दिनानि पंचोषित्वाऽत्र रामो गंतुं मनो दधे। शत्रुघ्नश्च ततो रामे वाजिनोथ गजांस्तथा
After staying there for five days, Rama resolved to depart; then Shatrughna brought horses and elephants for Rama.
कृताकृतं च कनकं तत्रोपायनमाहरत्। रामस्त्वाह ततः प्रीतः सर्वमेतन्मया तव
He brought as gifts both wrought and unwrought gold; then Rama, pleased, said: 'All this is given by me to you.'
दत्तं पुत्रौ तेऽभिषिञ्च राजानौ माथुरे जने। एवमुक्त्वा ततो रामः प्राप्तो मध्यंदिने रवौ
'Your two sons have been anointed as kings over the people of Mathura by me.' Having spoken thus, Rama departed when the sun was at midday.
महोदयं समासाद्य गंगातीरे स वामनं। प्रतिष्ठाप्य द्विजानाह भाविनः पार्थिवांस्तथा
Reaching Mahodaya on the bank of the Ganga, he installed the dwarf (Vamana), and addressed the Brahmins and the future kings there.
मया कृतोऽयं धर्मस्य सेतुर्भूतिविवर्धनः। प्राप्ते काले पालनीयो न च लोप्यः कथंचन
'This bridge of righteousness, which increases prosperity, has been made by me; when the time comes, it must be preserved and never destroyed in any way.'
प्रसारितकरेणैवं प्रार्थनैषा मया कृता। नृपाः कृते मयार्थित्वे यत्क्षेमं क्रियतामिह
With outstretched hand, I have made this request: 'O kings, since I have acted as your agent, let whatever is for the welfare here be done.'
नित्यं दैनंदिनीपूजा कार्या सर्वैरतंद्रितैः। ग्रामान्दत्वा धनं तच्च लंकाया आहृतं च यत्
'Daily worship must always be performed by all, without negligence; the villages and the wealth that was brought from Lanka should be given.'
प्रेषयित्वा च किष्किंधां सुग्रीवं वानरेश्वरं। अयोध्यामागतो रामः पुष्पकं तमथाब्रवीत्
Having sent Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, to Kishkindha, Rama went to Ayodhya and then spoke to the Pushpaka chariot.
नागंतव्यं त्वया भूयस्तिष्ठ यत्र धनेश्वरः। कृतकृत्यस्ततो रामः कर्तव्यं नाप्यमन्यत
'You must not go further; remain where the lord of wealth (Kubera) is.' Thus Rama, his task accomplished, did not consider anything else to be done.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। एवन्ते भीष्म रामस्य कथायोगेन पार्थिव। उत्पत्तिर्वामनस्योक्ता किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Pulastya said: 'Thus, Bhishma, through the narration of Rama's story, the origin of Vamana has been told. What more do you wish to hear?'
कथयामि तु तत्सर्वं यत्र कौतूहलं नृप। सर्वं ते कीर्त्तयिष्यामि येनार्थी नृपनंदन
'I will tell you everything about which you are curious, O king; I will recount all to you, O delight of kings, as you desire.'
भीष्म उवाच। कथितं वामनस्यैव माहात्म्यं विस्तरेण वै। पुनस्तस्यैव माहात्म्यमन्यद्विष्णोरतो वद
Bhishma said: 'The greatness of Vamana has been described in detail; now tell me again another greatness of that very Vishnu.'
पद्मं कथमभूद्देव नाभौ येनाभवज्जगत्। कथं च वैष्णवी सृष्टिः पद्ममध्येऽभवत्पुरा
'How did the lotus arise in the navel of the god, from which the world came into being? And how did the Vaishnava creation once arise within the lotus?'
कथं पाद्मे महाकल्पेऽभवत्पद्ममयं जगत्। जलार्णवगतस्येह नाभौ जातं जलानुगं
'How, in the great kalpa of the lotus, did the world made of lotus come to be? In the navel of him who was in the ocean of waters, how was the lotus, born of water, produced?'
प्रभावं पद्मनाभस्य स्वपतः सागरांभसि। पुष्करे तु कथं जाता देवा ॠषिगणाः पुरा
'What is the power of Padmanabha as he sleeps in the ocean? And how, in the lotus, were the gods and the groups of sages born in ancient times?'
एतदाख्याहि निखिलं योगं योगविदां पते। कथं निर्मितवांस्तत्र चैतं लोकं सनातनम्
'Tell me all this completely, O lord of those who know yoga; how did he create this eternal world there?'
कथमेकार्णवे शून्ये नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे। भूगोलके प्रदग्धे तु प्रणष्टोरगराक्षसे
How, when the single ocean is empty, when all that is fixed or moving is lost, when the globe of the earth is burned, and when serpents and demons are destroyed—
नष्टानलानिलाकाशे नष्टधर्मे महीतले। केवले गह्वरीभूते महाभूतविपर्यये
When fire, wind, and space are gone, when righteousness has vanished from the earth, when only darkness remains, and the great elements are overturned—
किं नु विश्वपतिः साक्षान्महातेजा महाद्युतिः। आस्ते यथाध्याननिष्ठो विधिमास्थाय योगवित्
—then, does the Lord of the universe, of great splendor and radiance, remain absorbed in meditation, established in discipline, knowing yoga?
शृण्वतः परया भक्त्या ब्रह्मन्नेतदशेषतः। वक्तुमर्हसि धर्मज्ञ यशो नारायणात्मकम्
O Brahman, as I listen with supreme devotion, you should tell me all this completely, you who know righteousness, the glory that is the essence of Nārāyaṇa.
श्रद्धिनः सूपविष्टस्य भगवन्वक्तुमर्हसि। पुलस्त्य उवाच। नारायणस्य यशसः श्रवणे या तव स्पृहा
O blessed one, as I sit here with faith, you should speak; Pulastya said: Your longing to hear the glory of Nārāyaṇa—
सद्वंशान्वयपूतस्य न्याय्यं कुरुकुलोद्वह। शृणुष्वादिपुराणेषु देवेभ्यश्च यथा श्रुति
is fitting for you, scion of the Kuru line, purified by noble ancestry. Listen, as it is heard in the earliest Purāṇas and from the gods.
ब्राह्मणानां च वदतां श्रुत्वा वै सुमहात्मनाम्। यथा च तपसा दृष्ट्वा बृहस्पति समद्युतिः
And as it was spoken by the great-souled Brahmins, and as seen through austerity by Bṛhaspati, equal in splendor—
पराशरसुतः श्रीमान्गुरुर्द्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत्। तत्तेऽहं कथयिष्यामि यथाभक्ति यथाश्रुति
The illustrious son of Parāśara, the sage Dvaipāyana, spoke it; I will tell you as I have heard and with devotion.
यद्विज्ञातं मया सम्यगृषिमार्गेण सत्तम। कः समुत्सहते ज्ञातुं परं नारायणात्मकम्
What I have rightly understood by the path of the seers, O noble one, I will recount; for who can fully know the supreme essence of Nārāyaṇa?
विश्वावितारं ब्रह्मायं न वेदयति तत्वतः। तत्कर्मविश्वदेवा न तद्रहस्यं महर्षिषु
Even Brahmā, creator of the worlds, does not truly know that; nor do the Viśvadevas, nor is that secret known among the great sages.
स इज्यस्सर्वयज्ञानां स तत्त्वं तत्त्वदर्शिनाम्। अध्यात्ममध्यात्मविदां नरकं च विकर्मिणाम्
He is the object of all sacrifices, the reality for those who see the truth, the inner self for those who know the self, and hell for those who act unrighteously.
अधिदैवं च तद्दैवमधिदैवतसंज्ञितम्। अधिभूतं च तद्भूतं परं च परमार्थिनाम्
He is the divine among the gods, known as the supreme deity; he is the principle among beings, and the highest for those who seek the ultimate.
स यज्ञो वेदनिर्दिष्टस्तत्तपः कवयो विदुः। यः कर्त्ता कारको बुद्धिर्यतः क्षेत्रज्ञ एव च
He is the sacrifice as declared in the Vedas; the wise know him as austerity. He is the doer, the cause, the intellect, and the knower of the field.
प्रणवः पुरुषः शास्ता एकश्चेति विभाव्यते। प्राणः पंचविधश्चैव ध्रुवमक्षरमेव च
He is the sacred syllable Om, the cosmic person, the teacher, the one; he is the fivefold breath, the immutable, and the imperishable.