इन्द्रोऽपि च वृषो भूत्वा वाहनत्वं गतः क्षितौ । आद्यस्य सर्वलोकस्य विष्णोरेव विवेकिनः
Even Indra became a bull and took the role of a vehicle on earth; this happened to the wise Viṣṇu, the first of all the worlds.
सर्वज्ञत्वं गतं कुत्र प्रभुशक्तिः कुतो गता । यद्धेममृगविज्ञानं न ज्ञातं हरिणा किल
Where did omniscience go, and where did lordly power vanish, when even Hari did not know the truth about the golden deer?
राजन् मायाबलं पश्य रामो हि काममोहितः । रामो विरहसन्तप्तो रुरोद भृशमातुरः
O King, behold the power of Māyā: even Rāma was deluded by desire; tormented by separation, Rāma wept intensely in his anguish.
योऽपृच्छत्पादपान्मूढः क्व गता जनकात्मजा । भक्षिता वा हृता केन रुदन्नुच्चतरं ततः
He, bewildered, asked the trees, 'Where has the daughter of Janaka gone? Has she been eaten, or carried off by someone?' Crying out ever more loudly.
लक्ष्मणाहं मरिष्यामि कान्ताविरहदुःखितः । त्वं चापि मम दुःखेन मरिष्यसि वनेऽनुज
Lakṣmaṇa, I will die, afflicted by the sorrow of separation from my beloved; and you, my younger brother, will also die in the forest from grief over me.
आवयोर्मरणं ज्ञात्वा माता मम मरिष्यति । शत्रुघ्नोऽप्यतिदुःखार्तः कथं जीवितुमर्हति
Knowing that both of us will die, my mother too will perish; and even Śatrughna, overwhelmed by great sorrow, how could he possibly live?
सुमित्रा जीवितं जह्यात्पुत्रव्यसनकर्शिता । पूर्णकामाथ कैकेयी भवेत्पुत्रसमन्विता
Sumitrā, tormented by her son's misfortune, would give up her life; but Kaikeyī, her desires fulfilled, would remain, surrounded by her son.
हा सीते क्व गतासि त्वं मां विहाय स्मरातुरा । एह्येहि मृगशावाक्षि मां जीवय कृशोदरि
Alas, Sītā! Where have you gone, leaving me behind, tormented by longing? Come, come, O doe-eyed one, O slender-waisted, give me life.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि त्वदधीनञ्च जीवितम् । समाश्वासय दीनं मां प्रियं जनकनन्दिनि
What shall I do, where shall I go? My life depends on you. Console me, who am wretched, O beloved daughter of Janaka.
एवं विलपता तेन रामेणामिततेजसा । वने वने च भ्रमता नेक्षिता जनकात्मजा
Thus lamenting, that Rāma of immeasurable splendor wandered from forest to forest, but did not see Janaka's daughter.
शरण्यः सर्वलोकानां रामः कमललोचनः । शरणं वानराणां स गतो मायाविमोहितः
Rāma, lotus-eyed, the refuge of all worlds, became the refuge of the monkeys, deluded by Māyā.
सहायान्वानरान्कृत्वा बबन्ध वरुणालयम् । जघान रावणं वीरं कुम्भकर्णं महोदरम्
Making the monkeys his allies, he bridged the ocean; he slew the mighty Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa, and Mahodara.
आनीय च ततः सीतां रामो दिव्यमकारयत् । सर्वज्ञोऽपि हृतां मत्वा रावणेन दुरात्मना
Then, bringing Sītā back, Rāma performed a divine act; though all-knowing, he considered her as having been taken by the wicked Rāvaṇa.
किं ब्रवीमि महाराज योगमायाबलं महत् । यया विश्वमिदं सर्वं भ्रामितं भ्रमते किल
What can I say, O great king, of the immense power of Yogamāyā, by which this entire universe is made to wander and indeed wanders?
एवं नानावतारेऽत्र विष्णुः शापवशं गतः । करोति विविधाश्चेष्टा दैवाधीनः सदैव हि
Thus, in various incarnations here, Viṣṇu, subject to a curse, performs diverse actions, always under the control of destiny.
तवाहं कथयिष्यामि कृष्णस्यापि विचेष्टितम् । प्रभवं मानुषे लोके देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये
Now I shall tell you of Kṛṣṇa's deeds as well—his birth among men for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose.
कालिन्दीपुलिने रम्ये ह्यासीन्मधुवनं पुरा । लवणो मधुपुत्रस्तु तत्रासीद्दानवो बली
Once, on the beautiful bank of the Yamunā, in Madhuvana, there was a powerful demon named Lavaṇa, son of Madhu.
द्विजानां दुःखदः पापो वरदानेन गर्वितः । निहतोऽसौ महाभाग लक्ष्मणस्यानुजेन वै
He, sinful and proud due to a boon, caused suffering to the twice-born; but he was slain, O blessed one, by Lakṣmaṇa's younger brother.
शत्रुघ्नेनाथ संग्रामे तं निहत्य मदोत्कटम् । वासिता मथुरा नाम पुरी परमशोभना
Then, having slain that arrogant one in battle, Śatrughna established the supremely beautiful city called Mathurā.
स तत्र पुष्कराक्षौ द्वौ पुत्रौ शत्रुनिषूदनः । निवेश्य राज्ये मतिमान्काले प्राप्ते दिवं गतः
There, the wise destroyer of foes placed his two sons, Puṣkarākṣa and another, on the throne; and when the time came, he departed to heaven.
सूर्यवंशक्षये तां तु यादवाः प्रतिपेदिरे । मथुरां मुक्तिदा राजन् ययातितनयः पुरा
When the Solar dynasty declined, the Yādavas took possession of that Mathurā, O king, which once belonged to Yayāti's son and granted liberation.
शूरसेनाभिधः शूरस्तत्राभून्मेदिनीपतिः । माथुराञ्छूरसेनांश्च बुभुजे विषयान्नृप
There, Śūra, called Śūrasena, became the lord of the earth; he ruled over the lands of Mathurā and Śūrasena, O king.
तत्रोत्पन्नः कश्यपांशः शापाच्च वरुणस्य वै । वसुदेवोऽतिविख्यातः शूरसेनसुतस्तदा
There was born, from the line of Kaśyapa and due to Varuṇa's curse, the highly renowned Vasudeva, son of Śūrasena.
वैश्यवृत्तिरतः सोऽभून्मृते पितरि माधवः । उग्रसेनो बभूवाथ कंसस्तस्यात्मजो महान्
After his father died, Mādhava engaged in the occupation of the Vaiśyas; then Ugrasena became king, and his great son was Kaṃsa.
अदितिर्देवकी जाता देवकस्य सुता तदा । शापाद्वै वरुणस्याथ कश्यपानुगता किल
Aditi, who became Devakī, was then born as the daughter of Devaka; due to a curse from Varuṇa, she indeed came under Kaśyapa's care.
दत्ता सा वसुदेवाय देवकेन महात्मना । विवाहे रचिते तत्र वागभूद् गगने तदा
She was given to Vasudeva by the noble Devaka; when the marriage was arranged, a voice arose in the sky at that time.
कंस कंस महाभाग देवकीगर्भसम्भवः । अष्टमस्तु सुतः श्रीमांस्तव हन्ता भविष्यति
"Kaṃsa, Kaṃsa, greatly fortunate one, the eighth splendid son born from Devakī's womb will become your slayer."
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं कंसो विस्मितोऽभून्महाबलः । देववाचं तु तां मत्वा सत्यां चिन्तामवाप सः
Hearing that statement, Kaṃsa, mighty in strength, was astonished; considering that voice to be divine and true, he fell into deep anxiety.
किं करोमीति सञ्चिन्त्य विमर्शमकरोत्तदा । निहत्यैनां न मे मृत्युर्भवेदद्यैव सत्वरम्
Thinking, 'What should I do?' he deliberated then: 'If I kill her quickly today, death will not come to me.'
उपायो नान्यथा चास्मिन्कार्ये मृत्युभयावहे । इयं पितृष्वसा पूज्या कथं हन्मीत्यचिन्तयत्
'There is no other way in this matter, which brings the fear of death; but she is my father's sister and worthy of respect—how can I kill her?' he thought.