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.
अविज्ञाय परं तत्त्वं कुतः शान्तिः परन्तप । विकीर्णं बहुधा चित्तं नैकत्र स्थिरतां व्रजेत्
Without knowing the supreme truth, how can there be peace, O scorcher of foes? The mind, scattered in many ways, does not attain steadiness in one place.
कं स्मरामि यजे कं वा कं व्रजाम्यर्चयामि कम् । स्तौमि कं नाभिजानामि देव सर्वेश्वरेश्वरम्
Whom do I remember, whom do I worship, whom do I approach, whom do I honor? Whom do I praise? I do not know, O Lord, the Lord of all lords.
ततो मां प्रत्युवाचेदं ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । मया सत्यवतीसूनो कृते प्रश्ने सुदुस्तरे
Then Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, replied to me: O son of Satyavatī, you have asked a question that is extremely difficult.
ब्रह्मोवाच किं ब्रवीमि सुताद्याहं दुर्बोधं प्रश्नमुत्तमम् । त्वयाशक्यं महाभाग विष्णोरपि सुनिश्चयात्
Brahmā said: What shall I say, O child? You have asked an excellent question that is hard to comprehend. Even you, O most fortunate one, and certainly Viṣṇu, cannot answer it with certainty.
रागी कोऽपि न जानाति संसारेऽस्मिन्महामते । विरक्तश्च विजानाति निरीहो यो विमत्सरः
No one who is attached knows in this world, O wise one; but the detached, free from desire and envy, do know.
एकार्णवे पुरा जाते नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे भूतमात्रे समुत्पन्ने सञ्जज्ञे कमलादहम्
Long ago, when the single ocean arose and all that was movable and immovable was destroyed, only the elements remained, and I was born from the lotus.
नापश्यं तरणिं सोमं न वृक्षान्न च पर्वतान् । कर्णिकायां समाविष्टश्चिन्तामकरवं तदा
I did not see the sun, the moon, trees, or mountains. Seated in the lotus's core, I began to ponder.
कस्मादहं समुद्भूतः सलिलेऽस्मिन्महार्णवे । को मे त्राता प्रभुः कर्ता संहर्ता वा युगात्यये
Why have I arisen in this vast ocean? Who is my protector, master, creator, or destroyer at the end of the age?
न च भूर्विद्यते स्पष्टा यदाधारं जलं त्विदम् । पङ्कजं कथमुत्पन्नं प्रसिद्धं रूढियोगयोः
Nor was the earth clearly visible, as water was its foundation. How did the lotus, renowned for its union of mud and growth, arise?
पश्याम्यद्यास्य पङ्कं तं मूलं वै पङ्कजस्य च । भविष्यति धरा तत्र मूलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः
Today I see its mud and the root of the lotus. The earth will be there at its root, there is no doubt.