The Nārāyaṇīya of Mahābhārata Śānti Parva – Part 2

This is the second chapter of the Nārāyaṇīya. (Work in progress)

   bhīṣma uvāca
sa ēvamuktō dvipadāṃ variṣṭhō nārāyaṇēnōttamapūruṣēṇa
jagāda vākyaṃ dvipadāṃ variṣṭhaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ lōkahitādhivāsan /2.1/

   nārada uvāca
yadarthamātmaprabhavēha janma tavōttamaṃ dharmagṛhē caturdhā
tat sādhyatāṃ lōkahitārthamadya gacchāmi draṣṭuṃ prakṛtiṃ tavādyām /2.2/

vēdāḥ svadhītā mama lōkanātha taptaṃ tapō nānṛtamuktapūrvam
pūjāṃ gurūṇāṃ satataṃ karōmi parasya guhyaṃ na ca bhinnapūrvam /2.3/

guptāni catvāri yathāgamaṃ mē śatrau ca mitrē ca samōʼsmi nityam taṃ cādidēvaṃ satataṃ prapanna ēkāntabhāvēna vṛṇōmyajasram ēbhirviśēṣaiḥ pariśuddhasattvaḥ kasmānna paśyeyam anantamīśam /2.4/

tat pāramēṣṭhyasya vacō niśamya nārāyaṇaḥ sāttvatadharmagōptā gacchēti taṃ nāradamuktavān vai sampūjayitvā vidhivat kriyābhiḥ /*2.5/

tatō visṛṣṭaḥ paramēṣṭhiputraḥ sōʼbhyarcayitvā tamṛṣiṃ purāṇam khamutpapātōttamayōgayuktaḥ tatōʼdhimērau sahasā nililyē /2.6/

tatrāvatasthē ca munirmuhūrtam ēkāntamāsādya girēḥ sa śṛṅgē ālōkayannuttarapaścimēna dadarśa cātyadbhutayuktarūpam /2.7/

kṣīrōdadhēruttaratō hi dvīpaḥ śvētaḥ saḥ nāmnā prathitō viśālaḥ mērōḥ sahasrēṇa hi yōjanānāṃ dvātriṃśatōrdhvaṃ kavibhirniruktaḥ /*2.8/

anindriyāścānaśanāśca nityaṃ niṣpandahīnāḥ susugandhinaśca śvētāḥ pumāṃsō gatasargapāpāḥ cakṣurmuṣaḥ pāpakṛtāṃ narāṇām /*2.9/

vajrāsthikāyāḥ samamānōnmānā divyāvayavarūpāḥ śubhasārōpētāḥ chatrākṛtiśīrṣā mēghaughaninādāḥ samamuṣkacatuṣkā rājīvacchadapādāḥ /2.10/

ṣaṣṭyā dantairyuktāḥ śuklair aṣṭābhir ṣaṣṭyābhyiśca jihvābhiryē vaktraṃ śubhraṃ lēlihyantē sūryaprakhyam /*2.11/

The above verse is super-cryptic. The BORI version reads quite different. Both of them are very close to Vidyunmālā meter, but not exactly.

ṣaṣṭyā dantairyuktāḥ śuklairaṣṭābhirdaṃṣṭrābhiryē
jihvābhiryē viśvagvaktraṃ lēlihyantē sūryaprakhyam

Nilakantha’s is even more different.

bhaktādēvaṃ vidhiviśēṣōtpattiṃ yasmāt sarvē lōkāḥ samprasūtāḥ vedā dharmā munayaḥ śāntā dēvāḥ sarvē tasya visargaḥ /*2.12/

The above does not fit any meter at all. BORI’s reading comes close to Vidyunmālā.