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.
श्वेताश्वतरादयः सर्वे ऋषयो निर्मलाशयाः । आत्मरूपां हृदा ज्ञात्वा विमुक्ता भवबन्धनात्
All the sages, such as Śvetāśvatara and others, pure in intent, having realized Her as the form of the Self in their hearts, became free from the bonds of worldly existence.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादयस्तद्वद् गौरीलक्ष्म्यादयस्तथा । तामेव समुपासन्ते सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम्
Likewise, Brahma, Vishnu, and others, as well as Gauri, Lakshmi, and others, worship only Her, who is the embodiment of existence, consciousness, and bliss.
इति ते कथितं राजन् यद्यत्पुष्टं त्वयानघ । प्रपञ्चतापत्रस्तेन किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Thus, O king, I have told you whatever you have asked, O sinless one; what more do you wish to hear regarding the troubles of worldly existence?
एतत्ते कथितं राजन्मयाख्यानमनुत्तमम् । सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं पुराणं परमाद्भुतम्
This has been narrated to you, O king, by me—an excellent account, which removes all sins, is meritorious, wondrous, and ancient.
य इदं शृणुयान्नित्यं पुराणं वेदसम्मितम् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो देवीलोके महीयते
Whoever listens daily to this Purana, which accords with the Vedas, becomes free from all sins and is honored in the realm of the Goddess.
सूत उवाच एतन्मया श्रुतं व्यासात्कथ्यमानं सविस्तरम् । पुराणं पञ्चमं नूनं श्रीमद्भागवताभिधम्
Sūta said: This I have heard in detail from Vyāsa as he narrated it—the fifth Purana, indeed, known as the glorious Bhāgavata.
योगमायाप्रभाववर्णनम् ऋषय ऊचुः भवता कथितं सूत महदाख्यानमुत्तमम् । कृष्णस्य चरितं दिव्यं सर्वपातकनाशनम्
Description of the power of Yogamaya. The sages said: O Sūta, you have narrated an excellent and great story—the divine deeds of Krishna, which destroy all sins.
सन्देहोऽत्र महाभाग वासुदेवकथानके । जायते नः प्रोच्यमाने विस्तरेण महामते
O fortunate one, a doubt arises for us in the account of Vasudeva, as it is being told in detail, O wise one.
वने गत्वा तपस्तप्तं वासुदेवेन दुष्करम् । विष्णोरंशावतारेण शिवस्याराधनं कृतम्
Having gone to the forest, Vasudeva performed severe austerities; as an incarnation of Vishnu, he worshipped Shiva.
वरप्रदानं देव्या च पार्वत्या यत्कृतं पुनः । जगन्मातुश्च पूर्णायाः श्रीदेव्या अंशभूतया
Again, the granting of boons by the Goddess Parvati, the complete Mother of the world, who is present as a portion of the glorious Goddess.
ईश्वरेणापि कृष्णेन कुतस्तौ सम्प्रपूजितौ । न्यूनता वा किमस्त्वस्य तदेवं संशयो मम
Even Krishna, the Lord, worshipped them—how is this so? Is there any deficiency in him? This is my doubt.
सूत उवाच शृणुध्वं कारणं तत्र मया व्यासश्रुतञ्च यत् । प्रब्रवीमि महाभागाः कथां कृष्णगुणान्विताम्
Sūta said: Listen to the reason for this, which I have heard from Vyāsa; I will tell you, O fortunate ones, the story endowed with Krishna's qualities.
वृत्तान्तं व्यासतः श्रुत्वा वैराटीसुतजस्तदा । पुनः पप्रच्छ मेधावी सन्देहं परमं गतः
Having heard the account from Vyāsa, the wise son of Vairāṭī then again asked, having reached a profound doubt.
जनमेजय उवाच सम्यक्सत्यवतीसूनो श्रुतं परमकारणम् । तथापि मनसो वृत्तिः संशयं न विमुञ्चति
Janamejaya said: The supreme reason has been rightly heard from the son of Satyavati; yet, the mind's disposition does not abandon its doubt.
कृष्णेनाराधितः शम्भुस्तपस्तप्त्वातिदारुणम् । विस्मयोऽयं महाभाग देवदेवेन विष्णुना
Krishna worshipped Śambhu, having performed extremely severe austerities; this is astonishing, O fortunate one, for Vishnu, the Lord of gods.
यः सर्वात्मापि सर्वेशः सर्वसिद्धिप्रदः प्रभुः । स कथं कृतवान्घोरं तपः प्राकृतवद्धरिः
He who is the Self of all, the Lord of all, the giver of all accomplishments—how did Hari perform such fierce austerity, as if he were an ordinary being?
जगत्कर्तुं क्षमः कृष्णस्तथा पालयितुं क्षमः । संहर्तुमपि कस्मात्स दारुणं तप आचरत्
Krishna is capable of creating the world and also of sustaining it; so why did he undertake such severe austerity for destruction?
व्यास उवाच सत्यमुक्तं त्वया राजन् वासुदेवो जनार्दनः । क्षमः सर्वेषु कार्येषु देवानां दैत्यसूदनः
Vyasa said: What you have spoken is true, O King. Vasudeva Janardana, the slayer of demons, is capable in all tasks of the gods.
तथापि मानुषं देहमाश्रितः परमेश्वरः । कृतवान्मानुषान्भावान्वर्णाश्रमसमाश्रितान्
Yet, even so, the Supreme Lord, having assumed a human body, performed actions appropriate to humans, following the ways of caste and stage of life.
वृद्धानां पूजनं चैव गुरुपादाभिवन्दनम् । ब्राह्मणानां तथा सेवा देवताराधनं तथा
He honored the elders, bowed at the feet of his teachers, served the Brahmins, and worshipped the deities.