इच्छाशक्तिः प्रभवति प्रभोस्ते देव सर्वदा। निरुत्तरस्तदा विष्णुर्मत्वा तं सत्यवादिनम्
'The power of will, O Lord, always rests with you.' Then Viṣṇu, recognizing him as a speaker of truth, remained without reply.
ब्रूहि दानवमुख्य त्वं कं ते कामं करोम्यहम्। मम हस्तगतं तोयं त्वया दत्तं तु दानव
'Speak, O chief of Dānavas, what boon shall I grant you? The water in my hand was given by you, O Dānava.'
तेन त्वं वरयोग्योसि वराणां भाजनं शुभं। दास्येहं भवतः काममर्थीयेन वृणुष्व ह
'Therefore, you are worthy to choose a boon, a fit recipient of blessings. I will grant you your wish here—ask for whatever you desire.'
विज्ञप्तो हि तदा तेन देवदेवो जनार्दनः। भक्तिं वृणोमि देवेश त्वद्धस्तान्मरणं हि मे
Thus addressed, the Lord of gods, Janārdana, was petitioned by him: 'O Lord of gods, I choose devotion; let my death come only at your hands.'
व्रजामि श्वेतद्वीपं ते दुर्लभं तु तपस्विनाम्। आहैवमुक्ते विष्णुस्तं तिष्ठस्वैव युगांतरम्
'I will go to Śvetadvīpa, which is hard to attain for ascetics.' When he had spoken thus, Viṣṇu said to him, 'Remain there until the end of the age.'
वाराहरूपी यदाहं प्रवेक्ष्यामि धरातलम्। तदा हनिष्येहं त्वां तु मदग्रे च यदैष्यसि
'When I, in the form of the Boar, enter the earth, then I will slay you here, when you come before me.'
उक्तोथ दानवस्तेन अपासर्प्पत्तदग्रतः। वामनेन समाक्रांताः सर्वे लोकास्तदा नृप
Thus addressed by him, the Dānava withdrew from that place; and then all the worlds were encompassed by Vāmana, O king.
असुरैस्तैस्तदा त्यक्तं देवानां सत्यभाषणम्। देवो हृत्वा तु त्रैलोक्यं जगामादर्शनं विभुः
Then, abandoned by those Asuras, the truthfulness of the gods was established; and the Lord, having seized the three worlds, became invisible.
पातालनिलयश्चापि सुखमास्ते स बाष्कलि। शक्रोपि पालयामास विपश्चिद्भुवनत्रयम्
Bāṣkali, dwelling in Pātāla, remained there happily; and Śakra, wise, protected the three worlds.
अयं त्रैविक्रमो नाम प्रादुर्भावो जगद्गुरोः। गंगासंभवसंयुक्तस्सर्वकल्मषनाशनः
This manifestation of the Guru of the world is called Trivikrama, joined with the origin of the Ganges, destroyer of all sins.
विष्णोः पदानामेषा ते उत्पत्तिः कथिता नृप। यां श्रुत्वा तु नरो लोके सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
O king, the origin of Viṣṇu’s three steps has thus been told to you; hearing which, a man in this world is freed from all sins.
दुःस्वप्नं दुर्विचिंत्यं च दुःष्करं दुःष्कृतानि च। क्षिप्रं हि नाशमायांति दृष्टे विष्णुपदत्रये
Evil dreams, dreadful thoughts, difficult deeds, and misdeeds—all these quickly perish upon seeing Viṣṇu’s three steps.
युगानुक्रमशो दृष्ट्वा पापिनो जंतवस्तथा। सूक्ष्मता दर्शिता भीष्म विष्णुना पददर्शने1.30.
Beings who are sinful, seeing the succession of ages, O Bhīṣma, subtlety is revealed by Viṣṇu in the vision of his steps.
यस्त्वारोहति तस्मिंस्तु मौनवान्मानवो भुवि। कृत्वा त्रिपुष्करी यात्रामश्वमेधफलं व्रजेत्
Whoever ascends there in silence, having performed the pilgrimage to Tripuṣkarā, attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
मुच्यते सर्वपापैश्च मृतो विष्णुपुरं व्रजेत्
Freed from all sins, one who dies goes to the city of Viṣṇu.
भीष्म उवाच। भगवन्महदाश्चर्यं बाष्कलेर्बंधनं हि यत्। कृतं त्रिविक्रमं रूपं यदा संयमितो बलि
Bhīṣma said: O Lord, it is truly wondrous, the binding of Bāṣkala, and the form of Trivikrama that was assumed when Bali was restrained.
एतन्मया श्रुतं पूर्वं कथ्यमानं द्विजोत्तमैः। पाताले वसतेद्यापि वैरोचनसुतो बलि
I have previously heard this, as it was recounted by the foremost of twice-born; that Bali, son of Virocana, still dwells in Pātāla.
नागतीर्थं यथाभूतं पिशाचानां तु संभवम्। शिवदूती कथं चात्र केनेयं मंगलीकृता
How did the Nāga-tīrtha come to be as it is, and what is the origin of the Piśācas? How did Śivadūtī arise here, and by whom was she made auspicious?
अंतरिक्षे पुष्करं तु केन नीतं महामुने। एतदाचक्ष्व मे सर्वं यथा बाष्कलिबंधनम्
By whom, O great sage, was Puṣkara brought into the sky? Tell me all this, and how the binding of Bāṣkala happened.
भूमिप्रक्रमणं पूर्वं कृतं देवेन विष्णुना। द्वितीये कारणं किं च येन देवश्चकार ह
Formerly, Viṣṇu traversed the earth; what was the second reason for which the god acted thus?
तत्त्वतस्त्वं हि तत्सर्वं यथाभूतं तथा वद। पापक्षयकरं ह्येतच्छ्रोतव्यं भूतिमिच्छता
You truly know all this as it happened; speak it as it is. This is to be heard by one who desires prosperity, for it destroys sin.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। प्रश्नभारस्त्वया राजन्कौतुकादेव कीर्तितः। कथयामि हि तत्सर्वं यथाभूतं नृपोत्तम
Pulastya said: O king, you have asked these questions out of curiosity; I shall tell you all of it as it truly happened, O best of kings.
विष्णोः पदानुषंगेण बंधनं बाष्कलेरिह। श्रुतं तद्भवता सर्वं मया ते परिकीर्तितं
The binding of Bāṣkala here was due to Viṣṇu's stride; all this you have heard, and I have recounted it to you.
भूयोपि विष्णुना भीष्म प्राप्ते वैवस्वतेंतरे। त्रैलोक्यं बलिनाक्रांतं विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
Again, O Bhīṣma, when the age of Vaivasvata arrived, the three worlds were conquered by Bali, and Viṣṇu, the mighty lord, subdued him.
गत्वा त्वेकाकिना यज्ञे तथा संयमितो बलि। भूयोपि देवदेवेन भूमेः प्रक्रमणं कृतम्
Going alone to the sacrifice, Bali was restrained in that way; again, the god of gods traversed the earth.
प्रादुर्भावो वामनस्य तथाभूतो नराधिप। पुनस्त्रिविक्रमो भूत्वा वामनो भूदवामनः
The appearance of Vāmana was thus, O king; again, becoming Trivikrama, Vāmana became the dwarf.
उत्पत्तिरेषा ते सर्वा कथिता कुरुनंदन। नागानां तु यथा तीर्थं तच्छृणुष्व महाव्रत
This entire origin I have told you, O descendant of Kuru; now hear about the tīrtha of the Nāgas, O great vow-holder.
अनंतो वासुकिश्चैव तक्षकश्च महाबलः। कर्कोटकश्च नागेंद्रः पद्मश्चान्यः सरीसृपः
Ananta, Vāsuki, and the mighty Takṣaka, Karkoṭa the lord of Nāgas, and another serpent Padma,
महापद्मस्तथा शंखः कुलिकश्चापराजितः। एते कश्यपदायादा एतैरापूरितं जगत्
Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, Kulika, and Aparājita—these are the descendants of Kaśyapa, and by them the world was filled.
एतेषां तु प्रसूत्या तु इदमापूरितं जगत्। कुटिलाभीमकर्माणस्तीक्ष्णास्याश्च विषोल्बणाः
By the progeny of these, the world was filled; they are crooked, fearsome in deed, sharp-mouthed, and full of poison.