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2024-04-27, 4:57 PM |
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Chapter 51:
The
Deliverance of Mucukunda
(1-6)
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Seeing Him coming out [see 50:
57] like the moon
rising, most beautiful to behold, with a dark complexion, a
yellow silk garment, the S'rîvatsa on His chest, the
brilliant Kaustubha gem decorating His neck, His mighty, long
four arms and eyes as pink as newly grown lotuses; His always
effulgent, clean, joyful smile to His beautiful cheeks, His
lotuslike face and the display of His shark-shaped earrings,
thought he [Kâlayavana]: 'This person indeed must
be Vâsudeva with the S'rîvatsa, the four arms, the
lotus-eyes, the wearing of forest-flowers and with the great
beauty. From the marks Nârada mentioned can He be no one
else, going there without weapons on foot; I'll fight Him
without weapons!' The Yavana thus decided, in pursuit wanted to
catch Him who had turned His face away and fled, He, who is
unattainable even to the mystic yogis. (7)
With every step He made seemed He to be within the reach of his
hands and after that way having covered a great distance placed
He the lord of the Yavanas before a mountain cave.
(8)
In his pursuit insulting Him with words like 'Fleeing is for
You being born in the Yadu-dynasty improper!', could he, whose
mischief had not found its end [yet], not get hold of
Him. (9)
Even though He was insulted this way, entered the Supreme Lord
the mountain cave, but when the Yavana followed Him saw he
lying there another man. (10)
'And now, bringing me this long distance is He lying down here
like a saint!' and thus erroneously thinking him to be Acyuta,
struck he him full force with his foot. (11)
The man, waking up after a long period of sleep, slowly opened
his eyes and, looking about in every direction, saw him
standing beside him. (12)
O descendant of Bharata he as such, was by the glance, the
angered man cast on him, in a moment burnt to ashes by a fire
that generated from within his own body [*].'
(13)
The
honorable king [Parîkchit] said: 'Who precisely
was that person, o brahmin, of which family was he and of what
powers; why had he retreated into the cave to sleep and of
whose seed was he born that destroyer of the Yavana?'
(14)
S'rî
S'uka said: 'He is known as Mucukunda. He was born in the
Ikshvâku dynasty as a son of Mândhâtâ
[see 9.6:
38 and
9.7].
He is a great personality devoted to the brahminical and
someone true to his vow in battle. (15)
He, on the request of the godly headed by Indra who were
terrified because of the Asuras, was for a long time of service
to assure them their protection. (16)
They, obtaining Guha ['from the cave'; Skanda or
Kârttikeya] as their protector of heaven, then said
to Mucukunda: 'O King, please desist from the trouble your good
self has to protect us. (17)
You forgetting all your personal desires have, with abandoning
a kingdom in the world of man, for our protection removed those
[asura] thorns, o hero. (18)
Your children, your queens and your other relatives, ministers,
advisors and subjects are not alive now, are not of this time
anymore; time swept them away. (19)
Time, more powerful than the powerful, is the Supreme
Inexhaustible Lord in Control who, playing a game of herdsman
and flock, sets the mortal beings in motion. (20)
All good fortune to you, choose today any benediction from us
except for the one of liberation, for only the Supreme
Inexhaustible Lord S'rî Vishnu is capable of that.'
(21)
He,
for his great fame thus addressed by the demigods, respectfully
saluted them and laid himself down in a cave to enjoy the sleep
the gods had granted him [**].
(22)
After the barbarian was turned into ashes revealed the Supreme
Lord, the great hero of the Sâtvatas, Himself to the wise
Mucukunda. (23-26)
Looking at Him, He who was as dark as a cloud, in a yellow,
silken garment, the S'rîvatsa on His chest, the brilliant
Kaustubha gem glowing, the four arms and the beautifying
Vaijayantî garland; His attractive, calm face and
glittering shark-shaped earrings, His affectionate smile
appealing to all mankind, His glance, His youthful handsome
form, His noble gait and His fire that was like that of a lion
- was he, as highly intelligent as he was, overwhelmed by His
effulgence, which was a splendor unassailable indeed, and posed
he in doubt hesitantly a question. (27)
S'rî Mucukunda said: 'Who are You to join with me in the
wilderness in a mountain cave, with Your feet like the petals
of a lotus walking the thorny ground? (28)
Maybe You're the Supreme Lord, the origin of all empowered
beings, or else the god of fire, the sungod, the moongod, the
king of heaven or perhaps a ruler from another planet?
(29)
I think You're the God of the three personalities of the
demigods, the Greatest, because You dispel the darkness of the
cave [the 'heart'] like a lamp with its light.
(30)
O Most Eminent Among Man, if You like, if You can, veraciously
describe for us eager to hear, Your birth, activities and
lineage. (31)
We from our side, o tiger among men, are descendants of
Ikshvâku, a family of kshatriyas. And I, born from
the son of Yuvanâs'va, am called Mucukunda o Lord.
(32)
Because I remained awake for a long time was I, fatigued in my
senses and overwhelmed by sleep, to my comfort lying in this
solitary place and have I now been awakened by someone.
(33)
That person turned to ashes indeed out of his own sinful
conduct only, and Your good Self so glorious, o Chastiser of
Enemies, I saw following immediately thereafter.
(34)
Because of Your unbearable effulgence are we, diminished in our
faculties, not able to behold You, o most Gracious One; You are
to be honored by all embodied beings!'
(35)
Thus
addressed by the king replied the Supreme Lord and Origin of
All Creation, smiling broadly, with words deep as the rumbling
of clouds. (36)
The Supreme Lord said: 'My births, activities and names are
there by the thousands, My dearest, limitless as they are they
cannot even be enumerated by Me! (37)
Some time, after many lives, one might count the particles of
dust on earth, but never ever so My many qualities, activities,
names and births. (38)
Not even the greatest sages counting My births and activities
taking place to the three of time [past, present,
future], o King, can reach the end of them [compare
8.5:
6 and
8.23:
29].
(39-40)
Nonetheless, o friend, just hear from Me about the current one,
this Speaker. In the past I was beseeched by Lord Brahmâ
[see 3.9
and also 10.14
] to secure the
dharma and destroy the demons who are a burden to the earth,
and so I descended into the Yadu dynasty in the home of
Vasudeva and do the people as such call Me Vâsudeva, the
son of Vasudeva. (41)
Kâlanemi I killed [see 10.8:
56 ], Kamsa
[10.44],
Pralamba [10.18]
and others envious of the virtuous, and this Yavana, o King was
burned by your scorching glance. (42)
I, that very same person caring for the devotees, approached
this cave for the sake of favoring you, because you in the past
have often prayed for it. (43)
Tell Me what you want Me to bless you with, o saintly King, I
will give you all that you desire; any person who has satisfied
Me, will never again need to lament.'
(44)
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus being addressed bowing down to Him spoke
Mucukunda remembering the words of Garga [***],
being filled with joy knowing He was Nârâyana the
[original] Godhead. (45)
S'rî Mucukunda said: 'This person, not of worship for
You, can, bewildered by Your deluding potency
mâyâ o Lord, not see his own benefit when
he, wishing for happiness, gets cheated as a family man - or
also as a woman - who being entangled goes for things that
bring misery. (46)
The person who somehow or other attaining to what is rarely
obtained in this world - a human form and not the paws, but not
being of worship doesn't try to go, o sinless one, for Your
lotuslike feet, has, impure in his mentality, like an animal
fallen in the blind well of his home. (47)
O Unconquerable One, wasting my time on this, I built a kingdom
and opulence that now are all gone; intoxicated as an earthly
ruler who mistakes the mortal frame for himself, suffered I
endless anxieties getting attached to children, wives, riches
and land. (48)
Minding this body, which is a confinement like a pot or a wall,
I thus thought myself to be a god among man, surrounded as I
was by chariots, elephants, horses, infantry and generals with
whom I traveled around on this earth without seriously
regarding You in my great pride. (49)
Forgetful about what needs to be done, hankering for sense
objects endlessly ruminating with an ever growing greed, is one
suddenly confronted with You, the one who does mind; You are
like what death is to a mouse in front of a hungry snake that
licks its fangs. (50)
Previously named 'the king' riding chariots furnished with gold
or fierce elephants is that same one unavoidably with the Time
of Your body called 'feces', 'worms' and 'ashes' [see also
16.4:
2-6].
(51)
Full circle having conquered the directions with no opposition
to fear and being seated on a throne and praised by kings alike
is the person in his home like a pet led about, sexually
borrowing his happiness from women, o Lord. (52)
In that enviously reaching for more, performs he with penance
his duties in strictly avoiding pleasures, but thinking of
himself as 'I the greater sovereign' can he, whose urges are so
pronounced, not attain happiness. (53)
When it happens that the wandering person reaches the end of
his material existence will at that time o Infallible One, the
association of the good and honest [the
sat-sanga] be found after which next the devotion is
born for Him who for the virtuous is the only goal as the Lord
of the Higher [cause] and Lower [effects].
(54)
I think o Lord that, with the spontaneous removal of the
attachment to my kingdom, You've been merciful with me: it is
that for which the saintly rulers of endless stretches of land
pray when, wishing the solitude, they enter the forest.
(55)
I do not desire anything else but to be of service at Your feet
that to those not desiring a material life are the object of
desire, the boon sought, o Almighty one; what faithful man of
worship for You, the Bestower of the Path of Emancipation, o
Lord, would as a boon choose for that which causes his bondage?
(56)
Therefore o Lord, entirely putting aside the worldly blessings
from which one is entangled in the modes of passion, ignorance
and goodness, am I approaching You, the Original Person of Pure
Knowledge free from mundane designations who is nondual and
supreme above the modes. (57)
For long was I full of remorse distressed in the world being
tormented by disturbances; with my six enemies [the senses
and the mind] never satisfied there was no way to find
peace o Bestower of the Shelter, please o Lord protect me who
facing these dangers, o Supreme Soul, approached Your lotus
feet, the truth free from sorrow that frees one from fear.'
(58)
The
Supreme Lord said: 'O great King, emperor of all, even though
being tempted to ask for benedictions were you, capable of
mind, impeccable in not being spoiled by desires.
(59)
Please know that the fact that you were tempted with
benedictions was to prove your freedom from bewilderment; never
is the exclusive[-ly to Me devoted] intelligence of the
bhaktas diverted by material blessings. (60)
With those who in not being devoted to Me are occupying
themselves with breathing exercises and such, is, since they
did not eliminate the traces of material desire [the
vâsanâs], o King, observed that again
their minds awaken [to sense-gratification].
(61)
Wander this earth as you like and may, with your mind fixed on
Me, there for you thus always be the devotion for Me that does
not fail. (62)
Following the dharma of the ruling class you've killed living
beings when you were hunting and with other actions; that sin
you should uproot completely in fully being focussed in
penances in which you seek My shelter. (63)
In your birth immediately hereafter o King, will you, becoming
a supreme well-wisher to all living beings, be a fine brahmin
going for Me only [see also B.G.
5: 29].'
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