Bhagavata Purana

त्वं चैतद्‌ब्रह्मदायाद श्रद्धयाऽऽत्मानुशासनम् । धारयंश्चर गां कामं कामानां भर्जनं नृणाम्

And you, O heir of Brahma, bearing this instruction of the Self with faith, live on this earth as you wish, burning away the desires of men.

श्रीशुक उवाच - एवं स ऋषिणाऽऽदिष्टं गृहीत्वा श्रद्धयात्मवान् । पूर्णः श्रुतधरो राजन् आह वीरव्रतो मुनिः

Śrī Śuka said: Thus, having received the instruction from the sage with faith and self-control, the muni Vīravrata, full and learned, spoke.

श्रीनारद उवाच - नमस्तस्मै भगवते कृष्णायामलकीर्तये । यो धत्ते सर्वभूतानां अभवायोशतीः कलाः

Śrī Nārada said: Salutations to that Blessed Lord, Kṛṣṇa, of spotless fame, who bears all the powers of creation and destruction of all beings.

इत्याद्यमृषिमानम्य तच्छिष्यांश्च महात्मनः । ततोऽगाद् आश्रमं साक्षात् पितुर्द्वैपायनस्य मे

Thus, bowing to the ancient sage and his noble disciples, I then went to the ashram of my father, Dvaipāyana.

सभाजितो भगवता कृतासनपरिग्रहः । तस्मै तद् वर्णयामास नारायणमुखाच्छ्रुतम्

Honored by the Blessed Lord and having accepted a seat, he narrated to him that which he had heard from the mouth of Nārāyaṇa.

इत्येतद् वर्णितं राजन् यन्नः प्रश्नः कृतस्त्वया । यथा ब्रह्मण्यनिर्देश्ये नीऋगुणेऽपि मनश्चरेत्

Thus, O King, has been described that which you asked us—how the mind may dwell upon Brahman, who is beyond definition and without qualities.

( शार्दूलविक्रीडित ) योऽस्योत्प्रेक्षक आदिमध्यनिधने योऽव्यक्तजीवेश्वरो यः सृष्ट्वेदमनुप्रविश्य ऋषिणा चक्रे पुरः शास्ति ताः । यं सम्पद्य जहात्यजामनुशयी सुप्तः कुलायं यथा तं कैवल्यनिरस्तयोनिमभयं ध्यायेदजस्रं हरिम्

He who observes the beginning, middle, and end of this universe, who is the Lord of the unmanifest, the living beings, and the rulers; who, having created this world, enters into it and, through the seers, governs it; whom, upon attaining, the embodied soul abandons, just as a sleeping bird leaves its nest—upon that Hari, whose unique existence is untouched by origin and who is fearless, one should meditate constantly.

इति श्रीमद्‍भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे उत्तरार्धे वेदस्तुति नाम सप्ताशीतितमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the eighty-seventh chapter, entitled 'The Prayers of the Vedas,' in the second half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas.

श्रीराजोवाच। देवासुरमनुष्येसु ये भजन्त्यशिवं शिवम्। प्रायस्ते धनिनो भोजा न तु लक्ष्म्याः पतिं हरिम्

The king said: Among the gods, demons, and humans, those who worship the inauspicious as auspicious are mostly wealthy rulers, but not devotees of Hari, the Lord of Lakṣmī.

एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामः सन्देहोऽत्र महान्हि नः। विरुद्धशीलयोः प्रभ्वोर्विरुद्धा भजतां गतिः

We wish to understand this, for we have great doubt here: why do those who worship two lords of opposing natures attain opposite results?

श्रीशुक उवाच। शिवः शक्तियुतः शश्वत्त्रिलिङ्गो गुणसंवृतः। वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च तामसश्चेत्यहं त्रिधा

Śuka said: Śiva, always united with power, is threefold, enveloped by the guṇas—he is of the nature of sattva, rajas, and tamas; thus, I am threefold.

ततो विकारा अभवन्षोडशामीषु कञ्चन। उपधावन्विभूतीनां सर्वासामश्नुते गतिम्

From him arose various transformations, sixteen in number, and, assuming the forms of all manifestations, he attains the state of all.

हरिर्हि निर्गुणः साक्षात्पुरुषः प्रकृतेः परः। स सर्वदृगुपद्र ष्टा तं भजन्निर्गुणो भवेत्

Hari, however, is directly beyond the guṇas, the Supreme Person, transcendent to nature; he is the witness of all, the overseer—by worshipping him, one becomes free from the guṇas.

निवृत्तेष्वश्वमेधेषु राजा युष्मत्पितामहः। शृण्वन्भगवतो धर्मानपृच्छदिदमच्युतम्

When the aśvamedha sacrifices had ceased, your grandfather, the king, hearing of the Lord's dharmas, asked this of Acyuta.

स आह भगवांस्तस्मै प्रीतः शुश्रूषवे प्रभुः। नृणां निःश्रेयसार्थाय योऽवतीर्णो यदोः कुले

The Blessed Lord, pleased with his attentive service, spoke to him for the highest good of men—he who descended in the Yadu line.

श्रीभगवानुवाच। यस्याहमनुगृह्णामि हरिष्ये तद्धनं शनैः। ततोऽधनं त्यजन्त्यस्य स्वजना दुःखदुःखितम्

The Blessed Lord said: When I show special favor to someone, I gradually take away his wealth; then, his relatives abandon him, and he, afflicted by suffering, suffers further.

स यदा वितथोद्योगो निर्विण्णः स्याद्धनेहया। मत्परैः कृतमैत्रस्य करिष्ये मदनुग्रहम्

When, frustrated in his efforts and disillusioned with the pursuit of wealth, he befriends my devotees, I bestow my grace upon him.

तद्ब्रह्म परमं सूक्ष्मं चिन्मात्रं सदनन्तकम्। विज्ञायात्मतया धीरः संसारात्परिमुच्यते

That supreme, subtle Brahman, consisting only of consciousness, eternal and infinite—knowing it as the Self, the wise one is freed from saṃsāra.

अतो मां सुदुराराध्यं हित्वान्यान्भजते जनः। ततस्त आशुतोषेभ्यो लब्धराज्यश्रियोद्धताः। मत्ताः प्रमत्ता वरदान्विस्मयन्त्यवजानते

Therefore, people, finding me very difficult to worship, turn to others; then, intoxicated and arrogant from the quick boons they receive—kingdoms and prosperity—they become proud, reckless, and, seeking further boons, disregard me.

श्रीशुक उवाच। शापप्रसादयोरीशा ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादयः। सद्यः शापप्रसादोऽङ्ग शिवो ब्रह्मा न चाच्युतः

Śuka said: The lords of blessing and curse—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others—O dear one, of these, Śiva quickly grants boons or curses, Brahmā does not, and Acyuta never does so immediately.

अत्र चोदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। वृकासुराय गिरिशो वरं दत्त्वाप सङ्कटम्

Here they recount an ancient tale: Having granted a boon to Vṛkāsura, the Lord of the Mountain (Śiva) fell into distress.

वृको नामासुरः पुत्रः शकुनेः पथि नारदम्। दृष्ट्वाशुतोषं पप्रच्छ देवेषु त्रिषु दुर्मतिः

There was an asura named Vṛka, son of Śakuni; on the path, he saw Nārada and, being of evil mind, asked him about the quick-to-be-pleased among the three gods.

स आह देवं गिरिशमुपाधावाशु सिद्ध्यसि। योऽल्पाभ्यां गुणदोषाभ्यामाशु तुष्यति कुप्यति

He quickly approached the god Girisha, for you will succeed; he is one who is easily pleased or angered by even the smallest virtue or fault.

दशास्यबाणयोस्तुष्टः स्तुवतोर्वन्दिनोरिव। ऐश्वर्यमतुलं दत्त्वा तत आप सुसङ्कटम्

Just as he was pleased by the praises of Ravana and Bana, and granted them incomparable power, but then they fell into great distress.

इत्यादिष्टस्तमसुर उपाधावत्स्वगात्रतः। केदार आत्मक्रव्येण जुह्वानो ग्निमुखं हरम्

Thus instructed, the demon hurried to him, offering his own flesh from his body as oblation into the mouth of Hara, who is fire.

देवोपलब्धिमप्राप्य निर्वेदात्सप्तमेऽहनि। शिरोऽवृश्चत्सुधितिना तत्तीर्थक्लिन्नमूर्धजम्

On the seventh day, failing to obtain the presence of the god, and out of despair, he cut off his own head with a sharp blade, his hair soaked at that holy place.

तदा महाकारुणिको स धूर्जटिर्यथा वयं चाग्निरिवोत्थितोऽनलात्। निगृह्य दोर्भ्यां भुजयोर्न्यवारयत्तत्स्पर्शनाद्भूय उपस्कृताकृतिः

Then, the great compassionate one, Dhurjati, just as we would, like fire springing from a flame, restrained him with his arms, preventing him from touching, and restored his form, now more splendid.

तमाह चाङ्गालमलं वृणीष्व मे यथाभिकामं वितरामि ते वरम्। प्रीयेय तोयेन नृणां प्रपद्यतामहो त्वयात्मा भृशमर्द्यते वृथा

He said to him: 'Enough, Angala! Choose a boon from me as you desire; I will grant it to you. I am pleased even by water offered by those who surrender, but you have tormented yourself excessively and in vain.'

देवं स वव्रे पापीयान्वरं भूतभयावहम्। यस्य यस्य करं शीर्ष्णि धास्ये स म्रियतामिति

That sinful one then asked the god for a boon that would bring terror to beings: 'Whosoever's head I touch with my hand, let him die.'