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.
महिषासुरोत्पत्तिः राजोवाच योगेश्वर्याः प्रभावोऽयं कथितश्चातिविस्तरात् । ब्रूहि तच्चरितं स्वामिञ्छ्रोतुं कौतूहलं मम
The birth of Mahiṣāsura.
महादेवीप्रभावं वै श्रोतुं को नाभिवाञ्छति । यो जानाति जगत्सर्वं तदुत्पन्नं चराचरम्
Who would not wish to hear of the greatness of the Mahādevī, who knows that all the world, both moving and unmoving, has arisen from her?
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि विस्तरेण महामते । श्रद्दधानाय शान्ताय न ब्रूयात्स तु मन्दधीः
Vyāsa said: Listen, O king, I will speak in detail, O wise one; one should not speak to the dull-minded, but only to the faithful and peaceful.
पुरा युद्धमभूद् घोरं देवदानवसेनयोः । पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपाल महिषाख्ये महीपतौ
Once, a fierce battle took place between the armies of the gods and the demons, O protector of the earth, on earth, under the king named Mahiṣa.
महिषो नाम राजेन्द्र चकार तप उत्तमम् । गत्वा हेमगिरौ चोग्रं देवविस्मयकारकम्
A king named Mahiṣa performed supreme austerity, going to the golden mountain, severe and astonishing even to the gods.
वर्षाणामयुतं पूर्णं चिन्तयन्हृदि देवताम् । तस्य तुष्टो महाराज ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
For a full ten thousand years, he meditated upon the deity in his heart; Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, became pleased with him, O king.
तत्रागत्याब्रवीद्वाक्यं हंसारूढश्चतुर्मुखः । वरं वरय धर्मात्मन्ददामि तव वाच्छितम्
There, arriving mounted on a swan, the four-faced one spoke: Choose a boon, O righteous one; I will grant you whatever you desire.
महिष उवाच अमरत्वं देवदेव वाञ्छामि द्रुहिण प्रभो । यथा मृत्यु भयं न स्यात्तथा कुरु पितामह
Mahiṣa said: O god of gods, O Lord Druhiṇa, I desire immortality; grant it, O grandfather, so that there may be no fear of death.
ब्रह्मोवाच उत्पन्नस्य ध्रुवं मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च । सर्वथा मरणोत्पत्ती सर्वेषां प्राणिनां किल
Brahmā said: For one born, death is certain; for one dead, birth is certain; the arising of death and birth is inevitable for all living beings.
नाशः कालेन सर्वेषां प्राणिनां दैत्यपुङ्गव । महामहीधराणां च समुद्राणां च सर्वथा
Destruction comes by time to all living beings, O chief of demons, and likewise to great mountains and oceans.