प्रलयस्थितिसर्गाणां कर्ता त्वं धरणीपते वत्स वत्स हरे विष्णो पालयैतच्चराचरम्
O King of the earth, you are the creator of dissolution, maintenance, and creation. O child, O child, O Hari, O Viṣṇu, protect all this, the moving and the unmoving.
त्रिधा भिन्नो ह्यहं विष्णो ब्रह्मविष्णुभवाख्यया सर्गरक्षालयगुणैर् निष्कलः परमेश्वरः
O Viṣṇu, I am indeed divided threefold as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Bhava, by the qualities of creation, preservation, and dissolution, yet I am the supreme Lord, indivisible.
संमोहं त्यज भो विष्णो पालयैनं पितामहम् पाद्मे भविष्यति सुतः कल्पे तव पितामहः
Abandon delusion, O Viṣṇu, and protect this Grandfather (Brahmā). In the Padma Kalpa, he will be your son, and you will be his Grandfather.
तदा द्रक्ष्यसि मां चैवं सो ऽपि द्रक्ष्यति पद्मजः एवमुक्त्वा स भगवांस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Then you will see me in this way, and so too will the lotus-born one see me. Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord vanished there itself.
तदाप्रभृति लोकेषु लिङ्गार्चा सुप्रतिष्ठिता लिङ्गवेदी महादेवी लिङ्गं साक्षान्महेश्वरः
From that time onward, the worship of the liṅga became firmly established in the worlds; the liṅga altar is the great goddess, and the liṅga itself is the great Lord manifest.
लयनाल्लिङ्गमित्युक्तं तत्रैव निखिलं सुराः यस्तु लैङ्गं पठेन्नित्यम् आख्यानं लिङ्गसन्निधौ
Because of dissolution, it is called liṅga; there, all the gods reside. Whoever recites the liṅga narrative daily in the presence of the liṅga—
स याति शिवतां विप्रो नात्र कार्या विचारणा
That brāhmaṇa attains the state of Śiva; there is no need for further deliberation.
कथं पाद्मे पुरा कल्पे ब्रह्मा पद्मोद्भवो ऽभवत् भवं च दृष्टवांस्तेन ब्रह्मणा पुरुषोत्तमः
How, in the Padma Kalpa of old, did Brahmā, the lotus-born, arise, and how did the supreme person see Bhava through him?
एतत्सर्वं विशेषेण सांप्रतं वक्तुमर्हसि आसीदेकार्णवं घोरम् अविभागं तमोमयम्
You should now tell all this in detail: There was a single, terrible ocean, undivided and filled with darkness.
मध्ये चैकार्णवे तस्मिन् शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः जीमूताभो ऽम्बुजाक्षश् च किरीटी श्रीपतिर्हरिः
In the midst of that single ocean, Hari, the consort of Śrī, bearing conch, discus, and mace, with a crown, cloud-hued and lotus-eyed, was present.
नारायणमुखोद्गीर्णसर्वात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः अष्टबाहुर्महावक्षा लोकानां योनिरुच्यते
The supreme person, the source of all beings, with eight arms and a mighty chest, was Nārāyaṇa, the all-pervading one, emanating from his mouth.
किमप्यचिन्त्यं योगात्मा योगमास्थाय योगवित् फणासहस्रकलितं तमप्रतिमवर्चसम्
Assuming yoga, the master of yoga, possessing inconceivable power, he shone with unmatched brilliance, adorned by a thousand serpent hoods.
महाभोगपतेर्भोगं साध्वास्तीर्य महोच्छ्रयम् तस्मिन्महति पर्यङ्के शेते चैकार्णवे प्रभुः
Spreading the great serpent's coils as a noble couch, the Lord lay upon that vast, lofty bed in the great ocean.
एवं तत्र शयानेन विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना आत्मारामेण क्रीडार्थं लीलयाक्लिष्टकर्मणा
Thus, Viṣṇu, the mighty Lord, resting there, delighting in his own self, performed playfully, his actions untouched by effort.
शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं तरुणादित्यसन्निभम् वज्रदण्डं महोत्सेधं नाभ्यां सृष्टं तु पुष्करम्
From his navel arose a lotus, a hundred yojanas wide, radiant like the rising sun, with a great stalk, and of immense height.
तस्यैवं क्रीडमानस्य समीपं देवमीढुषः हेमगर्भाण्डजो ब्रह्मा रुक्मवर्णो ह्यतीन्द्रियः
As that god, the praised one, sported thus, near him appeared Brahmā, the golden-embryo, lotus-born, golden-hued, and beyond the senses.
चतुर्वक्त्रो विशालाक्षः समागम्य यदृच्छया श्रिया युक्तेन दिव्येन सुशुभेन सुगन्धिना
The four-faced one, with wide eyes, happened to arrive, adorned with divine, splendid, and fragrant beauty.
क्रीडमानं च पद्मेन दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा शुभेक्षणम् सविस्मयमथागम्य सौम्यसम्पन्नया गिरा
Seeing Brahmā, whose gaze is auspicious, playing with a lotus, he approached with wonder and addressed him with gentle and pleasing words.
प्रोवाच को भवाञ्छेते ह्य् आश्रितो मध्यमम्भसाम् अथ तस्याच्युतः श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणस्तु शुभं वचः
He said, 'Who are you, O one who has taken refuge in the midst of the waters?' Then, having heard these auspicious words of Brahmā, Acyuta replied.
उदतिष्ठत पर्यङ्काद् विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः प्रत्युवाचोत्तरं चैव कल्पे कल्पे प्रतिश्रयः
He rose from his couch, his eyes wide with astonishment, and replied, 'In every cycle, I am the refuge.'
कर्तव्यं च कृतं चैव क्रियते यच्च किंचन द्यौरन्तरिक्षं भूश्चैव परं पदमहं भुवः
'Whatever is to be done, whatever has been done, and whatever is being done—heaven, the midspace, and earth—I am the supreme abode beyond the world.'
तमेवमुक्त्वा भगवान् विष्णुः पुनरथाब्रवीत् कस्त्वं खलु समायातः समीपं भगवान्कुतः
Having spoken thus, the blessed Viṣṇu again said, 'Who exactly are you, O venerable one, who has come near? From where have you come?'
क्व वा भूयश् च गन्तव्यं कश् च वा ते प्रतिश्रयः को भवान् विश्वमूर्तिर्वै कर्तव्यं किं च ते मया
'Where will you go again? What is your refuge? Who are you, truly the form of the universe? And what should I do for you?'
एवं ब्रुवन्तं वैकुण्ठं प्रत्युवाच पितामहः मायया मोहितः शंभोर् अविज्ञाय जनार्दनम्
To Vaikuṇṭha, who spoke thus, the Grandfather replied, deluded by the māyā of Śambhu, not recognizing Janārdana.
मायया मोहितं देवम् अविज्ञातं महात्मनः यथा भवांस्तथैवाहम् आदिकर्ता प्रजापतिः
Deluded by the māyā, the god did not recognize the great soul; 'Just as you are, so am I—the original creator, the lord of creatures.'
सविस्मयं वचः श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणो लोकतन्त्रिणः अनुज्ञातश् च ते नाथ वैकुण्ठो विश्वसंभवः
Hearing the words of Brahmā, the ruler of the worlds, with wonder, Vaikuṇṭha, the source of the universe, gave his consent.
कौतूहलान्महायोगी प्रविष्टो ब्रह्मणो मुखम् इमानष्टादश द्वीपान् ससमुद्रान् सपर्वतान्
Out of curiosity, the great yogi entered Brahmā's mouth, along with these eighteen islands, with their oceans and mountains.
प्रविश्य सुमहातेजाश् चातुर्वर्ण्यसमाकुलान् ब्रह्मणस्तम्भपर्यन्तं सप्तलोकान् सनातनान्
Entering, full of great brilliance, the worlds filled with the four varṇas, up to the end of Brahmā's stalk, the seven eternal worlds.
ब्रह्मणस्तूदरे दृष्ट्वा सर्वान्विष्णुर्महाभुजः अहो ऽस्य तपसो वीर्यम् इत्युक्त्वा च पुनः पुनः
Within Brahmā's belly, Viṣṇu, mighty-armed, saw all things, and again and again exclaimed, 'Ah, the power of his austerity!'
अटित्वा विविधांल्लोकान् विष्णुर्नानाविधाश्रयान् ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते नान्तं हि ददृशे यदा
Having wandered through various worlds and diverse abodes, Viṣṇu, after a thousand years, did not find the end.