चिक्रीड नन्दने रम्ये कानने प्रेमयुक्तया । व्यास उवाच एवमिन्द्रेण सम्प्राप्तं दुःखं परमदारुणम्
He sported in the delightful Nandana grove, in the forest, united with love; Vyasa said: Thus, Indra endured the most dreadful suffering.
हत्वासुरं कामरूपं विश्वरूपं महामुनिम् । पुनर्देव्याः प्रसादेन स्वस्थानं प्राप्तवान्नृप
Having slain the asura who could assume any form, Vishvarupa, the great sage, he regained his own place, O king, by the grace of the goddess.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं वृत्रासुरवधाश्रयम् । यत्पृष्टोऽहं त्वया राजन् कथानकमनुत्तमम्
All this has been told to you, based on the killing of Vritra the asura, as you asked me, O king, for the supreme narrative.
यादृशं कुरुते कर्म तादृशं फलमाप्नुयात् । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम्
Whatever action one performs, such is the result one obtains; one must inevitably experience the consequences of deeds, whether auspicious or inauspicious.
कर्मणां गहनगतिवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच कथितं चरितं ब्रह्मञ्छक्रस्याद्भुतकर्मणः । स्थानभ्रंशस्तथा दुःखप्राप्तिरुक्ता विशेषतः
Janamejaya said: O Brahmin, you have described the wondrous deeds of Indra, his fall from position, and the suffering he endured in detail.
यत्र देवाधिदेव्याश्च महिमातीव वर्णितः । सन्देहोऽत्र ममाप्यस्ति यच्छक्रोऽपि महातपाः
There, the great glory of the Goddess and the gods was especially recounted; yet I too have a doubt—how did even Indra, the great ascetic,
देवाधिपत्यमासाद्य दुःसहं दुःखमन्वभूत् । मखानां तु शतं कृत्वा प्राप्तं स्थानमनुत्तमम्
having attained lordship over the gods, experience unbearable suffering? After performing a hundred sacrifices, he regained his supreme position.
देवेशत्वं च सम्प्राप्य भ्रष्टः स्थानादसौ कथम् । एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व कारणं करुणानिधे
Having attained the status of king of the gods, how was he then cast down from his place? O ocean of compassion, please tell me the entire reason for this.
सर्वज्ञोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुराणानां प्रवर्तकः । नावाच्यं महतां किञ्चिच्छिष्ये च श्रद्धयान्विते
You are all-knowing, O best of sages, originator of the Purāṇas; nothing is unworthy to be spoken to a devoted disciple.
तस्मात्कुरु महाभाग मत्सन्देहापनोदनम् । सूत उवाच इति पृष्टः स राज्ञा वै तदा सत्यवतीसुतः
Therefore, O most fortunate one, dispel my doubts. Sūta said: Thus questioned by the king, the son of Satyavatī,
तमाहातिप्रसन्नात्मा यथानुक्रममुत्तरम् । व्यास उवाच निबोध नृपतिश्रेष्ठ कारणं परमाद्भुतम्
with a heart full of great joy, replied to him in due order. Vyāsa said: Hear, O best of kings, the most wondrous reason.
कर्मणस्तु त्रिधा प्रोक्ता गतिस्तत्त्वविदां वरैः । सञ्चितं वर्तमानं च प्रारब्धमिति भेदतः
The wise declare that the course of karma is threefold: accumulated, current, and commenced—thus they are distinguished.
अनेकजन्मसञ्जातं प्राक्तनं सञ्चितं स्मृतम् । सात्त्विकं राजसं कर्म तामसं त्रिविधं पुनः
That which is produced over many births is called accumulated karma; and karma is again of three kinds: sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika.
शुभं वाप्यशुभं भूप सञ्चितं बहुकालिकम् । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं सुकृतं दुष्कृतं तथा
Whether auspicious or inauspicious, O king, accumulated karma endures for a long time; both good and bad deeds must surely be experienced.
जन्मजन्मनि जीवानां सञ्चितानां च कर्मणाम् । निःशेषस्तु क्षयो नाभूत्कल्पकोटिशतैरपि
Of the accumulated karmas of beings, birth after birth, there is never complete exhaustion, even in hundreds of millions of aeons.
क्रियमाणं च यत्कर्म वर्तमानं तदुच्यते । देहं प्राप्य शुभं वापि ह्यशुभं वा समाचरेत्
And the karma that is being performed is called current; upon obtaining a body, one acts, whether in auspicious or inauspicious ways.
सञ्चितानां पुनर्मध्यात्समाहृत्य कियान्किल । देहारम्भे च समये कालः प्रेरयतीव तत्
Again, from among the accumulated karmas, a certain portion is gathered; at the time of the beginning of a body, time, as it were, impels it.
प्रारब्धं कर्म विज्ञेयं भोगात्तस्य क्षयः स्मृतः । प्राणिभिः खलु भोक्तव्यं प्रारब्धं नात्र संशयः
That which is commenced is known as prārabdha karma; its exhaustion is said to come through experience. Indeed, prārabdha must be experienced by living beings—there is no doubt of this.
पुरा कृतानि राजेन्द्र ह्यशुभानि शुभानि च । अवश्यमेव कर्माणि भोक्तव्यानीति निश्चयः
O king, both inauspicious and auspicious deeds done in the past must certainly be experienced—this is the settled conclusion.
देवैर्मनुष्यैरसुरैर्यक्षगन्धर्वकिन्नरैः । कर्मैव हि महाराज देहारम्भस्य कारणम्
By gods, humans, asuras, yakṣas, gandharvas, and kinnaras, O great king, karma alone is the cause of embodiment.
कर्मक्षये जन्मनाशः प्राणिनां नात्र संशयः । ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्र इन्द्राद्याश्च सुरास्तथा
When karma is exhausted, the end of birth comes for living beings—of this there is no doubt. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Indra, and the other gods,
दानवा यक्षगन्धर्वाः सर्वे कर्मवशा किल । अन्यथा देहसम्बन्धः कथं भवति भूपते
the dānavas, yakṣas, and gandharvas—all are indeed subject to karma; otherwise, O king, how could there be embodiment?
कारणं यस्तु भोगस्य देहिनः सुखदुःखयोः । तस्मादनेकजन्मोत्थसञ्चितानां च कर्मणाम्
The cause of enjoyment for the embodied being, of pleasure and pain, is thus the accumulated actions arising from many births.
मध्ये वेगः समायाति कस्यचित्कालपाकतः । तत्प्रारब्धवशात्पुण्यं करोति च यथा तथा
In the midst of these, at a certain time, the force of some action matures; by the power of that destiny, one performs virtuous deeds accordingly.
पापं करोति मनुजस्तथा देवादयोऽपि च । तथा नारायणो राजन्नरश्च धर्मजावुभौ
A person acts sinfully in the same way, and so do the gods and others; likewise, O King, even Nārāyaṇa and Nara, both born of righteousness, act thus.
जातौ कृष्णार्जुनौ काममंशौ नारायणस्य तौ । पुराणपीठिकेयं वै मुनिभिः परिकीर्तिता
In their birth as Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, they are indeed considered portions of Nārāyaṇa; this ancient account is well known among the sages.
देवांशः स तु विज्ञेयो यो भवेद्विभवाधिकः । नानृषिः कुरुते काव्यं नारुद्रो रुद्रमर्चते
That one should be understood as a portion of a god who possesses superior power; a non-seer does not compose poetry, nor does one who is not Rudra worship Rudra.
नादेवांशो ददात्यन्नं नाविष्णुः पृथिवीपतिः । इन्द्रादग्नेर्यमाद्विष्णोर्धनदादिति भूपते
One who is not a portion of a god does not give food; one who is not Viṣṇu is not lord of the earth; O King, from Indra, Agni, Yama, Viṣṇu, and Kubera come the givers of wealth.
प्रभुत्वं च प्रभावं च कोपं चैव पराक्रमम् । आदाय क्रियते नूनं शरीरमिति निश्चयः
Indeed, it is certain that power, might, anger, and valor are assumed, and then a body is taken up.
यः कश्चिद्बलवाँल्लोके भाग्यवानथ भोगवान् । विद्यावान्दानवान्वापि स देवांशः प्रपढ्यते
Whoever in this world is strong, fortunate, or enjoys pleasures, learned or wealthy—that one is to be regarded as a portion of a god.