Bhagavatapurana 8.6: atha ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ

8.6.1

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
evaṃ stutaḥ suragaṇairbhagavān harirīśvaraḥ /
teṣāmāvirabhūdrājan sahasrārkodayadyutiḥ //

Śrī Śuka said:
Praised in this way by the hosts of gods, the Lord, Hari, the supreme controller, / appeared before them, O King, with the radiance of a thousand rising suns.

Sri Suka said:—Thus praised and prayed to by the celestials the glorious Lord Hari, the Supreme Ruler, revealed Himself unto them, O king, effulgent like a thousand Suns rising together.

8.6.2

tenaiva sahasā sarve devāḥ pratihatekṣaṇāḥ /
nāpaśyan khaṃ diśaḥ kṣauṇīmātmānaṃ ca kuto vibhum //

By that [brilliance] all the gods suddenly had their sight impaired, / and could not see the sky, the directions, the earth, or themselves, much less the all-pervading Lord.

2. All the gods had their eyes dazzled and could not perceive the sky, the quarters, the Earth, and even themselves; how could they then distinctly see the Lord?

8.6.3

viriñco bhagavān dṛṣṭvā saha śarveṇa tāṃ tanum /
svacchāṃ marakataśyāmāṃ kañjagarbhāruṇekṣaṇām //

Lord Viriñca, along with Śarva, saw that form, / pure, dark as an emerald, with eyes reddish like the interior of a lotus,

3. The worshipful Brahma along with Siva beheld that Form, pure, blue like the emerald, beautiful with eyes reddish like the interior of a lotus;

8.6.4

taptahemāvadātena lasatkauśeyavāsasā /
prasannacārusarvāṅgīṃ sumukhīṃ sundarabhruvam //

clad in shining silk garments bright as molten gold, / with all limbs charming and graceful, a pleasing face, and beautiful eyebrows,

4. —The form which was clad with Pitambar pure and brilliant like burning gold, graceful and lovely in every limb, of charming countenance and winning eyebrows;

8.6.5

mahāmaṇikirīṭena keyūrābhyāṃ ca bhūṣitām /
karṇābharaṇanirbhāta kapolaśrīmukhāmbujām //

adorned with a diadem of great jewels and with armlets, / with a lotus-like face whose cheeks were resplendent with ear-ornaments,

5. —Adorned with a crown set with most precious jewels and also with two Keyuras on the two arms; the cheeks of the beautiful lotus-like face being illumined by the radiant splendour of the earrings;

8.6.6

kāñcīkalāpavalaya hāranūpuraśobhitām /
kaustubhābharaṇāṃ lakṣmīṃ bibhratīṃ vanamālinīm //

beautified with a girdle, bracelets, necklaces, and anklets, / bearing the Kaustubha jewel, [the mark of] Lakṣmī, and wearing a garland of forest flowers,

6. —Adorned with belt and its belongings, with bracelets, necklaces, and Nupuras; wearing the jewel of Kaustubha and wearing Lakshmi on His bosom as well as the Vanamala;

8.6.7

sudarśanādibhiḥ svāstrairmūrtimadbhirupāsitām /
tuṣṭāva devapravaraḥ saśarvaḥ puruṣaṃ param /
sarvāmaragaṇaiḥ sākaṃ sarvāṅgairavaniṃ gataiḥ //

attended by his own weapons in personified form, such as the Sudarśana; / the foremost of the gods, accompanied by Śarva and all the hosts of immortals with all limbs cast upon the ground, praised the Supreme Person:

7. —And waited upon by Sudarsana and other weapons that assumed personal forms. Brahma, the foremost among the gods, with Siva and all the hosts of the gods lying prone on the ground, offered his prayers to the perfect Person.

8.6.8

/0 śrībrahmovāca
ajātajanmasthitisaṃyamāyā guṇāya nirvāṇasukhārṇavāya /
aṇoraṇimne 'parigaṇyadhāmne mahānubhāvāya namo namaste //

Śrī Brahmā said:
To him whose birth, preservation, and dissolution are unoriginated, who is devoid of material qualities, an ocean of the bliss of liberation, / subtler than the subtle, whose majesty is immeasurable, of great power, homage, repeated homage to you.

8. Brahma said:—Again and again I bow to Thee of whom birth, worldly existence, and destruction cannot be predicated, destitute of all qualities, the (unlimited) sea of supreme bliss (of Moksha), the subtlest of the subtle, yet of immeasurable essence and of unlimited and glorious power.

8.6.9

rūpaṃ tavaitat puruṣarṣabhejyaṃ śreyo 'rthibhirvaidikatāntrikeṇa /
yogena dhātaḥ saha nastrilokān paśyāmy amuṣminnu ha viśvamūrtau //

This form of yours, O best of persons, is to be worshipped through Vedic and tantric / yoga by those seeking supreme welfare, O Creator; in this form consisting of the universe I behold the three worlds along with ourselves.

9. O Supreme Person! O Maker and protector! this form of Thine is ever to be worshipped by those that seek after the highest good by methods laid down in the Vedas and the Tantras; in Thee I see ourselves, and the three worlds together (at one glance), in Thee in whom the Universe abides (hence not really limited in space.)

8.6.10

tvayy agra āsīt tvayi madhya āsīt tvayy anta āsīdidamātmatantre /
tvamādiranto jagato 'sya madhyaṃ ghaṭasya mṛtsneva paraḥ parasmāt //

In the beginning this [universe] was in you, in the middle it was in you, and in the end it was in you, who are self-reliant; / you are the beginning, the end, and the middle of this universe, higher than the highest, like clay in relation to a pot.

10. In Thee the independent One, this Universe was in the beginning; in Thee (also) it existed in the middle; and in Thee again it found its end; (i.e.), Thou art the beginning and the end as also the middle of this world, just as clay is in the case of a pot; for Thou art higher than the highest (Pradhana).

8.6.11

tvaṃ māyayātmāśrayayā svayedaṃ nirmāya viśvaṃ tadanupraviṣṭaḥ /
paśyanti yuktā manasā manīṣiṇo guṇavyavāye 'py aguṇaṃ vipaścitaḥ //

Creating this universe yourself through your own creative power resting in you, you entered into it; / wise men of fixed mind, discerning, perceive you as devoid of qualities even amid the manifestation of the qualities.

11. Through Thy own Maya depending on Thyself, Thou aidst create this Universe and then didst enter into it; the wise and thoughtful men that concentrate their mind see that Thou art unaffected by the gunas though in relation to the product of the gunas.

8.6.12

yathāgnimedhasy amṛtaṃ ca goṣu bhuvy annamambūdyamane ca vṛttim /
yogairmanuṣyā adhiyanti hi tvāṃ guṇeṣu buddhyā kavayo vadanti //

Just as people find fire in kindling wood, milk in cows, food in the earth, and water in excavation to sustain their livelihood, / so wise sages through spiritual disciplines and intellect perceive you present within the qualities.

12. Just as men obtain by proper means fire in the fuel (wood); nectar (ghee) in cows, food in earth, water by labour, (_i.e._, by digging) and living by business-like efforts, so also by force of intelligence the wise find Thee in the midst of the gunas and also describe Thee as such.

8.6.13

taṃ tvāṃ vayaṃ nātha samujjihānaṃ sarojanābhāticirepsitārtham /
dṛṣṭvā gatā nirvṛtamadya sarve gajā davārtā iva gāṅgamambhaḥ //

Beholding you, O Lord, who have risen before us, O lotus-navelled one, as the long-desired object of our prayers, / we all have today attained relief, like elephants afflicted by a forest fire reaching the waters of the Gaṅgā.

13. O Padmanabha, having seen Thee, so gracious unto us as to reveal Thyself, we feel all happy to-day as the elephants distressed by the forest fire are on reaching the floods of the Ganges.

8.6.14

sa tvaṃ vidhatsvākhilalokapālā vayaṃ yadarthāstava pādamūlam /
samāgatāste bahirantarātman kiṃ vānyavijñāpyamaśeṣasākṣiṇaḥ //

Therefore, arrange that for the sake of which we, the protectors of all the worlds, / have approached the soles of your feet, O inner and outer Self; or what else is there to be made known to you, the witness of all?

14. Mayest Thou be pleased to grant us that help for which we, the Rulers of all the regions, have sought Thy feet! O Lord, pervading in and out, to Thee who art the witness of all is there anything to be made known by another?

8.6.15

ahaṃ giritraśca surādayo ye dakṣādayo 'gneriva ketavaste /
kiṃ vā vidāmeśa pṛthagvibhātā vidhatsva śaṃ no dvijadevamantram //

I, and the Mountain-dweller, and the gods, and Dakṣa and the others, are like sparks of your fire; / what can we know, O Lord, appearing as distinct from you? Please ordain the welfare of us who are brāhmaṇas, gods, and sacred mantras.

15. Myself, Siva, the gods and others, Daksha and others,—we are to Thee like sparks of fire. What could we know (do) of (the way to) our good, O Lord,—we of limited understanding and separate from Thee? Be pleased to give us the counsel that may be beneficial to Brahmins and the gods.

8.6.16

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
evaṃ viriñcādibhirīḍitastad vijñāya teṣāṃ hṛdayaṃ yathaiva /
jagāda jīmūtagabhīrayā girā baddhāñjalīn saṃvṛtasarvakārakān //

Śrī Śuka said:
Praised in this way by Viriñca and the others, and knowing their hearts as they truly were, / he addressed them whose hands were folded in reverence and whose senses were fully restrained, with a voice deep as a thundercloud.

16. Sri Suka said:—Thus praised and prayed to by Virincha and other gods, the Lord fully perceived their heart and said in accents majestic like the rolling thunder of the clouds, to the gods who, having perfect control over their senses, stood with their hands joined.

8.6.17

eka eveśvarastasmin surakārye sureśvaraḥ /
vihartukāmastān āha samudronmathanādibhiḥ //

Though the Lord of gods was alone capable of accomplishing that task for the gods, / desiring to amuse Himself through the churning of the ocean and other deeds, He spoke to them:

17. One alone, the supreme Ruler of the gods, is able to accomplish that object of the gods; and intent upon manifesting His sportful activities like the churning of the sea and otherwise, He said unto them thus.

8.6.18

/0 śrībhagavān uvāca
hanta brahmannaho śambho he devā mama bhāṣitam /
śṛṇutāvahitāḥ sarve śreyo vaḥ syādyathā surāḥ //

The Lord said:
Ah, Brahmā! Ah, Śambhu! O gods, hear My words / attentively, all of you, so that good fortune may be yours, O gods.

18. The Lord said:—Hark. _Brahman_, _Sambho_, and gods, Be cheerful, all of you. O gods, listen attentively to what I say so that you may have success and the desired good.

8.6.19

yāta dānavadaiteyaistāvat sandhirvidhīyatām /
kālenānugṛhītaistairyāvadvo bhava ātmanaḥ //

Go and make peace for now with the Dānavas and Daityas, / who are favored by time, until your own prosperity arises.

19. Do you just go and make alliance just now with the Danavas and Daiteyas, who are favoured by Time, till the tide of fortune flow to you, (and you perceive the growth of strength on your side).

8.6.20

arayo 'pi hi sandheyāḥ sati kāryārthagaurave /
ahimūṣikavaddevā hy arthasya padavīṃ gataiḥ //

For even enemies should be allied with when an important objective requires it, / like the snake and the mouse, O gods, by those pursuing an end.

20. When the object to be accomplished is great, alliance should be made even with enemies, O gods, by those that have sought the path of gaining their object just as the serpent does with the rat.

8.6.21

amṛtotpādane yatnaḥ kriyatāmavilambitam /
yasya pītasya vai janturmṛtyugrasto 'maro bhavet //

Let an effort be made without delay to produce the nectar, / by drinking which even a mortal seized by death becomes immortal.

21. Without loss of time efforts should be put forth for producing nectar (Amrita), drinking which the creature in the jaws of death (Mrityu) would become immortal.

8.6.22

kṣiptvā kṣīrodadhau sarvā vīruttṛṇalatauṣadhīḥ /
manthānaṃ mandaraṃ kṛtvā netraṃ kṛtvā tu vāsukim //

Throwing all shrubs, grasses, creepers, and medicinal herbs into the ocean of milk, / making Mount Mandara the churning rod and Vāsuki the rope,

22.—23. Throw all the creepers, herbs, and plants, into the sea of milk, make the Mount Mandara the churning rod and Vasuki the rope; with Me for your help, O gods, beware of carelessness and churn it well; the Daityas will get trouble for their lot and you will reap the benefit (thereof)

8.6.23

sahāyena mayā devā nirmanthadhvamatandritāḥ /
kleśabhājo bhaviṣyanti daityā yūyaṃ phalagrahāḥ //

churn untiringly, O gods, with Me as your helper. / The Daityas will bear the hardship, while you will reap the fruit.

8.6.24

yūyaṃ tadanumodadhvaṃ yadicchanty asurāḥ surāḥ /
na saṃrambheṇa sidhyanti sarvārthāḥ sāntvayā yathā //

You should agree to whatever the Asuras desire, O gods; / not by anger are all aims accomplished as they are through conciliation.

24. O celestials, do you agree to whatever the Asuras propose;

for no object can be accomplished so succesfully through (anger) haste, hatred, as through peaceful means (conciliation).

8.6.25

na bhetavyaṃ kālakūṭādviṣāj jaladhisambhavāt /
lobhaḥ kāryo na vo jātu roṣaḥ kāmastu vastuṣu //

You should not fear the kālakūṭa poison born of the ocean; / neither greed, nor wrath, nor craving for the objects [that emerge] should ever be shown by you.

25. Do you not get terrified at the *Kalakuta* poison which will issue from the sea. Do you not evince any covetousness, passion or desire in respect of the objects.

8.6.26

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
iti devān samādiśya bhagavān puruṣottamaḥ /
teṣāmantardadhe rājan svacchandagatirīśvaraḥ //

Śrī Śuka said:
Having thus instructed the gods, the Lord, the Supreme Person, / the sovereign ruler who moves at His own will, disappeared from their sight, O King.

26. Sri Suka said:— Having thus commanded the gods, the glorious Purushothama, the Supreme Ruler, who does only what He wills, withdrew Himself from their sight.

8.6.27

atha tasmai bhagavate namaskṛtya pitāmahaḥ /
bhavaśca jagmatuḥ svaṃ svaṃ dhāmopeyurbaliṃ surāḥ //

Then, having bowed to that Lord, the Grandfather [Brahmā] / and Bhava went to their respective abodes, and the gods approached Bali.

27. Thereupon Brahma the grandfather as well as Siva made their obeisance to that glorious Lord and returned to their respective abodes and the gods repaired to Bali.

8.6.28

dṛṣṭvārīn apy asaṃyattān jātakṣobhān svanāyakān /
nyaṣedhaddaityarāṭ ślokyaḥ sandhivigrahakālavit //

Seeing their enemies arrive unarmed and noticing his own commanders agitated, / the praiseworthy king of Daityas, who knew the proper time for peace and war, restrained them.

28. The praise-worthy king of Daityas (Bali), who knew when to make peace and when to war, prohibited his commanders who on seeing their foes (the gods) unprepared (to fight), became impatient to kill them.

8.6.29

te vairocanimāsīnaṃ guptaṃ cāsurayūthapaiḥ /
śriyā paramayā juṣṭaṃ jitāśeṣamupāgaman //

They approached the son of Virocana, who was seated, guarded by the Asura chiefs, / attended by supreme majesty, having conquered the entire world.

29. The gods approached Bali, son of Virochana, who was seated on his throne guarded by the leaders of the Asura armies, surrounded by the highest royal splendour, and had conquered all the three worlds.

8.6.30

mahendraḥ ślakṣṇayā vācā sāntvayitvā mahāmatiḥ /
abhyabhāṣata tat sarvaṃ śikṣitaṃ puruṣottamāt //

Mahendra, of great intelligence, having conciliated him with smooth words, / related everything just as instructed by the Supreme Person.

30. The great Indra of vast power of judgment conciliated him (Bali) with many soft words and spoke to him of all that he had received instruction in from Purushothama.

8.6.31

tat tvarocata daityasya tatrānye ye 'surādhipāḥ /
śambaro 'riṣṭanemiśca ye ca tripuravāsinaḥ //

That proposal pleased the Daitya, and also the other Asura leaders present there— / Śambara, Ariṣṭanemi, and those who inhabited Tripura.

31. That was agreeable to Bali, the great Asura and to the other great Daityas present there, *viz*, Sambara, Arishatanemi, residents of the three cities (Thripura).

8.6.32

tato devāsurāḥ kṛtvā saṃvidaṃ kṛtasauhṛdāḥ /
udyamaṃ paramaṃ cakruramṛtārthe parantapa //

Then, having reached an agreement and forged friendship, the gods and Asuras / undertook the supreme effort for the sake of the nectar, O scorcher of foes.

8.6.33

tataste mandaragirimojasotpāṭya durmadāḥ /
nadanta udadhiṃ ninyuḥ śaktāḥ parighabāhavaḥ //

Then, furiously uprooting Mount Mandara by their strength, intoxicated with pride, / roaring, those mighty ones whose arms were like iron bars carried it toward the ocean.

8.6.34

dūrabhārodvahaśrāntāḥ śakravairocanādayaḥ /
apārayantastaṃ voḍhuṃ vivaśā vijahuḥ pathi //

Exhausted from carrying the heavy load a great distance, Śakra, the son of Virocana, and the others, / unable to carry it, helplessly abandoned it on the way.

8.6.35

nipatan sa giristatra bahūn amaradānavān /
cūrṇayāmāsa mahatā bhāreṇa kanakācalaḥ //

Falling there, that mountain, the golden peak, / crushed many gods and Dānavas with its enormous weight.

8.6.36

tāṃstathā bhagnamanaso bhagnabāhūrukandharān /
vijñāya bhagavāṃstatra babhūva garuḍadhvajaḥ //

Knowing that their spirits were broken and their arms, thighs, and necks were crushed, / the Lord whose emblem is Garuḍa appeared there.

8.6.37

giripātaviniṣpiṣṭān vilokyāmaradānavān /
īkṣayā jīvayāmāsa nirjarān nirvraṇān yathā //

Seeing the gods and Dānavas crushed by the mountain's fall, / He brought the gods back to life with a mere glance, free from wounds, just as [they were before].

8.6.38

giriṃ cāropya garuḍe hastenaikena līlayā /
āruhya prayayāvabdhiṃ surāsuragaṇairvṛtaḥ //

Placing the mountain onto Garuḍa playfully with one hand, / He mounted him and proceeded to the ocean, surrounded by the hosts of gods and Asuras.

8.6.39

avaropya giriṃ skandhāt suparṇaḥ patatāṃ varaḥ /
yayau jalānta utsṛjya hariṇā sa visarjitaḥ //

Taking down the mountain from his shoulder and leaving it near the water, / Suparṇa, the foremost of birds, departed, dismissed by Hari.