गुणत्रयकृतं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । विना गुणैर्न संसारो वर्तते किञ्चिदप्यदः
All the world, both moving and unmoving, is produced by the three qualities; without the qualities, this cycle of existence does not proceed at all.
अहं सत्त्वप्रधानोऽस्मि रजस्तमसमन्वितः । न कदाचित्त्रिभिर्हीनो भवामि भुवनेश्वरः
I am predominantly of sattva, but joined with rajas and tamas; never am I devoid of all three, O Lord of the world.
तथा ब्रह्मा पिता तेऽत्र रजोमुख्यः प्रकीर्तितः । तमःसत्त्वसमायुक्तो न ताभ्यामुज्झितः किल
Likewise, your father Brahmā is said to be chiefly of rajas, yet he is also joined with tamas and sattva, and is never free from the other two.
शिवस्तथा तमोमुख्यो रजःसत्त्वसमावृतः । गुणत्रयविहीनस्तु नैव कोऽपि मया श्रुतः
Similarly, Śiva is predominantly of tamas, enveloped by rajas and sattva; I have never heard of anyone who is devoid of all three qualities.
तस्मान्मोहो न कर्तव्यः संसारेऽस्मिन्मुनीश्वर । मायाविनिर्मितेऽसारेऽपारे परमदुर्घटे
Therefore, O chief of sages, one should not be deluded in this world, which is fashioned by Māyā, lacking essence, boundless, and exceedingly difficult.
दृष्टा माया त्वयाद्यैव भुक्ता भोगा ह्यनेकशः । किं पृच्छसि महाभाग तस्याश्चरितमद्भुतम्
Today you have seen Māyā, and you have enjoyed countless pleasures; O greatly fortunate one, why do you ask about her wondrous deeds?
; भगवतीमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच निशामय महाराज ब्रवीमि विशदाक्षरम् । माहात्म्यं खलु मायाया नारदात्तु मया श्रुतम्
Vyāsa said: Listen, O great king, I will speak clearly; I have heard the greatness of Māyā from Nārada.
मया पुनर्मुनिः पृष्टो नारदः सर्ववित्तमः । श्रुत्वा कथां मुनेस्तस्य नारीदेहसमुद्भवाम्
Again, I questioned the sage Nārada, who knows all, after hearing the tale arising from the female form of that sage.
ब्रूहि नारद पश्चात्किं कथितं हरिणा तदा । क्व गतश्च जगन्नाथो भवता सह माधवः
Tell me, Nārada, what did Hari say afterwards? Where did the Lord of the universe go with you, O Mādhava?
नारद उवाच इत्युक्त्वा भगवांस्तस्मिंस्तडागेऽतिमनोहरे । आरुह्य गरुडं गन्तुं वैकुण्ठे च मनो दधे
Nārada said: Having spoken thus, the blessed one, in that exceedingly beautiful lake, mounted Garuḍa and set his mind to depart for Vaikuṇṭha.
मामुवाच रमाकान्तो यथेष्टं गच्छ नारद । एहि वा मम लोकं त्वं यथारुचि तथा कुरु
The beloved of Lakṣmī said to me: Go as you wish, Nārada; or come to my world, do as you please.
ब्रह्मलोकं गतश्चाहमापृच्छ्य मधुसूदनम् । भगवानपि देवेशस्तत्क्षणाद्गरुडासनः
Having taken leave of Madhusūdana, I went to Brahmaloka; and the Lord of the gods, at that moment, ascended Garuḍa.
वैकुण्ठमगमत्तूर्णं मामादिश्य यथासुखम् । ततोऽहं पितृसदनं गतो याते जनार्दने
He swiftly went to Vaikuṇṭha, instructing me to act as I pleased; then, when Janārdana had departed, I went to my father's abode.
चिन्तयन्सकलं दुःखं सुखं च परमाद्भुतम् । गत्वा प्रणम्य पितरं स्थितो यावत्पुरः पितुः
Thinking over all the sorrow and happiness, exceedingly wondrous, I went and bowed to my father, standing before him.
तावत्पृष्टो मुने पित्रा वीक्ष्य चिन्तातुरं तु माम् । ब्रह्योवाच क्व गतोऽसि महाभाग कस्माच्चिन्तातुरः सुत
At that moment, my father, seeing me troubled, questioned me: 'Where have you gone, O greatly fortunate one? Why are you distressed, my son?'
स्वस्थं नैवाद्य पश्यामि मनस्ते मुनिसत्तम । केनापि वञ्चितोऽसि त्वं दृष्टं वा किञ्चिदद्भुतम्
'Today I do not see you at ease, O best of sages; have you been deceived by someone, or have you seen something wondrous?'
विषण्णं गतविज्ञानं पश्यामि त्वां कथं सुत । नारद उवाच इति पृष्टस्तदा पित्रा बृस्यां समुपवेश्य च
'I see you dejected and lacking understanding, my son.' Nārada said: Thus questioned by my father, I sat upon the seat.
तमब्रवं स्ववृत्तान्तं मायाबलसमुद्भवम् । वञ्चितोऽहं पितः कामं विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
I told him my story, arising from the power of Māyā: 'I have indeed been deceived, father, by the mighty Viṣṇu.'
स्त्रीभावं गमितः कामं वर्षाणि सुबहून्यपि । अनुभूतं महद्दुःखं पुत्रशोकसमुद्भवम्
'I was made to assume a female form for many years, and experienced great sorrow arising from the grief of children.'
प्रबोधितोऽहं तेनैव मृदुवाक्यामृतेन च । पुनः सरोवरे स्नात्वा जातोऽहं नारदः पुमान्
'I was awakened by him with gentle, nectar-like words; after bathing again in the lake, I became Nārada, a man.'
किमेतत्कारणं ब्रह्मन् यन्मोहमगमं तदा । विस्मृतं पूर्वविज्ञानं तन्मयस्तरसा कृतः
'What was the cause, O Brahman, that I became deluded then? My former knowledge was forgotten, and I was swiftly overcome.'
एतन्मायाबलं ब्रह्मन्न जानेऽहं दुरत्ययम् । ज्ञानहानिकरं जातं मूलं मोहस्य विस्फुटम्
'This is the power of Māyā, O Brahman, which I do not know how to overcome; it causes loss of knowledge and is the manifest root of delusion.'
अनुभूतं मया सम्यग्ज्ञातं सर्वं शुभाशुभम् । कथं त्वं जितवांस्तात तमुपायं वदस्व मे
I have fully experienced and understood all that is auspicious and inauspicious; tell me, how did you conquer it, father? Please explain that method to me.
नारद उवाच विज्ञप्तोऽसौ मया धाता प्रीतिपूर्वमतः परम् । मामुवाच स्मितं कृत्वा पिता मे वासवीसुत
Nārada said: Requested by me in this way, the Creator, with affection, then smiled and spoke to me, his son born of Vāsavī.
ब्रह्मोवाच दुर्जयैषा सुरैः सर्वैर्मुनिभिश्च महात्मभिः । तापसैर्ज्ञानयुक्तैश्च योगिभिः पवनाशनैः
Brahmā said: She is unconquerable by all the gods, by the great sages, by ascetics endowed with knowledge, and by yogis who subsist on air.
नाहं तां सर्वथा ज्ञातुं शक्तो मायां महाबलाम् । विष्णुर्ज्ञातुं न शक्तश्च तथा शम्भुरुमापतिः
I am in no way able to fully know that great and powerful Māyā; nor is Viṣṇu able to know her, nor Śambhu, the great lord.
दुर्ज्ञेया सा महामाया सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारिणी । कालकर्मस्वभावाद्यैर्निमित्तकारणैर्वृता
That great Māyā, who creates, sustains, and destroys the universe, is difficult to comprehend; she is enveloped by time, action, nature, and other causes and conditions.
शोकं मा कुरु मेधाविंस्तत्र मायामहाबले । न चैव विस्मयः कार्यो वयं सर्वे विमोहिताः
Do not grieve, O wise one, over that mighty Māyā; nor should you be astonished, for we are all deluded by her.
नारद उवाच पित्रेत्युक्तस्तदा व्यास तमापृच्छ्य गतस्मयः । आगतोऽस्म्यत्र पश्यन्वै तीर्थानि च वराणि च
Nārada said: Thus addressed by my father, I, having taken leave of him and set aside my pride, have come here, seeing the holy places and the best of fords.
तस्मात्त्वमपि सन्त्यज्य मोहं कौरवनाशजम् । कालक्षयं सुखासीनः स्थानेऽस्मिन् कुरु सत्तम
Therefore, you too, giving up the delusion born of the destruction of the Kauravas, remain here peacefully, O best of the Kurus, awaiting the end of your allotted time.