Bhagavatapurana 6.17: atha saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

6.17.1

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
yataścāntarhito 'nantastasyai kṛtvā diśe namaḥ /
vidyādharaścitraketuścacāra gagane caraḥ //

Śrī Śuka said: / Having bowed to that direction in which Ananta had disappeared, / the Vidyādhara Citraketu moved about, traveling in the sky.

1. Sri Suka said:— Having bowed to the direction where Ananta vanished from view, Chitraketu, ruler of Vidyadharas (with Vidyadharas) capable of marching through the sky wandered about.

6.17.2

sa lakṣaṃ varṣalakṣāṇāmavyāhatabalendriyaḥ /
stūyamāno mahāyogī munibhiḥ siddhacāraṇaiḥ //

For a hundred thousand years, with unimpeded strength and senses, / praised by sages, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas, the great yogin

2. & 3. For one hundred thousand years, with undiminished strength and power of organs and senses, being praised as a great yogin by sages, Siddhas and Charanas, he spent his time happily in the valleys of the great Kulachalas (boundary mountain-chains) where everything was had for the matter of wish, making Vidyadhara women sing the praises of the Supreme Lord Hari.

6.17.3

kulācalendradroṇīṣu nānāsaṅkalpasiddhiṣu /
reme vidyādharastrībhirgāpayan harimīśvaram //

rejoiced with Vidyādhara women in the valleys of the great mountain ranges / where various wishes were realized, having them sing of Hari, the Lord.

6.17.4

ekadā sa vimānena viṣṇudattena bhāsvatā /
giriśaṃ dadṛśe gacchan parītaṃ siddhacāraṇaiḥ //

Once, traveling in a radiant aerial vehicle given by Viṣṇu, / he saw Giriśa surrounded by Siddhas and Cāraṇas.

4. On one accasion going about in the brilliant car given by Vishnu he saw god Siva surrounded by Siddhas and Charanas.

6.17.5

āliṅgyāṅkīkṛtāṃ devīṃ bāhunā munisaṃsadi /
uvāca devyāḥ śṛṇvantyā jahāsoccaistadantike //

In the assembly of sages, holding the goddess placed on his lap with his arm, / as the goddess was listening, he spoke, laughing aloud nearby:

5. (He also saw) Siva sitting up in the midst of sages having embraced with his arms his consort Parvati seated on his lap; and in their presence laughed aloud and also spoke loud enough to be heard by the goddess.

6.17.6

/0 citraketuruvāca
eṣa lokaguruḥ sākṣāddharmaṃ vaktā śarīriṇām /
āste mukhyaḥ sabhāyāṃ vai mithunībhūya bhāryayā //

Citraketu said: / Here is the spiritual master of the world in person, who proclaims dharma to embodied beings; / yet he sits as the leader in an assembly, united with his wife!

6. Chitraketu said:— Here is the father and preceptor of the world, foremost teacher of dharma to embodied beings, sitting in the assembly embracing his wife.

6.17.7

jaṭādharastīvratapā brahmavādisabhāpatiḥ /
aṅkīkṛtya striyaṃ cāste gatahrīḥ prākṛto yathā //

Wearing matted hair, practicing severe austerity, the leader of the assembly of knowers of Brahman / sits placing a woman on his lap, shameless like an ordinary person!

7. Wearing matted hair, performing great austerities, the president of the assembly of those who are versed in the Vedas sits with his wife without shyness like an ordinary mortal.

6.17.8

prāyaśaḥ prākṛtāścāpi striyaṃ rahasi bibhrati /
ayaṃ mahāvratadharo bibharti sadasi striyam //

Ordinary men usually embrace a woman in secret; / this keeper of great vows embraces a woman in an assembly!

8. Generally worldly men embrace their wives; but they do so in secret; this Siva always known to keep celibacy embraces the woman in the midst of an assembly.

6.17.9

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
bhagavān api tac chrutvā prahasyāgādhadhīrnṛpa /
tūṣṇīṃ babhūva sadasi sabhyāśca tadanuvratāḥ //

Śrī Śuka said: / Hearing that, O king, the Lord, his intellect unfathomable, smiled and / became silent in the assembly, and the assembly members followed his lead.

9. Sri Suka said:— The glorious Siva too of unfathomable mind heard, O king, and laughed and kept quiet, so also those in the assembly behaved like him.

6.17.10

ity atadvīryaviduṣi bruvāṇe bahvaśobhanam /
ruṣāha devī dhṛṣṭāya nirjitātmābhimānine //

As he spoke thus, uttering many improper words without knowing his power, / the goddess spoke in anger to that insolent man who prided himself on having conquered his self:

10. When Chitraketu ignorant of their divine greatness said many things unbecoming him, to the officious king, proud of having conquered his mind, goddess Parvati in anger said.

6.17.11

/0 śrīpārvaty uvāca
ayaṃ kimadhunā loke śāstā daṇḍadharaḥ prabhuḥ /
asmadvidhānāṃ duṣṭānāṃ nirlajjānāṃ ca viprakṛt //

Śrī Pārvatī said: / Has this man now become the ruler, the wielder of the rod, the master in the world, / to punish people like us, who are wicked and shameless?

11. Parvati said:— Is this person now the ruler and punisher of the world? Is he so powerful as to act strongly against those who like us are wicked and shameless?

6.17.12

na veda dharmaṃ kila padmayonir na brahmaputrā bhṛgunāradādyāḥ /
na vai kumāraḥ kapilo manuśca ye no niṣedhanty ativartinaṃ haram //

Does the lotus-born [Brahmā] not know dharma, nor Brahmā's sons headed by Bhṛgu and Nārada, / nor Kumāra, Kapila, and Manu, that they do not restrain Hara who oversteps the bounds?

12. Indeed neither Brahma nor his sons Bhrigu, Narada and others, nor Sanatkumara, nor Kapila, nor Manu comprehnds *Dharma*, who do not take objection to Hara’s violating it.

6.17.13

eṣāmanudhyeyapadābjayugmaṃ jagadguruṃ maṅgalamaṅgalaṃ svayam /
yaḥ kṣatrabandhuḥ paribhūya sūrīn praśāsti dhṛṣṭastadayaṃ hi daṇḍyaḥ //

He whose pair of lotus feet they meditate upon, the teacher of the universe, himself the blessing of blessings— / the wretched kṣatriya who insults the wise and presumes to chastise him, is indeed worthy of punishment.

13. This kshatriya wretch who disregards the gods and Rishis full of wisdom and is so bold as to criticise the father of the Universe, the very embodiment of highest *Dharma*, whose lotus-like feet are worthy of being contemplated by those (who are wise), certainly deserves to be punished.

6.17.14

nāyamarhati vaikuṇṭha pādamūlopasarpaṇam /
sambhāvitamatiḥ stabdhaḥ sādhubhiḥ paryupāsitam //

This conceited, insolent man does not deserve / to approach the feet of Vaikuṇṭha, which are worshipped by the virtuous devotees.

14. This self-conceited and haughty creature does not deserve to approach the feet of Sri Vishnu worshipped by the righteous.

6.17.15

ataḥ pāpīyasīṃ yonimāsurīṃ yāhi durmate /
yatheha bhūyo mahatāṃ na kartā putra kilbiṣam //

Therefore, O fool, go to a most wretched, demoniac womb, / so that here in this world, my son, you will never again commit an offense against exalted devotees.

15. Therefore, O wicked soul, do thou fall into the sinful Asura life, so that thou mightest not again commit the same offence by continuing in this position.

6.17.16

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
evaṃ śaptaścitraketurvimānādavaruhya saḥ /
prasādayāmāsa satīṃ mūrdhnā namreṇa bhārata //

Śrī Śuka said: / Having been cursed in this way, Citraketu descended from his aerial car, / and with his head bowed down, O descendant of Bharata, propitiated Satī.

16. Sri Suka said:— Thus cursed Chitraketu alighted from his car, bent his head low and besought worthy Parvati for favour of pardon, O Bharata.

6.17.17

/0 citraketuruvāca
pratigṛhṇāmi te śāpamātmano 'ñjalināmbike /
devairmartyāya yat proktaṃ pūrvadiṣṭaṃ hi tasya tat //

Citraketu said: / I accept your curse, O mother, with my hands joined in reverence for myself; / for whatever is proclaimed by the gods to a mortal is indeed ordained beforehand for him.

17. Chitraketu said:— O Mother, I do accept thy curse with my hands; whatever is pronounced by the gods towards a mortal is indeed something predestined.

6.17.18

saṃsāracakra etasmiñ janturajñānamohitaḥ /
bhrāmyan sukhaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ ca bhuṅkte sarvatra sarvadā //

In this cycle of rebirth, a creature deluded by ignorance / wanders about, experiencing happiness and sorrow everywhere and at all times.

18. In this wheel of Samsara a creature deluded by ignorance wanders about and experiences pleasure and pain always and everywhere.

6.17.19

naivātmā na paraścāpi kartā syāt sukhaduḥkhayoḥ /
kartāraṃ manyate 'trājña ātmānaṃ parameva ca //

Neither oneself nor another can be the cause of happiness and sorrow; / but in this world the ignorant man considers himself or another to be the cause.

19. Neither oneself nor other self could be the author of pleasure and pain; but the unwise regard themselves or others to be authors thereof.

6.17.20

guṇapravāha etasmin kaḥ śāpaḥ ko nvanugrahaḥ /
kaḥ svargo narakaḥ ko vā kiṃ sukhaṃ duḥkhameva vā //

In this flow of the qualities of nature, what is a curse and what is a blessing? / What is heaven, or what is hell? What is happiness, or even sorrow?

20. In this stream of gunas what is a curse or what is grace? What is happiness or what is misery? what is heaven or what is hell?

6.17.21

ekaḥ sṛjati bhūtāni bhagavān ātmamāyayā /
eṣāṃ bandhaṃ ca mokṣaṃ ca sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ ca niṣkalaḥ //

The one Lord, indivisible, creates living beings through his own creative power; / he creates their bondage and liberation, their happiness and sorrow.

21. The one glorious Lord brings forth creatures through his Maya; and Himself being subject to no change or bondage or to no influence of Maya, He brings about the bondage, release, pleasure and pain of all these creatures.

6.17.22

na tasya kaściddayitaḥ pratīpo na jñātibandhurna paro na ca svaḥ /
samasya sarvatra nirañjanasya sukhe na rāgaḥ kuta eva roṣaḥ //

To him no one is dear, no one an adversary, no one a kinsman or friend, no one a stranger, nor one's own; / to him who is equal everywhere and taintless, there is no attachment to pleasure—whence then could there be wrath?

22. There is none beloved of Him or hateful to Him; none a cousin or relation; none an enemy or a friend; whence could then be love of pleasure or hate in Him who is equal everywhere and absolutely pure.

6.17.23

tathāpi tacchaktivisarga eṣāṃ sukhāya duḥkhāya hitāhitāya /
bandhāya mokṣāya ca mṛtyujanmanoḥ śarīriṇāṃ saṃsṛtaye 'vakalpate //

Nevertheless, the discharge of his power serves to bring about happiness and sorrow, good and ill, / bondage and liberation, death and birth, and transmigration for embodied beings.

23. Still it is the display of His Maya or *Karma*, i.e., the evolution of Punya and Papa that becomes the cause of pleasure and pain, good and bad, bondage and salvation, in fine, of Samsara, which consists in birth and death of these embodied creatures.

6.17.24

atha prasādaye na tvāṃ śāpamokṣāya bhāmini /
yan manyase hy asādhūktaṃ mama tat kṣamyatāṃ sati //

Yet I do not appease you for release from the curse, O angry lady; / whatever was spoken improperly by me, may that be forgiven, O virtuous lady.

24. Therefore, O goddess, I do not beg of Thee absolution from the curse; O worthy One, only pardon me for what Thou mayst consider to be an unrighteous expression on my part.

6.17.25

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
iti prasādya giriśau citraketurarindama /
jagāma svavimānena paśyatoḥ smayatostayoḥ //

Śrī Śuka said: / Having thus appeased the lord and lady of the mountain, Citraketu, O slayer of foes, / departed in his aerial car, while both looked on smiling.

25. Sri Suka said:— O Vanquisher of enemies, Chitraketu thus appeased both Siva and Parvati and rode away in his car while They both wonderingly looked on.

6.17.26

tatastu bhagavān rudro rudrāṇīmidamabravīt /
devarṣidaityasiddhānāṃ pārṣadānāṃ ca śṛṇvatām //

Then the Lord Rudra spoke this to Rudrāṇī, / while the celestial sages, Daityas, Siddhas, and his attendants listened:

26. Then the worshipful Rudra observed to his queen as follows, while the gods, Rishis, Daityas, Siddhas, and his own attendants listened.

6.17.27

/0 śrīrudra uvāca
dṛṣṭavaty asi suśroṇi hareradbhutakarmaṇaḥ /
māhātmyaṃ bhṛtyabhṛtyānāṃ niḥspṛhāṇāṃ mahātmanām //

Śrī Rudra said: / Have you seen, O fair-hipped lady, the greatness of the servants of the servants / of Hari of wondrous deeds—of those great-souled ones free from desire?

27. Sri Rudra said:— O Beautiful One, hast Thou noted the greatness of the noble-minded wise destitute of all desires, who are the servants of the servants of Hari of wonderful works?

6.17.28

nārāyaṇaparāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati /
svargāpavarganarakeṣvapi tulyārthadarśinaḥ //

Those wholly devoted to Nārāyaṇa fear nothing at all; / seeing equal value, they regard heaven, liberation, and hell as the same.

28. All those that are devoted to Narayana are afraid of nothing; they see that the purpose to be gained in Swarga, in Moksha and even in hell to be all the same (for everywhere do they see that one Paramatman, which is their highest purpose).

6.17.29

dehināṃ dehasaṃyogāddvandvānīśvaralīlayā /
sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ mṛtirjanma śāpo 'nugraha eva ca //

By the divine play of the Supreme Lord, through the embodiment's union with a body, the pairs of opposites arise: / happiness and sorrow, death and birth, and curse and blessing.

29. For those who are invested with a body these opposite states, birth and death, curse and grace, pleasure and pain are through the connection of body brought about by the Lord's sportive activity.

6.17.30

avivekakṛtaḥ puṃso hy arthabheda ivātmani /
guṇadoṣavikalpaśca bhideva srajivat kṛtaḥ //

The distinction of values in the self is caused by a man's lack of discrimination, / as is the distinction between virtue and fault—just as the appearance of a snake is superimposed on a garland.

30. What seems to be difference in objects is indeed the work of ignorance in respect of Atman; so also is the distinction of good and bad like the notion of difference in the case of a rope.

6.17.31

vāsudeve bhagavati bhaktimudvahatāṃ nṛṇām /
jñānavairāgyavīryāṇāṃ na hi kaścidvyapāśrayaḥ //

For human beings who bear devotion to the Lord Vāsudeva, / whose strength is knowledge and dispassion, there is no other refuge at all.

31. There is nothing here sought after by the wise men who have intense devotion to the glorious Vasudeva and whose strength lies in wisdom and rununciation.

6.17.32

nāhaṃ viriñco na kumāranāradau na brahmaputrā munayaḥ sureśāḥ /
vidāma yasyehitamaṃśakāṃśakā na tatsvarūpaṃ pṛthagīśamāninaḥ //

Neither I, nor Viriñca, nor Kumāra and Nārada, nor Brahmā's sons, the sages, and the chiefs of the gods— / partial expansions of his expansions, deeming ourselves independent lords—know his purpose or his true nature.

32. Neither I, nor Brahma, nor Sanatkumara, nor Narada, nor the sages born of Brahma, nor the great gods-all but sparks of His single ray, regard ourselves to be great and separate rulers, and could comprehend His course or His true nature.

6.17.33

na hy asyāsti priyaḥ kaścin nāpriyaḥ svaḥ paro 'pi vā /
ātmatvāt sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvabhūtapriyo hariḥ //

Indeed, no one is dear to him, nor is anyone unpleasing, nor one's own, nor a stranger; / because he is the self of all beings, Hari is dear to all beings.

33. Indeed there is no one loved or hated by Him; none friendly or inimical to Him, (belonging to Him or foreign to Him): He being the Atman of all creatures, Hari is beloved of all beings.

6.17.34

tasya cāyaṃ mahābhāgaścitraketuḥ priyo 'nugaḥ /
sarvatra samadṛk śānto hy ahaṃ caivācyutapriyaḥ //

And this highly fortunate Citraketu is his dear follower, / seeing equally everywhere and tranquil; and I too am dear to Acyuta.

34. This Chitraketu of blessed nature is His beloved follower; he regards everything equal; he is quite serene (unagitated by passions) and I too am beloved of Achyuta.

6.17.35

tasmān na vismayaḥ kāryaḥ puruṣeṣu mahātmasu /
mahāpuruṣabhakteṣu śānteṣu samadarśiṣu //

Therefore, no wonder should be felt regarding great-souled men, / devotees of the Supreme Person, who are peaceful and see all with an equal eye.

35. Therefore there (this) is no occasion for wonder in the case of high-souled persons, devotees of the Supreme Person, who are free from passions and who regard everything equally.

6.17.36

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
iti śrutvā bhagavataḥ śivasyomābhibhāṣitam /
babhūva śāntadhī rājan devī vigatavismayā //

Śrī Śuka said: / Having heard this spoken by the Lord Śiva, O king, / the goddess Umā became tranquil in mind, her astonishment gone.

36. Sri Suka said:— Having heard what the worshipful Siva said, Parvati became appeased, O king, and got over her astonishment.

6.17.37

iti bhāgavato devyāḥ pratiśaptumalantamaḥ /
mūrdhnā sa jagṛhe śāpametāvat sādhulakṣaṇam //

Thus the Bhāgavata, though fully capable of cursing the goddess in return, / accepted the curse with his head bowed down; such is the mark of a virtuous devotee.

37. Though quite capable of pronouncing a countercurse upon the goddess, the votary of Hari accepted her curse with his head (bowing his dead indicating his willingness and humility); and this is the characteristic of the truly righteous.

6.17.38

jajñe tvaṣṭurdakṣiṇāgnau dānavīṃ yonimāśritaḥ /
vṛtra ity abhivikhyāto jñānavijñānasaṃyutaḥ //

Taking birth in a demoniac womb from Tvaṣṭṛ's southern sacrificial fire, / he became renowned as Vṛtra, endowed with knowledge and realized wisdom.

38. Assuming the body of a Danava Chitraketu rose out of Twashtri’s sacred fire called Dakshinagni and became celebrated as Vritra, still endowed with knowledge and wisdom (his knowledge and wisdom remaning unclouded).

6.17.39

etat te sarvamākhyātaṃ yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi /
vṛtrasyāsurajāteśca kāraṇaṃ bhagavanmateḥ //

All this has been related to you, which you asked me about— / the cause of Vṛtra's birth as a demon, and of his mind being fixed on the Lord.

39. I have thus told thee everything about which enquiry was made by thee, to wit, the cause of (what led to) Vritra’s birth in the Asura race and how his knowledge and devotion to Hari (were not lost).

6.17.40

itihāsamimaṃ puṇyaṃ citraketormahātmanaḥ /
māhātmyaṃ viṣṇubhaktānāṃ śrutvā bandhādvimucyate //

Having heard this sacred historical account of the great-souled Citraketu, / this greatness of Viṣṇu's devotees, one is freed from bondage.

40. On hearing this sacred history of the high-souled Chitraketu as well as the glories of Vishnu’s votaries, one obtains release from Samsara (bondage).

6.17.41

ya etat prātarutthāya śraddhayā vāgyataḥ paṭhet /
itihāsaṃ hariṃ smṛtvā sa yāti paramāṃ gatim //

Whoever, having risen early in the morning, reads this historical account with faith, / restraining speech and remembering Hari, reaches the supreme destination.

41. He, who rises betimes, reads this history with faith and in silence and remembers Hari attains to the highest state.