विहाय लक्ष्या सह संविहारं को याति मत्स्यादिषु हीनयोनिषु । शय्यां च मुक्त्वा गरुडासनस्थः करोमि युद्धं विपुलं स्वतन्त्रः
Who, abandoning union with the target, goes to inferior births such as fish? Leaving the bed, seated upon the Garuda throne, I wage great battle, independent.
पुरा पुरस्तेऽज शिरो मदीयं गतं धनुर्ज्यास्खलनात्क्व चापि । त्वया तदा वाजिशिरो गृहीत्वा संयोजितं शिल्पिवरेण भूयः
O unborn one, once before, my head fell forward due to the slipping of the bowstring; at that time, you took the horse's head and, with the best artisan, joined it again.
हयाननोऽहं परिकीर्तितश्च प्रत्यक्षमेतत्तव लोककर्तः । विडम्बनेयं किल लोकमध्ये कथं भवेदात्मपरो यदि स्याम्
I am called Hayānana, the horse-faced one, and this is evident to you, creator of the worlds. This is a mockery among people; how could it be if I were self-dependent?
तस्मान्नाहं स्वतन्त्रोऽस्मि शक्त्यधीनोऽस्मि सर्वथा । तामेव शक्तिं सततं ध्यायामि च निरन्तरम्
Therefore, I am not independent; I am always subject to Śakti. I constantly and ceaselessly meditate upon that Śakti alone.
नातः परतरं किञ्चिज्जानामि कमलोद्भव । नारद उवाच इत्युक्तं विष्णुना तेन पद्मयोनेस्तु सन्निधौ
O lotus-born, I know nothing higher than this. Narada said: Thus spoken by Viṣṇu in the presence of the lotus-born.
तेन चाप्यहमुक्तोऽस्मि तथैव मुनिपुङ्गव । तस्मात्त्वमपि कल्याण पुरुषार्थाप्तिहेतवे
And thus I too was addressed, O foremost sage. Therefore, you also, O auspicious one, for attaining the goals of life—
असंशयं हृदम्भोजे भज देवीपदाम्बुजम् । सर्वं दास्यति सा देवी यद्यदिष्टं भवेत्तव
Without doubt, worship the lotus feet of the Goddess in the lotus of your heart. That Goddess will grant you whatever you desire.
सूत उवाच नारदेनैवमुक्तस्तु व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । देवीपादाब्जनिष्णातस्तपसे प्रययौ गिरौ
Sūta said: Thus addressed by Nārada, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, immersed in the lotus feet of the Goddess, went to the mountain for austerity.
हयग्रीवावतारकथनम् ऋषय ऊचुः सूतास्माकं मनः कामं मग्नं संशयसागरे । यथोक्तं महदाश्चर्यं जगद्विस्मयकारकम्
The narration of the Hayagrīva incarnation. The sages said: O Sūta, our minds are immersed in the ocean of doubt; as you have said, this is a great wonder, causing astonishment in the world.
यन्मूर्धा माधवस्यापि गतो देहात्पुनः परम् । हयग्रीवस्ततो जातः सर्वकर्ता जनार्दनः
The head of Mādhava departed from his body and became supreme; from that, Hayagrīva was born, the creator of all, Janārdana.
वेदोऽपि स्तौति यं देवं देवाः सर्वे यदाश्रयाः । आदिदेवो जगन्नाथः सर्वकारणकारणः
Even the Veda praises that God, upon whom all the gods depend; the primordial deity, Lord of the universe, the cause of all causes.
तस्यापि वदनं छिन्नं दैवयोगात्कथं तदा । तत्सर्वं कथयाशु त्वं विस्तरेण महामते
How was his head cut off by divine arrangement at that time? Tell us all this in detail, O wise one.
सूत उवाच शृण्वन्तु मुनयः सर्वे सावधानाः समन्ततः । चरितं देवदेवस्य विष्णोः परमतेजसः
Sūta said: Let all the sages listen attentively from all sides to the deeds of the god of gods, Viṣṇu, of supreme brilliance.
कदाचिद्दारुणं युद्धं कृत्वा देवः सनातनः । दशवर्षसहस्राणि परिश्रान्तो जनार्दनः
Once, after waging a fierce battle for ten thousand years, the eternal god Janārdana became exhausted.
समे देशे शुभे स्थाने कृत्वा पद्मासनं विभुः । अवलम्ब्य धनुः सज्यं कण्ठदेशे धरास्थितम्
In the same auspicious place, the Lord made a lotus seat, holding a strung bow, resting it at the neck, and sat upon the earth.
दत्त्वा भारं धनुष्कोट्यां निद्रामाप रमापतिः । श्रान्तत्वाद्दैवयोगाच्च जातस्तत्रातिनिद्रितः
Placing the weight on the tip of the bow, the Lord of Lakṣmī fell asleep; due to exhaustion and divine arrangement, he became deeply asleep there.
तदा कालेन कियता देवाः सर्वे सवासवाः । ब्रह्मेशसहिताः सर्वे यज्ञं कर्तुं समुद्यताः
Then, after some time, all the gods with Indra, along with Brahmā and Śiva, prepared to perform a sacrifice.
गताः सर्वेऽथ वैकुण्ठं द्रष्टुं देवं जनार्दनम् । देवकार्यार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं मखानामधिपं प्रभुम्
All of them went to Vaikuṇṭha to see the god Janārdana, the lord of sacrifices, for the accomplishment of the divine purpose.
अदृष्ट्वा तं तदा तत्र ज्ञानदृष्ट्या विलोक्य ते । यत्रास्ते भगवान् विष्णुर्जग्मुस्तत्र तदा सुराः
Not seeing him there, they perceived with the eye of knowledge; and, learning where the Blessed Vishnu was, the gods went there.
ददृशुस्ते तदेशानं योगनिद्रावशं गतम् । विचेतनं विभुं विष्णुं तत्रासांचक्रिरे सुराः
There they saw the Lord, overcome by yogic sleep, unconscious, the all-pervading Vishnu; and the gods stood there.
स्थितेषु सर्वदेवेषु निद्रासुप्ते जगत्पतौ । चिन्तामापुः सुराः सर्वे ब्रह्मरुद्रपुरोगमाः
While all the gods were present and the Lord of the world lay asleep, all the gods, led by Brahma and Rudra, became anxious.
तानुवाच ततः शक्रः किं कर्तव्यं सुरोत्तमाः । निद्राभङ्गः कथं कार्यश्चिन्तयन्तु सुरोत्तमाः
Then Indra spoke to them: 'What should be done, O best of gods? Let the best of gods consider how the sleep may be broken.'
तमुवाच तदा शम्भुर्निद्राभङ्गेऽस्ति दूषणम् । कार्यं चैव प्रकर्तव्यं यज्ञस्य सुरसत्तमाः
Then Shambhu said to him: 'There is a fault in breaking the sleep, yet the work of the sacrifice must be accomplished, O best of gods.'
उत्पादिता तदा वम्री ब्रह्मणा परमेष्ठिना । तया भक्षयितुं तत्र धनुषोऽग्रं धरास्थितम्
Then a termite was created by Brahma, the supreme lord; with it, the tip of the bow, which was resting on the ground, was to be eaten there.
भक्षितेऽग्रे तदा निम्नं गमिष्यति शरासनम् । तदा निद्राविमुक्तोऽसौ देवदेवो भविष्यति
When the tip is eaten, the bow will descend; then the Lord of gods will be freed from sleep.
देवकार्यं तदा सर्वं भविष्यति न संशयः । स वम्रीं संदिदेशाथ देवदेवः सनातनः
Then all the work of the gods will be accomplished, without doubt; and the eternal Lord of gods instructed the termite.
तमुवाच तदा वम्री देवदेवस्य मापतेः । निद्राभङ्गः कथं कार्यो देवस्य जगतां गुरोः
Then the termite said to the Lord of gods: 'How should the sleep of the god, the teacher of the worlds, be broken?'
निद्राभङ्गः कथाच्छेदो दम्पत्योः प्रीतिभेदनम् । शिशुमातृविभेदश्च ब्रह्महत्यासमं स्मृतम्
The breaking of sleep, the interruption of a story, the separation of a loving couple, and the division of mother and child are considered equal to the sin of killing a Brahmin.
तत्कथं देवदेवस्य करोमि सुखनाशनम् । किं फलं भक्षणाद्देव येन पापं करोम्यहम्
How, then, can I bring about the loss of happiness for the Lord of gods? What fruit will I gain from eating, for which I would commit sin?
सर्वः स्वार्थवशो लोकः कुरुते पातकं किल । तस्मादहं करिष्यामि स्वार्थमेव प्रभक्षणम्
The whole world, compelled by self-interest, indeed commits sin; therefore, I will do this act for my own sake, and I will eat.