भगवानपि सर्वात्मा तन्मयत्वेन तोषितः । गत्वा ध्रुवमुवाचेदं चतुर्भुजवपुर्हरिः ॥ १,१२.
The Lord, the soul of all, pleased by Dhruva's devotion, went to him; Hari, in his four-armed form, spoke these words.
श्रीभगवानुवाच औत्तानपादे भद्रं ते तपसा परितोषितः । वरदोहमनुप्राप्तो वरं वरय सुव्रत ॥ १,१२.
The Blessed Lord said: O son of Uttānapāda, blessings upon you; you have pleased me with your austerity. I have come as the giver of boons; choose a boon, O steadfast one.
ब्राह्यार्थनिरपेक्षं ते मयि चित्तं यदा हितम् । तुष्टोहं भवतस्तेन तद्वृणीष्व वरं परम् ॥ १,१२.
Because your mind is fixed in me, indifferent to worldly aims, I am pleased with you; therefore, ask for the highest boon.
पराशर उवाच श्रुत्वेत्थं गदितं तस्य देवदेवस्य बालकः । उन्मीलिताक्षो ददृशे ध्यानदृष्टं हरिं पुरः ॥ १,१२.
Parāśara said: Hearing these words from the Lord of gods, the boy opened his eyes and saw Hari, whom he had beheld in meditation, standing before him.
शङ्खचक्रगदाशार्ङ्गवरासिधरमच्युतम् । किरीटिनं समालोक्य जगाम शिरसा महीम् ॥ १,१२.
Seeing Acyuta, adorned with conch, discus, mace, bow, and sword, crowned, Dhruva bowed his head to the earth.
रोमाञ्चिताङ्गः सहसा साध्वसं परमं गतः । स्तवाय देवदेवस्य स चक्रे मानसं ध्रुवः ॥ १,१२.
His body thrilled, suddenly seized by great awe, Dhruva composed a hymn in his mind to the Lord of gods.
किं वदामि स्तुतावस्य केनोक्तेनास्य संस्तुतिः । इत्याकुल मतिर्देवं तमेव शरणं ययौ ॥ १,१२.
What shall I say in praise? By what words can I offer a hymn to him? Thus confused in mind, he sought refuge in the very Lord.
ध्रुव उवाच भगवन्यदि मे तोषं तपसा परमं गतः । स्तोतुं तदहमिच्छामि वरमेनं प्रयच्छ मे ॥ १,१२.
Dhruva said: O Lord, if you are truly pleased with my austerity, grant me this boon: let me have the ability to praise you.
(ब्रह्माद्यौर्यस्य वेदज्ञैर्ज्ञायते यस्य नो गतिः । तं त्वां कथमहं देव स्तोतुं शक्रोमि बालकः । त्वद्भक्तिप्रवणं ह्येतत्परमेश्वर मे मनः । स्तोतुं प्रवृत्तं त्वत्पादौ तत्र प्रज्ञां प्रयच्च मे) श्रीपराशर उवाच शङ्खप्रान्तेन गोविन्दस्तं पस्पर्श कृताञ्जलिम् । उत्तानपादतनयं द्विजवर्य जगत्पतिः ॥ १,१२.
O Lord, you are known by the Vedas to Brahmā and others, yet your path is unknown; how can I, a mere boy, praise you? My mind is devoted to you, O Supreme Lord, and wishes to praise your feet; grant me wisdom for this purpose. Parāśara said: Govinda touched the son of Uttānapāda, who had joined his palms, with the tip of his conch, O best of twice-born.
अथ प्रसन्नवदनः स क्षणान्नृपनन्दनः । तुष्टाव प्रणतो भूत्वा भूतधातारमच्युतम् ॥ १,१२.
Then, with a joyful face, the prince, having bowed, praised Acyuta, the sustainer of beings.
ध्रुव उवाच भूमिरापोनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च । भूतादिरादि प्रकृतिर्यस्य रूपं नतोस्मि तम् ॥ १,१२.
Dhruva said: Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, and intellect, as well as the primordial elements and nature itself—whose form they are—I bow to him.
शुद्धः सूक्ष्मोखिलव्यापी प्रधानात्परतः पुमान् । यस्य रूपं नमस्तस्मै पुरुषाय गुणात्मने ॥ १,१२.
Pure, subtle, all-pervading, transcending the primordial matter, the Supreme Person—whose form this is—I bow to him, the embodiment of qualities.
भूतादीनां समस्तानां गन्धादीनां च शाश्वतः । बुध्यादीनां प्रधानस्य पुरुषस्य च यः परः ॥ १,१२.
He is eternal among all the elements and their attributes, among intellect and the primordial matter, and is beyond the Supreme Person.
तं ब्रह्मभूतमात्मानमशेषजगतः पतिम् । प्रपद्ये शरणं शुद्धं त्वद्रूपं परमेश्वर ॥ १,१२.
I take refuge in you, O Supreme Lord, whose form is pure, who is the soul of Brahman, the master of all worlds.
बृहत्त्वाद्बृंहणत्वाच्च यद्रूपं ब्रह्मसंज्ञितम् । तस्मै नमस्ते सर्वात्मन्योगिचिन्त्याविकारिणे ॥ १,१२.
Homage to that form, called Brahman, which is vast and expansive, the inner self of all, conceivable by yogis, unchanging.
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । सर्वव्यापी भुवः स्पर्शादत्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥ १,१२.
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet; pervading everything, he extends beyond the earth by ten fingers' breadth.
यद्भूतं यच्च वै भव्यं पुरूषोत्तम तद्भवान् । त्वत्तौ विराट्स्वराट्सम्राट्त्वत्तश्चप्यधिपूरुषः ॥ १,१२.
O Supreme Purusha, you are what has been and what will be; from you arise the Virat, Svarat, Samrat, and the supreme ruler.
अत्यरिच्यत सोधश्च तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च वै भुवः । त्वत्तो विश्वमिदं जातं त्वत्तौ भूतं भविष्यति ॥ १,१२.
He surpassed and supported the earth in all directions—across, above, and below; from you this universe was born, and from you it will come to be.
त्वद्रूपधारिणश्चान्तः सर्वभूतमिदं जगत् । त्वत्तो यज्ञः सर्वहुतः पृषदाज्यं पशुर्द्विधा ॥ १,१२.
This entire world, all beings within, dwell inside you who bear all forms; from you arise the sacrifice, the offerings, the clarified butter, and the twofold sacrificial animal.
त्वत्तो ऋचोथ सामानि त्वत्तश्छन्दांसि जज्ञिरे । त्वत्तो यजूंष्यजायन्त त्वत्तोश्वाश्चैकतो दतः ॥ १,१२.
From you were born the Rig and Sama hymns, from you the meters arose; from you the Yajur verses were generated, and from you, horses were given in a single act.
गावस्त्वत्तः समुद्भूतास्त्व त्तोजा अवयो मृगाः । त्वमन्मुखाद्ब्राह्मणा बाह्वोस्त्वत्तो क्षत्रमजायत ॥ १,१२.
Cows arose from you, as did strength, birds, and wild animals; from your mouth came Brahmins, from your arms the Kshatriyas were born.
वैश्वास्तवोरुजाः शूद्रास्तव पद्भ्यां समुद्गताः । आक्ष्णोः सूर्योऽनिलः प्राणाच्चन्द्रमा मनसस्तव ॥ १,१२.
From your thighs came the Vaishyas, from your feet the Shudras emerged; from your eyes the sun, from your breath the wind, from your mind the moon.
प्राणोन्तः मुषिराज्जातो मुखादग्निरजायत । नाभितो गगनं द्यौश्च शिरसः समवर्तत ॥ १,१२.
From your breath was born the vital air, from your mouth arose fire; from your navel came the sky, and from your head heaven was formed.
दिशः श्रोत्रात्क्षितिः पद्भ्यां त्वत्तः सर्वमभूदिदिम् ॥ १,१२.
From your ears came the directions, from your feet the earth; from you, everything came into being.
न्यग्रोधः सुमहानल्पे यथा बीजे व्यवस्थितः । संयमे विस्वमखिलं बीजभूते तथात्वायि ॥ १,१२.
Just as the great banyan tree is contained in a tiny seed, so too the entire universe, as its seed, is contained in you in restraint.
बीजादङ्कुरसम्भूते न्यग्रोधस्तु समुत्थितः । विस्तारं च यथा याति त्वत्तः सृष्टौ तथा जगत् ॥ १,१२.
As the banyan tree arises from the sprout that comes from the seed and spreads out, so too does the universe expand from you at creation.
यथा हि कदली नान्या त्वक्पत्रादपि दृस्यते । एवं विश्वस्य नान्यस्त्वं त्वस्थयीश्वर दृश्येत ॥ १,१२.
Just as in the plantain tree no part is seen apart from its layers and leaves, so too, O steadfast Lord, none other than you is seen in the universe.
ह्लादिनी संधिनी संवित्त्वय्येका सर्वसंस्थितौ । ह्लादतापकरी मिश्रा त्वयि नो गुणवर्जिते ॥ १,१२.
The powers of delight, cohesion, and consciousness—all are one in you, present in all; pleasure and pain, and their mixture, exist in you, who are free from all qualities.
पृथग्भूतैकभूताय भूतभूताय ते नमः । प्रभूतभूतभूताय तुभ्यं भूतात्मने नमः ॥ १,१२.
Homage to you, who are both distinct and one, the essence of all beings; homage to you, who are the soul of all that exists, the abundant source of all beings.
व्यक्तं प्रधानपुरुषौ विराट्सम्राट्स्वराट्तथा । विभाव्यतेन्तःकरणे पुरुषेष्वक्षयो भवान् ॥ १,१२.
The manifest, the primal matter and spirit, the Virat, Samrat, and Svarat—all these are perceived in the inner faculty, but you are imperishable in all beings.