वसिष्ठ उवाच- शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि कस्माज्जातो जनार्द्दनः । पृथिव्यां त्रिदिवं त्यक्त्वा भवते कथयाम्यहम्
Vasishtha said: Listen, O King, I will tell you why Janardana was born, having left heaven for earth; I shall recount it to you.
पुरा वसुंधरा ह्यासीत्कंसादिनृपपीडिता । स्वाधिकारप्रमत्तेन कंसदूतेन ताडिता
Long ago, the earth was oppressed by kings like Kamsa, struck by Kamsa's messengers, who were intoxicated with power.
क्रंदती क्रंदती सा तु ययौ घूर्णितलोचना । यत्र तिष्ठति देवेश उमाकांतो वृषध्वजः
Crying and crying, her eyes rolling in distress, she went to where the Lord of the gods, Shiva, consort of Uma, the bull-bannered one, resides.
कंसेन ताडिता नाथ इति तस्मै निवेदितुम् । बाष्पवारीणि वर्षंति विवर्णा साविमानिता
To inform him, 'I have been struck by Kamsa, O Lord,' she, discolored and humiliated, shed streams of tears.
क्रंदंतीं तां समालोक्य कोपेन स्फुरिताधरः । उमयासहितः सर्वैर्देववृंदैरनुव्रतः
Seeing her weeping, his lips quivering with anger, Shiva, together with Uma and all the hosts of gods, followed her.
आजगाम महादेवो विधातृभवनं रुषा । गत्वा चोवाच ब्रह्माणं कंसध्वंसनहेतवे
Great Shiva, in wrath, went to the abode of the Creator; arriving there, he spoke to Brahma for the destruction of Kamsa.
उपायः सृज्यतां ब्रह्मन्भवता विष्णुना सह । ऐश्वरं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा गंतुं प्राह कृतात्मभूः
'Let a means be devised, O Brahma, together with Vishnu,' he said. Hearing this divine speech, the self-born one agreed to go.
क्षीरोदे यत्र वैकुंठः सुप्तोऽस्ति भुजगोपरि । हंसपृष्ठं समारुह्य हरेरंतिकमाययौ
Where, upon the ocean of milk, Vaikuntha lies asleep upon the serpent—mounting the back of a swan, he went to Hari's presence.
तत्र गत्वा च तं धाता देववृंदैर्हरादिभिः । संयुक्तः स्तूयते वाग्भिः कोमलं वाग्विदांवरः
There, having arrived, the Creator, joined by the hosts of gods, including Shiva, praised him with gentle words, the foremost of eloquent ones.
नमः कमलनेत्राय हरये परमात्मने । जगतः पालयित्रे च लक्ष्मीकांत नमोऽस्तु ते
Salutations to you, lotus-eyed Hari, supreme soul; to you, the protector of the world, beloved of Lakshmi, our reverence.
इति तेभ्यः स्तुतिं श्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाच जनार्द्दनः । देवान्क्लिष्टमुखान्सर्वान्भवद्भिरागतं कथम्
Hearing their praise, Janardana replied to them: 'All you gods, your faces troubled—why have you all come?'
ब्रह्मोवाच-। शृणु देव जगन्नाथ यस्मादस्माकमागतम् । कथयामि सुरश्रेष्ठ तदहं लोकभावन
Brahma said: Hear, O Lord, sustainer of the worlds, why we have come; I shall tell you, O best of gods, for the sake of the worlds.
शूलिदत्तवरोन्मत्तः कंसो राजा दुरासदः । वसुधा ताडिता तेन करघातेन पीडिता
King Kamsa, intoxicated by the boon granted by Shiva, was formidable and difficult to overcome; the earth was struck and oppressed by his blows.
वरं दत्वा पुराप्यग्रे मायया तु प्रवंचितः । भागिनेयं विना शंभो मरणं भविता न मे
Though he had previously granted a boon, he was deceived by illusion; without the nephew of Shambhu, my death shall not occur.
तस्माद्गच्छ स्वयं देव कंसं हंतुं दुरासदम् । देवकीजठरे जन्म लब्ध्वा गत्वा च गोकुलम्
Therefore, O god, go yourself to slay the difficult-to-defeat Kamsa; having obtained birth in Devaki's womb, proceed to Gokula.
ब्रह्मणा प्रेरितो देवः प्रत्युवाच च शूलिनम् । पार्वतीं देहि देवेश अब्दं स्थित्वा गमिष्यति
Prompted by Brahma, the god replied to Shiva: 'O lord of gods, give Parvati; after staying for a year, she will depart.'
उमया रक्षया सार्द्धं शंखचक्रगदाधरः । उद्दिश्य मथुरां चक्रे प्रयाणं कमलासनः
Together with Uma's protection, the bearer of the conch, discus, and mace, aiming for Mathura, set out, guided by the lotus-seated one.
देवकीजठरे जन्म लेभे तत्र गदाधरः । यशोदाकुक्षिमध्यास्ते शर्वाणी मृगलोचना
The wielder of the mace was born in Devaki's womb there; Sharvani, doe-eyed, dwelled in Yashoda's belly.
नवमासांश्च विश्रम्य कुक्षौ नवदिनांतकान् । भाद्रे मास्यसिते पक्षे चाष्टमीसंज्ञका तिथिः
Having rested for nine months in the womb, and for nine days thereafter, in the month of Bhadra, on the eighth day of the dark fortnight,
रोहिणीतारकायुक्ता रजनीघनघोषिता । तस्यां जातो जगन्नाथः कंसारिर्वसुदेवजः
When the night was joined with the star Rohini and resounded with thunder, the Lord of the Universe, enemy of Kamsa, son of Vasudeva, was born.
वैराटी नंदपत्नी च यशोदाऽजीजनत्सुताम् । पुत्रं पद्मकरं पद्मनाभं पद्मदलेक्षणम्
Vairati, wife of Nanda, Yashoda, gave birth to a daughter; the son, lotus-handed, lotus-naveled, lotus-marked-eyed.
तदा हर्षितुमारेभे दृष्ट्वा ह्यानकदुंदुभिः । कंसासुरभयत्रस्ता प्रोवाच देवकी तदा
Then, seeing the auspicious drums, she began to rejoice; terrified by the fear of the demon Kamsa, Devaki spoke at that time.
वैराटीं गच्छ भो नाथ सुतं प्रत्यर्पितं किल । पुत्रं दत्वा यशोदायै सुतां तस्याः समानय
'Go to Vairati, O lord, and return the son; having given the son to Yashoda, bring her daughter back.'
तस्या वचः समाकर्ण्य वसुदेवोऽपि दुःखितः । अंके कुमारमादाय वैराट्यभिमुखंययौ
Hearing her words, Vasudeva, sorrowful, took the boy in his arms and went toward Vairati.
यमुनाजलसंपूर्णा तत्पथे मध्यवर्त्मनि । आसीद्घोरा महादीर्घा गम्भीरोदकपूरभाक्
On the path, the Yamuna was full of water; in the middle of the way, there was a terrifying, vast, deep flood.
एवं दृष्ट्वा तटे स्थित्वा यमुनामवलोकयन् । वसुदेवोऽपि दुःखार्तो विललापातिचिंतया
Seeing this, standing on the bank and gazing at the Yamuna, Vasudeva, afflicted by sorrow, lamented with deep anxiety.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि विधिनापि हि वंचितः । कथमत्र गमिष्यामि वैराटीं नंदमंदिरम्
'What shall I do? Where shall I go? Even by fate I am deceived; how shall I reach Vairati, the house of Nanda, here?'
हरिणा तत्र सानंदं मायया वंचितः पिता । क्षणमात्रं तटे स्थित्वा यमुनामवलोकयन्
There, by Hari's illusion, the father was deceived with joy; standing for a moment on the bank, gazing at the Yamuna.
तेन दृष्टा पुनः सापि क्षणाज्जानुवहाभवत् । तां दृष्ट्वा हृष्ट उत्तस्थौ प्रस्थानमकरोद्यथा
When he saw it, the river at once became knee-deep; seeing that, delighted, he rose and prepared to depart as before.
मायां कृत्वा जगन्नाथः पितुरंकाज्जलेऽपतत् । तं पुत्रं पतितं दृष्ट्वा हाहाकृत्वा सुदुःखितः
Creating illusion, the Lord of the Universe fell from his father's lap into the water; seeing his son fallen, he cried out in distress, greatly afflicted.