यज्ञाधीशं सुराधीशं त्रिलोकेशं शचीपतिम् । यज्ञानां चैव भोक्तारं सोमपं सोमपप्रियम्
Lord of sacrifice, lord of the gods, lord of the three worlds, husband of Śacī, the enjoyer of sacrifices, drinker of soma, beloved of soma.
वरुणं च तथा सोमं पावकं पवनं तथा । यमं कुबेरं धनदं गणाधीशं तथापरे
Others worship Varuṇa, Soma, Agni, Vāyu, Yama, Kubera the giver of wealth, and Gaṇeśa as well.
हेरम्बं गजवक्त्रं च सर्वकार्यप्रसाधकम् । स्मरणात्सिद्धिदं कामं कामदं कामगं परम्
Heramba, the elephant-faced one, fulfiller of all tasks, bestower of success by remembrance, giver of desires, supreme among those who grant wishes.
भवानीं केचनाचार्याः प्रवदन्त्यखिलार्थदाम् । आदिमायां महाशक्तिं प्रकृतिं पुरुषानुगाम्
Some teachers declare Bhavānī as the giver of all aims, the primordial Māyā, the great power, Prakṛti, following Puruṣa.
ब्रह्मैकतासमापन्नां सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारिणीम् । मातरं सर्वभूतानां देवतानां तथैव च
United with Brahman, she is the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction, the mother of all beings and of the gods as well.
अनादिनिधनां पूर्णां व्यापिकां सर्वजन्तुषु । ईश्वरीं सर्वलोकानां निर्गुणां सगुणां शिवाम्
Beginningless and endless, complete, pervading all creatures, the sovereign of all worlds, without qualities, with qualities, and auspicious.
वैष्णवीं शाङ्करीं ब्राह्मीं वासवीं वारुणीं तथा । वाराहीं नारसिंहीं च महालक्ष्मीं तथाद्भुताम्
The Vaiṣṇavī, Śāṅkarī, Brāhmī, Vāsavī, Vāruṇī, Vārāhī, Nārasiṃhī, and the wondrous Mahālakṣmī—
वेदमातरमेकां च विद्यां भवतरोः स्थिराम् । सर्वदुःखनिहन्त्रीं च स्मरणात्सर्वकामदाम्
And the one who is the Mother of the Vedas, the knowledge steadfast as the tree of existence, the destroyer of all suffering, and the fulfiller of all desires by remembrance—
मोक्षदां च मुमुक्षूणां कामदां च फलार्थिनाम् । त्रिगुणातीतरूपां च गुणविस्तारकारकाम्
The giver of liberation to those who seek it, the granter of wishes to those who desire results, whose form transcends the three guṇas, and who is the cause of the expansion of the guṇas—
निर्गुणां सगुणां तस्मात्तां ध्यायन्ति फलार्थिनः । निरंजनं निराकारं निर्लेपं निर्गुणं किल
Both without qualities and with qualities, therefore those who seek results meditate upon her; truly, she is stainless, formless, untouched, and without qualities.
अरूपं व्यापकं ब्रह्म प्रवदन्ति मुनीश्वराः । वेदोपनिषदि प्रोक्तस्तेजोमय इति क्वचित्
The great sages declare that Brahman is formless, all-pervading; in the Vedas and Upaniṣads it is sometimes described as composed of light.
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्रनयनस्तथा । सहस्रकरकर्णश्च सहस्रास्यः सहस्रपात्
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand hands and ears, a thousand faces, and a thousand feet.
विष्णोः पादमथाकाशं परमं समुदाहृतम् । विराजं विरजं शान्तं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
The supreme space is said to be the foot of Viṣṇu; the wise declare it to be pure, stainless, and peaceful.
पुरुषोत्तमं तथा चान्ये प्रवदन्ति पुराविदः । नैकोऽपीति वदन्त्यन्ये प्रभुरीशः कदाचन
Others, learned in the ancient lore, call him the Supreme Person; yet others say he is not one alone, but is ever the Lord and Master.
अनीश्वरमिदं सर्वं ब्रह्माण्डमिति केचन । न कदापीशजन्यं यज्जगदेतदचिन्तितम्
Some say this entire universe is without a Lord, not at any time created by a master, and that this world is inconceivable.
सदैवेदमनीशं च स्वभावोत्थं सदेदृशम् । अकर्तासौ पुमान्प्रोक्तः प्रकृतिस्तु तथा च सा
This is always said to be without a Lord, arising from its own nature, ever thus; he is called the non-agent man, and she is said to be Prakṛti.
एवं वदन्ति साङ्ख्याश्च मुनयः कपिलादयः । एते सन्देहसन्दोहाः प्रभवन्ति तथाऽपरे
Thus speak the Sāṅkhya sages, such as Kapila; and from these, many doubts and uncertainties arise.
विकल्पोपहतं चेतः किं करोमि मुनीश्वर । धर्माधर्मविवक्षायां न मनो मे स्थिरं भवेत्
My mind, afflicted by these alternatives, O great sage, cannot remain steady regarding the distinction between dharma and adharma.
को धर्मः कीदृशोऽधर्मश्चिह्नं नैवोपलभ्यते । देवाः सत्त्वगुणोत्पन्नाः सत्यधर्मव्यवस्थिताः
What is dharma, and what is adharma? No clear mark is found. The gods, born of the quality of sattva, are established in truth and righteousness.
पीड्यन्ते दानवैः पापैः कुत्र धर्मव्यवस्थितिः । धर्मस्थिताः सदाचाराः पाण्डवा मम वंशजाः
Yet they are oppressed by wicked Dānavas; where, then, is the order of dharma? The Pāṇḍavas, my descendants, established in dharma and good conduct—
दुःखं बहुविधं प्राप्तास्तत्र धर्मस्य का स्थितिः । अतो मे हृदयं तात वेपतेऽतीव संशये
They have encountered much suffering; what, then, is the state of dharma there? Therefore, my heart, dear one, trembles greatly in doubt.
कुरु मेऽसंशयं चेतः समर्थोऽसि महामुने । त्राहि संसारवार्धेस्त्वं ज्ञानपोतेन मां मुने
Make my mind free from doubt, for you are capable, great sage; save me from the ocean of worldly existence with the boat of knowledge, O sage.
मज्जन्तं चोत्पतन्तं च मग्नं मोहजलाविले
As I sink, rise, and am submerged in the muddy waters of delusion—
ब्रह्मादीनाङ्गतिवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच यत्त्वया च महाबाहो पृष्टोऽहं कुरुसत्तम । तान्प्रश्नान्नारदः प्राह मया पृष्टो मुनीश्वरः
Description of the fate of Brahmā and others. Vyāsa said: O mighty-armed one, what you have asked me, best of the Kurus, those questions Nārada answered when I, the great sage, had asked him.
नारद उवाच व्यास किं ते ब्रवीम्यद्य पुराऽयं संशयो मम । उत्पन्नो हृदयेऽत्यर्थं संदेहासारपीडितः
Nārada said: Vyāsa, what shall I tell you today? Long ago, this doubt arose in my heart, and I was greatly troubled by uncertainty.
गत्वाऽहं पितरं स्थाने ब्रह्माणममितौजसम् । अपृच्छं यत्त्वया पृष्टं व्यासाद्य प्रश्नमुत्तमम्
I went to my father, Brahmā of immeasurable brilliance, and asked him the excellent question that you have now posed, Vyāsa.
पितः कुतः समुत्पन्नं ब्रह्माण्डमखिलं विभो । भवत्कृतेन वा सम्यक् किं वा विष्णुकृतं त्विदम्
Father, from where did the entire universe arise, O Lord? Was it created by you, or is it truly the work of Viṣṇu?
रुद्रकृतं वा विश्वात्मन् ब्रूहि सत्यं जगत्पते । आराधनीयः कः कामं सर्वोत्कृष्टश्च कः प्रभुः
Or was it made by Rudra, O Soul of the Universe? Tell me the truth, O Lord of the world. Who should be worshipped, who is the highest master?
तत्सर्वं वद मे ब्रह्मन्सन्देहांश्छिन्धि चानघ । निमग्नो ह्यस्मि संसारे दुःखरूपेऽनृतोपमे
Tell me all this, O Brahman, and dispel my doubts, O sinless one. I am immersed in the world, which is full of suffering and resembles falsehood.
सन्देहान्दोलितं चेतो न प्रशाम्यति कुत्रचित् । न तीर्थेषु न देवेषु साधनेष्वितरेषु च
My mind, shaken by doubt, finds no peace anywhere—not at holy places, not among the gods, nor in other practices.