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.
पुनर्विचारयामास मरणं मेऽस्त्यहो स्वसा । पापेनापि प्रकर्तव्या देहरक्षा विपश्चिता
Again he considered, 'Alas, if I do not kill my sister, I will die; even by committing sin, the wise must protect their own bodies.'
प्रायश्चित्तेन पापस्य शुद्धिर्भवति सर्वदा । प्राणरक्षा प्रकर्तव्या बुधैरप्येनसा तथा
'By atonement, sin is always purified; even the wise, when necessary, must protect their lives, even through wrongdoing.'
विचिन्त्य मनसा कंसः खड्गमादाय सत्वरः । जग्राह तां वरारोहां केशेष्वाकृष्य पापकृत्
Thinking thus in his mind, Kaṃsa, acting swiftly, took up his sword and, committing a wicked deed, seized that beautiful woman by her hair.
कोशात्खड्गमुपाकृष्य हन्तुकामो दुराशयः । पश्यतां सर्वलोकानां नवोढां तां चकर्ष ह
Drawing his sword from its sheath, with evil intent to kill, he dragged the newly-wed woman before the eyes of all the worlds.
हन्यमानाञ्च तां दृष्ट्वा हाहाकारो महानभूत् । वसुदेवानुगा वीरा युद्धायोद्यतकार्मुकाः
Seeing her about to be killed, a great outcry arose; the heroic followers of Vasudeva, with bows ready, prepared for battle.
मुञ्च मुञ्चेति प्रोचुस्तं ते तदाद्भुतसाहसाः । कृपया मोचयामासुर्देवकीं देवमातरम्
They shouted, 'Release her! Release her!'—those wondrously brave men; out of compassion, they freed Devakī, the mother of the gods.
तद्युद्धमभवद् घोरं वीराणाञ्च परस्परम् । वसुदेवसहायानां कंसेन च महात्मना
Then there was a terrible battle between the heroes, Vasudeva's allies and the great Kaṃsa.
वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे दारुणे लोमहर्षणे । कंसं निवारयामासुर्वृद्धा ये यदुसत्तमाः
As that fierce and hair-raising battle raged on, the elder, foremost Yadus restrained Kaṃsa.
पितृष्वसेयं ते वीर पूजनीया च बालिशा । न हन्तव्या त्वया वीर विवाहोत्सवसङ्गमे
"This is your father's sister, O hero, and she is to be honored, O simple one; she must not be killed by you, O hero, at the time of her wedding celebration."
स्त्रीहत्या दुःसहा वीर कीर्तिघ्नी पापकृत्तमा । भूतभाषितमात्रेण न कर्तव्या विजानता
"The killing of a woman is unbearable, O hero, it destroys fame and is the worst of sins; a wise person should not act merely on the basis of a spoken prophecy."