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.
विश्वाख्योहं प्रतिजगज्ज्ञानविज्ञानसंयुतः । अहमित्यभिमानी च जाग्रच्चिंतासमाकुलः
I am called Viśva, endowed with knowledge and discernment of the world; self-identified as 'I am,' agitated by thoughts in the waking state.
तैजसोहं जगच्चेष्टामयश्चेंद्रियरूपवान् । ज्ञानकर्मसमुद्रिक्तः स्वप्नावस्थां गतो ह्यहम्
I am Taijasa, composed of the activities of the world, possessing the form of the senses; filled with knowledge and action, I have entered the state of dream.
प्राज्ञोहमधिदैवात्मा विश्वाधिष्ठानगोचरः । सुषुप्तावास्थितो लोकादुदासीनो विकल्पितः
I am Prājña, the inner self presiding over the gods, the field of the substratum of Viśva; abiding in deep sleep, indifferent to the world, undifferentiated.
तुरीयोऽहं निर्विकारी गुणावस्थाविवर्जितः । निर्लिप्तः साक्षिवद्विश्व प्रतिबिंबित विग्रहः
I am the Fourth, changeless, free from the states of the guṇas; unattached, like a witness, with the form of the universe reflected as an image.
चिदाभासश्चिदानंदश्चिन्मयश्चित्स्वरूपवान् । नित्योक्षरो ब्रह्मरूपो ब्रह्मन्नेवमवेहि माम्
I am the semblance of consciousness, bliss of consciousness, made of consciousness, of the nature of consciousness; eternal, imperishable, of the form of Brahman—thus know me as Brahman.
भगवानुवाच- इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे विष्णुः स्वरूपं ब्रह्मणे पुरा । सोपि ज्ञात्वा जगद्व्याप्तिं कृतात्मा समभूत्क्षणात्
The Blessed Lord said—Having thus spoken, Viṣṇu disappeared in his own form before Brahmā; and he, realizing the pervasion of the world, became composed in an instant.
राजंस्त्वमपि शुद्धात्मा पृथोर्जन्मन एव च । तथाप्याराधय विभुं स्तोत्रेणानेन सुव्रत
O King, you too are pure in soul, from the very birth of Pṛthu; yet, O virtuous one, worship the Lord with this hymn.
तुष्टो विष्णुस्तमभ्याह वरं वरय मानद । वेन उवाच- सुगतिं देहि मे विष्णो दुष्कृतात्तारयस्व माम्
Pleased, Viṣṇu spoke to him, 'Choose a boon, O bestower of honor.' Vena said—'Grant me good destiny, O Viṣṇu, deliver me from evil deeds.'
शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नोस्मि कारणं वद सद्गतेः । विष्णुरुवाच- पूर्वमेव महाभाग त्वंगेनापि महात्मना
'I have taken refuge in you; tell me the cause of liberation.' Viṣṇu said—'Previously, O most fortunate one, even with a part of your great soul—'
अहमाराधितस्तेन तस्मै दत्तो वरो मया । प्रयास्यसि महाभाग वैष्णवं लोकमुत्तमम्
'I was worshipped by him, and to him I granted a boon; you shall go, O most fortunate one, to the supreme Vaiṣṇava world.'