पार्वत्युवाच-। वृंदावनरहस्यं च बहुधा कथितं विभो । केन पुण्यविशेषेण नारदः प्रकृतिं गतः
Pārvatī said: O Lord, you have described the secret of Vṛndāvana in many ways. By what special merit did Nārada attain his original nature?
ईश्वर उवाच- एकदाश्चर्यवृत्तांतं मया जिज्ञासितं पुरा । ब्रह्मणा कथितं गुह्यं श्रुतं कृष्णमुखांबुजात्
Īśvara said: Once, long ago, I inquired about a marvelous event. Brahmā told me a secret, which he had heard from the lotus face of Kṛṣṇa.
नारदः पृष्टवान्मह्यं तदाहं प्राप्तवानिदम् । अहं वक्तुं न शक्नोमि तन्माहात्म्यं कथंचन
At that time, Nārada questioned me, and I received this knowledge. I am not able to speak of that greatness in any way.
किं कुर्वे शपनं तस्य स्मृत्वा सीदामि मानसे । इति श्रुत्वा मम वचो दुर्मनाः सोऽभवद्यदा
What can I do? Remembering the curse upon him, I become distressed in my mind. Hearing my words, he became dejected.
तदा ब्रह्माणमाहूय अहमादिष्टवान्प्रिये । त्वया यत्कथितं मह्यं नारदाय वदस्व तत्
Then, O beloved, I summoned Brahmā and instructed him: 'Whatever you told me, now speak that to Nārada.'
ब्रह्मा तदा ममवचो निशम्य सह नारदः । जगाम कृष्णसविधं नत्वा पृच्छत्तदेव तु
Then Brahmā, hearing my words, together with Nārada, went to Kṛṣṇa, bowed down, and asked him that very thing.
ब्रह्मोवाच- किमिदं द्वात्रिंशद्वनं वृंदारण्यं विशांपते । श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवन्यदियोग्योऽस्मि मे वद
Brahmā said: O Lord of the people, what is this thirty-two-forested Vṛndāraṇya? I wish to hear, if I am worthy; please tell me.
श्रीभगवानुवाच- इदं वृंदावनं रम्यं मम धामैव केवलम् । यत्रेमे पशवः साक्षाद्वृक्षाः कीटा नरामराः
The Blessed Lord said: This delightful Vṛndāvana is truly my own abode. Here, animals, trees, insects, humans, and gods dwell directly.
ये वसंति ममांत्ये ते मृता यांति ममांतिकम् । अत्र या गोपपत्न्यश्च निवसंति ममालये
Those who reside in my presence here, when they die, come near to me. And the wives of the cowherds who live in my home here—
योगिन्यस्तास्तु एवं हि मम देवाः परायणाः । पंचयोजनमेवं हि वनं मे देवरूपकम्
They are yoginīs, and thus my devoted goddesses. This forest, five yojanas wide, is divine in form.
कालिंदीयं सुषुम्नाख्या परमामृतवाहिनी । यत्र देवाश्च भूतानि वर्त्तंते सूक्ष्मरूपतः
Here flows the Kālindī, called Suṣumnā, the bearer of supreme nectar. In this place, gods and beings exist in subtle forms.
सर्वतो व्यापकश्चाहं न त्यक्ष्यामि वनं क्वचित् । आविर्भावस्तिरोभावो भवेदत्र युगेयुगे
I pervade all things here and never abandon this forest. In every age, I manifest and withdraw myself here.
तेजोमयमिदं स्थानमदृश्यं चर्मचक्षुषाम् । रहस्यं मे प्रभावं च पश्य वृंदावनं युगे
This place is made of light, invisible to mortal eyes. Behold the secret and my power—Vṛndāvana in every age.
ब्रह्मादीनां देवतानां न दृश्यं तत्कथंचन । ईश्वर उवाच- तच्छ्रुत्वा नारदो नत्वा कृष्णं ब्रह्माणमेव च
It is never seen by gods like Brahmā and others. Īśvara said: Hearing this, Nārada bowed to Kṛṣṇa and Brahmā.
आजगाम ह भूर्लोके मिश्रकं नैमिषं वनम् । तत्रासौ सत्कृतश्चापि शौनकाद्यैर्मुनीश्वरैः
He then came to the earthly realm, to the Miśraka Naimiṣa forest. There, he was honored by great sages like Śaunaka.
पृष्टश्चाप्यागतो ब्रह्मन्कुतस्त्वमधुना वद । तच्छ्रुत्वा नारदः प्राह गोलोकादागतोऽस्म्यहम्
He was asked: 'O Brahman, from where have you now come?' Hearing this, Nārada replied: 'I have come from Goloka.'
श्रुत्वा कृष्णमुखांभोजाद्वृंदावनरहस्यकम् । नारद उवाच- तत्र नानाविधाः प्रश्नाः कृताश्चैव पुनः पुनः
Having heard the secret of Vṛndāvana from the lotus face of Kṛṣṇa— Nārada said: There, many kinds of questions were asked again and again.
समस्ता मनवस्तत्र योगाश्चैव मया श्रुताः । तानेव कथयिष्यामि यथाप्रश्नं च तत्त्वतः
There I heard all the Manus and the yogas. I will now recount them to you, according to the questions, and in truth.
शौनकादय ऊचुः - वृंदारण्यरहस्यं हि यदुक्तं ब्रह्मणा त्वयि । तदस्माकं समाचक्ष्व यद्यस्मासु कृपा तव
Śaunaka and the others said: The secret of Vṛndāraṇya that was spoken to you by Brahmā—please tell that to us, if you have compassion for us.
नारद उवाच- कदाचित्सरयूतीरे दृष्टोऽस्माभिश्च गौतमः । मनस्वी च महादुःखी चिंताकुलितचेतनः
Nārada said: Once, on the bank of a lake, we saw Gautama—thoughtful and greatly distressed, his mind troubled with worry.
मां दृष्ट्वा गौतमो देवः पपात धरणीतले । उत्तिष्ठ वत्सवत्सेति तमुवाचाहमेव हि
Seeing me, the sage Gautama fell to the ground; I said to him, 'Rise, dear child, rise!'
कथं भवान्मनस्वीति प्रोच्य तां यदि रोचते । गौतम उवाच- श्रुतं तव मुखादेव कृष्णतत्त्वं च तादृशम्
After asking, 'How are you, thoughtful one?'—if you wish, I will tell you—Gautama said: 'I have heard directly from your lips the true nature of Kṛṣṇa.'
द्वारकाख्यं माथुराख्यं रहस्यं बहुशो मया । वृंदावनरहस्यं तु न श्रुतं त्वन्मुखांबुजात्
'I have often heard the secrets of Dvārakā and Mathurā, but I have not heard the secret of Vṛndāvana from your lotus mouth.'
यतो मे मनसः स्थैर्य्यं भविष्यति च सद्गुरो । नारद उवाच- इदं तु परमं गुह्यं रहस्यातिरहस्यकम्
'Because of this, O true teacher, my mind will become steady.' Nārada said: 'This is indeed the highest secret, the secret of all secrets.'
पुरा मे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं तादृग्वृंदावनोद्भवम् । रहस्यं वद देवेश वृंदारण्यस्य मे पितः
'Long ago, Brahmā told me about the wondrous origin of Vṛndāvana. O Lord of gods, tell me the secret of Vṛndāraṇya, my father.'
इतिजिज्ञासितं श्रुत्वा क्षणं मौनी स चाभवत् । ततो माऽह महाविष्णुं गच्छ वत्स प्रभुं मम
Hearing this inquiry, he became silent for a moment; then he said to me, 'Go, child, to my Lord, Mahāviṣṇu.'
मयापि तत्र गंतव्यं त्वया सह न संशयः । इत्युक्त्वा मां गृहीत्वा च गतो विष्णोश्च धामनि
'I too must go there with you, without doubt.' Saying this, he took me and went to the abode of Viṣṇu.
महाविष्णौ च कथितं मयोक्तं यत्तदेव हि । तच्छ्रुत्वा च महाविष्णुः स्वयं भुवमथादिशत्
In the presence of Mahāviṣṇu, what I had said was repeated; hearing this, Mahāviṣṇu himself then instructed us regarding the earth.
त्वमेवादेशतो मह्यं नीत्वा वै नारदं मुनिम् । स्नानाय विनियुंक्ष्वामुं सरस्यमृतसंज्ञके
'You alone, by my command, bring the sage Nārada and assign him to bathe in the lake called Amṛta.'
महाविष्णुसमादिष्टः स्वयंभूर्मां तथाकरोत् । तत्रामृतसरश्चाहं प्रविश्य स्नानमाचरम्
Thus instructed by Mahāviṣṇu, Brahmā did just that; I entered the lake of nectar there and performed my bath.