नं ब्रह्माण्डं मुनिसत्तम । अनित्यं वा तथा नित्यं तदाचक्ष्व द्विजोत्तम
O best of sages, from what did this universe arise? Is it impermanent or eternal? Please explain this, O foremost of the twice-born.
एककर्तृकमेतद्वा बहुकर्तृकमन्यथा । अकर्तृकं न कार्यं स्याद्विरोधोऽयं विभाति मे
Is this the work of a single creator, or of many creators, or otherwise? If there is no creator, then there can be no effect; this contradiction appears to me.
इति सन्देहसन्दोहे मग्नं मां तारयाधुना । विकल्पकोटीः कृर्वाणं संसारेऽस्मिन् प्रविस्तरे
Thus, immersed in a multitude of doubts, lift me up now, as I am caught in endless alternatives in this vast world.
ब्रुवन्ति शंकरं केचिन्मत्वा कारणकारणम् । सदाशिवं महादेवं प्रलयोत्पत्तिवर्जितम्
Some say that Śaṅkara is the cause of causes—Sadāśiva, the great god, free from creation and dissolution.
आत्मारामं सुरेशं च त्रिगुणं निर्मलं हरम् । संसारतारकं नित्यं सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारणम्
He is self-content, lord of the gods, of three qualities, pure, the remover; the savior from worldly existence, eternal, the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction.
अन्ये विष्णुं स्तुवन्त्येनं सर्वेषां प्रभुमीश्वरम् । परमात्मानमव्यक्तं सर्वशक्तिसमन्वितम्
Others praise Viṣṇu as the lord and master of all, the supreme self, unmanifest, endowed with all powers.
भुक्तिदं मुक्तिदं शान्तं सर्वादिं सर्वतोमुखम् । व्यापकं विश्वशरणमनादिनिधनं हरिम्
He grants enjoyment and liberation, is peaceful, the origin of all, facing all directions, all-pervading, the refuge of the universe, without beginning or end—Hari.
धातारं च तथा चान्ये ब्रुवन्ति सृष्टिकारणम् । तमेव सर्ववेत्तारं सर्वभूतप्रवर्तकम्
Others declare the creator as the cause of creation, the knower of all, the mover of all beings.
चतुर्मुखं सुरेशानं नाभिपद्मभवं विभुम् । स्रष्टारं सर्वलोकानां सत्यलोकनिवासिनम्
The four-faced lord of the gods, born from the lotus of the navel, the mighty one, creator of all worlds, dwelling in the world of truth.
दिनेशं प्रवदन्त्यन्ये सर्वेशं वेदवादिनः । स्तुवन्ति चैव गायन्ति सायं प्रातरतन्द्रिताः
Others speak of the sun as the lord of all, as declared by the Vedic teachers; they praise and sing of him, tirelessly, evening and morning.
यजन्ति च तथा यज्ञे वासवं च शतक्रतुम् । सहस्राक्षं देवदेवं सर्वेषां प्रभुमुल्बणम्
Likewise, in sacrifices, they worship Vāsava, the thousand-eyed Indra, god of gods, the powerful lord of all.