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.
गोप्यस्तु श्रुतयो ज्ञेया ऋचो वै गोपकन्यकाः । देवकन्याश्च राजेंद्र तपोयुक्ता मुमुक्षवः
Know, O king, that the gopīs are the Vedas, the maidens of the gopas are the Ṛg verses, and the divine maidens, endowed with austerity and seeking liberation.
गोपाला मुनयः सर्वे वैकुंठानंदमूर्त्तयः । कल्पवृक्षः कदंबोऽयं परानंदैकभाजनम्
All the gopas are sages, embodiments of Vaikuṇṭha's bliss; this kadamba tree is the wish-fulfilling tree, the sole vessel of supreme bliss.
वनमानंदकाख्यं हि महापातकनाशनम् । सिद्धाश्च साध्या गंधर्वाः कोकिलाद्या न संशयः
The forest named Ānandakā destroys great sins; there is no doubt that the siddhas, sādhyas, and gandharvas are the cuckoos and others.
केचिदानंदहृदयं साक्षाद्यमुनया तनुम् । अनादिर्हरिदासोऽयं भूधरो नात्र संशयः
Some, with hearts full of bliss, directly assumed the form of a sage; this mountain, without beginning, is Haridāsa—there is no doubt.
वेणुर्यः शृणुतं विप्रं तवापि विदितं तथा । द्विज आसीच्छांतमनास्तपः शांतिपरायणः
That flute, O brāhmaṇa, as you also know, was a twice-born who was calm in mind, devoted to austerity and peace.
नाम्ना देवव्रतोदांतः कर्मकांडविशारदः । स वैष्णवजनव्रातमध्यवर्त्ती क्रियापरः
His name was Devavrata, self-controlled and skilled in ritual acts; he dwelt among the assembly of Vaiṣṇavas, devoted to religious duties.
स कदाचन शुश्राव यज्ञेशोऽस्तीति भूपते । तस्य गेहमथाभ्यागाद्द्विजो मद्गतनिश्चयः
Once, O king, he heard that the Lord of sacrifice exists; then that brāhmaṇa, intent on me, came to his house.
स मद्भक्तः क्वचित्पूजां तुलसीदलवारिणा । कृतवांस्तद्गृहे किंचित्फलं मूलं न्यवेदयत्
That devotee of mine, at some time, performed worship with tulasī leaves and water; in that house, he offered some fruit and roots.
स्नानवारिफलं किंचित्तस्मै मत्या ददौ सुधीः । अश्रद्धया स्मितं कृत्वा सोऽप्यगृह्णाद्द्विजन्मनः
He, wise in mind, gave some fruit from his bath to him; the twice-born, without faith, accepted it with a smile.
तेन पापेन संजातं वेणुत्वमतिदारुणम् । तेन पुण्येन तस्याथ मदीय प्रियतां गतः
Because of that sin, he was born as a flute, exceedingly hard; by that merit, he then attained my dearness.
अमुना सोपि राजेंद्र केतुमानिव राजते । युगांते तद्विष्णुपरो भूत्वा ब्रह्म समाप्स्यति
By this, O king, he shines like Ketumān; at the end of the age, being devoted to Viṣṇu, he will attain Brahman.
अहो न जानंति नरा दुराशयाः पुरीं मदीयां परमां सनातनीम् । सुरेंद्र नागेंद्र मुनींद्र संस्तुतां मनोरमां तां मथुरां पुरातनीम्
Alas, people with misguided intentions do not know my supreme, eternal city—praised by Indra, the lord of serpents, and the best of sages, that delightful, ancient Mathurā.
काश्यादयो यद्यपि संति पुर्यस्तासां तु मध्ये मथुरैव धन्या । यज्जन्ममौंजीव्रतमृत्युदाहैर्नृणां चतुर्द्धा विदधाति मुक्तिम्
Though there are other cities like Kāśī, among them Mathurā alone is blessed; for by birth, investiture, vows, and death, she grants fourfold liberation to people.
यदा विशुद्धास्तपआदिना जनाः शुभाशया ध्यानधना निरंतरम् । तदैव पश्यंति ममोत्तमां पुरीं न चान्यथा कल्पशतैर्द्विजोत्तमाः
When people, purified by austerity and other means, with auspicious intent and constant wealth of meditation, then alone do they behold my supreme city, O best of brāhmaṇas—not otherwise, even in a hundred ages.
मथुरावासिनो धन्या मान्या अपि दिवौकसाम् । अगण्यमहिमानस्ते सर्व एव चतुर्भुजाः
The residents of Mathurā are blessed and honored even among the gods; all of them, possessing four arms, have immeasurable greatness.
मथुरावासिनो ये तु दोषान्पश्यंति मानवाः । तेषु दोषं न पश्यंति जन्ममृत्युसहस्रजम्
But those humans who see faults in the residents of Mathurā—such people do not perceive the faults that arise from thousands of births and deaths.
अधना अपि ते धन्या मथुरां ये स्मरंति ते । यत्र भूतेश्वरो देवो मोक्षदः पापिनामपि
Even those without wealth are blessed if they remember Mathurā, where the Lord of beings, the giver of liberation even to sinners, resides.
मम प्रियतमो नित्यं देवो भूतेश्वरः परः । यः कदापि मम प्रीत्यै न संत्यजति तां पुरीम्
The supreme Lord of beings, who is always most dear to me, never abandons that city for my pleasure, not even for a moment.
भूतेश्वरं यो न नमेन्न पूजयेन्न वास्मरेद्दुश्चरितो मनुष्यः । नैनां स पश्येन्मथुरां मदीयां स्वयंप्रकाशां परदेवताख्याम्
A person of evil conduct who does not bow to, worship, or remember Bhūteśvara should not see my Mathurā, self-luminous and known as the supreme deity.
न कथं मयि भक्तिं स लभते पापपूरुषः । यो मदीयं परं भक्तं शिवं संपूजयेन्नहि
Such a sinful person does not attain devotion to me, who does not worship my supreme devotee Śiva.