The Glory of Badrinarayana and Rudra's Blessing

Verse 1 (padma.6.2.1)

महेश उवाच ।एकलक्षं पंचविंशत्सहस्रा पर्वतास्तथा । तेषां मध्ये महत्पुण्यं बद्रिकाश्रममुत्तमम्

maheśa uvāca ekalakṣaṁ paṁcaviṁśatsahasrā parvatāstathā teṣāṁ madhye mahatpuṇyaṁ badrikāśramamuttamam

Mahesha said: There are one hundred twenty-five thousand mountains; among them the greatly meritorious and supreme Badrikashrama.

Verse 2 (padma.6.2.2)

नरनारायणो देवो यत्र तिष्ठति नारद । तस्य स्वरूपं तेजश्च वक्ष्यामीह च सांप्रतम्

naranārāyaṇo devo yatra tiṣṭhati nārada tasya svarūpaṁ tejaśca vakṣyāmīha ca sāṁpratam

O Narada, where the god Nara-Narayana resides — his form and radiance I shall now describe.

Verse 3 (padma.6.2.3)

हिमपर्वतशृंगे च कृष्णाकारतया द्विज । द्वौ पुरुषौ तत्र वर्तेते नरनारायणावुभौ

himaparvataśṛṁge ca kṛṣṇākāratayā dvija dvau puruṣau tatra vartete naranārāyaṇāvubhau

O twice-born one, on the peak of the snow-mountain, in a dark form, there dwell those two beings, both Nara and Narayana.

Verse 4 (padma.6.2.4)

श्वेत एकस्तु पुरुषः कृष्णो ह्येकतमः पुनः । तेन मार्गेण ये यांति हिमाचलकृतोद्यमाः

śveta ekastu puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇo hyekatamaḥ punaḥ tena mārgeṇa ye yāṁti himācalakṛtodyamāḥ

One being is white, the other dark; those who make the effort to go by that path upon the Himalaya reach them.

Verse 5 (padma.6.2.5)

पिंगलश्वेतवर्णश्च जटाधारी महाप्रभुः । कृष्णो नारायणो ह्येष जगदादिर्महाप्रभुः

piṁgalaśvetavarṇaśca jaṭādhārī mahāprabhuḥ kṛṣṇo nārāyaṇo hyeṣa jagadādirmahāprabhuḥ

Tawny-white in hue, matted-locked, the great Lord — this dark form is Narayana himself, the origin of the world, the great Lord.

Verse 6 (padma.6.2.6)

चतुर्बाहुर्महान्श्रीमान्व्यक्तोऽव्यक्तः सनातनः । उत्तरायणे महापूजा जायते तत्र सुव्रत

caturbāhurmahānśrīmānvyakto'vyaktaḥ sanātanaḥ uttarāyaṇe mahāpūjā jāyate tatra suvrata

Four-armed, great, glorious, both manifest and unmanifest, eternal — O virtuous one, great worship takes place there during Uttarayana.

Verse 7 (padma.6.2.7)

षण्मासादिकपर्यंतं पूजा नैव च जायते । हिमव्याप्तं तदा जातं यावद्वै दक्षिणं भवेत्

ṣaṇmāsādikaparyaṁtaṁ pūjā naiva ca jāyate himavyāptaṁ tadā jātaṁ yāvadvai dakṣiṇaṁ bhavet

For about six months at a stretch, no worship occurs there at all; it lies covered in snow through that time, until the southern course returns.

Verse 8 (padma.6.2.8)

अत एतादृशो देवो न भूतो न भविष्यति । तत्र देवा वसंतीह ऋषीणां चाश्रमास्तथा

ata etādṛśo devo na bhūto na bhaviṣyati tatra devā vasaṁtīha ṛṣīṇāṁ cāśramāstathā

Therefore such a god has never been, nor shall ever be; there the gods dwell, and the hermitages of sages as well.

Verse 9 (padma.6.2.9)

अग्निहोत्राणि वेदाश्च ध्वनिः प्रश्रूयते सदा । तस्य वै दर्शनं कार्यं कोटिहत्याविनाशनम्

agnihotrāṇi vedāśca dhvaniḥ praśrūyate sadā tasya vai darśanaṁ kāryaṁ koṭihatyāvināśanam

There the sound of fire-oblations and Vedic chants is ever heard; his sight alone is to be sought, for it destroys the sin of ten million killings.

Verse 10 (padma.6.2.10)

अलकनंदा यत्र गंगा तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत् । कृत्वा स्नानं तु वै तत्र महापापात्प्रमुच्यते

alakanaṁdā yatra gaṁgā tatra snānaṁ samācaret kṛtvā snānaṁ tu vai tatra mahāpāpātpramucyate

Where the Ganga is called the Alakananda, there one should bathe; bathing there, a person is freed from great sin.

Verse 11 (padma.6.2.11)

यत्र विश्वेश्वरो देवस्तिष्ठत्येव न संशयः । एकस्मिन्नवसरे ब्रह्मन्सुतपस्तप्तवानहम्

yatra viśveśvaro devastiṣṭhatyeva na saṁśayaḥ ekasminnavasare brahmansutapastaptavānaham

Where the god Vishveshvara truly resides, without doubt — O brahmin, on one occasion I performed great austerity there.

Verse 12 (padma.6.2.12)

तदा नारायणो देवो भक्तानां हि कृपाकरः । अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षादीश्वरो गरुडध्वजः । सुप्रसन्नोऽब्रवीन्मां वै वरं वरय सुव्रत

tadā nārāyaṇo devo bhaktānāṁ hi kṛpākaraḥ avyayaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣādīśvaro garuḍadhvajaḥ suprasanno'bravīnmāṁ vai varaṁ varaya suvrata

Then the god Narayana, gracious to his devotees — the imperishable Being, the very Lord himself, bearing Garuda on his banner — well pleased, said to me: 'Choose a boon, O virtuous one.'

Verse 13 (padma.6.2.13)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । यद्यदीप्ससि देव त्वं तं तं कामं ददाम्यहम् । त्वं कैलासविभुः साक्षाद्रुद्रो वै विश्वपालकः

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca yadyadīpsasi deva tvaṁ taṁ taṁ kāmaṁ dadāmyaham tvaṁ kailāsavibhuḥ sākṣādrudro vai viśvapālakaḥ

Sri Narayana said: O god, whatever you desire, that very wish I shall grant; you are the Lord of Kailasa himself, Rudra, the protector of the universe.

Verse 14 (padma.6.2.14)

रुद्र उवाच । अलं गृह्णामि भो देव सुप्रसन्नो जनार्दन । द्वौ वरौ मम दीयेतां यदि दातुं त्वमिच्छसि

rudra uvāca alaṁ gṛhṇāmi bho deva suprasanno janārdana dvau varau mama dīyetāṁ yadi dātuṁ tvamicchasi

Rudra said: Enough, O Lord — I am well pleased, O Janardana; if you truly wish to give, then grant me two boons.

Verse 15 (padma.6.2.15)

तव भक्तिः सदैवास्तु भक्तराजो भवाम्यहम् । सर्वे लोका ब्रुवंत्वेवमयं भक्तः सदैव हि

tava bhaktiḥ sadaivāstu bhaktarājo bhavāmyaham sarve lokā bruvaṁtvevamayaṁ bhaktaḥ sadaiva hi

May devotion to you ever remain mine, and may I become the king of your devotees; may all the worlds ever declare that this one is forever your devotee.

Verse 16 (padma.6.2.16)

तव प्रसादाद्देवेश मुक्तिदाता भवाम्यहम् । ये लोका मां भजिष्यंति तेषां दाता न संशयः

tava prasādāddeveśa muktidātā bhavāmyaham ye lokā māṁ bhajiṣyaṁti teṣāṁ dātā na saṁśayaḥ

O Lord of gods, by your grace may I become a bestower of liberation; whatever worlds shall worship me, to them, without doubt, I shall be its giver.

Verse 17 (padma.6.2.17)

विष्णुभक्त इति ख्यातो लोके चैव भवाम्यहम् । यस्याहं वरदाता तु तस्य मुक्तिर्भवेत्प्रभो

viṣṇubhakta iti khyāto loke caiva bhavāmyaham yasyāhaṁ varadātā tu tasya muktirbhavetprabho

May I become renowned in the world by the name 'devotee of Vishnu'; O Lord, whomever I grant a boon, may liberation come to him too.

Verse 18 (padma.6.2.18)

जटिलो भस्मलिप्तांगो ह्यहं वै तव संनिधौ । तव चरणप्रसादेन लोके ख्यातो भवाम्यहम्

jaṭilo bhasmaliptāṁgo hyahaṁ vai tava saṁnidhau tava caraṇaprasādena loke khyāto bhavāmyaham

Matted-locked, my body smeared with ash, may I ever remain in your presence; by the grace of your feet, may I become renowned throughout the world.