अत्यर्थं भाषमाणं तं राजानं पापचेतनम् । कुपितास्ते महात्मानः सर्वे वै ब्रह्मणः सुताः
As that king, evil-minded, spoke excessively, all those great souls, sons of Brahma, became angry.
कुपितेष्वेव विप्रेषु वेनो राजा महात्मसु । ब्रह्मशापभयात्तेषां वल्मीकं प्रविवेश ह
When the brahmins were enraged at King Vena, he, fearing the curse of Brahma, entered an anthill.
अथ ते मुनयः क्रुद्धा वेनं पश्यंति सर्वतः । ज्ञात्वा प्रनष्टं भूपं तं वल्मीकस्थं सुसांप्रतम्
Then those sages, angered, searched everywhere for Vena; realizing the king was lost, they found him within the anthill.
बलादानिन्युस्तं विप्राः क्रूरं तं पापचेतनम् । दृष्ट्वा च पापकर्माणं मुनयः सुसमाहिताः
The brahmins forcibly drew out that cruel, evil-minded one; seeing his sinful deeds, the sages became deeply concentrated.
सव्यं पाणिं ममंथुस्ते भूपस्य जातमन्यवः । तस्माज्जातो महाह्रस्वो नीलवर्णो भयंकरः
With anger, they churned his left hand; from it was born a very short, dark, and terrifying being.
बर्बरो रक्तनेत्रस्तु बाणपाणिर्धनुर्द्धरः । सर्वेषामेव पापानां निषादानां बभूव ह
A barbarian with red eyes, holding a bow and arrow, he became the ancestor of all sinful Niṣādas.
धाता पालयिता राजा म्लेच्छानां तु विशेषतः । तं दृष्ट्वा पापकर्माणमृषयस्तु महामते
He was appointed as the ruler and protector, especially of the mlecchas; seeing his sinful deeds, the wise sages—
ममंथुर्दक्षिणं पाणिं वेनस्यापि महात्मनः । तस्माज्जातो महात्मा स येन दुग्धा वसुंधरा
Then they churned the right hand of the great-souled Vena; from it was born a great soul by whom the earth was milked.
पृथुर्नाम महाप्राज्ञो राजराजो महाबलः । तस्य पुण्यप्रसादाच्च वेनो धर्मार्थकोविदः
He was named Pṛthu, supremely wise, king of kings, of great strength; by his merit, Vena became skilled in dharma and artha.
चक्रवर्तिपदं भुक्त्वा प्रसादात्तस्य चक्रिणः । जगाम वैष्णवं लोकं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्
Having enjoyed the position of emperor by the grace of that wielder of the discus, he went to the world of Viṣṇu, the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
ऋषय ऊचुः- कथं वेनो गतः स्वर्गं पापं त्यक्त्वा प्रदूरतः । तन्नो विस्तरतोऽत्रापि वद सत्यवतां वर
The sages said: How did Vena, having abandoned sin, attain heaven from such a distance? O best of the truthful, tell us this in detail here.
सूतउवाच- ऋषीणां पुण्यसंसर्गात्संवादाच्च द्विजोत्तम । कायस्य मथनात्पापो बहिस्तस्य विनिर्गतः
Sūta said: By the association and conversation with the meritorious sages, and by the churning of his body, the sin left him from the outside.
पश्चाद्वेनः स पुण्यात्मा ज्ञानं लेभे च शाश्वतम् । रेवाया दक्षिणे कूले तपश्चचार स द्विजाः
Afterwards, Vena, that virtuous soul, attained eternal knowledge; he performed austerities on the southern bank of the Revā river, O twice-born.
तृणबिन्दोर्ऋषेश्चैव आश्रमे पापनाशने । वर्षाणां तु शतं साग्रं कामक्रोधविवर्जितः
In the hermitage of the sage Tṛṇabindu, which destroys sin, he practiced austerity for over a hundred years, free from desire and anger.
तस्योग्रतपसादेवः शंखचक्रगदाधरः । प्रसन्नोभून्महाभागा निष्पापस्य नृपस्य वै
By the intensity of his austerity, the blessed bearer of the conch, discus, and mace became pleased with the sinless king.
उवाच च प्रसन्नोऽस्मि व्रियतां वरउत्तमः । वेन उवाच- यदि देव प्रसन्नोऽसि देहि मे वरमुत्तमम्
He spoke: 'I am pleased; let the highest boon be chosen.' Vena said: 'If you are pleased, O Lord, grant me the supreme boon.'
अनेनापि शरीरेण गंतुमिच्छामि त्वत्पदम् । पित्रा सार्धं महाभाग मात्रा चैव सुरेश्वर । तवैव तेजसा देव तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्
With this very body, I wish to reach your feet, O blessed Lord, together with my father and mother; by your own radiance, O God, that supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
श्रीवासुदेव उवाच- क्वगतोऽसौ महामोहो येन त्वं मोहितो नृप । लोभेन मोहयुक्तेन तमोमार्गे निपातितः
Śrī Vāsudeva spoke: 'Where has that great delusion gone, by which you were deluded, O king? Overcome by greed, you were cast down into the path of darkness.'
वेन उवाच- यन्मे पूर्वकृतं पापं तेनाहं मोहितो विभो । अतो मामुद्धरास्मात्त्वं पापाच्चैव सुदारुणात्
Vena spoke: 'By the sin I committed previously, I was deluded, O Lord; therefore, lift me up from this most terrible sin.'
प्रजप्तव्यमथो पठ्यं तद्वदानुग्रहाद्विभो । भगवानुवाच- साधु भूप महाभाग पापं ते नाशमागतम्
What must be recited or read, tell me by your grace, O Lord. The Blessed One spoke: 'Well done, O great king, your sin has been destroyed.'
शुद्धोसि तपसा च त्वं ततः पुण्यं वदाम्यहम् । पुरा वै ब्रह्मणा तात पृष्टोहं भवता यथा
You are purified by austerity; therefore, I will tell you what is virtuous. Long ago, O dear one, I was questioned by Brahmā just as you have.
तस्मै यदुदितं वत्स तत्ते सर्वं वदाम्यहम् । एकदा ब्रह्मणा ध्यानस्थितेन नाभिपंकजे
Whatever was spoken to him, O child, I will tell you all of it. Once, while Brahmā was absorbed in meditation upon the lotus of his navel—
प्रादुरास तदा तस्य वरदानाय सुव्रत । तेन पृष्टं महत्पुण्यं स्तोत्रं पापप्रणाशनम्
Then, for granting boons, he appeared to him, O steadfast one. He was asked for a great, sin-destroying hymn.
वासुदेवाभिधानं च सुगतिप्रदमिच्छता । स्तोत्राणां परमं तस्मै वासुदेवाभिधं महत्
Desiring to grant good fortune, he gave him the supreme hymn among hymns, named Vāsudeva, which bestows auspicious paths.
सर्वसौख्यप्रदं नॄणां पठतां जपतां सदा । उपादिशं महाभाग विष्णुप्रीतिकरं परम्
It grants all happiness to those who recite and repeat it always. O blessed one, I taught him the supreme hymn that brings Viṣṇu's favor.
विष्णुरुवाच- एतत्सर्वं जगद्व्याप्तं मया त्वव्यक्तमूर्तिना । अतो मां मुनयः प्राहुर्विष्णुं विष्णुपरायणाः
Viṣṇu spoke: 'All this world is pervaded by me in my unmanifest form; therefore, sages devoted to Viṣṇu call me Viṣṇu.'
वसंति यत्र भूतानि वसत्येषु च यो विभुः । स वासुदेवो विज्ञेयो विद्वद्भिरहमादरात्
Where beings dwell, and the Lord dwells among them, he is to be known as Vāsudeva by the learned; I am so, with reverence.
संकर्षति प्रजाश्चांते ह्यव्यक्ताय यतो विभुः । ततः संकर्षणो नाम्ना विज्ञेयः शरणागतैः
He draws in the creatures at the end, for he is the Lord from the unmanifest; therefore, those seeking refuge should know him as Saṃkarṣaṇa by name.
इंगिते कामरूपोहं बहु स्यामिति काम्यया । प्रद्युम्नोहं बुधैस्तस्माद्विज्ञेयोस्मि सुतार्थिभिः
By intention, I am the wish-formed one; by desire, I become many. Therefore, the wise call me Pradyumna, and those seeking sons should know me thus.
अत्र लोके विना चेशौ सर्वेशौ हरकेशवौ । निरुद्धोहं योगबलान्न केनातोनिरुद्धवत्
In this world, apart from the two Lords, Hara and Keśava, I am Niruddha by the power of yoga; thus, none else is Niruddha.