प्रत्यहं पूजयाम् आस देवदेवं जनार्दनम् । मनसा कर्मणा वाचा प्रह्लादो भक्तिमान् इति
Every day, Prahlāda, devoted in mind, deed, and word, worshipped Janārdana, the god of gods.
अथ पूजापरस्यास्य समवर्धन्त कालतः । विवेकानन्दवैराग्यविभवप्रमुखा गुणाः
Then, as he remained intent on worship, virtues led by discernment, bliss, detachment, and prosperity grew in him over time.
नाभ्यनन्दद् असौ भोगपूगं शुष्कम् इव द्रुमम् । न चारमत कान्तासु मृगो मरुमहीष्व् इव
He did not delight in heaps of pleasures, as one does not in a withered tree; nor did he wander among women, like a deer in barren deserts.
न रेमे लोकचर्चासु शास्त्रार्थकथनाद् ऋते । नाजायत रतिस् तस्य दृश्ये स्थल इवाब्जिनी
He took no joy in worldly talk, except in discussions of scripture; for him, pleasure did not arise in what is seen, like a lotus on dry ground.
न विशश्राम चेतो ऽस्य भोगरोगानुरञ्जने । मुक्ताफलम् असंश्लिष्टं मुक्ताफल इवातले
His mind did not rest in the allure of the disease of pleasures, like a pearl that does not cling to the surface of a pearl shell.
त्यक्तभोगाभिकलनं विश्रान्तिम् अथ नागतम् । चेतः केवलम् अस्यासीद् दोलायाम् इव योजितम्
Having abandoned all thoughts of enjoyment, and not yet attained repose, her mind was simply poised as if placed upon a swing.
प्राह्लादीं तां स्थितिं कृष्णदेहः क्षीरोदकोटरात् । विवेद सर्वगतया तया परमकान्तया
Krishna, whose body is dark, experienced that supremely delightful state, all-pervading and most beloved, from the depths of the ocean of milk.
अथ पातालमार्गेण विष्णुर् आह्लादिताग्रगः । पूजादेवगृहं तस्य प्रह्लादस्य समाययौ
Then, by the path of the netherworld, Vishnu, filled with joy, arrived at the temple of Prahlada, the foremost among the delighted.
विज्ञायाभ्यागतं देवं पूजया द्विगुणेद्धया । दैत्येन्द्रः पुण्डरीकाक्षम् आदरात् पर्यपूजयत्
Recognizing the arrival of the Lord, the king of the Daityas, with doubled fervor, worshipped the lotus-eyed one with great reverence.
पूजागृहगतं देवं प्रत्यक्षावस्थितं हरिम् । प्रह्लादः परमप्रीतो गिरा तुष्टाव पुष्टया
Seeing Hari, the Lord, present before him in the temple, Prahlada, filled with supreme joy, praised him with strong words.
त्रिभुवनभवनाभिरामकोशं सकलकलङ्कहरं परं प्रकाशम् । अशरणशरणं शरण्यम् ईशं हरिम् अजम् ईश्वरम् अच्युतं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in Hari, the unborn, the imperishable Lord, the supreme light, the shelter of the shelterless, the refuge, the remover of all blemish, the delight of the abodes of the three worlds.
कुवलयदलशैलसन्निकाशं शरदमलाम्बरकोटरोपमानम् । भ्रमरतिमिरकज्जलाञ्जनाभं सरसिजचक्रगदाधरं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in him who resembles a blue lotus petal or a mountain, whose garment is pure as autumn sky, whose hue is like the darkness of a swarm of bees or collyrium, who holds the lotus, discus, and mace.
विचलदलिकलापकोमलाङ्गं सितदलपङ्कजकुट्मलाभशङ्खम् । श्रुतिरणितविरिञ्चचञ्चरीकं स्वहृदयपद्मजलाशयं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in him whose limbs are soft as moving bee-threads, whose conch is like a budding white lotus, whose ears resound with the buzzing of the bees of the Vedas, who dwells in the water of the lotus of my heart.
सितमणिगणतारकावकीर्णं स्मितधवलाननपीवरेन्दुबिम्बम् । हृदयमणिमरीचिजालगङ्गं हरिशरदम्बरम् आततं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in that vast autumn sky, adorned with stars of crystal gems, the full moon plump and bright as a smiling, radiant face, and the river of heart's jewel-like rays flowing within.
त्रिभुवननलिनीसितारविन्दं तिमिरसमानविमोहदीपम् अग्र्यम् । जडतरम् अजडं चिदात्मतत्त्वं जगदखिलार्तिहरं हरिं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in Hari, the supreme light that dispels the darkness of delusion, the foremost lamp for the lotus of the three worlds, the pure consciousness that is both inert and non-inert, the remover of all suffering in the universe.
नवविकसितपद्मरेणुगौरं स्फुटकमलावपुषोपरूषिताङ्गम् । दिनगमसमयारुणाम्बराभं कनकनिभाम्बरसुन्दरं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in the one whose form is beautiful as gold, whose limbs are dusted with pollen from newly blossomed lotuses, whose body rests upon a clear lotus, and whose garment glows like the red sky at sunset.
अविरतहतसृष्टसर्गलीलं सततम् अजातम् अवर्धनं विशालम् । युगशतजरढाभिजातदेहं तरुतलशायिनम् अर्भकं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in the child lying beneath the tree, whose play is the ceaseless creation of worlds, who is ever unborn, unchanging, vast, and whose body seems aged by hundreds of aeons.
दितिसुतनलिनीतुषारपातं सुरनलिनीसततोदितार्कबिम्बम् । कमलजनलिनीजलावपूरं हृदि नलिनीनिलयं विभुं प्रपद्ये
I take refuge in the all-pervading one, whose presence in the heart is like a lake of lotuses, who is the gentle fall of snow upon the demon-lotus, the ever-rising sun for the divine lotus, and the flood of water for the lotus born from the lotus.
इति गुणबहुलाभिर् वाग्भिर् अभ्यर्चितो ऽसौ हरिर् असुरविनाशश् श्रीनिषण्णांसदेशः । जलद इव मयूरं प्रीतिमान् प्रीयमाणं कुवलयदलदेहः प्रत्युवाचासुरेन्द्रम्
Thus, when Hari, destroyer of demons, seated beside Lakshmi, was worshipped with abundant words of praise, he, whose body is dark as a blue lotus, delighted as a peacock at the sight of a cloud, joyfully addressed the lord of the demons.
वरं गुणनिधे दैत्यकुलचूडामहामणे । गृहाणाभिमतं भूयोजन्मदुःखोपशान्तये
O ocean of virtues, great jewel among the chiefs of the demon race, choose your boon—accept whatever you desire, so that the suffering of rebirth may be calmed.
सर्वसङ्कल्पफलद सर्वलोकान्तरस्थित । यद् उदारतमं वेत्सि तद् एवादिश देव मे
O giver of all desires, who abides in all worlds, command me for that which you know to be most noble, O lord, and I shall grant it.
सर्वसम्भ्रमसंशान्त्यै परमाय फलाय च । ब्रह्मविश्रान्तिपर्यन्तो विवेको ऽस्तु तवानघ
May discernment, culminating in repose in Brahman, be yours, O sinless one, for the complete pacification of all agitation and for the highest fruit.
इत्य् उक्त्वा दितिपुत्रेन्द्रं विष्णुर् अन्तरधीयत । कृतघर्घरनिर्ह्रादस् तरङ्गस् तोयधेर् इव
Having spoken thus to the lord of Diti's sons, Viṣṇu vanished, making a deep, resonant sound like the waves of the ocean.
विष्णाव् अन्तर्हिते देवे पूजायाः कुसुमाञ्जलिम् । पाश्चात्यं दानवस् त्यक्त्वा मणिरत्नपरिष्कृतम्
When the god Viṣṇu had disappeared, the Dānava set aside the jeweled and ornamented western offering of flowers for worship.
पद्मासनस्थो ऽथ मृदाव् उपविश्य वरासने । स्तोत्रपाठविधाव् अत्र चिन्तयाम् आस चिन्तया
Then, seated in the lotus posture, he sat down gently on an excellent seat and, in the manner of reciting hymns, began to reflect deeply.
विचारवान् एव भवान् भवत्व् इति भवारिणा । देवेनोक्तो ऽस्मि तेनान्तः करोम्य् आशु विचारणाम्
The destroyer of existence has told me, 'Let you be one endowed with inquiry,' so I will promptly engage in inner reflection.
किम् अहं नाम तावत् स्यां यो ऽस्मिन् भुवनडम्बरे । वच्मि गच्छामि तिष्ठामि प्रयते चाहरामि च
Who, indeed, am I in this vast expanse of the world, who says, goes, stands, strives, and eats?
जगत् तावद् इदं नाहं सवृक्षवनपर्वतम् । यद् बाह्यं जडम् अत्यन्तं तत् स्यां कथम् अहं किल
This world, with its trees, forests, and mountains, is not myself; whatever is external and utterly insentient—how could I possibly be that?
असन्न् अभ्युत्थितो मूकः पवनैस् स्फुरति क्षणम् । कालेनाल्पेन विलयी देहो नाहम् अचेतनः
The body, insentient, arises, is mute, stirs for a moment by the wind, and quickly perishes with time—I am not that insentient thing.
जडया कर्णशष्कुल्या कल्प्यमानः क्षणस्थया । शून्याकृतिश् शून्यभवश् शब्दो नाहम् अचेतनः
I am not the inert sound, which is fashioned by the momentary, lifeless membrane of the ear, which is void in form and arises from emptiness.