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.
तुलापुरुषदानाद्यैरश्वमेधादिभिर्मखैः । वाराणसीप्रयागादि तीर्थस्नानादिभिः प्रिये
By gifts such as tulāpuruṣa, by sacrifices like aśvamedha, by bathing at holy places like Vārāṇasī and Prayāga, O beloved,
गयाश्राद्धादिभिः पित्र्यैर्वेदपाठादिभिर्जपैः । तपोभिरुग्रैर्नियमैर्यमैर्भूतदयादिभिः
By ancestral rites like those at Gayā, by recitation of the Vedas, by severe austerities, observances, restraints, and compassion for beings,
गुरुशुश्रूषणैः सेव्यैर्धर्मैर्वर्णाश्रमान्वितैः । ज्ञानध्यानादिभिः सम्यक्चरितैर्जन्मकोटिभिः
By service to the guru, by duties appropriate to varṇa and āśrama, by knowledge, meditation, and right conduct through millions of births,
न यांति तत्परं श्रेयो विष्णुं सर्वेश्वरेश्वरम् । सर्वभावैः समाश्रित्य पुराणपुरुषोत्तमम्
They do not attain that supreme good—Viṣṇu, Lord of all lords—unless they wholly take refuge in the ancient Supreme Person.
अनन्यगतयो मर्त्या भोगिनोऽपि परंतपे । ज्ञानवैराग्यरहिता ब्रह्मचर्यादिवर्जिताः
Even mortals whose minds are fixed on none but Him, though they are enjoyers, lacking knowledge and detachment, and devoid of celibacy and other vows,
सर्वधर्मोज्झिता विष्णोर्नाममात्रैकजल्पिनः । सुखेन यां गतिं यांति न तां सर्वेऽपि धार्मिकाः
Forsaking all other duties, uttering only Viṣṇu's name, they easily attain that state which all the righteous do not reach.
स्मर्त्तव्यः सततं विष्णुर्विस्मर्तव्यो न जातुचित् । सर्वे विधिनिषेधाः स्युरेतस्यैव विधिं कराः 6.71.
Viṣṇu must always be remembered, never forgotten at any time; all prescriptions and prohibitions are to be considered as serving this rule alone.
किंतु ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च निरंहसः । निर्भयं विष्णुनाम्नैव यथेष्टं पदमागताः
But Brahmā and the other gods, and sinless sages, have fearlessly reached the desired state by Viṣṇu's name alone.
अलब्ध्वा चात्मनः पूजां सम्यगाराधितो हरिः । मयास्मादपि च श्रेष्ठं वांच्छताहं कृतात्मना
Not having received proper worship for himself, Hari, though worshipped by me, desired something greater than this, being self-controlled.
ततः साक्षाज्जगन्नाथ प्रसन्नो भक्तवत्सलः । अंशांशेनात्मनैवैतान्पूजयामास केशवः
Then the Lord of the universe, pleased and affectionate to devotees, Keśava himself worshipped them with portions of his own self.
देवान्पितॄन्द्विजान्हव्यकव्याद्यैः करुणामयः । ततः प्रभृति पूज्यंते त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे
Compassionate to gods, ancestors, and twice-born, through offerings of oblations and ancestral rites, from that time onward, he is worshipped throughout the three worlds, among all moving and unmoving beings.
ब्रह्मादयः सुराः सर्वे प्रसादाच्छार्ङ्गधन्वनः । मां चोवाच यथा मत्तः पूज्यः श्रेष्ठो भविष्यसि
All the gods, beginning with Brahma, by the grace of the wielder of the Sharnga bow, spoke to me, saying: 'From me, you shall become worshipped and supreme.'
त्वामाराध्य तथा शंभो गृहीष्यामि वरं सदा । द्वापरादौ युगे भूत्वा कलया मानुषादिषु
Having thus worshipped you, O Shambhu, I shall always obtain the boon; in the Dvapara age, I will take birth among humans and others, through a portion of myself.
स्वागमैः कल्पितैस्त्वं च जनान्मद्विमुखान्कुरु । मां च गोपय येन स्यात्सृष्टिरेषोत्तरोत्तरा
With scriptures composed by you, turn people away from me; conceal me, so that creation may proceed successively.
एष मोहं सृजाम्याशु योजनान्मोहयिष्यति । त्वं च रुद्र महाबाहो मोहशास्त्राणि कारय
I will swiftly create this delusion, which will bewilder beings; and you, O Rudra, mighty-armed, compose treatises on delusion.
अतथ्यानि वितथ्यानि दर्शयस्व महाभुज । प्रकाशं कुरु चात्मानमप्रकाशं च मां कुरु
Show what is untrue and false, O mighty-armed; reveal yourself openly, and conceal me.
ततस्तं प्रणिपत्याहमवोचं परमेश्वरम् । ब्रह्महत्या सहस्रस्य पापं शाम्येत्कथंचन
Then, bowing to the Supreme Lord, I asked: 'How may the sin of a thousand Brahmin murders be pacified in any way?'
न पुनस्त्वदविज्ञानं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि । तस्मान्मया कृता स्पर्द्धा पवित्रः स्यां कथं हरे
Never again will ignorance of you arise, even in hundreds of millions of kalpas; therefore, having competed with you, how can I become purified, O Hari?
तन्मे कथय गोविंद पायश्चित्तं यदिच्छसि । ततः प्रसन्नो भगवानवोचत्तत्त्वमात्मनः
Tell me, Govinda, what expiation you desire; then, the blessed Lord, pleased, spoke the truth of his own nature.
येनाहमधिकस्तस्मादभवं नगनंदिनि । तमेव तपसा नित्यं भजामि स्तौमि चिंतये
By which I became superior, O daughter of the mountain; that alone I always worship, praise, and contemplate through austerity.