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?
नारद उवाच- कैलासशिखरासीनं देवदेवं जगद्गुरुम् । प्रणिपत्य महादेवं पर्यपृच्छदुमाप्रियम्
Nārada said: Bowing to Mahādeva, the beloved of Umā, who sits atop Kailāsa, the Lord of gods and teacher of the world, I questioned him.
पार्वत्युवाच- भगवंस्त्वं परो देवः सर्वज्ञः सर्वपूजितः । स त्वमत्त्यर्च्यते देवैरिंद्रसूर्यादिकैरपि
Pārvatī said: O Lord, you are supreme, all-knowing, and worshipped by all; even the gods such as Indra and Sūrya worship you.
लभंतेऽभिमतां सिद्धिं सर्वेऽभ्यर्च्य वरप्रदम् । त्वं जन्ममृत्युरहितः स्वयंभूः सर्वशक्तिमान्
All who worship the bestower of boons attain their desired success; you are without birth or death, self-born, and all-powerful.
सदा ध्यायसि किं स्वामिन्दिग्वासा मदनांतकः । तपश्चरसि कस्मात्त्वं जटिलो भस्मधूसरः
Why do you always meditate, O Lord, wearing directions as your garment, destroyer of Kāma? Why do you practice austerity, matted-haired and smeared with ash?
किं वा जपसि देवेश परं कौतूहलं हि मे । अनुग्राह्या यदा तेऽस्मि तत्त्वं कथय सुव्रतम्
Why do you recite, O Lord of the gods? I am greatly curious. Since I am to be favored by you, tell me the truth, O virtuous one.
महादेव उवाच- नेदं कस्यापि कथितं गोपनीयमिदं मम । किंतु वक्ष्यामि ते भद्रे त्वं भक्तासि प्रियासि मे
Mahādeva said: This has not been told to anyone; it is my secret. Yet I shall speak it to you, O blessed one, for you are my devoted and dear one.
पुरा सत्ययुगे देवि विशुद्धमतयोऽखिलाः । यजंति विष्णुमेवैकं ज्ञात्वा सर्वेश्वरेश्वरम्
Formerly, in the Satya Yuga, O goddess, all those of pure mind worshipped only Viṣṇu, knowing him as the Lord of all lords.
प्रयांति परमामृद्धिमैहिकामुष्मिकीं प्रिये । यां न प्राप्ताः सुराः सर्वे ऋषयः क्लेशसंयुताः
They attained the highest prosperity, both worldly and otherworldly, O beloved, which even all the gods and the ascetics burdened by hardship did not obtain.
ते तां गतिं प्रपद्यंते ये नामकृतनिश्चयाः । मन्मुखादपि संश्रुत्य देवा विष्णुबहिर्मुखाः
Those who are unwavering in their devotion attain that state; even the gods, having heard from my own mouth, turn away from Viṣṇu.
वेदैः पुराणैः सिद्धांतैर्भिन्नैर्विभ्रांतचेतसः । निश्चयं नाधिगच्छंति किं तत्वं किं परं पदम्
Confused in mind by the Vedas, Purāṇas, and differing doctrines, they do not reach certainty about what is truth or what is the supreme state.