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?
यस्य वै नाममहिमा श्रुत्वा मोक्षमवाप्नुयात् । तन्मुखं तु महत्तीर्थं तन्मुखं क्षेत्रमेव च
Hearing the glory of whose name grants liberation—such a mouth is itself a great pilgrimage, such a mouth is indeed a sacred field.
यन्मुखे रामरामेति तन्मुखं सर्वकामिकम् । कानि वै तस्य नामानि कति वीर्याणि सुव्रत
The mouth that utters 'Rāma, Rāma' is the fulfiller of all desires; O virtuous one, what are His names, and how many are His powers?
तत्सर्वं च विशेषेण मम ब्रूहि पितामह । ब्रह्मोवाच- व्यापकोऽयं सदा विष्णुः परमात्मा सनातनः
Tell me all of this in detail, O Pitāmaha. Brahmā said: Viṣṇu is ever-pervading, the supreme soul, eternal.
अनादिनिधनः श्रीमान्भूतात्मा भूतभावनः । यस्मादहं हि संजातो सोऽयं विष्णुः सदावतु
He is without beginning or end, glorious, the soul of all beings, the creator of all existence; from whom I myself was born—may that Viṣṇu always protect.
सोऽयं कालस्य कालो वै सोऽयं मम तु पूर्वजः । अक्षयः पुंडरीकाक्षो मतिमानव्ययः पुमान्
He is the time of time itself, He is my elder; imperishable, lotus-eyed, wise, and unchanging.
शेषशायी सदा विष्णुः सहस्रशीर्षा महत्प्रभुः । सर्वभूतमयः साक्षाद्विश्वरूपो जनार्दनः
Viṣṇu ever rests on Śeṣa, thousand-headed, the great Lord; He is the essence of all beings, manifest, the universal form, Janārdana.
कैटभारिरयं विष्णुर्धाता देवो जगत्पतिः । तस्याहं नामगोत्रं च न वेद्मि पुरुषर्षभ
This Viṣṇu is the slayer of Kaiṭabha, the creator, the Lord of the world; O best of men, I do not know His full names and lineages.
वेदवाद्यप्यहं तात नाहं ज्ञाता कदाचन । अतस्त्वं गच्छ देवर्षे यत्रास्ति किल विश्वराट्
Though I am versed in the Vedas, O dear one, I have never known them; therefore, O sage among the gods, go to where the Lord of the universe is.
स च तत्त्वं मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वं ते कथयिष्यति । स एव पुरुषः श्रीमान्कैलासाधिपतिः सदा
He, O best of sages, will tell you everything in truth; that illustrious Lord, the ruler of Kailāsa, always.
सर्वेषां विष्णुभक्तानामयं श्रेष्ठः परात्परः । पंचवक्त्रो ह्युमाकांतः सर्वदुःखनिबर्हणः
He is the highest among all devotees of Viṣṇu, supreme beyond the supreme; five-faced, beloved of Umā, remover of all suffering.
विश्वेश्वरो विश्वनाथः सर्वदा भक्तवत्सलः । तत्र गच्छ सुरश्रेष्ठ तत्सर्वं कथयिष्यति
He is Lord of the universe, master of all, ever affectionate to devotees; go there, O best of gods, he will tell you everything.
पितुर्वचनमाकर्ण्य तत्र गंतुं प्रचक्रमे । विज्ञातुं नाममाहात्म्यं कैलासभवनं प्रति
Hearing his father's words, he set out to go there, to learn the greatness of the Name, towards the abode of Kailāsa.
यत्र विश्वेश्वरो देवो नित्यं तिष्ठति भूतिदः । ददर्श नारदस्तत्र देवं तं सुरपूजितम्
There, where the Lord of the universe, the giver of all beings, always resides, Nārada saw that god, worshipped by the gods.
कैलासशिखरासीनं देवदेवं जगद्गुरुम् । पंचवक्त्रं दशभुजं त्रिनेत्रं शूलपाणिनम्
He saw the god of gods, the teacher of the world, seated on the summit of Kailāsa, five-faced, ten-armed, three-eyed, holding a trident.
कपालिनं सखट्वांगं तीक्ष्णं शूलासिधारिणम् । पिनाकधारिणं भीमं वरदं वृषवाहनम्
Bearing a skull, with a staff, wielding sharp trident and sword, holding the bow Pināka, formidable, bestower of boons, riding the bull.
भस्मांगं व्यालशोभाढ्यं शशांककृतशेखरम् । नीलजीमूतसंकाशं सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम्
His body smeared with ashes, adorned with serpents, crowned with the crescent moon, dark as a rain cloud, shining like ten million suns.
क्रीडंतं तत्र देवेशं साष्टांगं दंडवत्पुनः । तं दृष्ट्वा तु महादेवो विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः 6.71.
Seeing the Lord of the gods playing there, I again bowed down to him with eightfold prostration; beholding him, Mahadeva's eyes widened in astonishment.
वैष्णवानां परः श्रेष्ठः प्राह वाडवसत्तमम् । कस्मादिह समायातो वद देवर्षिसत्तम
The supreme best among the Vaishnavas addressed the foremost of the Vadavas: 'O excellent sage among the gods, tell me, why have you come here?
नारद उवाच- एकस्मिन्नेव काले तु गतोऽहं ब्रह्मणोंतिकम् । श्रुतं तत्र मया देव विष्णोर्माहात्म्यमुत्तमम्
Narada said: At one time, I went to Brahma's presence, and there, O god, I heard the supreme greatness of Vishnu.
ब्रह्मणा कथितं तत्र ममाग्रे देवसत्तम । नाम्नोऽस्य यावती शक्तिः सा श्रुता ब्रह्मणो मुखात्
There, O best of gods, Brahma himself spoke before me; all the power of his name I heard directly from Brahma's mouth.