श्रीदेव्युवाच शोकं मा कुरु देवेश शापोऽयं ते पुरातनः । तस्य योगेन पुत्रस्ते शम्बरेण हृतो बलात्
The Goddess said: Do not grieve, Lord of the gods; this is an ancient curse upon you. By its power, your son has been forcibly taken by Śambara.
अतस्ते षोडशे वर्षे हत्वा तं शम्बरं बलात् । आगमिष्यति पुत्रस्ते मत्प्रसादान्न संशयः
Therefore, in his sixteenth year, your son will return after forcefully killing Śambara, by my grace—there is no doubt.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे देवी चण्डिका चण्डविक्रमा । भगवानपि पुत्रस्य शोकं त्यक्त्वाभवत्सुखी
Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, the fierce and mighty Caṇḍikā vanished, and the Blessed Lord, abandoning his grief for his son, became content.
पराशक्तेः सर्वज्ञत्वकथनम् राजोवाच सन्देहो मे मुनिश्रेष्ठ जायते वचनात्तव । वैष्णवांशे भगवति दुःखोत्पत्तिं विलोक्य च
The king said: O best of sages, a doubt arises in me from your words, and also from seeing the birth of sorrow in the line of Viṣṇu.
नारायणांशसम्भूतो वासुदेवः प्रतापवान् । कथं स सूतिकागाराद्धृतो बालो हरेरपि
Vāsudeva, born from a portion of Nārāyaṇa and full of power—how was that child taken from the birthing chamber, even though he is Hari himself?
सुगुप्तनगरे रम्ये गुप्तेऽथ सूतिकागृहे । प्रविश्य तेन दैत्येन गृहीतोऽसौ कथं शिशुः
In a beautiful, well-guarded city, and in a hidden birthing chamber, how did that demon enter and seize the child?
न ज्ञातो वासुदेवेन चित्रमेतन्ममाद्भुतम् । जायते महदाश्चर्यं चित्ते सत्यवतीसुत
Vāsudeva did not know this marvel of mine, O son of Satyavatī; a great wonder arises in the mind.
ब्रूहि तत्कारणं ब्रह्मन्न ज्ञातं केशवेन यत् । हरणं तत्रसंस्थेन शिशोर्वा सूतिकागृहात्
Tell me, O Brahman, the reason for that which Keśava did not know: the taking away of the child from the maternity chamber by the one who was present there.
व्यास उवाच माया बलवती राजन्नराणां बुद्धिमोहिनी । शाम्भवी विश्रुता लोके को वा मोहं न गच्छति
Vyāsa said: Maya is powerful, O King, bewildering the minds of men; known in the world as Śāmbhavī. Who does not fall into delusion?
मानुषं जन्म सम्प्राप्य गुणाः सर्वेऽपि मानुषाः । भवन्ति देहजा कामं न देवा नासुरास्तदा
Having attained human birth, all qualities belonging to humans arise from the body, as is natural; at that time, neither gods nor demons possess them.
क्षुत्तृण्निद्रा भयं तन्द्रा व्यामोहः शोकसंशयः । हर्षश्चैवाभिमानश्च जरामरणमेव च
Hunger, thirst, sleep, fear, lethargy, confusion, sorrow, doubt, joy, pride, old age, and death—
अज्ञानं ग्लानिरप्रीतिरीर्ष्यासूया मदः श्रमः । एते देहभवा भावाः प्रभवन्ति नराधिप
Ignorance, fatigue, displeasure, envy, malice, intoxication, and exhaustion—these states arising from the body manifest, O King.
यथा हेममृगं रामो न बुबोध पुरोगतम् । जानक्या हरणञ्चैव जटायुमरणं तथा
Just as Rāma did not perceive the golden deer ahead, nor the abduction of Jānaki, nor the death of Jaṭāyu—
अभिषेकदिने रामो वनवासं न वेद च । तथा न ज्ञातवान् रामः स्वशोकान्मरणं पितुः
On the day of his consecration, Rāma did not know of his exile to the forest; likewise, Rāma did not realize, due to his own grief, the death of his father.
अज्ञवद्विचचारासौ पश्यमानो वने वने । जानकीं न विवेदाथ रावणेन हृतां बलात्
He wandered about like one ignorant, searching in forest after forest, yet did not recognize Jānaki, who had been forcibly taken by Rāvaṇa.
सहायान् वानरान्कृत्वा हत्वा शक्रसुतं बलात् । सागरे सेतुबन्धञ्च कृत्वोत्तीर्य सरित्पतिम्
Having made the monkeys his allies, and forcefully slain Indra's son, he built a bridge across the ocean and crossed the lord of rivers.
प्रेषयामास सर्वासु दिक्षु तान्कपिकुञ्जरान् । संग्रामं कृतवान्घोरं दुःखं प्राप रणाजिरे
He sent those monkey warriors in all directions, fought a fierce battle, and suffered hardship on the field of war.
बन्धनं नागपाशेन प्राप रामो महाबलः । गरुडान्मोक्षणं पश्चादन्वभूद्रघुनन्दनः
Rāma, mighty in strength, was bound by the serpent noose; afterwards, he was released by Garuḍa, O descendant of Raghu.
अहनद्रावणं संख्ये कुम्भकर्णं महाबलम् । मेघनादं निकुम्भञ्च कुपितो रघुनन्दनः
Raghunandana, enraged, slew Rāvaṇa in battle, as well as the mighty Kumbhakarṇa, Meghanāda, and Nikumbha.
अदूष्यत्वञ्च जानक्या न विवेद जनार्दनः । दिव्यञ्च कारयामास ज्वलितेऽग्नौ प्रवेशनम्
Janārdana did not recognize Sītā's innocence; he arranged for her to enter the blazing fire in a divine manner.
लोकापवादाच्च परं ततस्तत्याज तां प्रियाम् । अदूष्यां दूषितां मत्वा सीतां दशरथात्मजः
Because of public reproach, the son of Daśaratha abandoned his beloved, considering Sītā, though innocent, to be defiled.
न ज्ञातौ स्वसुतौ तेन रामेण च कुशीलवौ । मुनिना कथितौ तौ तु तस्य पुत्रौ महाबलौ
Rāma did not know his own sons, Kuśa and Lava; only when the sage told him did he learn that those two, mighty in strength, were his sons.
पातालगमनं चैव जानक्या ज्ञातवान्न च । राघवः कोपसंयुक्तो भ्रातरं हन्तुमुद्यतः
He did not know of Jānaki's descent into the netherworld; Rāghava, filled with anger, was ready to slay his brother.
कालस्यागमनञ्चैव न विवेद खरान्तकः । मानुषं देहमाश्रित्य चक्रे मानुषचेष्टितम्
He did not perceive the coming of Time, O slayer of Khara; having assumed a human body, he acted as a human.
तथैव मानुषान्भावान्नात्र कार्या विचारणा । पूर्वं कंसभयात्प्राप्तो गोकुले यदुनन्दनः
In the same way, there is no need to consider the human circumstances here; formerly, out of fear of Kaṃsa, the son of Yadu came to Gokula.
जरासन्धभयात्पश्चाद् द्वारवत्यां गतो हरिः । अधर्मं कृतवान्कृष्णो रुक्मिण्या हरणञ्च यत्
Later, out of fear of Jarāsandha, Hari went to Dvāravatī; and Krishna committed unrighteousness in the abduction of Rukmiṇī.
शिशुपालवृतायाश्च जानन्धर्मं सनातनम् । शुशोच बालकं कृष्णः शम्बरेण हृतं बलात्
Knowing the eternal dharma regarding the betrothal of Śiśupāla, Krishna grieved for the child who was forcibly taken by Śambara.
मुमोद जानन्पुत्रं तं हर्षशोकयुतस्ततः । सत्यभामाज्ञया यत्तु युयुधे स्वर्गतः किल
Then, knowing that child to be his son, he rejoiced, filled with both joy and sorrow; and, by the command of Satyabhāmā, he fought, it is said, in heaven.
इन्द्रेण पादपार्थं तु स्त्रीजितत्वं प्रकाशयन् । जहार कल्पवृक्षं यः पराभूय शतक्रतुम्
There, with Indra, he revealed his conquest over women by striking the Pārijāta tree; he took the wish-fulfilling tree, having defeated Śatakratu.
मानिनीमानरक्षार्थं हरिश्चित्रधरः प्रभुः । बद्ध्वा वृक्षे हरिं सत्या नारदाय ददौ पतिम्
Hari, the illustrious lord, for the sake of protecting the pride of the proud lady, bound Hari to a tree, and Satyā gave her husband to Nārada.