महेश उवाच- एकलक्षं पंचविंशत्सहस्रा पर्वतास्तथा । तेषां मध्ये महत्पुण्यं बद्रिकाश्रममुत्तमम्
Mahesha said: There are one hundred twenty-five thousand mountains, and among them, the most sacred and excellent is the hermitage of Badrika.
नरनारायणो देवो यत्र तिष्ठति नारद । तस्य स्वरूपं तेजश्च वक्ष्यामीह च सांप्रतम्
O Narada, it is there that the divine Nara and Narayana reside; I shall now describe their form and brilliance to you.
हिमपर्वतशृंगे च कृष्णाकारतया द्विज । द्वौ पुरुषौ तत्र वर्तेते नरनारायणावुभौ
On the peak of the snowy mountain, in the form of Krishna, two men dwell there—both Nara and Narayana.
श्वेत एकस्तु पुरुषः कृष्णो ह्येकतमः पुनः । तेन मार्गेण ये यांति हिमाचलकृतोद्यमाः
One of them is white, and the other is dark; those who travel that path, striving to reach the Himalayas—
पिंगलश्वेतवर्णश्च जटाधारी महाप्रभुः । कृष्णो नारायणो ह्येष जगदादिर्महाप्रभुः
One is tawny-white in color, bearing matted hair, a great lord; the other is Krishna, Narayana, the primeval lord of the universe.
चतुर्बाहुर्महान्श्रीमान्व्यक्तोऽव्यक्तः सनातनः । उत्तरायणे महापूजा जायते तत्र सुव्रत
He is four-armed, great, splendid, manifest and unmanifest, eternal; during the northern solstice, a great worship is performed there, O virtuous one.
षण्मासादिकपर्यंतं पूजा नैव च जायते । हिमव्याप्तं तदा जातं यावद्वै दक्षिणं भवेत्
For six months, until the end of the period, worship does not take place; at that time, it is covered with snow, until the southern course begins.
अत एतादृशो देवो न भूतो न भविष्यति । तत्र देवा वसंतीह ऋषीणां चाश्रमास्तथा
Such a deity has never existed before, nor will exist in the future; there, the gods dwell, as well as the hermitages of the sages.
अग्निहोत्राणि वेदाश्च ध्वनिः प्रश्रूयते सदा । तस्य वै दर्शनं कार्यं कोटिहत्याविनाशनम्
There, sacrificial fires and the Vedas are always heard resounding; seeing him destroys the sin of killing millions.
अलकनंदा यत्र गंगा तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत् । कृत्वा स्नानं तु वै तत्र महापापात्प्रमुच्यते
Where the Alakananda, the Ganga, flows, one should bathe there; after bathing at that place, one is freed from great sin.
यत्र विश्वेश्वरो देवस्तिष्ठत्येव न संशयः । एकस्मिन्नवसरे ब्रह्मन्सुतपस्तप्तवानहम्
Where the Lord of all, the god, truly abides—there is no doubt; at one time, O Brahman, I performed austerities.
तदा नारायणो देवो भक्तानां हि कृपाकरः । अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षादीश्वरो गरुडध्वजः । सुप्रसन्नोऽब्रवीन्मां वै वरं वरय सुव्रत
Then Nārāyaṇa, the god, compassionate to devotees, the imperishable Person, manifest Lord, bearer of the Garuḍa banner, was well-pleased and spoke to me: 'Choose a boon, O steadfast one.'
श्रीनारायण उवाच-। यद्यदीप्ससि देव त्वं तं तं कामं ददाम्यहम् । त्वं कैलासविभुः साक्षाद्रुद्रो वै विश्वपालकः
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: 'Whatever you desire, O god, that wish I grant you. You are the lord of Kailāsa, manifest Rudra, protector of the universe.'
रुद्र उवाच-। अलं गृह्णामि भो देव सुप्रसन्नो जनार्दन । द्वौ वरौ मम दीयेतां यदि दातुं त्वमिच्छसि
Rudra said: 'Enough, O god, I accept, O gracious Janārdana. Let two boons be granted to me, if you wish to give.'
तव भक्तिः सदैवास्तु भक्तराजो भवाम्यहम् । सर्वे लोका ब्रुवंत्वेवमयं भक्तः सदैव हि
May your devotion always be mine; may I become the foremost of your devotees. Let all worlds declare thus: 'He is ever a devotee.'
तव प्रसादाद्देवेश मुक्तिदाता भवाम्यहम् । ये लोका मां भजिष्यंति तेषां दाता न संशयः
By your grace, O Lord of gods, may I become the giver of liberation. Those worlds that worship me—I shall be their giver, without doubt.
विष्णुभक्त इति ख्यातो लोके चैव भवाम्यहम् । यस्याहं वरदाता तु तस्य मुक्तिर्भवेत्प्रभो
I shall be known in the world as a devotee of Viṣṇu; for whom I am the giver of boons, for him, O Lord, liberation shall be attained.
जटिलो भस्मलिप्तांगो ह्यहं वै तव संनिधौ । तव चरणप्रसादेन लोके ख्यातो भवाम्यहम्
With matted hair and body smeared with ashes, I shall be in your presence; by the grace of your feet, I shall be renowned in the world.
सूत उवाच- एकदा नारदो द्रष्टुं पांडवान्दुःखकर्शितान् । ययौ काम्यवनं विप्रः सत्कृतस्तैर्यथाविधि
Sūta said: Once, Nārada went to see the Pāṇḍavas, afflicted by sorrow; he went to Kāmyavana, O Brahman, and was duly honored by them.
अथ नत्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठं युधिष्ठिर उवाच ह । भगवन्कर्मणा केन दुःखाब्धौ पतिता वयम्
Then, after bowing to the best of sages, Yudhiṣṭhira spoke: 'O Lord, by what action have we fallen into this ocean of sorrow?'
तमुवाच ऋषिर्दुःखं त्यज त्वं पांडुनंदन । सुखदुःखसमाहारे संसारे कः सुखी नरः
The sage replied: 'Abandon sorrow, O son of Pāṇḍu. In this world, which is a mixture of happiness and sorrow, who among men is truly happy?'
ईश्वरोपि हि न स्थायी पीड्यते देहसंचयैः । न दुःखरहितः कश्चिद्देही दुःखसहो यतः
Even the Lord is not constant, afflicted by bodily accumulations; no embodied being is free from sorrow, for all must endure suffering.
शरीरं सवितुर्यस्माद्राहुस्तद्ग्रसते बली । राहोरपि शिरश्छिन्नं शौरिणामृतभोजने
The body, they say, is devoured by Rāhu, who is powerful; even Rāhu's severed head was consumed by Śauri during the nectar feast.
सोऽपि शार्ङ्गधरो देवः क्षिप्तः सागरगह्वरे । जालंधरेण वीरेण निहतः सोऽपि शंभुना
Even the god bearing the Śārṅga bow was cast into the depths of the ocean; he was slain by the hero Jālaṃdhara, and Jālaṃdhara himself was killed by Śambhu.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच-। कोऽसौ जालंधरो वीरः कस्य पुत्रः कुतो बली । कथं जालंधरं संख्ये हतवान्वृषभध्वजः
Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'Who is this hero Jālaṃdhara? Whose son is he? Whence his strength? How did Vṛṣabhadhvaja slay Jālaṃdhara in battle?'
एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व विस्तरेण तपोधन । राज्ञा स एव मुक्तस्तु कथयामास नारदः
Tell me all this in detail, O ascetic rich in austerity. Freed by the king, Nārada began to narrate.
नारद उवाच-। शृणु भूप कथां दिव्यामशेषाघौघनाशिनीम् । ईशानसिंधुसून्वोश्च संग्रामं परमाद्भुतम्
Nārada said: 'Hear, O king, the divine tale that destroys all heaps of sin—the wondrous battle between Īśāna and the son of the ocean.'
एकदा गिरिशं स्तोतुं प्रययौ पाकशासनः । अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णो देवैर्बहुभिरावृतः
Once, Indra went to praise Giriśa, surrounded by groups of apsarās and attended by many gods.
गंधर्वैरावृतो देवस्तंत्रीशिक्षासु कोविदैः । रंभा तिलोत्तमा रामा कर्पूराकदली तथा
The god was surrounded by Gandharvas, skilled in the art of stringed instruments; Rambha, Tilottama, Rama, Karpura, and Akadali were there as well.
मदना भारती कामा सर्वाभरणभूषिताः । नर्तक्यश्च तथा चान्याः समाजग्मुः सुरांतिकम्
Madanā, Bhāratī, Kāmā, all adorned with every ornament, and other dancers also came together to the assembly of the gods.