तथापि ते प्रवक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं परमर्षिणा । महाराजमंबरीषं विष्णुभक्तं शिवान्वितम्
Still, I will tell you what was spoken by the supreme sage, concerning King Ambarīṣa, devoted to Viṣṇu and accompanied by Śiva.
बदर्याश्रममासाद्य समासीनं जितेंद्रियम् । राजा प्रणम्य तुष्टाव विष्णुधर्मविवित्सया
Having reached the hermitage at Badarī, seated with senses controlled, the king bowed and praised him, desiring to know the dharma of Viṣṇu.
वेदव्यासं महाभागं सर्वज्ञं पुरुषोत्तमम् । मां त्वं संसारदुष्पारे परित्रातुमिहार्हसि
To Vedavyāsa, greatly fortunate, all-knowing, the supreme person, he said: You should rescue me here from the difficult ocean of worldly existence.
विषयेषु विरक्तोऽस्मि नमस्तेभ्यो नमोखिलम् । यत्तत्पदमनुद्विग्नं सच्चिदानंदविग्रहम्
I am detached from sense objects; salutations to them, salutations to all; that undisturbed state, the embodiment of existence, consciousness, and bliss.
परं ब्रह्म पराकाशमनाकाशमनामयम् । यत्साक्षात्कृत्य मुनयो भवांभोधिं तरंति हि
The supreme Brahman, the highest space, without space, without affliction; by realizing which, sages cross the ocean of becoming.
तत्राहं मनसो नित्यं कथं गतिमवाप्नुयाम् । व्यास उवाच-। अतिगोप्यं त्वया पृष्टं यन्मया न शुकं प्रति
How may I, in that place, always attain the path of the mind? Vyāsa said: You have asked a most secret question, which I did not even tell to Śuka.
गदितं स्वसुतं किंतु त्वां वक्ष्यामि हरिप्रियम् । आसीदिदं परं विश्वं यद्रूपं यत्प्रतिष्ठितम्
I spoke it only to my own son, but to you, dear to Hari, I will declare it; this supreme universe existed, with its form and foundation.
अव्याकृतमव्यथितं तदीश्वरमयं शृणु । मया कृतं तपः पूर्वं बहुवर्षसहस्रकम्
Unmanifest, undisturbed, that which is pervaded by the Lord—listen; I performed austerity in former times for many thousands of years.
फलमूलपलाशांबु वाय्वाहारनिषेविणा । ततो मामाहभगवान्स्वध्याननिरतं हरिः
Subsisting on fruits, roots, leaves, water, and air, I was thus engaged in self-study; then the glorious Lord Hari appeared before me.
कस्मिन्नर्थे चिकीर्षाते विवित्सा वा महामते । प्रसन्नोऽस्मि वृणुष्व त्वं वरं च वरदर्षभात्
For what purpose do you seek to act or to know, O wise one? I am pleased; ask for a boon from the bestower of blessings.
मद्दर्शनांतः संसार इति सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते । ततोऽहमब्रुवं कृष्णं पुलकोत्फुल्लविग्रहः
The end of worldly existence lies in seeing me—this I tell you truly. Then, with my body thrilled and blossoming, I spoke to Krishna.
त्वामहं द्रष्टुमिच्छामि चक्षुर्भ्यां मधुसूदन । यत्तत्सत्यं परं ब्रह्म जगज्ज्योतिं जगत्पतिम्
O Madhusudana, I wish to see you with my own eyes—that true, supreme Brahman, the light of the world, the Lord of all.
वदंति वेदशिरसश्चाक्षुषं नाथमद्भुतम् । श्रीभगवानुवाच-। ब्रह्मणैवं पुरा पृष्टः प्रार्थितश्च यथा पुरा
The Vedas declare that the wondrous Lord is visible to the eyes. The Blessed Lord spoke: Formerly, Brahma asked me thus and prayed as before.
यदवोचमहं तस्मै तत्तुभ्यमपि कथ्यते । मामेके प्रकृतिं प्राहुः पुरुषं च तथेश्वरम्
What I told him then, I now tell you as well: Some call me Prakriti, others Purusha, and also Ishvara.
धर्ममेके धनं चैके मोक्षमेकेऽकुतोभयम् । शून्यमेके भावमेके शिवमेके सदाशिवम्
Some call me Dharma, some wealth, some liberation without fear; some call me void, some existence, some Shiva, some Sadashiva.
अपरे वेदशिरसि स्थितमेकं सनातनम् । सद्भावं विक्रियाहीनं सच्चिदानंदविग्रहम्
Others say I am the one eternal reality established in the Vedas—true being, free from change, whose form is existence, consciousness, and bliss.
पश्याद्य दर्शयिष्यामि स्वरूपं वेदगोपितम् । ततोऽपश्यं भूपबालमहं कालांबुदप्रभम्
Behold, today I will show you my true form, concealed by the Vedas. Then I saw a cowherd boy, radiant like a dark rain cloud.
गोपकन्यावृतं गोपं हसंतं गोपबालकैः । कदंबमूलआसीनं पीतवाससमद्भुतम्
Surrounded by cowherd girls, a cowherd laughing with the boys, seated beneath a kadamba tree, wondrous in yellow garments.
वनं वृंदावनं नाम नवपल्लवमंडितम् । कोकिलभ्रमरारावं मनोभव मनोहरम्
I saw a forest called Vrindavana, adorned with fresh leaves, filled with the cries of cuckoos and bees, enchanting even to the god of love.
नदीमपश्यं कालिंदीमिंदीवरदलप्रभाम् । गोवर्द्धनमथापश्यं कृष्णरामकरोद्धृतम्
I saw the river Yamuna, shining like the petals of blue lotuses; then I saw Govardhana, lifted by Krishna and Rama.
महेंद्रदर्पनाशाय गोगोपालसुखावहम् । गोपालमबलासंगमुदितं वेणुवादिनम्
To destroy Indra's pride and bring joy to cows and cowherds, I saw the cowherd playing the flute, surrounded by women.
दृष्ट्वातिहृष्टो ह्यभवं सर्वभूषणभूषणम् । ततो मामाह भगवान्वृंदावनचरः स्वयम्
Seeing him, I was filled with great joy—he who is the ornament of all ornaments. Then the Lord himself, dwelling in Vrindavana, spoke to me.
यदिदं मे त्वया दृष्टं रूपं दिव्यं सनातनम् । निष्कलं निष्क्रियं शांतं सच्चिदानंदविग्रहम्
This divine, eternal form you have seen of mine—without division, without action, peaceful, whose nature is existence, consciousness, and bliss.
पूर्णं पद्मपलाशाक्षं नातः परतरं मम । इदमेववदंत्येतेवेदाःकारणकारणम्
It is complete, with lotus-leaf eyes; there is nothing higher than this for me. The Vedas declare this alone to be the cause of all causes.
सत्यंनित्यंपरानंदंचिद्घनंशाश्वतंशिवम् । नित्यां मे मथुरां विद्धि वनं वृंदावनं तथा
True, eternal, supreme bliss, dense consciousness, everlasting, auspicious. Know that Mathura is eternally mine, as is the forest Vrindavana.
यमुनां गोपकन्याश्च तथा गोपालबालकाः । ममावतारो नित्योऽयमत्र मा संशयं कृथाः
The Yamuna, the cowherd girls, and the cowherd boys are likewise eternal. My incarnation here is eternal; do not doubt this.
ममेष्टा हि सदा राधा सर्वज्ञोऽहं परात्परः । सर्वकामश्च सर्वेशः सर्वानंदः परात्परः
Indeed, Rādhā is always dear to me; I am all-knowing, the Supreme beyond the supreme, the fulfiller of all desires, the Lord of all, the embodiment of all bliss, transcending all.
मयि सर्वमिदं विश्वं भाति मायाविजृंभितम् । ततोऽहमब्रुवं देवं जगत्कारणकारणम्
All this universe shines forth in me, manifested by māyā; therefore, I addressed the Lord, the cause of the cause of the world.
काश्च गोप्यस्तु के गोपा वृक्षोऽयं कीदृशो मतः । वनं किं कोकिलाद्याश्च नदी केयं गिरिश्च कः
Who are these gopīs, and who are the gopas? What kind of tree is this considered to be? What is this forest, who are these cuckoos and others, what is this river, and which mountain is this?
कोऽसौ वेणुर्महाभागो लोकानंदैकभाजनम् । भगवानाह मां प्रीतः प्रसन्नवदनांबुजः
Who is that most fortunate flute, the sole vessel of joy for the worlds? The Blessed Lord, pleased, with a smiling lotus-face, spoke to me.