प्रचेतस ऊचुः ब्रह्मपारं मुने श्रोतुमिच्छामः परमं स्तवम् । जपता कण्डुना देवो येनाराध्यत केशवः ॥ १,१५.
The Pracetas said: O sage, we wish to hear the supreme hymn to Brahman, by which Kaṇḍu worshipped Keśava.
सोम उवाच पारं परं विष्णुरपारपारः परः परेभ्यः पामारथरूपी । सब्रह्पारः परपारभूतः परः पराणामपि पारपारः ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: Viṣṇu is the supreme, the limitless, the highest of the high, beyond all others, the form of the destroyer of evil; he is the goal of Brahman, the highest of the high, the supreme even among the supreme, and the ultimate beyond all.
स कारणं कारणतस्ततोपि तस्यापि हेतुः । कार्येषु चैवं सह कर्मकर्तृरूपैरशेषैरवतीह सर्वम् ॥ १,१५.
He is the cause, the cause of causes, and the reason even for that; in all effects, he descends here together with all forms of agents and actions.
ब्रह्म प्रभुर्ब्रह्म स सर्वभूतो ब्रह्म प्रजानां पतिरच्युतोऽसौ । ब्रह्माव्ययं नित्यमजं स विष्णुरपक्षयाद्यैरखिलैरसङ्गि ॥ १,१५.
He is Brahman, the Lord, he is all beings, he is the imperishable master of creatures; he is Viṣṇu, eternal, unborn, unchanging, untouched by any defect.
ब्रह्माक्षरमजं नित्यं यथासौ पुरुषोत्तमः । तथा रागादयो दोषः प्रयान्तु प्रशमं मम ॥ १,१५.
As he is Brahman, imperishable, unborn, and eternal, the Supreme Person, so may faults such as passion depart and be calmed within me.
सोम उवाच एतद्ब्रह्म पराख्यं वै संस्तवं परमं जपन् । अवाप परमां सिद्धिं स तमाराध्य केशवम् ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: Reciting this supreme hymn called the Supreme Brahman, Kaṇḍu attained the highest perfection, having worshipped Keśava.
इयं च मारीषा पूर्वमासीद्य तां ब्रवीमि वः । कार्यगौरवमेतस्याः कथने फलदायि वः ॥ १,१५.
This Māriṣā was formerly as I have described; I tell you about her. The importance of her story is such that its telling will bear fruit for you.
अपुत्रा प्रागियं विष्णुं मृते भर्तरि सत्तमाः । भीपपत्नी महाभागा तोषयामास भक्तितः ॥ १,१५.
Previously, she was childless, and after her husband died, O noble ones, this fortunate wife of Bhīpa devotedly pleased Viṣṇu.
आराधितस्तया विष्णुः प्राह प्रत्यक्षतां गतः । वरं वृणीष्वेति शुभे सा च प्राहात्मवाञ्छितम् ॥ १,१५.
Viṣṇu, worshipped by her, appeared before her and said, 'Choose a boon, O auspicious one.' She then spoke her heartfelt wish.
भगवन्बालवैधव्याद्वृथाजन्माहमीदृशी । मन्दभाग्या समुद्भुता विफला च जगत्पते ॥ १,१५.
O Lord, because of my early widowhood, I have been born in vain, unfortunate, fruitless, and without purpose, O Master of the world.
भवन्तु पतयः श्लाघ्या मम जन्मनि जन्मनि । त्वत्प्रसादात्तथा पुत्रः प्रजापतिसमोस्तु मे ॥ १,१५.
May I have worthy husbands in every birth, and by your grace, may I have a son equal to Prajāpati.
कुलं शीलं वयः सत्यं दाक्षिण्यं क्षिप्रकारिता । अविसंवादिता सत्त्वं वृद्धसेवा कृतज्ञता ॥ १,१५.
May he possess noble lineage, character, age, truthfulness, generosity, promptness, reliability, virtue, service to elders, and gratitude.
रूपसम्पत्समायुक्ता सर्वस्य प्रियदर्शना । अयोनिजा च जायेयं त्वन्प्रसादादाधेक्षज ॥ १,१५.
May I be endowed with beauty and wealth, pleasing to all, and, by your grace, may I be born not from a womb, O lotus-eyed one.
सोम उवाच तयैवमुक्तो देवेशो हृषीकेश उवाच ताम् । प्रणामनम्रामुत्थाप्य वरदः परमेश्वरः ॥ १,१५.
Soma said: When she spoke thus, the Lord of the gods, Hṛṣīkeśa, raised her as she bowed, and, being the supreme giver of boons, addressed her.
देव उवाच भविष्यन्ति महावीर्या एकस्मिन्नेव जन्मनि । प्रख्यातोदारकर्णाणो भवत्याः पतयो दश ॥ १,१५.
The god said: In a single birth, you will have ten husbands of great valor, renowned for their noble deeds.
पुत्रञ्च सुमहावीर्यं महाबलपराक्रमम् । प्रजापतिगुणैर्युक्तं त्वमवाप्स्यसि शोभने ॥ १,१५.
And you will obtain a son of immense strength and power, endowed with the qualities of Prajāpati, O beautiful one.
वंशानां तस्य कर्तृत्वं जगत्यस्मिन्भविष्यति । त्रैलोक्यमखिला सूतिस्तस्य चापूरयिष्यति ॥ १,१५.
He will be the progenitor of lineages in this world, and his offspring will fill the entire three worlds.
त्वं चाप्ययोनिजा साध्वी रूपौदार्यगुणान्विता । मनः प्रीतिकरी नॄणां मत्प्रसादाद्भविष्यसि ॥ १,१५.
And you, O virtuous one, will be born not from a womb, endowed with beauty and noble qualities, pleasing to the minds of men, by my grace.
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे देवस्तां विशालविलोचनाम् । सा चेयं मारिषा जाता युष्मत्पत्नी नृपात्मजाः ॥ १,१५.
Having spoken thus, the god vanished from sight of her with wide eyes; and this Māriṣā was born, who is now your wife, O sons of kings.
श्रीपराशर उवाच ततः सोमस्य वचनाज्जगृहुस्ते प्रचेतसः । संहृत्य कोपं वृक्षेभ्यः पत्नीधर्मोण मारीषाम् ॥ १,१५.
Śrī Parāśara said: Then, at Soma's words, the Pracetas accepted Māriṣā as their wife, setting aside their anger toward the trees.
दशभ्यस्तु प्रचेतोभ्यो मारीषायां प्रजापतिः । जज्ञे दक्षो महाभागो यः पूर्वं ब्रह्मणोऽभवत् ॥ १,१५.
From Māriṣā and the ten Pracetas was born Prajāpati Dakṣa, the greatly fortunate one, who was formerly the son of Brahmā.
स तु दक्षो महाभागःसृष्ट्यर्थं सुमहामते । पुत्रानुत्पादयामास प्रजासृष्ट्यर्थमात्मनः ॥ १,१५.
That Dakṣa, greatly blessed and wise, produced sons for the purpose of creation, to generate offspring from himself.
अवरांश्च वरांश्चैव द्विपदोथ चतुष्पदान् । आदेशं ब्रह्मणः कुर्वन् सृष्ट्यर्थं समुपस्थितः ॥ १,१५.
He created both inferior and superior beings, bipeds and quadrupeds, following Brahmā's command, for the purpose of creation.
स सृष्ट्वा मनसा दक्षः पश्चादसृजत स्त्रियः । ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश । कालस्य नयने युक्ताः सप्तविंशतिमिन्दवे ॥ १,१५.
Dakṣa first created by mind, then produced women; he gave ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, and twenty-seven to Soma, who are associated with the regulation of time.
तासु देवास्तथा दैत्या नागा गावस्तथा खगाः । गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव दानवाद्याश्च जज्ञिरे ॥ १,१५.
From them were born the gods, the demons, the serpents, the cows, the birds, the gandharvas, the apsaras, and also the danavas and others.
ततः प्रभृति मैत्रेय प्रजा मैथुनसम्भवाः । संकल्पाद्दर्शनात्स्पर्शात्पूर्वेषामभवन् प्रजाः । तपोविशेषैः सिद्धानां तदात्यन्ततपस्विनाम् ॥ १,१५.
From that time onward, O Maitreya, offspring have arisen from sexual union; previously, progeny were born from intention, sight, and touch, due to the extraordinary austerities of those accomplished ascetics.
श्रीमैत्रेय उवाच अङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षिणाद्दक्षः पूर्वं जातो मया श्रुतः । कथं प्राचेतसो भूयः समुत्पन्नो महामुने ॥ १,१५.
Maitreya said: I have heard that Daksha was first born from the right thumb; how then, O great sage, was the son of Prachetas born again?
एष मे संशयो ब्रह्मन्सुमहान्हृदि वर्तते । यद्दैहित्रश्च सोमस्य पुनः श्वशुरतां गतः ॥ १,१५.
This doubt, O Brahman, is very great and dwells in my heart: how did Daksha, the son of Soma, again become the father-in-law?
श्रीराशर उवाच उत्पत्तिश्च निरोधश्च नित्यो भूतेषु सर्वाद । ऋषयोत्र न सुह्यन्ति ये चान्ये दिव्यचक्षुषः ॥ १,१५.
Parashara said: Creation and dissolution are eternal among all beings; neither the sages nor others with divine vision are confused about this.
युगेयुगे भवन्त्येते दक्षाद्या मुनिसत्तम । पुनश्चैवं निरुद्ध्यन्ते विद्वांस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥ १,१५.
In every age, O best of sages, these Daksha and others arise and are again dissolved; the wise are not bewildered by this.