पपात पादयोस्तस्य दण्डवत्प्रेमसंयुतः । स्तुतिं चकार देवेशो मेघगम्भीरया गिरा
Fell at his feet in prostration, filled with love; the Lord of the gods offered praise with a voice deep as a cloud.
स्थितस्तु पुरतः शम्भोर्वासुदेवः सनातनः । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच देवदेव जगन्ताथ सर्वभूतार्तिनाशन
Standing before Śambhu, Vāsudeva, the eternal one, spoke: Śrī Krishna said: "O God of gods, Lord of the worlds, destroyer of all beings' suffering..."
विश्वयोने सुरारिघ्न नमस्त्रैलोक्यकारक । नीलकण्ठ नमस्तुभ्यं शूलिने ते नमो नमः
O source of the universe, destroyer of the gods’ enemies, obeisance to you, creator of the three worlds; O blue-throated one, I bow to you, O wielder of the trident, again and again I bow.
शैलजावल्लभायाश्च यज्ञघ्नाय नमोऽस्तु ते । धन्योऽहं कृतकृत्योऽहं दर्शनात्तव सुव्रत
Obeisance to you, beloved of the daughter of the mountain, destroyer of sacrifice; I am blessed, I am fulfilled, having seen you, O steadfast one.
जन्म मे सफलं जातं नत्वा ते पादपङ्कजम् । बद्धोऽहं स्त्रीमयैः पाशैः संसारेऽस्मिञ्जगद्गुरो
My birth has become fruitful by bowing to your lotus feet; I am bound by the snares of womanhood in this world, O teacher of the universe.
शरणं तेऽद्य सम्प्राप्तो रक्षणार्थं त्रिलोचन । सम्प्राप्य मानुषं जन्म खिन्नोऽहं दुःखनाशन
Today I have come to your refuge, O three-eyed one, for protection; having attained human birth, I am afflicted, O remover of sorrow.
त्राहि मां शरणं प्राप्तं भवभीतं भवाधुना । गर्भवासे महद्दुःखं प्राप्तं मदनदाहक
Rescue me, who has come to your refuge, fearful of existence, O destroyer of Kāma; I have suffered great pain in the womb.
जन्मतः कंसभयजमनुभूतं च गोकुले । जातोऽहं नन्दगोपालो बल्लवाज्ञाकरस्तथा
From birth I have experienced the fear of Kaṃsa in Gokula; I was born as Nandagopa’s son and obeyed the commands of the cowherds.
गोरजःकीर्णकेशस्तु भ्रमन्वृन्दावने घने । म्लेच्छराजभयत्रस्तो गतो द्वारवतीं पुनः
With hair covered in cow-dust, I wandered in the dense Vṛndāvana; terrified by the threat of the barbarian king, I went again to Dvāravatī.
त्यक्त्वा पित्र्यं शुभं देशं माधुरं दुर्लभं विभो । ययातिशापबद्धेन तस्मै दत्तं भयाद्विभो
Abandoning my ancestral, auspicious, and rare land of Mathurā, O Lord, I gave it to him, bound by Yayāti’s curse, out of fear, O Lord.
राज्यं सुपुष्टमपि च धर्मरक्षापरेण च । उग्रसेनस्य दासत्वं कृतं वै सर्वदा मया
Even though the kingdom was prosperous and devoted to the protection of dharma, I always accepted servitude to Ugrasena.
राजासौ यादवानां वै कृतो नः पूर्वजैः किल । गार्हस्थ्यं दुःखदं शम्भो स्त्रीवश्यं धर्मखण्डनम्
He was made king of the Yādavas by our forefathers; household life brings sorrow, O Śambhu, being subject to women leads to the destruction of dharma.
पारतन्त्र्यं सदा बन्धमोक्षवार्तात्र दुर्लभा । रुक्यिण्यास्तनयान्दृष्ट्वा भार्या जाम्बवती मम
Dependence is always bondage, and talk of liberation here is rare; seeing the sons of Rukmiṇī, my wife Jāmbavatī—
प्रेरयामास पुत्रार्थं तपसे मदनान्तक । सकामेन मया तप्तं तपः पुत्रार्थमद्य वै
She urged me, O destroyer of Kāma, to undertake austerity for the sake of a son; with desire, I have performed austerity today for the sake of a son.
लज्जा भवति देवेश प्रार्थनायां जगद्गुरो । कस्त्वामाराध्य देवेशं मुक्तिदं भक्तवत्सलम्
There is shame, O Lord of the gods, in making requests, O teacher of the world; who, after worshipping you, O Lord of the gods, bestower of liberation, lover of devotees—
प्रसन्नं याचते मूढः फलं तुच्छं विनाशि यत् । सोऽयं मायाविमूढात्मा याचे पुत्रसुखं विभो
—would foolishly ask you, when pleased, for some trivial, perishable fruit? Yet, deluded by Māyā, I ask you, O Lord, for the happiness of a son.
कामिन्या प्रेरितः शम्भो मुक्तिदं त्वां जगत्पते । जानामि दुःखदं शम्भो संसारं दुःखसाधनम्
Urged by a woman, O Śambhu, I seek you, Lord of the world, bestower of liberation; I know, O Śambhu, that worldly existence is a source of sorrow and suffering.
अनित्यं नाशधर्माणं तथापि विरतिर्न मे । शापान्नारायणांशोऽहं जातोऽस्मि क्षितिमण्डले
It is impermanent and subject to destruction, yet still I have no detachment; by a curse, I, a portion of Nārāyaṇa, was born on earth.
भोक्तुं बहुतरं दुःखं मायापाशेन यन्त्रितः । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तवन्तं गोविन्दं प्रत्युवाच महेश्वरः
Compelled by the bonds of Māyā, I have endured much suffering; Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, Govinda was addressed by Maheśvara.
बहवस्ते भविष्यन्ति पुत्राः शत्रुनिषूदन । स्त्रीणां षोडशसाहस्रं भविष्यति शतार्धकम्
You will have many sons, O destroyer of enemies; and sixteen thousand one hundred women will be yours.
तासु पुत्रा दश दश भविष्यन्ति महाबलाः । इत्युक्त्वोपररामाशु शङ्करः प्रियदर्शनः
Among them, ten sons each, mighty in strength, will be born; having said this, the gracious Śaṅkara quickly ceased speaking.
उवाच गिरिजा देवी प्रणतं मधुसूदनम् । कृष्ण कृष्ण महाबाहो संसारेऽस्मिन्नराधिप
Then the goddess Girijā spoke to Madhusūdana, who had bowed to her: 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one, O lord of men in this world—'
गृहस्थप्रवरो लोके भविष्यति भवानिह । ततो वर्षशतान्ते तु द्विजशापाज्जनार्दन
'Here you will become the foremost householder in the world, O Bhava; but at the end of a hundred years, O Janārdana, due to a brāhmaṇa’s curse—'
गान्धार्याश्च तथा शापाद्भविता ते कुलक्षयः । परस्परं निहत्याजौ पुत्रास्ते शापमोहिताः
'And also by the curse of Gāndhārī, your lineage will be destroyed; your sons, deluded by the curse, will kill each other in battle.'
गमिष्यन्ति क्षयं सर्वे यादवाश्च तथापरे । सानुजस्त्वं तथा देहं त्यक्त्वा यास्यसि वै दिवम्
'All of them, and the other Yādavas as well, will perish; and you, along with your brother, will abandon your body and ascend to heaven.'
शोकस्तत्र न कर्तव्यो भवितव्यं प्रति प्रभो । अवश्यम्भाविभावानां प्रतीकारो न विद्यते
'There should be no grief regarding what must come to pass, O Lord; for events that are destined to happen, there is no remedy.'
तत्र शोको न कर्तव्यो नूनं मम मतं सदा । अष्टावक्रस्य शापेन भार्यास्ते मधुसूदन
'Therefore, certainly, there should be no sorrow there—this is always my view; by the curse of Aṣṭāvakra, O Madhusūdana, your wives—'
चौरेभ्यो ग्रहणं कृष्ण गमिष्यन्ति मृते त्वयि । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे शम्भुः सोमः ससुरमण्डलः
'After your death, Kṛṣṇa, your wives will be captured by thieves.' Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, Śambhu disappeared, along with Soma and the assembly of gods.
उपमन्युं प्रणम्याथ कृष्णोऽपि द्वारकां ययौ । यस्माद् ब्रह्मादयो राजन् सन्ति यद्यप्यधीश्वराः
Then, having bowed to Upamanyu, Kṛṣṇa also went to Dvārakā; for, O King, although Brahmā and the others exist, even as lords—
तथापि मायाकल्लोलयोगसंक्षुभितान्तराः । तदधीनाः स्थिताः सर्वे काष्ठपुत्तलिकोपमाः
Still, their inner selves are agitated by the waves of Māyā; all of them remain dependent on her, like wooden puppets.