atha sarva-guṇopetaḥ
kālaḥ parama-śobhanaḥ
yarhy evājana-janmarkṣaṁ
śāntarkṣa-graha-tārakam
diśaḥ prasedur gaganaṁ
nirmaloḍu-gaṇodayam
mahī maṅgala-bhūyiṣṭha-
pura-grāma-vrajākarā
nadyaḥ prasanna-salilā
hradā jalaruha-śriyaḥ
dvijāli-kula-sannāda-
stavakā vana-rājayaḥ
vavau vāyuḥ sukha-sparśaḥ
puṇya-gandhavahaḥ śuciḥ
agnayaś ca dvijātīnāṁ
śāntās tatra samindhata
manāṁsy āsan prasannāni
sādhūnām asura-druhām
jāyamāne 'jane tasmin
nedur dundubhayaḥ samam
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca-Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; atha-on the occasion of the Lord's appearance; sarva-all around; guṇa-upetaḥ-endowed with material attributes or facilities; kālaḥ-a favorable time; parama-śobhanaḥ-all-auspicious and very favorable from all points of view; yarhi-when; eva-certainly; ajana janma-ṛkṣam-the constellation of stars known as Rohiṇī; śānta-ṛkṣa-none of the constellations were fierce (all of them were peaceful); graha-tārakam-and the planets and stars like Aśvinī; diśaḥ-all directions; praseduḥ-appeared very auspicious and peaceful; gaganam-all of outer space or the sky; nirmala-uḍu-gaṇa-udayam-in which all the auspicious stars were visible (in the upper strata of the universe); mahī-the earth; maṅgala-bhūyiṣṭha-pura-grāma-vraja-ākarāḥ-whose many cities, towns, pasturing grounds and mines became auspicious and very neat and clean; nadyaḥ-the rivers; prasanna-salilāḥ-the waters became clear; hradāḥ-the lakes or large reservoirs of water; jalaruha-śriyaḥ-appeared very beautiful because of blooming lotuses all around; dvija-ali-kula-sannāda-stavakāḥ-the birds, especially the cuckoos, and swarms of bees began to chant in sweet voices, as if praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vana-rājayaḥ-the green trees and plants were also very pleasing to see; vavau-blew; vāyuḥ-the breeze; sukha-sparśaḥ-very pleasing to the touch; puṇya-gandha-vahaḥ-which was full of fragrance; śuciḥ-without pollution by dust; agnayaḥ ca-and the fires (at the places of sacrifice); dvijātīnām-of the brāhmaṇas; śāntāḥ-undisturbed, steady, calm and quiet; tatra-there; samindhata-blazed; manāṁsi-the minds of the brāhmaṇas (who because of Kaṁsa had always been afraid); āsan-became; prasannāni-fully satisfied and free from disturbances; sādhūnām-of the brāhmaṇas, who were all Vaiṣṇava devotees; asura-druhām-who had been oppressed by Kaṁsa and other demons disturbing the discharge of religious rituals; jāyamāne-because of the appearance or birth; ajane-of Lord Viṣṇu, who is always unborn; tasmin-in that situation; neduḥ-resounded; dundubhayaḥ-kettledrums; samam-simultaneously (from the upper planets).
Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohiṇī appeared, as did stars like Aśvinī. The sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremely pleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky. Decorated with towns, villages, mines and pasturing grounds, the earth seemed all-auspicious. The rivers flowed with clear water, and the lakes and vast reservoirs, full of lilies and lotuses, were extraordinarily beautiful. In the trees and green plants, full of flowers and leaves, pleasing to the eyes, birds like cuckoos and swarms of bees began chanting with sweet voices for the sake of the demigods. A pure breeze began to blow, pleasing the sense of touch and bearing the aroma of flowers, and when the brāhmaṇas engaging in ritualistic ceremonies ignited their fires according to Vedic principles, the fires burned steadily, undisturbed by the breeze. Thus when the birthless Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was about to appear, the saints and brāhmaṇas, who had always been disturbed by demons like Kaṁsa and his men, felt peace within the core of their hearts, and kettledrums simultaneously vibrated from the upper planetary system.
As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities are all transcendental and that one who factually understands them is immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. The Lord's appearance or birth is not like that of an ordinary man, who is forced to accept a material body according to his past deeds. The Lord's appearance is explained in the previous chapter: He appears out of His own sweet pleasure.