मन्मायामोहितधियः प्रायस्ते मानवाधमाः । भूतेश्वरं न नमंति न स्मरंति स्तुवंति ये
Those base humans whose minds are deluded by my māyā do not bow to, remember, or praise Bhūteśvara.
बालकोऽपि ध्रुवो यत्र ममाराधनतत्परः । प्राप स्थानं परं शुद्धं यत्नयुक्तं पितामहैः
Even a child there, wholly devoted to my worship, attained the supreme pure state, which even the grandfathers achieved with great effort.
तां पुरीं प्राप्य मथुरां मदीयां सुरदुर्लभाम् । खंजो भूत्वांधको वापि प्राणानेव परित्यजेत्
Having reached that city, my Mathurā, difficult for the gods to attain, even if one is lame or blind, one should give up one's life there.
वेदव्यासमहाभाग मा कृथाः संशयं क्वचित् । रहस्यं वेदशिरसां यन्मया ते प्रकाशितम्
O greatly fortunate Vedavyāsa, do not ever entertain doubt about the secret of the Vedas' essence which I have revealed to you.
इमं भगवता प्रोक्तमध्यायं यः पठेच्छुचिः । शृणुयाद्वापि यो भक्त्या मुक्तिस्तस्यापि शाश्वती
Whoever, pure in heart, recites this chapter spoken by the Blessed Lord, or listens to it with devotion, attains eternal liberation.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे वृंदावनादिमथुरामाहात्म्यकथनंनाम त्रिसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the seventy-third chapter, named 'The Account of the Glory of Vṛndāvana and Mathurā,' in the Pātāla Section of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
ईश्वर उवाच-। एकदा रहसि श्रीमानुद्धवो भगवित्प्रियः । सनत्कुमारमेकांते ह्यपृच्छत्पार्षदः प्रभो
Īśvara said: Once, in a secluded place, the illustrious Uddhava, beloved of the Lord, asked Sanatkumāra, the chief attendant, in private.
यत्र क्रीडति गोविंदो नित्यं नित्यसुरास्पदे । गोपांगनाभिर्यत्स्थानं कुत्र वा कीदृशं परम्
Where is that supreme place, ever the abode of the gods, where Govinda eternally sports with the cowherd maidens, and what is it like?
तत्तत्क्रीडनवृत्तांतमन्यद्यद्यत्तदद्भुतम् । ज्ञातं चेत्तव तत्कथ्यं स्नेहो मे यदि वर्त्तते
If you know the various wondrous pastimes and deeds that took place there, please tell me, if you hold affection for me.
सनत्कुमार उवाच-। कदाचिद्यमुनाकूले कस्यापि च तरोस्तले । सुवृत्तेनोपविष्टेन भगवत्पार्षदेन वै
Sanatkumāra said: Once, on the bank of the Yamunā, beneath a certain tree, a virtuous attendant of the Lord was seated.
यद्रहोऽनुभवस्तस्य पार्थेनापि महात्मना । दृष्टं कृतं च यद्यत्तत्प्रसंगात्कथितं मयि
Whatever secret experiences that great-souled Pārtha saw or did there, I have recounted to you as they arose.
तत्तेऽहं कथयाम्येतच्छृणुष्वावहितः परम् । किंत्वेतद्यत्र कुत्रापि न प्रकाश्यं कदाचन
Now I shall tell you this—listen most attentively; but know that this must never be revealed anywhere, at any time.
अर्जुन उवाच-। शंकराद्यैर्विरिंच्याद्यैरदृष्टमश्रुतं च यत् । सर्वमेतत्कृपांभोधे कृपया कथय प्रभो
Arjuna said: O Lord, out of your ocean of compassion, please tell me everything that has never been seen or heard by the likes of Shiva, Brahma, and others.
किं त्वया कथितं पूर्वमाभीर्यस्तव वल्लभाः । तास्ताः कतिविधा देव कति वा संख्यया पुनः
But, O Lord, you previously spoke of the Abhira women who are dear to you—how many are they, and what is their number?
नामानि कति वा तासां का वा कुत्र व्यवस्थिताः । तासां वा कति कर्माणि वयोवेषश्च कः प्रभो
How many names do they have, what are they, and where are they situated? What are their deeds, and what is their age and appearance, O Lord?
काभिः सार्द्धं क्व वा देव विहरिष्यसि भो रहः । नित्ये नित्यसुखे नित्यविभवे च वने वने
With whom, and where, O Lord, will you sport in secret—ever, in eternal happiness and everlasting prosperity, in forest after forest?
तत्स्थानं कीदृशं कुत्र शाश्वतं परमं महत् । कृपा चेत्तादृशी तन्मे सर्वं वक्तुमिहार्हसि
What is that place like, where is it, and how is it supreme and eternal? If you are so gracious, please tell me everything here.
यदपृष्टं मयाप्येवमज्ञातं यद्रहस्तव । आर्तार्तिघ्न महाभाग सर्वं तत्कथयिष्यसि
Whatever I have not asked, whatever remains unknown or secret to me—O great and compassionate one, destroyer of suffering—please tell me all of that as well.
श्रीभगवानुवाच-। तत्स्थानं वल्लभास्ता मे विहारस्तादृशो मम । अपि प्राणसमानानां सत्यं पुंसामगोचरः
The Blessed Lord said: That place, and those beloved ones of mine, and such sport of mine—even for those as dear as life itself, truly, it is beyond the reach of men.
कथिते दृष्टुमुत्कंठा तव वत्स भविष्यति । ब्रह्मादीनामदृश्यं यत्किं तदन्य जनस्य वै
If I were to describe it, my child, you would long to see it; it is unseen even by Brahma and others, and certainly by all other beings.
तस्माद्विरम वत्सैतत्किं नु तेन विना तव । एवं भगवतस्तस्य श्रुत्वा वाक्यं सुदारुणम्
Therefore, desist from this, my child—what would you do without it? Thus, having heard these harsh words of the Blessed Lord—
दीनः पादांबुजद्वंद्वे दंडवत्पतितोऽर्जुनः । ततो विहस्य भगवान्दोर्भ्यामुत्थाप्य तं विभुः
Arjuna, dejected, fell prostrate like a staff at the Lord's lotus feet; then the Blessed Lord, smiling, raised him up with his arms.
उवाच परमप्रेम्णा भक्ताय भक्तवत्सलः । तत्किं तत्कथनेनात्र द्रष्टव्यं चेत्त्वया हि यत्
The Lord, affectionate to his devotees, spoke to his devotee with supreme love: 'Why speak of that here, if you are to see it yourself?'
यस्यां सर्वं समुत्पन्नं यस्यामद्यापि तिष्ठति । लयमेष्यति तां देवीं श्रीमत्त्रिपुरसुंदरीम्
That goddess from whom all arises, in whom all still abides, and into whom all will dissolve—worship the glorious Tripurasundari with supreme devotion.
आराध्य परया भक्त्या तस्यै स्वं च निवेदय । तां विनैतत्पदं दातुं न शक्नोमि कदाचन
Offer yourself to her as well; without her, I am never able to grant that supreme state.
श्रुत्वैतद्भगवद्वाक्यं पार्थो हर्षाकुलेक्षणः । श्रीमत्यास्त्रिपुरादेव्या ययौ श्रीपादुकातलम्
Hearing these words of the Blessed Lord, Partha, his eyes brimming with joy, went to the glorious footstool of the illustrious Tripura goddess.
तत्र गत्वा ददर्शैनां श्रीचिंतामणिवेदिकाम् । नानारत्नैर्विरचितैः सोपानैरतिशोभिताम्
There, having arrived, he beheld her at the platform of the wish-fulfilling gem, adorned with steps fashioned from various jewels.
तत्र कल्पतरुं नाना पुष्पैः फलभवैर्नतम् । सर्वर्त्तुकोमलदलैः स्नवन्माध्वीकशीकरैः
There stood the wish-fulfilling tree, bowed down with many flowers and fruits, with ever-tender leaves and dripping with honeyed dew.
वर्षद्भिर्वायुनालोलैः पल्लवैरुज्ज्वलीकृतम् । शुकैश्च कोकिलगणैः सारिकाभिः कपोतकैः
Its shining foliage was stirred by the wind, raining down, and it was brightened by parrots, flocks of cuckoos, mynas, and doves.
लीलाचकोरकै रम्यैः पक्षिभिश्च निनादितम् । यत्र गुंजद्भृंगराज कोलाहलसमाकुलम्
It resounded with charming playful chakora birds and other birds, and was filled with the tumult of humming king bees.