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.
शोके शोकाभियोगश्च हर्षे हर्षसमुन्नतिः । दैन्यं नानापवादाश्च स्त्रीषु कामोपसेवनम्
He experienced sorrow in times of grief, elation in times of joy, humility, various reproaches, and indulged in desire with women.
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभः काले काले भवन्ति हि । तथा गुणमये देहे निर्गुणत्वं कथं भवेत्
Desire, anger, and greed arise from time to time; so how can there be freedom from qualities in a body made of qualities?
सौबलीशापजाद्दोषात्तथा ब्राह्मणशापजात् । निधनं यादवानां तु कृष्णदेहस्य मोचनम्
Because of the curse of Saubala and also the curse of a Brahmin, the destruction of the Yadavas and the release of Krishna's body occurred.
हरणं लुण्ठनं तद्वत्तत्पत्नीनां नराधिप । अर्जुनस्यास्त्रमोक्षे च क्लीबत्वं तस्करेषु च
Likewise, the abduction and plundering of his wives by kings, Arjuna's impotence when releasing weapons, and the acts of thieves.
अज्ञत्वं हरणे गेहात्तत्प्रद्युम्नानिरुद्धयोः । एवं मानुषदेहेऽस्मिन्मानुषं खलु चेष्टितम्
The ignorance during the abduction from the house of Pradyumna and Aniruddha—thus, in this human body, truly, human actions were performed.
विष्णोरंशावतारेऽस्मिन्नारायणमुनेस्तथा । अंशजे वासुदेवेऽत्र किं चित्रं शिवसेवने
In this incarnation as a portion of Vishnu, and likewise of the sage Narayana, what is surprising if Vasudeva, born from a portion, worships Shiva?
स हि सर्वेश्वरो देवो विष्णोरपि च कारणम् । सुषुप्तस्थाननाथः स विष्णुना च प्रपूजितः
For he is the Lord of all, the cause even of Vishnu, the master of the state of deep sleep, and is worshipped by Vishnu himself.
तदंशभूताः कृष्णाद्यास्तैः कथं न स पूज्यते । अकारो भगवान्ब्रह्माप्युकारः स्याद्धरिः स्वयम्
How would he not be worshipped by those like Krishna, who are his portions? The letter 'A' is the blessed Brahma, and 'U' is Hari himself.
मकारो भगवान् रुद्रोऽप्यर्धमात्रा महेश्वरी । उत्तरोत्तरभावेनाप्युत्तमत्वं स्मृतं बुधैः
'M' is the blessed Rudra, and the half-syllable is the great goddess; by the increasing order, the highest status is recognized by the wise.
अतः सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु देवी सर्वोत्तमा स्मृता । अर्धमात्रास्थिता नित्या यानुच्चार्या विशेषतः
Therefore, in all the scriptures, the Goddess is remembered as supreme, abiding in the half-syllable, eternal, and especially unuttered.
विष्णोरप्यथिको रुद्रो विष्णुस्तु ब्रह्मणोऽधिकः । तस्मान्न संशयः कार्यः कृष्णेन शिवपूजने
Rudra is greater than Vishnu, and Vishnu is greater than Brahma; therefore, there should be no doubt about Krishna's worship of Shiva.
इच्छया ब्रह्मणो वक्त्राद्वरदानार्थमुद्बभौ । मूलरुद्रस्यांशभूतो रुद्रनामा द्वितीयकः
By his will, from the mouth of Brahma, for the granting of boons, arose Rudra named the Second, who is a portion of the original Rudra.
सोऽपि पूज्योऽस्ति सर्वेषां मूलरुद्रस्य का कथा । देवीतत्त्वस्य सान्निध्यादुत्तमत्वं स्मृतं शिवे
He too is worthy of worship by all—what need to speak of the original Rudra? Because of the presence of the principle of the Goddess, supremacy is attributed to Shiva.
अवतारा हरेरेवं प्रभवन्ति युगे युगे । योगमायाप्रभावेण नात्र कार्या विचारणा
Thus, the incarnations of Hari arise in every age by the power of Yogamaya; there is no need for further inquiry into this.
या नेत्रपक्ष्मपरिसञ्चलनेन सम्य- ग्विश्वं सृजत्यवति हन्ति निगूढभावा । सैषा करोति सततं द्रुहिणाच्युतेशान् नानावतारकलने परिभूयमानान्
She, by the mere fluttering of her eyelids, creates, sustains, and destroys the universe, though her true nature remains hidden; it is she who continually causes Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva to be disregarded in the reckoning of their many incarnations.
सूतीगृहाद्व्रजनमप्यनया नियुक्तं संगोपितश्च भवने पशुपालराज्ञः । सम्प्रापितश्च मधुरां विनियोजितश्च श्रीद्वारकाप्रणयने ननु भीतचित्तः
By her command alone, the journey from the birthing chamber took place, and the child was secretly kept in the house of the cowherd king; he was brought to Mathurā and then, out of fear, sent to establish the city of Dvārakā.
निर्माय षोडशसहस्रशतार्धकास्ता नार्योऽष्टसम्मततराः स्वकलासमुत्थाः । तासां विलासवशगं तु विधाय कामं दासीकृतो हि भगवाननयाप्यनन्तः
He fashioned sixteen thousand one hundred women, most pleasing among all, arising from his own powers; making himself subject to their charms and desires, the infinite Lord became their servant through her influence.
एकापि बन्धनविधौ युवती समर्था पुंसो यथा सुदृढलोहमयं तु दाम । किं नाम षोडशसहस्रशतार्धकाश्च तं स्वीकृतं शुकमिवातिनिबन्धयन्ति
Just as a single young woman is capable of binding a man with a strong iron chain, so what of those sixteen thousand one hundred women, who, having accepted him, bind him tightly like a parrot in a cage?
सात्राजितीवशगतेन मुदान्वितेन प्राप्तं सुरेन्द्रभवनं हरिणा तदानीम् । कृत्वा मृधं मघवता विहृतस्तरूणा- मीशः प्रियासदनभूषणतां य आप
With joy, Hari, having gained the Syamantaka jewel from Satrājit, entered the abode of the king of gods; after defeating Indra in battle, he enjoyed the company of the young women, and the Lord adorned the beloved chambers.
यो भीमजां हि हृतवाञ्छिशुपालकादी- ञ्जित्वा विधिं निखिलधर्मकृतो विधित्सुः । जग्राह तां निजबलेन च धर्मपत्नीं कोऽसौ विधिः परकलत्रहृतौ विजातः
He took the daughter of Bhīma, having conquered Śiśupāla and others, and, desiring to establish righteousness, seized her as his lawful wife by his own strength; what law is there that is born to restrain one who takes another's wife?