Mahabharata 3.187: saptāśītyadhika śatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.187.1

deva uvāca |
kāmaṃ devāpi māṃ vipra na vijānanti tattvataḥ |
tvatprītyā tu pravakṣyāmi yathedaṃ visṛjāmyaham || 1 ||

"Markandeya continued, 'The Deity then said, 'O Brahmana, the gods even do not know me truly! As however, I have been gratified with thee, I will tell thee how I created the universe! O regenerate Rishi, thou art devoted to thy ancestors and hast also sought my protection! Thou hast also beheld me with thy eyes, and thy ascetic merit also is great! In ancient times I called the waters by the name of Nara; and because the waters have ever been my ayana or home, therefore have I been called Narayana (the water-homed). O best of regenerate ones, I am Narayana, the Source of all things, the Eternal, the Unchangeable. I am the Creator of all things, and the Destroyer also of all. I am Vishnu, I am Brahma and I am Sakra, the chief of the gods. I am king Vaisravana, and I am Yama, the lord of the deceased spirits. I am Siva, I am Soma, and I am Kasyapa the lord of the created things. And, O best of regenerate ones, I am he called Dhatri, and he also that is called Vidhatri, and I am Sacrifice embodied. Fire is my mouth, the earth my feet, and the Sun and the Moon are my eyes; the Heaven is the crown of my head, the firmament and the cardinal points are my ears; the waters are born of my sweat. Space with the cardinal points are my body, and the Air is my mind. I have performed many hundreds of sacrifices with gifts in profusion. I am always present in the sacrifices of the gods; and they that are cognisant of the Vedas and officiate therein, make their offerings to me.

3.187.2

pitṛbhakto'si viprarṣe māṃ caiva śaraṇaṃ gataḥ |
ato dṛṣṭo'smi te sākṣādbrahmacaryaṃ ca te mahat || 2 ||

3.187.3

āpo nārā iti proktāḥ saṃjñānāma kṛtaṃ mayā |
tena nārāyaṇo'smyukto mama taddhyayanaṃ sadā || 3 ||

3.187.4

ahaṃ nārāyaṇo nāma prabhavaḥ śāśvato'vyayaḥ |
vidhātā sarvabhūtānāṃ saṃhartā ca dvijottama || 4 ||

3.187.5

ahaṃ viṣṇurahaṃ brahmā śakraścāhaṃ surādhipaḥ |
ahaṃ vaiśravaṇo rājā yamaḥ pretādhipastathā || 5 ||

3.187.6

ahaṃ śivaśca somaśca kaśyapaśca prajāpatiḥ |
ahaṃ dhātā vidhātā ca yajñaścāhaṃ dvijottama || 6 ||

3.187.7

agnirāsyaṃ kṣitiḥ pādau candrādityau ca locane |
sadiśaṃ ca nabhaḥ kāyo vāyurmanasi me sthitaḥ || 7 ||

3.187.8

mayā kratuśatairiṣṭaṃ bahubhiḥ svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ |
yajante vedaviduṣo māṃ devayajane sthitam || 8 ||

3.187.9

pṛthivyāṃ kṣatriyendrāśca pārthivāḥ svargakāṅkṣiṇaḥ |
yajante māṃ tathā vaiśyāḥ svargalokajigīṣavaḥ || 9 ||

On earth the Kshatriya chiefs that rule over men, in performing their sacrifices from desire of obtaining heaven, and the Vaisyas also in performing theirs from desire of winning those happy regions, all worship me at such times and by those ceremonials. It is I who, assuming the form of Sesha support (on my head) this earth bounded by the four seas and decked by Meru and Mandara. And O regenerate one, it is I who, assuming the form of a boar, had raised in days of yore this earth sunk in water. And, O best of Brahmanas, it is I who, becoming the fire that issues out of the Equine mouth, drink up the waters (of the ocean) and create them again. In consequence of my energy from my mouth, my arms, my thighs, and my feet gradually sprang Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras. It is from me that the Rik, the Sama, the Yajus, and the Atharvan Vedas spring, and it is in me that they all enter when the time cometh. Brahmanas devoted to asceticism, they that value Peace as the highest attribute, they that have their souls under complete control, they that are desirous of knowledge, they that are freed from lust and wrath and envy, they that are unwedded to things of the earth, they that have their sins completely washed away, they that are possessed of gentleness and virtue, and are divested of pride, they that have a full knowledge of the Soul, all worship me with profound meditation.

3.187.10

catuḥsamudraparyantāṃ merumandarabhūṣaṇām |
śeṣo bhūtvāhamevaitāṃ dhārayāmi vasuṃdharām || 10 ||

3.187.11

vārāhaṃ rūpamāsthāya mayeyaṃ jagatī purā |
majjamānā jale vipra vīryeṇāsītsamuddhṛtā || 11 ||

3.187.12

agniśca vaḍavāvaktro bhūtvāhaṃ dvijasattama |
pibāmyapaḥ samāviddhāstāścaiva visṛjāmyaham || 12 ||

3.187.13

brahma vaktraṃ bhujau kṣatramūrū me saṃśritā viśaḥ |
pādau śūdrā bhajante me vikrameṇa krameṇa ca || 13 ||

3.187.14

ṛgvedaḥ sāmavedaśca yajurvedo'pyatharvaṇaḥ |
mattaḥ prādurbhavantyete māmeva praviśanti ca || 14 ||

3.187.15

yatayaḥ śāntiparamā yatātmāno mumukṣavaḥ |
kāmakrodhadveṣamuktā niḥsaṅgā vītakalmaṣāḥ || 15 ||

3.187.16

sattvasthā nirahaṃkārā nityamadhyātmakovidāḥ |
māmeva satataṃ viprāścintayanta upāsate || 16 ||

3.187.17

ahaṃ saṃvartako jyotirahaṃ saṃvartako yamaḥ |
ahaṃ saṃvartakaḥ sūryo ahaṃ saṃvartako'nilaḥ || 17 ||

I am the flame known as Samvartaka, I am the Wind called by that name, I am the Sun wearing that appellation, and I am the fire that hath that designation. And, O best of Brahmanas, those things that are seen in the firmament as stars, know them to be the pores of my skin. The ocean--those mines of gems and the four cardinal points, know, O Brahmana, are my robes, my bed, and my home. By me have they been distributed for serving the purposes of the gods. And, O best of men, know also that lust, wrath, joy, fear, and the over-clouding of the intellect, are all different forms of myself. And, O Brahmana, whatever is obtained by men by the practice of truth, charity, ascetic austerities, and peace and harmlessness towards all creatures, and such other handsome deeds, is obtained because of my arrangements. Governed by my ordinance, men wander within my body, their senses overwhelmed by me. They move not according to their will but as they are moved by me. Regenerate Brahmanas that have thoroughly studied the Vedas, that have tranquillity in their souls, they that have subdued their wrath, obtain a high reward by means of their numerous sacrifices. That reward, however, is unattainable by men that are wicked in their deeds, overwhelmed by covetousness, mean and disreputable with souls unblessed and impure.

3.187.18

tārārūpāṇi dṛśyante yānyetāni nabhastale |
mama rūpāṇyathaitāni viddhi tvaṃ dvijasattama || 18 ||

3.187.19

ratnākarāḥ samudrāśca sarva eva caturdiśam |
vasanaṃ śayanaṃ caiva nilayaṃ caiva viddhi me || 19 ||

3.187.20

kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca harṣaṃ ca bhayaṃ mohaṃ tathaiva ca |
mamaiva viddhi rūpāṇi sarvāṇyetāni sattama || 20 ||

3.187.21

prāpnuvanti narā vipra yatkṛtvā karmaśobhanam |
satyaṃ dānaṃ tapaścogramahiṃsā caiva jantuṣu || 21 ||

3.187.22

madvidhānena vihitā mama dehavihāriṇaḥ |
mayābhibhūtavijñānā viceṣṭante na kāmataḥ || 22 ||

3.187.23

samyagvedamadhīyānā yajanto vividhairmakhaiḥ |
śāntātmāno jitakrodhāḥ prāpnuvanti dvijātayaḥ || 23 ||

3.187.24

prāptuṃ na śakyo yo vidvannarairduṣkṛtakarmabhiḥ |
lobhābhibhūtaiḥ kṛpaṇairanāryairakṛtātmabhiḥ || 24 ||

3.187.25

taṃ māṃ mahāphalaṃ viddhi padaṃ sukṛtakarmaṇaḥ |
duṣprāpaṃ vipramūḍhānāṃ mārgaṃ yogairniṣevitam || 25 ||

Therefore, must thou know, O Brahmana that this reward which is obtained by persons having their souls under control and which is unobtainable by the ignorant and the foolish,--this which is attainable by asceticism alone,--is productive of high merit. And, O best of men, at those times when virtue and morality decrease and sin and immorality increase, I create myself in new forms. And, O Muni, when fierce and malicious Daityas and Rakshasas that are incapable of being slain by even the foremost of the gods, are born on earth, I then take my birth in the families of virtuous men, and assuming human body restore tranquillity by exterminating all evils. Moved by my own maya, I create gods and men, and Gandharvas and Rakshasas, and all immobile things and then destroy them all myself (when the time cometh). For the preservation of rectitude and morality I assume a human form, and when the season for action cometh, I again assume forms that are inconceivable. In the Krita age I become white, in the Treta age I become yellow, in the Dwapara I have become red and in the Kali age I become dark in hue, I the Kali age, the proportion of immorality becometh three-fourths, (a fourth only being that of morality). And when the end of the Yuga cometh, assuming the fierce form of Death, alone I destroy all the three worlds with their mobile and immobile existences. With three steps, I cover the whole Universe; I am the Soul of the universe; I am the source of all happiness;

3.187.26

yadā yadā ca dharmasya glānirbhavati sattama |
abhyutthānamadharmasya tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmyaham || 26 ||

3.187.27

daityā hiṃsānuraktāśca avadhyāḥ surasattamaiḥ |
rākṣasāścāpi loke'sminyadotpatsyanti dāruṇāḥ || 27 ||

3.187.28

tadāhaṃ saṃprasūyāmi gṛheṣu śubhakarmaṇām |
praviṣṭo mānuṣaṃ dehaṃ sarvaṃ praśamayāmyaham || 28 ||

3.187.29

sṛṣṭvā devamanuṣyāṃśca gandharvoragarākṣasān |
sthāvarāṇi ca bhūtāni saṃharāmyātmamāyayā || 29 ||

3.187.30

karmakāle punardehamanucintya sṛjāmyaham |
praviśya mānuṣaṃ dehaṃ maryādābandhakāraṇāt || 30 ||

3.187.31

śvetaḥ kṛtayuge varṇaḥ pītastretāyuge mama |
rakto dvāparamāsādya kṛṣṇaḥ kaliyuge tathā || 31 ||

3.187.32

trayo bhāgā hyadharmasya tasminkāle bhavantyuta |
antakāle ca saṃprāpte kālo bhūtvātidāruṇaḥ |
trailokyaṃ nāśayāmyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam || 32 ||

3.187.33

ahaṃ trivartmā sarvātmā sarvalokasukhāvahaḥ |
abhibhūḥ sarvago'nanto hṛṣīkeśa urukramaḥ || 33 ||

I am the humbler of all pride; I am omnipresent; I am infinite; I am the Lord of the senses; and my prowess is great. O Brahmana, alone do I set a-going the wheel of Time; I am formless; I am the Destroyer of all creatures; and I am the cause of all efforts of all my creatures. O best of Munis, my soul completely pervadeth all my creatures, but, O foremost of all regenerate ones, no one knoweth me. It is me that the pious and the devoted worship in all the worlds. O regenerate one, whatever of pain thou hast felt within my stomach, know, O sinless one, that all that is for thy happiness and good fortune. And whatever of mobile and immobile objects thou hast seen in the world, everything hath been ordained by my Soul which is the Spring of all existence. The grandsire of all creatures is half my body; I am called Narayana, and I am bearer of the conch-shell, the discus and the mace. O regenerate Rishi, for a period measured by a thousand times the length of the Yugas, I who am the Universal Soul sleep overwhelming all creatures in insensibility. And, O best of regenerate Rishis, I stay here thus for all time, in the form of a boy though I am old, until Brahma waketh up. O foremost of Brahmanas, gratified with thee, I who am Brahma have repeatedly granted thee boons, O thou who art worshipped by regenerate Rishis! Beholding one vast expanse of water and seeing that all mobile and immobile creatures have been destroyed, thou wert afflicted with melancholy.

3.187.34

kālacakraṃ nayāmyeko brahmannahamarūpi vai |
śamanaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvalokakṛtodyamam || 34 ||

3.187.35

evaṃ praṇihitaḥ samyaṅmayātmā munisattama |
sarvabhūteṣu viprendra na ca māṃ vetti kaścana || 35 ||

3.187.36

yacca kiṃcittvayā prāptaṃ mayi kleśātmakaṃ dvija |
sukhodayāya tatsarvaṃ śreyase ca tavānagha || 36 ||

3.187.37

yacca kiṃcittvayā loke dṛṣṭaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam |
vihitaḥ sarvathaivāsau mamātmā munisattama || 37 ||

3.187.38

ardhaṃ mama śarīrasya sarvalokapitāmahaḥ |
ahaṃ nārāyaṇo nāma śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ || 38 ||

3.187.39

yāvadyugānāṃ viprarṣe sahasraparivartanam |
tāvatsvapimi viśvātmā sarvalokapitāmahaḥ || 39 ||

3.187.40

evaṃ sarvamahaṃ kālamihāse munisattama |
aśiśuḥ śiśurūpeṇa yāvadbrahmā na budhyate || 40 ||

3.187.41

mayā ca vipra datto'yaṃ varaste brahmarūpiṇā |
asakṛtparituṣṭena viprarṣigaṇapūjita || 41 ||

3.187.42

sarvamekārṇavaṃ dṛṣṭvā naṣṭaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam |
viklavo'si mayā jñātastataste darśitaṃ jagat || 42 ||

I know this, and it is for this that I showed thee the universe (within my stomach). And while thou wert within my body, beholding the entire universe, thou wert filled with wonder and deprived of thy senses. O regenerate Rishi, it is for this that thou wert speedily brought out by me through my mouth. I have (now) told thee of that Soul which is incapable of being comprehended by the gods and the Asuras. And as long as that great ascetic, the holy Brahma, doth not awake, thou, O regenerate Rishi, canst happily and trustfully dwell here. And when that Grandsire of all creatures awaketh up, I will then, O best of Brahmanas, alone create all creatures endued with bodies, the firmament, the earth, light, the atmosphere, water, and indeed all else of mobile and immobile creatures (that thou mayst have seen) on the earth!'

3.187.43

abhyantaraṃ śarīrasya praviṣṭo'si yadā mama |
dṛṣṭvā lokaṃ samastaṃ ca vismito nāvabudhyase || 43 ||

3.187.44

tato'si vaktrādviprarṣe drutaṃ niḥsārito mayā |
ākhyātaste mayā cātmā durjñeyo'pi surāsuraiḥ || 44 ||

3.187.45

yāvatsa bhagavānbrahmā na budhyati mahātapāḥ |
tāvattvamiha viprarṣe viśrabdhaścara vai sukham || 45 ||

3.187.46

tato vibuddhe tasmiṃstu sarvalokapitāmahe |
ekībhūto hi srakṣyāmi śarīrāddvijasattama || 46 ||

3.187.47

ākāśaṃ pṛthivīṃ jyotirvāyuṃ salilameva ca |
loke yacca bhaveccheṣamiha sthāvarajaṅgamam || 47 ||

3.187.48

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca |
ityuktvāntarhitastāta sa devaḥ paramādbhutaḥ |
prajāścemāḥ prapaśyāmi vicitrā bahudhākṛtāḥ || 48 ||

'Markandeya continued, 'Having said so unto me that wonderful Deity vanished, O son, from my sight! I then beheld this varied and wondrous creation start into life. O king, O thou foremost of the Bharata race, I witnessed all this, so wonderful, O thou foremost of all virtuous men, at the end of the Yuga! And the Deity, of eyes large as lotus leaves, seen by me, in days of yore is this tiger among men, this Janardana who hath become thy relative! It is in consequence of the boon granted to me by this one that memory doth not fail me, that the period of my life, O son of Kunti, is so long and death itself is under my control. This is that ancient and supreme Lord Hari of inconceivable soul who hath taken his birth as Krishna of the Vrishni race, and who endued with mighty arms, seemeth to sport in this world! This one is Dhatri and Vidhatri, the Destroyer of all the Eternal, the bearer of the Sreevatsa mark on his breast, the Lord of the lord of all creatures, the highest of the high, called also Govinda! Beholding this foremost of all gods, this ever-victorious Being, attired in yellow robes, this chief of the Vrishni race, my recollection cometh back to me! This Madhava is the father and mother of all creatures! Ye bulls of the Kuru race, seek ye the refuge of this Protector!'

3.187.49

etaddṛṣṭaṃ mayā rājaṃstasminprāpte yugakṣaye |
āścaryaṃ bharataśreṣṭha sarvadharmabhṛtāṃ vara || 49 ||

3.187.50

yaḥ sa devo mayā dṛṣṭaḥ purā padmanibhekṣaṇaḥ |
sa eṣa puruṣavyāghra saṃbandhī te janārdanaḥ || 50 ||

3.187.51

asyaiva varadānāddhi smṛtirna prajahāti mām |
dīrghamāyuśca kaunteya svacchandamaraṇaṃ tathā || 51 ||

3.187.52

sa eṣa kṛṣṇo vārṣṇeyaḥ purāṇapuruṣo vibhuḥ |
āste hariracintyātmā krīḍanniva mahābhujaḥ || 52 ||

3.187.53

eṣa dhātā vidhātā ca saṃhartā caiva sātvataḥ |
śrīvatsavakṣā govindaḥ prajāpatipatiḥ prabhuḥ || 53 ||

3.187.54

dṛṣṭvemaṃ vṛṣṇiśārdūlaṃ smṛtirmāmiyamāgatā |
ādidevamajaṃ viṣṇuṃ puruṣaṃ pītavāsasam || 54 ||

3.187.55

sarveṣāmeva bhūtānāṃ pitā mātā ca mādhavaḥ |
gacchadhvamenaṃ śaraṇaṃ śaraṇyaṃ kauravarṣabhāḥ || 55 ||