Bhagavatapurana 8.1: atha prathamo'dhyāyaḥ

8.1.1

/0 śrīrājovāca
svāyambhuvasyeha guro vaṃśo 'yaṃ vistarāc chrutaḥ /
yatra viśvasṛjāṃ sargo manūn anyān vadasva naḥ //

1. The king said:—O preceptor, the dynasty of Swayambhuva Manu has now been told in detail.

[V. D. Therein the various courses of Dharma, auspicious duties relating to the four Varnas, have also been described]. Be pleased to discourse to us on those other Manus in whose time the creation of progenitors took place.

8.1.2

manvantare harerjanma karmāṇi ca mahīyasaḥ /
gṛṇanti kavayo brahmaṃstāni no vada śṛṇvatām //

2. Wherever the Avatar and the great actions of the most worthy Hari are sung by the wise, O Brahmana, be pleased to describe them to us who are listening to thee.

8.1.3

yadyasminnantare brahman bhagavān viśvabhāvanaḥ /
kṛtavān kurute kartā hy atīte 'nāgate 'dya vā //

3. In what Manvantara, O wise one, what glorious thing did the most worshipful Maker of the Universe work in the past, is working at the present and will work in the future? Be pleased to tell us of all.

8.1.4

/0 śrīṛṣiruvāca
manavo 'smin vyatītāḥ ṣaṭ kalpe svāyambhuvādayaḥ /
ādyaste kathito yatra devādīnāṃ ca sambhavaḥ //

4. The sage said:—In this Kalpa there were till now six Manus, Swayambhuva and others; the first of these has been described to thee, as also the creation of the gods and others during his period.

8.1.5

ākūtyāṃ devahūtyāṃ ca duhitrostasya vai manoḥ /
dharmajñānopadeśārthaṃ bhagavān putratāṃ gataḥ //

5. The glorious Lord became the son of Akuti and also the son of Devahuti, the two daughters of that Manu, for the purpose of imparting (to the world) the knowledge of righteousness.

8.1.6

kṛtaṃ purā bhagavataḥ kapilasyānuvarṇitam /
ākhyāsye bhagavān yajño yac cakāra kurūdvaha //

6. The work of the glorious Kapila has been described, O best of Kurus; I shall tell you of what the glorious Lord as Yagna did.

8.1.7

viraktaḥ kāmabhogeṣu śatarūpāpatiḥ prabhuḥ /
visṛjya rājyaṃ tapase sabhāryo vanamāviśat //

7. The powerful Lord of Satarupa having felt renunciation towards the enjoyment of pleasures left the kingdom and with his wife went into the forest for Tapas.

8.1.8

sunandāyāṃ varṣaśataṃ padaikena bhuvaṃ spṛśan /
tapyamānastapo ghoramidamanvāha bhārata //

8. On the banks of the Sunanda he stood for a century with one foot on the ground and practised austere Tapas and expressed himself as follows, O Bharata.

8.1.9

/0 śrīmanuruvāca
yena cetayate viśvaṃ viśvaṃ cetayate na yam /
yo jāgarti śayāne 'smin nāyaṃ taṃ veda veda saḥ //

9. Manu said:—"[Vasudeva dwells in all bodies with uninterrupted vision] No creature knows Him by whom the universe is made to live, but to whom the universe does not give life and who keeps waking while the universe is asleep; but He knows it.

8.1.10

ātmāvāsyamidaṃ viśvaṃ yat kiñcij jagatyāṃ jagat /
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya sviddhanam //

10. "This whole universe depends for its existence and life upon the all-pervading Lord; so also any and every creature in the world. Therefore make thy living with what is bestowed by Him on thee and do not thirst after the wealth of any other. [Therefore live upon what is given to thee, after offering it to Him. Who else is possessed of wealth from whom help can be expected?].

8.1.11

yaṃ paśyati na paśyantaṃ cakṣuryasya na riṣyati /
taṃ bhūtanilayaṃ devaṃ suparṇamupadhāvata //

11. "The eye (creature) does not see Him who sees (everything) and the vision (consciousness) of the seer does not vanish; betake yourselves to that God who is the abode of (all) beings, and who is (like unto) a bird that soars aloft unconnected with everything else.

8.1.12

na yasyādyantau madhyaṃ ca svaḥ paro nāntaraṃ bahiḥ /
viśvasyāmūni yadyasmādviśvaṃ ca tadṛtaṃ mahat //

12. "He has no beginning, end or middle. There is nothing which is worth calling His possession and there is nothing which is not His

possession. The distinction as inside and outside cannot be predicated of Him. These states and aspects only pertain to the Universe. He is the support of the Universe. Therefore He is the Truth and the great and perfect Being.

8.1.13

sa viśvakāyaḥ puruhūtaīśaḥ satyaḥ svayaṃjyotirajaḥ purāṇaḥ /
dhatte 'sya janmādyajayātmaśaktyā tāṃ vidyayodasya nirīha āste //

13. "He is the Supreme Being of whom the Universe is the body, who is variously named, who is the Ruler, the true One, Self-radiant, the Unborn and eternally the ancient One. By His own eternal Power He brings about the birth and other states and yet by His wisdom keeps that Power (at a distance from Him) and remains free from (all) activity.

8.1.14

athāgre ṛṣayaḥ karmāṇ īhante 'karmahetave /
īhamāno hi puruṣaḥ prāyo 'nīhāṃ prapadyate //

14. "Therefore sages first proceed to do righteous duties for the purpose of attaining to the state of inaction, *i. e.*, Moksha; so also a person entering the active course generally attains to the state of being inactive.

8.1.15

īhate bhagavān īśo na hi tatra visajjate /
ātmalābhena pūrṇārtho nāvasīdanti ye 'nu tam //

15. "The Supreme Ruler of glorious powers is indeed active; but He does not form any attachment to it; for He is absolutely perfect in His self-realisation; and so those that follow His example do not come to difficulties (*i. e.*, do not form attachments).

8.1.16

tamīhamānaṃ nirahaṅkṛtaṃ budhaṃ nirāśiṣaṃ pūrṇamananyacoditam /
nṝn śikṣayantaṃ nijavartmasaṃsthitaṃ prabhuṃ prapadye 'khiladharmabhāvanam //

16. "I resort for shelter to that Supreme Lord who, free from pride, being full of wisdom, seeking no blessings, perfect in Himself,

not acting under the influence of others and constant in His own path and does duties and thereby sets an example to men."

8.1.17

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
iti mantropaniṣadaṃ vyāharantaṃ samāhitam /
dṛṣṭvāsurā yātudhānā jagdhumabhyadravan kṣudhā //

17. Sri Suka said:— On seeing Manu who was in meditation uttering this Upanishad, the *Asuras* and *Yatudanas* in great hunger rushed to devour him.

8.1.18

tāṃstathāvasitān vīkṣya yajñaḥ sarvagato hariḥ /
yāmaiḥ parivṛto devairhatvāśāsat triviṣṭapam //

18. The Omnipresent Hari, in the form of Yagna, observed them, (Asuras, etc.) that had thus made up their mind; and surrounded by the gods called Yamas, He slew them and ruled the celestial region.

8.1.19

svārociṣo dvitīyastu manuragneḥ suto 'bhavat /
dyumatsuṣeṇarociṣmat pramukhāstasya cātmajāḥ //

19. Now *Svarochisha*, the second Manu was the son of Agni; and his sons were Dyumat, Sushena, Rochishmat and others.

8.1.20

tatrendro rocanastvāsīddevāśca tuṣitādayaḥ /
ūrjastambhādayaḥ sapta ṛṣayo brahmavādinaḥ //

20. Then Rochana was Indra; Tushita and others were the gods; Urjjastambha and others were the seven sages capable of expounding Vedas as well as the nature of the Supreme Being.

8.1.21

ṛṣestu vedaśirasastuṣitā nāma patny abhūt /
tasyāṃ jajñe tato devo vibhurity abhiviśrutaḥ //

21. Of the sage *Vedasiras*, Tushita became the wife, and of her was born the Supreme Lord well-known as Vibhu.

8.1.22

aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi munayo ye dhṛtavratāḥ /
anvaśikṣan vrataṃ tasya kaumārabrahmacāriṇaḥ //

22. Eighty-eight thousand sages, firm in austerity, learned the course of His celibate life from the Lord Vibhu who was a bachelor from His very boyhood.

8.1.23

tṛtīya uttamo nāma priyavratasuto manuḥ /
pavanaḥ sṛñjayo yajña hotrādyāstatsutā nṛpa //

23. The third Manu was Uttama, son of Priyavrata and his sons were, O king, Pavana, Srinjaya, Yagnahotra and others.

8.1.24

vasiṣṭhatanayāḥ sapta ṛṣayaḥ pramadādayaḥ /
satyā vedaśrutā bhadrā devā indrastu satyajit //

24. Pramada and other sons of Vasishta were the seven sages; Satyas, Vedasrutas and Bhadras were the gods and Satyajit was Indra.

8.1.25

dharmasya sūnṛtāyāṃ tu bhagavān puruṣottamaḥ /
satyasena iti khyāto jātaḥ satyavrataiḥ saha //

25. The glorious Purushottama too was born of Dharma and his wife Sunrita along with the gods called Satyavratas and He Himself was known as Satyasena.

8.1.26

so 'nṛtavrataduḥśīlān asato yakṣarākṣasān /
bhūtadruho bhūtagaṇāṃścāvadhīt satyajitsakhaḥ //

26. The Lord Satyasena befriended Satyajit and destroyed the wicked Yakshas and Rakshas given to hypocrisy and evil ways; and also those innumerable creatures and evil spirits harmful (to god's creatures).

8.1.27

caturtha uttamabhrātā manurnāmnā ca tāmasaḥ /
pṛthuḥ khyātirnaraḥ keturity ādyā daśa tatsutāḥ //

27. The fourth Manu was the brother of Uttama, Tamasa (Tapasa) by name; his sons were ten, Prithu (Vrisha), Khyati, Nara, Ketu and others.

8.1.28

satyakā harayo vīrā devāstriśikha īśvaraḥ /
jyotirdhāmādayaḥ sapta ṛṣayastāmase 'ntare //

28. Satyakas, Haris, and Viras were the gods and Trisikha was Indra; Jyotirdharma and others were the seven sages during the period of Tamasa Manu.

8.1.29

devā vaidhṛtayo nāma vidhṛtestanayā nṛpa /
naṣṭāḥ kālena yairvedā vidhṛtāḥ svena tejasā //

29. Then, O king, Vaidhritis were the gods born as the sons of Vidhriti by whom the Vedas that had been lost in process of time were treasured up in their memory by their intellectual strength.

8.1.30

tatrāpi jajñe bhagavān hariṇyāṃ harimedhasaḥ /
haririty āhṛto yena gajendro mocito grahāt //

30. Then again the Lord became the son of Harini and Harimedhas; and He was called Hari, who rescued the great elephant from the alligator.

8.1.31

/0 śrīrājovāca
bādarāyaṇa etat te śrotumicchāmahe vayam /
hariryathā gajapatiṃ grāhagrastamamūmucat //

31. The king said:—O Badarayani, we are eager to listen from Thy lips how Sri Hari rescued the great elephant seized by the aquatic monster.

8.1.32

tatkathāsu mahat puṇyaṃ dhanyaṃ svastyayanaṃ śubham /
yatra yatrottamaśloko bhagavān gīyate hariḥ //

32. Of all the stories that is the most sacred, worthy, auspicious and that tends to our welfare, in which the Omnipotent Lord Hari of most glorious name is sung.

8.1.33

/0 śrīsūta uvāca
parīkṣitaivaṃ sa tu bādarāyaṇiḥ prāyopaviṣṭena kathāsu coditaḥ /
uvāca viprāḥ pratinandya pārthivaṃ mudā munīnāṃ sadasi sma śṛṇvatām //

33. Thus requested, O Brahmins, to recount the stories of Hari by Parikshit who was preparing to depart from the world, Sri Suka, son of Badarayana congratulated the king (on his disposition) and began to relate the glories of God joyfully in the assembly of the attentive sages.