विष्णुत्वं शृणु विष्णोश्च हरित्वं च कृते युगे वैकुण्ठत्वं च देवेषु कृष्णत्वं मानुषेषु च
Hear of Viṣṇu’s divinity, and of his form as Hari in the Kṛta Yuga, as Vaikuṇṭha among the gods, and as Kṛṣṇa among men.
ईश्वरस्य हि तस्यैषा कर्मणां गहना गतिः संप्रत्यतीतान्भव्यांश्च शृणु राजन्यथातथम्
For that Lord, the course of actions is indeed profound; now listen, O king, to what has passed, what is, and what is to come, just as it is.
अव्यक्तो व्यक्तलिङ्गस्थो य एष भगवान्प्रभुः नारायणो ह्यनन्तात्मा प्रभवो ऽव्यय एव च
He who is unmanifest, yet abides in manifest form, that blessed Lord, Nārāyaṇa, of infinite essence, is the source and is indeed imperishable.
एष नारायणो भूत्वा हरिरासीत्सनातनः ब्रह्मा वायुश्च सोमश्च धर्मः शक्रो बृहस्पतिः
This Nārāyaṇa, becoming Hari, is the eternal one; he is Brahmā, Vāyu, Soma, Dharma, Śakra, and Bṛhaspati.
अदितेरपि पुत्रत्वम् एव याति युगे युगे एष विष्णुरिति ख्यात इन्द्रस्यावरजो विभुः
He also takes birth as the son of Aditi in every age; this Viṣṇu is known as the mighty younger brother of Indra.
प्रसादजं ह्यस्य विभोर् अदित्याः पुत्रकारणम् वधार्थं सुरशत्रूणां दैत्यदानवरक्षसाम्
Born from the favor of the mighty one, for the sake of becoming Aditi’s son, it is for the destruction of the enemies of the gods—the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas.
प्रधानात्मा पुरा ह्येष ब्रह्माणमसृजत्प्रभुः सो ऽसृजत्पूर्वपुरुषः पुराकल्पे प्रजापतीन्
He, the Lord, whose essence is the primordial, formerly created Brahmā; that first being then created the progenitors in the previous cycle.
असृजन्मानवांस्तत्र ब्रह्मवंशाननुत्तमान् तेभ्यो ऽभवन्महात्मभ्यो बहुधा ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्
There he created the Manus, the supreme lineages of Brahmā; from those great souls, Brahman, eternal, arose in many forms.
एतदाश्चर्यभूतस्य विष्णोः कर्मानुकीर्तनम् कीर्तनीयस्य लोकेषु कीर्त्यमानं निबोध मे
Now hear from me the recounting of the wondrous deeds of Viṣṇu, which are to be celebrated among people, and are being praised.
वृते वृत्रवधे तत्र वर्तमाने कृते युगे आसीत्त्रैलोक्यविख्यातः सङ्ग्रामस्तारकामयः
When the slaying of Vṛtra was accomplished, in that Kṛta Yuga, there was a battle called Tārakāmaya, renowned throughout the three worlds.
यत्र ते दानवा घोराः सर्वे सङ्ग्रामदुर्जयाः घ्नन्ति देवगणान्सर्वान् सयक्षोरगराक्षसान्
There, those fierce Dānavas, unconquerable in battle, struck down all the hosts of gods, along with Yakṣas, serpents, and Rākṣasas.
ते वध्यमाना विमुखाः क्षीणप्रहरणा रणे त्रातारं मनसा जग्मुर् देवं नारायणं प्रभुम्
Being slain, turned away, and their weapons exhausted in battle, they sought in their minds a protector—the god Nārāyaṇa, the Lord.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे मेघा निर्वाणाङ्गारवर्चसः सार्कचन्द्रग्रहगणं छादयन्तो नभस्तलम्
Meanwhile, clouds with the brilliance of extinguished embers covered the sky, obscuring the sun, moon, and all the planets.
चण्डा विद्युद्गणोपेता घोरनिर्ह्रादकारिणः अन्योन्यवेगाभिहताः प्रववुः सह मारुताः
Fierce, accompanied by masses of lightning, making dreadful roars, struck by each other’s force, they blew together with the winds.
दीप्ततोयाशनिपनैर् वज्रवेगानलानिलैः रवैः सुघोरैरुत्पातैर् दह्यमानम् इवाम्बरम्
With blazing water, thunderbolts, the force of vajras, fire, and winds, with terrible sounds and omens, the sky seemed as if burning.
तत उल्कासहस्राणि निपेतुः खगतान्यपि दिव्यानि च विमानानि प्रपतन्त्युत्पतन्ति च
Then thousands of meteors fell, even those moving in the sky, and divine aerial cars descended and ascended.
चतुर्युगान्तपर्याये लोकानां यद्भयं भवेत् अरूपवन्ति रूपाणि तस्मिन्नुत्पातलक्षणे
At the end of the four ages, when the worlds are seized by fear, forms lose their shapes, and such is the sign of impending calamity.
जातं च निष्प्रभं सर्वं न प्राज्ञायत किंचन तिमिरौघपरिक्षिप्ता न रेजुश्च दिशो दश
All things appeared dull and without luster; nothing could be discerned, for the ten directions were enveloped in masses of darkness and did not shine.
विवेश रूपिणी काली कालमेघावगुण्ठिता द्यौर्न भात्यभिभूतार्का घोरेण तमसावृता
Then Kālī, taking a form, entered, veiled in clouds of time; the sky did not shine, the sun was overpowered, and everything was covered by dreadful darkness.
तान्घनौघान्स तिमिरान् दोर्भ्यामाक्षिप्य स प्रभुः वपुः संदर्शयामास दिव्यं कृष्णवपुर्हरिः
That Lord, seizing those masses of darkness with his two arms, revealed his divine form—Hari, with a dark, radiant body.
बलाहकाञ्जननिभं बलाहकतनूरुहम् तेजसा वपुषा चैव कृष्णं कृष्णमिवाचलम्
His form was like a rain-cloud, with hair like the filaments of clouds, and by his brilliance and body, he appeared dark, like a mountain of blackness.
दीप्तपीताम्बरधरं तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणम् धूमान्धकारवपुषं युगान्ताग्निमिवोत्थितम्
He wore a shining yellow garment, adorned with ornaments of molten gold, his body dark as smoke and shadow, rising like the fire at the end of an age.
चतुर्द्विगुणपीनांसं किरीटच्छन्नमूर्धजम् बभौ चामीकरप्रख्यैर् आयुधैरुपशोभितम्
His shoulders were four times enlarged, his hair covered by a crown, and he shone, adorned with weapons that resembled gold.
चन्द्रार्ककिरणोद्द्योतं गिरिकूटमिवोच्छ्रितम् नन्दकानन्दितकरं शराशीविषधारिणम्
He radiated with the light of moon and sun, towering like a mountain peak, his hand delighting in the Nandaka sword, bearing arrows like venomous serpents.
शक्तिचित्रबलोदग्रं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम् विष्णुशैलं क्षमामूलं श्रीवृक्षं शार्ङ्गशृङ्गिणम्
He was resplendent with various weapons and great strength, holding conch, discus, and mace; the mountain of Viṣṇu, the root of the earth, the tree of fortune, bearing the Śārṅga bow as his horn.
त्रिदशोदारफलदं स्वर्गस्त्रीचारुपल्लवम् सर्वलोकमनःकान्तं सर्वसत्त्वमनोहरम्
He granted the wishes of the gods, his branches lovely as the women of heaven, beloved of all worlds, enchanting to all beings.
नानविमानविटपं तोयदाम्बुमधुस्रवम् विद्याहंकारसाराढ्यं महाभूतप्ररोहणम्
He was adorned with the peaks of many flying palaces, dripping with the nectar of clouds and water, established in the essence of knowledge and ego, the great sprouting of the elements.
विशेषपत्रैर्निचितं ग्रहनक्षत्रपुष्पितम् दैत्यलोकमहास्कन्धं मर्त्यलोकप्रकाशितम्
He was covered with special leaves, blossoming with planets and stars, the great trunk of the world of demons, illuminating the world of mortals.
सागराकारनिर्ह्रादं रसातलमहाश्रयम् मृगेन्द्रपाशैर्विततं पक्षजन्तुनिषेवितम्
He roared like the ocean, his foundation vast as the underworld, stretched out by the cords of lion-lords, attended by winged creatures.
शीलार्थचारुगन्धाढ्यं सर्वलोकमहाद्रुमम् अव्यक्तानन्तसलिलं व्यक्ताहंकारफेनिलम्
He was rich with the fragrance of virtue and meaning, the great tree of all worlds, with unmanifest, endless waters, and manifest ego as its foam.