Bhagavatapurana 5.17

5.17.1

_*
/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
tatra bhagavataḥ sākṣād yajña-liṅgasya viṣṇor vikramato vāma-pādāṅguṣṭha-nakha-nirbhinnordhvāṇḍa-kaṭāha-vivareṇāntaḥ-praviṣṭā yā bāhya-jala-dhārā tac-caraṇa-paṅkajāvanejanāruṇa-kiñjalkoparañjitākhila-jagad-agha-malāpahopasparśanāmalā sākṣād bhagavat-padīty anupalakṣita-vaco 'bhidhīyamānāti-mahatā kālena yuga-sahasropalakṣaṇena divo mūrdhany avatatāra yat tad viṣṇu-padam āhuḥ //

1. Sri Suka said:—There (on this Bhumandala), when the glorious Vishnu Himself appeared (as Trivikrama) in the sacrifice (of Bali) and proceeded to measure out the three feet of ground alloted to Him by Bali, the firmament above was pierced by the tip of the toe on the Lord's left foot; through that opening rushed in a stream from the expansive waters outside the Brahmanda; she be-

came charming with the crimson rays like unto filaments of the Lord’s lotus-like feet as she washed them; she is pure and purifies all the world of the dirt of sin; she is expressly and directly called ‘*Bhagavatpadee*’ (born of the Lord’s feet) to the exclusion of other names that might imply another source; through a long period of time calculated to be five thousand years she reached down to the high region of celestials, which the wise call ‘*Vishnupada*’.

5.17.2

_*
yatra ha vāva vīra-vrata auttānapādiḥ parama-bhāgavato 'smat-kula-devatā-caraṇāravindodakam iti yām anusavanam utkṛṣyamāṇa-bhagavad-bhakti-yogena dṛḍhaṃ klidyamānāntar-hṛdaya autkaṇṭhya-vivaśāmīlita-locana-yugala-kuḍmala-vigalitāmala-bāṣpa-kalayābhivyajyamāna-roma-pulaka-kulako 'dhunāpi paramādareṇa śirasā bibharti //

2. And at the Vishnupada (in the sky), Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada, constant in his vows and the foremost devotee of the Lord, remembers the stream thus. “These are the waters flowing from the lotus-like feet of our family deity Sri Narayana”; and every moment having his heart deeply saturated with growing devotion and with his eyes half-closed, forgetting himself in the overwhelming love, with tears of joy escaping from his eyes, his whole body bristling in transport, Dhruva even now holds her on his head (sprinkles his head with those waters) in intense faith and devotion.

5.17.3

_*
tataḥ sapta ṛṣayas tat prabhāvābhijñā yāṃ nanu tapasa ātyantikī siddhir etāvatī bhagavati sarvātmani vāsudeve 'nuparata-bhakti-yoga-lābhenaivopekṣitānyārthātma-gatayo muktim ivāgatāṃ mumukṣava iva sabahu-mānam adyāpi jaṭā-jūṭair udvahanti //

3. In the next stage the seven holy sages who know her greatness and who in the very achievement of their uninterrupted devotion to the glorious Lord, Atman of all, are indifferent to other purposes and to the attainment of Atman even, hold her in their matted-locks in great reverance just as those seeking Mukti would receive her (mukti) that offers herself, and think of her Ganga thus, ‘Here indeed we have reached the final goal of our Tapas’.

5.17.4

_*
tato 'neka-sahasra-koṭi-vimānānīka-saṅkula-deva-yānenāvatar-antīndu maṇḍalam āvārya brahma-sadane nipatati //

4. Thence descending through the path of the gods, (the sky), overcrowded with many multitudes of celestial mansions and cars to be counted in crores, she traverses the sphere of the moon and falls into the city of Brahma.

5.17.5

_*
tatra caturdhā bhidyamānā caturbhir nāmabhiś catur-diśam abhispandantī nada-nadī-patim evābhiniviśati sītālakanandā cakṣur bhadreti //

5. There she divides herself into four branches with four names, Sita, Alakananda, Chakshus and Bhadra and flowing towards the four cardinal points, directly enters (the sea) the Lord of rivers that run both in the easterly and in the westerly directions.

5.17.6

_*
sītā tu brahma-sadanāt kesarācalādi-giri-śikharebhyo 'dho 'dhaḥ prasravantī gandhamādana-mūrdhasu patitvāntareṇa bhadrāśva-varṣaṃ prācyāṃ diśi kṣāra-samudram abhipraviśati //

6. Issuing from the city of Brahma and gradually descending from the summits of Kesara and other mountains, falling on to the

top of the Gandhamadana and traversing the continent of Bhadrasva, on her way, the Sita enters the salt sea on the east.

5.17.7

_*
evaṃ mālyavac-chikharān niṣpatantī tato 'nuparata-vegā ketumālam abhi cakṣuḥ pratīcyāṃ diśi sarit-patiṃ praviśati //

7. Similarly, (the branch called) Chakshus descends from the summit of Malayavati, thence proceeds with unabated velocity towards the continent of Kethumala and enters the sea on the west.

5.17.8

_*
bhadrā cottarato meru-śiraso nipatitā giri-śikharād giri-śikharam atihāya śṛṅgavataḥ śṛṅgād avasyandamānā uttarāṃs tu kurūn abhita udīcyāṃ diśi jaladhim abhipraviśati //

8. And on the north falls the Bhadra from the summit of Meru, passes from one summit to another of the (several) mountains and lastly, descending from the top of Shringavat, traverses the North Kurus (on all sides) and enters the sea on the north.

5.17.9

_*
tathaivālakanandā dakṣiṇena brahma-sadanād bahūni giri-kūṭāny atikramya hemakūṭād dhaimakūṭāny ati-rabhasatara-raṃhasā luṭhayantī bhāratam abhivarṣaṃ dakṣiṇasyāṃ diśi jaladhim abhipraviśati yasyāṃ snānārthaṃ cāgacchataḥ puṃsaḥ pade pade 'śvamedha-rājasūyādīnāṃ phalaṃ na durlabham iti //

9. Similarly, down the southern slopes of Meru, Alakananda descends; falling from one summit to another from the city of Brahma and, after issuing from Hemakuta, rolling her rapid waters over the summits of the Himalayas, she traverses the continent of Bharata on the south, and enters the sea; the person who journeys to bathe in this branch, acquires with ease at every step, the merit of having performed Aswamedha, Rajasuya, and other great sacrifices.

5.17.10

_*
anye ca nadā nadyaś ca varṣe varṣe santi bahuśo merv-ādi-giri-duhitaraḥ śataśaḥ //

10. There are hundreds of other rivers that run east and west through every continent—all daughters of Meru and other mountains.

5.17.11

_*
tatrāpi bhāratam eva varṣaṃ karma-kṣetram anyāny aṣṭa varṣāṇi svargiṇāṃ puṇya-śeṣopabhoga-sthānāni bhaumāni svarga-padāni vyapadiśanti //

11. Of all this terrestrial extent, this continent of Bharata alone, is *Karma kshetra*, (that is, the land where man's actions become the means of his future attainment), the remaining eight continents are only places of enjoyment for those that return from Swarga with some portion of their merit unexhausted and these are called "celestial spots" on earth.

5.17.12

_*
eṣu puruṣāṇām ayuta-puruṣāyur-varṣāṇāṃ deva-kalpānāṃ nāgāyuta-prāṇānāṃ vajra-saṃhanana-bala-vayo-moda-pramudita-mahā-saurata-mithuna-vyavāyāpavarga-varṣa-dhṛtaika-garbha-kalatrāṇāṃ tatra tu tretā-yuga-samaḥ kālo vartate //

12. In these (continents) men live ten times the full length of human life; they are like unto gods; they are as strong as ten thousand elephants; having an adamantine frame and strength, lasting youthfulness, and unimpaired joys they feel happy; at the close of their long course of great conjugal pleasures their wives show but once signs of pregnancy of a year's duration. There the character of time is like that of Treta Yuga.

5.17.13

_*
yatra ha deva-patayaḥ svaiḥ svair gaṇa-nāyakair vihita-mahārhaṇāḥ sarvartu-kusuma-stabaka-phala-kisalaya-śriyānamyamāna-viṭapa-latā-viṭapibhir upaśumbhamāna-rucira-kānanāśramāyatana-varṣa-giri-droṇīṣu tathā cāmala-jalāśayeṣu vikaca-vividha-nava-vanaruhāmoda-mudita-rāja-haṃsa-jala-kukkuṭa-kāraṇḍava-sārasa-cakravākādibhir madhukara-nikarākṛtibhir upakūjiteṣu jala-krīḍādibhir vicitra-vinodaiḥ sulalita-sura-sundarīṇāṃ kāma-kalila-vilāsa-hāsa-līlāvalokākṛṣṭa-mano-dṛṣṭayaḥ svairaṃ viharanti //

13. And there indeed [the great gods highly worshipped by the leaders of their respective attendants] in the mountain valleys of the several continents studded with hermitages and mansions, beautiful forests, looking very splendid and graceful with trees and creepers bending low under the charming load of flowers of all seasons, bunches of fruits and clusters of tender shoots in lakes of crystal waters resonant with the voice of royal swans, water-fowls, sarasa, chakravaka, and other birds rejoiced at breathing the fragrance of full-blown and various kinds of lotus—birds which look like swarms of bees,—the great gods lead as they list a life of pleasure in various forms of diversion such as jalakreeda with their mind (heart) and eyes taken up with the sportful glances, smiles and gait, all charged with love, of most beautiful celestial women.

5.17.14

_*
navasv api varṣeṣu bhagavān nārāyaṇo mahā-puruṣaḥ puruṣāṇāṃ tad-anugrahāyātma-tattva-vyūhenātmanādyāpi sannidhīyate //

14. In all the nine continents the glorious Lord Narayana, the Supreme Person is present now in His various forms for the purpose of showing His grace unto those that inhabit them.

5.17.15

_*
ilāvṛte tu bhagavān bhava eka eva pumān na hy anyas tatrāparo nirviśati bhavānyāḥ śāpa-nimitta-jño yat-pravekṣyataḥ strī-bhāvas tat paścād vakṣyāmi //

15. But in the continent of Ilavrita the only one male that is present is the worshipful God Siva; and no other who knows of the curse of Siva's consort enters it; for he who would enter it is turned into a woman—on this subject I shall speak later on.

5.17.16

_*
bhavānīnāthaiḥ strī-gaṇārbuda-sahasrair avarudhyamāno bhagavataś caturmūrter mahā-puruṣasya turīyāṃ tāmasīṃ mūrtiṃ prakṛtim ātmanaḥ saṅkarṣaṇa-saṃjñām ātma-samādhi-rūpeṇa sannidhāpyaitad abhigṛṇan bhava upadhāvati //

16. (There) dutifully waited upon by Arbuda thousands of women headed by Parvati, God Siva is busily engaged in the worship of the Fourth Form, directing the work of Tamas, of the supreme Person, the glorious Narayana of four forms who is His own cause and who is called Sankarshana, whose presence God Siva has secured by the intensity of devout contemplation and by singing His praises as follows.

17. The Lord said:—