नेतुं त्वां पलितं प्राज्ञ नेष्यामो हि कथं वयम् । एवमुक्त्वा च ते दूता जग्मू राज्ञः पुरीं तदा
"Having spoken thus, the messengers departed at that time for the king's city."
स मुनिर्दूतसंघैश्च गतवान्यज्ञमंदिरम् । राजानं कथयामासुर्दूता विप्रस्य चेष्टितम्
The sage, along with the group of messengers, went to the sacrificial hall. The messengers told the king all that the Brahmin had done.
तच्छ्रुत्वाशंकितमनाः प्रोवाचेदं वचः स तम् । मुने यद्यपि मे यज्ञे कृते पुत्रो भविष्यति
Hearing this, the king, his mind filled with doubt, spoke these words to him: "O sage, even if I perform this sacrifice, will I truly have a son?"
बलिं विनापि भो ब्रह्मन्तदा विप्रसुतं नय
"O Brahmin, even without the offering, bring the Brahmin's son here."
मुनिरुवाच- यज्ञे त्वया कृते राजन्महापुत्रो भविष्यति । अत्र ते संशयो मा भूदमोघमपि दर्शनम्
The sage said: "O king, by your sacrifice you will indeed have a great son. Let there be no doubt in this; even the mere sight will not be fruitless."
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजात्यंतसहर्षकः । चक्रे पूर्णाहुतिं यज्ञे समस्तैर्मुनिभिः सह
Hearing these words, the king, filled with great joy, performed the final oblation in the sacrifice together with all the sages.
अथातः स मुनिः श्रेष्ठो ब्राह्मणस्य सुतं च तम् । गृह्य दशपुरं नाम नगरं गतवांस्तदा
Then that eminent sage took the son of the brāhmaṇa and went to the city called Daśapura.
भवनं तस्य गत्वा च उक्तवान्वचनं मुनिः । गृहे त्वं तिष्ठसे विप्र तिष्ठामि मृतवन्मुने
Having entered his house, the sage spoke these words: 'O brāhmaṇa, you remain in your home as if you were dead, O sage.'
राजा बलेन मे पुत्रं नीतवान्किं करोम्यहम् । पुत्रे गते च भो विप्र दंपत्योरावयोः पुनः
'The king has taken my son by force—what am I to do? O brāhmaṇa, with my son gone, both my wife and I—'
गतानि चांधभावं वै क्रंदनैर्लोचनान्यपि । अथासौ मुनिशार्दूलः पुत्रं पश्य नयेति च
'—have lost our sight from weeping, and our eyes have become blind. Then that tiger among sages said, "See your son, let us go."'
उक्तवांस्तौ यदा विप्र ब्राह्मणौ जातहर्षकौ । पुत्रायाकारणं कृत्वा गतावेतौ बहिः क्षणात्
When the sage had spoken thus, the two brāhmaṇas, filled with joy, immediately went outside to see their son.
मुनेर्वचनसिद्धित्वात्तत्क्षणं लोचनं तयोः । आलोकं तु गतं तूर्णं पुत्रस्य दर्शनादपि
By the power of the sage's words, at that very moment, their sight returned swiftly, even before seeing their son.
पुत्रस्य मुखपद्मं तौ लोचनैरलिसंनिभैः । पीत्वा मुनिं चिरंतं च नमस्कृत्य पुनः पुनः
With eyes like bees, they drank in the lotus-face of their son; and again and again, they bowed deeply to the sage.
प्रोचतुर्वचनं विप्रा ब्राह्मणौ प्रियवादिनौ । अहो मुने जीवदानमावयोः सुकृतं किल
The two brāhmaṇas, speaking kindly, said: 'O sage, you have truly restored our lives—this is our great good fortune.'
तयोरेव वचः श्रुत्वा स मुनिः करुणार्णवः । दत्वाशिषं च तौ विप्र जगाम निजमाश्रमम्
Hearing their words, the sage, ocean of compassion, gave them his blessing and returned to his own hermitage.
मुनिः करगतं चैव कृत्वा विष्णोः परं पदम् । तपस्तेपे महाभागो दैवतैरपि दुर्ल्लभम्
The sage, holding in his hand the supreme abode of Viṣṇu, performed austerities—so great that even the gods find them hard to attain.
किंचित्काले गते विप्र तस्य राज्ञोऽभवत्सुतः । सुंदरो राजयोग्यश्च इंदुःक्षीरनिधाविव । पुत्रोत्सवे सोऽपि विप्र राजा दत्वा धनानि वै
After some time, O brāhmaṇa, that king had a son—handsome and fit to rule, like the moon in the ocean of milk. At the festival for his son, the king gave away much wealth.
बुभुजे देववद्भूम्यां विशोको जातकौतुकः । विप्रान्पालयते यस्तु प्राणान्दत्वा धनान्यपि
He enjoyed the earth like a god, free from sorrow and filled with joy. He protected the brāhmaṇas, giving them even his life and wealth.
स याति विष्णुभवनं पुनरावृत्तिदुर्ल्लभम् । पठंति येऽत्र भक्त्या च शृण्वंति विप्रतः कथाम्
He attains the abode of Viṣṇu, which is rarely returned from. Those who recite or listen with devotion to this story from a brāhmaṇa—
आख्यानं श्लोकमेकं वा गच्छंति विष्णुमंदिरम्
—even a single verse of this tale—go to the temple of Viṣṇu.
शौनक उवाच- कृष्णजन्माष्टमी सूत तस्या माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ चोद्धरस्व महार्णवात्
Śaunaka said: 'O Sūta, tell us of the most excellent glory of Kṛṣṇa's birth on the eighth day—lift it up from the great ocean, O wise one.'
सूत उवाच- कृष्णजन्माष्टमीं ब्रह्मन्भक्त्या करोति यो नरः । अंते विष्णुपुरं याति कुलकोटियुतो द्विज
Sūta said: 'O brāhmaṇa, whoever observes Kṛṣṇa's birth-eighth with devotion, at the end goes to Viṣṇu's city, along with countless generations.'
अष्टमी बुधवारे च सोमे चैव द्विजोत्तम । रोहिणीऋक्षसंयुक्ता कुलकोटिविमुक्तिदा
O best of brāhmaṇas, if the eighth falls on a Wednesday or Monday, joined with the Rohiṇī star, it grants liberation to countless families.
महापातकसंयुक्तः करोति व्रतमुत्तमम् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तश्चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
Even one burdened with great sins, if he observes this supreme vow, is freed from all sins and at the end goes to the house of Hari.
कृष्णजन्माष्टमीं ब्रह्मन्न करोति नराधमः । इह दुःखमवाप्नोति स प्रेत्य नरकं व्रजेत्
O Brahmin, the vile man who does not observe Krishna's birth-ashtami here suffers misery, and after death, he goes to hell.
न करोति च या नारी कृष्णजन्माष्टमीव्रतम् । वर्षे वर्षे तु सा मूढा नरकं याति दारुणम्
And any woman who does not perform the vow of Krishna's birth-ashtami—year after year, that deluded one goes to a dreadful hell.
जन्माष्टमीदिने यो वै नरोऽश्नाति विमूढधीः । महानरकमश्नाति सत्यं सत्यं वदाम्यहम्
On the day of Krishna's birth-ashtami, the man of confused mind who eats—he truly partakes of great hell; I speak the truth, the truth indeed.
दिलीपेन पुरा पृष्टो वसिष्ठो मुनिसत्तमः । तच्छृणुष्व महाप्राज्ञ सर्वपातकनाशनम्
Once, the eminent sage Vasishtha was questioned by Dilipa; listen to that, O greatly wise one, which destroys all sins.
दिलीप उवाच- भाद्रे मास्यसिताष्टम्यां यस्यां जातो जनार्द्दनः । तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथयस्व महामुने
Dilipa said: In the month of Bhadra, on the dark eighth day, when Janardana was born—this I wish to hear, please tell me, O great sage.
कथं वा भगवान्जातः शंखचक्रगदाधरः । देवकीजठरे विष्णुः किं कर्तुं केन हेतुना
How was the Lord born, the bearer of conch, discus, and mace? For what purpose, and by what cause, did Vishnu enter Devaki's womb?