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.
अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम् । निश्चयं हृदये कृत्वा विचरस्व यथासुखम्
Certainly, one must experience the results of one's actions, whether good or bad; having resolved this in your heart, live as you please.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा नारदो राजन् गतो मां प्रतिबोध्य च । अहं तच्चिन्तयन्वाक्यं यदुक्तं मुनिना तदा
Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, Nārada departed after enlightening me; I then reflected on the words spoken by the sage.
स्थितः सरस्वतीतीरे कल्पे सारस्वते वरे । कालातिवाहनायैतत्कृतं भागवतं मया
I remained on the bank of the Sarasvatī, in the excellent Sārasvata era; for passing the time, I composed this Bhāgavata.
पुराणमुत्तमं भूप सर्वसंशयनाशनम् । नानाख्यानसमायुक्तं वेदप्रामाण्यसंश्रितम्
O king, this is the supreme Purāṇa, the destroyer of all doubts, filled with various stories and grounded in the authority of the Vedas.
सन्देहोऽत्र न कर्तव्यः सर्वथा नृपसत्तम । यथेन्द्रजालिकः कश्चित्पाञ्चालीं दारवीं करे
No doubt should be entertained here in any way, O best of kings; just as a magician makes a wooden doll of Draupadī dance in his hand—
कृत्वा नर्तयते कामं स्वेच्छया वशवर्तिनीम् । तथा नर्तयते माया जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
Having made her, he makes her dance at will, obedient to his desire; in the same way, Māyā makes the world of moving and unmoving beings dance.
ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं सदेवासुरमानुषम् । पञ्चेन्द्रियसमायुक्तं मनश्चित्तानुवर्तनम्
From Brahmā down to a blade of grass, including gods, demons, and humans, all endowed with the five senses and following mind and thought—
गुणास्तु कारणं राजन् सर्वेषां सर्वथा त्रयः । कार्यं कारणसंयुक्तं भवतीति विनिश्चयः
O king, the three qualities are the cause of everything in every way; the effect always arises in conjunction with its cause—this is certain.
भिन्नभिन्नस्वभावास्ते गुणा मायासमुद्भवाः । शान्तो घोरस्तथा मूढस्त्रयस्तु विविधा यतः
These qualities, arising from Māyā, have diverse natures: tranquil, violent, and deluded—thus, they are of various kinds.
तत्समेतः पुमान्नित्यं तद्विहीनः कथं भवेत् । न भवत्येव संसारे रहितस्तन्तुभिः पटः
A person is always joined with these; how could one exist without them? Just as a cloth cannot exist in the world without threads.
तथा गुणैस्त्रिभिर्हीनो न देहीति विनिश्चयः । देवदेहो मनुष्यो वा तिरश्चो वा नराधिप
Thus, it is certain that without the three qualities, there is no body—whether divine, human, animal, or kingly.
गुणैर्विरहितो न स्यान्मृद्विहीनो घटो यथा । ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रस्त्रयश्चामी गुणाश्रयाः
Just as a pot cannot exist without clay, so too, Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra are all dependent on the qualities.
कदाचित्प्रीतियुक्तास्ते तथाप्रीतियुताः पुनः । तथा विषादयुक्तास्ते भवन्ति गुणयोगतः
Sometimes they are endowed with joy, and at other times with displeasure; likewise, they experience sorrow, all according to the influence of the qualities.
ब्रह्मा कदाचित्सत्त्वस्थस्तदा शान्तः समाधिमान् । प्रीतियुक्तो भवेत्सर्वभूतेषु ज्ञानसंयुतः
At times, Brahma abides in the quality of sattva, then he is peaceful, composed, filled with joy, and endowed with knowledge toward all beings.
पुनः सत्त्वविहीनस्तु रजोगुणसमावृतः । तदा भवेद् घोररूपः सर्वत्राप्रीतिसंयुतः
Again, when devoid of sattva and enveloped by rajas, he becomes fierce in form and entirely lacking in joy.
यदा तमोगुणाविष्टो बाहुल्येन भवेद्विधिः । तदा विषादसम्पन्नो मूढो भवति नान्यथा
When the lawgiver is overwhelmed predominantly by tamas, then he is filled with sorrow and delusion—never otherwise.
माधवोऽपि सदा सत्त्वसंश्रितः सर्वथा भवेत् । यदा शान्तः प्रीतियुक्तो भवेज्ज्ञानसमन्वितः
Madhava, too, is always associated with sattva in every way; when he is peaceful, joyful, and endowed with knowledge.
स एव रजआधिक्यादप्रीतिसंयुतो भवेत् । घोरश्च सर्वभूतेषु गुणाधीनो रमापतिः
But when predominated by rajas, he becomes devoid of joy, fierce toward all beings—the Lord of Lakshmi is subject to the qualities.
रुद्रोऽपि सत्त्वसंयुक्तः प्रीतिमाञ्छान्तिमान्भवेत् । रजोनिमीलितः सोऽपि घोरः प्रीतिविवर्जितः
Rudra, too, when united with sattva, is joyful and peaceful; but when covered by rajas, he is fierce and devoid of joy.
तमोगुणयुतः सोऽपि मूढो विषादयुग्भवेत् । एते यदि गुणाधीना ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः
When joined with tamas, he too becomes deluded and filled with sorrow. If even Brahma, Vishnu, and Hara are subject to the qualities—