The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 13.15: pañcadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

13.15.1

upamanyuruvāca |
etānsahasraśaścānyānsamanudhyātavānharaḥ |
kasmātprasādaṃ bhagavānna kuryāttava mādhava || 1 ||

"Upamanyu said, 'Without doubt, O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, thou wilt obtain a sight of Mahadeva very soon, even as, O sinless one, I succeeded in obtaining a sight of him. O thou of immeasurable prowess, I see with my spiritual eyes that thou wilt, in the sixth month from this, succeed in obtaining a sight of Mahadeva, O best of all persons. Thou, O foremost of the Yadus, wilt obtain from Maheswara and his spouse, four and twenty boons. I tell thee what is true. Through the grace of that Deity endued with supreme wisdom, the Past, the Future and the Present are known to me. The great Hara has favoured these Rishis numbering by thousands and others as numerous. Why will not the puissant Deity show favour to thee, O Mahadeva? The meeting of the gods is always commendable with one like thee, with one that is devoted to the Brahmanas, with one that is full of compassion and that is full of faith. I shall give thee certain Mantras. Recite them continuously. By this thou art certain to behold Sankara.'

13.15.2

tvādṛśena hi devānāṃ ślāghanīyaḥ samāgamaḥ |
brahmaṇyenānṛśaṃsena śraddadhānena cāpyuta |
japyaṃ ca te pradāsyāmi yena drakṣyasi śaṃkaram || 2 ||

13.15.3

kṛṣṇa uvāca |
abruvaṃ tamahaṃ brahmaṃstvatprasādānmahāmune |
drakṣye ditijasaṃghānāṃ mardanaṃ tridaśeśvaram || 3 ||

"The blessed Vishnu continued, 'I then said unto him, O regenerate one, through thy grace, O great ascetic. I shall behold the lord of the deities, that grinder of multitudes of Diti's sons. Eight days, O Bharata, passed there like an hour, all of us being thus occupied with talk on Mahadeva. On the eighth day, I underwent the Diksha (initiation) according to due rites, at the hands of that Brahmana and received the staff from his hands. I underwent the prescribed shave. I took up a quantity of Kusa blades in my hand. I wore rags for my vestments. I rubbed my person with ghee. I encircled a cord of Munja grass round my loins. For one month I lived on fruits. The second month I subsisted upon water. The third, the fourth and the fifth months I passed, living upon air alone. I stood all the while, supporting myself upon one foot and with my arms also raised upwards, and foregoing sleep all the while. I then beheld, O Bharata, in the firmament an effulgence that seemed to be as dazzling as that of a thousand Suns combined together. Towards the centre of that effulgence, O son of Pandu, I saw a cloud looking like a mass of blue hills, adorned with rows of cranes, embellished with many a grand rainbow, with flashes of lightning and the thunder-fire looking like eyes set on it. Within that cloud was the puissant Mahadeva. himself of dazzling splendour, accompanied by his spouse Uma.

13.15.4

dine'ṣṭame ca vipreṇa dīkṣito'haṃ yathāvidhi |
daṇḍī muṇḍī kuśī cīrī ghṛtākto mekhalī tathā || 4 ||

13.15.5

māsamekaṃ phalāhāro dvitīyaṃ salilāśanaḥ |
tṛtīyaṃ ca caturthaṃ ca pañcamaṃ cānilāśanaḥ || 5 ||

13.15.6

ekapādena tiṣṭhaṃśca ūrdhvabāhuratandritaḥ |
tejaḥ sūryasahasrasya apaśyaṃ divi bhārata || 6 ||

13.15.7

tasya madhyagataṃ cāpi tejasaḥ pāṇḍunandana |
indrāyudhapinaddhāṅgaṃ vidyunmālāgavākṣakam |
nīlaśailacayaprakhyaṃ balākābhūṣitaṃ ghanam || 7 ||

13.15.8

tamāsthitaśca bhagavāndevyā saha mahādyutiḥ |
tapasā tejasā kāntyā dīptayā saha bhāryayā || 8 ||

Verily, the great Deity seemed to shine with his penances, energy, beauty, effulgence, and his dear spouse by his side. The puissant Maheswara, with his spouse by his side, shone in the midst of that cloud. The appearance seemed to be like that of the Sun in the midst of racking clouds with the Moon by his side. The hair on my body, O son of Kunti, stood on its end, and my eyes expanded with wonder upon beholding Hara, the refuge of all the deities and the dispeller of all their griefs. Mahadeva was adorned with a diadem on his head. He was armed with his Sula. He was clad in a tiger-skin, had matted locks on his head, and bore the staff (of the Sanyasin) in one of his hands. He was armed, besides with his Pinaka and the thunderbolt. His teeth was sharp-pointed. He was decked with an excellent bracelet for the upper arm. His sacred thread was constituted by a snake. He wore an excellent garland of diversified colours on his bosom, that hung down to his toes. Verily, I beheld him like the exceedingly bright moon of an autumnal evening. Surrounded by diverse clans of spirits and ghosts, he looked like the autumnal Sun difficult of being gazed at for its dazzling brightness. Eleven hundred Rudras stood around that Deity of restrained soul and white deeds, then seated upon his bull. All of them were employed in hymning his praises.

13.15.9

rarāja bhagavāṃstatra devyā saha maheśvaraḥ |
somena sahitaḥ sūryo yathā meghasthitastathā || 9 ||

13.15.10

saṃhṛṣṭaromā kaunteya vismayotphullalocanaḥ |
apaśyaṃ devasaṃghānāṃ gatimārtiharaṃ haram || 10 ||

13.15.11

kirīṭinaṃ gadinaṃ śūlapāṇiṃ vyāghrājinaṃ jaṭilaṃ daṇḍapāṇim |
pinākinaṃ vajriṇaṃ tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭraṃ śubhāṅgadaṃ vyālayajñopavītam || 11 ||

13.15.12

divyāṃ mālāmurasānekavarṇāṃ samudvahantaṃ gulphadeśāvalambām |
candraṃ yathā pariviṣṭaṃ sasaṃdhyaṃ varṣātyaye tadvadapaśyamenam || 12 ||

13.15.13

pramathānāṃ gaṇaiścaiva samantātparivāritam |
śaradīva suduṣprekṣyaṃ pariviṣṭaṃ divākaram || 13 ||

13.15.14

ekādaśa tathā cainaṃ rudrāṇāṃ vṛṣavāhanam |
astuvanniyatātmānaḥ karmabhiḥ śubhakarmiṇam || 14 ||

13.15.15

ādityā vasavaḥ sādhyā viśvedevāstathāśvinau |
viśvābhiḥ stutibhirdevaṃ viśvadevaṃ samastuvan || 15 ||

The Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Viswedevas, and the twin Aswins praised that Lord of the universe by uttering the hymns occurring in the scriptures. The puissant Indra and his brother Upendra, the two sons of Aditi, and the Grandsire Brahma, all uttered, in the presence of Bhava, the Rathantara Saman. Innumerable masters of Yoga, all the regenerate Rishis with their children, all the celestial Rishis, the goddess Earth, the Sky (between Earth and Heaven), the Constellations, the Planets, the Months, the Fortnights, the Seasons, Night, the Years, the Kshanas, the Muhurtas, the Nimeshas, the Yugas one after another, all the celestial Sciences and branches of knowledge, and all beings conversant with Truth, were seen bowing down unto that Supreme Preceptor, that great Father, that giver (or origin) of Yoga. Sanatkumara, the Vedas, the Histories, Marichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, the seven Manus, Soma, the Atharvans, and Vrihaspati, Bhrigu, Daksha, Kasyapa, Vasishtha, Kasya, the Schandas, Diksha, the Sacrifices, Dakshina, the Sacrificial Fires, the Havis (clarified butter) poured in sacrifices, and all the requisites of the sacrifices, were beheld by me, O Yudhishthira, standing there in their embodied forms.

13.15.16

śatakratuśca bhagavānviṣṇuścāditinandanau |
brahmā rathantaraṃ sāma īrayanti bhavāntike || 16 ||

13.15.17

yogīśvarāḥ subahavo yogadaṃ pitaraṃ gurum |
brahmarṣayaśca sasutāstathā devarṣayaśca vai || 17 ||

13.15.18

pṛthivī cāntarikṣaṃ ca nakṣatrāṇi grahāstathā |
māsārdhamāsā ṛtavo rātryaḥ saṃvatsarāḥ kṣaṇāḥ || 18 ||

13.15.19

muhūrtāśca nimeṣāśca tathaiva yugaparyayāḥ |
divyā rājannamasyanti vidyāḥ sarvā diśastathā || 19 ||

13.15.20

sanatkumāro vedāśca itihāsāstathaiva ca |
marīciraṅgirā atriḥ pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ || 20 ||

13.15.21

manavaḥ saptasomaśca atharvā sabṛhaspatiḥ |
bhṛgurdakṣaḥ kaśyapaśca vasiṣṭhaḥ kāśya eva ca || 21 ||

13.15.22

chandāṃsi dīkṣā yajñāśca dakṣiṇāḥ pāvako haviḥ |
yajñopagāni dravyāṇi mūrtimanti yudhiṣṭhira || 22 ||

13.15.23

prajānāṃ patayaḥ sarve saritaḥ pannagā nagāḥ |
devānāṃ mātaraḥ sarvā devapatnyaḥ sakanyakāḥ || 23 ||

All the guardians of the worlds, all the Rivers, all the snakes, the mountains, the celestial Mothers, all the spouses and daughters of the celestials, thousands upon thousands and millions of ascetics, were seen to bow down to that puissant Lord who is the soul of tranquillity. The Mountains, the Oceans, and the Points of the compass also did the same, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras highly skilled in music, in celestial strains, sang and hymned the praises of Bhava who is full of wonder. The Vidyadharas, the Danavas, the Guhyakas, the Rakshasas, and all created beings, mobile and immobile, adorned, in thought, word and deed, that puissant Lord. Before me, that Lord of all the gods viz., Sarva, appeared seated in all his glory. Seeing that Isana had showed himself to me by being seated in glory before my eyes, the whole universe, with the Grandsire and Sakra, looked at me. I, however, had not the power to look at Mahadeva. The great Deity then addressed me saying, 'Behold, O Krishna, and speak to me. Thou hast adorned me hundreds and thousands of times. There is no one in the three worlds that is dearer to me than thou.' After I had bowed unto him, his spouse, viz., the goddess Uma, became gratified with me. I then addressed in these words the great God whose praises are hymned by all the deities with the Grandsire Brahma at their head.'

13.15.24

sahasrāṇi munīnāṃ ca ayutānyarbudāni ca |
namasyanti prabhuṃ śāntaṃ parvatāḥ sāgarā diśaḥ || 24 ||

13.15.25

gandharvāpsarasaścaiva gītavāditrakovidāḥ |
divyatānena gāyantaḥ stuvanti bhavamadbhutam |
vidyādharā dānavāśca guhyakā rākṣasāstathā || 25 ||

13.15.26

sarvāṇi caiva bhūtāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca |
namasyanti mahārāja vāṅmanaḥkarmabhirvibhum |
purastādviṣṭhitaḥ śarvo mamāsīttridaśeśvaraḥ || 26 ||

13.15.27

purastādviṣṭhitaṃ dṛṣṭvā mameśānaṃ ca bhārata |
saprajāpatiśakrāntaṃ jaganmāmabhyudaikṣata || 27 ||

13.15.28

īkṣituṃ ca mahādevaṃ na me śaktirabhūttadā |
tato māmabravīddevaḥ paśya kṛṣṇa vadasva ca || 28 ||

13.15.29

śirasā vandite deve devī prītā umābhavat |
tato'hamastuvaṃ sthāṇuṃ stutaṃ brahmādibhiḥ suraiḥ || 29 ||

13.15.30

namo'stu te śāśvata sarvayone brahmādhipaṃ tvāmṛṣayo vadanti |
tapaśca sattvaṃ ca rajastamaśca tvāmeva satyaṃ ca vadanti santaḥ || 30 ||

"The blessed Vishnu said, 'I saluted Mahadeva, saying,--Salutations to thee, O thou that art the eternal origin of all things. The Rishis say that thou art the Lord of the Vedas. The righteous say that thou art Penance, thou art Sattwa, thou art Rajas, thou art Tamas, and thou art Truth. Thou art Brahman, thou art Rudra, thou art Varuna, thou art Agni, thou art Manu, thou art Bhava, thou art Dhatri, thou art Tashtri, thou art Vidhatri, thou art the puissant Master of all things, and thou art everywhere. All beings, mobile and immobile, have sprung from thee. This triple world with all its mobile and immobile entities, has been created by thee. The Rishis say that thou art superior to the senses, the mind, the vital breaths, the seven sacrificial fires, all others that have their refuge in the all-pervading Soul, and all the deities that are adored and worthy of adoration. Thou, O illustrious one, art the Vedas, the Sacrifices, Soma, Dakshina, Pavaka, Havi, and all other requisites of sacrifice. The merit obtained by sacrifices, gifts made to others, the study of the Vedas, vows, regulations in respect of restraint, Modesty, Fame, Prosperity, Splendour, Contentment, and Success, all exist for leading to thee. Desire, Wrath, Fear, Cupidity, Pride, Stupefaction, and Malice, Pains and Diseases, are, O illustrious one, thy children.

13.15.31

tvaṃ vai brahmā ca rudraśca varuṇo'gnirmanurbhavaḥ |
dhātā tvaṣṭā vidhātā ca tvaṃ prabhuḥ sarvatomukhaḥ || 31 ||

13.15.32

tvatto jātāni bhūtāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca |
tvamādiḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ saṃhāraśca tvameva hi || 32 ||

13.15.33

ye cendriyārthāśca manaśca kṛtsnaṃ ye vāyavaḥ sapta tathaiva cāgniḥ |
ye vā divisthā devatāścāpi puṃsāṃ tasmātparaṃ tvāmṛṣayo vadanti || 33 ||

13.15.34

vedā yajñāśca somaśca dakṣiṇā pāvako haviḥ |
yajñopagaṃ ca yatkiṃcidbhagavāṃstadasaṃśayam || 34 ||

13.15.35

iṣṭaṃ dattamadhītaṃ ca vratāni niyamāśca ye |
hrīḥ kīrtiḥ śrīrdyutistuṣṭiḥ siddhiścaiva tvadarpaṇā || 35 ||

13.15.36

kāmaḥ krodho bhayaṃ lobho madaḥ stambho'tha matsaraḥ |
ādhayo vyādhayaścaiva bhagavaṃstanayāstava || 36 ||

13.15.37

kṛtirvikāraḥ pralayaḥ pradhānaṃ prabhavo'vyayaḥ |
manasaḥ paramā yoniḥ svabhāvaścāpi śāśvataḥ |
avyaktaḥ pāvana vibho sahasrāṃśo hiraṇmayaḥ || 37 ||

Thou art all acts that creatures do, thou art the joy and sorrow that flow from those acts, thou art the absence of joy and sorrow, thou art that Ignorance which is the indestructible seed of Desire, thou art the high origin of Mind, thou art Puissance, and thou art Eternity. Thou art the Unmanifest, thou art Pavana, thou art inconceivable, thou art the thousand-rayed Sun, thou art the effulgent Chit, thou art the first of all the topics, and thou art the refuge of life. The use of words like Mahat, Soul, Understanding, Brahman, Universe, Sambhu, and Self-born and other words occurring in succession (in the Vedas), show that thy nature has been judged (by persons conversant with the Vedas) as identical with Mahat and Soul. Verily, regarding thee as all this, the learned Brahmanas win over that ignorance which lies at the root of the world. Thou residest in the heart of all creatures, and thou art adored by the Rishis as Kshetrajna. Thy arms and feet extend to every place, and thy eyes, head, and face are everywhere. Thou hearest everywhere in the universe, and thou stayest, pervading all things. Of all acts that are performed in the Nimeshas and other divisions of time that spring in consequence of the puissance of the Sun, thou art the fruit. Thou art the original effulgence (of the supreme Chit). Thou art Purusha, and thou residest in the hearts of all things.

13.15.38

ādirguṇānāṃ sarveṣāṃ bhavānvai jīvanāśrayaḥ |
mahānātmā matirbrahmā viśvaḥ śaṃbhuḥ svayaṃbhuvaḥ || 38 ||

13.15.39

buddhiḥ prajñopalabdhiśca saṃvitkhyātirdhṛtiḥ smṛtiḥ |
paryāyavācakaiḥ śabdairmahānātmā vibhāvyase || 39 ||

13.15.40

tvāṃ buddhvā brāhmaṇo vidvānna pramohaṃ nigacchati |
hṛdayaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ kṣetrajñastvamṛṣiṣṭutaḥ || 40 ||

13.15.41

sarvataḥpāṇipādastvaṃ sarvatokṣiśiromukhaḥ |
sarvataḥśrutimām̐lloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhasi || 41 ||

13.15.42

phalaṃ tvamasi tigmāṃśo nimeṣādiṣu karmasu |
tvaṃ vai prabhārciḥ puruṣaḥ sarvasya hṛdi saṃsthitaḥ |
aṇimā laghimā prāptirīśāno jyotiravyayaḥ || 42 ||

Thou art the various Yogic attributes of success, viz., Subtility and Grossness and Fruition and Supremacy and Effulgence and Immutability. Understanding and intelligence and all the worlds rest upon thee. They that are devoted to meditation, that are always engaged in Yoga, that are devoted to or firm in Truth and that have subjugated their passions, seek thee and rest on thee. They that know thee for one that is Immutable, or one that resides in all hearts, or one that is endued with supreme puissance, or one that is the ancient Purusha, or one that is pure Knowledge, or one that is the effulgent Chit, or one that is the highest refuge of all persons endued with intelligence, are certainly persons of great intelligence. Verily, such persons stay, transcending intelligence. By understanding the seven subtile entities (viz., Mahat, Ego, and five subtile primal elements called Tanmatras), by comprehending thy six attributes (of Omniscience, Contentment of Fullness, Knowledge without beginning, Independence, Puissance that is not at fault at any time and that is infinite), and being conversant with Yoga that is freed from every false notion, the man of knowledge succeeds in entering into thy great self.--After I had said these words, O Partha, unto Bhava, that dispeller of grief and pain, the universe, both mobile and immobile, sent up a leonine shout (expressive of their approval of the correctness of my words).

13.15.43

tvayi buddhirmatirlokāḥ prapannāḥ saṃśritāśca ye |
dhyānino nityayogāśca satyasaṃdhā jitendriyāḥ || 43 ||

13.15.44

yastvāṃ dhruvaṃ vedayate guhāśayaṃ prabhuṃ purāṇaṃ puruṣaṃ viśvarūpam |
hiraṇmayaṃ buddhimatāṃ parāṃ gatiṃ sa buddhimānbuddhimatītya tiṣṭhati || 44 ||

13.15.45

viditvā sapta sūkṣmāṇi ṣaḍaṅgaṃ tvāṃ ca mūrtitaḥ |
pradhānavidhiyogasthastvāmeva viśate budhaḥ || 45 ||

13.15.46

evamukte mayā pārtha bhave cārtivināśane |
carācaraṃ jagatsarvaṃ siṃhanādamathākarot || 46 ||

13.15.47

saviprasaṃghāśca surāsurāśca nāgāḥ piśācāḥ pitaro vayāṃsi |
rakṣogaṇā bhūtagaṇāśca sarve maharṣayaścaiva tathā praṇemuḥ || 47 ||

The innumerable Brahmanas there present, the deities and the Asuras, the Nagas, the Pisachas, the Pitris, the birds, diverse Rakshasas, diverse classes of ghosts and spirits, and all the great Rishis, then bowed down unto that great Deity. There then fell upon my head showers of celestial flowers possessed of great fragrance, and delicious winds blew on the spot. The puissant Sankara then, devoted to the good of the universe, looked at the goddess Uma and the lord of the celestials and myself also, and thus spoke unto me,--We know, O Krishna, that thou, O slayer of foes, art filled with the greatest devotion towards us. Do what is for thy good. My love and affection for thee is very great. Do thou ask for eight boons. I shall verily give them unto thee, O Krishna, O best of all persons, tell me what they are, O chief of the Yadavas. Name what thou wishest. However difficult of attainment they be, thou shalt have them still.'"

13.15.48

mama mūrdhni ca divyānāṃ kusumānāṃ sugandhinām |
rāśayo nipatanti sma vāyuśca susukho vavau || 48 ||

13.15.49

nirīkṣya bhagavāndevīmumāṃ māṃ ca jagaddhitaḥ |
śatakratuṃ cābhivīkṣya svayaṃ māmāha śaṃkaraḥ || 49 ||

13.15.50

vidmaḥ kṛṣṇa parāṃ bhaktimasmāsu tava śatruhan |
kriyatāmātmanaḥ śreyaḥ prītirhi paramā tvayi || 50 ||

13.15.51

vṛṇīṣvāṣṭau varānkṛṣṇa dātāsmi tava sattama |
brūhi yādavaśārdūla yānicchasi sudurlabhān || 51 ||