करोति सुकृतं तद्वद्विपरीतं भवेत्किल । स्वार्थासक्तः पुमान्नित्यं न जानाति शुभाशुभम्
If one does a good deed with such motives, the result is the opposite; a man always attached to his own interest does not discern good from evil.
दैवाधीनः सदा कुर्यात्पापमेव न सत्कृतम् । प्राजापत्याः सुराः सर्वे ह्यसुराश्च तदुद्भवाः
Always subject to fate, he acts only in sin, not in virtue; all the gods born of Prajāpati and the Asuras as well.
सर्वे ते स्वार्थनिरताः परस्परविरोधिनः । सत्त्वोद्भवाः सुराः सर्वेऽप्युक्ता वेदेषु मानुषाः
All of them are intent on their own interests, mutually opposed to one another; all the gods, born of sattva, are said in the Vedas to be human.
रजोद्भवास्तामसास्तु तिर्यंचः परिकीर्तिताः । सत्त्वोद्भवानां तैर्वैरं परस्परमनारतम्
Those born of rajas are declared to be animals, and those of tamas as well; there is constant enmity between those born of sattva and the others.
तिरश्चामत्र किं चित्रं जातिवैरसमुद्भवे । सदा द्रोहपरा देवास्तपोविघ्नकरास्तथा
What is surprising among animals in the arising of enmity based on species? The gods are always intent on hostility, and likewise are obstructers of ascetic practice.
असन्तुष्टा द्वेषपराः परस्परविरोधिनः । अहङ्कारसमुद्भूतः संसारोऽयं यतो नृप
Unsatisfied, intent on hatred, mutually opposed—this world arises from ego, O King.
रागद्वेषविहीनस्तु स कथं जायते नृप
How can one devoid of passion and hatred be born, O King?
नरनारायणकथावर्णनम् व्यास उवाच अथ किं बहुनोक्तेन संसारेऽस्मिन्नृपोत्तम । धर्मात्माद्रोहबुद्धिस्तु कश्चिद्भवति कर्हिचित्
Now, what is the use of much speech, O best of kings? In this world, one with a mind free from hostility and devoted to righteousness is rarely found.
रागद्वेषावृतं विश्वं सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । आद्ये युगेऽपि राजेन्द्र किमद्य कलिदूषिते
The entire universe, both moving and unmoving, is enveloped by passion and hatred; even in the first age, O king of kings, what then in this Kali age, corrupted as it is?
देवाः सेर्ष्याश्च सद्रोहाश्छलकर्मरताः सदा । मानुषाणां तिरश्चां च का वार्ता नृप गण्यते
The gods are always envious, hostile, and intent on deceitful acts; what then can be said of humans and animals, O King?
द्रोहपरे द्रोहपरो भवेदिति समानता । अद्रोहिणि तथा शान्ते विद्वेषः खलता स्मृता
When one intent on hostility meets another of the same kind, there is equality; but towards one who is non-hostile and peaceful, enmity is considered wickedness.
यः कश्चित्तापसः शान्तो जपध्यानपरायणः । भवेत्तस्य जपे विघ्नकर्ता वै मघवा परम्
If there is any ascetic who is peaceful and devoted to recitation and meditation, even then, Maghavan himself becomes an obstacle to his recitation.
सतां सत्ययुगं साक्षात्सर्वदैवासतां कलिः । मध्यमो मध्यमानां तु क्रियायोगौ युगे स्मृतौ
For the virtuous, the age of truth is ever present; for the wicked, it is always Kali. For those in between, the intermediate ages are remembered as times of ritual and action.
कश्चित्कदाचिद्भवति सत्यधर्मानुवर्तकः । अन्यथान्ययुगानां वै सर्वे धर्मपरायणाः
Rarely does anyone become a follower of truth and righteousness; otherwise, in the other ages, all are devoted to righteousness.
वासना कारणं राजन् सर्वत्र धर्मसंस्थितौ । तस्यां वै मलिनायां तु धर्मोऽपि मलिनो भवेत्
Disposition is the cause, O King, for the establishment of righteousness everywhere; when that disposition is impure, even righteousness becomes impure.
मलिना वासना सत्यं विनाशायेति सर्वथा । ब्रह्मणो हृदयाञ्चातः पुत्रो धर्म इति स्मृतः
Indeed, an impure disposition always leads to destruction; therefore, Dharma is said to be the son who sprang from the heart of Brahma.
ब्राह्मणः सत्यसम्पन्तो वेदधर्मरतः सदा । दक्षस्य दुहितारो हि वृता दश महात्मना
A brāhmaṇa endowed with truth, always devoted to Vedic righteousness, took the ten daughters of Daksha, the great-souled one, as his wives.
विवाहविधिना सम्यङ्मुनिना गृहधर्मिणा । तास्वजीजनयत्पुत्रान्धर्मः सत्यवतां वरः
Through proper marriage rites, the sage, a householder, begot sons in them—Dharma, the foremost among the truthful.
हरिं कृष्णं नरं चैव तथा नारायणं नृप । योगाभ्यासरतो नित्यं हरिः कृष्णो बभूव ह
Hari, Krishna, and Nara, as well as Narayana, O King, were born; Hari became Krishna, always devoted to the practice of yoga.
नरनारायणौ चैव चेरतुस्तप उत्तमम् । प्रालेयाद्रिं समागत्य तीर्थे बदरिकाश्रमे
Nara and Narayana performed supreme austerity, having come to the Prāleya mountain, at the sacred place of Badarikāśrama.
तपस्विषु धुरीणौ तौ पुराणौ मुनिसत्तमौ । गृणन्तौ तत्परं ब्रह्म गङ्गाया विपुले तटे
Those two foremost ascetics, ancient and eminent among sages, praised the supreme Brahman on the broad bank of the Ganges.
हरेरंशौ स्थितौ तत्र नरनारायणावृषी । पूर्णं वर्षसहस्रं तु चक्राते तप उत्तमम्
There, the sages Nara and Narayana, portions of Hari, remained and performed supreme austerity for a full thousand years.
तापितं च जगत्सर्वं तपसा सचराचरम् । नरनारायणाभ्यां च शक्रः क्षोभं तदा ययौ
By the austerity of Nara and Narayana, the entire world, both moving and unmoving, was afflicted; at that time, Indra became disturbed.
चिन्ताविष्टः सहस्राक्षो मनसा समकल्पयत् । किं कर्तव्यं धर्मपुत्रौ तापसौ ध्यानसंयुतौ
The thousand-eyed one, filled with anxiety, contemplated in his mind: What should be done about these sons of Dharma, these ascetics absorbed in meditation?
सिद्धार्थां सुभृशं श्रेष्ठमासनं मे ग्रहीष्यतः । विघ्नः कथं प्रकर्तव्यस्तपो येन भवेन्न हि
They have attained the highest seat, most excellent and auspicious; how can an obstacle be created, so that their austerity does not succeed?
उत्पाद्य कामं क्रोधञ्च लोभं वाप्यतिदारुणम् । इत्युद्दिश्य सहस्राक्षः समारुह्य गजोत्तमम्
By producing desire, anger, or even exceedingly harsh greed—so thinking, the thousand-eyed one mounted his excellent elephant.
विघ्नकामस्तु तरसा जगाम गन्धमादनम् । गत्वा तत्राश्रमे पुण्ये तावपश्यच्छतक्रतुः
Desiring to create an obstacle, he swiftly went to Gandhamadana; having arrived at that sacred hermitage, Shakra beheld the two.
तपसा दीप्तदेहौ तु भास्कराविव चोदितौ । ब्रह्मविष्णू किमेतौ वै प्रकटौ वा विभावसू
Their bodies were radiant from austerity, shining like the sun; are these Brahma and Vishnu, or perhaps manifest forms of Agni?
धर्मपुत्रावृषी एतौ तपसा किं करिष्यतः । इति सञ्चिन्त्य तौ दृष्ट्वा तदोवाच शचीपतिः
These are the sage sons of Dharma—what will they accomplish through austerity? Thus reflecting, having seen them, the lord of Shachi spoke.
किं वा कार्यं महाभागौ ब्रूतं धर्मसुतौ किल । ददामि वां वरं श्रेष्ठं दातुं यातोऽस्म्यहमृषी
What is your purpose, O illustrious ones? Tell me, sons of Dharma. I have come to grant you the highest boon.