Lord Krishna Instructs Vasudeva and Retrieves Devaki's Sons

Verse 1 (bhagavata.10.85.1)

श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच अथैकदात्मजौ प्राप्तौ कृतपादाभिवन्दनौ । वसुदेवोऽभिनन्द्याह प्रीत्या सङ्कर्षणाच्युतौ ॥ १ ॥

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca athaikadātmajau prāptau kṛta-pādābhivandanau vasudevo ’bhinandyāha prītyā saṅkarṣaṇācyutau

Sri Badarayani (Shukadeva) said: One day Vasudeva's two sons, Sankarshana (Balarama) and Achyuta (Krishna), came to him and bowed at his feet. Vasudeva welcomed Them with great affection and spoke to Them as follows.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.10.85.2)

मुनीनां स वचः श्रुत्वा पुत्रयोर्धामसूचकम् । तद्वीर्यैर्जातविश्रम्भः परिभाष्याभ्यभाषत ॥ २ ॥

munīnāṁ sa vacaḥ śrutvā putrayor dhāma-sūcakam tad-vīryair jāta-viśrambhaḥ paribhāṣyābhyabhāṣata

Having heard the sages' words indicating the true greatness of his two sons, and his faith in Them now confirmed by Their own valorous deeds, Vasudeva addressed Them by name and spoke as follows.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.10.85.3)

कृष्ण कृष्ण महायोगिन् सङ्कर्षण सनातन । जाने वामस्य यत् साक्षात् प्रधानपुरुषौ परौ ॥ ३ ॥

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-yogin saṅkarṣaṇa sanātana jāne vām asya yat sākṣāt pradhāna-puruṣau parau

Vasudeva said: O Krishna, Krishna, greatest of yogis! O eternal Sankarshana! I know that You two are directly the supreme Prakriti and Purusha, the very source of this creation.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.10.85.4)

यत्र येन यतो यस्य यस्मै यद् यद् यथा यदा । स्यादिदं भगवान् साक्षात् प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरः ॥ ४ ॥

yatra yena yato yasya yasmai yad yad yathā yadā syād idaṁ bhagavān sākṣāt pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ

Wherever, by whomever, from whomever, of whomever, for whomever, whatever, however, and whenever this universe comes to exist — You are that very Bhagavan, the direct Lord of both Prakriti and Purusha.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.10.85.5)

एतन्नानाविधं विश्वमात्मसृष्टमधोक्षज । आत्मनानुप्रविश्यात्मन् प्राणो जीवो बिभर्ष्यज ॥ ५ ॥

etan nānā-vidhaṁ viśvam ātma-sṛṣṭam adhokṣaja ātmanānupraviśyātman prāṇo jīvo bibharṣy aja

O Adhokshaja, You Yourself have created this manifold universe out of Your own being, and, O unborn Soul, entering into it Yourself, You sustain it as the life-force and as the individual soul.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.10.85.6)

प्राणादीनां विश्वसृजां शक्तयो याः परस्य ताः । पारतन्त्र्याद् वैसादृश्याद् द्वयोश्चेष्टैव चेष्टताम् ॥ ६ ॥

prāṇādīnāṁ viśva-sṛjāṁ śaktayo yāḥ parasya tāḥ pāratantryād vaisādṛśyād dvayoś ceṣṭaiva ceṣṭatām

Whatever powers belong to the life-force and the other agents of creation are, in truth, the powers of that Supreme Person alone — for though dependent on Him and distinct from Him, it is truly His own single activity that appears as activity within all things that act.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.10.85.7)

कान्तिस्तेजः प्रभा सत्ता चन्द्राग्न्यर्कर्क्षविद्युताम् । यत् स्थैर्यं भूभृतां भूमेर्वृत्तिर्गन्धोऽर्थतो भवान् ॥ ७ ॥

kāntis tejaḥ prabhā sattā candrāgny-arkarkṣa-vidyutām yat sthairyaṁ bhū-bhṛtāṁ bhūmer vṛttir gandho ’rthato bhavān

The glow of the moon, the brilliance of fire, the radiance of the sun, the very existence of the stars and lightning, the steadfastness of the mountains, and the sustaining power and fragrance of the earth — all these, in truth, are You Yourself.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.10.85.8)

तर्पणं प्राणनमपां देवत्वं ताश्च तद्रसः । ओजः सहो बलं चेष्टा गतिर्वायोस्तवेश्वर ॥ ८ ॥

tarpaṇaṁ prāṇanam apāṁ deva tvaṁ tāś ca tad-rasaḥ ojaḥ saho balaṁ ceṣṭā gatir vāyos taveśvara

O Lord, You are water's power to satisfy thirst, its life-sustaining nature, and its very essence. O Ishvara, the vitality, strength, power, exertion, and motion of the air are also Your own expression.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.10.85.9)

दिशां त्वमवकाशोऽसि दिशः खं स्फोट आश्रयः । नादो वर्णस्त्वम् ॐकार आकृतीनां पृथक्कृतिः ॥ ९ ॥

diśāṁ tvam avakāśo ’si diśaḥ khaṁ sphoṭa āśrayaḥ nādo varṇas tvam oṁkāra ākṛtīnāṁ pṛthak-kṛtiḥ

You are the very expanse that accommodates the directions; You are the ether, the substratum of the directions, and the primordial sound-principle pervading it. You are the eternal sound, the syllable Om, and the spoken word by which distinct forms are given their separate identities.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.10.85.10)

इन्द्रियं त्विन्द्रियाणां त्वं देवाश्च तदनुग्रहः । अवबोधो भवान् बुद्धेर्जीवस्यानुस्मृतिः सती ॥ १० ॥

indriyaṁ tv indriyāṇāṁ tvaṁ devāś ca tad-anugrahaḥ avabodho bhavān buddher jīvasyānusmṛtiḥ satī

You are the very power of the senses to perceive, You are their presiding deities, and You are the grace by which they function. You are the intelligence's power of discernment, and You are the living being's true and accurate memory.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.10.85.11)

भूतानामसि भूतादिरिन्द्रियाणां च तैजसः । वैकारिको विकल्पानां प्रधानमनुशायिनम् ॥ ११ ॥

bhūtānām asi bhūtādir indriyāṇāṁ ca taijasaḥ vaikāriko vikalpānāṁ pradhānam anuśāyinam

You are the tamasic ego, the source of the gross elements; You are the rajasic ego, the source of the senses; and You are the sattvic ego, the source of the demigods. And You are that unmanifest Prakriti, the underlying support of all.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.10.85.12)

नश्वरेष्विह भावेषु तदसि त्वमनश्वरम् । यथा द्रव्यविकारेषु द्रव्यमात्रं निरूपितम् ॥ १२ ॥

naśvareṣv iha bhāveṣu tad asi tvam anaśvaram yathā dravya-vikāreṣu dravya-mātraṁ nirūpitam

Among the perishable things of this world, You alone are that imperishable reality, just as, amid the transformations of a substance, the underlying substance itself is seen to remain the same.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.10.85.13)

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणास्तद्वृत्तयश्च याः । त्वय्यद्धा ब्रह्मणि परे कल्पिता योगमायया ॥ १३ ॥

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇās tad-vṛttayaś ca yāḥ tvayy addhā brahmaṇi pare kalpitā yoga-māyayā

The three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance — together with all their activities, are directly conceived, by Your own Yoga-maya, within You, the Supreme Absolute Truth itself.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.10.85.14)

तस्मान्न सन्त्यमी भावा यर्हि त्वयि विकल्पिताः । त्वं चामीषु विकारेषु ह्यन्यदाव्यावहारिकः ॥ १४ ॥

tasmān na santy amī bhāvā yarhi tvayi vikalpitāḥ tvaṁ cāmīṣu vikāreṣu hy anyadāvyāvahārikaḥ

Therefore these created things have no reality except when they are conceived within You. And though You appear within these transformations, at other times You remain wholly beyond them, transcendental to all such phenomena.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.10.85.15)

गुणप्रवाह एतस्मिन्नबुधास्त्वखिलात्मनः । गतिं सूक्ष्मामबोधेन संसरन्तीह कर्मभिः ॥ १५ ॥

guṇa-pravāha etasminn abudhās tv akhilātmanaḥ gatiṁ sūkṣmām abodhena saṁsarantīha karmabhiḥ

Those who are ignorant, caught in this ceaseless flow of material qualities, fail to know You, the Soul of all beings, as their subtle and supreme destination; and because of this very ignorance, they continue to wander through this world, bound by their own actions.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.10.85.16)

यदृच्छया नृतां प्राप्य सुकल्पामिह दुर्लभाम् । स्वार्थे प्रमत्तस्य वयो गतं त्वन्माययेश्वर ॥ १६ ॥

yadṛcchayā nṛtāṁ prāpya su-kalpām iha durlabhām svārthe pramattasya vayo gataṁ tvan-māyayeśvara

O Lord, though a person may attain, by good fortune, this rare and fitting human birth, if he remains careless about his own true good, his entire life passes away in vain, under the sway of Your Maya.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.10.85.17)

असावहं ममैवैते देहे चास्यान्वयादिषु । स्नेहपाशैर्निबध्नाति भवान् सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ १७ ॥

asāv ahaṁ mamaivaite dehe cāsyānvayādiṣu sneha-pāśair nibadhnāti bhavān sarvam idaṁ jagat

It is You who bind this whole world with the ropes of affection, by which a man comes to think of his own body as this is I and of his children and other relations as these are mine.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.10.85.18)

युवां न नः सुतौ साक्षात् प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरौ । भूभारक्षत्रक्षपण अवतीर्णौ तथात्थ ह ॥ १८ ॥

yuvāṁ na naḥ sutau sākṣāt pradhāna-puruṣeśvarau bhū-bhāra-kṣatra-kṣapaṇa avatīrṇau tathāttha ha

You two are not truly our sons but the direct Lords of both Prakriti and Purusha, and, as You Yourself have told us, You have descended to destroy the kshatriya kings who have become a burden upon the earth.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.10.85.19)

तत्ते गतोऽस्म्यरणमद्य पदारविन्द- मापन्नसंसृतिभयापहमार्तबन्धो । एतावतालमलमिन्द्रियलालसेन मर्त्यात्मदृक् त्वयि परे यदपत्यबुद्धिः ॥ १९ ॥

tat te gato ’smy araṇam adya padāravindam āpanna-saṁsṛti-bhayāpaham ārta-bandho etāvatālam alam indriya-lālasena martyātma-dṛk tvayi pare yad apatya-buddhiḥ

O friend of the afflicted, therefore today I take refuge in Your lotus feet, which remove the fear of worldly existence for those who surrender to them. Enough — enough of this craving for sense enjoyment, on account of which I identified myself with this mortal body and thought of You, the Supreme, as my own child.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.10.85.20)

सूतीगृहे ननु जगाद भवानजो नौ सञ्जज्ञ इत्यनुयुगं निजधर्मगुप्त्यै । नानातनूर्गगनवद् विदधज्जहासि को वेद भूम्न उरुगाय विभूतिमायाम् ॥ २० ॥

sūtī-gṛhe nanu jagāda bhavān ajo nau sañjajña ity anu-yugaṁ nija-dharma-guptyai nānā-tanūr gagana-vad vidadhaj jahāsi ko veda bhūmna uru-gāya vibhūti-māyām

Indeed, in the very birthing chamber, You Yourself told us that You, the unborn Lord, have taken birth as our son age after age, to protect Your own principles of religion. Assuming many forms, like the sky, You manifest and dissolve them at will. O supremely glorified, all-pervading Lord, who indeed can fathom this deluding power of Your glorious manifestations?

Verse 21 (bhagavata.10.85.21)

श्रीशुक उवाच आकर्ण्येत्थं पितुर्वाक्यं भगवान् सात्वतर्षभः । प्रत्याह प्रश्रयानम्रः प्रहसन् श्लक्ष्णया गिरा ॥ २१ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca ākarṇyetthaṁ pitur vākyaṁ bhagavān sātvatarṣabhaḥ pratyāha praśrayānamraḥ prahasan ślakṣṇayā girā

Shukadeva said: Having heard His father's words, Bhagavan, the foremost of the Satvata clan, bowed His head in humility and, smiling, replied in a gentle voice.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.10.85.22)

श्रीभगवानुवाच वचो वः समवेतार्थं तातैतदुपमन्महे । यन्नः पुत्रान् समुद्दिश्य तत्त्वग्राम उदाहृतः ॥ २२ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca vaco vaḥ samavetārthaṁ tātaitad upamanmahe yan naḥ putrān samuddiśya tattva-grāma udāhṛtaḥ

Bhagavan said: My dear father, We consider your words to be entirely fitting, for you have expounded the whole array of truths by taking Us, your sons, as your example.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.10.85.23)

अहं यूयमसावार्य इमे च द्वारकौकसः । सर्वेऽप्येवं यदुश्रेष्ठ विमृग्याः सचराचरम् ॥ २३ ॥

ahaṁ yūyam asāv ārya ime ca dvārakaukasaḥ sarve ’py evaṁ yadu-śreṣṭha vimṛgyāḥ sa-carācaram

O noble one, best of the Yadus, not only I, but you, My elder brother, and all these residents of Dvaraka — all should be regarded in this very same light. Indeed, this entire creation, moving and unmoving, should be considered in just this way.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.10.85.24)

आत्मा ह्येकः स्वयंज्योतिर्नित्योऽन्यो निर्गुणो गुणैः । आत्मसृष्टैस्तत्कृतेषु भूतेषु बहुधेयते ॥ २४ ॥

ātmā hy ekaḥ svayaṁ-jyotir nityo ’nyo nirguṇo guṇaiḥ ātma-sṛṣṭais tat-kṛteṣu bhūteṣu bahudheyate

The Self is one alone — self-luminous, eternal, transcendental and free of material qualities. Yet through the very modes it has itself created, that one Self appears as many among the beings fashioned from those modes.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.10.85.25)

खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापो भूस्तत्कृतेषु यथाशयम् । आविस्तिरोऽल्पभूर्येको नानात्वं यात्यसावपि ॥ २५ ॥

khaṁ vāyur jyotir āpo bhūs tat-kṛteṣu yathāśayam āvis-tiro-’lpa-bhūry eko nānātvaṁ yāty asāv api

Just as ether, air, fire, water, and earth appear manifest, unmanifest, small, or vast, according to the object they compose, so too does that one Supreme Soul come to appear as many.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.10.85.26)

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं भगवता राजन् वसुदेव उदाहृतः । श्रुत्वा विनष्टनानाधीस्तूष्णीं प्रीतमना अभूत् ॥ २६ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca evaṁ bhagavatā rājan vasudeva udāhṛtaḥ śrutvā vinaṣṭa-nānā-dhīs tūṣṇīṁ prīta-manā abhūt

Shukadeva said: O King, thus instructed by Bhagavan, Vasudeva's mind was freed of every notion of duality, and, his heart content, he fell silent.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.10.85.27)

अथ तत्र कुरुश्रेष्ठ देवकी सर्वदेवता । श्रुत्वानीतं गुरोः पुत्रमात्मजाभ्यां सुविस्मिता ॥ २७ ॥

atha tatra kuru-śreṣṭha devakī sarva-devatā śrutvānītaṁ guroḥ putram ātmajābhyāṁ su-vismitā

O best of the Kurus, at that time Devaki, worshiped by all the gods, who had earlier been greatly astonished on hearing how her sons had brought back their guru's dead son,

Verse 28 (bhagavata.10.85.28)

कृष्णरामौ समाश्राव्य पुत्रान् कंसविहिंसितान् । स्मरन्ती कृपणं प्राह वैक्लव्यादश्रुलोचना ॥ २८ ॥

kṛṣṇa-rāmau samāśrāvya putrān kaṁsa-vihiṁsitān smarantī kṛpaṇaṁ prāha vaiklavyād aśru-locanā

— remembering her own sons who had been slain by Kamsa, was overcome with sorrow, and, her eyes filled with tears, she spoke pitifully, addressing herself to Krishna and Balarama.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.10.85.29)

श्रीदेवक्युवाच राम रामाप्रमेयात्मन् कृष्ण योगेश्वरेश्वर । वेदाहं वां विश्वसृजामीश्वरावादिपूरुषौ ॥ २९ ॥

śrī-devaky uvāca rāma rāmāprameyātman kṛṣṇa yogeśvareśvara vedāhaṁ vāṁ viśva-sṛjām īśvarāv ādi-pūruṣau

Sri Devaki said: O Rama, O Rama, immeasurable Self! O Krishna, Lord of all masters of yoga! I know that You two are the very controllers of all the creators of the universe, the primeval Persons.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.10.85.30)

कालविध्वस्तसत्त्वानां राज्ञामुच्छास्त्रवर्तिनाम् । भूमेर्भारायमाणानामवतीर्णौ किलाद्य मे ॥ ३० ॥

kāla-vidhvasta-sattvānāṁ rājñām ucchāstra-vartinām bhūmer bhārāyamāṇānām avatīrṇau kilādya me

Taking birth from me, You two have descended into this world to destroy those kings whose goodness has been ruined by this present age, who defy the scriptures, and who have become a burden upon the earth.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.10.85.31)

यस्यांशांशांशभागेन विश्वोत्पत्तिलयोदयाः । भवन्ति किल विश्वात्मंस्तं त्वाद्याहं गतिं गता ॥ ३१ ॥

yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśa-bhāgena viśvotpatti-layodayāḥ bhavanti kila viśvātmaṁs taṁ tvādyāhaṁ gatiṁ gatā

O Soul of the universe, by a mere fraction of a fraction of a fraction of Your own expansion, this universe is created, sustained, and destroyed. Today I have come to take refuge in You, who are that supreme goal.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.10.85.32)

चिरान्मृतसुतादाने गुरुणा किल चोदितौ । आनिन्यथुः पितृस्थानाद् गुरवे गुरुदक्षिणाम् ॥ ३२ ॥

cirān mṛta-sutādāne guruṇā kila coditau āninyathuḥ pitṛ-sthānād gurave guru-dakṣiṇām

I have heard that, at your guru's command, You two brought his long-dead son back from the world of the ancestors, offering him as your guru's remuneration.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.10.85.33)

तथा मे कुरुतं कामं युवां योगेश्वरेश्वरौ । भोजराजहतान् पुत्रान् कामये द्रष्टुमाहृतान् ॥ ३३ ॥

tathā me kurutaṁ kāmaṁ yuvāṁ yogeśvareśvarau bhoja-rāja-hatān putrān kāmaye draṣṭum āhṛtān

O Lords of all masters of yoga, please fulfill my desire in the very same way — I long to see once more my sons who were slain by the Bhoja king, and I ask that You bring them here.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.10.85.34)

ऋषिरुवाच एवं सञ्चोदितौ मात्रा रामः कृष्णश्च भारत । सुतलं संविविशतुर्योगमायामुपाश्रितौ ॥ ३४ ॥

ṛṣir uvāca evaṁ sañcoditau mātrā rāmaḥ kṛṣṇaś ca bhārata sutalaṁ saṁviviśatur yoga-māyām upāśritau

The sage (Shukadeva) said: O descendant of Bharata, thus entreated by Their mother, Balarama and Krishna, taking shelter of Their own Yoga-maya, entered the realm of Sutala.

Verse 35 (bhagavata.10.85.35)

तस्मिन् प्रविष्टावुपलभ्य दैत्यराड् विश्वात्मदैवं सुतरां तथात्मनः । तद्दर्शनाह्लादपरिप्लुताशयः सद्यः समुत्थाय ननाम सान्वयः ॥ ३५ ॥

tasmin praviṣṭāv upalabhya daitya-rāḍ viśvātma-daivaṁ sutarāṁ tathātmanaḥ tad-darśanāhlāda-pariplutāśayaḥ sadyaḥ samutthāya nanāma sānvayaḥ

Recognizing the two Lords as They entered — the Soul of the universe and, above all, his own worshipable Deity — the king of the Daityas, Bali, felt his heart overflow with joy. He at once rose and, together with his entire family, bowed down before Them.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.10.85.36)

तयोः समानीय वरासनं मुदा निविष्टयोस्तत्र महात्मनोस्तयोः । दधार पादाववनिज्य तज्जलं सवृन्द आब्रह्म पुनद् यदम्बु ह ॥ ३६ ॥

tayoḥ samānīya varāsanaṁ mudā niviṣṭayos tatra mahātmanos tayoḥ dadhāra pādāv avanijya taj jalaṁ sa-vṛnda ā-brahma punad yad ambu ha

With great joy he brought excellent seats for those two great souls and seated Them there; then, washing Their feet, he took that water — which purifies all beings even up to the abode of Brahma — and poured it upon himself and his entire family.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.10.85.37)

समर्हयामास स तौ विभूतिभि- र्महार्हवस्त्राभरणानुलेपनैः । ताम्बूलदीपामृतभक्षणादिभिः स्वगोत्रवित्तात्मसमर्पणेन च ॥ ३७ ॥

samarhayām āsa sa tau vibhūtibhir mahārha-vastrābharaṇānulepanaiḥ tāmbūla-dīpāmṛta-bhakṣaṇādibhiḥ sva-gotra-vittātma-samarpaṇena ca

With all his opulence, he worshiped Them both — with priceless garments, ornaments, sandal paste, betel nut, lamps, sumptuous food and more — and offered up his own clan, his wealth, and his very self to Them.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.10.85.38)

स इन्द्रसेनो भगवत्पदाम्बुजं बिभ्रन्मुहुः प्रेमविभिन्नया धिया । उवाच हानन्दजलाकुलेक्षणः प्रहृष्टरोमा नृप गद्गदाक्षरम् ॥ ३८ ॥

sa indraseno bhagavat-padāmbujaṁ bibhran muhuḥ prema-vibhinnayā dhiyā uvāca hānanda-jalākulekṣaṇaḥ prahṛṣṭa-romā nṛpa gadgadākṣaram

O King, Bali, the conqueror of Indra's army, again and again placed the Lord's lotus feet upon his head, his mind overwhelmed with love, his eyes filled with tears of joy, his body trembling with rapture, and, his voice choked, he spoke as follows.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.10.85.39)

बलिरुवाच नमोऽनन्ताय बृहते नमः कृष्णाय वेधसे । साङ्ख्ययोगवितानाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने ॥ ३९ ॥

balir uvāca namo ’nantāya bṛhate namaḥ kṛṣṇāya vedhase sāṅkhya-yoga-vitānāya brahmaṇe paramātmane

Bali said: Obeisances to the unlimited and supreme Lord, Ananta. Obeisances to Bhagavan Krishna, the creator, who spreads abroad the paths of Sankhya and Yoga, and who is Himself the Supreme Brahman and the Supreme Soul.

Verse 40 (bhagavata.10.85.40)

दर्शनं वां हि भूतानां दुष्प्रापं चाप्यदुर्लभम् । रजस्तमःस्वभावानां यन्नः प्राप्तौ यदृच्छया ॥ ४० ॥

darśanaṁ vāṁ hi bhūtānāṁ duṣprāpaṁ cāpy adurlabham rajas-tamaḥ-svabhāvānāṁ yan naḥ prāptau yadṛcchayā

A sight of You two is exceedingly rare for living beings, and yet even those of us whose nature is steeped in passion and ignorance easily attain it, whenever You choose to reveal Yourself of Your own free will.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.10.85.41)

दैत्यदानवगन्धर्वाः सिद्धविद्याध्रचारणाः । यक्षरक्षःपिशाचाश्च भूतप्रमथनायकाः ॥ ४१ ॥

daitya-dānava-gandharvāḥ siddha-vidyādhra-cāraṇāḥ yakṣa-rakṣaḥ-piśācāś ca bhūta-pramatha-nāyakāḥ

Daityas, Danavas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Vidyadharas, Charanas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Pishachas, Bhutas, and the leaders of the Pramathas —

Verse 42 (bhagavata.10.85.42)

विशुद्धसत्त्वधाम्न्यद्धा त्वयि शास्त्रशरीरिणि । नित्यं निबद्धवैरास्ते वयं चान्ये च तादृशाः ॥ ४२ ॥

viśuddha-sattva-dhāmny addhā tvayi śāstra-śarīriṇi nityaṁ nibaddha-vairās te vayaṁ cānye ca tādṛśāḥ

Those who have long borne enmity toward You — who are the very abode of pure goodness, embodied scripture itself — as well as we ourselves, and others like us —

Verse 43 (bhagavata.10.85.43)

केचनोद्बद्धवैरेण भक्त्या केचन कामतः । न तथा सत्त्वसंरब्धाः सन्निकृष्टाः सुरादयः ॥ ४३ ॥

kecanodbaddha-vaireṇa bhaktyā kecana kāmataḥ na tathā sattva-saṁrabdhāḥ sannikṛṣṭāḥ surādayaḥ

— some of us have drawn near to You through fierce enmity, some through devotion, and some through desire. But the demigods and others, too attached to the mode of goodness, do not come as close to You in this way.

Verse 44 (bhagavata.10.85.44)

इदमित्थमिति प्रायस्तव योगेश्वरेश्वर । न विदन्त्यपि योगेशा योगमायां कुतो वयम् ॥ ४४ ॥

idam ittham iti prāyas tava yogeśvareśvara na vidanty api yogeśā yoga-māyāṁ kuto vayam

O Lord of all masters of yoga, even the great masters of yoga themselves generally cannot know Your Yoga-maya as being just so — how then could we?

Verse 45 (bhagavata.10.85.45)

तन्नः प्रसीद निरपेक्षविमृग्ययुष्मत्- पादारविन्दधिषणान्यगृहान्धकूपात् । निष्क्रम्य विश्वशरणाङ्घ्र्युपलब्धवृत्तिः शान्तो यथैक उत सर्वसखैश्चरामि ॥ ४५ ॥

tan naḥ prasīda nirapekṣa-vimṛgya-yuṣmat pādāravinda-dhiṣaṇānya-gṛhāndha-kūpāt niṣkramya viśva-śaraṇāṅghry-upalabdha-vṛttiḥ śānto yathaika uta sarva-sakhaiś carāmi

Therefore be gracious to me, so that I may climb out of this blind well of a home that is not truly mine, fix my mind upon Your lotus feet — sought by the desireless saints — and, finding my sustenance at Your feet, the shelter of the universe, wander in peace, whether alone or in the company of all as their friend.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.10.85.46)

शाध्यस्मानीशितव्येश निष्पापान् कुरु नः प्रभो । पुमान् यच्छ्रद्धयातिष्ठंश्चोदनाया विमुच्यते ॥ ४६ ॥

śādhy asmān īśitavyeśa niṣpāpān kuru naḥ prabho pumān yac chraddhayātiṣṭhaṁś codanāyā vimucyate

O Lord of all subordinate rulers, instruct us and free us of all sin, O master — for the person who faithfully follows Your command is released from the obligations of Vedic injunctions.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.10.85.47)

श्रीभगवानुवाच आसन्मरीचेः षट् पुत्रा ऊर्णायां प्रथमेऽन्तरे । देवाः कं जहसुर्वीक्ष्य सुतं यभितुमुद्यतम् ॥ ४७ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca āsan marīceḥ ṣaṭ putrā ūrṇāyāṁ prathame ’ntare devāḥ kaṁ jahasur vīkṣya sutaṁ yabhitum udyatam

Bhagavan said: In the first age of Manu, the sage Marichi had six sons through his wife Urna. They were demigods, but they once laughed at Lord Brahma upon seeing him ready to unite with his own daughter.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.10.85.48)

तेनासुरीमगन् योनिमधुनावद्यकर्मणा । हिरण्यकशिपोर्जाता नीतास्ते योगमायया ॥ ४८ ॥

tenāsurīm agan yonim adhunāvadya-karmaṇā hiraṇyakaśipor jātā nītās te yoga-māyayā

Because of that improper act, they at once fell into a demoniac species and were born as the sons of Hiranyakashipu. Then Yoga-maya brought them away from there and —

Verse 49 (bhagavata.10.85.49)

देवक्या उदरे जाता राजन् कंसविहिंसिताः । सा तान् शोचत्यात्मजान् स्वांस्त इमेऽध्यासतेऽन्तिके ॥ ४९ ॥

devakyā udare jātā rājan kaṁsa-vihiṁsitāḥ sā tān śocaty ātmajān svāṁs ta ime ’dhyāsate ’ntike

O King, had them born from Devaki's womb, where Kamsa slew them. Devaki still grieves for them, thinking of them as her own sons. These very six sons are now residing here, close by, with Bali.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.10.85.50)

इत एतान् प्रणेष्यामो मातृशोकापनुत्तये । ततः शापाद् विनिर्मुक्ता लोकं यास्यन्ति विज्वराः ॥ ५० ॥

ita etān praṇeṣyāmo mātṛ-śokāpanuttaye tataḥ śāpād vinirmuktā lokaṁ yāsyanti vijvarāḥ

We shall take them from here to dispel their mother's grief. Then, released from their curse, they will go on, free of all distress, to their own world.

Verse 51 (bhagavata.10.85.51)

स्मरोद्गीथः परिष्वङ्गः पतङ्गः क्षुद्रभृद् घृणी । षडिमे मत्प्रसादेन पुनर्यास्यन्ति सद्गतिम् ॥ ५१ ॥

smarodgīthaḥ pariṣvaṅgaḥ pataṅgaḥ kṣudrabhṛd ghṛṇī ṣaḍ ime mat-prasādena punar yāsyanti sad-gatim

Smara, Udgitha, Parishvanga, Pataṅga, Kshudrabhrit, and Ghrini — these six, by My grace, will once again attain the supreme destination of the saintly.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.10.85.52)

इत्युक्त्वा तान् समादाय इन्द्रसेनेन पूजितौ । पुनर्द्वारवतीमेत्य मातुः पुत्रानयच्छताम् ॥ ५२ ॥

ity uktvā tān samādāya indrasenena pūjitau punar dvāravatīm etya mātuḥ putrān ayacchatām

[Shukadeva continued:] Having said this, and having been duly worshiped by Bali, the conqueror of Indra, Krishna and Balarama took those six sons and returned to Dvaraka, where They gave them to their mother.

Verse 53 (bhagavata.10.85.53)

तान् दृष्ट्वा बालकान् देवी पुत्रस्नेहस्नुतस्तनी । परिष्वज्याङ्कमारोप्य मूर्ध्न्यजिघ्रदभीक्ष्णशः ॥ ५३ ॥

tān dṛṣṭvā bālakān devī putra-sneha-snuta-stanī pariṣvajyāṅkam āropya mūrdhny ajighrad abhīkṣṇaśaḥ

On seeing those boys, Devaki's heart overflowed with a mother's love, and milk flowed from her breasts. She embraced them, took them onto her lap, and smelled their heads again and again.

Verse 54 (bhagavata.10.85.54)

अपाययत् स्तनं प्रीता सुतस्पर्शपरिस्नुतम् । मोहिता मायया विष्णोर्यया सृष्टिः प्रवर्तते ॥ ५४ ॥

apāyayat stanaṁ prītā suta-sparśa-parisnutam mohitā māyayā viṣṇor yayā sṛṣṭiḥ pravartate

Lovingly she let them drink from her breast, which flowed at the mere touch of her sons — herself entranced by that same Maya of Bhagavan Vishnu by which this creation itself comes into being.

Verse 55 (bhagavata.10.85.55)

पीत्वामृतं पयस्तस्याः पीतशेषं गदाभृतः । नारायणाङ्गसंस्पर्शप्रतिलब्धात्मदर्शनाः ॥ ५५ ॥

pītvāmṛtaṁ payas tasyāḥ pīta-śeṣaṁ gadā-bhṛtaḥ nārāyaṇāṅga-saṁsparśa- pratilabdhātma-darśanāḥ

Drinking that nectarean milk — the very remnant of what the mace-bearing Lord Himself had already drunk — and touched by the body of Narayana, the six regained the knowledge of their own true nature.

Verse 56 (bhagavata.10.85.56)

ते नमस्कृत्य गोविन्दं देवकीं पितरं बलम् । मिषतां सर्वभूतानां ययुर्धाम दिवौकसाम् ॥ ५६ ॥

te namaskṛtya govindaṁ devakīṁ pitaraṁ balam miṣatāṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ yayur dhāma divaukasām

They bowed down to Govinda, Devaki, their father, and Balarama, and then, before the eyes of everyone present, departed for the abode of the demigods.

Verse 57 (bhagavata.10.85.57)

तं दृष्ट्वा देवकी देवी मृतागमननिर्गमम् । मेने सुविस्मिता मायां कृष्णस्य रचितां नृप ॥ ५७ ॥

taṁ dṛṣṭvā devakī devī mṛtāgamana-nirgamam mene su-vismitā māyāṁ kṛṣṇasya racitāṁ nṛpa

O King, seeing her dead sons thus come and go, the saintly Devaki was struck with great wonder, and she understood it all to be Krishna's own created illusion.

Verse 58 (bhagavata.10.85.58)

एवंविधान्यद्भुतानि कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः । वीर्याण्यनन्तवीर्यस्य सन्त्यनन्तानि भारत ॥ ५८ ॥

evaṁ-vidhāny adbhutāni kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ vīryāṇy ananta-vīryasya santy anantāni bhārata

O descendant of Bharata, the wondrous deeds of Krishna, the Supreme Soul of infinite valor, are truly without end.

Verse 59 (bhagavata.10.85.59)

श्रीसूत उवाच य इदमनुशृणोति श्रावयेद् वा मुरारे- श्चरितममृतकीर्तेर्वर्णितं व्यासपुत्रैः । जगदघभिदलं तद्भक्तसत्कर्णपूरं भगवति कृतचित्तो याति तत्क्षेमधाम ॥ ५९ ॥

śrī-sūta uvāca ya idam anuśṛṇoti śrāvayed vā murāreś caritam amṛta-kīrter varṇitaṁ vyāsa-putraiḥ jagad-agha-bhid alaṁ tad-bhakta-sat-karṇa-pūraṁ bhagavati kṛta-citto yāti tat-kṣema-dhāma

Sri Suta said: Whoever hears, or narrates to others, this account of Murari, whose glory is eternal — as related by the son of Vyasa, Shukadeva, an account able to destroy the sins of the whole world and serving as the finest ornament for a devotee's ears — that person, fixing his mind upon Bhagavan, attains His supremely auspicious abode.