तत्र पृष्टं मया पूर्वं विष्णोर्नामसहस्रकम् । तदाहं ब्रह्मणा चोक्तं नाहं जानामि नारद
There, I previously asked about Vishnu's thousand names; then Brahma told me, 'I do not know them, O Narada.'
जानात्ययं महारुद्रस्तत्सर्वं कथयिष्यति । महाश्चर्यं तु संप्राप्य ह्यागतस्तव सन्निधौ
He said, 'Great Rudra knows all this; he will tell you everything.' Having encountered this great wonder, I have come into your presence.
अस्मिन्कलियुगे घोरेऽल्पायुषश्चैव मानवाः । विधर्मेषु रता नित्यं नामनिष्ठा न वै पुनः
In this terrible Kali age, humans are short-lived and always delight in unrighteousness; they no longer remain steadfast in the names.
पाखंडिनस्तथा विप्रा धर्मेषु विरताः सदा । संध्याहीन व्रतभ्रष्टा दुष्टा मलिनरूपिणः
The Brahmins, too, are heretics, always turned away from dharma; neglecting the sandhya rites and vows, they are corrupt and impure in form.
यथा विप्रास्तथा क्षत्रा वैश्याश्चैव पुनः पुनः । एवं शूद्रास्तथान्ये च न वै भागवता नराः
Just as with the Brahmins, so too with the Kshatriyas and again the Vaishyas; likewise the Shudras and others—men are no longer devotees of Bhagavan.
शूद्रा द्विजातिबाह्याश्च कलौ विश्वेश्वर प्रभो । धर्माधर्मौ न जानंति हितं वाऽहितमेव वा
O Lord of the universe, O master, in Kali, Shudras and those outside the twice-born orders do not know dharma or adharma, nor what is beneficial or harmful.
एवं ज्ञात्वा ह्यहं स्वामिन्नागतः संनिधौ तव । पुनश्च नाममाहात्म्यं श्रुतं वै ब्रह्मणो मुखात्
Knowing this, O Lord, I have come into your presence; again I have heard the greatness of the name from Brahma's own mouth.
त्वं देवः सर्वदेवानां त्वं नाथो मम सर्वदा । त्रिपुरारिश्च विश्वात्मा धाता त्वं च पुनः पुनः
You are the god of all gods, you are always my master; you are the slayer of Tripura, the soul of the universe, and again and again the creator.
कथयस्व प्रसादेन विष्णोर्नामसहस्रकम् । सौभाग्यजननं पुंसां परं भक्तिकरं सदा
By your grace, tell me Vishnu's thousand names, which always bring supreme good fortune to people and foster the highest devotion.
ब्राह्मणानां ब्रह्मदं च क्षत्रियाणां जयप्रदम् । वैश्यानां धनदं नित्यं शूद्राणां सुखदायकम्
They grant knowledge of Brahman to Brahmins, victory to Kshatriyas, constant wealth to Vaishyas, and happiness to Shudras.
तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्सकाशान्महेश्वर । त्वं समर्थोऽसि भक्तानां सर्वदा केशवं प्रति
Therefore, I wish to hear them from you, O Maheshvara; you are always able to speak of Keshava for the sake of devotees.
कथयस्व प्रसादेन यदि गोप्यं न सुव्रत । इदं पवित्रं परमं सर्वतीर्थमयं सदा
By your grace, tell me if it is not to be kept secret, O virtuous one; this is always the most sacred, supreme, and the essence of all holy places.
अतो वै श्रोतुमिच्छामि वद विश्वेश्वर प्रभो । श्रुत्वा नारदवाक्यानि विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः
Therefore I wish to hear it; speak, O Lord of the universe, O master. Hearing Narada's words, his eyes widened in astonishment.
रोमांचितस्ततो जातो विष्णोर्नामानि संस्मरन् । ईश्वर उवाच- एतद्गोप्यं परं ब्रह्मन्विष्णोर्नामसहस्रकम्
Then, his hair standing on end, recalling Vishnu's names, Ishvara spoke: 'O Brahman, this thousand names of Vishnu is supremely secret.'
एतच्छ्रुत्वा नरो वत्स न लभेद्दुर्गतिं क्वचित् । कदाचिच्च गते काले पार्वती मामुवाच ह
Hearing this, O child, a person will never fall into misfortune anywhere; and once, when some time had passed, Pārvatī spoke to me.
पार्वत्युवाच - कैलासाधिपते मह्यं कथयस्व यथातथम् । त्वं किं जपसि देवेश परैश्वर्यसमाहितः
Pārvatī said: O Lord of Kailāsa, tell me truly and completely—what is it that you recite, O Lord of the gods, absorbed in supreme sovereignty?
सदा त्वं भस्मलिप्तांगः कृत्तिवासाः सदा कथम् । जटाधरः कथं जातो वद विश्वेश्वर प्रभो
Why is it that you always anoint your body with ash, always wear a hide, and keep matted hair? Tell me, O Lord of all, O Master of the universe.
त्वं देवः सर्वदेवानां त्वं गुरुः सर्वकर्मणाम् । त्वं पतिर्मम विश्वेश विश्वनाथ जगत्प्रभो
You are the god of all gods, you are the teacher of all actions; you are my husband, O Lord of the universe, Lord of all, Master of the world.
महादेव उवाच- इति पृष्टं मम ब्रह्मन्पार्वत्या च पुनः पुनः । तदा सर्वं मया ख्यातं तस्याश्चाग्रे विशेषतः
Mahādeva said: Thus, O Brahman, when Pārvatī questioned me again and again, I revealed everything to her, especially in her presence.
शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं पार्वतीं प्रति । येन प्रसन्नो भगवान्मुक्तिदाता न संशयः
Listen, O Nārada, I will tell you what was spoken to Pārvatī, by which the Blessed Lord, the giver of liberation, is pleased—there is no doubt.
ममायं तु पिता साक्षाद्बन्धुश्चैव तु सर्वदा । तस्याहं सर्वदा भक्तो ह्ययं मम पतिः सदा
He is truly my father, directly, and always my kinsman; I am always his devotee, and he is always my Lord.
तदहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुष्व गदतो मम । सूत उवाच- एवमुक्त्वा नारदाय कथयामास वै द्विजाः
Therefore I will now explain—listen as I speak. Sūta said: Having spoken thus to Nārada, he narrated it, O twice-born ones.
उमायै यत्पुरा प्रोक्तं विष्णोर्नामसहस्रकम् । महेशाच्चैव तत्प्राप्तं कैलासे नारदेन वै
That which was formerly spoken to Umā—the thousand names of Viṣṇu—was obtained from Maheśa by Nārada on Kailāsa.
कदाचिद्दैवयोगेन कैलासात्स समागतः । नैमिषारण्यसंज्ञं तु तीर्थं वै परमाद्भुतम्
Once, by divine arrangement, he came from Kailāsa to the wondrous holy place called Naimiṣāraṇya.
तत्रस्था ऋषयः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा तं ऋषिसत्तमम् । पूजां चक्रुर्विशेषेण नारदाय महात्मने
There, all the sages, seeing that best of seers, performed special worship for Nārada, the great-souled one.
आगतं नारदं ज्ञात्वा विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनाः । पुष्पवृष्टिं प्रचक्रुस्ते वैष्णवा द्विजसत्तमाः
Knowing that Nārada had arrived, their eyes wide with wonder, the foremost Vaiṣṇava twice-borns showered flowers.
पाद्यमर्घ्यं ततः कृत्वा कृत्वा चारार्तिकं ततः । निवेद्य फलमूलानि दंडवत्पतिता भुवि
Then, after offering water for washing the feet and arghya, and performing the auspicious waving of lights, they presented fruits and roots, and fell prostrate to the ground.
ऊचुश्च कृतकृत्याः स्म देशे ह्यस्मिन्महामुने । भवतो दर्शनं जातं पवित्रं पापनाशनम्
They said, 'We are fulfilled, O great sage, for in this place your appearance has occurred, which is pure and destroys sin.'
त्वत्प्रसादाच्च देवेश पुराणानि श्रुतानि च । ब्रह्मन्केन प्रकारेण सर्वपापक्षयो भवेत्
And by your grace, O Lord of gods, we have heard the Purāṇas and the Vedas; O Brahman, by what means can all sins be destroyed?
विना दानेन तपसा विना तीर्थ तपो मखैः । विना दानैर्विना ध्यानैर्विना चेंद्रियनिग्रहैः । विना शास्त्रसमूहैश्च कथं मुक्तिरवाप्यते
Without charity, without austerity, without pilgrimage, penance, or sacrifices; without gifts, without meditation, without restraint of the senses, and without collections of scriptures—how is liberation attained?