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.
रथाङ्गवदसर्वार्थं भ्रमणं सर्वदा स्मृतम् । विष्णोरप्यवताराणां संख्यां जानाति कः पुमान्
Like the turning of a chariot wheel, all things are ever remembered as revolving; who knows the number of Vishnu's incarnations?
विततेऽस्मिंस्तु संसारे उत्तमाधमयोनिषु । नारायणो हरिः साक्षान्मात्स्यं वपुरुपाश्रितः
In this vast world, among higher and lower births, Narayana, Hari himself, assumed the form of a fish.
कामठं सौकरं चैव नारसिंहञ्च वामनम् । युगे युगे जगन्नाथो वासुदेवो जनार्दनः
He took the forms of tortoise, boar, man-lion, and dwarf; in every age, the Lord of the world, Vasudeva, Janardana.
अवतारानसंख्यातान्करोति विधियन्त्रितः । वैवस्वते महाराज सप्तमे भगवान्हरिः
He makes countless incarnations, compelled by destiny; in the seventh of Vaivasvata, O king, Bhagavan Hari.
मन्वन्तरेऽवतारान्वै चक्रे ताञ्छ्रुणु तत्त्वतः । भृगुशापान्महाराज विष्णुर्देववरः प्रभुः
In the Manvantara, he truly made incarnations; listen to them in detail, O king, due to Bhrigu's curse, Vishnu, the lord of the gods.
अवताराननेकांस्तु कृतवानखिलेश्वरः । राजोवाच सन्देहोऽयं महाभाग हृदये मम जायते
The Lord of all made many incarnations; the king said: O illustrious one, a doubt arises in my heart.
भृगुणा भगवान्विष्णुः कथं शप्तः पितामह । हरिणा च मुनेस्तस्य विप्रियं किं कृतं मुने
How was Bhagavan Vishnu cursed by Bhrigu, O ancestor? And what offense did Hari commit against that sage, O sage?
यद्रोषाद् भृगुणा शप्तो विष्णुर्देवनमस्कृतः । व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि भृगोः शापस्य कारणम्
By what anger was Vishnu cursed by Bhrigu, the one revered by the gods? Vyasa said: Hear, O king, I will tell you the cause of Bhrigu's curse.
पुरा कश्यपदायादो हिरण्यकशिपुर्नृपः । यदा तदा सुरैः सार्धं कृतं संख्यं परस्परम्
Long ago, O King, when Hiraṇyakaśipu, descendant of Kaśyapa, was alive, a great battle took place between him and the gods.
कृते संख्ये जगत्सर्वं व्याकुलं समजायत । हते तस्मिन्नृपे राजा प्रह्लादः समजायत
When that battle occurred, the entire world became agitated; after that king was slain, Prahlāda became king.