दृष्ट्वा तमागतं तत्र हिरण्यकशिपोः सुतः । प्रणम्य परया भक्त्या प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्युवाच ह
Seeing him arrive, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu bowed with deep devotion, palms joined, and spoke as follows:
प्रह्लाद उवाच देवदेव जगनाथ भक्तवत्सल माधव । कथं न जितवानाजावहमेतौ तपस्विनौ । संग्रामस्तु मया देव कृतः पूर्णं शतं समाः
Prahlāda said: O God of gods, Lord of the universe, friend of devotees, Mādhava, how is it that I have not conquered these two ascetics in battle? O Lord, I have fought this war for a full hundred years.
सुराणां न जितौ कस्मादिति मे विस्मयो महान् । विष्णुरुवाच सिद्धाविमौ मदंशौ च विस्मयः कोऽत्र मारिष
Why were the gods not victorious? This greatly amazes me. Vishnu said: These two are perfected beings, free from pride; what is there to wonder at in this, O Marisha?
तापसौ न जितात्मानौ नरनारायणौ जितौ । गच्छ त्वं वितलं राजन् कुरु भक्तिं ममाचलाम्
Those ascetics, Nara and Narayana, have conquered themselves and cannot be overcome. Go, O King, to Vitala and render unwavering devotion to me.
नाभ्यां कुरु विरोधं त्वं तापसाभ्यां महामते । व्यास उवाच इत्याज्ञप्तो दैत्यराजो निर्ययावसुरैः सह
Do not oppose those two ascetics, O wise one. Vyasa said: Thus instructed, the king of the Daityas departed together with the asuras.
नरनारायणौ भूयस्तपोयुक्तौ बभूवतुः
Nara and Narayana again became engaged in intense austerities.
भृगुशापकारणवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच सन्देहोऽयं महानत्र पाराशर्य कथानके । नरनारायणौ शान्तौ वैष्णवांशौ तपोधनौ
The reason for Bhrigu's curse. Janamejaya said: O descendant of Parashara, I have a great doubt regarding this story. Nara and Narayana are peaceful, of the Vaishnava line, and rich in austerity.
तीर्थाश्रयौ सत्त्वयुक्तौ वन्याशनपरौ सदा । धर्मपुत्रौ महात्मानौ तापसौ सत्यसंस्थितौ
They dwell at sacred places, endowed with purity, always subsisting on forest fare; sons of Dharma, great-souled ascetics, steadfast in truth.
कथं रागसमायुक्तौ जातौ युद्धे परस्परम् । संग्रामं चक्रतुः कस्मात्त्यक्त्वा तपिमनुत्तमाम्
How did they, possessed of passion, come to fight each other in battle? For what reason did they abandon supreme austerity and engage in war?
प्रह्लादेन समं पूर्णं दिव्यवर्षशतं किल । हित्वा शान्तिसुखं युद्धं कृतवन्तौ कथं मुनी
For a full divine hundred years, it is said, together with Prahlada, they fought, forsaking the peace and happiness of tranquility—how did those sages do so?
कथं तौ चक्रतुर्युद्धं प्रह्लादेन समं मुनी । कथयस्व महाभाग कारणं विग्रहस्य वै
How did those two sages wage war together with Prahlada? Tell me, O highly fortunate one, the cause of their conflict.
(कामिनी कनकं कार्यं कारणं विग्रहस्य वै) ॥ युद्धबुद्धिः कथं जाता तयोश्च तद्विरक्तयोः । तथाविधं तपस्तप्तं ताभ्याञ्च केन हेतुना
Was it for a woman, for gold, or for some purpose that the conflict arose? How did the thought of battle arise in those two, who were so detached? For what reason did they, having performed such austerity, act thus?
मोहार्थं सुखभोगार्थं स्वर्गार्थं वा परन्तप । कृतमत्युत्कटं ताभ्यां तपः सर्वफलप्रदम्
Was it for delusion, for enjoyment, or for heaven, O scorcher of foes, that those two performed such extreme austerity, which grants all fruits?
मुनिभ्यां शान्तचित्ताभ्यां प्राप्तं किं फलमद्भुतम् । तपसा पीडितो देहः संग्रामेण पुनः पुनः
What wondrous fruit did those sages of tranquil minds obtain? Their bodies, afflicted by austerity, were again and again tormented by battle.
दिव्यवर्षशतं पूर्णं श्रमेण परिपीडितौ । न राज्यार्थे धने वापि न दारेषु गृहेषु च
For a full divine hundred years, they were worn down by hardship; not for kingdom, nor for wealth, nor for wives or homes.
किमर्थं तु कृतं युद्धं ताभ्यां तेन महात्मना । निरीहः पुरुषः कस्मात्प्रकुर्याद्युद्धमीदृशम्
For what purpose, then, did those great souls wage war? Why would a disinterested person undertake such a battle?
दुःखदं सर्वथा देहे जानन्धर्मं सनातनम् । सुबुद्धिः सुखदानीह कर्माणि कुरुते सदा
Knowing the eternal dharma, why would one perform such actions that bring only suffering to the body? The wise always perform deeds that bring happiness.
न दुःखदानि धर्मज्ञ स्थितिरेषा सनातनी । धर्मपुत्रौ हरेरंशौ सर्वज्ञौ सर्वभूषितौ
One who knows dharma does not do things that cause suffering; this is the eternal way. They are sons of Dharma, portions of Hari, all-knowing and adorned with every virtue.
कृतवन्तौ कथं युद्धं दुःखं धर्मविनाशकम् । त्यक्त्वा तपः समाधीतं सुखारामं महत्फलम्
How did they perform such a sorrowful, dharma-destroying war, abandoning the practiced austerity, the great fruit of blissful absorption?
संयुगं दारुणं कृष्ण नैव मूर्खोऽपि वाञ्छति । श्रुतो मया ययातिस्तु च्युतः स्वर्गान्महीपतिः
No one, not even a fool, desires such a dreadful battle, O Krishna. I have heard that even King Yayati fell from heaven.
अहङ्कारभवात्पापात्पातितः पृथिवीतले । यज्ञकृद्दानकर्ता च धार्मिकः पृथिवीपतिः
Due to sin arising from ego, he fell to the earth; though a king who performed sacrifices, gave gifts, and was righteous.
शब्दोच्चारणमात्रेण पातितो वज्रपाणिना । अहङ्कारमृते युद्धं न भवत्येव निश्चयः
By mere utterance of words, he was struck down by the wielder of the thunderbolt; without ego, battle certainly does not occur.
किं फलं तस्य युद्धस्य मुनेः पुण्यविनाशनम् । व्यास उवाच राजन् संसारमूलं हि त्रिविधः परिकीर्तितः
What fruit is there in such battle, O sage? It destroys virtue.
अहङ्कारस्तु सर्वज्ञैर्मुनिभिर्धर्मनिश्चये । स कथं मुनिना त्यक्तुं योग्यो देहभृता किल
Ego, according to all-knowing sages and those established in dharma, is not easily abandoned by one who bears a body.
कारणेन विना कार्यं न भवत्येव निश्चयः । तपो दानं तथा यज्ञाः सात्त्विकात्प्रभवन्ति ते
Without a cause, an effect certainly does not arise; austerity, charity, and sacrifices all originate from sattva.
राजसाद्वा महाभाग तामसात्कलहस्तथा । क्रिया स्वल्पापि राजेन्द्र नाहङ्कारं विना क्वचित्
From rajas, O illustrious one, and from tamas, quarrel arises; even the smallest action, O king, never occurs without ego.
शुभा वाप्यशुभा वापि प्रभवत्यपि निश्चयः । अहङ्काराद् बन्धकारी नान्योऽस्ति जगतीतले
Whether auspicious or inauspicious, it certainly arises; ego alone binds, there is no other on the earth.
येनेदं रचितं विश्वं कथं तद्रहितं भवेत् । ब्रह्मा रुद्रस्तथा विष्णुरहङ्कारयुतास्त्वमी
By whom this universe was created, how could it exist without that? Brahma, Rudra, and Vishnu are all endowed with ego.
अन्येषां चैव का वार्ता मुनीनां वसुधाधिप । अहङ्कारावृतं विश्वं भ्रमतीदं चराचरम्
What need is there to speak of others, O lord of the earth? This universe, enveloped in ego, wanders as moving and unmoving.
पुनर्जन्म पुनर्मृत्युः सर्वं कर्मवशानुगम् । देवतिर्यङ्मनुष्याणां संसारेऽस्मिन्महीपते
Repeated birth and repeated death, all follow the force of karma for gods, animals, and humans in this world, O king.