भवन्तमेव शरणं प्रपन्ना वयमच्युत
O Acyuta, we have taken refuge in you alone.
अनुग्रहेण विश्वेश तदस्माननुपालय
O Lord of all, by your grace, protect us in this matter.
ध्यात्वा देवं त्रिशूलाङ्कं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत
Having meditated on the god marked with the trident, with joined palms he spoke.
धिग्बलं धिक् तपश्चर्या मिथ्यैव भवतामिह
Fie upon strength, fie upon austerity; here, they are truly in vain.
उपेक्षितं वृथाचारैर्भवद्भिरिह मोहितैः
He has been neglected by you, deluded by vain practices.
यमेव तं समासाद्य हा भवद्भिरुपेक्षितम्
Alas, having attained him, you have neglected him.
महानिधिं समासाद्य हा भवद्भिरुपेक्षितम्
Alas, having attained the great treasure, you have neglected it.
तमासाद्याक्षयनिधिं हा भवद्भिरुपेक्षितम्
Alas, having attained that inexhaustible treasure, you have neglected it.
तदेवोपेक्षितं दृष्ट्वा निधानं भाग्यवर्जितैः
Seeing that very treasure neglected by those deprived of fortune—
तमासाद्य निधिं ब्राह्म हा भवद्भिर्वृथाकृतम्
O Brāhmaṇa, having attained that treasure, alas, you have acted in vain.
न तस्य परमं किञ्चित् पदं समधिगम्यते
No supreme state at all is attained by him.
संहरत्येष भगवान् कालो भूत्वा महेश्वरः
This Lord, becoming Time, withdraws everything, being Maheśvara.
एष चक्री च वज्री च श्रीवत्सकृतलक्षणः
He is the one who bears the discus and the thunderbolt, marked with the Śrīvatsa.
द्वापरे भगवान् कालो धर्मकेतुः कलौ युगे
In Dvāpara, the Lord is Time; in the Kali age, he is the banner of Dharma.
तमो ह्यग्नी रजो ब्रह्मा सत्त्वं विष्णुरिति प्रभुः
Darkness is Agni, passion is Brahma, and purity is Vishnu, the Lord.
यत्र तिष्ठति तद् ब्रह्म योगेन तु समन्वितम्
Where that abides, that is Brahman, truly united with yoga.
सा हि नारायणो देवः परमात्मा सनातनः
He indeed is Narayana, the god, the supreme soul, eternal.
स एव मोहयेत् कृत्स्नं स एव परमा गतिः
He alone deludes the whole, and he alone is the highest goal.
एकशृङ्गो महानात्मा पुराणो ऽष्टाक्षरो हरिः
The great-souled, ancient Hari, with one horn and eight syllables.
एकमूर्तिरमेयात्मा नारायण इति श्रुतिः
Of one form, of immeasurable nature—so the scripture declares Narayana.
स्तूयते विविधैर्मन्त्रैर्ब्राह्मणैर्धर्ममोक्षिभिः
He is praised with various mantras by Brahmins who seek virtue and liberation.
शेते योगामृतं पीत्वा यत् तद् विष्णोः परं पदम्
Having drunk the nectar of yoga, he rests—that is the supreme abode of Vishnu.
मूलप्रकृतिरव्यक्ता गीयते वैदिकैरजः
The unmanifest root-nature is sung by the Vedic seers as unborn.
अजस्य नाभौ तद् बीजं क्षिपत्येष महेश्वरः
In the navel of the unborn, that seed is cast by the great Lord.
महान्तं पुरुषं विश्वमपां गर्भमनुत्तमम्
The great Person, the universe, the unsurpassed embryo of the waters.
देवदेवं महादेवं भूतानामीश्वरं हरम्
The god of gods, the great god, Hara, the lord of beings.
विष्णुना सह संयुक्तः करोति विकरोति च
United with Vishnu, he creates and transforms.
स वेदान् प्रददौ पूर्वं योगमायातनुर्मम
He, the embodiment of yogic power, first gave the Vedas—so I declare.
तमेव मुक्तये ज्ञात्वा व्रजेत शरणं भवम्
Knowing him alone for liberation, one should seek refuge in Bhava.
प्रणम्य देवं ब्रह्माणं पृच्छन्ति स्म सुदुः खिताः
Having bowed to the god Brahma, they, greatly distressed, questioned him.