आतां वंदूं कवेश्वर । शब्दसृष्टीचे ईश्वर । नांतरी हे परमेश्वर । वेदावतारी ॥ १॥

Now I bow to the great poets, who are the very lords of the realm of words — or as if they are incarnations of God himself in the form of the Vedas.

कीं हे सरस्वतीचें निजस्थान । कीं हे नाना कळांचें जीवन । नाना शब्दांचें भुवन । येथार्थ होये ॥ २॥

Or they are the true abode of Saraswati herself, or the very lifeblood of countless arts, and they are truly the very home of all manner of words.

कीं हे पुरुषार्थाचें वैभव । कीं हे जगदीश्वराचें महत्व । नाना लाघवें सत्कीर्तीस्तव । निर्माण कवी ॥ ३॥

Or they are the very splendor of human endeavor, or the very greatness of God himself. Poets come into being through many kinds of skillful artistry, for the sake of good and lasting fame.

कीं हे शब्दरत्नाचे सागर । कीं हे मुक्तांचे मुक्त सरोवर । नाना बुद्धीचे वैरागर । निर्माण जाले ॥ ४॥

Or they are oceans of jewel-like words, or lakes brimming with pearls of freedom, having come into being as veritable mines of manifold intellect.

अध्यात्मग्रंथांची खाणी । कीं हे बोलिके चिंतामणी । नाना कामधेनूचीं दुभणीं । वोळलीं श्रोतयांसी ॥ ५॥

They are veritable mines of spiritual texts, or speaking wish-fulfilling gems, and it is as if the milk of the wish-granting cow itself has begun to flow forth for the listeners.

कीं हे कल्पनेचे कल्पतरु । कीं हे मोक्षाचे मुख्य पडीभरु । नाना सायोज्यतेचे विस्तारु । विस्तारले ॥ ६॥

Or they are wish-fulfilling trees of imagination, or the very chief pillars of liberation, through whom the expanse of ultimate union-liberation has spread far and wide.

कीं हा परलोकींचा निजस्वार्थु । कीं हा योगियांचा गुप्त पंथु । नाना ज्ञानियांचा परमार्थु । रूपासि आला ॥ ७॥

Or this is the very true benefit of the world beyond, or the secret path of yogis, and it is as if the ultimate truth known to the wise has taken visible, tangible form.

कीं हे निरंजनाची खूण । कीं हे निर्गुणाची वोळखण । मायाविलक्षणाचे लक्षण । ते हे कवी ॥ ८॥

Or they are the very mark of the stainless, undefiled reality, or the recognition of the attributeless Absolute. These poets are themselves the very mark of maya's wondrous, mysterious workings.

कीं हा श्रुतीचा भावगर्भ । कीं हा परमेश्वराचा अलभ्य लाभ । नातरी होये सुल्लभ । निजबोध कविरूपें ॥ ९॥

Or this is the very inner meaning contained within the Shrutis, or the otherwise-unattainable gift of God himself, which, taking the form of a poet, becomes readily accessible to all.

कवि मुमुक्षाचें अंजन । कवि साधकांचें साधन । कवि सिद्धांचें समाधान । निश्चयात्मक ॥ १०॥

The poet is like healing collyrium for the eyes of those seeking liberation; the poet is itself the very means for spiritual seekers; and the poet is the firm, settled contentment of the accomplished.

कवि स्वधर्माचा आश्रयो । कवि मनाचा मनोजयो । कवि धार्मिकाचा विनयो । विनयकर्ते ॥ ११॥

The poet is the very refuge of one's own righteous duty; the poet is the very conquest of the mind; and the poet is the one who cultivates humility in the righteous.

कवि वैराग्याचें संरक्षण । कवि भक्तांचें भूषण । नाना स्वधर्मरक्षण । ते हे कवी ॥ १२॥

The poet safeguards dispassion; the poet is the very ornament of devotees; and it is these same poets who protect one's own righteous duty in countless ways.

कवि प्रेमळांची प्रेमळ स्थिती । कवि ध्यानस्थांची ध्यानमूर्ति । कवि उपासकांची वाड कीर्ती । विस्तारली ॥ १३॥

The poet is the very loving state of the loving devotee; the poet is the meditation-image of those absorbed in meditation; and it is through poets that the vast fame of worshippers has spread far and wide.

नाना साधनांचे मूळ । कवि नाना प्रेत्नांचें फळ । नाना कार्यसिद्धि केवळ । कविचेनि प्रसादें ॥ १४॥

The poet is the very root of countless spiritual practices; the poet is the fruit of countless efforts; and the accomplishment of countless undertakings comes about only through the poet's grace.

आधीं कवीचा वाग्विळास । तरी मग श्रवणीं तुंबळे रस । कविचेनि मतिप्रकाश । कवित्वास होये ॥ १५॥

First comes the poet's play of words, and only then does a flood of aesthetic delight fill the listener's ear. It is by the very light of the poet's own intellect that poetry itself comes into being.

कवि वित्पन्नाची योग्यता । कवि सामर्थ्यवंतांची सत्ता । कवि विचक्षणाची कुशळता । नाना प्रकारें ॥ १६॥

The poet is the very worth of the learned; the poet is the very power of the mighty; and the poet is, in manifold ways, the very skill of the discerning.

कवि कवित्वाचा प्रबंध । कवि नाना धाटी मुद्रा छंद । कवि गद्यपद्यें भेदाभेद । पदत्रासकर्ते ॥ १७॥

The poet composes the very structure of poetry; the poet shapes its many styles, forms, and metres; and it is the poet who creates the distinctions between prose and verse, along with all their subtle wordcraft.

कवि सृष्टीचा आळंकार । कवि लक्ष्मीचा शृंघार । सकळ सिद्धींचा निर्धार । ते हे कवी ॥ १८॥

The poet is the very ornament of creation; the poet is the very adornment of Lakshmi (wealth); and it is these poets who are the sure foundation of every accomplishment.

कवि सभेचें मंडण । कवि भाग्याचें भूषण । नान सुखाचें संरक्षण । ते हे कवी ॥ १९॥

The poet is the very embellishment of any gathering; the poet is the ornament of good fortune; and it is these poets who safeguard every kind of happiness.

कवि देवांचे रूपकर्ते । कवि ऋषीचें महत्ववर्णिते । नाना शास्त्रांचें सामर्थ्य ते । कवि वाखाणिती ॥ २०॥

It is poets who give shape and form to the images of the gods; it is poets who describe the greatness of sages; and it is poets who extol the power of the many scriptures.

नस्ता कवीचा व्यापार । तरी कैंचा अस्ता जगोद्धार । म्हणौनि कवि हे आधार । सकळ सृष्टीसी ॥ २१॥

If it were not for this labor of poets, from where would the world's uplift ever have come? Hence these poets are the very support of the entire creation.

नाना विद्या ज्ञातृत्व कांहीं । कवेश्वरेंविण तों नाहीं । कवीपासून सर्वही । सर्वज्ञता ॥ २२॥

No manner of learning or knowledge exists at all apart from great poets. All manner of omniscience is derived from poets alone.

मागां वाल्मीक व्यासादिक । जाले कवेश्वर अनेक । तयांपासून विवेक । सकळ जनासी ॥ २३॥

In ancient times, Valmiki, Vyasa, and many other great poets lived. It is from them that discernment has come to all people.

पूर्वीं काव्यें होतीं केलीं । तरीच वित्पत्ती प्राप्त झाली । तेणे पंडिताआंगीं बाणली । परम योग्यता ॥ २४॥

It was precisely because poetic works were composed in the past that scholarship itself came into being, and through it, scholars came to acquire their supreme merit.

ऐसे पूर्वीं थोर थोर । जाले कवेश्वर अपार । आतां आहेत पुढें होणार । नमन त्यांसी ॥ २५॥

Thus many great and eminent poets have existed in the past, exist now, and will continue to arise in the future. To all of them I offer my salutation.

नाना चातुर्याच्या मूर्ती । किं हे साक्षात् बृहस्पती । वेद श्रुती बोलों म्हणती । ज्यांच्या मुखें ॥ २६॥

These poets are veritable embodiments of manifold cleverness, as if Brihaspati himself in person; it is through their mouths that even the Vedas and Shrutis seem to wish to speak.

परोपकाराकारणें । नाना निश्चय अनुवादणें ॥ सेखीं बोलीले पूर्णपणें । संशयातीत ॥ २७॥

For the sake of helping others, they expounded many firm conclusions, and in the end they spoke the complete truth, beyond all doubt.

कीं हे अमृताचे मेघ वोळले । कीं हे नवरसाचे वोघ लोटले । नाना सुखाचे उचंबळले । सरोवर हे ॥ २८॥

Or it is as if clouds of nectar have showered down, or streams of the nine aesthetic flavors have burst forth, and these are like lakes overflowing with manifold delight.

कीं हे विवेकनिधीचीं भांडारें । प्रगट जालीं मनुष्याकारें । नाना वस्तूचेनि विचारें । कोंदाटले हे ॥ २९॥

Or they are the very treasuries of the wealth of discernment, manifested in human form, filled to overflowing with the contemplation of countless realities.

कीं हे आदिशक्तीचें ठेवणें । नाना पदार्थास आणी उणें । लाधलें पूर्व संचिताच्या गुणें । विश्वजनासी ॥ ३०॥

Or this is the very treasure kept by the primal Divine Power, which makes all other things pale in comparison, and which has come to the people of this world through the merit of their past good deeds.

कीं हे सुखाचीं तारुवें लोटलीं । आक्षै आनंदे उतटलीं । विश्वजनास उपेगा आलीं । नाना प्रयोगाकारणे ॥ ३१॥

Or these are like ships of happiness sailing forth, laden with inexhaustible joy and coming to shore, of great use to the people of the world for countless purposes.

कीं हे निरंजनाची संपत्ती । कीं हे विराटाची योगस्थिती । नांतरी भक्तीची फळश्रुती । फळास आली ॥ ३२॥

Or this is the very wealth of the stainless, undefiled reality, or the state of yogic union of the Cosmic Being, or it is the very fruit of devotion having actually come to ripeness.

कीं हा ईश्वराचा पवाड । पाहातां गगनाहून वाड । ब्रह्मांडरचनेहून जाड । कविप्रबंदरचना ॥ ३३॥

Or this is the very grandeur of God, which, when beheld, proves vaster than the sky itself. Indeed, the structure of a poet's composition is even more magnificent than the structure of the universe.

आतां असो हा विचार । जगास आधार कवेश्वर । तयांसी माझा नमस्कार । साष्टांग भावें ॥ ३४॥

Let this discussion rest here now. These great poets are the very support of the world. To them I offer my full prostration, with heartfelt devotion.