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.
अदेयमपि दास्यामि तुष्टोऽस्मि तपसा किल । व्यास उवाच एवं पुनः पुनः शक्रस्तावुवाच पुरः स्थितः
Even what cannot be given, I will grant; I am pleased by your austerity. Vyasa said: Thus again and again Shakra addressed them, standing before them.
नोचतुस्तावृषी ध्यानसंस्थितौ दृढचेतसौ । ततो वै मोहिनीं मायां चकार भयदां वृषः
But the two sages, steadfast in meditation, did not speak; then, indeed, Indra created a bewildering and fearsome illusion.
वृकान्सिंहांश्च व्याघ्रांश्च समुत्पाद्याबिभीषयत् । वर्षं वातं तथा वह्निं समुत्पाद्य पुनः पुनः
He produced wolves, lions, and tigers to terrify them, and again and again brought forth rain, wind, and fire.
भीषयामास तौ शक्रो मायां कृत्वा विमोहिनीम् । भयतोऽपि वशं नीतौ न तौ धर्मसुतौ मुनी
Indra frightened the two by creating a delusive illusion, but even through fear, he could not bring the sons of Dharma under his control.
नरनारायणौ दृष्ट्वा शक्रः स्वभवनं गतः । वरदाने प्रलुब्धौ न न भीतौ वह्निवायुतः
Seeing Nara and Narayana unmoved, Shakra returned to his own abode; neither tempted by boons nor frightened by fire or wind.
व्याघ्रसिंहादिभिः कान्तौ चलितौ नाश्रमात्स्वकात् । न तयोर्ध्यानभङ्गं वै कर्तुं कोऽपि क्षमोऽभवत्
Though surrounded by tigers and lions, they did not leave their own hermitage; no one was able to break their meditation.
इन्द्रोऽपि सदनं गत्वा चिन्तयामास दुःखितः । चलितौ भयलोभाभ्यां नेमौ मुनिवरोत्तमौ
Even Indra, having returned to his palace, pondered in distress: These eminent sages are not shaken by fear or greed.
चिन्तयन्तौ महाविद्यामादिशक्तिं सनातनीम् । ईश्वरीं सर्वलोकानां परां प्रकृतिमद्भुताम्
They contemplated the great knowledge, the primordial, eternal power—the supreme, wondrous Prakriti, the sovereign of all worlds.
ध्यायतां कः क्षमो लोके बहुमायाविदप्युत । यन्मूलाः सकला माया देवासुरकृताः किल
Who in this world is able to comprehend those who meditate, even if they possess great powers of illusion? Indeed, all illusions created by gods and demons have their root in that meditation.
ते कथं बाधितुं शक्ता ध्यायन्ति गतकल्मषाः । वाग्बीजं कामबीजञ्च मायाबीजं तथैव च
How could those who are pure, free from all stain, and absorbed in meditation, ever be disturbed? The seed of speech, the seed of desire, and likewise the seed of illusion—