विलीनसर्वसङ्कल्पश् शान्तसन्देहविभ्रमः । क्षीणकौतुकनीहारो जातो ऽसि विगतज्वरः
You have become one whose every intention has dissolved, whose doubts and confusions are at peace, whose mist of curiosity has faded, and who is free from affliction.
यद् उपगच्छसि पासि निहंसि वा पिबसि वल्गसि चिन्मय वर्धसे । तद् असि तेन तवास्तु महामुने विगतबोधकलङ्कविशङ्किता
Whatever you approach, protect, destroy, drink, or delight in, O great sage, you are that—may you remain thus, free from any taint or doubt in your awakened understanding.
अथेमम् अपरं राम विज्ञानाधिगमे क्रमम् । शृणु दैत्येश्वरस् सिद्धः प्रह्लादस् स्वात्मना यथा
Now, O Rāma, listen to another sequence in the attainment of knowledge—how Prahlāda, lord of the daityas, attained perfection through his own Self.
आसीत् पातालजठरे विद्रावितसुरो ऽसुरः । हिरण्यकशिपुर् नाम नारायणपराक्रमः
There was an asura named Hiraṇyakaśipu, of unrivaled might, who, driven from the surface, dwelled in the depths of the netherworld.
आक्रान्तभुवनाभोगस् स जहार हरेर् जगत् । षट्पदस्य बृहत्पत्त्रं राजहंस इवाम्बुजम्
He, having seized the enjoyments of all the worlds, took away the universe of Hari, as a royal swan takes a lotus from the bees.
चकार जगतां राज्यं समाक्रान्तसुरासुरः । दन्ती निरस्तहंसौघो नलिन्याम् अलिनाम् इव
Having subdued gods and demons alike, he ruled over all the worlds, like an elephant in a lotus pond driving away the flocks of swans.
अथासाव् असुराधीशः कुर्वंस् त्रिभुवनेशताम् । कालेन सुषुवे पुत्रान् अङ्कुरान् इव माधवः
Then that lord of the asuras, establishing his sovereignty over the three worlds, in due course begot sons, as Mādhava brings forth sprouts in spring.
ते ऽवर्धन्ताचिरेणैव तेजस्तर्जिततारकाः । दशार्कांशुशतानीव व्योमाक्रान्तिविलासिनः
They quickly grew in power, dazzling the stars with their radiance, moving across the sky like hundreds of suns.
प्रह्लादो नाम भगवान् प्रधानात्मा बभूव ह । तेषां मध्ये महार्हाणां मणीनाम् इव कौस्तुभः
Among them, Prahlāda, the illustrious one, became preeminent—like the Kaustubha gem among precious jewels.
तेनाराजत पुत्रेण हिरण्यकशिपुर् भृशम् । सर्वसौन्दर्ययुक्तेन वसन्तेनेव वत्सरः
By that son, who was not a king, Hiraṇyakaśipu was greatly delighted, endowed with all beauty, like the year is by spring.
अथ पुत्रसहायो ऽसौ बलकोशसमन्वितः । आजगाम मदं दैत्यस् त्रिगण्डगलितेभवत्
Then, accompanied by his son and possessing a mighty army, that Daitya, intoxicated, arrived, his threefold pride dissolved.
ततापाक्रान्तितापेन त्रिजगन्ति विकासिना । कल्पान्तसूर्यगणवन् नवयैव करश्रिया
By the heat of his oppression, which spread through the three worlds, the brilliance of his hands was like the multitude of suns at the end of an age.
अखिद्यन्तास्य तेनाथ सूर्येन्दुप्रमुखास् सुराः । दुर्विलासविलोलस्य बालस्येव स्वबन्धवः
Then, because of him, the gods led by the sun and moon were distressed, like the relatives of a child who is reckless in his mischief.
ते ऽर्थयां चक्रिरे शौरिं दैत्येन्द्रेभपतेर् वधे । न क्षमन्ते महान्तो ऽपि पौनःपुण्येन दुष्क्रियाम्
They appealed to Viṣṇu for the slaying of the lord of the Daityas; even the great cannot endure repeated wickedness.
ततः प्रलयपर्यस्तजगद्घर्घरजृम्भितम् । दिग्दन्तिदशनप्रख्यनखवज्राश्रिसूम्भितम्
Then, as the world was shaken by dissolution, there was a roaring tumult, adorned with the splendor of claws like the tusks of the lord of elephants.
स्थिरविद्युल्लताजालभासुरोर्ध्वजमण्डलम् । दशदिक्कोटरोद्वान्तज्वलज्ज्वलनकुण्डलम्
There appeared a lofty form, radiant with a network of steady lightning-like luster, encircled by blazing earrings at the ends of the ten directions.
समस्तकुलशैलेन्द्रपिण्डपीठोद्भटोदरम् । दोर्द्रुमाधूननोद्धूतस्फुटद्ब्रह्माण्डकर्परम्
Its belly was vast, like the massed peaks of all the lordly mountains, and its arms shook, shattering the shell of the universe.
वदनोदरनिष्क्रान्तवातोत्सारितपर्वतं । त्रिजगद्दहनोद्युक्तकोपकल्पाग्निगर्वितम्
With his breath issuing from his mouth and nostrils, he drove away mountains, proud as the fire of dissolution, ready to burn the three worlds in his wrath.
सटाविकटपीनांसस्पन्दप्रेरितभास्करम् । रोमकूपलसद्वह्निपुञ्जपिञ्जरपर्वतम्
His mane was wild, his shoulders broad and swelling, his movements set the sun in motion, and the mountains were tinged tawny by the clusters of fire at his hair roots.
कुलाचलमहाकुड्यकुट्टनोद्भटदृक्पुटम् । सर्वावयवनिष्ठ्यूतपट्टिसप्रासतोमरम्
His eyes were fierce, shattering the great walls of mountain ranges, and all his limbs bristled with weapons—swords, spears, and javelins.
नारसिंहं वपुः कृत्वा माधवो ऽहन् महासुरम् । लसत्कटकटारावं तुरङ्गमम् इव द्विपः
Assuming the form of Narasiṃha, Mādhava slew the great demon, roaring loudly like an elephant trumpeting beside a horse.
पुरम् आसुरम् उद्वान्तैर् ददाहेक्षणवह्निभिः । ससर्वभूतं कल्पान्ते जगज्जालम् इवानलः
With the fire of his gaze, he burned the demon city, along with all its beings, like a blazing fire consuming the world at the end of an age.
नृसिंहमारुते तस्मिन् भृशं क्षोभम् उपागते । विस्फूर्जति घनास्फोटैर् एकार्णव इवाकुले
In that lion-man wind, when great agitation arose, it thundered with resounding crashes, like a single ocean in turmoil.
दुद्रुवुर् दानवौघास् ते दिक्ष्व् अलं मषका इव । उपाययुर् अदृश्यत्वं दीपा इव गतत्विषः
Then the hosts of demons fled in all directions like gnats, and, like lamps whose light has gone out, they became invisible.
अथ विद्रुतदैत्येन्द्रं दग्धान्तःपुरमण्डलम् । बभूव पातालतलं कल्पक्षुण्णजगत्समम्
Then, with the demon king fleeing and the inner quarters burned, the netherworld became like the world destroyed at the end of an age.
अकालकल्पान्तविधौ शनैः प्रशमिते विभौ । क्वापि याते समाश्वस्तसुरसंरम्भपूजिते
When the lord, the cause of the end of the age, was gradually pacified, and had gone somewhere, those who had survived the tumult of the gods found relief.
मृतशिष्टा दनुसुताः प्रह्लादपरिपालिताः । दग्धं स्वं देशम् आजग्मुस् सरश् शुष्कम् इवाण्डजाः
The daughters of Danu who survived, protected by Prahlada, returned to their own land, now burned, like birds returning to a dried-up lake.
तत्र कालोचितां कृत्वा स्वनाशपरिदेवनाम् । और्ध्वदैहिकसत्कारं चक्रुः प्रभुषु बन्धुषु
There, after lamenting their own destruction as was fitting for the time, they performed the proper funeral rites for their lords and kin.
हृतबन्दीजनं प्लुष्टबन्धुबान्धवमण्डलम् । शनैर् आश्वासयाम् आसुर् मृतशिष्टं स्वकं जनम्
Their people, bereft of captives, their circle of relatives and friends consumed, they slowly consoled the survivors among their own.
चित्रार्पितोपमदुराकृतयो निरीहा दीनाशया हिमहताम्बुरुहोपमानाः । शोकोपतप्तमनसो ऽसुरनायकास् ते दग्धद्रुमा इव निरस्तविकासम् आसन्
Their forms, marked by the signs of sorrow and dejection, were helpless, their hopes withered like lotuses struck by frost; the leaders of the demons, their minds scorched by grief, were like burned trees, their splendor gone.