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?
भीष्मद्रोणवधः कामं भूभारहरणे मतः । अर्चिताश्च महात्मानः पाण्डवा धर्मतत्पराः
The killing of Bhīṣma and Droṇa is indeed considered as removal of the earth's burden; and the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, devoted to righteousness, were honored.
कृष्णभक्ताः सदाचारा युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमाः । ते कृत्वा राजसूयञ्च यज्ञराजं विधानतः
The followers of Kṛṣṇa, of virtuous conduct, led by Yudhiṣṭhira, performed the Rājasūya and the king of sacrifices according to the prescribed method.
दक्षिणा विविधा दत्त्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽतिभावतः । पाण्डुपुत्रास्तु देवांशा वासुदेवाश्रिता मुने
Having given various gifts to the Brahmins with great devotion, the sons of Pandu, who are portions of the gods and devoted to Vasudeva, O sage—
घोरं दुःखं कथं प्राप्ताः क्व गतं सुकृतञ्च तत् । किं तत्पापं महारौद्रं येन ते पीडिताः सदा
How did they come to experience such terrible suffering? Where did their merit go? What is that dreadful sin by which they were always afflicted?
द्रौपदी च महाभागा वेदीमध्यात्समुत्थिता । रमांशजा च साध्वी च कृष्णभक्तियुता तथा
And Draupadi, greatly fortunate, who arose from the midst of the altar, born from a portion of Lakshmi, virtuous, and endowed with devotion to Krishna—
सा कथं दुःखमतुलं प्राप घोरं पुनः पुनः । दुःशासनेन सा केशे गृहीता पीडिता भृशम्
How did she come to suffer incomparable, terrible pain again and again? She was seized by the hair and grievously tormented by Duhshasana.
रजस्वला सभायां तु नीता भीतैकवाससा । विराटनगरे दासी जाता मत्स्यस्य सा पुनः
Menstruating, she was brought into the assembly, frightened and clad in a single garment; in the city of Virata she again became a servant of Matsya.
धर्षिता कीचकेनाथ रुदती कुररी यथा । हृता जयद्रथेनाथ क्रन्दमानातिदुःखिता
She was violated by Kichaka, weeping like a curlew; then abducted by Jayadratha, crying out in great distress.
मोचिता पाण्डवैः पश्चाद्बलवद्भिर्महात्मभिः । पूर्वजन्मकृतं पापं किं तद्येन च पीडिताः
Later, she was rescued by the mighty and noble Pandavas. What was the sin committed in a previous birth by which they were afflicted?
दुःखान्यनेकान्याप्तास्ते कथयाद्य महामते । राजसूयं क्रतुवरं कृत्वा ते मम पूर्वजाः
They encountered many sufferings—tell me of these today, O wise one. Having performed the great Rajasuya sacrifice, my ancestors—