त्वमेव यज्ञो नियमस्त्वमेव त्वमेव भूतं भविता त्वमेव। त्वमेव चादि र्निधनं त्वमेव स्थूलश्च सूक्ष्मः पुरुषस्त्वमेव ।। ५४.
You alone are the sacrifice, you are the vow; you alone are what has been and what will be; you alone are the beginning and the end; you alone are the gross and the subtle person.
त्वमेव सूक्ष्मस्य परस्य सूक्ष्मस्त्वमेव वह्निः पवनस्त्वमेव। त्वमेव सर्वस्य चराचरस्य लोकस्य कर्त्ता प्रलये च गोप्ता ।। ५४.
You alone are the subtlest of the subtle, you alone are the supreme subtle; you alone are fire, you alone are wind; you alone are the creator of all that moves and does not move, and the protector of the world at dissolution.
इतीदमुक्त्वा वचनं सुरेन्द्राः प्रगृह्य सोमं प्रणिपत्य मूर्द्ना। गता विमानैरनिगृह्य वेगैर्महात्मनो मेरुमुपेत्य सर्वे ।। ५४.
Having spoken these words, the lords of the gods, taking Soma and bowing their heads, departed swiftly in their aerial chariots, all of them, the great-souled ones, reaching Mount Meru.
इत्येतत्परमं गुह्यं पुण्यात्पुण्यमहत्तरम्। नीलकण्ठेति यत् प्रोक्तं विख्यातं लोकविश्रुतम् ।। ५४.
Thus this supreme secret, more meritorious than the most meritorious, called 'Nīlakaṇṭha', has been proclaimed, renowned and celebrated in the world.
स्वयं स्वयम्भुवा प्रोक्तां पुण्यां पापप्रणाशनीम्। यस्तु धारयते नित्यमेनां ब्रह्मोद्भवां कथाम्। तस्याहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि फलं वै विपुलं महत् ।। ५४.
This sacred tale, spoken by the self-born one himself, destroys sin; whoever always upholds this story, born from Brahma, I shall now declare to him the great and abundant fruit.
विषं तस्य वरारोहे स्थावरं जङ्गमन्तथा। गात्रं प्राप्य च सुश्रोणि क्षिप्रं तत् प्रतिहन्यते ।। ५४.
For such a person, O beautiful-hipped one, any poison, whether from immobile or mobile creatures, upon touching the body, O lovely-thighed one, is quickly neutralized.
शमयत्यशुभं घोरं दुःस्वप्नञ्चापकर्षति। स्त्रीषु वल्लभतां याति सभायां पार्थिवस्य च ।। ५४.
It pacifies inauspicious and terrible things, removes bad dreams; he becomes beloved among women and esteemed in the king's assembly.
विवादे जयमाप्नोति युद्धे शूरत्वमेव च। गच्छतः क्षेममध्वानं गृहे च नित्यसम्पदः ।। ५४.
He attains victory in disputes and valor in battle; his journey is safe when traveling, and in his home there is constant prosperity.
शरीरभेदे वक्ष्यामि गतिं तस्य वरानने। नीलकण्ठो हरिच्छमश्रुः शशाङ्काङ्कितमूर्द्धजः ।। ५४.
At the breaking of the body, O beautiful-faced one, I shall declare his destination: he becomes like Nīlakaṇṭha, with compassion for Hari, tears of joy, and hair adorned with the moon.
त्र्यक्षस्त्रिशूलपाणिश्च वृषयानः पिनाकधृक्। नन्धितुल्यबलः श्रीमान् नन्दितुल्यपराक्रमः ।। ५४.
He is three-eyed, holds the trident, rides the bull, bears the Pinaka bow, has strength equal to Nandī, is glorious, and possesses valor equal to Nandī.
विचरत्यचिरात् सर्वान् सर्वलोकान्ममाज्ञया । न हन्यते गतिस्तस्य अनिलस्य यथाम्बरे। मम तुल्यबलो भूत्वा तिष्ठत्याभूतसम्प्लवम् ।। ५४.
He moves swiftly through all worlds by my command; he is not harmed, his movement is like the wind in the sky; having strength equal to mine, he remains until the dissolution of beings.
मम भक्ता वरारोहे ये च श्रृण्वन्ति मानवाः। तेषां गतिं प्रवक्ष्यामि इह लोके परत्र च ।। ५४.
O beautiful-hipped one, I shall declare the destiny of my devotees and those men who listen, both in this world and the next.
ब्राह्मणो वेदमाप्नोति क्षत्रियो जयते महीम्। वैश्यस्तु लभते लाभं शूद्रः सुखमवाप्नुयात् ।। ५४.
A Brahmin attains the Veda, a Kshatriya conquers the earth, a Vaishya obtains wealth, and a Shudra attains happiness.
व्याधितो मुच्यते रोगाद्बद्धो मुच्येत बन्धनात्। गुर्विणी लभते पुत्रं कन्या विन्दति सत्पतिम्। नष्टञ्च लभते सर्वमिहलोके परत्र च ।। ५४.
The diseased are freed from illness, the bound are released from bondage; a pregnant woman obtains a son, a maiden finds a worthy husband; whatever is lost is regained, both in this world and the next.
गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत् फलम्। तत् फलं भवति श्रुत्वा विभोर्दिव्यामिमां कथाम् ।। ५४.
The fruit that comes from giving a hundred thousand cows properly—that very fruit is obtained by hearing this divine tale of the Lord.
पादं वा यदि वाप्यर्द्धं श्लोकं श्लोकार्द्धमेव वा। यस्तु धारयते नित्यं रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति ।। ५४.
Whoever always upholds even a quarter or half a verse, or even half a line, goes to the world of Rudra.
कथामिमां पुण्यफलादियुक्तां निवेद्य देव्याः शशिबद्ध मूर्द्धजः। वृषस्य पृष्ठेन सहोमया प्रभुर्जगाम किष्किन्धगुहां गुहप्रियः ।। ५४.
Having recounted this tale, endowed with merit and the fruits of virtue, to the goddess, the Lord—his hair adorned with the crescent moon—departed together with Uma, riding upon the bull, to the cave of Kishkindha, beloved of Guha.
क्रान्तं मया पापहरं महापदं निवेद्य तेभ्यः प्रददौ प्रभञ्जनः। अधीत्य सर्वं त्वखिलं सुलक्षणं जगाम आदित्यपथं द्विजोत्तमः ।। ५४.
Having declared to them that I have attained the great, sin-destroying state, Prabhanjana bestowed it upon them; after studying all the auspicious and complete text, the best of twice-born went to the path of the sun.
गुणकर्मप्रभावैश्च कोऽधिको वदतां वरः। श्रोतुमिच्छामहे सम्यगाश्चर्यं गुणविस्तरम् ।। ५५.
Who surpasses him in virtue, action, and power, O best of speakers? We wish to hear in full the wondrous and extensive qualities.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममिति हासं पुरातनम् । महादेवस्य माहात्म्यं विभुत्वञ्च महात्मनः ।। ५५.
Here too, they recite this ancient story—an account of the greatness and sovereignty of Mahadeva, the great soul.
पूर्वं त्रैलोक्यविजये विष्णुना समुदाहृतम्। बलिं बद्ध्वा महौजास्तु त्रैलोक्याधि पतिः पुरा ।। ५५.
Formerly, in the conquest of the three worlds, Vishnu, having bound Bali, the mighty one, became the lord of the three worlds.
प्रणष्टेषु च दैत्येषु प्रहृष्टे च शचीपतौ। अथाजग्मुः प्रभुं द्रष्टुं सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः ।। ५५.
When the demons were destroyed and the lord of Shachi was delighted, then all the gods, along with Indra, went to see the Lord.
यत्रास्ते विश्वरूपात्मा क्षीरोदस्य समी पतः। सिद्धब्रह्मर्षयो यक्षा गन्धर्वाप्सरसाङ्गणाः ।। ५५.
There, near the Milk Ocean, where the Lord of all forms resides, the Siddhas, Brahmarshis, Yakshas, Gandharvas, and hosts of Apsaras gathered.
नागा देवर्षयश्चैव नद्यः सर्वे च पर्वताः। अभिगम्य महात्मानं स्तुवन्ति पुरुषं हरिम् ।। ५५.
Nagas, divine sages, rivers, and all the mountains, having approached the great soul, praised the supreme person, Hari.
त्वं धाता त्वञ्च कर्त्ताऽस्य त्वं लोकान् सृजसि प्रभो। त्वत्प्रसादाच्च कल्याणं प्राप्तं त्रैलोक्यमव्ययम्। असुराश्च जिताः सर्वे बलिर्बद्धश्च वै त्वया ।। ५५.
You are the sustainer, you are the creator, O Lord; you create the worlds. By your grace, the three worlds have attained imperishable welfare. All the Asuras have been conquered, and Bali has indeed been bound by you.
एव मुक्तः सुरैर्विष्णुः सिद्धैश्च परमर्षिभिः। प्रत्युवाच ततो देवान् सर्वांस्तान् पुरुषोत्तमः ।। ५५.
Thus addressed by the gods, Siddhas, and supreme seers, Vishnu, the best of persons, then replied to all those gods.
श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि कारणं सुरसत्तमाः। यः स्रष्टा सर्वभूतानां कालः कालकरः प्रभुः ।। ५५.
Listen, O best of gods, I shall declare the cause: he who is the creator of all beings, Time, the Lord who brings about time itself.
येन हि ब्रह्मणा सार्द्धं सृष्टा लोकाश्च मायया। तस्यैव च प्रसादेन आदौ सिद्धत्वमागतम् ।। ५५.
By whom, along with Brahma, the worlds were created through maya, and by whose grace, in the beginning, perfection was attained.
पुरा तमसि चाव्यक्ते त्रैलोक्ये ग्रासिते मया। उदरस्थेषु भूतेषु लोकेऽहं शयितस्तदा ।। ५५.
Formerly, when darkness and the unmanifest had enveloped the three worlds, I lay within the beings who were in my belly, in that world.
सहस्रशीर्षा भूत्वा च सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्। शङ्खचक्रगदा पाणिः शयितो विमलेऽम्भसि ।। ५५.
Having become one with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, holding conch, discus, and mace in my hands, I lay upon the pure waters.