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.
गंधर्वयक्षसिद्धास्तु नारदस्तुंबुरुस्तथा । किन्नरा मुहुराजग्मुस्तथा किंनरयोषितः
Gandharvas, Yakshas, Siddhas, as well as Narada and Tumburu, Kinnaras came repeatedly, along with the women of the Kinnaras.
वायुश्च वरुणश्चैव कुबेरो धनदस्तथा । यमश्चाग्निर्निर्ऋतिश्च ये चान्ये देवतागणाः
Vāyu, Varuṇa, Kubera the lord of wealth, Yama, Agni, Nirṛti, and the other hosts of deities also arrived.
विमानसंस्थो मघवा विमानस्थाः सुरांगनाः । स्ववाहनगतादेवाः कैलासं प्रययुर्जवात्
Maghavan sat in his aerial chariot, and the celestial women in theirs; the gods, mounted on their own vehicles, swiftly proceeded to Kailāsa.
ददृशुस्ते ततो देवाः कैलासं पर्वतोत्तमम् । महीधराणां सर्वेषां पृथिव्या इव मंडनम्
Then the gods beheld Kailāsa, the greatest of mountains, the ornament of the earth, surpassing all other mountains.
सर्वतः सुखदं शुद्धं सिद्धिराशिमिवस्थितम् । यत्र वृक्षाः कल्पवृक्षाः पाषाणाश्चिंतितप्रदाः
On every side it brings delight and purity, established like a treasury of siddhis; there, the trees are wish-fulfilling, and even the stones grant what is desired.
पुन्नागैर्नागचंपैश्च तिलकैर्देवदारुभिः । अशोकैः पाटलैश्चूतैर्मंदारैः शोभितो गिरिः
The mountain shone, adorned with punnāga, nāgachampa, tilaka, devadāru, aśoka, pāṭala, mango, and mandāra trees.
पर्यंतकवनामोदवाहका यत्र वायवः । पंगुत्वं बहुचारेण यांति ते मलयानिलाः
There, the winds carry the fragrance of the forest groves to the very ends; those Malaya breezes, wandering far, lose their swiftness.
वाप्यः स्फटिकसोपाना ह्यगाध विमलोदकाः । वैडूर्यनालसंसक्तसौवर्णनिभ पंकजाः
There are pools with crystal steps, deep and filled with pure water, their lotuses golden in hue, entwined with stems of beryl.
कुमुदानां द्युतिर्यत्र राजते सर्वतोदिशम् । कह्लारैः शौभितावाप्यः पिनद्धाः पद्मरागवत्
The radiance of water-lilies shines in every direction; the pools, adorned with kahlaras, are bordered by gems like padmarāga.
हरिन्मणिनिबद्धाश्च गोमेदैः सर्वतो वृताः । पद्मरागशिलाबद्धा नानाधातुविचित्रिताः
Bound with green jewels and encircled everywhere by garnets, set with padmarāga stones, they are adorned with a variety of metals.