निमिन्यङ्कुपृथुप्रोथवैन्यनाभागकेलिषु । नलमान्धातृसगरदिलीपनहुषादिषु
In Nimi, Yaṅku, Pṛthu, Protha, Vainya, Nābhāga, Keli; in Nala, Māndhātṛ, Sagara, Dilīpa, Nahuṣa, and others—
आत्रेयव्यासवाल्मीकिवत्सवात्स्यायनादिषु । उपमन्युमनीमङ्किभगीरथशुकादिषु
In Ātreya, Vyāsa, Vālmīki, Vatsa, Vātsyāyana, and others; in Upamanyu, Manī, Maṅki, Bhagīratha, Śuka, and their kind—
अल्पकातीतकालेषु किञ्चिद् दूरेषु केषुचित् । तथाद्यतनसर्गेषु स्मरणे गणनैव का
In times that are short or long past, in some places a little distant; likewise, in the present creations, what is the point of counting or recalling?
मुने ते ब्रह्मपुत्रस्य जन्माष्टमम् इदं किल । संस्मराम्य् अष्टमे सर्गे त्व् अस्मिंस् त्वं मम सङ्गतः
O sage, this is said to be the eighth birth of you, the son of Brahma; I remember, in this eighth creation, you have come together with me.
कदाचिज् जायसे व्योम्नः कदाचिज् जायसे जलात् । कदाचिज् जायसे शैलात् कदाचिज् जायसे ऽनलात्
Sometimes you are born from the sky, sometimes from water; sometimes you are born from a mountain, sometimes from fire.
यादृशो यादृशाचारो यादृक्संस्थानदिग्गणः । सर्गो ऽयं तादृशान् एव त्रीन् सर्गान् संस्मराम्य् अहम्
Whatever the manner, whatever the conduct, whatever the place and direction; this creation is just like that, and I remember three such creations.
एकरूपाखिलाचारसन्निवेशनरामरान् । समकालाखिलस्थैर्यान् दश सर्गान् स्मराम्य् अहम्
I recall ten cycles of creation, all of which unfolded with a single form, with all beings and actions arranged alike, and all stability occurring simultaneously.
अन्तर्धानं गता देवा वारपञ्चकम् उद्धृताः । मुने पञ्चसु सर्गेषु कूर्मा इव पयोनिधेः
The gods vanished for a period of five cycles, O sage, just as turtles withdraw into the ocean; they were withdrawn during five cycles of creation.
मन्दराकर्षणावेगपर्याकुलसुरासुरम् । स्मरामि द्वादशं चेदम् अमृताम्भोधिमन्थनम्
I remember this twelfth event: the churning of the ocean of nectar, when gods and demons were agitated by the force of Mount Mandara being pulled.
सर्वौषधिरसोपेतां बलिं ग्राहस् तटाद् इव । वारत्रयं हिरण्याक्षो नीतवान् वसुधाम् अधः
For three cycles, Hiraṇyākṣa carried the earth below, along with all its medicinal herbs and riches, as if seizing a bank from the shore.
रेणुकात्मजतां गत्वा षष्ठं वारम् इमं हरिः । बहुसर्गान्तरेणापि चकार क्षत्रियक्षयम्
Hari, having become the son of Reṇukā, in this sixth cycle, even after many cycles of creation, brought about the destruction of the Kṣatriya class.
शतं कलियुगानां च हरेर् बुद्धदशाशतम् । शाक्यराजतयैवाप्तं स्मरामि मुनिनायक
O chief of sages, I remember a hundred Kali Yugas and a hundred Buddha incarnations of Hari, all attained through the rule of the Śākya kings.
त्रिंशत्त्रिपुरविक्षोभान् द्वौ दक्षाध्वरसङ्क्षयौ । दश शुक्रविघातांश् च चन्द्रमौलेस् स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember thirty-three destructions of the cities, two terminations of Dakṣa's sacrifices, and ten defeats of Śukra by the moon-crested one.
बाणार्थम् अष्टौ सङ्ग्रामाज् ज्वरप्रमथनायकान् । विक्षोभितसुरानीकान् स्मरामि हरिशर्वयोः
For the sake of Bāṇa, I remember eight battles, the leaders of fever and agitation, and the armies of gods thrown into turmoil by Hari and Śarva.
युगं प्रति धियां पुंसाम् ऊनाधिकतया मुने । क्रियाङ्गपाठवैचित्र्ययुक्तान् वेदान् स्मराम्य् अहम्
O sage, according to each age, I recall the Vedas endowed with various forms, marked by the differing capacities and inclinations of people, and by the diversity in the limbs and practices of ritual.
एकाग्राणि समग्राणि बहुपाठानि मे ऽनघ । पुराणानि प्रवर्तन्ते विवृतानि युगं प्रति
O sinless one, the ancient texts—whether concise or comprehensive, whether learned in many recitations or with single-minded focus—arise anew in each age, revealed in their fullness.
पुनस् तान् एव तान् एवम् अन्यान् अपि युगे युगे । देवर्षिविप्ररचितान् इतिहासान् स्मराम्य् अहम्
Again and again, in every age, I remember those very same histories, as well as others, composed by divine sages and seers.
इतिहासं महाश्चर्यम् अन्यं रामायणाभिधम् । ग्रन्थलक्षप्रमाणं सज् ज्ञानशास्त्रं स्मराम्य् अहम्
I recall another wondrous history, known as the Rāmāyaṇa, a scripture of knowledge, vast as a hundred thousand verses.
रामवद् व्यवहर्तव्यं न रावणविलासवत् । इति यत्र धिया ज्ञानं हस्ते फलम् इवार्पितम्
There, knowledge is placed in the hand, as fruit ready to be grasped by the mind, teaching that one should act like Rāma, not indulge like Rāvaṇa.
कृतं वाल्मीकिना चैतद् अधुना च करिष्यति । अद्य त्व् अप्रकटं लोके स्थितं ज्ञास्यति कालतः
This was composed by Vālmīki, and he will compose it again; though now it is hidden in the world, in time it will become known.
वाल्मीकिनाम्ना जीवेन तेनैवान्येन चाक्षतम् । एतत् तद् द्वादशं वारं क्रियते विस्मृतिं गतम्
By the living sage called Vālmīki, and by another under the same name, this very work is created for the twelfth time, after having been forgotten.
द्वितीयम् एतस्य समं भारतं नाम नामतः । स्मरामि प्राक्तनव्यासकृतं जगति विस्मृतम्
The second of these is called by name the Bhārata; I remember it, composed by the former Vyāsa, though it has been forgotten in the world.
व्यासाभिधेन जीवेन तथैवान्येन चाक्षतम् । एतत् तु सप्तमं वारं क्रियते विस्मृतिं गतम्
Just as the being known as Vyāsa, and likewise another, have been forgotten, so now, for the seventh time, this is being done again.
आख्यानकानि शास्त्राणि विवृतानि युगं प्रति । विचित्रसन्निवेशानि संस्मरामि मुनीश्वर
O lord of sages, I recall the stories and treatises that have been expounded in each age, arranged in various wondrous forms.
पुनस् तान्य् एव तान्य् एव तथान्यानि युगे युगे । साधो पदार्थजालानि प्रपश्यामि स्मरामि च
Again and again, in every age, O noble one, I perceive and remember these very same arrays of objects, as well as others.
राक्षसक्षतये विष्णोर् महीम् अवतरिष्यतः । अधुनैकादशं जन्म रामनाम्नो भविष्यति
For the destruction of the demon by Viṣṇu, who will descend to earth, the eleventh birth bearing the name Rāma will soon occur.
वसुदेवगृहे विष्णोर् भुवो भारनिवृत्तये । अधुना षोडशं जन्म भविष्यति मुनीश्वर
O lord of sages, now, for the removal of the earth's burden, Viṣṇu will soon take his sixteenth birth in the house of Vasudeva.
नारसिंहेन वपुषा हिरण्यकशिपुं हरिः । जघान वारत्रितयं मृगेन्द्र इव वारणम्
Hari, in the form of Narasiṃha, slew Hiraṇyakaśipu three times, like a lion felling an elephant.
जगत्त्रयीभ्रान्तिर् इयं न कदाचिन् न विद्यते । विद्यते न कदाचिच् च जलबुद्बुदवत् स्थिता
This delusion concerning the three worlds never truly exists, nor does it ever not exist; it is established like a water bubble.
दृश्यभ्रान्तिर् अनिष्ठेयम् अन्तस्स्था संविदात्मनि । जायते लीयते चाशु लोला वीचिर् इवाम्भसि
The illusion of the visible, which is not to be desired, arises and quickly subsides within the inner consciousness, wavering like a ripple on water.