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.
कालः पाकश्च यज्ञश्च यष्टा चाधीतमेव च। उच्यते विविधैर्भावैः स एवायं तु तत्परम्
He is time, ripening, sacrifice, the performer, and what is studied; he is called by various forms, and he alone is that supreme.
स एव भगवान्सर्वं करोति न करोति च। सोस्मिन्कारयते सर्वं स्थानिनां च कृतिः कृता
That blessed one does all, and yet does not act; by him all is made to act, and the deeds of the established are accomplished.
यजामहे तमेवाद्यं स एवोत्थाननिर्वृतः। यो वक्ता यच्च वक्तव्यं यश्चाहं तद्ब्रवीमि ते
We worship him, the primeval one, who is the source of arising; he is the speaker, the thing to be spoken, and I am the one who speaks this to you.
श्रूयते यच्च वै श्राव्यं यच्चान्यत्परिजल्पितम्। या कथायाश्च श्रुतयो यो धर्मी धर्मतत्परः
Whatever is heard and what is to be heard, and all other discourse; whatever stories are told, he is the one to whom the teachings and righteousness are dedicated.
विश्वं विश्वपतिर्यश्च स तु नारायणः स्मृतः। यत्सत्यं यदनृतमादिमध्यभूतं यच्चांत्यं निरवधिकं च यद्भविष्यम्
He who is the Lord of the universe, and the universe itself, is remembered as Nārāyaṇa; whatever is true, whatever is untrue, whatever is the beginning, the middle, or the end, whatever is boundless, and whatever is yet to come.
यत्किंचिच्चरमचरं यदस्ति चान्यत्सर्वं तत्पुरुषवरः प्रधानभूतः। चत्वार्य्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्कृतं युगम्
Whatever moves or does not move, whatever else exists, all of that is the supreme Person, who is the principal cause; they say that four thousand years make up a Kṛta Yuga.
तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा कुरुनंदन। यत्र धर्मश्चतुष्पादस्त्वधर्मः पादविग्रहः
Of that, the twilight period is one hundred years, O descendant of Kuru, and its double is also counted; in this time, righteousness stands on four feet, and unrighteousness is but a single limb.
स्वधर्मनिरताः शांता जायंते यत्र मानवाः। विप्रा स्थिता धर्मपरा राजवृत्तिस्थिता नृपाः
In that age, people are devoted to their own duties and are peaceful; the Brāhmaṇas are established in righteousness, and kings uphold the royal conduct.
कृष्यामभिरता वैश्याः शूद्रा शुःश्रूषवस्तथा। तदा सत्यं च सत्वं च धर्मश्चैव विवर्धते
Vaiśyas are devoted to agriculture, and Śūdras are intent on service; at that time, truth, virtue, and righteousness all flourish.
सद्भिराचरितो धर्मो येन लोकः प्रवर्त्तते। एतत्कृतयुगे वृत्तं सर्वेषामेव पार्थिव
Righteousness, practiced by the virtuous, governs the world; this is the conduct of all in the Kṛta Yuga, O king.
प्राणिनां धर्मसंज्ञानां नराणां नीचजन्मनाम्। त्रीणिवर्षसहस्राणि त्रेतायुगमिहोच्यते
For living beings who know righteousness, and for men of low birth, the Tretā Yuga is here said to last three thousand years.
तस्य तावच्छती संध्या द्विगुणा परिकीर्तिता। द्वाभ्यामधर्मः पादाभ्यां त्रिभिर्धर्मो व्यवस्थितः
Of that, the twilight period is one hundred years, and its double is declared; unrighteousness stands on two feet, and righteousness is established on three.
यत्र सत्यं च सत्वं च क्रिया धर्मो विधीयते। त्रेतायां विकृतिं यांति वर्णा लोभेन संयुताः
In that age, truth, virtue, and prescribed rites are established; but in Tretā, the classes become corrupted, being overcome by greed.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य वै कृत्यं क्षांतिर्दौर्बल्यमेव च। एषा त्रेतायुगगतिर्विचित्रा देवनिर्मिता
The duties of the four classes, forbearance, and weakness are present; this is the varied course of the Tretā Yuga, created by the gods.
द्वापरं द्विसहस्रं तु वर्षाणां कुरुनन्दन। तस्य तावच्छती सन्ध्या द्विगुणं युगमुच्यते
O descendant of Kuru, the Dvāpara Yuga is two thousand years; its twilight period is one hundred years, and the Yuga is said to be double that.
तत्राप्यतीवार्थपराः प्राणिनो रजसा हताः। शठा नैष्कृतिकाः क्षुद्रा जायन्ते कुरुनन्दन
There too, beings are excessively attached to wealth, overcome by passion; deceitful, unrighteous, and base people are born, O descendant of Kuru.
द्वाभ्यां धर्मः स्थितः पद्भ्यामधर्मस्त्रिभिरुत्थितः। विपर्ययशतैर्धर्मः क्षयमेति कलौ युगे
There, righteousness stands on two feet, and unrighteousness arises on three; through hundreds of reversals, righteousness declines in the Kali Yuga.
ब्रह्मण्यभावश्च्यवते तथास्तिक्यं विवर्ज्यते। व्रतोपवासास्त्यज्यंते कलौ वै युगपर्यये
Devotion to Brahman wanes, and faith is abandoned; vows and fasts are given up at the end of the Yuga, in Kali.
तदा वर्षसहस्रं तु वर्षाणां द्वे शते तथा। यत्राधर्मश्चतुष्पादो धर्मः पादपरिग्रहः
Then, the Kali Yuga is a thousand years, and two hundred years more; in that age, unrighteousness stands on four feet, and righteousness is but a single limb.
कामिनस्तापसाः क्षुद्रा जायंते यत्र मानवाः। न चावसायिकः कश्चिन्न साधुर्न च सत्यवाक्
In that age, people are lustful, ascetics are base, and men are born lowly; there is no one who is steadfast, no one who is virtuous, and no one who speaks the truth.