किं सुखं मानुषं प्राप्य भुवि जन्म मुनीश्वर । किं निमित्तं हरिः साक्षाद्गर्भवासं करोति वै
What happiness is there in gaining a human birth on earth, O best of sages? For what reason does Hari himself enter the womb?
गर्भदुःखं जन्मदुःखं बालभावे तथा पुनः । यौवने कामजं दुःखं गार्हस्त्येऽतिमहत्तरम्
The suffering of the womb, the pain of birth, and again in childhood; in youth, the suffering born of desire, and in household life, the greatest of all.
दुःखान्येतान्यवाप्नोति मानुषे द्विजसत्तम । कथं स भगवान्विष्णुरवतारान्पुनः पुनः
These sufferings are obtained in human life, O best of twice-born; how does Lord Vishnu repeatedly take incarnations?
प्राप्य रामावतारं हि हरिणा ब्रह्मयोनिना । दुःखं महत्तरं प्राप्तं वनवासेऽतिदारुणे
Having taken the incarnation as Rāma, Hari, born from Brahmā, endured even greater suffering during the exceedingly harsh forest exile.
सीताविरहजं दुःखं संग्रामश्च पुनः पुनः । कान्तात्यागोऽप्यनेनैवमनुभूतो महात्मना
The sorrow born from Sita's separation, and battles again and again, as well as the abandonment of his beloved—these too were experienced by that great-souled one.
तथा कृष्णावतारेऽपि जन्म रक्षागृहे पुनः । गोकुले गमनं चैव गवां चारणमित्युत
Likewise, in the Krishna incarnation, there was birth in the prison house, then going to Gokula, and indeed the tending of cows.
कंसस्य हननं कष्टाद् द्वारकागमनं पुनः । नानासंसारदुःखानि भुक्तवान्भगवान् कथम्
The slaying of Kamsa with great hardship, then the journey to Dvaraka, and various sufferings of worldly existence—how did the Blessed Lord endure them?
स्वेच्छया कः प्रतीक्षेत मुक्तो दुःखानि ज्ञानवान् । संशयं छिन्धि सर्वज्ञ मम चित्तप्रशान्तये
Who, being liberated and wise, would willingly endure sufferings? O Omniscient One, dispel my doubt for the peace of my mind.
दित्या अदित्यै शापदानम् व्यास उवाच कारणानि बहून्यत्राप्यवतारे हरेः किल । सर्वेषां चैव देवानामंशावतरणेष्वपि
Vyasa said: There are indeed many reasons for the incarnations of Hari, and also for the partial descents of all the gods.
वसुदेवावतारस्य कारणं शृणु तत्त्वतः । देवक्याश्चैव रोहिण्या अवतारस्य कारणम्
Hear now, in truth, the reason for Vasudeva's incarnation, and also for the incarnations of Devaki and Rohini.
एकदा कश्यपः श्रीमान्यज्ञार्थं धेनुमाहरत् । याचितोऽयं बहुविधं न ददौ धेनुमुत्तमाम्
Once, the illustrious Kashyapa, for the sake of a sacrifice, asked for a cow; though entreated in many ways, he did not give the excellent cow.
वरुणस्तु ततो गत्वा ब्रह्माणं जगतः प्रभुम् । प्रणम्योवाच दीनात्मा स्वदुःखं विनयान्वितः
Then Varuna, going to Brahma, the Lord of the world, bowed and spoke with a distressed heart, humbly telling of his own suffering.
किं करोमि महाभाग मत्तोऽसौ न ददाति गाम् । शापो मया विसृष्टोऽस्मै गोपालो भव मानुषे
"What shall I do, O greatly fortunate one? He does not give me the cow. I have pronounced a curse upon him: 'Become a cowherd among men.'"
भार्ये द्वे अपि तत्रैव भवेतां चातिदुःखिते । यतो वत्सा रुदन्त्यत्र मातृहीनाः सुदुःखिताः
"Let both his wives also be there, exceedingly afflicted, for here the calves, deprived of their mothers, are crying in great distress."
मृतवत्सादितिस्तस्माद्भविष्यति धरातले । कारागारनिवासा च तेनापि बहुदुःखिता
"Therefore, there will be the killing of their calves on earth, and by dwelling in prison, they too will suffer greatly."
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य यादोनाथस्य पद्मभूः । समाहूय मुनिं तत्र तमुवाच प्रजापतिः
Vyasa said: Hearing the words of that lord of the Yadus, the lotus-born one summoned the sage there and the Lord of creatures spoke to him.
कस्मात्त्वया महाभाग लोकपालस्य धेनवः । हृताः पुनर्न दत्ताश्च किमन्यायं करोषि च
"Why, O greatly fortunate one, have you taken the cows of the guardian of the world and not returned them? Why do you act unjustly?"
जानन् न्यायं महाभाग परवित्तापहारणम् । कृतवान्कथमन्यायं सर्वज्ञोऽसि महामते
"Knowing the law, O greatly fortunate one, that taking another's property is wrong, how have you done this injustice? You are all-knowing and of great wisdom."
अहो लोभस्य महिमा महतोऽपि न मुञ्चति । लोभं नरकदं नूनं पापाकरमसम्मतम्
"Ah, such is the power of greed—it does not release even the great. Greed surely leads to hell and is condemned as sinful."
कश्यपोऽपि न तं त्यक्तुं समर्थः किं करोम्यहम् । सर्वदैवाधिकस्तस्माल्लोभो वै कलितो मया
"Even Kashyapa was not able to abandon it—what can I do? Therefore, I have reckoned greed as always stronger than the gods."
धन्यास्ते मुनयः शान्ता जितो यैर्लोभ एव च । वैखानसैः शमपरैः प्रतिग्रहपराङ्मुखैः
"Blessed are those sages who are peaceful, who have conquered greed, who are Vaikhanasas devoted to tranquility and who turn away from accepting gifts."
संसारे बलवाञ्छत्रुर्लोभोऽमेध्योऽवरः सदा । कश्यपोऽपि दुराचारः कृतस्नेहो दुरात्मना
"In worldly existence, the enemy greed is always strong, unclean, and base; even Kashyapa, acting wrongly, formed attachment with a wicked mind."
ब्रह्मापि तं शशापाथ कश्यपं मुनिसत्तमम् । मर्यादारक्षणार्थं हि पौत्रं परमवल्लभम्
Even Brahma cursed the eminent sage Kashyapa, his most beloved grandson, for the sake of preserving proper boundaries.
अंशेन त्वं पृथिव्यां वै प्राप्य जन्म यदोः कुले । भार्याभ्यां संयुतस्तत्र गोपालत्वं करिष्यसि
By a portion of yourself, you will take birth on earth in the lineage of Yadu, and there, united with two wives, you will assume the role of a cowherd.
व्यास उवाच एवं शप्तः कश्यपोऽसौ वरुणेन च ब्रह्मणा । अंशावतरणार्थाय भूभारहरणाय च
Vyasa said: Thus Kashyapa was cursed by Varuna and Brahma, for the purpose of partial incarnation and for removing the burden of the earth.
तथा दित्यादितिः शप्ता शोकसन्तप्तया भृशम् । जाता जाता विनश्येरंस्तव पुत्रास्तु सप्त वै
Likewise, Aditi was cursed by Diti, who was greatly afflicted by sorrow, so that your seven sons would perish as soon as they were born.
जनमेजय उवाच कस्माद्दित्या च भगिनी शप्तेन्द्रजननी मुने । कारणं वद शापे च शोकस्तु मुनिसत्तम
Janamejaya said: Why did Aditi, the sister and mother of Indra, receive a curse, O sage? Tell me the cause of the curse and the sorrow, O eminent sage.
सूत उवाच पारीक्षितेन पृष्टस्तु व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । राजानं प्रत्युवाचेदं कारणं सुसमाहितः
Suta said: Vyasa, son of Satyavati, was questioned by Parikshit, and he carefully explained the cause to the king.
व्यास उवाच राजन् दक्षसुते द्वे तु दितिश्चादितिरुत्तमे । कश्यपस्य प्रिये भार्ये बभूवतुरुरुक्रमे
Vyasa said: O king, Daksha's two daughters, Diti and Aditi, both excellent, became the beloved wives of Kashyapa, the great sage.
अदित्यां मघवा पुत्रो यदाभूदतिवीर्यवान् । तदा तु तादृशं पुत्रं चकमे दितिरोजसा
When Maghavan, a son of Aditi, was born with extraordinary strength, Diti then desired to have such a powerful son herself.