Bhagavatapurana 4.9: atha navamo'dhyāyaḥ

4.9.1

/0 maitreya uvāca
ta evam utsanna-bhayā urukrame kṛtāvanāmāḥ prayayus tri-viṣṭapam /
sahasraśīrṣāpi tato garutmatā madhor vanaṃ bhṛtya-didṛkṣayā gataḥ //

Maitreya said: / With their fear thus removed, having bowed down to Urukrama, they departed for heaven; / and the Thousand-Headed One then went by Garuḍa to the forest of Madhu out of a desire to see His servant.

1. Maitreya said :—Their fear thus dispelled (by the words of Hari), they made their humble salutation to the most power-

ful Lord and returned to the Svarga-Loka; thereupon the Lord of thousand-heads also, eager to see His (devoted) servant, went to the Madhuvana riding on Garutmat (Garuda).

4.9.2

sa vai dhiyā yoga-vipāka-tīvrayā hṛt-padma-kośe sphuritaṃ taḍit-prabham /
tirohitaṃ sahasaivopalakṣya bahiḥ-sthitaṃ tad-avasthaṃ dadarśa //

He indeed, with his intellect sharpened by the fruition of yoga, suddenly perceiving that the one / flashing like lightning in the lotus core of his heart had vanished, saw Him standing outside in that very form.

2. And there Dhruva who in his mind of perfect concentration attained by his intense yoga was realising the Lord brilliant-like a flash of lightning, suddenly lost sight of the vision and opening his eyes upon the world saw Him standing outside in the same attitude and manner.

4.9.3

tad-darśanenāgata-sādhvasaḥ kṣitāv avandatāṅgaṃ vinamayya daṇḍavat /
dṛgbhyāṃ prapaśyan prapibann ivārbhakaś cumbann ivāsyena bhujair ivāśliṣan //

Overcome with awe at the sight of Him, bending his body like a staff, he bowed on the ground, / the boy gazing with his eyes as if drinking Him, as if kissing Him with his mouth, as if embracing Him with his arms.

3. On seeing Him he trembled, and bending his body low saluted Him, throwing himself down like a rod on the ground the child looked at the Lord as if taking him in through His eyes, as if kissing Him with his lips and as if embracing Him with his arms.

4.9.4

sa taṃ vivakṣantam atad-vidaṃ harir jñātvāsya sarvasya ca hṛdy avasthitaḥ /
kṛtāñjaliṃ brahmamayena kambunā pasparśa bālaṃ kṛpayā kapole //

Understanding that he wished to speak but did not know how, Hari, who dwells within the heart of everyone, / out of compassion touched the boy, who stood with folded hands, on the cheek with His conch, which embodies the Veda.

4. The Lord Hari who is present in every heart perceived that he was eager to utter His praises but incapable (not having words and culture), and out of grace touched with His Śaṅkha the embodiment of Vedas the cheeks of the boy standing with joined hands.

4.9.5

sa vai tadaiva pratipāditāṃ giraṃ daivīṃ parijñāta-parātma-nirṇayaḥ /
taṃ bhakti-bhāvo 'bhyagṛṇād asatvaraṃ pariśrutoru-śravasaṃ dhruva-kṣitiḥ //

Right then, endowed with divine speech and having ascertained the truth of the Supreme Self, / full of devotional emotion, he whose realm would be fixed slowly praised Him of widely renowned fame.

5. Thus the child Dhruva to whom a permanent place was reserved, had at once the divine speech conferred on him and, having truly and conclusively known the nature of Paramatman and Jivas and being full of devotion and love, calmly sang the praises of the Lord whose unlimited glory is known everywhere.

4.9.6

/0 dhruva uvāca
yo 'ntaḥ praviśya mama vācam imāṃ prasuptāṃ $ sañjīvayaty akhila-śakti-dharaḥ sva-dhāmnā &
yo 'ntaḥ praviśya mama vācam imāṃ prasuptāṃ $ sañjīvayaty akhila-śakti-dharaḥ sva-dhāmnā &
anyāṃś ca hasta-caraṇa-śravaṇa-tvag-ādīn % prāṇān namo bhagavate puruṣāya tubhyam //

Dhruva said: / He who, entering within me, awakens this dormant speech of mine by His own splendor, / the bearer of all powers, and also the other vital faculties—hands, feet, hearing, skin, and the rest— / to You, the Lord, the Supreme Person, I bow.

6. Dhruva said:—O Lord, I make salutation to Thee, the Glorious Person, who having by Thy intelligent power entered

into me rousest my power of speech from sleep and who being the Lord of all powers kindlest to activity all other organs, (of mine) *viz.*, the hand, the foot, the ear, the touch and other senses.

4.9.7

* //
ekas tvam eva bhagavann idam ātma-śaktyā $ māyākhyayoru-guṇayā mahad-ādy-aśeṣam &
ekas tvam eva bhagavann idam ātma-śaktyā $ māyākhyayoru-guṇayā mahad-ādy-aśeṣam &
sṛṣṭvānuviśya puruṣas tad-asad-guṇeṣu % nāneva dāruṣu vibhāvasuvad vibhāsi //

You alone, O Lord, having created by Your own potency called creative power, / possessed of great qualities, this entire universe beginning with the cosmic intellect, and having entered it as the Person, / shine forth as if manifold within its unreal qualities, like fire within pieces of wood.

7. Thou art the one, O glorious Lord, who, by Thy own power called Māyā characterised by the great guṇas, createst the world consisting of the Mahat and other principles, and who having as Antaryamin entered into it, seemest to be many and different in association with the gross senses of Māyā just as fire seems in relation to different kinds of fuel (wood).

4.9.8

* //
tvad-dattayā vayunayedam acaṣṭa viśvaṃ $ supta-prabuddha iva nātha bhavat-prapannaḥ &
tvad-dattayā vayunayedam acaṣṭa viśvaṃ $ supta-prabuddha iva nātha bhavat-prapannaḥ &
tasyāpavargya-śaraṇaṃ tava pāda-mūlaṃ % vismaryate kṛta-vidā katham ārta-bandho //

By the knowledge bestowed by You, he who had surrendered to You perceived this universe like one awakened from sleep, O Lord; / how could Your footstool, which affords liberation, / be forgotten by one who knows what has been done [for him], O Friend of the distressed?

8. O Lord, by means of the knowledge (vision) conferred by Thee, Brahma, devoted to Thee, saw all this universe, like one rising out of sleep. O Friend of the distressed, how could one who is conscious of the kindness done forget Thy feet which are the shelter of the Muktas?

4.9.9

* //
nūnaṃ vimuṣṭa-matayas tava māyayā te $ ye tvāṃ bhavāpyaya-vimokṣaṇam anya-hetoḥ &
nūnaṃ vimuṣṭa-matayas tava māyayā te $ ye tvāṃ bhavāpyaya-vimokṣaṇam anya-hetoḥ &
arcanti kalpaka-taruṃ kuṇapopabhogyam % icchanti yat sparśajaṃ niraye 'pi n-ṇām //

Truly, stolen of their wits by Your creative power are those who, for any other motive, / worship You, the deliverer from birth and destruction, like a wish-fulfilling tree, / seeking sense pleasure enjoyable only in a corpse, which is experienced by humans even in hell.

9. Indeed deprived are those of understanding by Thy Māyā, who worship Thee, the Kalpa tree, capable of dispensing birth and death and salvation, for other purposes and seek after the things (only) fit to be enjoyed by the body which is no better than a corpse; for the pleasure relating to the corporeal existence can be (easily) found by men even in Hell.

4.9.10

* //
yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṃ tava pāda-padma- $ dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt &
yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṃ tava pāda-padma- $ dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt &
sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt % kiṃ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṃ vimānāt //

The bliss that belongs to embodied beings from meditating on Your lotus feet / or from hearing the narrations of Your devotees / is not found even in Brahman, Your own glory, O Lord; / how much less, then, for those falling from airplanes struck by the sword of Death?

10. The bliss which, O Lord, embodied souls realise here in contemplating Thy lotus-like feet or by hearing the stories of

Thy devotees, cannot be realised even in the state of Brahman who is essentially of blissful nature. What need then be said of those that have a fall from the celestial mansions shaken off by the sword of Yama?

4.9.11

* //
bhaktiṃ muhuḥ pravahatāṃ tvayi me prasaṅgo $ bhūyād ananta mahatām amalāśayānām &
bhaktiṃ muhuḥ pravahatāṃ tvayi me prasaṅgo $ bhūyād ananta mahatām amalāśayānām &
yenāñjasolbaṇam uru-vyasanaṃ bhavābdhiṃ % neṣye bhavad-guṇa-kathāmṛta-pāna-mattaḥ //

May I continually enjoy the company of the exalted devotees of pure heart / who perpetually cultivate devotion to You, O Infinite One; / by which, intoxicated from drinking the nectar of the stories of Your virtues, / I shall easily cross the dreadful, terribly turbulent ocean of mundane existence.

11. O Unlimited Lord! may I be blessed with (to enjoy) the constant association with those great souls who, pure in mind, are incessantly devoted to Thee; for, thereby I shall rejoice with (the drink of) the nectarine stories of Thy excellent attributes, and cross over the terrible sea of Samsara, the field of great perils and miseries.

4.9.12

* //
te na smaranty atitarāṃ priyam īśa martyaṃ $ ye cānv adaḥ suta-suhṛd-gṛha-vitta-dārāḥ &
te na smaranty atitarāṃ priyam īśa martyaṃ $ ye cānv adaḥ suta-suhṛd-gṛha-vitta-dārāḥ &
ye tv abja-nābha bhavadīya-padāravinda- % saugandhya-lubdha-hṛdayeṣu kṛta-prasaṅgāḥ //

They do not remember at all the mortal body so dear [to them], O Lord, / nor those who follow it—children, friends, home, wealth, and wives— / who have formed association with those whose hearts are greedy for the fragrance of Your lotus feet, O Lotus-naveled One.

12. O Lord, they do not even remember either their mortal frame though so very dear to them, or (those that are) its belongings, namely, sons, wives and friends and effects---they who devote themselves only to those pious souls whose hearts are always drawn to (fascinated by) the fragrance (the excellent qualities) of Thine (Thy lotus-like feet).

4.9.13

* //
tiryaṅ-naga-dvija-sarīsṛpa-deva-daitya- $ martyādibhiḥ paricitaṃ sad-asad-viśeṣam &
tiryaṅ-naga-dvija-sarīsṛpa-deva-daitya- $ martyādibhiḥ paricitaṃ sad-asad-viśeṣam &
rūpaṃ sthaviṣṭham aja te mahad-ādy-anekaṃ % nātaḥ paraṃ parama vedmi na yatra vādaḥ //

This grossest form of Yours, O Unborn One, manifold, beginning with the cosmic intellect, / comprising the gross and the subtle, occupied by beasts, trees, birds, reptiles, gods, demons, humans, and others, / I know; but I do not know that which is beyond this, O Supreme One, where all debate ceases.

13. O Unborn Lord, I know only Thy gross form which consists of the (whole) world of beasts, trees and mountains and

birds, serpents, gods, Daityas, mortals and others, characterised by real and unreal peculiarities, and which is the product of many causes, namely, the Mahat-tattva and other principles. Beyond this I do not know Thee, O Lord, in Thy essential nature, nor do I know of Thee (in Thy subtle absolute form) to which speech has no access.

4.9.14

* //
kalpānta etad akhilaṃ jaṭhareṇa gṛhṇan $ śete pumān sva-dṛg ananta-sakhas tad-aṅke &
kalpānta etad akhilaṃ jaṭhareṇa gṛhṇan $ śete pumān sva-dṛg ananta-sakhas tad-aṅke &
yan-nābhi-sindhu-ruha-kāñcana-loka-padma- % garbhe dyumān bhagavate praṇato 'smi tasmai //

At the end of a cosmic age, taking all this within His belly, / the Person, the self-illuminated friend of Ananta, lies on his lap, / in the whorl of the golden world-lotus arisen from the ocean of whose navel the radiant [Brahmā appeared]—to that Lord I bow.

14. I bow to that glorious Lord who is (ever) in a state of self-realisation and who during Pralayas withdraws all this universe into His stomach and lies on the bed of Ananta of whom He is the friend,—to the Lord from the world lotus of whose navel springs the brilliant Brahma.

4.9.15

* //
tvaṃ nitya-mukta-pariśuddha-vibuddha ātmā $ kūṭa-stha ādi-puruṣo bhagavāṃs try-adhīśaḥ &
tvaṃ nitya-mukta-pariśuddha-vibuddha ātmā $ kūṭa-stha ādi-puruṣo bhagavāṃs try-adhīśaḥ &
yad-buddhy-avasthitim akhaṇḍitayā sva-dṛṣṭyā % draṣṭā sthitāv adhimakho vyatirikta āsse //

You are the eternally liberated, pure, enlightened Self, / the immutable, the primordial Person, the Lord, master of the three [qualities]; / You, the overseer of sacrifices, remain distinct during creation's maintenance, the witness who observes the states of the intellect with undivided vision.

15. Thou art eternally free and blessed, absolutely pure, omniscient, the absolute spirit (intelligent being), never subject to change, the First and Supreme Person, perfect in glorious powers and the highest ruler of the three gunas; for Thou art the one who by virtue of Thy essential intelligence interrupted by nothing realisest the different states of the mind of (Thy creature); and

for the purposes of preservation Thou art Sri Vishnu presiding over all sacrificial acts; and therefore thou standest quite distinct from the Jiva.

4.9.16

* //
yasmin viruddha-gatayo hy aniśaṃ patanti $ vidyādayo vividha-śaktaya ānupūrvyāt &
yasmin viruddha-gatayo hy aniśaṃ patanti $ vidyādayo vividha-śaktaya ānupūrvyāt &
tad brahma viśva-bhavam ekam anantam ādyam % ānanda-mātram avikāram ahaṃ prapadye //

In whom knowledge and its opposites, of contrary course, and various potencies constantly arise in succession— / that Brahman, the cause of the universe, one, infinite, primordial, consisting solely of bliss, immutable, I take refuge in.

16. I resort to that Brahman (Perfect Being) in whom various powers such as knowledge, which are of opposite character, always find place not enforced by any cause or necessity or law, but in relation to the various degrees of devotion (with which He is worshipped), and who is the origin of the universe, the one absolute existence, the first and the infinite, one pure and bliss, never subject to change.

4.9.17

* //
satyāśiṣo hi bhagavaṃs tava pāda-padmam $ āśīs tathānubhajataḥ puruṣārtha-mūrteḥ &
satyāśiṣo hi bhagavaṃs tava pāda-padmam $ āśīs tathānubhajataḥ puruṣārtha-mūrteḥ &
apy evam arya bhagavān paripāti dīnān % vāśreva vatsakam anugraha-kātaro 'smān //

Indeed, Your lotus foot yields genuine blessings, O Lord, / even to one who pursues it for desire, O embodiment of the goals of human life; / even so, like a cow toward her young calf, the Lord, eager to bestow grace, / protects us, the wretched, O Noble One.

17. O Lord of glorious powers, who art the embodiment of bliss, and the highest object of man, Thy lotus-like feet truly form a blessing far superior to the worldly blessings of sovereignty and the like, to one who is constantly devoted to Thee; still, O glorious and noble Lord, Thou eager to show Thy grace protectest us—us who are unworthy as being given to worldly objects—like the mother cow that has just brought forth and is anxious about the welfare of her new-born calf.

4.9.18

* //
/0 maitreya uvāca
athābhiṣṭuta evaṃ vai sat-saṅkalpena dhīmatā /
bhṛtyānurakto bhagavān pratinandyedam abravīt //

Maitreya said: / Thus praised by the wise [child] of virtuous intent, / the Lord, affectionate toward His servants, pleased, spoke as follows.

18. Maitreya said:—On being thus praised by the wise boy actuated by a worthy purpose, the glorious Lord, most loving to His followers, was pleased with him and said this.

4.9.19

/0 śrī-bhagavān uvāca
vedāhaṃ te vyavasitaṃ hṛdi rājanya-bālaka /
tat prayacchāmi bhadraṃ te durāpam api suvrata //

The Lord said: / I know the resolve in your heart, O royal boy; / I grant it to you—may you be blessed—though it is difficult to attain, O you of noble vows.

19. The glorious Lord said:—I know the desire cherished in thy heart, O royal child; I bestow it on thee, though it is impossible (for others) to attain, O lad of true piety.

4.9.20

nānyair adhiṣṭhitaṃ bhadra yad bhrājiṣṇu dhruva-kṣiti /
yatra graharkṣa-tārāṇāṃ jyotiṣāṃ cakram āhitam //

A splendid, fixed realm never occupied by others, O gentle boy, / upon which the circle of luminous bodies—planets, lunar mansions, and stars—is fastened.

Verse 19. *D.* भूयसां etc. It is impossible even for great yogins to obtain. Note by this expression it is indicated that it is unattainable only for the unworthy whereas it is easy to attain to by the worthy who are endowed with all the favourable circumstances and necessary means. This idea is borne out by the subsequent passage. 20 & 21. O blessed child, it is a brilliant place of permanent residence not occupied (attained to) by any other—a place in relation to which the multitudes of luminaries, viz., stars and constellations, are fixed in position, and which is like unto a post in the middle of the thrashing floor, to which oxen are bound; it is an abode which continues to exist even after the destruction of the intermediate Kalpas i. e. even when the three worlds are destroyed. Dharma, Agni, Kasyapa and Sukra are in the form of Nakshatras or stars; these and the seven sages known as residents of the forest, along with other constellations of stars, go round it always keeping it to their right.

4.9.21

meḍhyāṃ go-cakravat sthāsnu parastāt kalpa-vāsinām /
dharmo 'gniḥ kaśyapaḥ śukro munayo ye vanaukasaḥ /
caranti dakṣiṇī-kṛtya bhramanto yat satārakāḥ //

Stationary like an ox-pole, lasting beyond those who dwell for a cosmic age, / circumambulating which Dharma, Agni, Kaśyapa, Śukra, and the sages dwelling in the forest / revolve along with the stars.

4.9.22

prasthite tu vanaṃ pitrā dattvā gāṃ dharma-saṃśrayaḥ /
ṣaṭ-triṃśad-varṣa-sāhasraṃ rakṣitāvyāhatendriyaḥ //

When your father departs for the forest, having given you the earth, being the refuge of righteousness, / you will protect it for thirty-six thousand years, your senses unimpaired.

22. When thy father makes over the earth to thee and retires to the forest, thou shalt firm in righteousness and endowed with unimpaired senses (faculties), be the protector of the world for thirty-six thousand years.

4.9.23

tvad-bhrātary uttame naṣṭe mṛgayāyāṃ tu tan-manāḥ /
anveṣantī vanaṃ mātā dāvāgniṃ sā pravekṣyati //

When your brother Uttama is lost during a hunt, his mind fixed on him, / his mother, searching the forest, will enter a forest fire.

23. When thy brother Uttama is lost in a hunting expedition, his mother will only be thinking of him (in her mind) go to the forest in search of him and there fall into a forest fire.

4.9.24

iṣṭvā māṃ yajña-hṛdayaṃ yajñaiḥ puṣkala-dakṣiṇaiḥ /
bhuktvā cehāśiṣaḥ satyā ante māṃ saṃsmariṣyasi //

Having worshipped Me, the heart of sacrifice, with sacrifices featuring generous fees, / and having enjoyed true blessings in this world, in the end you will remember Me.

24. Having worshipped Me of whom the sacrifice is like unto a beloved body, by the performance of sacrifices, with very liberal Dakshinās, and having enjoyed here true blessings thou wilt at the end remember Me.

4.9.25

tato gantāsi mat-sthānaṃ sarva-loka-namaskṛtam /
upariṣṭād ṛṣibhyas tvaṃ yato nāvartate gataḥ //

Then you will go to My abode, worshipped by all the worlds, / above the sages, gone to which one does not return.

25. Then, thou who art far superior to the sages wilt go to My abode which is praised by all the world—the abode which is far higher than the sphere of the sages, and from which the Jiva does not return to Samsāra.

4.9.26

/0 maitreya uvāca
ity arcitaḥ sa bhagavān atidiśyātmanaḥ padam /
bālasya paśyato dhāma svam agād garuḍa-dhvajaḥ //

Maitreya said: / Having been thus worshipped, the Lord whose banner bears Garuḍa, / having assigned His own abode, departed to His realm while the boy watched.

26. Maitreya said:—The glorious Lord, worshipped (by all the world), thus promised His own place to the boy and while he stood gazing, Garudadhvaja (the Lord whose banner is Garuda) retired to His abode.

4.9.27

so 'pi saṅkalpajaṃ viṣṇoḥ pāda-sevopasāditam /
prāpya saṅkalpa-nirvāṇaṃ nātiprīto 'bhyagāt puram //

Yet having obtained the fulfillment of his desires, born of ambition and secured through service to Viṣṇu’s feet, / he went to the city not entirely joyful.

27. And having attained his wish through his service of the Lord Vishnu's feet, Dhruva too went back to the city where his desired object had to be realised, though he was not very much gratified.

4.9.28

/0 vidura uvāca
sudurlabhaṃ yat paramaṃ padaṃ harer māyāvinas tac-caraṇārcanārjitam /
labdhvāpy asiddhārtham ivaika-janmanā kathaṃ svam ātmānam amanyatārtha-vit //

Vidura said: / Having attained the supreme abode of Hari, so difficult to attain, won by worshipping the feet of the master of creative power, / why did he, a knower of what is truly valuable, consider himself in a single lifetime as if his aim were unfulfilled?

28. Vidura said:—Even after obtaining the assurance of Hari's abode by worshipping his feet inaccessible to those who are actuated by desires, and that in a single life, why did Dhruva though the (highest) purpose of man was fully achieved, think himself as one not having accomplished his purpose?

4.9.29

/0 maitreya uvāca
mātuḥ sapatnyā vāg-bāṇair hṛdi viddhas tu tān smaran /
naicchan mukti-pater muktiṃ tasmāt tāpam upeyivān //

Maitreya said: / Pierced in his heart by the arrow-like words of his stepmother, remembering them, / he had not desired liberation from the Master of liberation; therefore he came to sorrow.

29. Maitreya said:—His heart having been pierced with the shaft-like words of his step-mother and the words being vividly remembered, Dhruva did not ask for Mukti at the hands of the Lord of Mukti and so he was full of regrets.

4.9.30

/0 dhruva uvāca
samādhinā naika-bhavena yat padaṃ viduḥ sanandādaya ūrdhva-retasaḥ /
māsair ahaṃ ṣaḍbhir amuṣya pādayoś chāyām upetyāpagataḥ pṛthaṅ-matiḥ //

Dhruva said:
The state which Sananda and the other lifelong celibates realize through absorption over many births, / having attained the shadow of His feet within six months, I came away, divided in mind.

30. Dhruva said (to himself):—Being imbued with the notion of difference (through want of wisdom) I who in the course of six months secured the shelter of His feet failed to seek the highest purpose—His feet which Sunanda and others of life-long celibacy, realised and attained to by means of concentration and meditation extending over many lives.

4.9.31

aho bata mamānātmyaṃ manda-bhāgyasya paśyata /
bhava-cchidaḥ pāda-mūlaṃ gatvā yāce yad antavat //

Alas, behold my foolishness, ill-fated as I am! / Having gone to the feet of the destroyer of worldly existence, I asked for that which has an end.

31. Alas! Look at my folly, how unfortunate am I! having bowed at the feet of the Lord who puts an end to the Samsāra I asked only for what must soon perish.

4.9.32

matir vidūṣitā devaiḥ patadbhir asahiṣṇubhiḥ /
yo nārada-vacas tathyaṃ nāgrāhiṣam asattamaḥ //

My intellect was corrupted by the gods, falling and intolerant [of others' rise], / so that I, lowest of the vile, did not accept the truthful words of Nārada.

32. (Perhaps) my understanding was deluded by the jealous gods whose attainments are far below mine, and I being quite unworthy failed to attend to the true words of Narada.

4.9.33

daivīṃ māyām upāśritya prasupta iva bhinna-dṛk /
tapye dvitīye 'py asati bhrātṛ-bhrātṛvya-hṛd-rujā //

Taking shelter in the divine creative power like one asleep, seeing duality, / I suffer with heartache over my brother, who is treated as a rival, though such duality is unreal.

33. Lying under the influence of the divine Māyā and like one experiencing visions in a dream and thus having

the wrong notion of difference, I am afflicted even in the absence of a second person, my heart being filled with pain on account of my mistaking a brother for an enemy.

4.9.34

mayaitat prārthitaṃ vyarthaṃ cikitseva gatāyuṣi /
prasādya jagad-ātmānaṃ tapasā duṣprasādanam /
bhava-cchidam ayāce 'haṃ bhavaṃ bhāgya-vivarjitaḥ //

This was requested by me in vain, like medical treatment for one whose life is gone. / Having propitiated through austerity the Self of the universe, who is difficult to propitiate, / I, devoid of good fortune, asked the destroyer of worldly existence for worldly existence [itself].

34. This has been in vain sought after by me, like medical treatment in the case of one whose life is cut short. Having by my Tapas propitiated the Lord of the universe who is not easily propitiated and who (alone) can eradicate the Saṃsāra, I, being unfortunate, begged Saṃsāra of Him.

4.9.35

svārājyaṃ yacchato mauḍhyān māno me bhikṣito bata /
īśvarāt kṣīṇa-puṇyena phalī-kārān ivādhanaḥ //

Alas, from the Lord who grants sovereign liberation, out of folly prestige was begged by me, / like a penniless beggar with exhausted merit asking for husks from a sovereign.

35. At the hands of the Supreme Lord who can bestow essential blissfulness on me, alas! I foolishly begged for pride (the royal fortune, the cause of pride) like a penniless person who having lost the merit of his virtuous deeds begs an emperor for mere chaff.

4.9.36

/0 maitreya uvāca
na vai mukundasya padāravindayo rajo-juṣas tāta bhavādṛśā janāḥ /
vāñchanti tad-dāsyam ṛte 'rtham ātmano yadṛcchayā labdha-manaḥ-samṛddhayaḥ //

Maitreya said:
Indeed, people like you who take delight in the dust of Mukunda's lotus feet, dear child, / their desires fulfilled through receiving their mind's contentment by fate alone, desire nothing for themselves other than service to Him.

36. Maitreya said.—Indeed pious men like thee, O son, who are devoted to the dust under the lotus-like feet of Mukunda, do not seek after any purpose other than that of being His devoted servants and they have their minds richly satisfied with what they obtain by chance.

4.9.37

ākarṇyātma-jam āyāntaṃ samparetya yathāgatam /
rājā na śraddadhe bhadram abhadrasya kuto mama //

Hearing that his son was returning as if back from the dead, / the king could not believe it: 'How could good fortune come to an unfortunate person like me?'

37. On hearing that his son was coming back, the king did not believe it, as if it were the coming back of one that is dead, and he thought, "how could such a happy thing be the lot of my unfortunate self."

4.9.38

śraddhāya vākyaṃ devarṣer harṣa-vegena dharṣitaḥ /
vārtā-hartur atiprīto hāraṃ prādān mahā-dhanam //

Trusting the words of the divine seer, overwhelmed by the surge of joy, / exceedingly pleased, he gave a necklace of great value to the bearer of the news.

38. Through faith in the words of the divine sage and over come by the intense feeling of joy, he was infinitely pleased with the person who brought the news and presented him with a very precious necklace of pearls.

4.9.39

sad-aśvaṃ ratham āruhya kārtasvara-pariṣkṛtam /
brāhmaṇaiḥ kula-vṛddhaiś ca paryasto 'mātya-bandhubhiḥ //

Mounting a chariot drawn by noble horses and adorned with gold, / surrounded by brāhmaṇas, family elders, ministers, and kinsmen,

39 & 40. He mounted the chariot drawn by excellent horses, decked in gold and surrounded by Brahmins, elderly members of the family, ministers and relations, and, conches blowing, large drums sounded, Vedas recited, and flutes played upon, he at once issued from the city eager to see his son.

4.9.40

śaṅkha-dundubhi-nādena brahma-ghoṣeṇa veṇubhiḥ /
niścakrāma purāt tūrṇam ātmajābhīkṣaṇotsukaḥ //

with the sound of conches and kettledrums, the chanting of the Vedas, and flutes, / he quickly went out of the city, eager to see his son.

4.9.41

sunītiḥ suruciś cāsya mahiṣyau rukma-bhūṣite /
āruhya śibikāṃ sārdham uttamenābhijagmatuḥ //

His two queens, Sunīti and Suruci, adorned with gold, / mounted a palanquin and went along with Uttama.

41. And his two queens Sunīti and Suruchi adorned themselves with ornaments of gold, (placed) Uttama between them (and) went forth in a palanquin.

4.9.42

taṃ dṛṣṭvopavanābhyāśa āyāntaṃ tarasā rathāt /
avaruhya nṛpas tūrṇam āsādya prema-vihvalaḥ //

Seeing him approaching near a park, the king hastily / descended from the chariot, and approaching him, overcome with love,

42 & 43. Seeing him come near the pleasure grove, alighting in haste from his chariot and bewildered with affection, the king whose heart had been long oppressed with anxious care, speedily came up sighing, received in his arms his son who was absolved from all sin (from the tie of all sin) by the touch of Sri Vishvaksena's (Hari's) feet.

4.9.43

parirebhe 'ṅgajaṃ dorbhyāṃ dīrghotkaṇṭha-manāḥ śvasan /
viṣvaksenāṅghri-saṃsparśa- hatāśeṣāgha-bandhanam //

breathing heavily with a heart long full of yearning, embraced his son with both arms, / whose every bond of sin had been destroyed by the touch of Viṣvaksena's feet.

4.9.44

athājighran muhur mūrdhni śītair nayana-vāribhiḥ /
snāpayām āsa tanayaṃ jātoddāma-manorathaḥ //

Then, smelling his head again and again, with cool tears from his eyes / he bathed his son, his fervent desires now fulfilled.

44. Then the king again and again smelled the crown of his son's head and bathed him with his cool tears (of joy), while his heart overflowed with the joyous emotion and good wishes.

4.9.45

abhivandya pituḥ pādāv āśīrbhiś cābhimantritaḥ /
nanāma mātarau śīrṣṇā sat-kṛtaḥ saj-janāgraṇīḥ //

Having saluted his father's feet and being addressed with blessings, / he, foremost among the virtuous, honored by them, bowed his head to both his mothers.

45. Dhruva, foremost among the virtuous and respected by all, bowed at the feet of his father, and, received with many a blessing, he made obeisance to his mothers, bowing his head.

4.9.46

surucis taṃ samutthāpya pādāvanatam arbhakam /
pariṣvajyāha jīveti bāṣpa-gadgadayā girā //

Suruci lifted up the boy bowed at her feet, / embraced him, and said, 'May you live long,' with a voice choked with tears.

46. Suruchi raised the lad who had prostrated himself at her feet, embraced him and, tears choking her throat faltered out, “May you live long.”

4.9.47

yasya prasanno bhagavānguṇair maitry-ādibhir hariḥ /
tasmai namanti bhūtāni nimnam āpa iva svayam //

To him with whom the Lord Hari is pleased on account of his virtues such as friendliness, / all beings bow down of their own accord, like waters flowing to a low place.

47. “All beings (creatures) bow to him just as waters bend their course to the hollow—to him with whom the glorious Lord Hari is pleased on account of his love and other excellent qualities.

4.9.48

uttamaś ca dhruvaś cobhāv anyonyaṃ prema-vihvalau /
aṅga-saṅgād utpulakāv asraughaṃ muhur ūhatuḥ //

Both Uttama and Dhruva, overwhelmed with love for each other, / their hair standing on end from bodily contact, repeatedly shed streams of tears.

48. Uttama and Dhruva both embraced each other, bewildered with joy, the hair standing on end, and, embracing each other, both profusely shed tears of joy.

4.9.49

sunītir asya jananī prāṇebhyo 'pi priyaṃ sutam /
upaguhya jahāv ādhiṃ tad-aṅga-sparśa-nirvṛtā //

His mother Sunīti, embracing her son dearer than her own life's breaths, / cast away her anguish, overjoyed by the touch of his body.

49. His mother Sunīti embraced her son who was more precious to her than her own life and was relieved of her anxiety on having the pleasure of embracing him.

4.9.50

payaḥ stanābhyāṃ susrāva netra-jaiḥ salilaiḥ śivaiḥ /
tadābhiṣicyamānābhyāṃ vīra vīra-suvo muhuḥ //

O hero, milk flowed repeatedly from the breasts of the mother of heroes / as they were bathed then by the auspicious waters born from her eyes.

50. Milk flowed from her breasts which were bathed in the happy waters (tears) that flowed from her eyes—from the eyes of Sunīti, the mother of this great hero.

4.9.51

tāṃ śaśaṃsur janā rājñīṃ diṣṭyā te putra ārti-hā /
pratilabdhaś ciraṃ naṣṭo rakṣitā maṇḍalaṃ bhuvaḥ //

The people praised the queen: 'By good fortune your son, the dispeller of distress, / lost for so long, has been regained to protect the circle of the earth.

51. (Then) the people praised the Queen thus! "Fortunately, thy son, long (considered as) lost, has come back to remove thy grief and to be the protector of all the earth.

4.9.52

abhyarcitas tvayā nūnaṃ bhagavān praṇatārti-hā /
yad-anudhyāyino dhīrā mṛtyuṃ jigyuḥ sudurjayam //

Surely you have worshiped the Lord, the dispeller of the distress of the surrendered, / contemplating whom the wise have conquered death, so hard to conquer.'

52. "By thee indeed has been devoutly worshipped the glorious Lord who removes the grief of His suppliants and having contemplated whom heroes (wise men) overcame the unconquerable death."

4.9.53

lālyamānaṃ janair evaṃ dhruvaṃ sabhrātaraṃ nṛpaḥ /
āropya kariṇīṃ hṛṣṭaḥ stūyamāno 'viśat puram //

Having thus placed Dhruva, cherished by the people, along with his brother / upon an elephant, the king, delighted and praised [by the people], entered the city.

53. The king in gladness placed on a female elephant Dhruva and his brother (both his sons) whom all the people caressed with fondness, and in the midst of their praises he entered the city.

4.9.54

tatra tatropasaṅkḷptair lasan-makara-toraṇaiḥ /
savṛndaiḥ kadalī-stambhaiḥ pūga-potaiś ca tad-vidhaiḥ //

There the city was adorned here and there with fashioned arches bearing glittering makaras, / with banana trunks laden with fruit clusters, and similar betel nut saplings,

54 to 59. There at differrent stages brilliant ornamental festoons (makaratoraṇās) were hung; plantain trees and young areca-nut trees, with bunches of fruits, were set up; decorations were made at every door with vessels full of water with tender mango shoots, with cloths, wreaths of flowers and hangings of pearls and with lights; the city was surrounded by ramparts and towers decked in gold and rendered beautiful on every side by the brilliant and lofty tops of storeyed mansions; it had royal roads and quadrangles laid out with taste and refinement and sprinkled over with sandal waters (scented waters) and showered over with fried rice, Akshatās and flowers; when they saw him passing through the royal road, the ladies of the city showered on Dhruva, white mustard, Akshatās, curds, water, dūrva, flowers and fruits, pronouncing sincere benediction out of affection; and listening to their sweet strains he (Dhruva) entered his father’s palace.

4.9.55

cūta-pallava-vāsaḥ-sraṅ- muktā-dāma-vilambibhiḥ /
upaskṛtaṃ prati-dvāram apāṃ kumbhaiḥ sadīpakaiḥ //

hanging with mango shoots, garments, garlands, and pearl strings, / every doorway decorated with water pots accompanied by lamps,

4.9.56

prākārair gopurāgāraiḥ śātakumbha-paricchadaiḥ /
sarvato 'laṅkṛtaṃ śrīmad- vimāna-śikhara-dyubhiḥ //

with ramparts, city gates, and palaces roofed with gold, / decorated all around with the splendor of roofs shaped like divine celestial chariots,

4.9.57

mṛṣṭa-catvara-rathyāṭṭa- mārgaṃ candana-carcitam /
lājākṣataiḥ puṣpa-phalais taṇḍulair balibhir yutam //

with squares, streets, and watchtower roads cleansed and sprinkled with sandalwood, / supplied with puffed grain, unbroken rice, flowers, fruits, husked grains, and offerings.

4.9.58

dhruvāya pathi dṛṣṭāya tatra tatra pura-striyaḥ /
siddhārthākṣata-dadhy-ambu- dūrvā-puṣpa-phalāni ca //

Seeing Dhruva on the road here and there, the city women / brought white mustard, unbroken rice, curd, water, dūrvā grass, flowers, and fruits;

4.9.59

upajahruḥ prayuñjānā vātsalyād āśiṣaḥ satīḥ /
śṛṇvaṃs tad-valgu-gītāni prāviśad bhavanaṃ pituḥ //

bestowing auspicious blessings out of maternal affection / while he listened to their sweet songs, he entered his father's palace.

4.9.60

mahāmaṇi-vrātamaye sa tasmin bhavanottame /
lālito nitarāṃ pitrā nyavasad divi devavat //

In that finest palace made of many precious jewels, / he lived, constantly pampered by his father, like a god in heaven.

60. In that excellent palace built of most precious stones, he, like a god in the celestial region, dwelt fondly carressed by his father.

4.9.61

payaḥ-phena-nibhāḥ śayyā dāntā rukma-paricchadāḥ /
āsanāni mahārhāṇi yatra raukmā upaskarāḥ //

There were beds like milk foam, made of ivory and framed with gold, / seats of great value, and utensils made of gold;

61. There the apartments were furnished with milk-white beds on ivory bedsteads decorated with gold-work, and with high-priced seats and with other articles of furniture made of gold.

4.9.62

yatra sphaṭika-kuḍyeṣu mahā-mārakateṣu ca /
maṇi-pradīpā ābhānti lalanā-ratna-saṃyutāḥ //

where on crystal and great emerald walls / gem lamps shone, attended by jewel-like women;

62. There on the crystal walls and those of emeralds, shone brilliantly jewelled lights, along with the jewels among women.

4.9.63

udyānāni ca ramyāṇi vicitrair amara-drumaiḥ /
kūjad-vihaṅga-mithunair gāyan-matta-madhuvrataiḥ //

and delightful gardens with diverse celestial trees, / with pairs of chirping birds and singing, intoxicated bees;

63. It was most delightful with charming parks and groves of wonderful celestial trees, with pairs of warbling birds and swarms of humming bees intoxicated with pleasure.

4.9.64

vāpyo vaidūrya-sopānāḥ padmotpala-kumud-vatīḥ /
haṃsa-kāraṇḍava-kulair juṣṭāś cakrāhva-sārasaiḥ //

ponds with steps of lapis lazuli, filled with red, blue, and white lotuses, / inhabited by flocks of swans, kāraṇḍavas, cakravākas, and cranes.

64. There the tanks in the gardens had steps built of precious stones called cat's-eyes (Vaidūrya), and looked very beautiful with lotuses, Utpalas, and lilies and with swans Kāraṇḍavas, Chakravākas and Sārasas that inhabited them.

4.9.65

uttānapādo rājarṣiḥ prabhāvaṃ tanayasya tam /
śrutvā dṛṣṭvādbhutatamaṃ prapede vismayaṃ param //

Hearing and seeing that most wonderful power of his son, / the royal sage Uttānapāda was filled with supreme amazement.

65. The sage-like King Uttānapāda was cast in wonder to hear of and see the astonishing greatness of his son.

4.9.66

vīkṣyoḍha-vayasaṃ taṃ ca prakṛtīnāṃ ca sammatam /
anurakta-prajaṃ rājā dhruvaṃ cakre bhuvaḥ patim //

Seeing that he was of mature age, approved by the counselors, / and loved by the subjects, the king made Dhruva the lord of the earth.

66. When he saw that Dhruva was of proper age and beloved of his subjects and courtiers, the king placed him on the throne (_lit._ made him the Lord of the earth).

4.9.67

ātmānaṃ ca pravayasam ākalayya viśāmpatiḥ /
vanaṃ viraktaḥ prātiṣṭhad vimṛśann ātmano gatim //

Considering himself to be advanced in age, the lord of the people, / dispassionate, set out for the forest, contemplating his own destination.

67. Perceiving that he was himself very old, the king renounced the world and set out to the forest in order to think of his course towards heaven.