ततस् तान् अब्रवीद् ब्रह्मा पुत्रान् आत्मसमुद्भवान् प्रजाः सृजध्वम् अभितः सदेवासुरमानुषीः
Then Brahmā spoke to those sons, born from himself: 'Create beings everywhere—gods, asuras, and humans.'
एवम् उक्तास् ततः सर्वे ससृजुर् विविधाः प्रजाः गतेषु तेषु सृष्ट्यर्थं प्रणामावनताम् इमाम्
Thus addressed, all of them created various beings; when they had gone forth for the purpose of creation, this one, bowed in reverence, remained.
उपयेमे स विश्वात्मा शतरूपाम् अनिन्दिताम् संबभूव तया सार्धम् अतिकामातुरो विभुः सलज्जां चकमे देवः कमलोदरमन्दिरे
The Soul of the Universe then took as wife the blameless Śatarūpā; united with her out of intense desire, the Lord, though bashful, enjoyed her in the abode of the lotus.
यावद् अब्दशतं दिव्यं यथान्यः प्राकृतो जनः ततःकालेन महता तस्याः पुत्रो ऽभवन् मनुः
For a hundred divine years, just as ordinary people do, after a long time, a son was born to her—Manu.
स्वायंभुवो इति ख्यातः स विराड् इति नः श्रुतम् तद्रूपगुणसामान्याद् अधिपुरुष उच्यते
He is known as Svāyambhuva; we have heard he is called Virāṭ. Because of similarity in form, quality, and nature, he is called the primeval man.
वैराजा यत्र ते जाता बहवः शंसितव्रताः स्वायंभुवा महाभागाः सप्त सप्त तथापरे
From him were born many sons, renowned for their vows, called the Vairājas; and from Svāyambhuva, O greatly fortunate one, seven and then another seven.
स्वारोचिषाद्याः सर्वे ते ब्रह्मतुल्यस्वरूपिणः औत्तमिप्रमुखास् तद्वद् येसां त्वं सप्तमो ऽधुना
All those beginning with Svārociṣa, possessing forms equal to Brahmā, and those headed by Uttama—just so, you are now the seventh among them.
अहो कष्टतरं चैतद् अङ्गजागमनं विभो कथं न दोषमगमत् कर्मणानेन पद्मभूः
Alas, this coming together of kindred is even more distressing; how did the lotus-born not incur fault by this act?
परस्परं च सम्बन्धः सगोत्राणाम् अभूत् कथम् वैवाहिकस्तत्सुतानां छिन्द्धि मे संशयं विभो
And how did a marital relationship arise among those of the same lineage? Remove this doubt of mine, O Lord.
दिव्येयमादिसृष्टिस्तु रजोगुणसमुद्भवा अतीन्द्रियेन्द्रिया तद्वद् अतीन्द्रियशरीरिका
This divine first creation is born of the quality of passion; it is beyond the senses, and likewise, its embodied forms are beyond the senses.
दिव्यतेजोमयी भूप दिव्यज्ञानसमुद्भवा न मर्त्यैरभितः शक्या वक्तुं वै मांसचक्षुभिः
O king, it is composed of divine radiance, arising from divine knowledge; it cannot be described by mortals with fleshly eyes.
यथा भुजंगाः सर्पाणाम् आकाशं विश्वपक्षिणाम् विदन्ति मार्गं दिव्यानां दिव्या एव न मानवाः
Just as serpents know their own paths and celestial birds know the sky, so too only the divine know the ways of the divine, not humans.
कार्याकार्ये न देवानां शुभाशुभफलप्रदे यस्मात्तस्मान्न राजेन्द्र तद्विचारो नृणां शुभः
For the gods, there is no distinction of proper or improper, nor do they reap auspicious or inauspicious results; therefore, O king, such judgment is not fitting for men.
अन्यच्च सर्ववेदानाम् अधिष्ठाता चतुर्मुखः गायत्री ब्रह्मणस्तद्वद् अङ्गभूता निगद्यते
Moreover, the four-faced one is the presiding deity of all the Vedas; just so, Gāyatrī is said to be a limb of Brahmā.
अमूर्तं मूर्तिमद् वापि मिथुनं तत्प्रचक्षते विरिञ्चिर् यत्र भगवांस् तत्र देवी सरस्वती भारती यत्र यत्रैव तत्र तत्र प्रजापतिः
Whether formless or with form, that pair is declared; wherever the blessed Viśvakarman is, there too is the goddess Sarasvatī—wherever Bhāratī is, there too is the lord of creatures.
यथातपो न रहितश् छायया दृश्यते क्वचित् गायत्री ब्रह्मणःपार्श्वं तथैव न विमुञ्चति
Just as heat is never seen without shadow, so too Gāyatrī never leaves the side of Brahmā.
वेदराशिः स्मृतो ब्रह्मा सावित्री तदधिष्ठिता तस्मान्न कश्चिद्दोषः स्यात् सावित्रीगमने विभो
The collection of the Vedas is called Brahma, and Savitri is established upon it; therefore, O Lord, no fault arises in the approach to Savitri.
तथापि लज्जावनतः प्रजापतिर् अभूत्पुरा स्वसुतोपगमाद् ब्रह्मा शशाप कुसुमायुधम्
Nevertheless, long ago, Prajapati became ashamed after approaching his own daughter, and Brahma cursed the god of love.
यस्मान्ममाभिभवता मनः संक्षोभितं शरैः तस्मात्त्वद्देहमचिराद् रुद्रो भस्मीकरिष्यति
Because my mind was agitated by your arrows, therefore, Rudra will soon reduce your body to ashes.
ततः प्रसादयामास कामदेवश्चतुर्मुखम् न मामकारणे शप्तुं त्वमिहार्हसि मानद
Then Kamadeva sought to appease the four-faced one: 'O giver of honor, you should not curse me here for your own reason.'
अहमेवंविधः सृष्टस् त्वयैव चतुरानन इन्द्रियक्षोभजनकः सर्वेषामेव देहिनाम्
'I was created by you, O four-faced one, in this manner, as the cause of agitation of the senses in all embodied beings.'
स्त्रीपुंसोरविचारेण मया सर्वत्र सर्वदा क्षोभ्यं मनः प्रयत्नेन त्वयैवोक्तं पुरा विभो
'Without distinction between woman and man, I am always and everywhere to agitate the mind; this was declared by you before, O Lord.'
तस्मादनपराधो ऽहं त्वया शप्तस्तथा विभो कुरु प्रसादं भगवन् स्वशरीराप्तये पुनः
'Therefore, I am not at fault, though you have cursed me thus, O Lord. Grant me your favor, O blessed one, so that I may regain my body again.'
वैवस्वते ऽन्तरे प्राप्ते यादवान्वयसम्भवः रामो नाम यदा मर्त्यो मत्सत्त्वबलमाश्रितः
When the interval of Vaivasvata arrives, a descendant of the Yadu lineage named Rama will be born as a mortal, relying on my strength.
अवतीर्यासुरध्वंसी द्वारकाम् अधिवत्स्यति तद्भ्रातुस्तत्समस्य त्वं तदा पुत्रत्वमेष्यसि
Descending to destroy the demons, he will dwell in Dvaraka; then, you will become the son of his brother, who is equal to him.
एवं शरीरमासाद्य भुक्त्वा भोगानशेषतः ततो भरतवंशान्ते भूत्वा वत्सनृपात्मजः
Thus, obtaining a body and enjoying all pleasures, afterwards, at the end of the Bharata dynasty, you will be born as the son of King Vatsa.
विद्याधराधिपत्यं च यावद् आभूतसंप्लवम् सुखानि धर्मतः प्राप्य मत्समीपं गमिष्यसि
You will attain lordship over the Vidyadharas until the dissolution of creation; having obtained happiness through righteousness, you will come near to me.
एवं शापप्रसादाभ्याम् उपेतः कुसुमायुधः शोकप्रमोदाभियुतो जगाम स यथागतम्
Thus, endowed with both curse and favor, Kamadeva, filled with both sorrow and joy, departed as he had come.
को ऽसौ यदुरिति प्रोक्तो यद्वंशे कामसम्भवः कथं च दग्धो रुद्रेण किमथ कुसुमायुधः
Who is this called Yadu, in whose lineage Kama was born? How was he burned by Rudra, and what then became of Kamadeva?
भरतस्यान्वये कस्य का च सृष्टिः पुराभवत् एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व मूलतः संशयो हि मे
In the lineage of Bharata, whose creation was there formerly, and what was it? Tell me all this from the beginning, for I am in doubt.