इति राजर्षिणा पृष्टो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । तमुवाच मुनिश्रेष्ठः प्रसन्नवदनो मुनिः
Thus questioned by the royal sage, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, the best of sages, with a cheerful face, spoke to him.
व्यास उवाच - निशामय महाराज विस्तराद्गदतो मम । सोमसूर्यान्वयानां च तथान्येषां समुद्भवम्
Vyāsa said: Listen, O great king, as I narrate in detail the origins of the lunar and solar dynasties, as well as others.
विष्णोर्नाभिसरोजाद्वै ब्रह्माभूच्चतुराननः । तपस्तप्त्वा समाराध्य महादेवीं सुदुर्गमाम्
From the lotus of Viṣṇu's navel arose Brahmā, the four-faced one; performing austerities, he worshipped the great and difficult-to-attain Goddess.
तया दत्तवरो धाता जगत्कर्तुं समुद्यतः । नाशकन्मानुषीं सृष्टिं कर्तुं लोकपितामहः
Granted a boon by Her, the Creator set forth to create the world; yet the Grandfather of all beings was unable to create human beings.
विचिन्त्य बहुधा चित्ते सृष्ट्यर्थं चतुराननः । न विस्तारं जगामाशु रचितापि महात्मना
Thinking in many ways in his mind for the sake of creation, the four-faced one, though a great soul, did not quickly bring forth an extensive creation.
(ससर्ज मानसान्पुत्रान्सप्तसंख्यान्प्रजापतिः) मरीचिरङ्गिरात्रिश्च वसिष्ठः पुलहः क्रतुः । पुलस्त्यश्चेति विख्याताः सप्तैते मानसाः सुताः
(He created the mind-born sons, seven in number, the Lord of creatures:) Marīci, Aṅgiras, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Pulaha, Kratu, and Pulastya—these seven are renowned as his mind-born sons.
रुद्रो रोषात्समुत्पन्नोऽप्युत्सङ्गान्नारदोऽभवत् । दक्षोऽङ्गुष्ठात्तथान्येऽपि मानसाः सनकादयः
Although Rudra was born from anger, from his lap was born Nārada; and from Dakṣa's thumb, as well as from his mind, were born the sages Sanaka and others.
वामाङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षपत्नी जाता सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरी । वीरिणी नाम विख्याता पुराणेषु महीपते
From Dakṣa's left thumb was born his wife, beautiful in every limb, renowned in the Purāṇas as Vīriṇī, O King.
असिक्नीति च नाम्ना सा यस्यां जातोऽथ नारदः । देवर्षिप्रवरः कामं ब्रह्मणो मानसः सुतः
She was also called Asiknī, and in her was born Nārada, the foremost of divine sages, who is the mind-born son of Brahmā.
जनमेजय उवाच - अत्र मे संशयो ब्रह्मन् यदुक्तं भवता वचः । वीरिण्यां नारदो जातो दक्षादिति महातपाः
Janamejaya said: O Brāhmaṇa, I have a doubt regarding what you have said—that Nārada was born from Vīriṇī, Dakṣa's wife, though he is a great ascetic.
कथं दक्षस्य पत्न्यां तु वीरिण्यां नारदो मुनिः । जातो हि ब्रह्मणः पुत्रो धर्मज्ञस्तापसोत्तमः
How was the sage Nārada, the righteous and foremost ascetic, born from Vīriṇī, Dakṣa's wife, when he is known as the son of Brahmā?
विचित्रमिदमाख्यातं भवता नारदस्य च । दक्षाज्जन्मास्य भार्यायां तद्वदस्व सविस्तरम्
This account you have given of Nārada's birth from Dakṣa's wife is remarkable; please explain it to me in detail.
पूर्वदेहः कथं मुक्तः शापात्कस्य महामना । नारदेन बहुज्ञेन कस्माज्जन्म कृतं मुने
How did he abandon his previous body due to a curse, O great-minded one? And why did the wise Nārada take birth again, O sage?
व्यास उवाच - ब्रह्मणासौ समादिष्टो दक्षः सृष्ट्यर्थमादितः । प्रजाः सृजेति सुभृशं वृद्धिहेतोः स्वयम्भुवा
Vyāsa said: At the beginning, Brahmā instructed Dakṣa for the purpose of creation, saying, 'Create progeny for the sake of increase, O self-born one.'
ततः पञ्चसहस्रांश्च जनयामास वीर्यवान् । दक्षः प्रजापतिः पुत्रान् वीरिण्यां बलवत्तरान्
Then Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, endowed with great vigor, generated five thousand powerful sons from Vīriṇī.
दृष्ट्वा तान्नारदः पुत्रान्सर्वान्वर्धयिषून्प्रजाः । उवाच प्रहसन्वाचं देवर्षिः कालनोदितः
Seeing all those sons of Dakṣa eager to increase the progeny, Nārada, prompted by time, laughed and spoke these words.
भुवः प्रमाणमज्ञात्वा स्रष्टुकामाः प्रजाः कथम् । लोकानां हास्यतां यूयं गमिष्यथ न संशयः
Without knowing the measure of the earth, how can you wish to create progeny? Surely, you will become a laughingstock among the worlds.
पृथिव्या वै प्रमाणं तु ज्ञात्वा कार्यः समुद्यमः । कृत्तोऽसौ सिद्धिमायाति नान्यथेति विनिश्चयः
One should undertake action only after knowing the extent of the earth; only then does one attain success—this is certain, not otherwise.
बालिशा बत यूयं वै यदज्ञात्वा भुवस्तलम् । समुद्यताः प्रजाः कर्तुं कथं सिद्धिर्भविष्यति
Alas, you are indeed childish, for you attempt to create progeny without knowing the surface of the earth; how will you achieve success?
व्यास उवाच - नारदेनैवमुक्तास्ते हर्यश्वा दैवयोगतः । अन्योन्यमूचुः सहसा सम्यगाह मुनिः किल
Vyāsa said: Thus addressed by Nārada, the Haryaśvas, by divine arrangement, suddenly said to each other, 'The sage has spoken rightly.'
ज्ञात्व प्रमाणमुर्व्यास्तु सुखं स्रक्ष्यामहे प्रजाः । इति सञ्चिन्त्य ते सर्वे प्रयाताः प्रेक्षितुं भुवः
Having understood the measure of the earth, we shall easily create progeny; so thinking, they all set out to survey the earth.
तलं सर्वं परिज्ञातुं वचनान्नारदस्य च । प्राच्यां केचिद्गताः कामं दक्षिणस्यां तथापरे
To ascertain the entire surface, and following Nārada's words, some went east, others south, as they wished.
प्रतीच्यामुत्तरस्यां तु कृतोत्साहाः समन्ततः । दक्षः पुत्रान्गतान्दृष्ट्वा पीडितस्तु शुचा भृशम्
Some, filled with enthusiasm, went west and north in all directions; seeing his sons gone, Dakṣa was greatly afflicted with sorrow.
अन्यानुत्पादयामास प्रजार्थं कृतनिश्चयः । तेऽपि तत्रोद्यताः कर्तुं प्रजार्थमुद्यमं सुताः
Resolute for the sake of progeny, he produced others; those sons also undertook the endeavor to create progeny.
नारदः प्राह तान्दृष्ट्वा पूर्वं यद्वचनं मुनिः । बालिशा बत यूयं वै यदज्ञात्वा भुवः किल
Nārada, seeing them, spoke as before; the sage said: 'Alas, how childish you are, for you act without truly knowing the world.'
प्रमाणं तु प्रजाः कर्तुं प्रवृत्ताः केन हेतुना । श्रुत्वा वाक्यं मुनेस्तेऽपि मत्वा सत्यं विमोहिताः
For what reason have you set out to create offspring as a standard? Hearing the sage's words, you were deluded, thinking them to be true.
जग्मुः सर्वे यथापूर्वं भ्रातरश्चलितास्तथा । तान्सुतान्प्रस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा दक्षः कोपसमवितः
All of them departed as before, just as their brothers had strayed; seeing his sons set out, Dakṣa was filled with anger.
शशाप नारदं कोपात् पुत्रशोकसमुद्भवात् । दक्ष उवाच - नाशिता मे सुता यस्मात् तस्मान्नाशमवाप्नुहि
Out of wrath and grief for his sons, Dakṣa cursed Nārada: 'Because you have destroyed my sons, may you too meet with destruction.'
पापेनानेन दुर्बुद्धे गर्भवासं व्रजेति च । पुत्रो मे भव कामं त्वं यतो मे भ्रंशिताः सुताः
'Because of this sinful act, O misguided one, you shall enter the womb; become my son if you wish, since you have caused the loss of my sons.'
इति शप्तस्ततो जातो वीरिण्यां नारदो मुनिः । षष्टिर्भूयोऽसृजत्कन्या वीरिण्यामिति नः श्रुतम्
Thus cursed, the sage Nārada was then born from Vīriṇī; it is heard that he again created sixty daughters from Vīriṇī.