पिता मे वैष्णवं लोकं प्रयात्वेतद्वरोत्तमम् । तद्वन्माता च देवेशा वरमन्यं न याचये
"Let my father attain the Vaiṣṇava world—this is the highest boon; and likewise my mother, O lords of the gods. I ask for no other boon."
देवा ऊचुः- पितृभक्तोसि विप्रेंद्र भक्त्या तव वयं द्विज । सुकर्मञ्छ्रूयतां वाक्यं प्रीत्या युक्ता सदैव ते
The gods said: "You are devoted to your father, O best of brāhmaṇas; by your devotion, O twice-born, we are always favorably disposed to you. Listen, Sukarma, to our words spoken with affection."
एवमुक्त्वा गता देवाः स्वर्लोकं नृपनंदन । सर्वमैश्वर्यमेतेन तस्याग्रे परिदर्शितम्
Having spoken thus, the gods departed to their heavenly realm, O delight of kings; all prosperity was displayed before him.
दृष्टं तु पिप्पलेनापि कौतुकं च महाद्भुतम् । तमुवाच स धर्मात्मा पिप्पलं कुंडलात्मजम्
Pippala too beheld it, a marvelous and wondrous spectacle; then that righteous one spoke to Pippala, son of Kuṇḍala.
अर्वाचीनं त्विदं रूपं पराचीनं च कीदृशम् । प्रभावमुभयोश्चैव वदस्व वदतां वर
"This is the manifest form; what is the unmanifest like? Tell me the power of both, O best of speakers."
सुकर्मोवाच- पराचीनस्य रूपस्य लिंगमेव वदामि ते । येनलोकाः प्रमोदंते इंद्राद्याः सचराचराः
Sukarma said: "I will tell you only the sign of the unmanifest form, by which all the worlds, including Indra and the rest, both moving and unmoving, rejoice."
अयमेव जगन्नाथः सर्वगो व्यापकः प्रभुः । अस्य रूपं न दृष्टं हि केनाप्येव हि योगिना
"He alone is the Lord of the universe, all-pervading, the supreme master; his form has not been seen by anyone, not even by yogis."
श्रुतिरेव वदत्येवं तं वक्तुं शंकितेव सा । अपाणिपादनासश्च अकर्णो मुखवर्जितः
"The scripture indeed speaks thus, yet it hesitates to describe him: he is without hands or feet, without ears, and devoid of a mouth."
सर्वं पश्यति वै कर्म कृतं त्रैलोक्यवासिनाम् । तेषामुक्तमकर्णश्च स शृणोति सुसाक्ष्यदः
"He sees all the actions of the beings in the three worlds; though without ears, he hears them, being the most subtle witness."
गतिहीनो व्रजेत्सोपि स हि सर्वत्र दृश्यते । पाणिहीनोपि गृह्णाति पादहीनः प्रधावति
"Though without movement, he goes; for he is seen everywhere. Though without hands, he grasps; though without feet, he runs swiftly."
सर्वत्र दृश्यते विप्र व्यापकः पादवर्जितः । यं न पश्यंति देवेंद्रा मुनयस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः
Everywhere is seen, O Brahmin, the all-pervading One, without feet, whom even the lords of the gods and seers who perceive the truth do not see.
स च पश्यति तान्सर्वान्सत्यासत्यपदे स्थितान् । व्यापकं विमलं सिद्धं सिद्धिदं सर्वनायकम्
But He sees all those who abide in the realms of truth and untruth—the all-pervading, stainless, perfected One, bestower of perfection, the Lord of all.
यं जानाति महायोगी व्यासो धर्मार्थकोविदः । तेजोमूर्तिः स चाकाशमेकवर्णमनंतकम्
That One is known by the great yogi Vyāsa, knower of dharma and artha, whose form is radiance, who is like the sky, of one color, and endless.
तदेतन्निर्मलं रूपं श्रुतिराख्याति निश्चितम् । व्यासश्चैव हि जानाति मार्कंडेयश्च तत्पदम्
This pure form is certainly proclaimed by the Veda, and Vyāsa indeed knows it, as does Mārkaṇḍeya, who has attained that state.
अर्वाचीनं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः । यदा संहृत्य भूतात्मा स्वयमेकः प्रगच्छति
Now I will tell you the recent story; listen with focused mind: when the soul of beings, having withdrawn everything, proceeds alone.
अप्सु शय्यां समास्थाय शेषभोगासनस्थितः । तमाश्रित्य स्वपित्येको बहुकालं जनार्दनः
Lying upon the waters, seated on the couch of Śeṣa, Janārdana rests alone for a long time, taking refuge there.
जलांधकारसंतप्तो मार्कंडेयो महामुनिः । स्थानमिच्छन्स योगात्मा निर्विण्णो भ्रमणेन सः
Burned by the darkness of the waters, the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, desiring a place and weary from wandering, became disheartened, his soul absorbed in yoga.
भ्रममाणः स ददृशे शेषपर्यंकशायिनम् । सूर्यकोटिप्रतीकाशं दिव्याभरणभूषितम्
As he wandered, he saw Him reclining on the couch of Śeṣa, radiant like ten million suns, adorned with divine ornaments.
दिव्यमाल्यांबरधरं सर्वव्यापिनमीश्वरम् । योगनिद्रा गतं कांतं शंखचक्रगदाधरम्
Clad in celestial garlands and garments, the all-pervading Lord, beautiful, gone to yogic sleep, holding conch, discus, and mace.
एका नारी महाभागा कृष्णांजनचयोपमा । दंष्ट्राकरालवदना भीमरूपा द्विजोत्तम
There was one woman of great fortune, dark as a mass of black collyrium, with a mouth terrible with fangs, of fearsome form, O best of Brahmins.
तयोक्तोसौ मुनिश्रेष्ठो मा भैरिति महामुनिः । पद्मपत्रं सुविस्तीर्णं पंचयोजनमायतम्
By her, the best of sages was told, 'Do not fear,' O great sage. There was a lotus leaf, wide as five yojanas in length.
तस्मिन्पत्रे महादेव्या मार्कण्डेयो निवेशितः । केशवे सति सुप्तेपि नास्त्यत्र च भयं तव
On that leaf, by the great goddess, Mārkaṇḍeya was placed; even while Keśava sleeps, there is no fear for you here.
तामुवाच स योगींद्र का त्वं भवसि भामिनि । अस्मिन्विनिर्जिते चैका भवती परिबृंहिता
To her, the lord of yogis said, 'Who are you, O radiant lady, who alone remain here, flourishing, when all else is destroyed?'
पृष्टैवं मुनिना देवी सादरं प्राह भूसुर । नागभोगांकपर्यंके स यः स्वपिति केशवः
Thus questioned by the sage, the goddess respectfully replied, 'He who sleeps on the couch of the serpent, that is Keśava.'
अस्याहं वैष्णवी शक्तिः कालरात्रिरिहोच्यते । मामेवं विद्धि विप्रेंद्र सर्वमायासमन्विताम्
I am his Vaiṣṇavī power, here called Kālarātrī; know me thus, O foremost of Brahmins, as endowed with all māyā.
महामाया पुराणेषु जगन्मोहाय कथ्यते । इत्युक्त्वा सा गता देवी अंतर्धानं हि पिप्पलः
The great māyā is spoken of in the Purāṇas as deluding the world. Having said this, the goddess vanished from sight, O Pippala.
देव्यामनुगतायां तु मार्कंडेयस्य पश्यतः । तस्य नाभ्यां समुत्पन्नं पंकजं हाटकप्रभम्
As the goddess departed, before the eyes of Mārkaṇḍeya, from his navel arose a lotus, shining like gold.
तस्माज्जज्ञे महातेजा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । तस्माद्विजज्ञिरे लोकाः सर्वे स्थावरजंगमाः
From that was born the greatly radiant Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds; from him all worlds, both immobile and mobile, were produced.
इंद्राद्या लोकपालाश्च देवाश्चाग्निपुरोगमाः । अर्वाचीनं स्वरूपं तु दर्शितं हि मया नृप
Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, and the gods led by Agni, O king, have had their accessible form revealed by me.
अर्वाचीनस्वरूपोयं पराचीनो निराश्रयः । यदा स दर्शयेत्कायं कायरूपा भवंति ते
This accessible form is distinct; the inaccessible is without support. When one reveals the body, the forms become embodied.