Prahlada Pacifies Lord Narasimha with Prayers

Verse 1 (bhagavata.7.9.1)

श्रीनारद उवाच एवं सुरादयः सर्वे ब्रह्मरुद्रपुरः सराः । नोपैतुमशकन्मन्युसंरम्भं सुदुरासदम् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca evaṁ surādayaḥ sarve brahma-rudra-puraḥ sarāḥ nopaitum aśakan manyu- saṁrambhaṁ sudurāsadam

Narada said: Thus all the demigods, led by Brahma and Rudra, together with the other gods, were unable to approach the Lord, whose fury was utterly unapproachable.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.7.9.2)

साक्षात् श्रीः प्रेषिता देवैर्दृष्ट्वा तं महदद्भुतम् । अदृष्टाश्रुतपूर्वत्वात् सा नोपेयाय शङ्किता ॥ २ ॥

sākṣāt śrīḥ preṣitā devair dṛṣṭvā taṁ mahad adbhutam adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrvatvāt sā nopeyāya śaṅkitā

The goddess of fortune herself was sent by the demigods, but seeing that great and wondrous form, never before seen or heard of, she too, filled with apprehension, could not approach.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.7.9.3)

प्रह्रादं प्रेषयामास ब्रह्मावस्थितमन्तिके । तात प्रशमयोपेहि स्वपित्रे कुपितं प्रभुम् ॥ ३ ॥

prahrādaṁ preṣayām āsa brahmāvasthitam antike tāta praśamayopehi sva-pitre kupitaṁ prabhum

Brahma then sent Prahlada, who was standing nearby: "My child, go and pacify the Lord, who is angered on account of your own father."

Verse 4 (bhagavata.7.9.4)

तथेति शनकै राजन्महाभागवतोऽर्भकः । उपेत्य भुवि कायेन ननाम विधृताञ्जलिः ॥ ४ ॥

tatheti śanakai rājan mahā-bhāgavato ’rbhakaḥ upetya bhuvi kāyena nanāma vidhṛtāñjaliḥ

"So be it," said the child, and, O King, that great devotee, though a mere boy, slowly approached, and with his whole body prostrate on the ground, folded his hands and bowed down.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.7.9.5)

स्वपादमूले पतितं तमर्भकं विलोक्य देवः कृपया परिप्लुतः । उत्थाप्य तच्छीर्ष्ण्यदधात्कराम्बुजं कालाहिवित्रस्तधियां कृताभयम् ॥ ५ ॥

sva-pāda-mūle patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ vilokya devaḥ kṛpayā pariplutaḥ utthāpya tac-chīrṣṇy adadhāt karāmbujaṁ kālāhi-vitrasta-dhiyāṁ kṛtābhayam

Seeing that child fallen at the base of His own feet, the Lord was overwhelmed with compassion; raising him up, He placed upon his head that lotus hand which grants fearlessness to minds terrified by the serpent of time.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.7.9.6)

स तत्करस्पर्शधुताखिलाशुभः सपद्यभिव्यक्तपरात्मदर्शनः । तत्पादपद्मं हृदि निर्वृतो दधौ हृष्यत्तनुः क्लिन्नहृदश्रुलोचनः ॥ ६ ॥

sa tat-kara-sparśa-dhutākhilāśubhaḥ sapady abhivyakta-parātma-darśanaḥ tat-pāda-padmaṁ hṛdi nirvṛto dadhau hṛṣyat-tanuḥ klinna-hṛd-aśru-locanaḥ

Freed of all inauspiciousness by that touch, Prahlada at once had the vision of the Supreme Self manifest within him; blissfully, he held those lotus feet within his heart, his body thrilling with ecstasy, his heart melting, his eyes filled with tears.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.7.9.7)

अस्तौषीद्धरिमेकाग्रमनसा सुसमाहितः । प्रेमगद्गदया वाचा तन्न्यस्तहृदयेक्षणः ॥ ७ ॥

astauṣīd dharim ekāgra- manasā susamāhitaḥ prema-gadgadayā vācā tan-nyasta-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ

With a mind fixed single-pointedly and deeply composed, his heart and gaze given over entirely to Him, he began to praise Hari with a voice choked with love.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.7.9.8)

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच ब्रह्मादयः सुरगणा मुनयोऽथ सिद्धाः सत्त्वैकतानगतयो वचसां प्रवाहैः । नाराधितुं पुरुगुणैरधुनापि पिप्रुः किं तोष्टुमर्हति स मे हरिरुग्रजातेः ॥ ८ ॥

śrī-prahrāda uvāca brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā munayo ’tha siddhāḥ sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ nārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ

Prahlada said: Brahma and the other demigods, the sages, and the Siddhas, whose very nature rests wholly in goodness, even now, with their streams of excellent words, have not managed to satisfy Him through worship. How, then, could that Hari be pleased by one born of a fierce and terrible race like me?

Verse 9 (bhagavata.7.9.9)

मन्ये धनाभिजनरूपतपःश्रुतौज- स्तेजःप्रभावबलपौरुषबुद्धियोगाः । नाराधनाय हि भवन्ति परस्य पुंसो भक्त्या तुतोष भगवान्गजयूथपाय ॥ ९ ॥

manye dhanābhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-śrutaujas- tejaḥ-prabhāva-bala-pauruṣa-buddhi-yogāḥ nārādhanāya hi bhavanti parasya puṁso bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya

I think that wealth, noble birth, beauty, austerity, learning, vigor, splendor, influence, strength, valor, intelligence and mystic power are none of them enough to worship the Supreme Person — yet the Lord was satisfied by the devotion of Gajendra, lord of the elephants, alone.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.7.9.10)

विप्राद् द्विषड्गुणयुतादरविन्दनाभ- पादारविन्दविमुखात् श्वपचं वरिष्ठम् । मन्ये तदर्पितमनोवचनेहितार्थ- प्राणं पुनाति स कुलं न तु भूरिमानः ॥ १० ॥

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha- pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha- prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

I hold that even a dog-eating outcaste who has offered his mind, words, actions, wealth and very life to the Lord is far superior to a brahmana endowed with all twelve brahminical qualities yet averse to the lotus feet of the lotus-naveled Lord. That devotee purifies his whole family, but the falsely proud brahmana cannot purify even himself.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.7.9.11)

नैवात्मनः प्रभुरयं निजलाभपूर्णो मानं जनादविदुषः करुणो वृणीते । यद् यज्जनो भगवते विदधीत मानं तच्चात्मने प्रतिमुखस्य यथा मुखश्रीः ॥ ११ ॥

naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānaṁ tac cātmane prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ

This Lord, ever complete in Himself, does not seek honor from the ignorant for His own sake; He accepts it only out of compassion. Whatever honor a person offers the Lord returns to that very person, just as the beauty of one's own face is seen reflected in a mirror.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.7.9.12)

तस्मादहं विगतविक्लव ईश्वरस्य सर्वात्मना महि गृणामि यथा मनीषम् । नीचोऽजया गुणविसर्गमनुप्रविष्टः पूयेत येन हि पुमाननुवर्णितेन ॥ १२ ॥

tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam nīco ’jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena

Therefore, free of hesitation, I shall glorify the greatness of the Lord with my whole being, as far as my intelligence allows — for even the lowest of persons, having entered this creation of the modes through ignorance, can be purified simply by such glorification.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.7.9.13)

सर्वे ह्यमी विधिकरास्तव सत्त्वधाम्नो ब्रह्मादयो वयमिवेश न चोद्विजन्तः । क्षेमाय भूतय उतात्मसुखाय चास्य विक्रीडितं भगवतो रुचिरावतारैः ॥ १३ ॥

sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ

O Lord, all these — Brahma and the rest — are the executors of Your command, resting in transcendence, unlike us demons, and they are never terrified of You. This play of Yours, appearing in Your delightful incarnations, is for the welfare, prosperity, and inner joy of the universe.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.7.9.14)

तद्यच्छ मन्युमसुरश्च हतस्त्वयाद्य मोदेत साधुरपि वृश्चिकसर्पहत्या । लोकाश्च निर्वृतिमिताः प्रतियन्ति सर्वे रूपं नृसिंह विभयाय जनाः स्मरन्ति ॥ १४ ॥

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

So please set aside Your anger now, for the demon has been slain by You today; even a saintly person takes pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake. All the worlds have found peace and are reassured; O Nrisimha, people will always remember this form of Yours to be free from fear.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.7.9.15)

नाहं बिभेम्यजित तेऽतिभयानकास्य- जिह्वार्कनेत्रभ्रुकुटीरभसोग्रदंष्ट्रात् । आन्त्रस्रजः क्षतजकेशरशङ्कुकर्णा- न्निर्ह्रादभीतदिगिभादरिभिन्नखाग्रात् ॥ १५ ॥

nāhaṁ bibhemy ajita te ’tibhayānakāsya- jihvārka-netra-bhrukuṭī-rabhasogra-daṁṣṭrāt āntra-srajaḥ-kṣataja-keśara-śaṅku-karṇān nirhrāda-bhīta-digibhād ari-bhin-nakhāgrāt

O unconquered one, I am not afraid of Your most fearsome mouth and tongue, Your sun-like eyes and knitted brows, Your sharp fierce teeth, Your garland of intestines, Your blood-soaked mane, Your spike-like ears, Your roar that terrifies the elephants of the directions, or the tips of Your nails that tear apart Your enemies.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.7.9.16)

त्रस्तोऽस्म्यहं कृपणवत्सल दुःसहोग्र- संसारचक्रकदनाद् ग्रसतां प्रणीतः । बद्धः स्वकर्मभिरुशत्तम तेऽङ्घ्रिमूलं प्रीतोऽपवर्गशरणं ह्वयसे कदा नु ॥ १६ ॥

trasto ’smy ahaṁ kṛpaṇa-vatsala duḥsahogra- saṁsāra-cakra-kadanād grasatāṁ praṇītaḥ baddhaḥ sva-karmabhir uśattama te ’ṅghri-mūlaṁ prīto ’pavarga-śaraṇaṁ hvayase kadā nu

But I am indeed terrified, O lover of the wretched, by the unbearable, fierce torment of the wheel of material existence, delivered as I am to those who would devour me, bound by my own actions. O most desirable one, when, moved by affection, will You call me to the shelter of Your feet, the very refuge of liberation?

Verse 17 (bhagavata.7.9.17)

यस्मात् प्रियाप्रियवियोगसंयोगजन्म- शोकाग्निना सकलयोनिषु दह्यमानः । दुःखौषधं तदपि दुःखमतद्धियाहं भूमन्भ्रमामि वद मे तव दास्ययोगम् ॥ १७ ॥

yasmāt priyāpriya-viyoga-saṁyoga-janma- śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāhaṁ bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam

O infinite one, being burned in every species of life by the fire of grief born from union with the unpleasant and separation from the pleasant, and mistaking even the remedies for that suffering — themselves nothing but suffering — for true relief, I wander on. Tell me how to attain the path of service to You.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.7.9.18)

सोऽहं प्रियस्य सुहृदः परदेवताया लीलाकथास्तव नृसिंह विरिञ्चगीताः । अञ्जस्तितर्म्यनुगृणन्गुणविप्रमुक्तो दुर्गाणि ते पदयुगालयहंससङ्गः ॥ १८ ॥

so ’haṁ priyasya suhṛdaḥ paradevatāyā līlā-kathās tava nṛsiṁha viriñca-gītāḥ añjas titarmy anugṛṇan guṇa-vipramukto durgāṇi te pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ

O Nrisimha, so may I, by chanting again and again Your pastime-narrations sung by Brahma himself, freed from the modes of nature, in the company of the swan-like devotees who dwell at Your two feet, easily cross over every difficulty.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.7.9.19)

बालस्य नेह शरणं पितरौ नृसिंह नार्तस्य चागदमुदन्वति मज्जतो नौः । तप्तस्य तत्प्रतिविधिर्य इहाञ्जसेष्ट- स्तावद्विभो तनुभृतां त्वदुपेक्षितानाम् ॥ १९ ॥

bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām

O Nrisimha, just as a father and mother are no real shelter for a child, nor medicine for one who suffers, nor a boat for one drowning in the ocean — so too, O Almighty, no remedy is ever easily found here for embodied souls whom You have overlooked.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.7.9.20)

यस्मिन्यतो यर्हि येन च यस्य यस्माद् यस्मै यथा यदुत यस्त्वपरः परो वा । भावः करोति विकरोति पृथक्स्वभावः सञ्चोदितस्तदखिलं भवतः स्वरूपम् ॥ २० ॥

yasmin yato yarhi yena ca yasya yasmād yasmai yathā yad uta yas tv aparaḥ paro vā bhāvaḥ karoti vikaroti pṛthak svabhāvaḥ sañcoditas tad akhilaṁ bhavataḥ svarūpam

In what, from what, at what time, by whom, of whom, from whom, for whom, in what manner, whatever it may be, whether inferior or superior — every state of being that acts or is transformed by its own distinct nature, impelled by You, is in its entirety nothing other than Your very own form.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.7.9.21)

माया मनः सृजति कर्ममयं बलीयः कालेन चोदितगुणानुमतेन पुंसः । छन्दोमयं यदजयार्पितषोडशारं संसारचक्रमज कोऽतितरेत् त्वदन्यः ॥ २१ ॥

māyā manaḥ sṛjati karmamayaṁ balīyaḥ kālena codita-guṇānumatena puṁsaḥ chandomayaṁ yad ajayārpita-ṣoḍaśāraṁ saṁsāra-cakram aja ko ’titaret tvad-anyaḥ

O unborn one, Your maya, impelled by time and consenting to the modes, creates for the soul a powerful mind full of desires, born of action, made of Vedic hymn, its sixteen spokes fashioned by that very maya — who besides You could ever cross beyond this wheel of birth and death?

Verse 22 (bhagavata.7.9.22)

स त्वं हि नित्यविजितात्मगुणः स्वधाम्ना कालो वशीकृतविसृज्यविसर्गशक्तिः । चक्रे विसृष्टमजयेश्वर षोडशारे निष्पीड्यमानमुपकर्ष विभो प्रपन्नम् ॥ २२ ॥

sa tvaṁ hi nitya-vijitātma-guṇaḥ sva-dhāmnā kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ cakre visṛṣṭam ajayeśvara ṣoḍaśāre niṣpīḍyamānam upakarṣa vibho prapannam

You are that very time, who by Your own transcendental nature have eternally mastered the material qualities, whose power over creation and dissolution is fully Your own. O Lord, O Almighty, cast by maya into this sixteen-spoked wheel and crushed by it, I have surrendered — please draw me out.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.7.9.23)

दृष्टा मया दिवि विभोऽखिलधिष्ण्यपाना- मायुः श्रियो विभव इच्छति याञ्जनोऽयम् । येऽस्मत्पितुः कुपितहासविजृम्भितभ्रू- विस्फूर्जितेन लुलिताः स तु ते निरस्तः ॥ २३ ॥

dṛṣṭā mayā divi vibho ’khila-dhiṣṇya-pānām āyuḥ śriyo vibhava icchati yāñ jano ’yam ye ’smat pituḥ kupita-hāsa-vijṛmbhita-bhrū- visphūrjitena lulitāḥ sa tu te nirastaḥ

O Almighty, I have witnessed the longevity, opulence and prosperity of all the rulers of the heavenly abodes — the very things people here desire — and I have seen them tossed about by the mere movement of my father's brow when he laughed in anger; yet even he has now been struck down by You.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.7.9.24)

तस्मादमूस्तनुभृतामहमाशिषोऽज्ञ आयुः श्रियं विभवमैन्द्रियमाविरिञ्च्यात् । नेच्छामि ते विलुलितानुरुविक्रमेण कालात्मनोपनय मां निजभृत्यपार्श्वम् ॥ २४ ॥

tasmād amūs tanu-bhṛtām aham āśiṣo ’jña āyuḥ śriyaṁ vibhavam aindriyam āviriñcyāt necchāmi te vilulitān uruvikrameṇa kālātmanopanaya māṁ nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam

Therefore, ignorant though I am, I no longer desire these blessings of embodied beings — longevity, opulence, and sensory prosperity, even up to Brahma's own — since I have seen them all scattered by Your vast strides as time itself. Rather, O time itself, place me at the side of Your own devotee.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.7.9.25)

कुत्राशिषः श्रुतिसुखा मृगतृष्णिरूपाः क्वेदं कलेवरमशेषरुजां विरोहः । निर्विद्यते न तु जनो यदपीति विद्वान् कामानलं मधुलवैः शमयन्दुरापैः ॥ २५ ॥

kutrāśiṣaḥ śruti-sukhā mṛgatṛṣṇi-rūpāḥ kvedaṁ kalevaram aśeṣa-rujāṁ virohaḥ nirvidyate na tu jano yad apīti vidvān kāmānalaṁ madhu-lavaiḥ śamayan durāpaiḥ

Where are these blessings, pleasant only to hear of, mirage-like as they are — and where this body, the very breeding ground of countless diseases? Yet even the learned, who know this well, do not become detached, still trying to quench the fire of desire with hard-won drops of honey.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.7.9.26)

क्वाहं रजःप्रभव ईश तमोऽधिकेऽस्मिन् जातः सुरेतरकुले क्व तवानुकम्पा । न ब्रह्मणो न तु भवस्य न वै रमाया यन्मेऽर्पितः शिरसि पद्मकरः प्रसादः ॥ २६ ॥

kvāhaṁ rajaḥ-prabhava īśa tamo ’dhike ’smin jātaḥ suretara-kule kva tavānukampā na brahmaṇo na tu bhavasya na vai ramāyā yan me ’rpitaḥ śirasi padma-karaḥ prasādaḥ

O Lord, where do I stand, born in this family of demons dominated by passion and darkness — and where Your compassion? That grace which You have placed upon my head, Your very own lotus hand, was given neither to Brahma, nor to Shiva, nor even to Rama, the goddess of fortune.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.7.9.27)

नैषा परावरमतिर्भवतो ननु स्या- ज्जन्तोर्यथात्मसुहृदो जगतस्तथापि । संसेवया सुरतरोरिव ते प्रसादः सेवानुरूपमुदयो न परावरत्वम् ॥ २७ ॥

naiṣā parāvara-matir bhavato nanu syāj jantor yathātma-suhṛdo jagatas tathāpi saṁsevayā surataror iva te prasādaḥ sevānurūpam udayo na parāvaratvam

You, being the very Self and friend of every being, surely do not hold to this notion of "high and low" as an ordinary living entity would — yet Your grace, like the wish-fulfilling tree, arises in accordance with one's service, not according to any pre-existing rank.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.7.9.28)

एवं जनं निपतितं प्रभवाहिकूपे कामाभिकाममनु यः प्रपतन्प्रसङ्गात् । कृत्वात्मसात् सुरर्षिणा भगवन्गृहीतः सोऽहं कथं नु विसृजे तव भृत्यसेवाम् ॥ २८ ॥

evaṁ janaṁ nipatitaṁ prabhavāhi-kūpe kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasaṅgāt kṛtvātmasāt surarṣiṇā bhagavan gṛhītaḥ so ’haṁ kathaṁ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām

O Lord, thus I was one who, chasing one desire after another through bad company, was falling into the terrible snake-pit of material existence — yet the divine sage Narada kindly accepted me and made me his own. How, then, could I ever abandon the service of Your servant?

Verse 29 (bhagavata.7.9.29)

मत्प्राणरक्षणमनन्त पितुर्वधश्च मन्ये स्वभृत्यऋषिवाक्यमृतं विधातुम् । खड्गं प्रगृह्य यदवोचदसद्विधित्सु- स्त्वामीश्वरो मदपरोऽवतु कं हरामि ॥ २९ ॥

mat-prāṇa-rakṣaṇam ananta pitur vadhaś ca manye sva-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtaṁ vidhātum khaḍgaṁ pragṛhya yad avocad asad-vidhitsus tvām īśvaro mad-aparo ’vatu kaṁ harāmi

O infinite one, I believe that the protection of my life and the death of my father were both done by You only to prove true the words of Your own devotee, the sage — since, wishing to do me harm, he had taken up his sword and said: "Let that Lord other than me protect you — whose head shall I now take?"

Verse 30 (bhagavata.7.9.30)

एकस्त्वमेव जगदेतममुष्य यत्त्व- माद्यन्तयोः पृथगवस्यसि मध्यतश्च । सृष्ट्वा गुणव्यतिकरं निजमाययेदं नानेव तैरवसितस्तदनुप्रविष्टः ॥ ३० ॥

ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam ādy-antayoḥ pṛthag avasyasi madhyataś ca sṛṣṭvā guṇa-vyatikaraṁ nija-māyayedaṁ nāneva tair avasitas tad anupraviṣṭaḥ

You alone are this entire universe, for You exist distinctly, as its cause, before its beginning, at its end, and in its middle as well; having fashioned this interplay of the modes through Your own maya, You, though one, appear as many, having entered into it.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.7.9.31)

त्वं वा इदं सदसदीश भवांस्ततोऽन्यो माया यदात्मपरबुद्धिरियं ह्यपार्था । यद्यस्य जन्म निधनं स्थितिरीक्षणं च तद्वैतदेव वसुकालवदष्टितर्वोः ॥ ३१ ॥

tvaṁ vā idaṁ sadasad īśa bhavāṁs tato ’nyo māyā yad ātma-para-buddhir iyaṁ hy apārthā yad yasya janma nidhanaṁ sthitir īkṣaṇaṁ ca tad vaitad eva vasukālavad aṣṭi-tarvoḥ

O Lord, You are this manifest and unmanifest universe, yet You remain distinct from it; the very sense of "self" and "other" is nothing but illusion, without real meaning. Whatever is born of something, dies, endures and is perceived through it — that relationship is precisely like the seed and the tree.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.7.9.32)

न्यस्येदमात्मनि जगद्विलयाम्बुमध्ये शेषेत्मना निजसुखानुभवो निरीहः । योगेन मीलितदृगात्मनिपीतनिद्र- स्तुर्ये स्थितो न तु तमो न गुणांश्च युङ्क्षे ॥ ३२ ॥

nyasyedam ātmani jagad vilayāmbu-madhye śeṣetmanā nija-sukhānubhavo nirīhaḥ yogena mīlita-dṛg-ātma-nipīta-nidras turye sthito na tu tamo na guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe

Gathering this universe into Yourself at the time of dissolution, You remain in the waters, reclining upon Shesha, desireless, absorbed in Your own bliss; through yogic power Your eyes are half-closed as though in a self-absorbed sleep, yet You remain fixed in the fourth, transcendental state, untouched by darkness or by the material modes.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.7.9.33)

तस्यैव ते वपुरिदं निजकालशक्त्या सञ्चोदितप्रकृतिधर्मण आत्मगूढम् । अम्भस्यनन्तशयनाद्विरमत्समाधे- र्नाभेरभूत् स्वकणिकावटवन्महाब्जम् ॥ ३३ ॥

tasyaiva te vapur idaṁ nija-kāla-śaktyā sañcodita-prakṛti-dharmaṇa ātma-gūḍham ambhasy ananta-śayanād viramat-samādher nābher abhūt sva-kaṇikā-vaṭavan-mahābjam

This universe, its material nature set into motion by Your own time-energy, is Your own body concealed within Yourself; reclining on Ananta in the causal waters, rising from Your trance, there arose from Your navel that great lotus, just as a great banyan tree springs from its own tiny seed.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.7.9.34)

तत्सम्भवः कविरतोऽन्यदपश्यमान- स्त्वां बीजमात्मनि ततं स बहिर्विचिन्त्य । नाविन्ददब्दशतमप्सु निमज्जमानो जातेऽङ्कुरे कथमुहोपलभेत बीजम् ॥ ३४ ॥

tat-sambhavaḥ kavir ato ’nyad apaśyamānas tvāṁ bījam ātmani tataṁ sa bahir vicintya nāvindad abda-śatam apsu nimajjamāno jāte ’ṅkure katham uhopalabheta bījam

He who was born from that lotus, the poet-seer Brahma, seeing nothing else, and thinking You, the seed spread within himself, to lie somewhere outside, dove into the waters for a hundred years but could not find You — for how could the seed be perceived once the sprout has already appeared?

Verse 35 (bhagavata.7.9.35)

स त्वात्मयोनिरतिविस्मित आश्रितोऽब्जं कालेन तीव्रतपसा परिशुद्धभावः । त्वामात्मनीश भुवि गन्धमिवातिसूक्ष्मं भूतेन्द्रियाशयमये विततं ददर्श ॥ ३५ ॥

sa tv ātma-yonir ativismita āśrito ’bjaṁ kālena tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ tvām ātmanīśa bhuvi gandham ivātisūkṣmaṁ bhūtendriyāśayamaye vitataṁ dadarśa

He, self-born, greatly astonished, took shelter of that very lotus, and, purified in nature through long and severe austerity, at last beheld You, O Lord, spread throughout his own being, made of the elements, senses and mind, just as the subtlest fragrance is found pervading the earth.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.7.9.36)

एवं सहस्रवदनाङ्घ्रिशिरःकरोरु- नासाद्यकर्णनयनाभरणायुधाढ्यम् । मायामयं सदुपलक्षितसन्निवेशं दृष्ट्वा महापुरुषमाप मुदं विरिञ्चः ॥ ३६ ॥

evaṁ sahasra-vadanāṅghri-śiraḥ-karoru- nāsādya-karṇa-nayanābharaṇāyudhāḍhyam māyāmayaṁ sad-upalakṣita-sanniveśaṁ dṛṣṭvā mahā-puruṣam āpa mudaṁ viriñcaḥ

Thus beholding the Supreme Person, possessed of a thousand faces, feet, heads, hands, thighs, noses, ears and eyes, richly adorned with ornaments and weapons, His transcendental form perceived through pure devotion, Brahma was filled with joy.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.7.9.37)

तस्मै भवान्हयशिरस्तनुवं हि बिभ्रद् वेदद्रुहावतिबलौ मधुकैटभाख्यौ । हत्वानयच्छ्रुतिगणांश्च रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वं तव प्रियतमां तनुमामनन्ति ॥ ३७ ॥

tasmai bhavān haya-śiras tanuvaṁ hi bibhrad veda-druhāv atibalau madhu-kaiṭabhākhyau hatvānayac chruti-gaṇāṁś ca rajas tamaś ca sattvaṁ tava priyatamāṁ tanum āmananti

For his sake, taking the form of Hayagriva with the head of a horse, You slew the two immensely powerful enemies of the Vedas, Madhu and Kaitabha, and restored the Vedic hymns — and learned sages hold that Your form of pure goodness is Your most beloved form of all.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.7.9.38)

इत्थं नृतिर्यगृषिदेवझषावतारै- र्लोकान् विभावयसि हंसि जगत्प्रतीपान् । धर्मं महापुरुष पासि युगानुवृत्तं छन्नः कलौ यदभवस्त्रियुगोऽथ स त्वम् ॥ ३८ ॥

itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam

Thus through Your incarnations as man, animal, sage, demigod and fish, You sustain the worlds and destroy those who oppose it. O great Person, You protect dharma according to each age; and because You remain hidden in Kali-yuga, You are known as Triyuga, the Lord who appears in only three ages — and that very one are You.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.7.9.39)

नैतन्मनस्तव कथासु विकुण्ठनाथ सम्प्रीयते दुरितदुष्टमसाधु तीव्रम् । कामातुरं हर्षशोकभयैषणार्तं तस्मिन्कथं तव गतिं विमृशामि दीनः ॥ ३९ ॥

naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram kāmāturaṁ harṣa-śoka-bhayaiṣaṇārtaṁ tasmin kathaṁ tava gatiṁ vimṛśāmi dīnaḥ

O Lord of Vaikuntha, this mind of mine, corrupted by sin, base, intensely afflicted with lust, tormented by joy, grief, fear and craving, takes no true pleasure in discussions of You. Wretched as I am, how then can I hope to comprehend Your true nature with such a mind?

Verse 40 (bhagavata.7.9.40)

जिह्वैकतोऽच्युत विकर्षति मावितृप्ता शिश्नोऽन्यतस्त्वगुदरं श्रवणं कुतश्चित् । घ्राणोऽन्यतश्चपलदृक् क्व च कर्मशक्ति- र्बह्व्यः सपत्न्य इव गेहपतिं लुनन्ति ॥ ४० ॥

jihvaikato ’cyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā śiśno ’nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti

O infallible one, my insatiable tongue drags me one way, the genitals another, the sense of touch and the belly yet another, hearing somewhere else, smell in another direction, my restless eyes elsewhere still, and my organs of action elsewhere again — like many rival wives tearing apart the very master of the house.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.7.9.41)

एवं स्वकर्मपतितं भववैतरण्या- मन्योन्यजन्ममरणाशनभीतभीतम् । पश्यञ्जनं स्वपरविग्रहवैरमैत्रं हन्तेति पारचर पीपृहि मूढमद्य ॥ ४१ ॥

evaṁ sva-karma-patitaṁ bhava-vaitaraṇyām anyonya-janma-maraṇāśana-bhīta-bhītam paśyañ janaṁ sva-para-vigraha-vaira-maitraṁ hanteti pāracara pīpṛhi mūḍham adya

Seeing such a being, fallen by his own deeds into the Vaitarani river of material existence, terrified again and again by repeated birth and death, entangled in conflicts of "self" and "other," enmity and friendship — O You who dwell on the far shore, please nourish and save this fool today.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.7.9.42)

को न्वत्र तेऽखिलगुरो भगवन्प्रयास उत्तारणेऽस्य भवसम्भवलोपहेतोः । मूढेषु वै महदनुग्रह आर्तबन्धो किं तेन ते प्रियजनाननुसेवतां नः ॥ ४२ ॥

ko nv atra te ’khila-guro bhagavan prayāsa uttāraṇe ’sya bhava-sambhava-lopa-hetoḥ mūḍheṣu vai mahad-anugraha ārta-bandho kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ

O universal teacher, what effort could it possibly cost You to deliver this being, ending the very cause of its repeated births? O friend of the afflicted, the great show their mercy especially to fools — what then to speak of us, who are engaged in the service of those dear to You?

Verse 43 (bhagavata.7.9.43)

नैवोद्विजे पर दुरत्ययवैतरण्या- स्त्वद्वीर्यगायनमहामृतमग्नचित्तः । शोचे ततो विमुखचेतस इन्द्रियार्थ मायासुखाय भरमुद्वहतो विमूढान् ॥ ४३ ॥

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha- māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān

O supreme one, I am not at all afraid of that hard-to-cross Vaitarani, since my mind is immersed in the great nectar of singing Your glories. Rather, I grieve for those foolish ones, their minds turned away from You, who bear the whole burden of family life for the illusory pleasure of sense objects.

Verse 44 (bhagavata.7.9.44)

प्रायेण देव मुनयः स्वविमुक्तिकामा मौनं चरन्ति विजने न परार्थनिष्ठाः । नैतान्विहाय कृपणान्विमुमुक्ष एको नान्यं त्वदस्य शरणं भ्रमतोऽनुपश्ये ॥ ४४ ॥

prāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā maunaṁ caranti vijane na parārtha-niṣṭhāḥ naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa eko nānyaṁ tvad asya śaraṇaṁ bhramato ’nupaśye

O Lord, most sages, desiring only their own liberation, observe silence in solitary places, with no concern for the welfare of others. But I have no wish to be liberated alone, abandoning these poor, helpless souls, for I see no other shelter for this wandering world besides You.

Verse 45 (bhagavata.7.9.45)

यन्मैथुनादिगृहमेधिसुखं हि तुच्छं कण्डूयनेन करयोरिव दुःखदुःखम् । तृप्यन्ति नेह कृपणा बहुदुःखभाजः कण्डूतिवन्मनसिजं विषहेत धीरः ॥ ४५ ॥

yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta dhīraḥ

The so-called happiness of the householder, beginning with sex, is utterly trivial — like scratching an itch with one's hands, it is only suffering compounded with suffering. The wretched, though burdened with much misery, are never satisfied by it, while the wise endure that itch of desire just as one endures an ordinary itch.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.7.9.46)

मौनव्रतश्रुततपोऽध्ययनस्वधर्म- व्याख्यारहोजपसमाधय आपवर्ग्याः । प्रायः परं पुरुष ते त्वजितेन्द्रियाणां वार्ता भवन्त्युत न वात्र तु दाम्भिकानाम् ॥ ४६ ॥

mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-’dhyayana-sva-dharma- vyākhyā-raho-japa-samādhaya āpavargyāḥ prāyaḥ paraṁ puruṣa te tv ajitendriyāṇāṁ vārtā bhavanty uta na vātra tu dāmbhikānām

O Supreme Person, silence, vows, Vedic hearing, austerity, study, one's own duties, discourse, solitude, silent chanting, and trance — though meant to lead to liberation, for those who have not conquered their senses these mostly become mere livelihoods, and certainly nothing at all for the hypocritical.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.7.9.47)

रूपे इमे सदसती तव वेदसृष्टे बीजाङ्कुराविव न चान्यदरूपकस्य । युक्ताः समक्षमुभयत्र विचक्षन्ते त्वां योगेन वह्निमिव दारुषु नान्यतः स्यात् ॥ ४७ ॥

rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicakṣante tvāṁ yogena vahnim iva dāruṣu nānyataḥ syāt

These two forms, cause and effect, declared by the Vedas to be Yours, are like the seed and the sprout; there is nothing at all apart from You, the formless one. Those united in devotion perceive You directly in both, just as one perceives fire pervading wood by the proper method, and by no other means.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.7.9.48)

त्वं वायुरग्निरवनिर्वियदम्बु मात्राः प्राणेन्द्रियाणि हृदयं चिदनुग्रहश्च । सर्वं त्वमेव सगुणो विगुणश्च भूमन् नान्यत् त्वदस्त्यपि मनोवचसा निरुक्तम् ॥ ४८ ॥

tvaṁ vāyur agnir avanir viyad ambu mātrāḥ prāṇendriyāṇi hṛdayaṁ cid anugrahaś ca sarvaṁ tvam eva saguṇo viguṇaś ca bhūman nānyat tvad asty api mano-vacasā niruktam

You are the air, fire, earth, sky and water, and their subtle essences too; You are the vital airs, the senses, the mind, consciousness, and grace itself. O infinite one, You alone are everything, with attributes and without. Nothing exists apart from You, whether expressed by mind or by word.

Verse 49 (bhagavata.7.9.49)

नैते गुणा न गुणिनो महदादयो ये सर्वे मनः प्रभृतयः सहदेवमर्त्याः । आद्यन्तवन्त उरुगाय विदन्ति हि त्वा- मेवं विमृश्य सुधियो विरमन्ति शब्दात् ॥ ४९ ॥

naite guṇā na guṇino mahad-ādayo ye sarve manaḥ prabhṛtayaḥ sahadeva-martyāḥ ādy-antavanta urugāya vidanti hi tvām evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt

O widely-glorified one, neither these modes nor their presiding deities, nor the mahat-tattva and the rest, nor mind and senses, together with gods and mortals — none of these, being subject to birth and end, can truly know You. Reflecting thus, the wise cease their reliance on mere words alone.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.7.9.50)

तत्तेऽर्हत्तम नमः स्तुतिकर्मपूजाः कर्म स्मृतिश्चरणयोः श्रवणं कथायाम् । संसेवया त्वयि विनेति षडङ्गया किं भक्तिं जनः परमहंसगतौ लभेत ॥ ५० ॥

tat te ’rhattama namaḥ stuti-karma-pūjāḥ karma smṛtiś caraṇayoḥ śravaṇaṁ kathāyām saṁsevayā tvayi vineti ṣaḍ-aṅgayā kiṁ bhaktiṁ janaḥ paramahaṁsa-gatau labheta

Therefore, O most worshipable one, my obeisance to You. Without the sixfold service to You — offering praise, dedicating one's actions, worship, remembrance of Your feet, and hearing Your accounts — how could a person ever attain that devotion which is the very goal of the paramahamsas?

Verse 51 (bhagavata.7.9.51)

श्रीनारद उवाच एतावद्वर्णितगुणो भक्त्या भक्तेन निर्गुणः । प्रह्रादं प्रणतं प्रीतो यतमन्युरभाषत ॥ ५१ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca etāvad varṇita-guṇo bhaktyā bhaktena nirguṇaḥ prahrādaṁ praṇataṁ prīto yata-manyur abhāṣata

Narada said: Thus praised so extensively by His devotee's devotion, though He is beyond the material qualities, the Lord, His anger now checked, spoke with affection to Prahlada, who lay bowed before Him.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.7.9.52)

श्रीभगवानुवाच प्रह्राद भद्र भद्रं ते प्रीतोऽहं तेऽसुरोत्तम । वरं वृणीष्वाभिमतं कामपूरोऽस्म्यहं नृणाम् ॥ ५२ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca prahrāda bhadra bhadraṁ te prīto ’haṁ te ’surottama varaṁ vṛṇīṣvābhimataṁ kāma-pūro ’smy ahaṁ nṛṇām

The Lord said: O gentle Prahlada, may all good come to you. O best among the asuras, I am pleased with you. Ask for whatever boon you desire, for I am He who fulfills the desires of all men.

Verse 53 (bhagavata.7.9.53)

मामप्रीणत आयुष्मन्दर्शनं दुर्लभं हि मे । दृष्ट्वा मां न पुनर्जन्तुरात्मानं तप्तुमर्हति ॥ ५३ ॥

mām aprīṇata āyuṣman darśanaṁ durlabhaṁ hi me dṛṣṭvā māṁ na punar jantur ātmānaṁ taptum arhati

O long-lived one, My darshan is indeed difficult to attain for one who has not pleased Me. But once a living being has truly seen Me, he need no longer torment himself with worldly grief.

Verse 54 (bhagavata.7.9.54)

प्रीणन्ति ह्यथ मां धीराः सर्वभावेन साधवः । श्रेयस्कामा महाभाग सर्वासामाशिषां पतिम् ॥ ५४ ॥

prīṇanti hy atha māṁ dhīrāḥ sarva-bhāvena sādhavaḥ śreyas-kāmā mahā-bhāga sarvāsām āśiṣāṁ patim

O greatly fortunate one, know that the wise and the virtuous, desiring their own true good, please Me, the Lord of all blessings, with their whole being.

Verse 55 (bhagavata.7.9.55)

श्रीनारद उवाच एवं प्रलोभ्यमानोऽपि वरैर्लोकप्रलोभनैः । एकान्तित्वाद् भगवति नैच्छत्तानसुरोत्तमः ॥ ५५ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca evaṁ pralobhyamāno ’pi varair loka-pralobhanaiḥ ekāntitvād bhagavati naicchat tān asurottamaḥ

Narada said: Thus, although tempted with boons that would entice anyone in this world, that best of the asuras, because of his exclusive, unwavering devotion to the Lord, desired none of them.