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.
यथा यथा पूर्वभवं कर्म तेषां तथा तथा । प्रेरयत्यनिशं माया परब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी
As is the karma from their previous births, so Māyā, who is the very form of the Supreme Brahman, continually impels them accordingly.
न वैषम्यं न नैर्घृण्यं भगवत्यां कदाचन । केवलं जीवमोक्षार्थं यतते भुवनेश्वरी
There is never any partiality or cruelty in the Goddess; the Lady of the World acts solely for the liberation of beings.
यदि सा नैव सृज्येत जगदेतच्चराचरम् । तदा मायां विना भूतं जडं स्यादेव नित्यशः
If she did not create this entire world, both moving and unmoving, then, without Māyā, all existence would remain inert forever.
तस्मात्कारुण्यमाश्रित्य जगज्जीवादिकं च यत् । करोति सततं देवी प्रेरयत्यनिशं च तत्
Therefore, out of compassion, the Goddess constantly creates and impels the world, from living beings onward.
तस्माद् ब्रह्मादिमोहेऽस्मिन्कर्तव्यः संशयो न हि । मायान्तःपातिनः सर्वे मायाधीनाः सुरासुराः
Thus, there should be no doubt regarding the delusion of Brahmā and the others; all gods and demons, subject to Māyā, are under her control.
स्वतन्त्रा सैव देवेशी स्वेच्छाचारविहारिणी । तस्मात्सर्वात्मना राजन् सेवनीया महेश्वरी
She alone, the great Goddess, is independent, moving according to her own will; therefore, O King, she must be worshipped with all one's being.
नातः परतरं किञ्चिदधिकं भुवनत्रये । एतद्धि जन्मसाफल्यं पराशक्तेः पदस्मृतिः
There is nothing higher or greater than this in the three worlds; indeed, the fulfillment of birth is the remembrance of the Supreme Power's feet.
माभूत्तत्र कुले जन्म यत्र देवी न दैवतम् । अहं देवी न चान्योऽस्मि ब्रह्मैवाहं न शोकभाक्
Let there not be birth in that family where the Goddess is not worshipped as deity; I am the Goddess, none other am I—indeed, I am Brahman, untouched by sorrow.
इत्यभेदेन तां नित्यां चिन्तयेज्जगदम्बिकाम् । ज्ञात्वा गुरुमुखादेनां वेदान्तश्रवणादिभिः
Thus, one should contemplate the eternal Mother of the universe without distinction, having understood Her through the words of the guru and by listening to Vedanta and similar teachings.
नित्यमेकाग्रमनसा भावयेदात्मरूपिणीम् । मुक्तो भवति तेनाशु नान्यथा कर्मकोटिभिः
With a mind always concentrated, one should meditate upon Her as the form of the Self; by this, liberation is quickly attained—not by any other means, even through countless actions.