Bhagavatapurana 2.4: atha caturtho'dhyāyaḥ

2.4.1

/0 sūta uvāca
vaiyāsakeriti vacastattvaniścayam ātmanaḥ /
upadhārya matiṃ kṛṣṇe auttareyaḥ satīṃ vyadhāt //

1. Suta said:—Having listened to Suka's (Vaiyasiki's) words leading to an accurate understanding of Atman, Uttara's son (Parikshit) set his (righteous) heart on Krishna (was persuaded that only Sri Krishna should be worshipped).

2.4.2

ātmajāyāsutāgāra paśudraviṇabandhuṣu /
rājye cāvikale nityaṃ virūḍhāṃ mamatāṃ jahau //

2. And he renounced (cut off) the attachment that had grown up (in his mind) from eternity towards his body, his wife and sons, his house and beasts and wealth, and his friends and relations, as also to his well-ordered and prosperous kingdom (unassailed by enemies or difficulties).

2.4.3

papraccha cemam evārthaṃ yan māṃ pṛcchatha sattamāḥ /
kṛṣṇānubhāvaśravaṇe śraddadhāno mahāmanāḥ //

3. And the king possessed of a great mind, and inspired with intense faith in listening to the glories of Sri Krishna, asked Suka regarding the very theme about which you ask me, O, foremost one among the righteous?

2.4.4

saṃsthāṃ vijñāya sannyasya karma traivargikaṃ ca yat /
vāsudeve bhagavati ātmabhāvaṃ dṛḍhaṃ gataḥ //

4. Having perceived death (to be near), he ceased to do those duties which are laid down for the purposes of Dharma, Artha and Kama, and firmly (solely) devoted (himself) to the realisation of self in the glorious Vasudeva.

2.4.5

/0 rājovāca
samīcīnaṃ vaco brahman sarvajñasya tavānagha /
tamo viśīryate mahyaṃ hareḥ kathayataḥ kathām //

5. The king (Parikshit) said:—"O Brahman, most happy are the words spoken by you who are sinless and perfect in wisdom; and as you tell me the stories of Hari, the gloom of my ignorance is dispelled.

2.4.6

bhūya eva vivitsāmi bhagavān ātmamāyayā /
yathedaṃ sṛjate viśvaṃ durvibhāvyam adhīśvaraiḥ //

6. Again and again I desire to know how the Glorious Lord by His own Maya creates this (cosmos), too mysterious to be fully comprehended even by the great gods (Brahma and others, etc).

2.4.7

yathā gopāyati vibhuryathā saṃyacchate punaḥ /
yāṃ yāṃ śaktim upāśritya puruśaktiḥ paraḥ pumān /
ātmānaṃ krīḍayan krīḍan karoti vikaroti ca //

7. Also I wish to know how the Lord protects it; and how again He destroys it; and what (different) powers He assumes, what He does and what changes He introduces—He, the Perfect Purusha of boundless powers,—in displaying His sportful activity directly, or indirectly through Brahma and others.

2.4.8

nūnaṃ bhagavato brahman hareradbhutakarmaṇaḥ /
durvibhāvyam ivābhāti kavibhiścāpi ceṣṭitam //

8. O Brahmana, verily the work of the glorious Hari of wonderful energy appears incomprehensible even to those who are perfect in wisdom.

2.4.9

yathā guṇāṃstu prakṛteryugapat kramaśo 'pi vā /
bibharti bhūriśastvekaḥ kurvan karmāṇi janmabhiḥ //

9. Especially, how, _i.e._, whether at the same time or one after another in succession, (or without any order), He assumes the gunas of Prakriti in order to do His work through many avataras as Brahma and others.

2.4.10

vicikitsitam etan me bravītu bhagavān yathā /
śābde brahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ parasmiṃśca bhavān khalu //

10. This is a point I wish to enquire into, O worshipful one; may you be pleased to tell me how this truly happens. You are in fact deeply learned in the Vedic lore and possessed of the direct knowledge of Parabrahman.

2.4.11

/0 sūta uvāca
ityupāmantrito rājñā guṇānukathane hareḥ /
hṛṣīkeśam anusmṛtya prativaktuṃ pracakrame //

11. Suta said:—Thus solicited by the monarch to discourse upon Hari's excellent powers and attributes, Suka contemplated Hrishikesa, and began to answer (the queries.)

2.4.12

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
namaḥ parasmai puruṣāya bhūyase sadudbhavasthānanirodhalīlayā /
gṛhītaśaktitritayāya dehinām antarbhavāyānupalakṣyavartmane //

12. Sri Suka said:—Hail to the Perfect Purusha of unlimited power and glory, who, in His sportful activity of creating, preserving and destroying _sat_ (this world), assumes the three _saktis_, _viz._, Satva, Rajas, etc., who is also the inner ruler of all beings and whose ways cannot therefore be perceived.

2.4.13

bhūyo namaḥ sadvṛjinacchide 'satām asambhavāyākhilasattvamūrtaye /
puṃsāṃ punaḥ pāramahaṃsya āśrame vyavasthitānām anumṛgyadāśuṣe //

13. Again and again, my salutations (are offered) to Him who roots out the misery of the righteous, who represses (the growth of) the wicked, who directs all the gods endowed with Satvic body in bestowing various fruits (upon the worshippers), and who confers on those that have entered upon the Paramahamsa Asrama that self-realisation which has to be sought for by eschewing everything else as unreal.

2.4.14

namo namaste 'stvṛṣabhāya sātvatāṃ vidūrakāṣṭhāya muhuḥ kuyoginām /
nirastasāmyātiśayena rādhasā svadhāmani brahmaṇi raṃsyate namaḥ //

14. I repeatedly make my salutations to the foremost one among the Satvatas, to the protector (defender) of His devotees, to

Him who is far from the reach of (is not to be known by) those that are destitute of devotion; to Him who by virtue of His supreme nature unequalled and unsurpassed, enjoys beatitude (without beginning or end) in His own essential state as Brahman.

2.4.15

yatkīrtanaṃ yatsmaraṇaṃ yadīkṣaṇaṃ yadvandanaṃ yacchravaṇaṃ yadarhaṇam /
lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmaṣaṃ tasmai subhadraśravase namo namaḥ //

15. Hail to Him who is of the most blessed (auspicious) fame; (for), to praise Him, to remember Him, to see Him, to adore Him, to hear about Him, or to worship Him, at once cleanses men of impurity (sin).

2.4.16

vicakṣaṇā yaccaraṇopasādanāt saṅgaṃ vyudasyobhayato 'ntarātmanaḥ /
vindanti hi brahmagatiṃ gataklamāstasmai subhadraśravase namo namaḥ //

16. Again and again (I offer my) salutations to the Lord of the most holy renown, by worshipping whose feet, the wise (are able to) shake off their attachments in the mind to (their passions for) things both of this and of the other world and free themselves from (all) troubles (miseries) and attain to the state (knowledge) of Brahman.

2.4.17

tapasvino dānaparā yaśasvino manasvino mantravidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ /
kṣemaṃ na vindanti vinā yadarpaṇaṃ tasmai subhadraśravase namo namaḥ //

17. Salutation to Vasudeva of most blessed name, without worshipping whom (whatever they may do), none can attain perfect happiness (the Highest good), although they perform Tapas, or are constant in charitable duties, or attain high reputation (for their goodness), and although they are great contemplatists (yogins), versed in the Vedas and firm in auspicious (praiseworthy) ways of life.

2.4.18

kirātahūṇāndhrapulindapulkaśā ābhīraśumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ /
ye 'nye ca pāpā yadapāśrayāśrayāḥ śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ //

18. All hail to that Lord of Supreme Power, by depending upon (the grace of) whose devotees, (even) the Kiratas, Hunas, Andhras, Pulindas, Pulkasas, Abhiras, Sumhas, Yavanas, or (such) other sinful races of people become purified.

2.4.19

sa eṣa ātmātmavatām adhīśvarastrayīmayo dharmamayastapomayaḥ /
gatavyalīkairajaśaṅkarādibhirvitarkyaliṅgo bhagavān prasīdatām //

19. May the Glorious Lord of such supreme nature be gracious unto me—the Lord of Lords worshipped as Atman (self) by the wise, the Lord spoken of in the three Vedas, and the one goal of all Tapas, the Lord whose form is looked at in amazement by sincere devotees, viz. Brahma, Sankara and others.

2.4.20

śriyaḥ patiryajñapatiḥ prajāpatirdhiyāṃ patirlokapatirdharāpatiḥ /
patirgatiścāndhakavṛṣṇisātvatāṃ prasīdatāṃ me bhagavān satāṃ patiḥ //

20. May the Lord of all powers be gracious unto me—Mukunda who is the Lord of Sri, the Lord of Sacrifices, the Lord of (all) creatures, the Ruler of (my) Intellectual faculties, the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of the Earth, the Lord and the goal (protector in all respects) of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, and the Lord of the Good!

2.4.21

yadaṅghryabhidhyānasamādhidhautayā dhiyānupaśyanti hi tattvam ātmanaḥ /
vadanti caitat kavayo yathārucaṃ sa me mukundo bhagavān prasīdatām //

21. May that Bhagavan Mukunda be gracious unto me, by the yoga of contemplating whose feet the wise purify their power of understanding and thereby see (realise) the true nature of Atman, and discourse upon it, according as their tastes direct them (or as their light enables them to do).

2.4.22

pracoditā yena purā sarasvatī vitanvatājasya satīṃ smṛtiṃ hṛdi /
svalakṣaṇā prādurabhūt kilāsyataḥ sa me ṛṣīṇām ṛṣabhaḥ prasīdatām //

22. May the Supreme Sage of sages be gracious unto me; in the beginning Saraswati in (all) her essential graces (accompanied with all) the (necessary) Branches of Learning issued from his mouth, urged on by Him who kindles perfect memory (necessary for creation) in the mind of Brahma, (who is pleased to unfold the thought of creation in the mind of Brahma).

2.4.23

bhūtairmahadbhirya imāḥ puro vibhurnirmāya śete yadamūṣu pūruṣaḥ /
bhuṅkte guṇān ṣoḍaśa ṣoḍaśātmakaḥ so 'laṅkṛṣīṣṭa bhagavān vacāṃsi me //

23. May the glorious Lord be pleased to bestow graces on my expression,—that omnipresent Lord who creates these bodies out of the (five) great Bhutas, and, who, as Purusha, dwells in them and illumines and preserves the sixteen constituents (of the body), as the giver of life to the sixteen.

2.4.24

namastasmai bhagavate vāsudevāya vedhase /
papurjñānam ayaṃ saumyā yanmukhāmburuhāsavam //

24. Hail to the glorious and worshipful Vyasa of immeasurable light, from the lotus of whose mouth His devotees (gentle disciples) (drank) the honey of wisdom!

2.4.25

etadevātmabhū rājan nāradāya vipṛcchate /
vedagarbho 'bhyadhāt sākṣādyadāha harirātmanaḥ //

25. O King! Brahma born of Atman, the repository of all the Vedas, explained this very thing which Hari (had) directly communicated to him in the same way (as I shall now do) to thee to the enquiring Narada.