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.
देवान्स पीडयामास प्रह्लादः शत्रुकर्षणः । संग्रामो ह्यभवद् घोरः शक्रप्रह्लादयोस्तदा
Prahlāda, the subduer of enemies, began to oppress the gods; then there was a fierce war between Śakra and Prahlāda.
पूर्णं वर्षशतं राजँल्लोकविस्मयकारकम् । देवैर्युद्धं कृतं चोग्रं प्रह्रादस्तु पराजितः
For a full hundred years, O King, a terrible war was waged by the gods, astonishing the worlds, and at last Prahlāda was defeated.
निर्वेदं परमं प्राप्तो ज्ञात्वा धर्मं सनातनम् । विरोचनसुतं राज्ये प्रतिष्ठाप्य बलिं नृप
Having attained supreme dispassion, and realizing the eternal Dharma, Prahlāda installed Bali, the son of Virocana, on the throne.
जगाम स तपस्तप्तुं पर्वते गन्धमादने । प्राप्य राज्यं बलिः श्रीमान्सुरैर्वैरं चकार ह
He went to perform austerities on Mount Gandhamādana; Bali, having gained the kingdom, entered into enmity with the gods.
यतः परस्परं युद्धं जातं परमदारुणम् । ततः सुरैर्जिता दैत्या इन्द्रेणामिततेजसा
Because of this, a most dreadful war broke out between them; then the Daityas were defeated by the gods, led by Indra of immeasurable brilliance.
विष्णुना च सहायेन राज्यभ्रष्टाः कृता नृप । ततः पराजिता दैत्याः काव्यस्य शरणं गताः
With Viṣṇu as their ally, O King, the gods deprived the Daityas of their kingdom; thus defeated, the Daityas sought refuge with Kāvya.
किं त्वं न कुरुषे ब्रह्मन् साहाय्यं नः प्रतापवान् । स्थातुं न शक्नुमो ह्यत्र प्रविशामो रसातलम्
"O powerful Brāhmaṇa, why do you not help us? We are unable to remain here; let us enter the netherworld."
यदि त्वं न सहायोऽसि त्रातुं मन्त्रविदुत्तम । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तः सोऽब्रवीद्दैत्यान्काव्यः कारुणिको मुनिः
"If you, O foremost knower of mantras, will not assist us and protect us, then—" Vyāsa said: Thus addressed, the compassionate sage Kāvya spoke to the Daityas.
मा भैष्ट धारयिष्यामि तेजसा स्वेन भोऽसुराः । मन्त्रैस्तथौषधीभिश्च साहाय्यं वः सदैव हि
"Do not fear, O Asuras; I will protect you with my own power, and always aid you with mantras and herbs."
करिष्यामि कृतोत्साहा भवन्तु विगतज्वराः । व्यास उवाच ततस्ते निर्भया जाता दैत्याः काव्यस्य संश्रयात्
"I will help you with all my effort; let your distress be gone." Vyāsa said: Then, by taking refuge in Kāvya, the Daityas became fearless.