जनमेजयप्रश्नाः जनमेजय उवाच वासवेय मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वज्ञाननिधेऽनघ । प्रष्टुमिच्छाम्यहं स्वामिन्नस्माकं कुलवर्धन
janamejaya's questions Janamejaya said: O best of sages, descendant of Vāsava, faultless one, treasure of all knowledge, I wish to ask you, O master, O increaser of our lineage,
शूरसेनसुतः श्रीमान्वसुदेवः प्रतापवान् । श्रुतं मया हरिर्यस्य पुत्रभावमवाप्तवान्
The illustrious and mighty Vasudeva, son of Shurasena—of him I have heard that Hari became his son.
देवानामपि पूज्योऽभून्नाम्ना चानकदुन्दुभिः । कारागारे कथं बद्धः कंसस्य धर्मतत्परः
He became worthy of worship even by the gods and was called Anakadundubhi by name; how was he, devoted to righteousness, imprisoned by Kamsa?
देवक्या भार्यया सार्धं किमागः कृतवानसौ । देवक्या बालषट्कस्य विनाशश्च कृतः पुनः
What offense did he commit together with his wife Devaki? And why was the destruction of Devaki's six children carried out again?
तेन कंसेन कस्माद्वै ययातिकुलजेन च । कारागारे कथं जन्म वासुदेवस्य वै हरेः
For what reason by that Kamsa and also by one born in the line of Yayati was he imprisoned? And how did Vasudeva, the Lord Hari, take birth in prison?
गोकुले च कथं नीतो भगवान्सात्वतां पतिः । गतो जन्मान्तरं कस्मात्पितरौ निगडे स्थितौ
How was the Lord of the Sātvatas taken to Gokula? And for what reason did he change his birth? Why did his parents remain in chains?
देवकीवसुदेवौ च कृष्णस्यामिततेजसः । कथं न मोचितौ वृद्धौ पितरौ हरिणामुना
Why were Devaki and Vasudeva, the aged parents of Krishna of immeasurable splendor, not freed by that Hari?
जगत्कर्तुं समर्थेन स्थितेन जनकोदरे । प्राक्तनं किं तयोः कर्म दुर्विज्ञेयं महात्मभिः
Though capable of creating the world and abiding in the womb of his father, what previous karma did those two have, difficult for even the great to comprehend?
जन्म वै वासुदेवस्य यत्रासीत्परमात्मनः । के ते पुत्राश्च का बाला या कंसेन विपोथिता
Where did the birth of Vasudeva, the Supreme Self, take place? Who were his sons, who was the girl, and who was struck down by Kamsa?
शिलायां निर्गता व्योम्नि जाता त्वष्टभुजा पुनः । गार्हस्थ्यञ्च हरेर्ब्रूहि बहुभार्यस्य चानघ
Who was born from the stone, who appeared in the sky with eight arms? Tell also of Hari's household life and his many wives, O faultless one.
कार्याणि तत्र तान्येव देहत्यागं च तस्य वै । किंवदन्त्या श्रुतं यत्तन्मनो मोहयतीव मे
What deeds did he perform there, and also his giving up of the body? What is heard in the stories of the people that so bewilders my mind?
चरितं वासुदेवस्य त्वमाख्याहि यथातथम् । नरनारायणौ देवौ पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ
Tell me truly the life of Vasudeva. The divine Nara and Narayana, the ancient and best of sages—
धर्मपुत्रौ महात्मानौ तपश्चेरतुरुत्तमम् । यौ मुनी बहुवर्षाणि पुण्ये बदरिकाश्रमे
Those two great souls, sons of Dharma, performed supreme austerity for many years in the holy hermitage of Badarikā.
निराहारौ जितात्मानौ निःस्पृहौ जितषड्गुणौ । विष्णोरंशौ जगत्स्थेम्ने तपश्चेरतुरुत्तमम्
Fasting, self-controlled, free from desire, having conquered the six qualities, portions of Vishnu for the stability of the world, they performed supreme austerity.
तयोरंशावतारौ हि जिष्णुकृष्णौ महाबलौ । प्रसिद्धौ मुनिभिः प्रोक्तौ सर्वज्ञैर्नारदादिभिः
Indeed, the two mighty ones, Jiṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, are renowned as partial incarnations, as declared by sages and omniscient ones like Nārada.
विद्यमानशरीरौ तौ कथं देहान्तरं गतौ । नरनारायणौ देवौ पुनः कृष्णार्जुनौ कथम्
How did those two, possessing bodies, attain another form? How did the divine Nara and Nārāyaṇa again become Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna?
यौ चक्रतुस्तपश्चोग्रं मुक्त्यर्थं मुनिसत्तमौ । तौ कथं प्रापतुर्देहौ प्राप्तयोगौ महातपौ
Those two eminent sages, who performed intense austerities for liberation, how did they obtain bodies and achieve union, being great ascetics?
शूद्रः स्वधर्मनिष्ठस्तु देहान्ते क्षत्रियस्तु सः । शुभाचारो मृतो यो वै स शूद्रो ब्राह्मणो भवेत्
A Śūdra steadfast in his own duty becomes a Kṣatriya at the end of his life; one who dies with virtuous conduct, though a Śūdra, becomes a Brāhmaṇa.
ब्राह्मणो निःस्पृहः शान्तो भवरोगाद्विमुच्यते । विपरीतमिदं भाति नरनारायणौ च तौ
A Brāhmaṇa who is detached and peaceful is freed from the disease of worldly existence; yet, the opposite appears in the case of those two, Nara and Nārāyaṇa.
तपसा शोषितात्मानौ क्षत्रियौ तौ बभूवतुः । केन तौ कर्मणा शान्तौ जातौ शापेन वा पुनः
Those two, having exhausted themselves through austerity, became Kṣatriyas; by what action or curse did they become peaceful again?
ब्राह्मणौ क्षत्रियौ जातौ कारणं तन्मुने वद । यादवानां विनाशश्च ब्रह्मशापादिति श्रुतः
Tell me, O sage, the reason why Brāhmaṇas became Kṣatriyas; and the destruction of the Yādavas is heard to be due to Brahmā's curse.
कृष्णस्यापि हि गान्धार्याः शापेनैव कुलक्षयः । प्रद्युम्नहरणं चैव शम्बरेण कथं कृतम्
Even for Kṛṣṇa, the destruction of his lineage was caused by the curse of Gāndhārī; and how was the abduction of Pradyumna accomplished by Śambara?
वर्तमाने वासुदेवे देवदेवे जनार्दने । पुत्रस्य सूतिकागेहाद्धरणं चातिदुर्घटम्
While Vāsudeva, the god of gods, Janārdana, was present, the abduction of his son from the maternity chamber was exceedingly difficult.
द्वारकादुर्गमध्याद्वै हरिवेश्माद्दुरत्ययात् । न ज्ञातं वासुदेवेन तत्कथं दिव्यचक्षुषा
From the midst of the fortress of Dvārakā, from the impenetrable house of Hari, how was it not known by Vāsudeva, who possesses divine vision?
सन्देहोऽयं महान्ब्रह्मन्निसन्देहं कुरु प्रभो । यत्पत्न्यो वासुदेवस्य दस्युभिर्लुण्ठिता हृताः
This is a great doubt, O Brahman, dispel it completely, O Lord: how were the wives of Vāsudeva plundered and abducted by robbers?
स्वर्गते देवदेवे तु तत्कथं मुनिसत्तम । संशयो जायते ब्रह्मंश्चित्तान्दोलनकारकः
When the god of gods had ascended to heaven, how did this happen, O eminent sage? This doubt arises, O Brahman, causing disturbance of mind.
विष्णोरंशः समुद्भूतः शौरिर्भूभारहारकृत् । स कथं मथुराराज्यं भयात्त्यक्त्वा जनार्दनः
Śauri, who arose as a portion of Viṣṇu and removed the burden of the earth, how did Janārdana abandon the kingdom of Mathurā out of fear?
द्वारवत्यां गतः साधो ससैन्यः ससुहृद्गणः । अवतारो हरेः प्रोक्तो भूभारहरणाय वै
He went to Dvāravatī, O holy one, with his army and circle of friends; the descent of Hari is said to be for the removal of the earth's burden.
पापात्मनां विनाशाय धर्मसंस्थापनाय च । तत्कथं वासुदेवेन चौरास्ते न निपातिताः
For the destruction of the wicked and the establishment of righteousness, how is it that Vāsudeva did not slay those thieves?
यैर्हृता वासुदेवस्य पत्न्यः संलुण्ठिताश्च ताः । स्तेनास्ते किं न विज्ञाताः सर्वज्ञेन सता पुनः
By whom were Vāsudeva's wives abducted and plundered? Why were those thieves not recognized by the omniscient one, again and again?