आभिव्यप्तिमिदं सर्वं जगन्नारायणेन ह । इत्येतत् कथितं देवि किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ।। ४.
All this world is pervaded by Nārāyaṇa; this has been told to you, O goddess—what else do you wish to hear?
धरण्युवाच । नारदेनैवमुक्तस्तु तदा राजा प्रियव्रतः । कृतवान् किं ममाचक्ष्व प्रसादात् परमेश्वर ।। ४.
The Earth said: When thus addressed by Nārada, what did King Priyavrata do? Tell me, O Supreme Lord, by your grace.
श्रीवराह उवाच । भवतीं सप्तधा कृत्वा पुत्राणां च प्रदाय सः । प्रियव्रतस्तपस्तेपे नारदाच्छ्रुतविस्मयः ।। ४.
Śrī Varāha said: Dividing you into seven parts and giving them to his sons, Priyavrata, amazed by Nārada's words, performed austerities.
नारायणात्मकं ब्रह्म परं जप्त्वा स्वयंभुवः । ततस्तुष्टमनाः पारं परं निर्वाणमाप्तवान् ।। ४.
Reciting the supreme Nārāyaṇa-manifested Brahman, Svayambhuva, with a satisfied mind, attained the highest liberation.
श्रृणु चान्यद् वरारोहे यद् वृत्तं परमेष्ठिनः । आराधनाय यततः पुराकाले नृपस्य ह ।। ४.
Listen, O beautiful one, to another account of what transpired with Parameṣṭhin, when a king once strove for his worship in ancient times.
आसीदश्वशिरा नाम राजा परमधार्मिकः । सोऽश्वमेधेन यज्ञेन यष्ट्वा सुबहुदक्षिणः ।। ४.
There was a king named Aśvaśirā, supremely righteous, who performed the Aśvamedha sacrifice, giving abundant gifts.
स्नातश्चावभृथे सोऽथ ब्राह्मणैः परिवारितः । यावदास्ते स राजर्षिस्तावद् योगिवरो मुनिः । आययौ कपिलः श्रीमान् जैगीषव्यश्च योगिराट् ।। ४.
Having bathed at the conclusion of the sacrifice, surrounded by Brahmins, the royal sage remained seated; then the eminent yogi Kapila, radiant, and Jaigīṣavya, king of yogis, arrived.
ततस्त्वरितमुत्थाय स राजा स्वागतक्रियाम् । चकार परया युक्तः स मुदा राजसत्तमः ।। ४.
Then, rising swiftly, the king, foremost among rulers, performed the rites of welcome with utmost joy.
तावर्च्चितावासनगौ दृष्ट्वा राजा महाबलः । पप्रच्छ तौ तिग्मधियौ योगज्ञौ स्वेच्छयागतौ ।। ४.
Seeing them honored and seated, the mighty king questioned those two, sharp-minded and learned in yoga, who had come of their own will.
भवन्तौ संशयं विप्रौ पृच्छामि पुरुषोत्तमौ । कथमाराधयेद् देवं हरिं नारायणं परम् ।। ४.
O illustrious sages, I ask you, the best among men, a question: How should one worship Hari, the supreme Nārāyaṇa?
विप्रावूचतुः । क एष प्रोच्यते राजंस्त्वया नारायणो गुरुः । आवां नारायणौ द्वौ तु त्वत्प्रत्यक्षगतौ नृप ।। ४.
The sages replied: O king, whom you call Nārāyaṇa, the guru, we two are Nārāyaṇas, come before you in person.
अश्वशिरा उवाच । भवन्तौ ब्राह्मणौ सिद्धौ तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषौ । कथं नारायणावावामिति वाक्यमथेरितम् ।। ४.
Aśvaśirā said: You two are accomplished Brahmins, purified by austerity and freed from sin; how can you claim to be Nārāyaṇas? This statement is perplexing.
शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिः पीतवासा जनार्दनः । गरुडस्थो महादेवः कस्तस्य सदृशो भुवि ।। ४.
Janārdana, bearing the conch, discus, and mace, clad in yellow garments, seated upon Garuḍa, is the great god—who on earth is equal to him?
तस्य राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वा तौ विप्रौ संशितव्रतौ । जहसतुः पश्य विष्णुं राजन्निति जजल्पतुः ।। ४.
Hearing the king's words, the two Brahmins, steadfast in their vows, laughed and said, 'Behold Viṣṇu, O king.'
एवमुक्त्वा स कपिलः स्वयं विष्णुर्बभूव ह । जैगीषव्यश्च गरुडस्तत्क्षणात् समजायत ।। ४.
Having spoken thus, Kapila himself became Viṣṇu, and Jaigīṣavya instantly became Garuḍa.
ततो हाहाकृतं त्वासीत् तत्क्षणाद् राजमण्डलम् । दृष्ट्वा नारायणं देवं गरुडस्थं सनातनम् ।। ४.
Then, at that very moment, cries of astonishment arose throughout the royal assembly, seeing the eternal god Nārāyaṇa seated upon Garuḍa.
कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा ततो राजा महायशाः । उवाच शाम्यतां विप्रौ नायं विष्णुरथेदृशः ।। ४.
The illustrious king, joining his palms in reverence, said, 'Calm yourselves, O sages; this is not Viṣṇu as he is known.'
यस्य ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नो नाभिपङ्कजमध्यतः । तस्माच्च ब्रह्मणो रुद्रः स विष्णुः परमेश्वरः ।। ४.
From whose navel-lotus Brahmā was born, and from Brahmā, Rudra; that Viṣṇu is the supreme lord.
इति राजवचः श्रुत्वा तदा तौ मुनिपुंगवौ । चक्रतुः परमां मायां योगमायां विशेषतः ।। ४.
Hearing the king's words, those two eminent sages then performed the highest yoga, the special yogic illusion.
कपिलः पद्मनाभस्तु जैगीषव्यः प्रजापतिः । कमलस्थो बभौ ह्रस्वस्तस्य चाङ्के कुमारकः ।। ४.
Kapila became Padmanābha, Jaigīṣavya became Prajāpati; seated upon the lotus, he shone forth, and a small child appeared on his lap.
ददर्श राजा रक्ताक्षं कालानलसमद्युतिम् । नेत्थं भवति विश्वेशो मायैषा योगिनां सदा । सर्वव्यापी हरिः श्रीमानिति राजा जगाद ह ।। ४.
The king beheld one with red eyes, brilliant like the fire of time; thus does the lord of the universe manifest by the yogis' illusion. Hari, glorious and all-pervading, is ever thus, the king declared.
ततो वाक्यावसाने तु तस्य राज्ञो हि संसदि । मशका मत्कुणा यूका भ्रमराः पक्षिणोरगाः ।। ४.
Then, at the end of the king's speech, in his assembly, there appeared mosquitoes, bugs, lice, bees, birds, and serpents.
अश्वा गावो द्विपाः सिंहा व्याघ्रा गोमायवो मृगाः । अन्येऽपि पशवः कीटा ग्राम्यारण्याश्च सर्वशः । दृश्यन्ते राजभवने कोटिशो भूतधारिणि ।। ४.
Horses, cows, elephants, lions, tigers, jackals, deer, and other animals, as well as insects—both domestic and wild—were seen in the royal palace by the millions, all bearing forms of living beings.
तं दृष्ट्वा भूतसंघातं राजा विस्मितमानसः । यावच्चिन्तयते किं स्यादेतदित्यवगम्य च । जैगीषव्यस्य माहात्म्यं कपिलस्य च धीमतः ।। ४.
Seeing that multitude of beings, the king was filled with wonder; as he pondered what this might be, he realized the greatness of Jaigīṣavya and the wise Kapila.
कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा स राजाऽश्वशिरास्तदा । पप्रच्छ तावृषी भक्त्या किमिदं द्विजसत्तमौ ।। ४.
Then the king Aśvaśirā, with hands joined in reverence, devotedly asked those two eminent sages, 'What is this, O best of twice-born?'
द्विजावूचतुः । आवां पृष्टौ त्वया राजन् कथं विष्णुरिहेज्यते । प्राप्यते वा महाराज तेनेदं दर्शितं तव ।। ४.
The two Brāhmaṇas said: 'You have asked us, O king, how Viṣṇu is to be worshipped here and attained; therefore, this has been shown to you, O great king.'
सर्वज्ञस्य गुणा ह्येते ये राजंस्तव दर्शिताः । स च नारायणो देवः सर्वज्ञः कामरूपवान् ।। ४.
These are the qualities of the all-knowing, O king, which have been shown to you; and that god Nārāyaṇa is all-knowing and assumes any form at will.
सौम्यस्तु संस्थितः क्वापि प्राप्यते मनुजैः किल । आराधनेन चैतस्य वाक्यमर्थवदिष्यते ।। ४.
He, gentle in nature, abides somewhere and is said to be attainable by humans through worship; his words are meaningful.
किन्तु सर्वशरीरस्थः परमात्मा जगत्पतिः । स्वदेहे दृश्यते भक्त्या नैकस्थानगतस्तु सः ।। ४.
However, the Supreme Self, Lord of the universe, dwells in all bodies; he is seen in one's own body through devotion, though he is not confined to any one place.
अतोऽर्थं दर्शितं रूपं देवस्य परमात्मनः । आवयोस्तव राजेन्द्र प्रतीतिः स्याद् यथा तव । एवं सर्वगतो विष्णुस्तव देहे जनेश्वर ।। ४.
Therefore, this form of the Supreme Lord has been shown to you, O king of kings, so that you may have faith; in this way, Viṣṇu, who is all-pervading, is present in your own body, O lord of people.