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.
तत्क्षणात्तत्सरः पारे योषितां सविधेऽभवम् । सर्वलक्षणसपन्ना योषिद्रूपातिविस्मिता
At that very moment, on the far shore of the lake, I found myself among women, endowed with all auspicious marks, astonished at my own female form.
मां दृष्ट्वा ताः समायांतीमपृच्छंश्च मुहुर्मुहुः । स्त्रिय ऊचुः - का त्वं कुतः समायाता कथयात्मविचेष्टितम्
Seeing me approaching, those women questioned me again and again: 'Who are you? From where have you come? Tell us about yourself and your actions.'
तासां प्रियकथां श्रुत्वा मयोक्तं तन्निशामय । कुतः कोऽहं समायातः कथं वा योषिदाकृतिः
Hearing their kind words, I replied, 'Listen to this: From where have I come? Who am I? How did I take on a woman's form?'
स्वप्नवद्दृश्यते सर्वं किं वा मुग्धोऽस्मि भूतले । तच्छ्रुत्वा मद्वचो देवी प्रोवाच मधुरस्वनैः
'Everything appears as if in a dream, or perhaps I am bewildered on this earth.' Hearing my words, a goddess spoke with sweet tones.
वृंदानाम्नी पुरी चेयं कृष्णचंद्रप्रिया सदा । अहं च ललितादेवी तुर्यातीता च निष्कला
'This is the city called Vṛndā, always dear to Kṛṣṇa-candra; and I am Lalitā Devī, transcending the fourth state, without division.'
इत्युक्त्वा च महादेवी करुणा सांद्रमानसा । मां प्रत्याह पुनर्देवी समागच्छ मया सह
Having spoken thus, the great goddess, her mind full of deep compassion, addressed me again: 'Come with me, O goddess.'
अन्याश्च योषितः सर्वाः कृष्णपादपरायणाः । ताश्च मां प्रवदंत्येवं समागच्छानया सह
And all the other women, devoted to Krishna's feet, also speak of me in this way, saying, 'Come together with her.'
ततोनुकृष्णचंद्रस्य चतुर्दशाक्षरो मनुः । कृपया कथितस्तस्या देव्याश्चापि महात्मनः
Then, out of compassion, the fourteen-syllable mantra of Krishna Chandra was revealed to her by the great goddess.
तत्क्षणादेव तत्साम्यमलभं विविधोपमा । ताभिः सह गतास्तत्र यत्र कृष्णः सनातनः
At that very moment, I attained equality with them in every way; together with them, I went to the place where Krishna, the Eternal One, was.
केवलं सच्चिदानंदः स्वयंयोषिन्मयः प्रभुः । योषिदानंदहृदयो दृष्ट्वा मां प्राब्रवीन्मुहुः
There, the Lord, who is pure existence, consciousness, and bliss, who himself takes the form of a woman, whose heart delights in women, seeing me, spoke to me again and again.