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—
कृष्णं दध्युर्महात्मानो योगिनः सनकादयः । यमर्चयंति ब्रह्मेश शक्राद्या देवतागणाः
The great-souled yogis such as Sanaka meditate upon Krishna; Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and other hosts of gods worship him.
यस्य पत्न्याः कटाक्षार्द्धदृष्ट्या दृष्टा दिवौकसः । ब्रह्मेंद्र रुद्र वरुण यम सोम धनाधिपाः
By a mere sidelong glance from his wife, the dwellers of heaven—Brahma, Indra, Rudra, Varuna, Yama, Soma, and Kubera—are seen.
यन्नामस्मरणादेव पापिनामपि सत्वरम् । मुक्तिर्भवति जंतूनां ब्रह्मादीनां सुदुर्लभा
By merely remembering his name, even the sinful quickly attain liberation—a liberation difficult even for beings like Brahma to obtain.
स एवं रक्षकः श्रीशो देवानामपि सर्वदा । तमेव पूजयिष्यामि लक्ष्म्या संयुतमच्युतम्
He alone is the protector, the lord of Sri, always for the gods; I will worship only him, the infallible one, united with Lakshmi.
प्राप्स्यामि सुसुखेनैव तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् । रुद्र उवाच- इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा हिरण्यकशिपुस्ततः
I will easily attain that supreme abode of Vishnu. Rudra said: Hearing these words, then Hiranyakashipu—
क्रोधेन महताविष्टो जज्वालाग्निरिवापरः । परितो वीक्ष्य दैतेयानित्याह क्रोधमूर्छितः
Overcome by great anger, blazing like another fire, he looked around at the Daityas and, maddened by rage, spoke.
हिरण्यकशिपुरुवाच - भीषणैः शस्त्रसंघातैः प्रह्लादं पापकारिणम् । ममाज्ञया घातयध्वं शत्रुपूजनतत्परम्
Hiranyakashipu said: With terrifying weapons, kill Prahlada, the evildoer, by my command—he who is devoted to worshiping the enemy.
रक्षिता हरिरेवेति रक्षते तेन वात्सलात् । अद्यैव सफलं तस्य पश्येयं हरिरक्षणम्
If Hari alone is the protector and protects him out of affection, then today I shall see the fruition of that protection by Hari.
रुद्र उवाच- तदोद्यतास्त्रा दैतेया हंतुं दैत्येश्वरात्मजम् । परिवार्य महात्मानं तस्थुर्दैत्येश्वराज्ञया
Rudra said: Then the Daityas, weapons raised, surrounded the great-souled son of the lord of the Daityas, standing by the command of their king.
प्रह्लादोऽपि तथा विष्णुं ध्यात्वा हृदयपंकजे । जपन्नष्टाक्षरं मंत्रं तस्थौ गिरिरिवापरः
Prahlada, too, meditating on Vishnu in the lotus of his heart, reciting the eight-syllabled mantra, stood firm like another mountain.