मातस्ते सुमुखो जातो जामाता च महाद्युतिः । वचनात्पर्वतस्याद्य मुक्तशापो मुनेरभूत्
Mother, your son-in-law has become handsome-faced and radiant; by Parvata's words, the sage has today been freed from his curse.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राज्ञ्या कथितं तत्तु राजनि । ययौ द्रष्टुं मुनिं तत्र सञ्जयः प्रीतिमांस्तदा
Hearing these words, the queen told the king, and then Sañjaya, full of joy, went there to see the sage.
धनं समर्पितं राज्ञा सन्तुष्टेन तदा महत् । मह्यं च भागिनेयाय पारिबर्हं महात्मना
The satisfied king then offered great wealth, and for me, his nephew, he gave abundant gifts with a noble heart.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं वर्तनं यत्पुरातनम् । मायाया बलमाहात्म्यं ह्यनुभूतं यथा मया
Thus I have told you everything about those ancient events, and how I experienced the power and greatness of Māyā.
संसारेऽस्मिन्महाभाग मायागुणकृतेऽनृते । तनुभृत्तु सुखी नास्ति न भूतो न भविष्यति
O greatly fortunate one, in this world, created by the qualities of Māyā and filled with falsehood, there has never been, nor will there ever be, a being with a body who is truly happy.
कामक्रोधौ तथा लोभो मत्सरो ममता तथा । अहङ्कारो मदः केन जिताः सर्वे महाबलाः
Desire and anger, likewise greed, envy, possessiveness, ego, and pride—by whom have all these, so immensely powerful, ever been conquered?
सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव गुणास्त्रय इमे किल । कारणं प्राणिनां देहसम्भवे सर्वथा मुने
Indeed, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas—these three are the qualities that, in every way, are the cause of the embodiment of living beings, O sage.
कस्मिंश्चित्समये व्यास वनेऽहं विष्णुना सह । गच्छन्हास्यविनोदेन स्त्रीभावं गमितः क्षणात्
At a certain time, Vyāsa, while I was wandering in the forest with Viṣṇu, through his playful power, I was suddenly made to assume the form of a woman.
राजपत्नीत्वमापन्नो मायाबलविमोहितः । पुत्राः प्रसूता बहवो गेहे तस्य नृपस्य ह
Deluded by the power of Māyā, I became the wife of a king and bore many sons in the house of that ruler.
व्यास उवाच संशयोऽयं महान्साधो श्रुत्वा ते वचनं किल । कथं नारीत्वमापन्नस्त्वं मुने ज्ञानवान्भृशम्
Vyāsa said: This is a great doubt, O noble one, that has arisen upon hearing your words—how did you, a sage endowed with knowledge, come to assume a woman's form?
कथं च पुरुषो जातो ब्रूहि सर्वमशेषतः । कथं पुत्रास्त्वया जाताः कस्य राज्ञो गृहेऽञ्जसा
And how did you become a man again? Tell me everything in detail—how did you have sons, and in whose house, which king's, did this occur?
एतदाख्याहि चरितं मायाया महदद्भुतम् । मोहितं च यया सर्वमिदं स्थावरजङ्गमम्
Relate this marvelous story of Māyā, by whose power all this—moving and unmoving—is deluded.
न तृप्तिमधिगच्छामि शृण्वंस्तव कथामृतम् । सर्वग्रन्थार्थतत्त्वं च सर्वसंशयनाशनम्
I do not grow satisfied listening to your nectar-like tale, which contains the true meaning of all scriptures and destroys all doubts.
; नारदेन स्वस्त्रीत्वप्राप्तिवर्णनम् नारद उवाच निशामय मुनिश्रेष्ठ गदतो मम सत्कथाम् । मायाबलं सुदुर्ज्ञेयं मुनिभिर्योगवित्तमैः
Nārada said: Listen, O foremost of sages, as I recount my true story; the power of Māyā is extremely difficult to comprehend, even for sages who are masters of yoga.
मायया मोहितं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तमजया दुर्विभाव्यया
By Māyā, all the world—moving and unmoving, from Brahmā down to a blade of grass—is deluded by that unconquered and unfathomable power.
कदाचित्सत्यलोकाद्वै श्वेतद्वीपे मनोहरे । गतोऽहं दर्शनाकाङ्क्षी हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः
Once, desiring to see Hari, the wondrous actor, I went from Satyaloka to the enchanting Śvetadvīpa.
वादयन्महतीं वीणां स्वरतानविभूषिताम् । गायत्रं गायमानस्तु साम सप्तस्वरान्वितम्
Playing a great vīṇā adorned with melodious notes, I sang a Sāma hymn, complete with the seven tones.
दृष्टो मया देवदेवश्चक्रपाणिर्गदाधरः । कौस्तुभोद्भासितोरस्को मेघश्यामश्चतुर्भुजः
I beheld the Lord of gods, wielder of the discus and mace, his chest shining with the Kaustubha gem, dark as a raincloud, and four-armed.
पीताम्बरपरीधानो मुकुटाङ्गदराजितः । लक्ष्म्या सह विलासिन्या क्रीडमानो मुदा युतः
Clad in yellow garments, adorned with a crown and ornaments, he was joyfully playing with Lakṣmī, the playful goddess.
वीक्ष्य मां कमला देवी गतान्तर्धानमन्तिकात् । सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्ना सर्वभूषणभूषिता
Seeing me, the goddess Kamalā, perfect in every mark and adorned with all ornaments, vanished from his side.
नारीणां प्रवरा कान्ता रूपयौवनगर्विता । सुप्रिया वासुदेवस्य वरचामीकरप्रभा
Foremost among women, beautiful and proud of her youth, dearly beloved of Vāsudeva, she shone with the radiance of fine gold.
अन्तर्गृहं गता दृष्ट्वा सिन्धुजां व्यञ्जनान्विताम् । मया पृष्टो देवदेवो वनमाली जगत्प्रभुः
Entering the inner chambers, she saw Sindhujā, adorned with ornaments; I then questioned the Lord of the universe, Vanamālī.
भगवन्देवदेवेश पद्मनाभ सुरारिहन् । कथं च मा गता दृष्ट्वा मामागच्छन्तमन्तिकात्
O Lord, God of gods, Padmanabha, destroyer of the enemies of the gods, why did she not come to me when she saw me approaching?
नाहं विटो न वा धूर्तः तापसोऽहं जगद्गुरो । जितेन्द्रियो जितक्रोधो जितमायो जनार्दन
I am not a rogue, nor a cheat; I am an ascetic, O Teacher of the world, one who has mastered his senses, conquered anger, and overcome illusion, O Janardana.
नारद उवाच निशम्य वचनं किञ्चिद्गर्वयुक्तं जनार्दनः । उवाच मां स्मितं कृत्वा वीणावन्मधुरां गिरम्
Narada said: Hearing these somewhat proud words, Janardana smiled at me and spoke sweet words, melodious like a vina.
विष्णुरुवाच नारदैवंविधा नीतिर्न स्थातव्यं कदाचन । पतिं विनान्यसानिध्ये कस्यचिद्योषया क्वचित्
Vishnu said: Narada, such conduct is never proper; a woman should never remain in the presence of another man without her husband.
माया सुदुर्जया विद्वन् योगिभिर्जितमारुतैः । सांख्यविद्भिर्निराहारैस्तापसैश्च जितेन्द्रियैः
Illusion is extremely difficult to overcome, O wise one, even by yogis who have mastered the breath, by those learned in Samkhya who fast, and by ascetics who have subdued their senses.
देवैश्च मुनिशार्दूल यत्त्वयोक्तं वचोऽधुना । जितमायोऽस्मि गीतज्ञ नैवं वाच्यं कदाचन
O best of sages, even by the gods, what you have just said—that I have conquered illusion because I know music—should never be spoken.
नाहं शिवो न वा ब्रह्मा जेतुं तां प्रभवोऽप्यजाम् । मुनयः सनकाद्याश्च कस्त्वं केऽन्ये क्षमा जये
I am not Shiva, nor Brahma, nor even their source, able to conquer her, the unborn; nor are the sages like Sanaka and others—who are you, or who else is able to prevail over her?
देवदेहं नृदेहं वा तिर्यग्देहमथापि वा । बिभृयाद्यः शरीरं च स कथं तां जयेदजाम्
Whoever bears a divine, human, or animal body—however he may be embodied—how could he conquer her, the unborn?