The Caritakara's Salutation: Prefatory Lines from Bhusana Dvija's Carita

The manuscript begins with salutations to Sankaradeva and Krsna (sri sankarāya namah and sri krsnāya namah).

The caritakāra, first paying obeisance at the feet of Krsna, declares that incarnating Himself as Sankara, it is Lord Hari Who propagated His own guna, karma and yasa, listening to which the people survive this unsurvivable (dustara) world in the age of kali. The carita of Sri Sankara is the nemesis of evil (pāpa antaka), and Bhusana, foolish and devoid of jnāna, is going to narrate it in metrical form (pada bandhe). Descending into this world, the Saint exhibited his various divine sports (kridā) to the people. He composed the Bhāgavata in verses and [now] even the ‘lowest of the low’ (antyajas), reading it and understanding its meaning, hold Sankara as their guru and worship Mādhava. All people have achieved happiness by taking to devotion to Lord Hari (hari-bhakti) and it is on account of this that the Saint has come to be known as Srimanta Sankara. Whoever has the capacity (sakati) to narrate in full all the details relating to his qualities (guna) and glory (mahimā)? The caritakāra, remembering the favor of Krsna, will put down whatever comes to mind by the grace of the holy men. Previously, all the great pandits used to recount this tale to others joyfully. But, with time’s passage, all of them have reached the abode of vaikuntha and now, who recounts these tales (kathā)? Therefore, this necessity has fallen on the caritakāra.