कृपां कृत्वा वदस्वाद्य भक्तोऽस्मि तव सुव्रत । महतां नैव गोप्यं हि प्रायः किञ्चिदिति स्मृतिः
Out of compassion, tell me now, O virtuous one, for I am your devotee; it is remembered that the great do not usually conceal anything.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य हरिराह प्रजापतिम् । शृणुष्वैकमना ब्रह्मंस्त्वां ब्रवीमि मनोगतम्
Hearing his words, Hari spoke to Prajapati: Listen attentively, O Brahma, I will tell you what is in my mind.
यद्यपि त्वां शिवं मां च स्थितिसृष्ट्यन्तकारणम् । ते जानन्ति जनाः सर्वे सदेवासुरमानुषाः
Although people—gods, asuras, and humans—know you, Shiva, and me as the causes of creation, preservation, and destruction,
स्रष्टा त्वं पालकश्चाहं हरः संहारकारकः । कृताः शक्त्येति संतर्कः क्रियते वेदपारगैः
You are the creator, I am the sustainer, and Hara is the destroyer—such is the reasoning made by those learned in the Vedas, attributing these acts to our powers.
जगत्संजनने शक्तिस्त्वयि तिष्ठति राजसी । सात्त्विकी मयि रुद्रे च तामसी परिकीर्तिता
In the creation of the world, the rajasik power abides in you; the sattvik in me, and the tamasik is said to be in Rudra.
तया विरहितस्त्वं न तत्कर्मकरणे प्रभुः । नाहं पालयितुं शक्तः संहर्तुं नापि शङ्करः
Deprived of her, you are not able to perform that act; nor am I able to preserve, nor is Shankara able to destroy.
तदधीना वयं सर्वे वर्तामः सततं विभो । प्रत्यक्षे च परोक्षे च दृष्टान्तं शृणु सुव्रत
We all, O Lord, are always dependent on her; in both the seen and unseen, listen to an example, O virtuous one.
शेषे स्वपिमि पर्यङ्के परतन्त्रो न संशयः । तदधीनः सदोत्तिष्ठे काले कालवशं गतः
On Shesha I sleep upon a couch, entirely dependent, without doubt; by her will I always rise at the proper time, subject to time.
तपश्चरामि सततं तदधीनोऽस्म्यहं सदा । कदाचित्सह लक्ष्या च विहरामि यथासुखम्
I constantly practice austerity, always dependent on her; sometimes, along with Lakshmi, I roam as I please.
कदाचिद्दानवैः सार्धं संग्रामं प्रकरोम्यहम् । दारुणं देहदमनं सर्वलोकभयङ्करम्
Sometimes I wage battle with the Daityas, a fierce struggle that crushes bodies and terrifies all the worlds.
प्रत्यक्षं तव धर्मज्ञ तस्मिन्नेकार्णवे पुरा । पञ्चवर्षसहस्राणि बाहुयुद्धं मया कृतम्
You, knower of dharma, have seen directly that, long ago, in that single ocean, I fought hand-to-hand for five thousand years.
तौ कर्णमलजौ दुष्टौ दानवौ मदगर्वितौ । देव देव्याः प्रसादेन निहतौ मधुकैटभौ
Those two wicked asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, born from earwax and swollen with pride, were slain by the grace of the Goddess.
तदा त्वया न किं ज्ञातं कारणं तु परात्परम् । शक्तिरूपं महाभाग किं पृच्छसि पुनः पुनः
At that time, did you not know the ultimate cause? O greatly fortunate one, why do you ask again and again about the form of Shakti?
यदिच्छः पुरुषो भूत्वा विचरामि महार्णवे । कच्छपः कोलसिंहश्च वामनश्च युगे युगे
Whenever I wish, I take human form and wander the great ocean—as a tortoise, a boar, a lion, or a dwarf, in every age.
न कस्यापि प्रियो लोके तिर्यग्योनिषु सम्भवः । नाभवं स्वेच्छया वामवराहादिषु योनिषु
No one in the world desires birth among animals; nor did I, of my own will, take birth in the forms of boar or others.
विहाय लक्ष्या सह संविहारं को याति मत्स्यादिषु हीनयोनिषु । शय्यां च मुक्त्वा गरुडासनस्थः करोमि युद्धं विपुलं स्वतन्त्रः
Who, abandoning union with the target, goes to inferior births such as fish? Leaving the bed, seated upon the Garuda throne, I wage great battle, independent.
पुरा पुरस्तेऽज शिरो मदीयं गतं धनुर्ज्यास्खलनात्क्व चापि । त्वया तदा वाजिशिरो गृहीत्वा संयोजितं शिल्पिवरेण भूयः
O unborn one, once before, my head fell forward due to the slipping of the bowstring; at that time, you took the horse's head and, with the best artisan, joined it again.
हयाननोऽहं परिकीर्तितश्च प्रत्यक्षमेतत्तव लोककर्तः । विडम्बनेयं किल लोकमध्ये कथं भवेदात्मपरो यदि स्याम्
I am called Hayānana, the horse-faced one, and this is evident to you, creator of the worlds. This is a mockery among people; how could it be if I were self-dependent?
तस्मान्नाहं स्वतन्त्रोऽस्मि शक्त्यधीनोऽस्मि सर्वथा । तामेव शक्तिं सततं ध्यायामि च निरन्तरम्
Therefore, I am not independent; I am always subject to Śakti. I constantly and ceaselessly meditate upon that Śakti alone.
नातः परतरं किञ्चिज्जानामि कमलोद्भव । नारद उवाच इत्युक्तं विष्णुना तेन पद्मयोनेस्तु सन्निधौ
O lotus-born, I know nothing higher than this. Narada said: Thus spoken by Viṣṇu in the presence of the lotus-born.
तेन चाप्यहमुक्तोऽस्मि तथैव मुनिपुङ्गव । तस्मात्त्वमपि कल्याण पुरुषार्थाप्तिहेतवे
And thus I too was addressed, O foremost sage. Therefore, you also, O auspicious one, for attaining the goals of life—
असंशयं हृदम्भोजे भज देवीपदाम्बुजम् । सर्वं दास्यति सा देवी यद्यदिष्टं भवेत्तव
Without doubt, worship the lotus feet of the Goddess in the lotus of your heart. That Goddess will grant you whatever you desire.
सूत उवाच नारदेनैवमुक्तस्तु व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । देवीपादाब्जनिष्णातस्तपसे प्रययौ गिरौ
Sūta said: Thus addressed by Nārada, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, immersed in the lotus feet of the Goddess, went to the mountain for austerity.
हयग्रीवावतारकथनम् ऋषय ऊचुः सूतास्माकं मनः कामं मग्नं संशयसागरे । यथोक्तं महदाश्चर्यं जगद्विस्मयकारकम्
The narration of the Hayagrīva incarnation. The sages said: O Sūta, our minds are immersed in the ocean of doubt; as you have said, this is a great wonder, causing astonishment in the world.
यन्मूर्धा माधवस्यापि गतो देहात्पुनः परम् । हयग्रीवस्ततो जातः सर्वकर्ता जनार्दनः
The head of Mādhava departed from his body and became supreme; from that, Hayagrīva was born, the creator of all, Janārdana.
वेदोऽपि स्तौति यं देवं देवाः सर्वे यदाश्रयाः । आदिदेवो जगन्नाथः सर्वकारणकारणः
Even the Veda praises that God, upon whom all the gods depend; the primordial deity, Lord of the universe, the cause of all causes.
तस्यापि वदनं छिन्नं दैवयोगात्कथं तदा । तत्सर्वं कथयाशु त्वं विस्तरेण महामते
How was his head cut off by divine arrangement at that time? Tell us all this in detail, O wise one.
सूत उवाच शृण्वन्तु मुनयः सर्वे सावधानाः समन्ततः । चरितं देवदेवस्य विष्णोः परमतेजसः
Sūta said: Let all the sages listen attentively from all sides to the deeds of the god of gods, Viṣṇu, of supreme brilliance.
कदाचिद्दारुणं युद्धं कृत्वा देवः सनातनः । दशवर्षसहस्राणि परिश्रान्तो जनार्दनः
Once, after waging a fierce battle for ten thousand years, the eternal god Janārdana became exhausted.
समे देशे शुभे स्थाने कृत्वा पद्मासनं विभुः । अवलम्ब्य धनुः सज्यं कण्ठदेशे धरास्थितम्
In the same auspicious place, the Lord made a lotus seat, holding a strung bow, resting it at the neck, and sat upon the earth.