Canto 1 - Naradji Visits Shri Krishna

1. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who inhabits his own 'Loka' (universe) and is adapt in disabling the cycle of the world of physical existence. Naradji's appearance was like his own father Prajapati Brahma, who created himself out of 'Hiranya Garbh' (The Celestial Aura).

2. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who was seated on a lofty seat of Hemagiri mountain which was adorned with divine light emanating from the reflections of holy fire in the rubies decorating the palace and rivaled with the morning glory of the universe.

3. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, conveying the pleasures of listening to the divine words of the Vedas or recitation of the holy Vedas which was, as if it were sonorous ringing of innumerable bells stacked on the heavenly parasol.

4. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, the light emanating from the total progression of moon, which is very dynamic like the movement of a ‘punkh’ (or a ‘chamar’) to dispel heat by air circulation. The glory of this light makes the moonlit -night of 'Pushya nakshatra' totally dull.

5. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, the Lord who was felicitated by the slow movement of the ‘punkh’ (or a ‘chamar’) held in the swift and flippant hands of divine woman bestowed with beauty and having eyes of a deer. Her hands while rotating the 'punkh' caused the tinkling sounds from bangles.

6. The Lord in his present manifestation has bestowed with golden crown and kalagi decorated with peacock fins knitted with a 'Marakat Mani' surrounded by 'Navaratnas' which in its slow movements vanquishes 'Hem Shail.'

7. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who was adorned with a crown illuminated by a sudden lightening from clouds full of water and that crown worth being seen and adored by three worlds (Loka) of the universe and regarded as the best form of 'Shilp kala' and also defeating the Sun.

8. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who has locks of dark and fluttering hair, touching the ends of the shoulders.

9. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, whose broad forehead was decorated with a 'Tilak' and the beauty was enhanced by the slow movement of the locks kissing the forehead caused by the slow movement of the 'Punkh'.

10. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, whose ears were like petals of fully flowered lotus surrounded by wasps, moving in circling motion and the beauty of fresh cloud and impressive, raised eye brows.

11. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who had rowing eyes, and who protected and consoled the proud women and 'nayikas', having beautiful wide eyes.

12. The Lord, in His sportive mood protects the plummeting mind-kites of the Gopikas bestowed with their furtive (taking pains to avoid being observed) eyes protected by hardened eyelids.

13. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who mercifully drenched the hearts of beloved Gopies, with the spring of Bhakti Ras. His eyes were like freshly flowered lotus petals prompted by the Cupid and Lord graciously looked upon the Gopies with slanting eyes.

14. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, having benevolent appearance, with ears decorated with peacock-shaped ear rings dangling above the broad shoulder-ends like the newly flowered lotus petals.

15. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, whose sharp nose likened to the touted bow of the Cupid and its very thinness appears to be axis of the beautiful land which is divine face likened to a blue lotus.

16. Maha Muni Narad, manifested before the lotus feet of Shri Hari, whose mustache with flock of beautiful hair above the enchanting lips reminds one of blossomed blue lotus enclosed by hordes of wasps attempting to the petals.

17. Of one who had worn a smile on the lip which was the world of the stage of the cupid, which even excelled the rising sun in redness. It was like a stream of all sweetness and the treasure of nectar, which was mostly sought by the damsels;

18. Who was bearing beautiful cheeks adorned with the lotus of the chin on the jaw, which was beautiful like the freshly blown lotus desired by all the gorgeous women in the three worlds;

19. Who had a neck that was adorned with the matchless and the best of the garlands, the 'Vaijayanti', from whose full-blown flowers pollen was dropping while it moved, and which was also adorned with the multitude of the rays of the shining 'Kaustubha' jewel;

20. Who was bearing a neck (here the poet means the backside of the neck) that had been marked with the bangle marks of the creeper-like hands of the daughter of the ocean, which rejected the best of the conch forms and which sported a shining yellow robe;

21. Who was bearing the firm, high and fat shoulders, liked by the women, which were strong with the shining pride of fresh youth, looking like the hump of a bull, which would drive away even a bull and enchanted the three worlds;

22. Who had knee-length long arms, which were like crushed serpents, which had shining bracelets, which were strong but smooth, and caused love in women;

23. Though he had four arms, who concealed two of them by his own will, the independent one, who controlled himself, and hence sported two lotus hands having all the auspicious marks;

24. Who was bearing the ten directions in the form of fingers, which were the love associates of the women of Vraja, and which were expert in moving on the flute speedily sounding with one reason;

25. (The fingers) which having closed in an order the holes on the flute and filling them with tones of windless waves, and heart touching tunes and intonations which were capable of causing swoon to the worlds;

26. Who had auspiciously marked wide chest of Vishnu, taken as shelter by Lakshmi, looking like the high tableland of the mountain that was held upside down;

27. With not so stout, and the enchanter of all hearts, befitting to a soldier of a great king, the firm loins, making the unmoving streak of a lion’s hips;

28. Rejecting the great and strong pillars with the beauty of his wide thighs which were very strong and of fierce activity in a battle, touch the expansive hips of the lovers during love making.

29. Who had red feet, having great prowess, worshipped by the noble, firm in battle, famous for their three steps, shining brightly with the radiance of the nails and great in kindness;

30. Bearing the twin feet belonging to the lotuses, which were worshipped by the alert group of gods, praised by great poets, remover of sins, robbing forcefully the luster of the moon;

31. The two feet, experts in wandering in the mind of the Vraja damsels, the palace of the full blown cupid-lotus, were like two black lotuses that were bound together for mutual sport;

32. Who was making the quarters lighted from inside with the lightning of the clear fame in the clouds of his own complexion, who was stealing the luster of the fame of the lords of the quarters, who was snatching 'Manmatha’s' pride of beauty;

33. Who was the ocean of nectar of limitless beauty, the one holder of great profundity, the lord of the treasure of inexplicable charm, and honeycomb of the whole sweetness;

34. Who had bent the earth with the weight of his own fame, and again lifted her up with his fame only, as if without any effort, under his great weight bringing even the sky into spokes.

35. By whose fame that surrounded the earth, the brilliance of the lightning was stolen, who desired to double the luster of Lakshmi with the worthy and unobstructed beauty, of the king who had character like that of a mountain;

36. Who sliced the enemies with his great arms, whom the lord of the departed took refuge with, and whose valour had made the wretched defeated enemies took to the ten directions;

37. Who was capable of opening the door of the chest of the enemies, even by listening (about them) with the sword of his great fame that occupied the quarters and was doubted whether it was the sun because of its radiance;

38. Of one who by his shining form surrounded by the rays of the fame of brilliant and wonderful acts and valour, and who by his bellowing sound that were like the roar of a thunder washed the flag and the pride of the enemies;

39. Who was noble, famous for his immediate saving of the worthy and refugees, and who had flooded the valour of his enemies with the herds of mighty and trumpeting elephants in the battle fields;

40. Whose brilliance was doubled with the terrible valour that gained fame in the innumerable battles, and whose enemies had been deafened by the blows fell from sounds of the shouts of victory of the armies;

41. Who had the battle-field submerged by the high waves of the ocean of innumerable armies, and whose valour had been advocated by the enemies who ran away with fear;

42. Of the kind one who having been praised by the gods, and bearing a feeling of warm kindness for them, was protecting them very much by making the enemies run away with lost hopes.

43. Of the one who had the city (of the enemies) having a fort with high walls resounded with the wailings of the wives and the co-wives, and had driven speedily moving horses and wheels that were un-mountable, and ran on difficult terrains.

44. Of one who was an opponent to the evil ones, who were against the multitudes of the noble ones; who was the happiness of the refugees, and the elephant of Yama that was overcome with compassion.

45. Of one who, though the lord of the three worlds, still wanted to capture the worlds through polity only, who was surrounded always by the great sages, having a pure fame, and whose actions were for the sake of helping others only.

46. Of one who had shining hopes, was accumulating blessings, always had noble hopes and aspirations, had great power, and who was receiving the great eulogies again and again.

47. Of one who honoured the multitudes of guests, and pleased his subjects with his virtuous deeds, and who was unconquerable by the enemies, desired victories, and whose feet were worshipped by the prostrating heads of the kings.

48. Of one whose hands were wet with unlimited donations, who destroyed the enemy-lotus pond, who rejected the pride of those sinning against the noble, and who had no fear while facing the opposition.

49. Of one who, by offering heaps of food satiated the hunger of the hungry in a moment, and though disinterested, acquired fame by virtuous deeds that were extraordinary in all the three worlds.

50. Of one who rained waters of fame from the clouds of meritorious deeds, the bull among the noble men, and who filled the canals of the cavities of the ears of the people with the nectar of virtue.

51. Of one who was the refuge to all those dedicated souls who having lost all prosperity due to ill luck, and who was the protector from great calamities, robbed Indra of his charities and lifted the mountain.

52. Of one who protected the men and the three worlds, who sought his refuge, staying in his own world, the highest one that which gave extraordinary refuge, and which was a world more excellent than the three worlds.

53. Of one who was served by those who wanted to enjoy, by those who desired to reach the highest plane, by those who endured the difficulties, by those seeking liberation from the wheel of birth and death, by those who wanted to perceive the Supreme Lord, by the noble ones.

54. Who were always near him, who approached the noble for good company, the one who was the one seat of the whole of merit, and who ruled his famous worlds in tranquility.

55. Of one who urged those that bent their heads to attain great prosperity (or who lifted those who bent their heads, and who was a lofty one in polity), and pressed suddenly the mean ones still down, and who blossomed with his good rule suppressing the brilliance of the enemies with the heat of his great valour.

56. Of one who while with good obedience ruling his kingdom, the best in the world, that was strung with sacrifices, and made his people forget even the creator through polity.

57. Of one who though sitting on the same seat made of 'Kusha' grass that was offered to the guests, still was well established, the lord of the worlds, the child in the world, who had borne his dear subjects putting his life as stake.

58. Of one who thus with such confidence with effort making the well protected ones more protected with his life, and making in a moment the noble refugees not desiring any desires with kindness.

59. Of one whose lotus feet were worshipped by gods, who was able to bestow the highest position, of the Supreme Lord, who would stupefy the intellect of those who knew him with the deeds of 'Prakriti'.

60. Of the creator of the universe, the form of the universe, the primary cause of the worlds, the one who was more than the worlds, the lord of the world, the transformation of the worlds and the destroyer of the worlds.

61. To the divine sage whose eyelashes glistened with joyful tears happened the sight, the highest fruit of the eyes of the living beings, the purification of the worlds and the sight of the beginning of the worlds.

62. Having seen the arrived person, who would go according to his wish, who was accepted by the noble, who had an extraordinary appearance, whose face shone with the beauty of a pure cloud, and who acquired great wealth of fame, having risen up from his golden throne, with folded hands,

63. Hari, who was an expert in extending hospitality, and to whom obedience, the quality of the good was but natural, approached the sage who bowed to him.

64. He pressed with his hands the two hands of the son of the creator that were expert in playing on the lute, while requesting the divine sage to accept the seat.

65. Later, having offered hospitality according to the custom, Hari, who knew the customs, made Narad take a seat, and he himself sat down.

66. Then the sage, seated on the high throne and pleased with the hospitality shone like the sun. Hari was also pleased as if all the troubles and bad were removed.