भवंत इव पप्रच्छ श्रद्धया हृष्टमानसः । अंबरीष उवाच-। यन्मुने परमं ब्रह्म वेदवादिभिरुच्यते
With faith and a joyful heart, just as you have asked, he questioned the sage. Ambarīṣa said: O sage, that Supreme Brahman which the Vedic scholars describe—
स देवः पुंडरीकाक्षः स्वयं नारायणः परः । योऽमूर्तो मूर्तिमानीशो व्यक्तोऽव्यक्तः सनातनः
That god, the lotus-eyed, is Nārāyaṇa himself, the Supreme. He is formless and yet has form, the Lord, manifest and unmanifest, eternal.
सर्वभूतमयोऽचिंत्यो ध्यातव्यः स कथं हरिः । यस्मिन्सर्वमिदं विश्वमोतं प्रोतं प्रतिष्ठितम्
He, Hari, pervades all beings, is inconceivable, and is to be meditated upon. In him, this entire universe is woven, interlaced, and established.
अव्यक्तमेकं परमं परमात्मेति विश्रुतम् । यतो जन्मादि जगतो यो निर्माय स्वयं भुवम्
He is the one, unmanifest, supreme, renowned as the Supreme Self, from whom the world arises, who himself fashioned the earth.
ददौ तस्मै च निगमानात्मन्येव व्यवस्थितान् । कथमाराध्यते सोऽयं समग्रपुरुषार्थदः
To him he gave the Vedas, which are established in himself. How is that giver of all human goals to be worshipped?
योगिनामपि दुर्गम्यस्तदेतत्कृपया वद । अनाराधित गोविंदा न विदंति हितोदयम्
Even for yogis he is difficult to attain—please tell me this out of your grace. Those who have not worshipped Govinda do not know true welfare.
न तपो यज्ञदानानां लभते फलमुत्तमम् । अनास्वादितगोविंदपदांबुजरसश्च यः
He who has not tasted the nectar of Govinda's lotus feet does not obtain the highest fruit of austerity, sacrifice, or charity.
मनोरथपथातीतं स्फीतं नाकलयेत्फलम् । हरेराराधनं हित्वा दुरितौघ निवारणम्
One should not expect abundant results from the path of mere desire; abandoning the worship of Hari, one cannot dispel the mass of sins.
नान्यत्पश्यामि जंतूनां प्रायश्चित्तं परं मुने । यद्भ्रूनर्तनवर्तिन्यः श्रूयंते सिद्धयोऽखिलाः
O sage, I see no other supreme atonement for creatures than this; all perfections are heard to dwell where his eyebrows dance.
कथमाराध्यतेसोऽयं केशवः क्लेशनाशनः । उपास्यते स भगवान्कथं नारायणो नरैः
How is that Keśava, destroyer of affliction, to be worshipped? How do men serve that blessed Nārāyaṇa?
प्रीतश्च सर्वमेतन्मे हिताय जगतो वद । भक्तिप्रियोऽसौ भगवान्कया भक्त्या प्रसीदति
Kindly tell me all this for the good of the world, for he, the Lord, is pleased by devotion. By what kind of devotion does he become gracious?
कथं तस्मिन्भवेद्भक्तिः सर्वैराराध्यते कथम् । वैष्णवोसि हरेस्तस्य प्रियोऽसि परमार्थवित्
How does devotion arise in him, and how is he worshipped by all? You are a Vaiṣṇava, dear to Hari, a knower of the highest truth.
तेन त्वामेव पृच्छामि ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मविदुत्तम । श्रोतारमथ वक्तारं प्रष्टारं पुरुषं हरेः
Therefore, O best knower of Brahman, I ask you alone—whether as listener, speaker, or questioner—about the Lord Hari.
प्रश्नः पुनाति कृष्णस्य तदंघ्रिसलिलं यथा । दुर्ल्लभो मानुषो देहो देहिनां क्षणभंगुरः
A question about Kṛṣṇa purifies, just as water from his feet does. The human body is rare and perishable in a moment for embodied beings.
तत्रापि दुर्ल्लभं मन्ये वैकुंठप्रियदर्शनम् । संसारेस्मिन्क्षणार्धोऽपि सत्संगः शेवधिर्नृणाम्
Even among these, I consider the sight of Vaikuntha's beloved to be exceedingly rare; in this world, even half a moment in the company of the virtuous is a treasure for people.
यस्मादवाप्यते सर्वं पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् । भगवन्भवतो यात्रा स्वस्तये सर्वदेहिनाम्
For from such association, one attains all four aims of human life; O Lord, your presence brings welfare to all embodied beings.
बालानां तु यथा पित्रोरुत्तमश्लोकवर्त्मनाम् । भूतानां देवचरितं दुःखाय च सुखाय च
Just as children follow the path of their parents who praise the Supreme, so too do living beings find the deeds of the gods to bring both sorrow and joy.
सुखायैव हि साधूनां त्वादृशामच्युतात्मनाम् । भजंति ये यथा देवान्देवा अपि तथैव तान्
But for the virtuous, for those like you whose hearts are fixed on the imperishable, such deeds bring only happiness; those who worship the gods are themselves worshipped by the gods in the same way.
छायेव कर्मसचिवाः साधवो दीनवत्सलाः । तस्मात्त्वं भगवन्मह्यं वैष्णवं धर्ममादिश
Like a shadow, the virtuous are companions to action, showing compassion to the distressed; therefore, O Lord, instruct me in the Vaishnava dharma.
यस्योपदेशदानेन लभते वेदजं फलम् । नारद उवाच- साधु पृष्टं महीपाल विष्णुभक्तिमता त्वया
By giving such instruction, one attains the fruit born of the Vedas; Narada said: Well asked, O king, by you who are devoted to Vishnu.
जानता परमं धर्ममेकं माधवसेवनम् । यस्मिन्नाराधिते विष्णौ विश्वमाराधितं भवेत्
Knowing the supreme dharma, it is the sole service to Madhava; when Vishnu is worshipped, the whole universe is worshipped.
तुष्टे चराचरं तुष्टं सर्वदेवमये हरौ । यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण महापातकसंहतिः
When Hari, who contains all gods, is pleased, the moving and unmoving are pleased; by merely remembering him, the mass of great sins
तत्क्षणान्नाशमायाति स सेव्यो हरिरेव हि । कोऽनु राजन्निंद्रियवान्मुकुंदचरणांबुजम्
is destroyed at that very instant; indeed, Hari alone is to be served. Who, O king, possessing senses, would not worship the lotus feet of the liberator?
न भजेत्सर्वतो मृत्युरुपास्यमृषिदैवतैः । श्रुतोऽनु पठितो ध्यात आदृतश्चानुमोदितः
He is not worshipped by all, though death is served by the sages and gods; heard, recited, meditated upon, honored, and approved,
सद्यः पुनाति सद्धर्मो वीरो विश्वद्रुहोऽपि हि । योयं कारणकार्यादि कारणस्यापि कारणम्
the true dharma purifies instantly, even one hostile to the world; this cause and effect, and the cause of causes,
अनन्यकारणं योगी जगज्जीवो जगन्मयः । अणुर्बृहत्कृशः स्थूलो निर्गुणो गुणभृन्महान्
the yogi, the soul of the world, who is the world itself, has no other cause; subtle and vast, slender and gross, without qualities yet bearing qualities, great.
अजो जन्मलयातीतो ध्यातव्यः स हरिः सदा । सम्यगेतद्व्यवसितं भवता पुरुषर्षभ
Unborn, beyond birth and dissolution, Hari is always to be meditated upon; this has been rightly resolved by you, O best of men.
यत्पृच्छसे भागवतान्धर्मांस्त्वं विश्वभावनान् । प्रसंगेन सतामात्ममनः श्रुति रसायनाः
You ask about the dharmas of the devotees, those who sustain the universe; through association with the virtuous, the mind and soul are nourished by the nectar of hearing.
भवंति कीर्तनीयस्य कथाः कृष्णस्य निर्मलाः । भावसाध्योह्ययं देवः स्वयं जानाति तद्भवान्
The pure stories of Krishna, worthy of praise, arise through such association; this god is attained through devotion, and you yourself know this.
तथापि वक्ष्ये जगतो हिताय तव गौरवात् । यदाहुः परमं ब्रह्म प्रधानपुरुषात्परम्
Yet, for the benefit of the world, I shall speak, out of respect for you; that which is called the supreme Brahman, higher than the primordial and the person,