के प्रजापतयस्तावद् आसन्पूर्वं महामुने कथं निर्मितवांश्चैव चित्रं लोकं सनातनम्
Who were the progenitors in former times, O great sage, and how did they create the wondrous, eternal world?
कथमेकार्णवे शून्ये नष्टस्थावरजङ्गमे दग्धे देवासुरनरे प्रनष्टोरगराक्षसे
How, when all that is fixed and moving was lost in the single, empty ocean—when gods, asuras, humans, serpents, and demons were destroyed—
नष्टानिलानले लोके नष्टाकाशमहीतले केवलं गह्वरीभूते महाभूतविपर्यये
When air and fire had perished from the world, when space and earth had vanished, and all was reduced to darkness in the upheaval of the great elements—
विभुर्महाभूतपतिर् महातेजा महाकृतिः आस्ते सुरवरश्रेष्ठो विधिमास्थाय योगवित्
—did the all-pervading Lord, master of the great elements, of immense brilliance and vast form, the foremost among the best of gods, remain, established in discipline and knowing yoga?
शृणुयां परया भक्त्या ब्रह्मन्नेतदशेषतः वक्तुमर्हसि धर्मिष्ठ यशो नारायणात्मकम्
May I hear this in full, O Brahman, with utmost devotion. You, righteous one, are worthy to speak of the glory that is the essence of Nārāyaṇa.
श्रद्धया चोपविष्टानां भगवन्वक्तुमर्हसि
O Blessed One, you are worthy to speak to those of us seated here with faith.
नारायणस्य यशसः श्रवणे या तव स्पृहा तद्वंश्यान्वयभूतस्य न्याय्यं रविकुलर्षभ
Your desire to hear of the glory of Nārāyaṇa is fitting, O bull among the solar dynasty, for you are descended from his lineage.
शृणुष्वादिपुराणेषु वेदेभ्यश्च यथा श्रुतम् ब्राह्मणानां च वदतां श्रुत्वा वै सुमहात्मनाम्
Listen, as it has been heard in the earliest Purāṇas and from the Vedas, and as spoken by the most noble Brāhmaṇas.
यथा च तपसा दृष्ट्वा बृहस्पतिसमद्युतिः पराशरसुतः श्रीमान् गुरुर्द्वैपायनो ऽब्रवीत्
And as the illustrious son of Parāśara, the revered teacher Dvaipāyana, whose brilliance rivaled Bṛhaspati, declared after perceiving through austerity—
तत्ते ऽहं कथयिष्यामि यथाशक्ति यथाश्रुति यद्विज्ञातुं मया शक्यम् ऋषिमात्रेण सत्तमाः
That, to the best of my ability and as I have heard, I shall relate to you, O best of sages, as much as I am able to know by the measure of a seer.
कः समुत्सहते ज्ञातुं परं नारायणात्मकम् विश्वायनश्च यद्ब्रह्मा न वेदयति तत्त्वतः
Who is able to know the supreme essence of Nārāyaṇa? Even Brahmā, son of Viśvāmitra, does not truly know it.
तत्कर्म विश्ववेदानां तद्रहस्यं महर्षीणाम् तमीशं सर्वयज्ञानां तत्तत्त्वं सर्वदर्शिनाम् तदध्यात्मविदां चिन्त्यं नरकं च विकर्मिणाम्
That act which is the secret of all the Vedas, the mystery of the great seers, the Lord of all sacrifices, the true reality of all-knowers, the subject of contemplation for those who know the self, and the hell of those who act wrongly—
अधिदैवं च यद्दैवम् अधियज्ञं सुसंज्ञितम् तद्भूतमधिभूतं च तत्परं परमर्षीणाम्
That which is called the divine among divinities, the well-known supreme sacrifice, that which is the essence of beings and the highest for the greatest sages—
स यज्ञो वेदनिर्दिष्टस् तत्तपः कवयो विदुः यः कर्ता कारको बुद्धिर् मनः क्षेत्रज्ञ एव च
That sacrifice prescribed by the Vedas, that austerity known by the wise, he who is the doer, the agent, the intellect, the mind, and the knower of the field—
प्रणवः पुरुषः शास्ता एकश्चेति विभाव्यते प्राणः पञ्चविधश्चैव ध्रुव अक्षर एव च
The syllable Om, the Person, the Teacher—he is perceived as one; the fivefold breath, the constant, and the imperishable as well.
कालः पाकश्च पक्ता च द्रष्टा स्वाध्याय एव च उच्यते विविधैर्देवैः स एवायं न तत्परम्
Time, the process of cooking, the cook, the seer, and self-study—he is called by these various gods; he alone is this, not something else beyond.
स एव भगवान्सर्वं करोति विकरोति च सो ऽस्मान्कारयते सर्वान् सो ऽत्येति व्याकुलीकृतान्
That very Lord creates and transforms all; he causes us all to act, and he surpasses those who are agitated.
यजामहे तमेवाद्यं तमेवेच्छाम निर्वृताः यो वक्ता यच्च वक्तव्यं यच्चाहं तद्ब्रवीमि वः
We worship that primal one, we desire only him, content; he is the speaker, and what is to be spoken, and what I say to you is that.
श्रूयते यच्च वै श्राव्यं यच्चान्यत्परिजल्प्यते याः कथाश्चैव वर्तन्ते श्रुतयो वाथ तत्पराः विश्वं विश्वपतिर्यश्च स तु नारायणः स्मृतः
Whatever is heard, whatever is worth hearing, whatever else is discussed, and all the stories and traditions—these are devoted to him; he is the Lord of the universe, known as Nārāyaṇa.
यत्सत्यं यदमृतमक्षरं परं यद् यद्भूतं परममिदं च यद्भविष्यत् यत्किंचिच् चरमचरं यदस्ति चान्यत् तत्सर्वं पुरुषवरः प्रभुः पुराणः
Whatever is true, immortal, imperishable, supreme; whatever has been, whatever is supreme here, whatever will be, whatever moves or is still, whatever else exists—all that is the ancient, supreme Lord.
चत्वार्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तु कृतं युगम् तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा रविनन्दन
They say the Kṛta age is four thousand years; its twilight is a hundred years, and twice that, O son of the Sun.
यत्र धर्मश्चतुष्पादस् त्व् अधर्मः पादविग्रहः स्वधर्मनिरताः सन्तो जायन्ते यत्र मानवाः
In that age, righteousness stands on four feet, unrighteousness is weak; people are devoted to their own duties, and the virtuous are born.
विप्राः स्थिता धर्मपरा राजवृत्तौ स्थिता नृपाः कृष्यामभिरता वैश्याः शूद्राः शुश्रूषवः स्थिताः
Brahmins are steadfast in righteousness, kings are established in royal duties, Vaiśyas are devoted to agriculture, and Śūdras remain in service.
तदा सत्यं च शौचं च धर्मश्चैव विवर्धते सद्भिराचरितं कर्म क्रियते ख्यायते च वै
Then truth, purity, and righteousness flourish; actions performed by the good are carried out and become renowned.
एतत्कार्तयुगं वृत्तं सर्वेषामपि पार्थिव प्राणिनां धर्मसङ्गानाम् अपि वै नीचजन्मनाम्
This is the conduct of the Kṛta age, O prince, for all beings, for those devoted to righteousness, and even for those of low birth.
त्रीणि वर्षसहस्राणि त्रेतायुगमिहोच्यते तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा परिकीर्त्यते
Three thousand years are called the Tretā age; its twilight is a hundred years, and twice that, it is said.
द्वाभ्यामधर्मः पादाभ्यां त्रिभिर्धर्मो व्यवस्थितः यत्र सत्यं च सत्त्वं च त्रेताधर्मो विधीयते
In that age, unrighteousness stands on two feet, righteousness on three; truth and virtue prevail, and the law of Tretā is established.
त्रेतायां विकृतिं यान्ति वर्णास्त्वेते न संशयः चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य वैकृत्याद् यान्ति दौर्बल्यमाश्रमाः
In Tretā, these castes undergo change, without doubt; due to the distortion of the fourfold order, the stages of life become weakened.
एषा त्रेतायुगगतिर् विचित्रा देवनिर्मिता द्वापरस्य तु या चेष्टा तामपि श्रोतुमर्हसि
This is the varied course of the Tretā age, created by the gods; now you should hear of the conduct in Dvāpara.
द्वापरं द्वे सहस्रे तु वर्षाणां रविनन्दन तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा युगमुच्यते
Dvāpara is two thousand years, O son of the Sun; its twilight is a hundred years, and twice that, and this is called a yuga.