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?
अहङ्कारवशः प्राणी करोति च शुभाशुभम् । विमूढो मोहजालेन तत्कृतेनातिपातिना
Driven by ego, a living being performs both good and evil deeds, deluded by the net of ignorance, and thus commits grave transgressions.
अहङ्काराद्धि सञ्जातमिदं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । मूलाद्धरिहरादीनामुग्रात्प्रकृतिसम्भवात्
Indeed, from ego arises all that is movable and immovable; even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and others have their root in the fierce nature born of Prakṛti.
अहङ्कारपरित्यक्तो यदा भवति पद्मजः । तदा विमुक्तो भवति नोचेत्संसारकर्मकृत्
When Brahmā is free from ego, then he is liberated; otherwise, he remains bound to worldly actions.
तन्मुक्तस्तु विमुक्तो हि बद्धस्तद्वशतां गतः । न नारी न धनं गेहं न पुत्रा न सहोदराः
He who is freed from that is truly liberated, but one who is subject to it remains bound; neither women, nor wealth, nor home, nor children, nor brothers are the cause.
बन्धनं प्राणिनां राजन्नहङ्कारस्तु बन्धकः । अहं कर्ता मया चेदं कृतं कार्यं बलीयसा
O King, ego is the bondage of living beings, and ego alone is the binder; 'I am the doer, by me this work is accomplished'—such is its strength.
करिष्यामि करोम्येवं स्वयं बध्नाति प्राणभृत् । कारणेन विना कार्यं न सम्भवति कर्हिचित्
'I will do this, I am doing this'—thus, the embodied soul binds itself; without a cause, no effect ever arises.
यथा न दृश्यते जातो मृत्पिण्डेन विना घटः । विष्णुः पालयिता विश्वस्याहङ्कारसमन्वितः
Just as a pot is never seen without a lump of clay, so Viṣṇu, the protector of the universe, acts only when endowed with ego.
अन्यथा सर्वदा चिन्ताम्बुधौ मग्नः कथं भवेत् । अहङ्कारविमुक्तस्तु यदा भवति मानवः
Otherwise, how could one ever be submerged in the ocean of anxious thoughts? Only when a person is freed from ego does this not occur.
अवतारप्रवाहेषु कथं मज्जेच्छुभाशयः । मोहमूलमहङ्कारः संसारस्तत्समुद्भवः
How could one with pure intentions be immersed in the stream of incarnations? Ego is the root of delusion, and the world arises from it.
अहङ्कारविहीनानां न मोहो न च संसृतिः । त्रिविधः पुरुषः प्रोक्तः सात्त्विको राजसस्तथा
For those without ego, there is neither delusion nor transmigration; three types of persons are described: sāttvic, rājasic, and also tāmasic.
तामसस्तु महाराज ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादिषु । त्रिविधस्त्रिषु राजेन्द्र काजेशादिषु सर्वदा
O great king, the tāmasic type is found among Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others; likewise, these three types always exist among kings and other beings.
अहङ्कारः सदा प्रोक्तो मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । अहङ्कारेण तेनैव बद्धा एते न संशयः
Ego has always been declared by sages who know reality; by ego alone these beings are bound—of this there is no doubt.
मायाविमोहिता मन्दाः प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः । करोति स्वेच्छया विष्णुरवताराननेकशः
Deluded by Māyā, the dull-minded proclaim that Viṣṇu takes countless incarnations according to his own will.
मन्दोऽपि दुःखगहने गर्भवासेऽतिसङ्कटे । न करोति मतिं विद्वान्कथं कुर्यात्स चक्रभृत्
Even a wise person, though dull, does not form thoughts in the deep suffering of the womb; how then could the wielder of the discus do so?
कौसल्यादेवकीगर्भे विष्ठामलसमाकुले । स्वेच्छया प्रवदन्त्यद्धा गतो हि मधुसूदनः
They assert that Madhusūdana entered, by his own will, the wombs of Kausalyā and Devakī, filled with impurity and filth.
वैकुण्ठसदनं त्यक्त्वा गर्भवासे सुखं नु किम् । चिन्ताकोटिसमुत्थाने दुःखदे विषसम्मिते
What happiness is there in residing in the womb, having abandoned the abode of Vaikuṇṭha, in a place arising from countless worries, painful and akin to poison?
तपस्तप्त्वा क्रतून्कृत्वा दत्त्वा दानान्यनेकशः । न वाञ्छन्ति यतो लोका गर्भवासं सुदुःखदम्
Having performed austerities, sacrifices, and given countless gifts, people do not desire the extremely painful residence in the womb.
स कथं भगवान्विष्णुः स्ववशश्चेज्जनार्दनः । गर्भवासरुचिर्भूयाद्भवेत्स्ववशता यदि
How could Lord Viṣṇu, if he were truly independent, willingly desire the residence in the womb, O Janārdana?
जानीहि त्वं महाराज योगमायावशे जगत् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं देवमानुषतिर्यगम्
Know, O great king, that the world is under the control of Yogamāyā, from Brahmā down to a blade of grass, including gods, humans, and animals.
मायातन्त्रीनिबद्धा ये ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः । भ्रमन्ति बन्धमायान्ति लीलया चोर्णनाभवत्
Those bound by the mechanism of Māyā, such as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Hara, wander, become bound, and enter dissolution by her play.