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.
समैकसन्निवेशानि बहूनि विषमाणि च । तथार्धसमरूपाणि त्रिजगन्ति स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember many worlds with similar arrangements, some with differences, and some with only partial resemblance.
तान्य् एव तादृक्कर्माणि तथान्याचरणानि च । तत्कर्माणि तथान्यानि भूतानीह स्मराम्य् अहम्
I recall those same kinds of actions, as well as other deeds performed there; I remember those actions and other beings here as well.
प्रतिमन्वन्तरं ब्रह्मन् विपर्यस्ते जगत्क्रमे । सन्निवेशे ऽन्यथा जाते प्रयाते संस्तुते जने
O Brahman, at every change of a Manvantara, when the order of the world is reversed, and when a new arrangement arises, and people come and go,
ममान्यानि च मित्राणि ते ऽन्य एव च बन्धवः । अन्य एव नवा भृत्या अन्य एव समाश्रयाः
I have different friends, and you have other relatives; there are new servants, and others who offer shelter.
कदाचिद् अहम् एकान्ते विन्ध्यमूललताश्रयः । कदाचिन् मेरुशृङ्गाग्रकल्पवृक्षलताश्रयः
Sometimes I dwell in solitude at the foot of the Vindhya mountains, and sometimes I take refuge in the wish-fulfilling creepers atop Mount Meru.
कदाचित् सह्यनिलयः कदाचिद् दर्दुरालयः । कदाचिद् धिमवद्वासी कदाचिन् मलयाश्रयः
Sometimes I reside in the Sahya mountains, sometimes in the Dardura range; sometimes I live in the Himalayas, and sometimes in the Malaya mountains.
कदाचित् प्राक्तनेनैव सन्निवेशेन भूधरम् । वनं वृक्षं च शाखां च प्राप्य नीडं करोम्य् अहम्
Sometimes, with a previous arrangement, I make my nest upon a mountain, in a forest, on a tree, or on a branch.
अद्यानन्तेषु यातेषु युगेषु मुनिनायक । प्राक्तनेनैव जातो ऽयं सन्निवेशेन पादपः
O leader of sages, in the ages that have passed up to the present, this tree has been born with the same arrangement as before.
ताते जीवति यैवाभूच् छोभास्य सुतरोस् तया । कृतप्राक्सन्निवेशो ऽयम् अहं स्थितिम् उपागतः
When my father was alive, there was a great radiance from him; having previously established myself, I have now attained this state.
नेहाभूद् उत्तरा पूर्वं ककुम् नायं च भूधरः । दिग् उत्तराभूद् अन्यैव पूर्वं मेरुमहीधरा
Here, there was neither a northern nor an eastern horizon before, nor was this a mountain; the direction that was north before was different, as was the eastern Meru mountain.
एकैकदेहसंस्थाननीतब्रह्मनिशागमः । ध्यानान्ते खस्थ एवैतत् सर्गम् आलोक्य वेद्म्य् अहम्
The coming of night in Brahman, brought about by the placement of each body, at the end of meditation, I perceive this creation while abiding in the sky and I know it.
अर्कादेर् ऋक्षसञ्चारान् मेर्वादेस् स्थानकाद् दिशाम् । संस्थानम् अन्यथा तस्मिन् स्थिते यान्ति दिशो ऽन्यथा
Because of the movement of the sun and stars, and the position of Meru and other places, the arrangement of directions changes; when that remains, the directions go otherwise.
न सन् नासज् जगन् मन्ये भ्रमो ऽयं केवलं धियः । आत्मस्पन्दचमत्कारविभवो ऽयं विजृम्भते
I do not consider the world to be existent or non-existent; this is merely a confusion of the mind. This manifestation arises from the marvel of the vibration of the Self.
पुत्रः पितृत्वम् आयातो मित्राणि त्व् अरितां तथा । स्त्रीत्वं च शतशो यातान् पुंसश् चैव स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember having been a son who attained fatherhood, friends who became enemies, and having been a woman hundreds of times, as well as a man.
कलौ कृतयुगाचारान् कृते कलियुगस्थितीः । त्रेतायां द्वापरे चैव संस्मरामि मुनीश्वर
O sage, in the Kali age I recall the ways of the Krita age, in the Krita age the conditions of Kali, and likewise in Treta and Dvapara I remember them.
अदृष्टवेदवेदार्थान् स्वसङ्केतविहारिणः । सर्गान् निरर्गलाचारान् क्वचित् कांश्चित् स्मराम्य् अहम्
I remember, at times, certain creations whose Vedas and meanings were unseen, whose inhabitants wandered by their own signs, and whose conduct was unrestricted.
ध्यातरि ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्मन् ससुरासुरमानुषम् । चतुर्युगसहस्रे द्वे जगच् छून्यं स्मराम्य् अहम्
O Brahman, when the mind meditates on Brahman, I recall that for two thousand cycles of four ages, the world with gods, demons, and humans was void.
विचित्रसंस्थानविशेषदेशान् विचित्रकार्याकुलभूतकोशान् । विचित्रविन्यासविलासवेषान् स्मराम्य् अहं ब्रह्मदिनेष्व् अशेषान्
I remember, in each day of Brahma, all the varied forms, distinct regions, the multitude of beings engaged in diverse activities, and the manifold arrangements and playful appearances.
अथासौ वायसश्रेष्ठो जिज्ञासार्थम् इदं मया । भूयः पृष्टो महाबाहो कल्पवृक्षलताग्रखे
Then that foremost of crows, for the sake of inquiry, was again questioned by me, O mighty-armed one, as he sat atop the branch of the wish-fulfilling tree.
चरतां जगतः कोशे व्यवहारवताम् अपि । कथं विहगराजेन्द्र देहं मृत्युर् न बाधते
O king of birds, how is it that, even as beings move about in the world and engage in ordinary activities, death does not afflict the body?