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.
सञ्चिन्तितं मया तत्र नारदोऽहमिहागतः । हरिणा सह स्त्रीभावं प्राप्तो मायाविमोहितः
There, as I pondered, I, Nārada, came here; together with Hari, I took on a woman's form, deluded by Māyā.
इति चिन्तापरश्चाहं यदा जातस्तदा हरिः । मामाह नारदागच्छ किं करोषि जले स्थितः
Immersed in such thoughts, when I was thus transformed, Hari said to me, 'Nārada, come! Why are you standing in the water?'
विस्मितोऽहं तदा स्मृत्वा स्त्रीभावं दारुणं भृशम् । पुनः पुरुषभावश्च सम्पन्नः केन हेतुना
Astonished, I then remembered that dreadful state of womanhood; again I became male—by what cause, I wondered.
; मायाप्राबल्यवर्णनम् नारद उवाच मां दृष्ट्वा नारदं विप्रं विस्मितोऽसौ महीपतिः । क्व गता मम भार्या सा कुतोऽयं मुनिसत्तमः
Nārada said: Seeing me, Nārada, the sage, the king was amazed: 'Where has my wife gone? Who is this eminent sage?'
विललाप नृपस्तत्र हा प्रियेति मुहुर्मुहुः । क्व गता मां परित्यज्य विलपन्तं वियोगिनम्
There the king lamented again and again, 'Alas, my beloved! Where has she gone, abandoning me as I grieve in separation?'
विना त्वां विपुलश्रोणि वृथा मे जीवितं गृहम् । राज्यं कमलपत्राक्षि किं करोमि शुचिस्मिते
Without you, broad-hipped one, my life and home are empty; O lotus-eyed, what use is the kingdom, O gentle-smiling one?
न प्राणा मे बहिर्यान्ति विरहेण तवाधुना । गतो वै प्रीतिधर्मस्तु त्वामृते प्राणधारणात्
Now, in your absence, my life-breath does not depart; the bond of love has left, yet I still hold on to life without you.
विलपामि विशालाक्षि देहि प्रत्युत्तरं प्रियम् । क्व गता सा मयि प्रीतिर्याभूत्प्रथमसङ्गमे
I lament, O wide-eyed one—give me a loving reply; where has that affection gone which was there at our first meeting?
निमग्ना किं जले सुभ्रूर्भक्षिता मत्स्यकच्छपैः । गृहीता वरुणेनाशु मम दौर्भाग्ययोगतः
Has she, with beautiful brows, sunk in the water, or been eaten by fish and turtles, or swiftly seized by Varuṇa, due to my misfortune?
धन्या सुचारुसर्वाङ्गि या त्वं पुत्रैः समागता । अकृत्रिमस्तु पुत्रेषु स्नेहस्तेऽमृतभाषिणि
Blessed are you, lovely in every limb, joined with your sons; your affection for your sons was genuine, O sweet-spoken one.