Site menu(2) From Âkûti ['good intention'] the wife of the Prajâpati Ruci, Suyajña ['appropriate sacrifice'] was born who with his wife Dakshinâ ['the reward'] gave birth to the godly headed by Suyama ['proper regulation']. With them He greatly diminished the distress in the three worlds and for that reason the father of mankind Svâyambhuva Manu renamed Him Hari [the Lord].
(3) Next He took birth in the house of the twice-born Kardama ['the shadow of the Creator'] from the womb of Devahûti ['the invocation of the Gods'] together with nine sisters. As Lord Kapila ['the analytic one'] He spoke to His mother about spiritual realization because of which she in that life was freed from the material modes that cover the soul and achieved liberation.
(4) Satisfied about the surrender of the sage Atri who prayed for offspring, the Supreme Lord said to him: 'I will give Myself to you!' and for that reason He received the name of Datta [Dattâtreya, 'the given one']. The dust of His lotus feet purified the body of mysticism and brought the wealth of the spiritual and material worlds of Yadu [the founder of the dynasty], Haihaya [a descendant] and others.
(5) Because I formerly lived austere in penance for the sake of the creation of the different worlds, the Lord appeared as the four Sanas [ 'of old', the four celibate sons called Sanat-kumâra, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanâtana]. In the epoch before, the spiritual truth was devastated in the inundation of the world, but with these sages who had a clear vision of the soul the knowledge was fully recreated.
(6) From Mûrti ['the idol'], the wife of Dharma ['righteousness'] and the daughter of Daksha ['the able one', a Prajâpati], He took birth in the form of Nara-Nârâyana ['man, the progress of man']. The Supreme Lord thus [descending] never allowed, by the strength of [the beauties originating from] His personal penances, that His vows would break because of the celestial beauties that came to Him from Cupid [the god of love]. (7) Great stalwarts [like Lord S'iva] can overcome their being overwhelmed by lust by means of their wrathful vision, but they cannot overcome their own intolerance. But with [the both of] Him within, the lust is too afraid to enter. How can with Him in mind the lust ever demand attention?
(8) Incited by the sharp words of a co-wife who uttered them even in the presence of the king [Uttânapâda], his son Dhruva [the immovable], only a boy at the time, took to severe penances in a great forest. The Lord pleased with his prayers confirmed the goal of his realization [Dhruva loka, the pivot of the stars] for which the great sages and denizens of heaven directed up and downward have prayed ever since.
(9) When the twice-born ones cursed King Vena ['the anxious one'] who strayed from the path of religion, it burned him like a thunderbolt with him going to hell with all his great deeds and opulence. The Lord being prayed for delivered him coming to earth as his son [named Prithu, 'the great one'] and achieved with that also that the earth could be exploited to yield all kinds of crops.
(10) As the son of King Nâbhi ['the pivot'] He was born as Rishabha ['the best one'] from Sudevî. Equipoised in the matter of yoga appearing foolish He performed at the highest level of achievement of the sages in which one in acceptance of the spiritual essence - one's independence - has subdued the activities of the senses and is perfectly liberated from material influences.
(11) The Supreme Lord, the soul of all the gods, the Personality of Sacrifice who is worshiped in all sacrifices, appeared in a sacrifice of mine with a horselike head and a golden hue [and is thus called Hayagrîva]. From His breathing through His nostrils the sounds of the Vedic hymns can be heard.
(12) He who became the Manu [called Satyavrata, 'the truth-abiding one'] at the end of the epoch saw Lord Matsya ['the fish'] who as the stay of the earth offered shelter to all living beings [in the form of a boat during the deluge]. The Vedas that because of the great fear for the waters came forth from my mouth then were taken up by Him who sported there.
(13) When in the ocean of milk [or knowledge] the leaders of the immortals and their opponents where churning the mountain [called Mandara, the 'big one'] for gaining the nectar, the primeval Lord half asleep as a tortoise [called Kurma] supported him, so that it scratched and itched on His back.
(14) As Nrisimha ['the lion'] He appeared as the one who took away the fear of the God-conscious ones with the movements of His eyebrows and the terrifying teeth of His mouth, while He on His lap without delay with His nails pierced the fallen king of the demons [Hiranyakas'ipu] who had challenged Him with a club in his hands.
(15) The leader of the elephants [Gajendra] who within the river was seized by his leg by an exceptionally strong crocodile, holding a lotus in great distress addressed [Him] as follows: 'You are the Original Personality and Lord of the Universe. From You being as famous as a place of pilgrimage all good ensues by just hearing Your name, the name so worthy to be sung.' (16) The Lord who heard him in his distress, as the Unlimited Powerful One seated on the king of the birds [Garuda], cut the beak of the crocodile in two with His cakra weapon and in His causeless mercy freed him by pulling him up by his trunk.
(17) Despite of His transcendence, He [as Lord Vâmana] surpassed the qualities of the sons of Aditi by covering all the worlds in this universe. For that reason He was called the Lord of Sacrifice. Begging He had pretended that He needed only three steps of land but seized that way all the lands [of Bali Mahârâja] without ever offending the authorities under whose wings one may never lose one's property. (18) Oh Nârada, by virtue of the strength of the water that washed from the feet of the Lord, he [Bali Mahârâja], who kept it on his head and who had the supremacy over the kingdom of the godly ones, never, not even when it would cost him his body, tried for anything else but to keep his promise because he had decided to be dedicated to the Lord.
(19) The Supreme Lord satisfied about the goodness you developed through your transcendental love oh Nârada, nicely explained to you in all detail the light of the knowledge of yoga and the science of relating to the soul that all who have surrendered to Vâsudeva so perfectly know to appreciate.
(20) Undeterred in all circumstances of the ten directions He by the glories of His personal strength subdues the three systems [see loka] as He in the different ages of Manu [manvantaras] incarnates as a descendant of the Manu dynasty. Ruling over the miscreants and kings of that type with the help of His cakra weapon, He thus establishes His fame up to the world of truth [Satyaloka] *.
(21) As fame personified the Supreme Lord carrying the name of Dhanvantari ['moving in a curve'] descends in this universe in order to direct the knowledge that is necessary to obtain a long life. This He accomplishes by providing the nectar of the [Kurma churning] sacrifice that swiftly cures the diseases of all living entities.
(23) Because of His
causeless all-embracing mercy, the Lord of All Time
will descend [as Lord
Râma] in the dynasty of
Ikshvâku [the dynasty of the solar
order]. Together with His wife
[Sîtâ] and brother [Lakshmana] He upon the command of his father [Das'aratha] will take to
the
forest under the
opposition of the ten-headed one [the demoniac ruler Râvana] who
caused great distress. (24) The fearful Indian ocean, seeing her
aquatics [sharks, sea snakes and such] burnt, will quickly give way the
moment He in His anger about His aggrieved intimate
friend [the kidnapped Sîtâ], from a distance
meditates the city of the
enemy [on the island of Lankâ] with red-hot eyes like Hara did in
his desire to burn down [the
heavenly kingdom with his fiery looks]. (25)
When the trunk of the elephant carrying Indra breaks on the chest of
Râvana light will radiate in all directions. Râvana overtaken
by joy will parade proudly between the armies, but in no time the
laughter and life breath of the one who had kidnapped Sîtâ
will be put to an end by the twanging bow [of Râma].
(26) When the entire world is miserable because of
the
burden of soldiers of the disbelievers, He [Krishna] together with His
plenary
expansion [Balarâma], His beauty and His black hair, He whose
glorious path of activities is
so hard to recognize for the people in general, is bound to appear for
the
sake of the decimation of those atheists. (27) Who
else but Him would for God's
sake as a child kill a living
being that has assumed the form of a
giant demoness [Pûtanâ] or being only three months old with
His leg will turn over a cart as also uproot two high rising Arjuna
trees? (28) At
Vrindâvana [where Krishna will grow up] He with His merciful
glance will bring back to life the cowherd boys and their animals who
drank from
the poisoned water [of the Yamunâ]. In order to purify [the
water] from the excess of the highly potent poison He in the river will
take
pleasure in severely punishing the snake that is lurking there
with
its venomous tongue. (29) He with His
superhuman deeds that very night will save all the inhabitants of Vraja
[the
cowherd village] who free from worries are sleeping, from being
burned by the fire ablaze in the dry forest. He thus will prove to them
who are sure to be seeing the last of
their days, together with Balarâma, His unfathomable
prowess by simply having them
close their eyes [and thus
deliver them the same way He later on will free the gopas from
another forest fire]. (30) Whatever
rope
His
[foster]
mother
[Yas'odâ]
will
try
to
bind
her
son
with,
will
time
and
again
prove
to
be
too
short.
And
that
what
she will see when He opens His mouth to the doubting cowherd woman [who
looks for dirt He would have eaten] are all the
worlds, which is something that will convince her another way. (31)
Nanda Mahârâja His [foster]
father whom He also will save from the fear for Varuna [the demigod
of the
waters] and the cowherd men who were held captive in the caves by the
son of Maya [a demon] as also the ones [living in Vrindâvana] who because of their hard labor worked during the day and slept during
the night, He will all award the highest world of
the spiritual sky [Brahmaloka or Vaikunthha]. (32) When the cowherd
men are being stopped [by Krishna] in their sacrifices for the king of
heaven, Indra will cause a heavy downpour of rain. He [Krishna], only seven years of age, wishing to protect the animals, in His causeless
mercy playfully with one hand only for seven days in a row
then will hold up
Govardhana hill like [an umbrella], without getting tired. (33)
When He in His nightly pastimes in the forest desires to dance in the
silver light of the moon with sweet songs and
melodious music He will awaken the amorous desires of the wives of
Vrajabhûmi [the region of Vrindâvana] and decapitate their
kidnapper [S'ankhacûda] who was after the riches of Kuvera [the
heavenly treasurer]. (34-35) All [demons] like
Pralamba, Dhenuka, Baka, Kes'î, Arishtha, Cânûra and
Mushthika [wrestling for Kamsa], Kuvalayâpîda [the
elephant], Kamsa [the demoniac uncle]; many foreign kings [like those
of Persia], the ape Dvivida, Paundraka and others, as well as kings
like S'âlva, Narakâsura, Balvala, Dantavakra, Saptoksha,
S'ambara, Vidûratha and Rukmî and all powerful and well
equipped warriors like Kâmboja, Matsya, Kuru [the sons of
Dhritarâshthra], Sriñjaya, and Kekaya, will thanks to Him
disappear
from the scene and attain His heavenly abode or else because of the
actions of one of the other names belonging to Him, like Baladeva
[Krishna's brother],
Arjuna or Bhîma.
(36) Born from Satyavatî He [as
Vyâsadeva] will in due course of time understand the difficulties
of the
less intelligent and short-lived people with the all too complex and
specialized Vedic literatures. According to the circumstances of the
age
He then will divide the entire collection of the desire tree of the
Vedas into different branches.
(37) For those who became well informed on
the path of education but envious with the divine roam the worlds and
the ether with inventions of Maya [or with modern technology], He will
dress up most attractively and [as the Buddha and His representatives]
with the use of many terms deviating from the tradition extensively
discourse on their destructive bewilderment.
(38) When even with the
civilized gentlemen there
is no mention of the Lord, and when the twice-born [the higher classes]
and
the government consisting of members of the laborer class itself never
under any circumstances take to His hymns, paraphernalia, altars
and words, then, at the end of the Age of Dissent, the
Supreme Lord [Kalki], the
chastiser will appear.
(39) In the beginning
there was penance with me and the seven sages who brought about
everything, in the middle there is the activity of dharma with Vishnu,
Manu, the demigods and the kings in their worlds and in the end there
is the godlessness with S'iva and the angry atheists and such. They
are all powerful representatives of the deluding energy of the One of
Supreme Power. (40)
Who can fully describe the prowess of Lord Vishnu? Not even the
scientist who might have counted the atoms. All were greatly moved by
Him who by His own leg could cover the universe [as Trivikrama] up to
the topmost world beyond the operating modes. (41) Neither
I,
nor
all
the
sages
who
prior
to
you
were
born
are
capable
of
determining
the
reach
of
the
Almighty
Supreme
Person.
What
then would one expect from others who were born
after us? Not even Ananta S'esha
[the 'snake bed' of Vishnu] the first incarnation of the
primordial God with the thousand faces is to the present day
singing the qualities not able to reach His limit. (42) Only
they to whom the Lord extends
His grace are able to cross over the infinite ocean of matter. It
concerns those protected souls whose seeking shelter meant that they
without
reservation, without duplicity surrendered at His lotus feet, or that
they consciously refused to consider His diverse energies to be their
own including that of them [their bodies] which is meant to serve as
food for the dogs and jackals. (43-45) Oh Nârada, know that we both belong to the
bewildering
game of illusion of the Supreme One, as do also the great
Lord S'iva, Prahlâda Mahârâja from the
atheist family, S'atarûpâ, the wife of Manu and
Svâyambhuva Manu himself with his children,
Prâcînabarhi, Ribhu, Anga [the father of Vena], as also
Dhruva, Ikshvâku, Aila, Mucukunda, Janaka, Gâdhi, Raghu,
Ambarîsha, Sagara, Gaya, Nâhusha, and others like
Mândhâtâ, Alarka, S'atadhanu, Anu, Rantideva,
Bhîshma, Bali, Amûrttaraya, Dilîpa, Saubhari, Utanka,
S'ibi, Devala, Pippalâda, Sârasvata, Uddhava,
Parâs'ara, Bhûrishena and champions like Vibhîshana,
Hanumân, S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, Arjuna,
Ârshthishena, Vidura and S'rutadeva. (46) Undoubtedly also those persons who are
women, laborers, barbarians and outcasts - provided they follow the
instructions of the admirable devotees - manage to surpass the illusion
of the divine energy and arrive at knowledge, even if they led
sinful lives. And when even animals that were trained by humans succeed
in it, how much more would that not be true for those people who have
heard about Him? (47)
The Absolute
of the
Spirit [Brahman] is known as
unlimited happiness free from grief. It is the ultimate position of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in front of whom illusion flies away in
shame. That pure
uncontaminated state free from
distinctions is beyond the words belonging to the material motive of
fruitive actions, it is the original principle of the Supersoul, the
cause of all cause and effect, it is consciousness free from fear and
the undisturbed counterpart of the totality of matter [see also B.G.
2:
52]. (48)
In that state of full
independence the diverse practices of the mystics who in
the process of their spiritual culture strive for perfection, are then
given up, just as Indra
[the god of rain] does not have to dig a well. (49) The
Supreme Lord is the one master of all goodness because He brings the
success of [spiritual realization to] all the good work that by the
living entity was performed
according to its natural disposition. After the work is done the
body
dissolves in its constituent elements but just like the ether never is
vanquished, the unborn spirit soul of the person is never lost either
[see also B.G.
2: 24].
(50) My dear, I thus
explained in brief to you
how the Supreme Lord created the universe. Whatever that may exist
in
the phenomenal [material] or noumenal [spiritual] world cannot be of
any
other cause than Hari, the Lord.
(51) This story of
the Fortunate One called the
S'rîmad
Bhâgavatam, was handed down to me by Him, the Supreme Lord and
constitutes
the summary of His diverse potencies. Now you from your good self must
expound on this science of Godhead yourself. (52) Therefore describe with determination, for
the cause of enlightening mankind, this science of devotion [bhakti]
for the Supreme Personality, the summum bonum and Absolute of all
Souls. (53) With the description of the Lord's
external affairs the living being who is of regular attention
and devoted appreciation for it will never be deluded by the
external energy.'
