एहि पुत्रेति माम् उक्त्वा स स्वाब्जस्योत्तरे दले । शुक्ले ऽभ्र इव शीतांशुं योजयाम् आस पाणिना
Calling me, 'Come, my son,' he joined me with his hand to the northern petal of his own lotus, like a white cloud joining the moon.
मृगकृत्तिपरीधानो मृगकृत्तिनिजाम्बरम् । माम् उवाच पिता ब्रह्मा स हंसस् सारसं यथा
Clad in a deer skin, wearing his own garment of deer skin, my father Brahma, like a swan to a lotus, spoke to me.
मुहूर्तमात्रं ते पुत्र चेतो वानरचञ्चलम् । अज्ञानम् अभ्याविशतु शशश् शशधरं यथा
For a moment, my son, let your mind, restless as a monkey, be enveloped in ignorance, as the moon is covered by a hare.
इति तेनाशु शप्तस् सन् विचारसमनन्तरम् । अहं विस्मृतवान् सर्वं स्वरूपम् अमलं द्विजः
Thus, being quickly cursed by him, immediately after reflection, I, the twice-born, forgot all my pure nature.
अथाहं दीनतां यातस् स्थितस् सम्बुद्धया धिया । दुःखशोकाभिसन्तप्तो जातो जन इवाधमः
Then I became dejected, remaining with an awakened mind, tormented by sorrow and pain, like a lowly person among people.
कष्टं संसारनामायं दोषः कथम् इवागतः । इति चिन्तितवान् अन्तस् तूष्णीम् एव व्यवस्थितः
How did this fault called 'worldly existence' come about? Thus I pondered inwardly, remaining silent.
अथाभ्यधात् स मां तातः पुत्र किं दुःखवान् असि । दुःखोपघातं मां पृच्छ सुखी नित्यं भविष्यसि
Then my father addressed me: 'Son, why are you sorrowful? Ask me the remedy for sorrow, and you will always be happy.'
ततः पृष्टस् स भगवान् मया सकललोककृत् । हैमपद्मदलस्थेन संसारव्याधिभेषजम्
Then, questioned by me, the blessed one, creator of all worlds, seated on a golden lotus petal, gave the medicine for the disease of worldly existence.
कथं नाम महद् दुःखम् अयं संसार आगतः । कथं च क्षीयते जन्तोर् इति पृष्टेन तेन मे
He asked me: How has this great suffering called worldly existence arisen, and how is it brought to an end for a living being?
तज् ज्ञानं सुबहु प्रोक्तं यज् ज्ञात्वा पावनं परम् । अहं पितुर् अपि प्रायः किलाधिक इव स्थितः
That knowledge, which is purifying and supreme, has been explained in great detail; by knowing it, I have become, it seems, even greater than my father.
ततो विदितवेद्यं मां निजप्रकृतिम् आस्थितम् । स उवाच जगत्कर्ता वक्ता सकलकारणम्
Then, having understood what was to be known and established in my own nature, the creator of the world, the speaker and cause of all, addressed me.
शापेनाज्ञपदं नीत्वा पृच्छकस् त्वं मया कृतः । पुत्रास्य ज्ञानसारस्य समस्तजनसिद्धये
By a curse, you were brought to the state of ignorance; I made you the questioner, so that the essence of knowledge might be imparted to your sons for the accomplishment of all people.
इदानीं शान्तशापस् त्वं परं बोधम् उपागतः । संस्थितो ऽहम् इवैकात्मा कनकं कनकाद् इव
Now, freed from the curse, you have attained supreme awakening; I am established as one with myself, like gold from gold.
गच्छेदानीं महीपीठे जम्बुद्वीपान्तरस्थितम् । साधो भारतवर्षं त्वं लोकानुग्रहहेतुना
Go now to the seat of the earth, to the region within Jambudvīpa; O noble one, go to Bhāratavarṣa for the sake of benefiting the world.
तत्र क्रियाकाण्डपरास् त्वया पुत्र महाधियः । उपदेश्याः क्रियाकाण्डक्रमेण क्रमशालिनः
There, O wise son, you should instruct those devoted to ritual acts, who are orderly in the sequence of ritual practices.
विरक्तचित्ताश् च तथा महाप्रज्ञा विरागिणः । उपदेश्यास् त्वया साधो ज्ञानेनानन्ददायिना
Likewise, those whose minds are detached, who possess great wisdom and are free from passion, O noble one, you should instruct with knowledge that bestows bliss.
इति तेन नियुक्तो ऽहं पित्रा कमलयोनिना । इह राघव तिष्ठामि यावद् भूतपरम्परा
Thus, commanded by my father, the lotus-born, I remain here, O Raghava, until the succession of beings is complete.
कर्तव्यम् अस्ति मम नेह हि किञ्चिद् एव स्थातव्यम् इत्य् अभिमना भुवि संस्थितो ऽस्मि । संशान्तया सततसुप्तधियेव वृत्त्या कार्यं करोमि न च किञ्चिद् अहं करोमि
I have a duty to perform; there is nothing here for me except to remain as long as necessary. With this conviction, I stay in the world. With a mind always tranquil and as if perpetually asleep, I carry out my tasks, yet I do nothing at all.
एतत् ते कथितं सर्वं ज्ञानावतरणं भुवि । मया स्वम् ईहितं चैव कमलोद्भवकल्पितम्
All this has been told to you—the descent of knowledge upon earth—by me, according to my own intention and as imagined by the lotus-born.
तद् इदं परमं ज्ञानं श्रोतुम् अद्य तवानघ । भृशम् उत्कण्ठितं चेतो महतस् सुकृतोदयात्
Now, O sinless one, you are to hear this supreme knowledge today; your mind is greatly eager, arising from the fruits of great virtue.
कथं ब्रह्मन् भगवतो लोके ज्ञानावतारणे । सर्गाद् अनन्तरं बुद्धिः प्रवृत्ता परमेष्ठिनः
O Brahman, how did the mind of the blessed one begin to function in the world, in the descent of knowledge, immediately after creation?
परमे ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्मा स्वभाववशतस् स्वयम् । जातस् स्पन्दमयो नित्यम् ऊर्मिर् अम्बुनिधाव् इव
In the supreme Brahman, Brahma, by his own nature, arose as a constant vibration, like a wave in the ocean.
सृष्ट्वैवम् आततं सर्गं सर्गस्य सकला गतीः । भूतभव्यभविष्यत्स्था ददर्श परमेश्वरः
Having thus created the extended creation and all its courses, the supreme Lord perceived the states of past, present, and future.
सत्क्रियाक्रमकालस्य कृतादेः क्षय आगते । मोहम् आलोक्य लोकानां कारुण्यम् अगमत् प्रभुः
When the period of proper rites and the age of the first creation had come to an end, the Lord, seeing the delusion of the worlds, was moved to compassion.
ततो माम् ईश्वरस् सृष्ट्वा ज्ञानेनायोज्य चासकृत् । विससर्ज महीपीठे लोकस्याज्ञानशान्तये
Then, the Lord created me, repeatedly engaging me through knowledge, and sent me forth upon the earth to bring peace to the ignorance of the world.
यथाहं प्रहितस् तेन तथान्ये ऽपि महर्षयः । सनत्कुमारप्रमुखा नारदाद्याश् च भूरिशः
Just as I was dispatched by Him, so too were many other great sages, led by Sanatkumara, as well as Narada and numerous others.
क्रियाक्रमेण पुण्येन तथा ज्ञानक्रमेण च । मनोमहामयोत्तब्धम् उद्धर्तुं लोकम् ईरिताः
Through the course of righteous action and likewise through the path of knowledge, we were instructed to uplift the world, which was bound by the vast illusion of the mind.
महर्षिभिस् ततस् तैस् तु क्षीणे कृतयुगे पुरा । क्रमात् क्रियाक्रमे शुद्धे पृथिव्यां तनुतां गते
Then, when the great sages had acted, and the Krita Yuga had waned in ancient times, as purity in the course of action diminished and the earth became thinner,
क्रियाक्रमविधानार्थं मर्यादानियमाय च । पृथग्देशविभागेन भूपालाः परिकल्पिताः
For the purpose of establishing the order of action and regulating boundaries, kings were appointed in various regions, each according to their division of the land.
बहूनि स्मृतिशास्त्राणि यज्ञशास्त्राणि चावनौ । धर्मकामार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं कल्पितान्य् उदितान्य् अथ
Many treatises on tradition and rituals, as well as texts on sacrifice, were devised and proclaimed upon the earth for the attainment of righteousness, desire, and wealth.