तत्र गच्छ सुरश्रेष्ठ यत्र देवो जनार्दनः । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा वेदकर्तासौ पुरस्कृत्य सुरांश्च गाम्
Go there, O best of the gods, where Lord Janardana resides. Vyasa said: Having spoken thus, the creator of the Vedas, accompanied by the gods, led the way.
जगाम विष्णुसदनं हंसारूढश्चतुर्मुखः । तुष्टाव वेदवाक्यैश्च भक्तिप्रवणमानसः
Mounted upon a swan, the four-faced one went to Vishnu's abode. With a mind devoted to worship, he praised him with words from the Vedas.
ब्रह्मोवाच सहस्रशीर्षास्त्वमसि सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । त्वं वेदपुरुषः पूर्वं देवदेवः सनातनः
Brahma said: You are the one with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. You are the primordial Vedic Person, the eternal God of gods.
भूतपूर्वं भविष्यच्च वर्तमानं च यद्विभो । अमरत्वं त्वया दत्तमस्माकं च रमापते
O mighty one, you are the past, the future, and the present. O Lord of Lakshmi, immortality has been granted to us by you.
एतावान्महिमा तेऽस्ति को न वेत्ति जगत्त्रये । त्वं कर्ताप्यविता हन्ता त्वं सर्वगतिरीश्वरः
Such is your greatness; who in the three worlds does not know it? You are the creator, protector, and destroyer; you are the all-pervading Lord.
व्यास उवाच इतीडितः प्रभुर्विष्णुः प्रसन्नो गरुडध्वजः । दर्शनञ्च ददौ तेभ्यो ब्रह्मादिभ्योऽमलाशयः
Vyasa said: Thus praised, Lord Vishnu, the bearer of the Garuda banner, became pleased and granted his vision to Brahma and the others, his mind pure.
पप्रच्छ स्वागतं देवान्प्रसन्नवदनो हरिः । ततस्त्वागमने तेषां कारणञ्च सविस्तरम्
Hari, with a joyful face, welcomed the gods and asked them in detail the reason for their coming.
तमुवाचाब्जजो नत्वा धरादुःखञ्च संस्मरन् । भारावतरणं विष्णो कर्तव्यं ते जनार्दन
Lotus-born Brahma, bowing and recalling the suffering of the earth, spoke to Vishnu: O Janardana, you must relieve the earth's burden.
भुवि धृत्वावतारं त्वं द्वापरान्ते समागते । हत्वा दुष्टान्नृपानुर्व्या हर भारं दयानिधे
When the end of Dvapara arrives, you should descend to earth, O ocean of compassion, and destroy the wicked kings, thus removing the burden.
विष्णुरुवाच नाहं स्वतन्त्र एवात्र न ब्रह्मा न शिवस्तथा । नेन्द्रोऽग्निर्न यमस्त्वष्टा न सूर्यो वरुणस्तथा
Vishnu said: I am not independent here, nor is Brahma, nor Shiva, nor Indra, Agni, Yama, Tvashta, Surya, or Varuna.
योगमायावशे सर्वमिदं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं ग्रथितं गुणसूत्रतः
All that is movable and immovable, from Brahma down to the smallest blade of grass, is bound by the threads of qualities under the power of Yogamaya.
यथा सा स्वेच्छया पूर्वं कर्तुमिच्छति सुव्रत । तथा करोति सुहिता वयं सर्वेऽपि तद्वशाः
As she, by her own will, wishes to act, so she does, O virtuous one; we all act according to her, for we are under her control.
यद्यहं स्यां स्वतन्त्रो वै चिन्तयन्तु धिया किल । कुतोऽभवं मत्स्यवपुः कच्छपो वा महार्णवे
If I were truly independent, let them reflect with their minds: how could I have become a fish or a tortoise in the great ocean?
तिर्यग्योनिषु को भोगः का कीर्तिः किं सुखं पुनः । किं पुण्यं किं फलं तत्र क्षुद्रयोनिगतस्य मे
What enjoyment, what fame, what happiness, what merit, what fruit is there for me, who entered such low births among animals?
कोलो वाथ नृसिंहो वा वामनो वाभवं कुतः । जमदग्निसुतः कस्मात्सम्भवेयं पितामह
How could I have become a boar, or Narasimha, or Vamana? How could I have been born as Jamadagni's son, O Grandfather?
नृशंसं वा कथं कर्म कृतवानस्मि भूतले । क्षतजैस्तु ह्रदान्सर्वान्पूरयेयं कथं पुनः
How could I have performed such cruel deeds on earth? How could I have filled all the lakes with blood again?
तत्कथं जमदग्नेश्च पुत्रो भूत्वा द्विजोत्तमः । क्षत्रियान्हतवानाजौ निर्दयो गर्भगानपि
How, then, having become the son of Jamadagni, O best of twice-born, did I mercilessly slay the Kshatriyas in battle, even those in the womb?
रामो भूत्वाथ देवेन्द्र प्राविशद्दण्डकं वनम् । पदातिश्चीरवासाश्च जटावल्कलवान्पुनः
Having become Rama, O Indra among gods, I entered the Dandaka forest, walking on foot, wearing bark garments and matted locks once more.
असहायो ह्यपाथेयो भीषणे निर्जने वने । कुर्वन्नाखेटकं तत्र व्यचरं विगतत्रपः
Alone and without provisions, in the terrifying and desolate forest, I wandered there, hunting, without any shame.
न ज्ञातवान्मृगं हैमं मायया पिहितस्तदा । उटजे जानकीं त्यक्त्वा निर्गतस्तत्पदानुगः
I did not recognize the golden deer, for it was concealed by illusion; leaving Janaki in the hut, I went out, following its tracks.
लक्ष्मणोऽपि च तां त्यक्त्वा निर्गतो मत्पदानुगः । वारितोऽपि मयात्यर्थं मोहितः प्राकृतैर्गुणैः
Lakshmana too, leaving her behind, went out, following my footsteps; though I earnestly forbade him, he was deluded by ordinary qualities.
भिक्षुरूपं ततः कृत्वा रावणः कपटाकृतिः । जहार तरसा रक्षो जानकीं शोककर्शिताम्
Then Ravana, taking the form of a mendicant and disguising himself, swiftly abducted Janaki, who was afflicted by sorrow.
दुःखार्तेन मया तत्र रुदितञ्च वने वने । सुग्रीवेण च मित्रत्वं कृतं कार्यवशान्मया
Stricken with grief, I wept there, from forest to forest; and, compelled by necessity, I formed a friendship with Sugriva.
अन्यायेन हतो वाली शापाच्चैव निवारितः । सहायान्वानरान् कृत्वा लङ्कायां चलितः पुनः
Vali was slain unjustly and hindered by a curse; gathering the monkeys as allies, I set out again for Lanka.
बद्धोऽहं नागपाशैश्च लक्ष्मणश्च ममानुजः । विसंज्ञौ पतितौ दृष्ट्वा वानरा विस्मयं गताः
I was bound by serpent bonds, and so was Lakshmana, my younger brother; seeing us unconscious and fallen, the monkeys were astonished.
गरुडेन तदाऽऽगत्य मोचितौ भ्रातरौ किल । चिन्ता मे महती जाता दैवं किं वा करिष्यति
Then Garuda arrived and freed the two brothers; a great anxiety arose in me, wondering what fate or destiny would do.
हृतं राज्यं वने वासो मृतस्तातः प्रिया हृता । युद्धं कष्टं ददात्येवमग्रे किं वा करिष्यति
The kingdom was taken, I dwelt in the forest, my father died, my beloved was abducted; such a difficult battle was given—what would fate do next?
प्रथमं तु महद्दुःखमराज्यस्य वनाश्रयम् । राजपुत्र्यान्वितस्यैव धनहीनस्य मे सुराः
First, the great sorrow was the exile to the forest without a kingdom, accompanied only by the princess, and lacking wealth, O gods.
वराटिकापि पित्रा मे न दत्ता वननिर्गमे । पदातिरसहायोऽहं धनहीनश्च निर्गतः
Not even a coin was given to me by my father upon departing for the forest; I went forth on foot, alone and without wealth.
चतुर्दशैव वर्षाणि नीतानि च तदा मया । क्षात्रं धर्मं परित्यज्य व्याधवृत्त्या महावने
Fourteen years were spent by me then, abandoning the warrior's duty, living as a hunter in the great forest.