शरणं वां प्रपन्नोऽस्मि करुणानिकराकरौ । प्रसादं कुरु तं दास्यं मयि दुष्टेऽपराधिनि
I have taken refuge in you both, ocean of compassion; show me your favor, grant me that servitude, though I am wicked and full of offense.
इत्येवं जपता नित्यं स्थातव्यं पद्यपंचकम् । अचिरादेव तद्दास्यमिच्छता मुनिसत्तम
Thus, by always reciting this five-versed hymn, O best of sages, one who desires that servitude will attain it without delay.
बाह्यधर्मा मया ह्येते संक्षेपेणोपवर्णिताः । आंतरः परमो धर्मः प्रपन्नानामथोच्यते
I have briefly described these external duties; now the supreme internal duty for those who have sought refuge will be spoken.
कृष्णप्रिया सखीभावं समाश्रित्य प्रयत्नतः । तयोः सेवां प्रकुर्वीत दिवानक्तमतंद्रितः
One should diligently adopt the attitude of Krishna's beloved companion and serve them day and night without fatigue.
उक्तो मंत्रस्तदंगानि तथा तस्याधिकारिणः । तद्धर्माश्च तथा तेभ्यः फलं मंत्रस्य नारद
The mantra has been declared, along with its limbs and the qualifications for it; likewise, the duties and the fruits of the mantra for those persons, O Narada.
अनुतिष्ठ त्वमप्येतत्तयोर्दास्यमवाप्स्यसि । स्वाधिकारक्षये विप्र संदेहो नात्र कश्चन
You too should practice this; you will attain service to them. When your qualification is exhausted, O Brahmin, there is no doubt in this matter.
सकृन्मात्रप्रपन्नाय तवास्मीति च याचते । निजदास्यं हरिर्दद्यान्न मेऽत्रास्ति विचारणा
If someone even once seeks refuge and says, 'I am yours,' Hari grants his own service; I have no deliberation about this.
अत्र ते वर्णयिष्यामि रहस्यं परमाद्भुतम् । श्रुतपूर्वं मया कृष्णात्साक्षाद्भगवतः परम्
Here I will describe to you a secret of the highest wonder, which I have previously heard directly from Krishna, the Supreme Lord.
एष ते कथितो धर्म आंतरो मुनिसत्तम । गुह्यादेष गुह्यतमो गोपनीयः प्रयत्नतः
This internal duty has been told to you, O best of sages; it is the most secret among secrets and must be carefully concealed.
मंत्ररत्नमहं पूर्वं जपन्कैलासमूर्द्धनि । ध्यायन्नारायणं देवमवसं गहने वने
Formerly, I was reciting the jewel of mantras atop Mount Kailasa, meditating on Narayana, the god, dwelling in a deep forest.
ततस्तु भगवांस्तुष्टः प्रादुरास ममाग्रतः । व्रियतां वर इत्युक्ते मयाप्युद्घाट्य लोचने
Then the blessed Lord, pleased, appeared before me. When he said, 'Choose a boon,' I opened my eyes.
दृष्टो देवःप्रिया सार्द्धं संस्थितो गरुडोपरि । प्रणिपत्यावोचमहं वरदं कमलापतिम्
I saw the god, together with his beloved, seated upon Garuda. Bowing down, I addressed the boon-giving Lord of Lakshmi.
यद्रूपं ते कृपासिंधो परमानंददायकम् । सर्वानंदाश्रयं नित्यं मूर्तिमत्सर्वतोऽधिकम्
O ocean of mercy, whose form brings supreme joy, the eternal abode of all bliss, whose manifestation surpasses all.
निर्गुणं निष्क्रियं शांतं यद्ब्रह्मेति विदुर्बुधाः । तदहं द्रष्टुमिच्छामि चक्षुर्भ्यां परमेश्वर
That which is without qualities, without action, peaceful, which the wise know as Brahman—O Supreme Lord, I wish to see that with my eyes.
ततो मामाह भगवान्प्रपन्नं कमलापतिः । तदद्य द्रक्ष्यसे रूपं यत्ते मनसि कांक्षितम्
Then the Lord, the husband of Lakshmi, spoke to me, who had sought refuge: 'Today you will see the form you desire in your mind.'
यमुना पश्चिमे तीरे गच्छ वृंदावनं मम । इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे देवः प्रियासार्द्धं जगत्पतिः
'Go to Vrindavan on the western bank of the Yamuna.' Saying this, the Lord of the world vanished together with his beloved.
अहमप्यागतस्तर्हि यमुनायास्तटं शुभम् । तत्र कृष्णमपश्यं च सर्वदेवेश्वरेश्वरम्
Then I too arrived at the auspicious bank of the Yamuna, and there I saw Krishna, the Lord of all gods and lords.
गोपवेषधरं कांतं किशोरवयसान्वितम् । प्रियास्कंधे सुविन्यस्त वामहस्तं मनोहरम्
He was wearing the attire of a cowherd, charming, endowed with youthful age, his beautiful left hand resting on his beloved's shoulder.
हसंतं हासयतं तां मध्ये गोपीकदंबके । स्निग्धमेघसमाभासं कल्याणगुणमंदिरम्
Smiling and making her smile, among a group of gopis, resembling a tender raincloud, a mansion of auspicious virtues.
प्रहस्य च ततः कृष्णो मामाहामृतभाषणः । अहं ते दर्शनं यातो ज्ञात्वा रुद्र तवेप्सितम्
Then Krishna, smiling, addressed me with nectar-like words: 'I have come for your vision, knowing your desire, O Rudra.'
यदद्य मे त्वया दृष्टमिदं रूपमलौकिकम् । घनीभूतामलप्रेम सच्चिदानंदविग्रहम्
That form of Mine which you have seen today, so unworldly, is the embodiment of condensed, pure love, existence, consciousness, and bliss.
नीरूपं निर्गुणं व्यापि क्रियाहीनं परात्परम् । वदंत्युपनिषत्संघा इदमेव ममानघम्
The assemblies of the Upaniṣads declare this very form of Mine—formless, without qualities, all-pervading, actionless, supreme beyond the supreme—as stainless.
प्रकृत्युत्थगुणाभावादनंतत्वात्तथेश्वरम् । असिद्धत्वान्मद्गुणानां निर्गुणं मां वदंति हि
Because My qualities do not arise from nature, because I am infinite, and because My qualities are not established, they call Me without qualities, indeed.
अदृश्यत्वान्ममैतस्य रूपस्य चर्मचक्षुषा । अरूपं मां वदंत्येते वेदाः सर्वे महेश्वर
Because this form of Mine cannot be seen with the physical eye, all the Vedas, O great Lord, call Me formless.
व्यापकत्वाच्चिदंशेन ब्रह्मेति च विदुर्बुधाः । अकर्तृत्वात्प्रपंचस्य निष्क्रियं मां वदंति हि
Because I pervade all by a portion of consciousness, the wise know Me as Brahman; because I am not the doer of the world, they call Me inactive.
मायागुणैर्यतोमेंऽशा कुर्वंति सर्जनादिकम् । न करोमि स्वयं किंचित्सृष्ट्यादिकमहं शिव
Whatever portions of Mine perform creation and other acts through the qualities of Māyā, I Myself do not do anything at all, O Śiva, in creation and so on.
अहमासां महादेव गोपीनां प्रेमविह्वलः । क्रियांतरं न जानामि नात्मानमपि नारद
O great god, among these gopīs, overwhelmed by love, I know no other activity, nor even Myself, O Nārada.
विहराम्यनया नित्यमस्याः प्रेमवशीकृतः । इमां तु मत्प्रियां विद्धि राधिकां परदेवताम्
I always sport with this one, being subdued by her love; know this Rādhikā, My beloved, as the supreme goddess.
अस्याश्च परितः पश्य सख्यः शतसहस्रशः । नित्याः सर्वा इमा रुद्र यथाहं नित्यविग्रहः
And see all around her, hundreds of thousands of friends; all these are eternal, O Rudra, just as I am of eternal form.
गोपा गावो गोपिकाश्च सदा वृंदावनं मम । सर्वमेतन्नित्यमेव चिदानंदरसात्मकम्
The cowherds, the cows, and the gopīs, and Vṛndāvana itself, all this is always Mine, consisting of the essence of consciousness and bliss.