एकदा नारदो द्रष्टुं पितरं सुसमाहितः । जगाम मेरुशिखरं सिद्धचारणसेवितम्
Once, Nārada, with a focused mind, went to see his father at the peak of Meru, which is attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas.
तत्र देवं समासीनं ब्रह्माणं जगतां पतिम् । नमस्कृत्याब्रवीद्विप्रा नारदो मुनिसत्तमः
There, having bowed to Brahmā, the lord of the worlds, who was seated, the best of sages, Nārada, spoke to him.
नारद उवाच- नाम्नोऽस्य यावतीशक्तिर्वद विश्वेश्वर प्रभो । कीदृक्तु नाममहिमा अव्ययस्य महात्मनः
Nārada said: O Lord of the Universe, O master, tell me the extent of the power of this name; what is the true greatness of the imperishable, great-souled one’s name?
योऽयं विश्वेश्वरः साक्षादयं नारायणो हरिः । परमात्मा हृषीकेशः सर्वजीवेषु संगतः
This very Lord of the Universe is directly Nārāyaṇa, Hari, the supreme self, Hṛṣīkeśa, who is present in all beings.
मायाविमोहिताः सर्वे भगवंतमधोक्षजम् । नैव जानंत्यसारेऽस्मिन्नरा मूढाः कलौ युगे
All people, deluded by Māyā, do not know the Lord, the transcendent one, in this insubstantial age; men are bewildered in the Kali age.
ब्रह्मोवाच- अस्मिन्कलौ विशेषेण नामोच्चारणपूर्वकम् । भक्तिः कार्या यथा वत्स तथा त्वं श्रोतुमर्हसि
Brahmā said: Especially in this Kali age, devotion should be practiced through the utterance of the name; listen, my child, to how this is to be done.
दृष्टं परेषां पापानामनुक्तानां विशोधनम् । विष्णोर्जिष्णोः प्रयत्नेन स्मरणं पापनाशनम्
It is seen that the remembrance of Viṣṇu, the victorious one, with effort, destroys the sins of others, even those not confessed.
मिथ्या ज्ञात्वा ततः सर्वं हरेर्नामपठन्जपन् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो याति विष्णोः परंपदम्
Knowing all else to be false, one who recites and repeats the name of Hari becomes free from all sins and attains the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
ये वदंति नरा नित्यं हरिरित्यक्षरद्वयम् । तस्योच्चारणमात्रेण विमुक्तास्ते न संशयः
Those men who always say the two syllables 'Hari'—by the mere utterance of that, they are liberated, without doubt.
प्रायश्चित्तानि सर्वाणि कृष्णानुस्मरणं परम् । प्रातर्निशि तथा सायं मध्याह्नादिषु संस्मरन्
All acts of atonement are surpassed by the remembrance of Kṛṣṇa; remembering him in the morning, at night, in the evening, and at midday.
नारायणमवाप्नोति सद्यः पापक्षयं नरः । विष्णुसंस्मरता देव समस्तक्लेशसंक्षये
A person who remembers Viṣṇu attains Nārāyaṇa at once, and all his sins are destroyed, O god; by meditating on Viṣṇu, all suffering comes to an end.
मुक्तिं प्रयाति स्वर्गाप्तिस्तस्य विष्णोस्तु कीर्त्तनात् । वासुदेवे मनो यस्य जपहोमार्चनादिषु
Through the praise of Viṣṇu, one attains liberation and reaches heaven; whose mind is fixed on Vāsudeva in recitation, sacrifice, worship, and the like.
तदक्षयं विजानीयाद्यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश । क्व नाकपृष्ठगमनं पुनरावृत्तिलक्षणम्
Know that this merit is inexhaustible, lasting as long as the fourteen Indras; where is the journey to heaven, where is the mark of rebirth?
क्व जपो वासुदेवस्य मुक्तिबीजमनुत्तमम् । तन्मुखं परमं तीर्थं यत्रावर्त्तं वितन्वती
Where is the recitation of Vāsudeva, the supreme seed of liberation? That mouth is the highest sacred place, from which the sacred sound flows.
नमो नारायणायेति भाति प्राची सरस्वती । तस्मादहर्निशं विष्णुस्मरणात्पुरुषोत्तमः
The eastern Sarasvatī shines forth with the utterance 'Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa'; therefore, by remembering Viṣṇu day and night, the Supreme Person—
न याति नरकं पुत्र संक्षीणकलिकल्मषः । सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं भाषितं मम सुव्रत
—does not go to hell, O son, his sins of Kali age diminished; truly, truly, again truly, this is my spoken word, O virtuous one.
नामोच्चारणमात्रेण महापापात्प्रमुच्यते । रामरामेति रामेति रामेति च पुनर्जपन्
By merely uttering the name, one is freed from great sins; repeatedly reciting 'Rāma Rāma,' 'Rāma,' and again 'Rāma.'
स चांडालोऽपि पूतात्मा जायते नात्र संशयः । कुरुक्षेत्रं तथा काशी गया वै द्वारिका तथा
Even a caṇḍāla becomes pure in soul, there is no doubt of this; Kurukṣetra, likewise Kāśī, Gayā, and also Dvārakā—
सर्वं तीर्थं कृतं तेन नामोच्चारणमात्रतः । कृष्णकृष्णेति कृष्णेति इति वायो जपन्पठन्
All holy places are attained by merely uttering the name; reciting and chanting 'Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa,' 'Kṛṣṇa,' thus—
इहलोकं परित्यज्य मोदते विष्णुसंनिधौ । नृसिंहेति मुदा विप्र सततं प्रजपन्पठन्
Abandoning this world, he delights in the presence of Viṣṇu; joyfully reciting and chanting 'Nṛsiṃha,' O brāhmaṇa, always—
महापापात्प्रमुच्येत कलौ भागवतो नरः । ध्यायन्कृते यजन्यज्ञैस्त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽर्चयन्
A devotee is freed from great sins in the Kali age; in Kṛta he meditates, in Tretā he sacrifices, in Dvāpara he worships—
यदाप्नोति तदाप्नोति कलौ संकीर्त्य केशवम् । एतज्ज्ञात्वा निमग्नाश्च जगदात्मनि केशवे
Whatever is attained by those means is attained in Kali by chanting Keśava; knowing this, those immersed in Keśava, the soul of the world—
सर्वपापपरिक्षीणा यांति विष्णोः परं पदम् । मत्स्यः कूर्मो वराहश्च नृसिंहो वामनस्तथा
Having exhausted all sins, they reach the supreme abode of Viṣṇu; Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Nṛsiṃha, likewise Vāmana—
रामो रामश्च कृष्णश्च बुद्धः कल्की ततः स्मृतः । एते दशावताराश्च पृथिव्यां परिकीर्तिताः
Rāma, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Buddha, then Kalki is remembered; these ten incarnations are proclaimed on earth.
एतेषां नाममात्रेण ब्रह्महा शुध्यते सदा । प्रातः पठन्जपन्ध्यायन्विष्णोर्नाम यथा तथा
By merely uttering their names, even a slayer of a brāhmaṇa is always purified; reciting, chanting, and meditating on Viṣṇu's name, as prescribed, in the morning—
मुच्यते नात्र संदेहः स वै नारायणो भवेत् । सूत उवाच- श्रुत्वा वै नारदो ह्येतद्विस्मयं परमं गतः
He is freed, there is no doubt of this; he indeed becomes Nārāyaṇa. Sūta said: Having heard this, Nārada was greatly amazed.
उवाच पितरं तत्र किमुक्तं देवसत्तम । देवाः सहस्रशः संति रुद्राः संति सहस्रशः
He said to his father there: 'What has been said, O best of gods? There are thousands of gods, thousands of Rudras—'
पितरः संति शतशः यक्षाश्च किन्नरास्तथा । भूताः प्रेताः पिशाचाश्च ये केचिद्देवयोनयः
'There are hundreds of ancestors, and likewise Yakṣas and Kinnaras; spirits, ghosts, Piśācas, and whatever other divine beings exist.'
तेषां नाम्ना च माहात्म्यं श्रुतं दृष्टं तथा न च । श्रीविष्णोर्नाममाहात्म्यं यादृशं च श्रुतं मया
I have heard and seen the greatness of their names, but not as I have heard of the greatness of the name of Śrī Viṣṇu.
यस्य वै नाममात्रेण मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । किं वै तीर्थकृते देव पृथिव्यामटने कृते
By merely uttering His name, one is surely liberated—there is no doubt of this; so what is the need for performing pilgrimages or wandering the earth, O Lord?