साक्षात्कृष्णमुखे दत्तं तद्वै भुंक्ते हरिः स्वयम् । अहोतिदुर्ल्लभा लोका प्रत्यक्षे केशवे द्विजे
It is as if given directly into Kṛṣṇa’s mouth—Hari Himself partakes of it. How rare are those worlds where Keśava is visibly present in a brāhmaṇa.
प्रतिमादिषु सेवंते तदभावे हि तत्क्रिया । ब्राह्मणानामधिष्ठानात्पृथ्वी धन्येति गीयते
When images and the like are not available, people serve them; but in their absence, the same rites are performed for brāhmaṇas, for the earth is said to be blessed by their presence.
तेषां पाणौ च यद्दत्तं हरिपाणौ तदर्पितम् । तेभ्यः कृतान्नमस्कारात्तिरस्कारो हि पाप्मताम्
Whatever is given into their hands is as if offered into the hand of Hari; to disrespect them after offering reverence is truly to embrace sin.
मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यादि पापेभ्यो विप्रवंदनात् । तस्मात्सतां समाराध्यो ब्राह्मणो विष्णुबुद्धितः
One is freed from sins such as the killing of a Brahmin by bowing to a Brahmin; therefore, a Brahmin should be sincerely honored, regarding him as Vishnu.
क्षुधितस्य द्विजस्यास्ये यत्किंचिद्दीयते यदि । प्रेत्य पीपूषधाराभिः सिंचते कल्पकोटिकम्
If anything at all is given to the mouth of a hungry twice-born, then after death, for a crore of aeons, he is sprinkled with streams of nectar.
द्विजतुंडं महाक्षेत्रमनूषरमकंटकम् । तत्र चेदुप्यते किंचित्कोटिकोटिफलं लभेत्
The mouth of a twice-born is a great field, without brambles or thorns; whatever is sown there yields fruit a hundred million times over.
सघृतं भोजनं चास्मै दत्त्वा कल्पं स मोदते । नानासुमिष्टमन्नं यो ददाति द्विजतुष्टये
He who gives food mixed with ghee to him enjoys happiness for a kalpa; and whoever gives various delicious foods to please a twice-born—
तस्य लोका महाभोगाः कोटिकल्पांतमुक्तिदाः । ब्राह्मणं च पुरस्कृत्य ब्राह्मणेनानुकीर्तितम्
For him, there are worlds of great enjoyment, granting liberation at the end of countless kalpas; and when a Brahmin is honored, and the Purana is recited by a Brahmin—
पुराणं शृणुयान्नित्यं महापापदवानलम् । पुराणं सर्वतीर्थेषु तीर्थं चाधिकमुच्यते
If one listens daily to the Purana, the great fire that consumes terrible sins, it is said to be a holy place greater than all sacred fords.
यस्यैकपादश्रवणाद्धरिरेव प्रसीदति । यथा सूर्यवपुर्भूत्वा प्रकाशाय चरेद्धरिः
By hearing even a single quarter of it, Hari is pleased; just as the sun, by his very form, moves to give light—
सर्वेषां जगतामेव हरिरालोकहेतवे । तथैवांतःप्रकाशाय पुराणावयवो हरिः
So too, Hari, for the illumination of all worlds, abides in the Purana as its essence, for the inner illumination.
विचरेदिह भूतेषु पुराणं पावनं परम् । तस्माद्यदि हरेः प्रीतेरुत्पादे धीयते मतिः
The Purana, supreme and purifying, moves among beings here; therefore, if one’s mind is set on producing the delight of Hari—
श्रोतव्यमनिशं पुंभिः पुराणं कृष्णरूपिणम् । विष्णुभक्तेन शांतेन श्रोतव्यमपि दुर्लभम्
The Purana, which is of the form of Krishna, should be heard constantly by people; it is rare even for a peaceful devotee of Vishnu to hear.
पुराणाख्यानममलममलीकरणं परम् । यस्मिन्वेदार्थमाहृत्य हरिणा व्यासरूपिणा
The narration called Purana is supremely pure and purifying; in it, Hari, in the form of Vyasa, has gathered the meaning of the Vedas.
पुराणं निर्मितं विप्र तस्मात्तत्परमो भवेत् । पुराणे निश्चितो धर्मो धर्मश्च केशवः स्वयम्
O Brahmin, the Purana was thus composed; therefore, it is supreme. Righteousness is established in the Purana, and Dharma is Kesava himself.
तस्मात्कृते पुराणे हि श्रुते विष्णुर्भवेदिति । साक्षात्स्वयं हरिर्विप्रः पुराणं च तथाविधम्
Therefore, when the Purana is recited or heard, Vishnu is truly present; O Brahmin, Hari himself is directly present in such a Purana.
एतयोः संगमासाद्य हरिरेव भेवन्नरः । तथा गंगांबुसेकेन नाशयेत्किल्बिषं स्वकम्
By attaining the union of these two—Hari and the Purana—a person becomes Hari; just as by bathing in the waters of the Ganga, one destroys one’s own sins.
केशवो द्रवरूपेण पापात्तारयते महीम् । वैष्णवो विष्णुभजनस्याकांक्षी यदि वर्तते
Kesava, in liquid form, delivers the earth from sin; if a Vaishnava aspires for the worship of Vishnu—
गंगांबुसेकममलममलीकरणं चरेत् । विष्णुभक्तिप्रदा देवी गंगा भुवि च गीयते
He should perform the pure and supremely purifying bath in the waters of the Ganga; the goddess Ganga is praised on earth as bestowing devotion to Vishnu.
विष्णुरूपा हि सा गंगा लोकविस्तारकारिणी
Indeed, she, the Ganga, is of the form of Vishnu, causing the expansion of the worlds.
ब्राह्मणेषु पुराणेषु गंगायां गोषु पिप्पले । नारायणधिया पुंभिर्भक्तिः कार्या ह्यहैतुकी
Unmotivated devotion should be cultivated by men with minds fixed on Narayana, toward Brahmins, ancient scriptures, the Ganga, cows, and the sacred fig tree.
प्रत्यक्षविष्णुरूपा हि तत्वज्ञैर्निश्चिता अमी । तस्मात्सततमभ्यर्च्या विष्णुभक्त्यभिलाषिणा
These are determined by those who know the truth to be direct forms of Vishnu; therefore, they should always be worshipped by those desiring devotion to Vishnu.
विष्णौ भक्तिं विना नॄणां निष्फलं जन्म उच्यते । कलिकालपयोराशिं पापग्राहसमाकुलम्
Without devotion to Vishnu, a person's birth is said to be fruitless, as he is caught in the ocean of the Kali age, filled with the grip of sin.
विषयामज्जनावर्तं दुर्बोधफेनिलं परम् । महादुष्टजनव्याल महाभीमं भयानकम्
It is a whirlpool of immersion in sense objects, extremely difficult to comprehend, foaming with confusion, infested with great wicked people like serpents, terrifying and dreadful.
दुस्तरं च तरंत्येव हरिभक्तितरि स्थिताः । तस्माद्यतेत वै लोको विष्णुभक्तिप्रसाधने
Only those established in devotion to Hari cross this impassable ocean; therefore, people should strive for the attainment of devotion to Vishnu.
किं सुखं लभते जंतुरसद्वार्तावधारणे । हरेरद्भुतलीलस्य लीलाख्यानेन सज्जते
What happiness does a creature gain by holding onto false matters? He becomes attached by hearing the wondrous pastimes of Hari.
तद्विचित्रकथालोके नानाविषयमिश्रिताः । श्रोतव्या यदि वै नॄणां विषये सज्जते मनः
In the world of those marvelous stories, mixed with various topics, they should be heard if a person's mind is attached to sense objects.
निर्वाणे यदि वा चित्तं श्रोतव्या तदपि द्विजाः । हेलया श्रवणाच्चापि तस्य तुष्टो भवेद्धरिः
If the mind is inclined toward liberation, those stories should also be heard, O twice-born; even by hearing them carelessly, Hari becomes pleased.
निष्क्रियोपि हृषीकेशो नानाकर्म चकार सः । शुश्रूषूणां हितार्थाय भक्तानां भक्तवत्सलः
Though Hṛṣīkeśa is actionless, he performed various deeds for the benefit of those eager to listen, being affectionate to his devotees.
न लभ्यते कर्मणापि वाजपेयशतादिना । राजसूयायुतेनापि यथा भक्त्या स लभ्यते
He is not attained even by hundreds of Vājapeya sacrifices or by ten thousand Rājasūya rituals, as he is attained by devotion.