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—
सूर्यवंशोद्भवास्तद्वत्सोमवंशभवा अपि । मन्वादयश्च ये प्रोक्ताश्चतुर्दश युगे युगे
So too are those born in the Solar and Lunar dynasties, and the Manus and others spoken of in each of the fourteen ages.
अन्येषां चैव का वार्ता संसारेऽस्मिन्नृपोत्तम । मायाधीनं जगत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम्
What need is there to speak of others in this world, O best of kings? The entire universe, with gods, demons, and humans, is under the power of Maya.
तस्माद्राजन्न कर्तव्यः सन्देहोऽत्र कदाचन । देही मायापराधीनश्चेष्टते तद्वशानुगः
Therefore, O king, never entertain any doubt about this: the embodied being acts under the control of Maya, following her direction.
सा च माया परे तत्त्वे संविद्रूपेऽपि सर्वदा । तदधीना प्रेरिता च तेन जीवेषु सर्वदा
And that Maya, even in the highest reality, which is of the nature of consciousness, is always governed and impelled by That, in all living beings.
ततो मायाविशिष्टां तां संविदं परमेश्वरीम् । मायेश्वरीं भगवतीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम्
Therefore, one should meditate upon that Supreme Mistress of consciousness, distinguished by Maya, the Goddess, the Lady of Maya, whose form is existence, consciousness, and bliss.
ध्यायेत्तथाराधयेच्च प्रणमेच्च जपेदपि । तेन सा सदया भूत्वा मोचयत्येव देहिनम्
One should meditate on her, worship her, bow to her, and recite her names; by this, she, being compassionate, surely liberates the embodied soul.
स्वमायां संहरत्येव स्वानुभूतिप्रदानतः । भुवनं खलु माया स्यादीश्वरी तस्य नायिका
She withdraws her own Maya by granting direct realization; indeed, the world is Maya, and she is its sovereign Mistress.
भुवनेशी ततः प्रोक्ता देवी त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी । तद्रूपे यदि सक्तं स्याच्चित्तं भूमिपते सदा
Therefore, she is called the Mistress of the world, the Goddess, the Beauty of the Three Worlds; if the mind is always attached to her form, O king—
मायया किं भवेत्तत्र सदसद्भूतया नृप । तस्मान्मायानिरासार्थं नान्यद्वै देवतान्तरम्
O King, what can truly exist there, real or unreal, when all is pervaded by Māyā? Therefore, to dispel Māyā, there is truly no other deity.
समर्थं तु विना देवीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । तमोराशिं नाशयितुं शक्तं नैव तमो भवेत्
Without the Goddess, who is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss, nothing else is capable of destroying the mass of darkness; indeed, darkness cannot remain.