(वंशस्थ) तत्रान्वहं कृष्णकथाः प्रगायतां अनुग्रहेणाश्रृणवं मनोहराः । ताः श्रद्धया मेऽनुपदं विश्रृण्वतः प्रियश्रवस्यङ्ग ममाभवद् रुचिः
(Vansastha) There I sang stories of Krishna that delighted and captivated the mind by grace; attentive to them with faith, my taste for that pleasing hearing grew as a dear relish.
(इंद्रवंशा) तस्मिंस्तदा लब्धरुचेर्महामते प्रियश्रवस्यस्खलिता मतिर्मम । ययाहमेतत् सदसत्स्वमायया पश्ये मयि ब्रह्मणि कल्पितं परे
(Indravamsha) At that time, with great discernment, my taste was gained; my mind, unsteady from that sweetest hearing, fell into error; by whatever wrong-doing both good and bad I see conceived in me a Brahman placed beyond.
इत्थं शरत् प्रावृषिकावृतू हरेः विश्रृण्वतो मेऽनुसवं यशोऽमलम् । सङ्कीर्त्यमानं मुनिभिर्महात्मभिः भक्तिः प्रवृत्ताऽऽत्मरजस्तमोपहा
Thus, through autumn and monsoon, hearing of Hari spread my immaculate fame; the great sages, singing hymns, awakened devotion, and the self-purifying flame of worship burned away ignorance.
(अनुष्टुप्) तस्यैवं मेऽनुरक्तस्य प्रश्रितस्य हतैनसः । श्रद्दधानस्य बालस्य दान्तस्यानुचरस्य च
(Anushtup) For me so enamored and dependent, with trembling, for the faithful child and the obedient disciple who is restrained by discipline.
ज्ञानं गुह्यतमं यत्तत् साक्षाद्भगवतोदितम् । अन्ववोचन् गमिष्यन्तः कृपया दीनवत्सलाः
That most secret knowledge, directly spoken by the Lord, they recited: those who go by it, led by compassion, are affectionate to the lowly.
येनैवाहं भगवतो वासुदेवस्य वेधसः । मायानुभावमविदं येन गच्छन्ति तत्पदम्
By whom I am taken as the divination of the Lord Vasudeva — by whose power the ignorant experience of illusion vanishes and they reach that state.
एतत् संसूचितं ब्रह्मन् तापत्रयचिकित्सितम् । यदीश्वरे भगवति कर्म ब्रह्मणि भावितम्
This was intimated: Brahman treats the threefold afflictions; if the Lord wills, action is invested in Brahman.
आमयो यश्च भूतानां जायते येन सुव्रत । तदेव ह्यामयं द्रव्यं न पुनाति चिकित्सितम्
The disease born in beings that arises through strict observance — that very worldly substance does not cure when treated;
एवं नृणां क्रियायोगाः सर्वे संसृतिहेतवः । त एवात्मविनाशाय कल्पन्ते कल्पिताः परे
Thus the various modes of action among men become causes for continued worldly existence; they are contrived only for the destruction of the self and are therefore imagined as transient.
यदत्र क्रियते कर्म भगवत् परितोषणम् । ज्ञानं यत् तद् अधीनं हि भक्तियोगसमन्वितम्
That action which here is performed to please the Lord, and the knowledge that is subordinated to it—these are accompanied by the yoga of devotion.
कुर्वाणा यत्र कर्माणि भगवच्छिक्षयासकृत् । गृणन्ति गुणनामानि कृष्णस्यानुस्मरन्ति च
Where one performs actions at the instruction of the Lord, prompted by divine teaching, they praise the Lord's qualities and recall Krishna.
नमो भगवते तुभ्यं वासुदेवाय धीमहि । प्रद्युम्नायानिरुद्धाय नमः सङ्कर्षणाय च
Salutations to you, O Lord Vāsudeva, we meditate on you; salutations to Pradyumna and to Aniruddha, and to Saṅkarṣaṇa as well.
इति मूर्त्यभिधानेन मंत्रमूर्तिममूर्तिकम् । यजते यज्ञपुरुषं स सम्यग् दर्शनः पुमान्
Thus, by naming the forms and by designating mantra in form and formless, one worships the sacrifice-person; truly that man attains right vision.
इमं स्वनिगमं ब्रह्मन् अवेत्य मदनुष्ठितम् । अदान्मे ज्ञानमैश्वर्यं स्वस्मिन् भावं च केशवः
Having gained this intimate recitation, O Brahman, performed by me as an act, Keshava bestowed upon me the knowledge of lordliness and the inner state within himself.
(इंद्रवंशा) त्वमप्यदभ्रश्रुत विश्रुतं विभोः समाप्यते येन विदां बुभुत्सितम् । प्राख्याहि दुःखैर्मुहुरर्दितात्मनां संक्लेशनिर्वाणमुशन्ति नान्यथा
You too, heir of Indra's line, hear again this famed and oft‑told teaching of the Lord: those who are repeatedly overwhelmed by misery and who wail with sorrow—only through the destruction of suffering do they find liberation, not otherwise.
सूत उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) एवं निशम्य भगवान् देवर्षेर्जन्म कर्म च । भूयः पप्रच्छ तं ब्रह्मन् व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः
Sūta said: Thus having heard from the Lord and the seer the accounts of birth and deeds, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, again asked that foremost of gods many questions.
व्यास उवाच । भिक्षुभिर्विप्रवसिते विज्ञानादेष्टृभिस्तव । वर्तमानो वयस्याद्ये ततः किमकरोद्भवान्
Vyāsa said: O brahmanas who beg, O knowers and wishers, presently you have come of age—what then did the lord of beings do?
स्वायंभुव कया वृत्त्या वर्तितं ते परं वयः । कथं चेदमुदस्राक्षीः काले प्राप्ते कलेवरम्
By what nature did the Self‑born one conduct himself in those days? How, when time reached the body, did the eye from which one is released act?
प्राक्कल्पविषयामेतां स्मृतिं ते सुरसत्तम । न ह्येष व्यवधात्काल एष सर्वनिराकृतिः
Before the world-cycle subject matter recollect that, O best of gods: indeed this is not fixed by time—this is the universal dissolution.
नारद उवाच । भिक्षुभिर्विप्रवसिते विज्ञानादेष्टृभिर्मम । वर्तमानो वयस्याद्ये तत एतदकारषम्
Nārada said: O beggars and brahmanas, arisen from knowledge and from desire, when you have reached old age, that was my question.
एकात्मजा मे जननी योषिन्मूढा च किङ्करी । मय्यात्मजेऽनन्यगतौ चक्रे स्नेहानुबंधनम्
My mother, born of one self, a woman and yet bewildered, acted as a servant; because she focused exclusively on my person, a bond of affection was formed.
सास्वतंत्रा न कल्पासीद् योगक्षेमं ममेच्छती । ईशस्य हि वशे लोको योषा दारुमयी यथा
She would not remain forever free, desiring my welfare; for the world lies under the Lord’s sway, just as a woman is subject to a man.
अहं च तद्ब्रह्मकुले ऊषिवांस्तदपेक्षया । दिग्देशकालाव्युत्पन्नो बालकः पञ्चहायनः
I, born into that brahmin household and lacking other desires, appeared as a child, shaped by direction, region and time, the fifth in line.
एकदा निर्गतां गेहाद् दुहन्तीं निशि गां पथि । सर्पोऽदशत्पदा स्पृष्टः कृपणां कालचोदितः
Once, leaving the house at night along a cow-track to milk the cows, I was touched by a snake with ten steps and, driven by fear, became miserly.
तदा तदहमीशस्य भक्तानां शमभीप्सतः । अनुग्रहं मन्यमानः प्रातिष्ठं दिशमुत्तराम्
Then, hoping to pacify the devotees of that lord, I thought myself graced and took my stand toward the northern direction at dawn.
स्फीताञ्जनपदांस्तत्र पुरग्रामव्रजाकरान् । खेटखर्वटवाटीश्च वनान्युपवनानि च
There I saw wide-open sanctified places, villages and cow-encircling paths, threshing floors and peasant cottages, and groves and gardens.
चित्रधातुविचित्राद्रीन् इभभग्नभुजद्रुमान् । जलाशयान् शिवजलान् नलिनीः सुरसेविताः
Hills of diverse minerals and variety, trees with broken arms, water-bodies with auspicious waters, lotus-pools tended by reeds and aromatic plants.
चित्रस्वनैः पत्ररथैः विभ्रमद् भ्रमरश्रियः । नलवेणुशरस्तम्ब कुशकीचकगह्वरम्
Leaves like colourful chariots and roving bees in abundance, the sound of a flute and stalks, huts of grass, blades of kusa grass and caverns.
एक एवातियातोऽहं अद्राक्षं विपिनं महत् । घोरं प्रतिभयाकारं व्यालोलूकशिवाजिरम्
I alone advanced into that vast forest, seeing a dreadful sight that inspired horror: serpents, frogs, and other fearful creatures.
परिश्रान्तेन्द्रियात्माहं तृट्परीतो बुभुक्षितः । स्नात्वा पीत्वा ह्रदे नद्या उपस्पृष्टो गतश्रमः
Exhausted in body and senses, hungry and deprived, I bathed and drank in the lake and river; weariness touched me as I went on.