प्रह्लाद उवाच- यो वै सर्वोपनिषदामर्थः पुरुष ईश्वरः । तं वै सर्वगतं विष्णुं नमस्कृत्वा ब्रवीमि ते
Prahlāda said: 'He who is the essence of all the Upaniṣads, the Supreme Person, the Lord—I bow to that all-pervading Viṣṇu and speak to you.'
रुद्र उवाच-। इति विष्णुस्तुतिं श्रुत्वा दैत्यराड् विस्मयान्वितः । उवाच तं गुरुं रोषात्किं त्वयोक्तं ममात्मजे
Rudra said: Hearing this praise of Viṣṇu, the Daitya king, filled with astonishment, angrily spoke to the teacher: 'Why have you taught such words to my son?'
ममात्मजस्य दुर्बुद्धे हरिसंस्तवमीदृशम् । किमर्थमुक्तवान्जाड्यमकार्य्यं ब्राह्मणोचितम्
'O foolish one, why have you uttered this praise of Hari to my son? This is improper, unworthy of a brāhmaṇa, and pointless.'
अश्राव्यं मदमित्रस्य स्तवमेतं ममाग्रतः । बालेनापिकृतंत्वेतत्त्वत्प्रसादाद्दिवजाधम
'This praise of my enemy should not be heard before me. Even if done by a child, it is because of your influence, O lowest of the twice-born.'
इत्युक्त्वा परितो वीक्ष्य दैत्यराट्क्रोधमूर्च्छितः । उवाच दैत्यमेकं तु बंधयैनं द्विजाधमम्
Having spoken thus and looking around, the king of the demons, overcome with anger, said to a demon: 'Bind this lowest of Brahmins.'
इतिराजवचः श्रुत्वा स बबंध भृगोः सुतम् । बध्यमानं गुरुं दृष्ट्वा प्रह्लादो ब्राह्मणप्रियः । उवाच पितरं तात इदं मे नोक्तवान्गुरुः
Hearing the king's command, he bound the son of Bhrigu. Seeing his teacher being bound, Prahlada, who cherished Brahmins, spoke to his father: 'Father, my teacher has not told me this.'
कृपया देवदेवस्य शिक्षितोस्मि हरेः प्रभो । नान्यो गुरुर्मे भवति स एव प्रेरको हरिः
Out of compassion for the Lord of gods, I have been instructed by Hari, the master. No other is my teacher; only Hari guides me.
श्रोता मंता तथा वक्ता द्रष्टा सर्वग ईश्वरः । हरिरेवाक्षयः कर्त्ता नियंता सर्वदेहिनाम् । तस्मादनागसो विप्रो मोक्तव्योऽयं गुरुः प्रभो
He is the listener, the thinker, the speaker, the seer, the all-knowing Lord. Hari alone is the eternal creator and controller of all embodied beings. Therefore, O master, the Brahmin is innocent and should be released.
रुद्र उवाच- इति पुत्रवचः श्रुत्वा हिरण्यकशिपुस्ततः । तं ब्राह्मणं मोचयित्वा स्वसुतं प्राह विस्मयात्
Rudra said: Hearing his son's words, Hiranyakashipu then released the Brahmin and, astonished, spoke to his own son.
किं वत्स त्वं भ्रमस्येवं मिथ्यावाक्यैर्द्विजन्मनः । को विष्णुः किं तु तद्रूपं कुत्रासौ संस्थितो हरिः
Child, why do you wander in such confusion, uttering false words from a Brahmin's mouth? Who is Vishnu? What is his form? Where is Hari established?
अहमेवेश्वरो लोके त्रैलोक्याधिपतिर्यतः । मामेवार्च्चय गोविंदं त्यज शत्रुं दुरासदम्
I alone am the Lord in the world, the ruler of the three realms. Worship me, Govinda; abandon that difficult enemy.
अथवा शंकरं देवं रुद्रं लोकगुरुं प्रभुम् । अर्च्चयस्वासुराध्यक्षं सर्वैश्वर्य्यप्रदं शिवम्
Or worship Shankara, the god Rudra, the teacher of the world, the master, the chief of the demons, Shiva who grants all prosperity.
त्रिपुंड्रधारणं कृत्वा भस्मना दैत्यपूजितम् । पूजयित्वा महादेवं पाशुपत्योक्तमार्गतः
Having applied the three lines with ash, as worshipped by demons, and having worshipped Mahadeva according to the path taught by Pashupati,
रुद्र उवाच- इति दैत्यपतेर्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा दैत्यपुरोहिताः
Rudra said: Hearing the words of the demon lord, the demon priests—
पुरोहिता ऊचुः- एवमेव महाभाग कुरुष्व वचनं पितुः । त्यज शत्रुं कैटभारिं पूजयस्व त्रिलोचनम्
The priests said: 'So be it, O fortunate one, follow your father's words. Abandon the enemy who slew Kaitabha and worship the three-eyed one.'
रुद्रात्परतरो देवो नास्ति सर्वप्रदो नॄणाम् । पिता तवापि तस्यैव प्रसादादीश्वरोऽभवत्
There is no god higher than Rudra; he grants all to men. Even your father became a lord by his grace.
रुद्र उवाच- इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा प्रह्लादो जन्मवैष्णवं
Rudra said: Hearing their words, Prahlada, born in the Vaishnava lineage—
प्रह्लाद उवाच- अहो भगवतः श्रेष्ठा यन्माया मोहितं जगत् । अहो वेदांतविदुषः सर्वलोकेषु पूजिताः
Prahlada said: 'Ah, how wondrous is the supreme Lord, whose maya has deluded the world! Ah, those learned in Vedanta are honored everywhere.'
ब्राह्मणा अपि चापल्याद्वदंत्येवं मदान्विताः । नारायणः परं ब्रह्म तत्वं नारायणः परम्
Even Brahmins, out of fickleness and intoxication, speak thus. Narayana is the supreme Brahman; the essence is Narayana, the highest.
नारायणः परो ध्याता ध्यानं नारयणः परम् । गतिर्विश्वस्य जगतः शाश्वतं शिवमच्युतः
Narayana is the supreme object of meditation; meditation itself is Narayana, the highest. He is the eternal, auspicious, unchanging refuge of the universe and the world.
धाता विधाता जगतो वासुदेवः सनातनः । विश्वमेवेदं पुरुषस्तद्विश्वमुपजीवति
Vasudeva, eternal, is the creator and ordainer of the world. This universe is indeed that Person; the world subsists upon him.
हिरण्मयवपुर्नित्यःपुंडरीकनिभेक्षणः । श्रीभूलीलापतिः सौम्योनिर्म्मलः शुभविग्रहः
He is eternal, with a golden form, lotus-like eyes, the lord of Sri and Bhumi, gentle, pure, and possessing an auspicious body.
तेनैव सृष्टौ ब्रह्मेशौ सर्गे देवोत्तमौ विभू । तस्यैवाज्ञां पुरस्कृत्य वर्त्तेते ब्रह्मशंकरौ
Thus, in creation, Brahma and Shiva—those two supreme gods—exist by upholding his command; Brahma and Shankara act in accordance with his will.
भीषास्माद्वाति पवनो भीषोदेति दिवाकरः । भीषास्मादग्निश्चंद्रोऽथ मृत्युर्धावति पंचमः
Out of fear of him the wind blows, out of fear the sun rises; out of fear fire, the moon, and death—the fifth—move forth.
आसीदेको हरिर्दिव्यो देवो नारायणः परः । ब्रह्मा नेंद्रो न चेशानो न च चंद्र दिवाकरौ
There was only one divine Hari, the supreme god Narayana; there was no Brahma, no Indra, no Ishana, nor the moon or the sun.
न वा द्यावापृथिव्यौ च नक्षत्राणि दिवौकसः । तस्य विष्णोः परं धाम सदा पश्यंति सूरयः
There were not the heavens or the earth, nor the stars or celestial beings; the sages always behold that supreme abode of Vishnu.
एवं सर्वोपनिषदामर्थं हित्वा द्विजोत्तमाः । रागाल्लोभाद्भयाद्वापि किं ब्रवीथ ममाग्रतः
Thus, O best of twice-born, having abandoned the meaning of all the Upanishads, whether out of passion, greed, or fear, what do you say before me?
तं सर्वरक्षकं देवं त्यक्त्वा सर्वेश्वरं हरिम् । कथं पाषंडमाश्रित्य पूजयामि च शंकरम्
Having abandoned that god Hari, the protector of all, the lord of all, how could I, taking refuge in heresy, worship Shankara?
लक्ष्मीपतिं देवदेवमनंतं पुरुषोत्तमम् । इंदीवरदलश्यामं पद्मपत्रायतेक्षणम्
The consort of Lakshmi, god of gods, infinite, the supreme person, dark as a blue lotus petal, with eyes wide as lotus leaves—
श्रीवत्सलक्षितोरस्कं सर्व्वाभरणभूषितम् । सदा कुमारं सर्व्वेशं नित्यानन्दसुखप्रदम्
With chest marked by the Srivatsa, adorned with all ornaments, ever youthful, lord of all, bestower of eternal bliss and happiness—