परस्परं कदाचित्तु विरोधोऽभूत्सुदारुणः । पुत्राणां वा वधूनां च तेन सन्तापसम्भवः
At times, there arose fierce quarrels among the sons or their wives, resulting in much distress.
सुखदुःखात्मके घोरे मिथ्याचारकरे भृशम् । सङ्कल्पजनिते क्षुद्रे मग्नोऽहं मुनिसत्तम
Immersed in the dreadful, ever-changing cycle of happiness and sorrow, born of false conduct and petty desires, I was thoroughly absorbed, O best of sages.
विस्मृतं पूर्वविज्ञानं शास्त्रज्ञानं तथा गतम् । योषाभावे विलीनोऽहं गृहकार्येषु सर्वथा
My former knowledge and understanding of scripture faded away; in the absence of wisdom, I became completely absorbed in household duties.
अहङ्कारस्तु सञ्जातो भृशं मोहविवर्धकः । एते मे बलिनः पुत्राः स्नुषाः सुकुलसम्भवाः
A strong sense of ego arose in me, greatly increasing my delusion: 'These sons of mine are powerful, these daughters-in-law are from noble families.'
एते पुत्राः सुसन्नद्धाः क्रीडन्ति मम वेश्मसु । धन्याहं खलु नारीणां संसारेऽस्मिन्नहो भृशम्
These sons, well-armed, play in my house; truly, I am most fortunate among women in this world.
नारदोऽहं भगवता वञ्चितो मायया किल । न कदाचिन्मयाप्येवं चिन्तितं मनसा किल
I, Narada, was deceived by the Lord's Maya; never did such thoughts arise in my mind before.
राजपत्नी शुभाचारा बहुपुत्रा पतिव्रता । धन्याहं किल संसारे कृष्णैवं मोहितस्त्वहम्
As a royal wife of good conduct, blessed with many sons and devoted to my husband, I thought myself fortunate in this world—thus was I deluded, O Krishna.
अथ कश्चिन्नृपः कामं दूरदेशाधिपो महान् । अरातिभावमापन्नः पतिना सह मानद
Then, a certain king, a great ruler from a distant land, became hostile towards my husband, O honored one.
कृत्वा सैन्यसमायोगं रथैश्च वारणैर्युतम् । आजगाम कान्यकुब्जे पुरे युद्धमचिन्तयत्
Gathering an army with chariots and elephants, he came to the city of Kanyakubja, intent on war.
वेष्टितं नगरं तेन राज्ञा सैन्ययुतेन च । मम पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च निर्गता नगरात्तदा
That king, with his army, besieged the city; then my sons and grandsons went out from the city.
संग्रामस्तुमुलस्तत्र कृतस्तैस्तेन पुत्रकैः । हता रणे सुताः सर्वे वैरिणा कालयोगतः
A fierce battle was fought there by those sons; all my sons were slain in battle by the enemy, according to fate.
राजा भग्नस्तु संग्रामादागतः स्वगृहं पुनः । श्रुतं मया मृताः पुत्राः संग्रामे भृशदारुणे
The king, defeated in battle, returned to his house; I heard that my sons had died in that terrible war.
स हत्वा मे सुतान्पौत्रान्गतो राजा बलान्वितः । क्रन्दमाना ह्यहं तत्र गता समरमण्डले
Having slain my sons and grandsons, the king, endowed with power, arrived; I, wailing, went there to the battlefield.
दृष्ट्वा तान्पतितान्पुत्रान्पौत्रांश्चदुःखपीडिता । विललापाहमायुष्मञ्छोकसागरसंप्लवे
Seeing my sons and grandsons fallen, tormented by grief, I lamented, O long-lived one, submerged in an ocean of sorrow.
हा पुत्राः क्व गता मेऽद्य हा हतास्मि दुरात्मना । दैवेनातिबलिष्ठेन दुर्वारेणातिपापिना
"Alas, my sons, where have you gone today? Alas, I am destroyed by the wicked one—by fate, exceedingly powerful, irresistible, and most sinful."
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र भगवान्मधुसूदनः । कृत्वा रूपं द्विजस्यागाद्वृद्धः परमशोभनः
At that very moment, the blessed Madhusudana, having assumed the form of a twice-born, appeared there—an elderly man of supreme splendor.
सुवासा वेदवित्कामं मत्समीपं समागतः । मामुवाचातिदीनां स क्रन्दमानां रणाजिरे
Well-clad, learned in the Vedas, he willingly approached me as I stood there, extremely distressed and weeping on the field of battle.
ब्राह्मण उवाच किं विषीदसि तन्वङ्गि भ्रमोऽयं प्रकटीकृतः । मोहेन कोकिलालापे पतिपुत्रगृहात्मके
The Brahmin said: "Why do you grieve, slender one? This confusion has been made manifest—delusion expressed in the sweet speech of attachment to husband, sons, and home."
का त्वं कस्याः सुताः केऽमी चिन्तयात्मगतिं पराम् । उत्तिष्ठ रोदनं त्यक्त्वा स्वस्था भव सुलोचने
"Who are you? Whose daughter? Who are these? Reflect upon your highest self. Arise, abandon your weeping, and be composed, O beautiful-eyed one."
स्नानं च तिलदानं च पुत्राणां कुरु कामिनि । परलोकगतानां च मर्यादारक्षणाय वै
"Perform bathing and the offering of sesame seeds for your sons, O lovely one, for the sake of upholding the proper rites for those who have departed to the other world."
कर्तव्यं सर्वथा तीर्थे स्नानं तु न गृहे क्वचित् । मृतानां किल बन्धूनां धर्मशास्त्रविनिर्णयः
"Bathing must always be performed at a sacred place, never at home—such is the decision of the scriptures regarding the rites for deceased relatives."
नारद उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तेन विप्रेण वृद्धेन प्रतिबोधिता । उत्थिताहं नृपेणाथ युक्ता बन्धुभिरावृता
Narada said: Thus addressed by that aged Brahmin, I was awakened; then, surrounded by relatives, I arose with the king.
अग्रतो द्विजरूपेण भगवान्भूतभावनः । चलिताहं ततस्तूर्णं तीर्थं परमपावनम्
With the Lord, the creator of beings, in the form of a Brahmin leading the way, I quickly proceeded to the supremely pure sacred place.
हरिर्मां कृपया तत्र पुंतीर्थे सरसि प्रभुः । नीत्वाह भगवान्विष्णुर्द्विजरूपी जनार्दनः
There, by his grace, the Lord Hari, Janardana, in the form of a Brahmin, led me to the sacred lake called Pum.
स्नानं कुरु तडागेऽस्मिन्पावने गजगामिनि । त्यज शोकं क्रियाकालः पुत्राणां च निरर्थकम्
"Bathe in this holy pond, O one with the gait of an elephant. Abandon your grief; the time for rites for your sons is now fruitless."
कोटिशस्ते मृताः पुत्रा जन्मजन्मसमुद्भवाः । पितरः पतयश्चैव भ्रातरो जामयस्तथा
Millions of sons, born through countless births, have died for you; so too fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons-in-law.
केषां दुःखं त्वया कार्यं भ्रमेऽस्मिन्मानसोद्भवे । वितथे स्वप्नसदृशे तापदे देहिनामिह
"For whom, in this confusion arising in the mind, in this vain, dream-like, and painful world of embodied beings, should you grieve?"
नारद उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तीर्थे पुरुषसंज्ञके । प्रविष्टा स्नातुकामाहं प्रेरिता तत्र विष्णुना
Narada said: Hearing his words, I entered the sacred place called Purusha, desiring to bathe there, prompted by Vishnu.
मज्जनादेव तीर्थेषु पुमाञ्जातः क्षणादपि । हरिर्वीणां करे कृत्वा स्थितस्तीरे स्वदेहवान्
By merely immersing in the sacred waters, one becomes purified instantly; Hari, holding the vina in his hand, stood on the bank in his own form.
उन्मज्ज्य च मया तीरे दृष्टः कमललोचनः । प्रत्यभिज्ञा तदा जाता मम चित्ते द्विजोत्तम
Emerging from the water, I saw on the bank the lotus-eyed one; then, O best of Brahmins, recognition arose in my mind.