Akrura's Hymn and the Vision of Krishna

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.17.1)

अक्रूरोऽपि विनिष्कम्य स्यन्दनेनाशुगामिना। कृष्णसन्दर्शनायैकः प्रययौ नन्दगोकुलम्

akrūro'pi viniṣkamya syandanenāśugāminā kṛṣṇasandarśanāyaikaḥ prayayau nandagokulam

Akrura too, setting out on his swift chariot, journeyed alone to Nanda's Gokula, longing for the sight of Krishna.

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.17.2)

चिन्तयामास चाक्रूरो नास्ति धन्यतरो मया। योऽहमंशावतीर्णास्य मुखं द्रक्ष्यामि चक्रिणः

cintayāmāsa cākrūro nāsti dhanyataro mayā yo'hamaṁśāvatīrṇāsya mukhaṁ drakṣyāmi cakriṇaḥ

Akrura thought: 'There is none more fortunate than I, who shall behold the face of him, the wielder of the discus, descended here in a portion of himself.'

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.17.3)

अद्य मे सफलं जन्म सुप्रभाता च मे निशा। यदुन्नदाब्जपत्राक्षं विष्णोद्र क्ष्याम्यहं मुखम्

adya me saphalaṁ janma suprabhātā ca me niśā yadunnadābjapatrākṣaṁ viṣṇodra kṣyāmyahaṁ mukham

'Today my birth is fruitful, and my night has dawned auspiciously, for I shall see the face of Vishnu, whose eyes are like the petals of a blooming blue lotus.'

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.17.4)

अद्य मे सफले नेत्रे अद्य मे सफला गिरः। यन्मे परस्परालापो दृष्ट्वां विष्णुं भविष्यति

adya me saphale netre adya me saphalā giraḥ yanme parasparālāpo dṛṣṭvāṁ viṣṇuṁ bhaviṣyati

'Today my eyes shall be fruitful, today my speech shall be fruitful, for having seen Vishnu, I shall speak with him face to face.'

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.17.5)

पापं हरति यत् पुंसां स्मृतं सङ्कल्पनामयम्। तत् पुण्डरीकनयनं विष्णोद्र क्ष्याम्यहं मुखम्

pāpaṁ harati yat puṁsāṁ smṛtaṁ saṅkalpanāmayam tat puṇḍarīkanayanaṁ viṣṇodra kṣyāmyahaṁ mukham

'That lotus-eyed Vishnu, whose mere remembrance — even when only imagined — takes away the sins of men, his face I shall see.'

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.17.6)

निर्जग्मुश्च यतो वेदा वेदाङ्गान्यखिलानि च। द्रक्ष्यामि तत्परं धाम देवानां भगवन्मुखम्

nirjagmuśca yato vedā vedāṅgānyakhilāni ca drakṣyāmi tatparaṁ dhāma devānāṁ bhagavanmukham

'I shall see that supreme abode, the face of the Blessed Lord of the gods, from whom the Vedas and all their limbs first came forth.'

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.17.7)

यज्ञेषु यज्ञपुरुषः पुरुषैः पुरुषोत्तमः। इज्यते योऽखिलाधारस्तं द्रक्ष्यामि जगत्पतिम्

yajñeṣu yajñapuruṣaḥ puruṣaiḥ puruṣottamaḥ ijyate yo'khilādhārastaṁ drakṣyāmi jagatpatim

'He who is called the Sacrifice-Person in sacrifices, the Supreme Person among persons, worshipped as the support of the entire universe — that Lord of the world I shall see.'

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.17.8)

इष्ट्वा यमिन्द्रो यज्ञानां शतेनामरराजताम्। अवाप तमनन्तादिमहं द्रक्ष्यामि केशवम्

iṣṭvā yamindro yajñānāṁ śatenāmararājatām avāpa tamanantādimahaṁ drakṣyāmi keśavam

'By worshipping whom, through a hundred sacrifices, Indra attained the sovereignty of the immortals — that beginningless Keshava I shall see.'

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.17.9)

न ब्रह्मा नेन्द्ररुद्राश्विवस्वादित्यमरुद्गणाः। यस्य स्वरूपं जानन्ति स्प्रक्ष्यत्यङ्ग स मे हरिः

na brahmā nendrarudrāśvivasvādityamarudgaṇāḥ yasya svarūpaṁ jānanti sprakṣyatyaṅga sa me hariḥ

'He whose true nature is known neither to Brahma, nor to Indra, Rudra, the Ashvins, the Vasus, the Adityas, or the Marut-hosts — that very Hari of mine will speak to me today.'

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.17.10)

सर्व्वात्मा सर्व्ववित् सर्व्वः सर्व्वभूतेष्ववस्थितः। यो वितत्याव्ययो व्यापी स वक्ष्यति मया सह

sarvvātmā sarvvavit sarvvaḥ sarvvabhūteṣvavasthitaḥ yo vitatyāvyayo vyāpī sa vakṣyati mayā saha

'He who is the Self of all, the knower of all, all things themselves, abiding within every being, extended, imperishable, and all-pervading — he will converse with me.'

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.17.11)

मत्स्यकूर्मवराहाश्वसिंहरूपादिभिः स्थितिम्। चकार जगतो योऽजः सोऽद्य मामालपिष्यति

matsyakūrmavarāhāśvasiṁharūpādibhiḥ sthitim cakāra jagato yo'jaḥ so'dya māmālapiṣyati

'He, the unborn one, who through forms such as the fish, the tortoise, the boar, the horse, and the lion has upheld the world's continuance — he shall speak with me today.'

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.17.12)

साम्प्रतञ्च जगत्स्वामी कार्य्यमात्महृदि स्थितम्। कर्त्तु मनुष्यतां प्राप्तः स्वेच्छादेहधृगव्ययः

sāmpratañca jagatsvāmī kāryyamātmahṛdi sthitam karttu manuṣyatāṁ prāptaḥ svecchādehadhṛgavyayaḥ

'Now the Lord of the world, in order to accomplish the purpose lodged in his own heart, that imperishable one has, by his own will, assumed a body and taken on the human state.'

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.17.13)

योऽनन्तः पृथिवीं धत्ते शेखरस्थितिसंस्थिताम्। सोऽवतीर्णो जगत्यर्थे मामक्रूरेति वक्ष्यति

yo'nantaḥ pṛthivīṁ dhatte śekharasthitisaṁsthitām so'vatīrṇo jagatyarthe māmakrūreti vakṣyati

'He, the infinite one, who bears this earth resting upon his hood, has descended for the sake of the world, and will speak to me, calling me by name, "Akrura."'

Verse 14 (vishnu.5.17.14)

पितृपुत्रसुहृद्भ्रातृमातृबन्धुमयीमिमाम्। यन्मायां नालमुत्तर्त्तुं जगत् तस्मै नमो नमः

pitṛputrasuhṛdbhrātṛmātṛbandhumayīmimām yanmāyāṁ nālamuttarttuṁ jagat tasmai namo namaḥ

'To him whose maya takes the form of father, son, friend, brother, mother, and kinsman — a maya the world is powerless to cross beyond — homage, homage again.'

Verse 15 (vishnu.5.17.15)

तरत्यविद्यां विततां हृदि यस्मिन् निवेशिते। योगी मायाममेयाय तस्मै विद्यात्मने नमः

taratyavidyāṁ vitatāṁ hṛdi yasmin niveśite yogī māyāmameyāya tasmai vidyātmane namaḥ

'To him, immeasurable in his maya, whose very self is knowledge, in whom, once he is established within the heart, the yogi crosses over the vast expanse of ignorance — homage.'

Verse 16 (vishnu.5.17.16)

यज्विभिर्यज्ञपुरुषो वासुदेवश्व सात्वतैः। वेदान्तवेदिभिर्विष्णुः प्रोच्यते यो नतोऽस्मि तम्

yajvibhiryajñapuruṣo vāsudevaśva sātvataiḥ vedāntavedibhirviṣṇuḥ procyate yo nato'smi tam

'He who by those who perform sacrifice is called the Sacrifice-Person, by the Satvatas is called Vasudeva, and by the knowers of the Vedanta is called Vishnu — to him I bow.'

Verse 17 (vishnu.5.17.17)

यथा तत्र जगद्धाम्रि धातर्य्योतत् प्रतिष्ठितम्। सदसत् तेन सत्येन मय्यसौ यातु सौम्यताम्

yathā tatra jagaddhāmri dhātaryyotat pratiṣṭhitam sadasat tena satyena mayyasau yātu saumyatām

'O Ordainer of all, just as the existent and non-existent rest founded in that supreme abode of the universe, by the truth of that very reality, may he show his gentleness toward me.'

Verse 18 (vishnu.5.17.18)

स्मृते सकलकल्याण-भाजनं यत्र जायते। पुरुषस्तमजं नित्यं व्रजामि शरणं हरिम्

smṛte sakalakalyāṇa-bhājanaṁ yatra jāyate puruṣastamajaṁ nityaṁ vrajāmi śaraṇaṁ harim

'I go for refuge to that unborn, eternal Person, Hari, the mere remembrance of whom becomes the vessel of every blessing.'

Verse 19 (vishnu.5.17.19)

इत्थं सञ्चिन्तयन् विष्णुं भक्तिनम्रात्ममानसः। अक्रूरो गोकुलं प्राप्तः किञ्चित् सूर्य्ये विराजति

itthaṁ sañcintayan viṣṇuṁ bhaktinamrātmamānasaḥ akrūro gokulaṁ prāptaḥ kiñcit sūryye virājati

Thus meditating on Vishnu, his mind bowed low in devotion, Akrura reached Gokula while the sun still stood not far above the horizon.

Verse 20 (vishnu.5.17.20)

स ददर्श तदा तत्र कृष्णमादोहने गवाम्। वत्समध्यगतं फुल्लनीलोत्पलदलच्छविम्

sa dadarśa tadā tatra kṛṣṇamādohane gavām vatsamadhyagataṁ phullanīlotpaladalacchavim

There, amid the milking of the cows, he saw Krishna standing among the calves, his hue like the petal of a fully blossomed blue lotus.

Verse 21 (vishnu.5.17.21)

अस्पष्टपद्मपत्राक्षं श्रीवत्साङ्कितवक्षसम्। प्रलम्बबाहुमायामितुङ्गोरःस्थलमुन्नसम्

aspaṣṭapadmapatrākṣaṁ śrīvatsāṅkitavakṣasam pralambabāhumāyāmituṅgoraḥsthalamunnasam

whose eyes were like lotus petals, whose chest bore the mark of Shrivatsa, whose arms hung long, whose chest was broad and raised, whose nose was fine and high —

Verse 22 (vishnu.5.17.22)

सविलासस्मिताधारं ब्रिभ्राणं मुखपङ्कजम्। तुङ्गरक्तनखं पद्भयां धरण्यां सुप्रतिष्ठितम्

savilāsasmitādhāraṁ bribhrāṇaṁ mukhapaṅkajam tuṅgaraktanakhaṁ padbhayāṁ dharaṇyāṁ supratiṣṭhitam

bearing a lotus-face graced with a playful smile, his feet, with high, reddened nails, planted firmly upon the earth —

Verse 23 (vishnu.5.17.23)

विभ्राणं वाससी पीते वन्यपुष्पावभूषितम्। सान्द्रनीललताहस्तं सिताम्भोजावतंसकम्

vibhrāṇaṁ vāsasī pīte vanyapuṣpāvabhūṣitam sāndranīlalatāhastaṁ sitāmbhojāvataṁsakam

wearing two yellow garments, adorned with forest flowers, a dense dark-blue creeper-vine in hand, a white lotus for an ear-ornament —

Verse 24 (vishnu.5.17.24)

हंसकुन्देन्दुधवलं नीलाम्बरधरं द्विज। तस्यानु बलभद्रञ्च ददर्श यदुनन्दनः

haṁsakundendudhavalaṁ nīlāmbaradharaṁ dvija tasyānu balabhadrañca dadarśa yadunandanaḥ

clad in a garment white as the swan, the kunda flower, and the moon, and one in blue — O brahmin, and just behind Krishna, that joy of the Yadus, Akrura, beheld Balabhadra too.

Verse 25 (vishnu.5.17.25)

प्रांशुमुन्नतबाह्वंसं विकाशिमुखपङ्कजम्। मेघमालापरिवृतं कैलासाद्रिमिवापरम्

prāṁśumunnatabāhvaṁsaṁ vikāśimukhapaṅkajam meghamālāparivṛtaṁ kailāsādrimivāparam

tall of stature, with broad shoulders and mighty arms, his lotus-face in full bloom, encircled as if by a garland of clouds, like a second Mount Kailasa —

Verse 26 (vishnu.5.17.26)

तौ दृष्ट्वा विकसद्वक्त्रसरोजः स महामतिः। पुलकाञ्चितसर्व्वाङ्गस्तदाक्रूरोऽभवन्मुने

tau dṛṣṭvā vikasadvaktrasarojaḥ sa mahāmatiḥ pulakāñcitasarvvāṅgastadākrūro'bhavanmune

Beholding the two of them, that wise and great-souled Akrura's face bloomed like a lotus, and, O sage, every limb of his body thrilled with rapture.

Verse 27 (vishnu.5.17.27)

एतत् तत् परमं धाम तदेतत् परमं पदम्। भगवद्वासुदेवांशो द्विधा योऽयमवस्थितः

etat tat paramaṁ dhāma tadetat paramaṁ padam bhagavadvāsudevāṁśo dvidhā yo'yamavasthitaḥ

'This is that supreme abode, this itself is that supreme state — these two portions of the Blessed Vasudeva, present here in this twofold form.'

Verse 28 (vishnu.5.17.28)

साफल्यमक्ष्णोर्युगमेतदत्र दृष्टे जगद्धातरि यातमुच्चैः। अप्यङ्गमेतद्भगवत्प्रसादाद्दत्तेऽङ्गसङ्गे फलवन्मम स्यात्

sāphalyamakṣṇoryugametadatra dṛṣṭe jagaddhātari yātamuccaiḥ apyaṅgametadbhagavatprasādāddatte'ṅgasaṅge phalavanmama syāt

'Today, having seen here the Ordainer of the world, this fruitfulness of my two eyes has risen to its very height; and if, by the Lord's grace, this body of mine too is granted his embrace, that too shall become fruitful for me.'

Verse 29 (vishnu.5.17.29)

अप्येष पृष्ठे मम हस्तपद्मं करिष्यति श्रीमदनन्तमूर्तिः। यस्याङ्गुलिस्पर्शहताखिलाघैरवाप्यते सिद्धिरनाशदोषा

apyeṣa pṛṣṭhe mama hastapadmaṁ kariṣyati śrīmadanantamūrtiḥ yasyāṅgulisparśahatākhilāghairavāpyate siddhiranāśadoṣā

'Will that glorious, infinite-formed one place his lotus-hand upon my back too — he whose fingertip's mere touch destroys every sin and grants a perfection untouched by fault?'

Verse 30 (vishnu.5.17.30)

येनाग्निविद्युद्रविरश्मिमाला करालमत्युग्रमपास्य चक्रम्। चक्रं घ्नता दैत्यपतेर्हृतानि दैत्याङ्गनानां नयनाञ्जनानि

yenāgnividyudraviraśmimālā karālamatyugramapāsya cakram cakraṁ ghnatā daityapaterhṛtāni daityāṅganānāṁ nayanāñjanāni

'That discus, dread with its garland of rays like fire and lightning, most terrible — striking with which, when the lord of the daityas was slain, the very fortune of the demon-women's eyes was taken away —'

Verse 31 (vishnu.5.17.31)

यत्राम्बु विन्यस्य बलिर्मनोज्ञानवाप भोगान् वसुधातलस्थः। तथामरत्वं त्रिदशाधिपत्यं मन्वन्तरं पूर्णमपेतशत्रुः

yatrāmbu vinyasya balirmanojñānavāpa bhogān vasudhātalasthaḥ tathāmaratvaṁ tridaśādhipatyaṁ manvantaraṁ pūrṇamapetaśatruḥ

'by offering water into which Bali, though dwelling upon the surface of the earth, obtained delightful enjoyments, and immortality too, sovereignty over the gods, and a whole Manvantara free of any foe —'

Verse 32 (vishnu.5.17.32)

अप्येष मां कंसपरिग्रहेण दोषास्पदीभूतमदोषदुष्टम्। कर्त्तावमानोपहतं धिगस्तु तज्जन्मनः साधुबहिष्कृतं यत्

apyeṣa māṁ kaṁsaparigraheṇa doṣāspadībhūtamadoṣaduṣṭam karttāvamānopahataṁ dhigastu tajjanmanaḥ sādhubahiṣkṛtaṁ yat

'Will he take even me, though become, through my connection with Kamsa, a seeming object of blame — though not truly stained by fault — struck down by dishonour? Shame upon this birth of mine, cast out as it is from among the righteous!'

Verse 33 (vishnu.5.17.33)

ज्ञानात्मकस्यामलसत्त्वराशेरपेतदोषस्य सदा स्फुटस्य किं वा जगत्यत्र समस्तपुंसामज्ञातमस्यास्ति ह्टदि स्थितस्य

jñānātmakasyāmalasattvarāśerapetadoṣasya sadā sphuṭasya kiṁ vā jagatyatra samastapuṁsāmajñātamasyāsti hṭadi sthitasya

'For him whose very nature is knowledge, a mass of stainless goodness, free from every fault, ever manifest, and dwelling within the hearts of all beings in this world — what indeed could remain unknown to him?'

Verse 34 (vishnu.5.17.34)

तस्मादहं भक्तिविनम्रचेता व्रजामि सर्व्वेश्वरमीश्वराणाम्। अंशावतारं पुरुषोत्तमस्य अनादिमध्यान्तमयस्य विष्णोः

tasmādahaṁ bhaktivinamracetā vrajāmi sarvveśvaramīśvarāṇām aṁśāvatāraṁ puruṣottamasya anādimadhyāntamayasya viṣṇoḥ

'Therefore, my heart bowed in devotion, I go for refuge to that portion-incarnation of Purushottama Vishnu — Lord of all lords, who is without beginning, middle, or end.'