तथैवैते मयाख्याता पाण्डवाः पृथिवीपते । देवांशो वासुदेवोऽपि नारायणसमद्युतिः
In the same way, O lord of the earth, these Pāṇḍavas I have described are also portions of gods; Vāsudeva, equal in splendor to Nārāyaṇa, is likewise a divine portion.
शरीरं प्राणिनां नूनं भाजनं सुखदुःखयोः । शरीरी प्राप्नुयात्कामं सुखं दुःखमनन्तरम्
The body of living beings is certainly the vessel of pleasure and pain; the embodied one attains, as destined, happiness or suffering thereafter.
देही नास्ति वशः कोऽपि दैवाधीनः सदैव हि । जननं मरणं दुःखं सुखं प्राप्नोति चावशः
No embodied being has independence; always subject to fate, one inevitably experiences birth, death, suffering, and happiness.
पाण्डवास्ते वने जाताः प्राप्तास्तु स्वगृहं पुनः । स्वबाहुबलतः पश्चाद्राजसूयं क्रतूत्तमम्
The Pāṇḍavas were born in the forest and later returned to their own home; afterwards, by the strength of their own arms, they performed the great Rājasūya sacrifice.
वनवासं पुनः प्राप्ता बहुदुःखकरं परम् । अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्तं दुष्करं ह्यजितेन्द्रियैः
Again they underwent exile in the forest, which brought them great suffering; Arjuna performed severe austerities, difficult indeed for those who have not mastered their senses.
सन्तुष्टैस्तु सुरैर्दत्तं वरदानं पुनः शुभम् । नरदेहकृतं पुण्यं क्व गतं वनवासजम्
Satisfied, the gods granted them an auspicious boon; but where did the merit acquired in human form, especially from their forest exile, go?
नरदेहे तपस्तप्तं चोग्रं बदरिकाश्रमे । नार्जुनस्य शरीरे तत्फलदं सम्बभूव ह
In human form, Arjuna performed intense austerities at Badarikāśrama; that austerity bore fruit in Arjuna's own body.
प्राणिनां देहसम्बन्धे गहना कर्मणो गतिः । दुर्ज्ञेया सर्वथा देवैर्मानवानां तु का कथा
The course of karma in connection with the bodies of living beings is profound; it is always difficult to know, even for the gods—what then of humans?
वासुदेवोऽपि सञ्जातः कारागारेऽतिसङ्कटे । नीतोऽसौ वसुदेवेन नन्दगोपस्य गोकुलम्
Even Vāsudeva was born in a most confining prison; he was taken by Vasudeva to the cowherd settlement of Nanda.
एकादशैव वर्षाणि संस्थितस्तत्र भारत । पुनः स मथुरां गत्वा जघानोग्रसुतं बलात्
He remained there for eleven years, O Bhārata; then, going to Mathurā, he forcefully slew the son of Ugrasena.
मोचयामास पितरौ बन्धनाद्भृशदुःखितौ । उग्रसेनं च राजानञ्चकार मधुरापुरे
He released his parents, who were greatly distressed, from their bondage, and made Ugrasena king in the city of Mathurā.
जगाम द्वारवत्यां स म्लेच्छराजभयात्पुनः । सर्वं भाविवशात्कृष्णः कृतवान्पौरुषं महत्
Then, out of fear of the barbarian kings, Kṛṣṇa went again to Dvāravatī; all this he did according to destiny, performing great deeds.
कृत्वा कार्याण्यनेकानि द्वारवत्यां जनार्दनः । देहं त्यक्त्वा प्रभासे तु सकुटुम्बो दिवं गतः
Having accomplished many tasks in Dvāravatī, Janārdana, together with his family, abandoned his body at Prabhāsa and ascended to heaven.
पुत्राः पौत्राश्च सुहृदो भ्रातरो जामयस्तथा । प्रभासे यादवाः सर्वे विप्रशापात्क्षयं गताः
His sons, grandsons, friends, brothers, and brothers-in-law—all the Yādavas at Prabhāsa—perished due to the curse of the Brāhmaṇas.
एवं ते कथिता राजन् कर्मणो गहना गतिः । वासुदेवोऽपि व्याधस्य बाणेन निधनं गतः
Thus, O King, the inscrutable course of karma has been described to you; even Vāsudeva met his end by the arrow of a hunter.
युगधर्मव्यवस्थावर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच भारावतारणार्थाय कथितं जन्म कृष्णयोः । संशयोऽयं द्विजश्रेष्ठ हृदये मम तिष्ठति
Janamejaya said: The birth of Kṛṣṇa for the removal of the earth's burden has been told; yet, O best of Brāhmaṇas, a doubt remains in my heart.
पृथिवी गोस्वरूपेण ब्रह्माणं शरणं गता । द्वापरान्तेऽतिदीनार्ता गुरुभारप्रपीडिता
The earth, taking the form of a cow, sought refuge with Brahmā at the end of Dvāpara, extremely afflicted and oppressed by the heavy burden.
वेधसा प्रार्थितो विष्णुः कमलापतिरीश्वरः । भूभारोत्तारणार्थाय साधूनां रक्षणाय च
Viṣṇu, Lord of Lakṣmī, was entreated by the Creator for the removal of the earth's burden and for the protection of the virtuous.
भगवन् भारते खण्डे देवैः सह जनार्दन । अवतारं गृहाणाशु वसुदेवगृहे विभो
O Lord Janārdana, together with the gods, descend quickly in the house of Vasudeva on the land of Bhārata.
एवं सम्प्रार्थितो धात्रा भगवान्देवकीसुतः । बभूव सह रामेण भूभारोत्तारणाय वै
Thus entreated by the Creator, the blessed son of Devakī was born together with Rāma for the removal of the earth's burden.
कियानुत्तारितो भारो हत्वा दुष्टाननेकशः । ज्ञात्वा सर्वान्दुराचारान्पापबुद्धिनृपानिह
How much of the burden was removed by slaying many wicked ones, knowing all the evil-doers and sinful kings here?
हतो भीष्मो हतो द्रोणो विराटो द्रुपदस्तथा । बाह्लीकः सोमदत्तश्च कर्णो वैकर्तनस्तथा
Bhīṣma was slain, Droṇa was slain, as were Virāṭa and Drupada, also Bāhlīka, Somadatta, and Karṇa, the son of Vikartana.
यैर्लुण्ठितं धनं सर्वं हृताश्च हरियोषितः । कथं न नाशिता दुष्टा ये स्थिताः पृथिवीतले
By whom all the wealth was plundered and the wives of others were taken—how were those wicked ones who remain on earth not destroyed?
आभीराश्च शका म्लेच्छा निषादाः कोटिशस्तथा । भारावतरणं किं तत्कृतं कृष्णेन धीमता
The Ābhīras, Śakas, barbarians, and Niṣādas, by the millions—was the removal of the burden truly accomplished by the wise Kṛṣṇa?
सन्देहोऽयं महाभाग न निवर्तति चित्ततः । कलावस्मिन्मजाः सर्वाः पश्यतः पापनिश्चयाः
This doubt, O highly fortunate one, does not leave my mind; for in this age of Kali, all those born are seen to be intent on sin.
व्यास उवाच राजन् यस्मिन्युगे यादृक्प्रजा भवति कालतः । नान्यथा तद्भवेन्नूनं युगधर्मोऽत्र कारणम्
Vyāsa said: O King, in whatever age, the people are as they are due to time; it cannot be otherwise—indeed, the law of the age is the cause here.
ये धर्मरसिका जीवास्ते वै सत्ययुगेऽभवन् । धर्मार्थरसिका ये तु ते वै त्रेतायुगेऽभवन्
Those beings who delighted in dharma existed in the Satya Yuga; those who delighted in dharma and artha were in the Tretā Yuga.
धर्मार्थकामरसिका द्वापरे चाभवन्युगे । अर्थकामपराः सर्वे कलावस्मिन्भवन्ति हि
Those who delighted in dharma, artha, and kāma were in the Dvāpara Yuga; in this Kali age, all are devoted only to artha and kāma.
युगधर्मस्तु राजेन्द्र न याति व्यत्ययं पुनः । कालः कर्तास्ति धर्मस्य ह्यधर्मस्य च वै पुनः
O King, the law of the age does not undergo change again; time is indeed the agent of both righteousness and unrighteousness.
राजोवाच ये तु सत्ययुगे जीवा भवन्ति धर्मतत्पराः । कुत्र तेऽद्य महाभाग तिष्ठन्ति पुण्यभागिनः
The king said: Those beings who are devoted to righteousness in the Satya Yuga, O greatly fortunate one, where do those blessed souls reside today?