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.
एकं स्थानं परित्यज्य मरणस्य महीपते । प्रब्रूहि तं वरं साधो यस्ते मनसि वर्तते
O king, except for one condition of death, tell me that boon which you desire in your heart.
महिष उवाच न देवान्मानुषाद्दैत्यान्मरणं मे पितामह । पुरुषान्न च मे मृत्युर्योषा मां का हनिष्यति
Mahiṣa said: O Grandfather, let my death not come from gods, humans, or demons; nor from men—how could a woman possibly kill me?
तस्मान्मे मरणं नूनं कामिन्याः कुरु पद्मज । अबला हन्त मां हन्तुं कथं शक्ता भविष्यति
Therefore, O Padmaja, let my death indeed be at the hands of a woman; how could a weak woman ever be able to slay me?
ब्रह्मोवाच यदा कदापि दैत्येन्द्र नार्यास्ते मरणं धुवम् । न नरेभ्यो महाभाग मृतिस्ते महिषासुर
Brahmā said: O lord of the Daityas, at some time your death will certainly come from a woman; O mighty Mahiṣāsura, your end will not be at the hands of men.
व्यास उवाच एवं दत्त्वा वरं तस्मै ययौ ब्रह्मा निजालयम् । सोऽपि दैत्यवरः प्राप निजं स्थानं मुदान्वितः
Vyāsa said: Having granted him this boon, Brahmā returned to his own abode, and that foremost of Daityas joyfully went to his own place.
राजोवाच महिषः कस्य पुत्रोऽसौ कथं जातो महाबली । कथं च माहिषं रूपं प्राप्तं तेन महात्मना
The king said: Whose son was Mahiṣa, how was that mighty one born, and how did he obtain the form of a buffalo?
व्यास उवाच दनोः पुत्रौ महाराज विख्यातौ क्षितिमण्डले । रम्भश्चैव करम्भश्च द्वावास्तां दानवोत्तमौ
Vyāsa said: O great king, two sons of Danu, famous in the world, were Rambha and Karambha, both foremost among Dānavas.
तावपुत्रौ महाराज पुत्रार्थं तेपतुस्तपः । बहून्वर्षगणान्कामं पुण्ये पञ्चनदे जले
Those two, desiring a son, performed severe austerities for many years as they wished, in the holy waters of the Five Rivers.
करम्भस्तु जले मग्नश्चकार परमं तपः । वृक्षं रसालवटं प्राप्य रम्भोऽग्निमसेवत
Karambha, immersed in the water, engaged in intense penance; Rambha, having reached a rasa fig tree, worshipped fire.
पञ्चाग्निसाधनासक्तः स रम्भस्तु यदाभवत् । ज्ञात्वा शचीपतिर्दुःखमुद्ययौ दानवौ प्रति
When Rambha became absorbed in the practice of the five fires, the lord of Śacī, knowing their suffering, went to the two Dānavas.