Bhagavata Purana

शौनक उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) निर्गते नारदे सूत भगवान् बादरायणः । श्रुतवांस्तदभिप्रेतं ततः किमकरोद् विभुः । सूत उवाच । ब्रह्मनद्यां सरस्वत्यां आश्रमः पश्चिमे तटे । शम्याप्रास इति प्रोक्त ऋषीणां सत्रवर्धनः

Śaunaka said: O Sūta, when Nārada had departed, what did the venerable Bādarāyaṇa, having understood his intent, do next? Sūta said: On the western bank of the divine Sarasvatī river, there is an āśrama called Śamyāprāsa, renowned for fostering the gatherings of sages.

तस्मिन् स्व आश्रमे व्यासो बदरीषण्डमण्डिते । आसीनोऽप उपस्पृश्य प्रणिदध्यौ मनः स्वयम्

In that āśrama, adorned with clusters of badarī trees, Vyāsa sat down, purified himself with water, and concentrated his mind by his own will.

भक्तियोगेन मनसि सम्यक् प्रणिहितेऽमले । अपश्यत् पुरुषं पूर्णं मायां च तदपाश्रयम्

With his mind made pure and steady through devotion, he beheld the complete Person and also Māyā, who stands dependent upon Him.

यया संमोहितो जीव आत्मानं त्रिगुणात्मकम् । परोऽपि मनुतेऽनर्थं तत्कृतं चाभिपद्यते

By her, the living being, though transcendental, becomes deluded and considers himself to be made of the three guṇas, imagines misfortune, and accepts what is caused by her.

अनर्थोपशमं साक्षाद् भक्तियोगमधोक्षजे । लोकस्याजानतो विद्वांन् चक्रे सात्वतसंहिताम्

For the cessation of these miseries, the wise one composed the Sātvata Saṃhitā, teaching direct devotion to the Transcendent, for the benefit of people who do not know.

यस्यां वै श्रूयमाणायां कृष्णे परमपूरुषे । भक्तिरुत्पद्यते पुंसः शोकमोहभयापहा

In this scripture, when it is heard, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, arises in a person, removing sorrow, delusion, and fear.

स संहितां भागवतीं कृत्वानुक्रम्य चात्मजम् । शुकं अध्यापयामास निवृत्तिनिरतं मुनिः

Having composed this Bhāgavata Saṃhitā in proper order, the sage taught it to his son Śuka, who was devoted to renunciation.

शौनक उवाच । स वै निवृत्तिनिरतः सर्वत्रोपेक्षको मुनिः । कस्य वा बृहतीं एतां आत्मारामः समभ्यसत्

Śaunaka said: That sage, devoted to renunciation and indifferent to all, being self-satisfied—why did he, the self-delighted one, study this great work?

सूत उवाच । आत्मारामाश्च मुनयो निर्ग्रन्था अप्युरुक्रमे । कुर्वन्ति अहैतुकीं भक्तिं इत्थंभूतगुणो हरिः

Sūta said: Even sages who are self-satisfied and free from all bonds perform causeless devotion to Hari, for His qualities are such.

हरेर्गुणाक्षिप्तमतिः भगवान् बादरायणिः । अध्यगान् महदाख्यानं नित्यं विष्णुजनप्रियः

The venerable son of Badarāyaṇa, whose mind was captivated by Hari's qualities, constantly studied the great narrative, ever dear to the devotees of Viṣṇu.

परीक्षितोऽथ राजर्षेः जन्मकर्मविलापनम् । संस्थां च पाण्डुपुत्राणां वक्ष्ये कृष्णकथोदयम्

Now I will describe the birth, deeds, and departure of King Parīkṣit, and the passing of the sons of Pāṇḍu, as well as the rise of Kṛṣṇa's story.

(इंद्रवज्रा) यदा मृधे कौरवसृञ्जयानां वीरेष्वथो वीरगतिं गतेषु । वृकोदराविद्धगदाभिमर्श भग्नोरुदण्डे धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रे

When, in the battle between the Kauravas and the Sṛñjayas, the heroes had fallen to the fate of warriors, and the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra lay with his thighs broken by the blow of Bhīma's mace—

भर्तुः प्रियं द्रौणिरिति स्म पश्यन् कृष्णासुतानां स्वपतां शिरांसि । उपाहरद् विप्रियमेव तस्य जुगुप्सितं कर्म विगर्हयन्ति

Seeing this, Aśvatthāmā, desiring to please his master, committed a heinous act: he severed the heads of the sleeping sons of Kṛṣṇā, bringing only harm, an act condemned by all.

माता शिशूनां निधनं सुतानां निशम्य घोरं परितप्यमाना । तदारुदद् बाष्पकलाकुलाक्षी तां सांत्वयन्नाह किरीटमाली

Hearing of the dreadful slaughter of her sons, the mother, overwhelmed with grief, wept, her eyes brimming with tears; to console her, the one crowned with a diadem spoke.

तदा शुचस्ते प्रमृजामि भद्रे यद्‍ब्रह्मबंधोः शिर आततायिनः । गाण्डीवमुक्तैः विशिखैरुपाहरे त्वाक्रम्य यत्स्नास्यसि दग्धपुत्रा

He said: O gentle lady, I will wipe away your sorrow—by arrows released from Gāṇḍīva, I will bring you the head of that brahma-bandhu, the aggressor, so that you may bathe after cremating your sons.

(उपेंद्रवज्रा) इति प्रियां वल्गुविचित्रजल्पैः स सान्त्वयित्वाच्युतमित्रसूतः । अन्वाद्रवद् दंशित उग्रधन्वा कपिध्वजो गुरुपुत्रं रथेन

Thus, having comforted his beloved with sweet and varied words, Arjuna, the son of Acyuta's friend, with anger pursued the mighty-armed son of his teacher, his chariot bearing the banner of Hanumān.

तमापतन्तं स विलक्ष्य दूरात् कुमारहोद्विग्नमना रथेन । पराद्रवत् प्राणपरीप्सुरुर्व्यां यावद्‍गमं रुद्रभयाद् यथार्कः

Perceiving him approaching from afar, the prince, his mind agitated, fled with his chariot across the earth, seeking to preserve his life, just as one flees from the sun out of fear of Rudra.

(अनुष्टुप्) यदाशरणमात्मानं ऐक्षत श्रान्तवाजिनम् । अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरो मेने आत्मत्राणं द्विजात्मजः

When the twice-born son saw himself without refuge, his horses exhausted, he considered the Brahmāstra weapon as his only means of self-protection.

अथोपस्पृश्य सलिलं सन्दधे तत्समाहितः । अजानन् उपसंहारं प्राणकृच्छ्र उपस्थिते

Then, having purified himself with water, he concentrated and invoked that weapon, though he did not know how to withdraw it, as death drew near.

ततः प्रादुष्कृतं तेजः प्रचण्डं सर्वतो दिशम् । प्राणापदमभिप्रेक्ष्य विष्णुं जिष्णुरुवाच ह

Thereupon, a fierce and blazing energy manifested in all directions; seeing the threat to life, Arjuna spoke to Viṣṇu.

अर्जुन उवाच । कृष्ण कृष्ण महाबाहो भक्तानामभयङ्कर । त्वमेको दह्यमानानां अपवर्गोऽसि संसृतेः

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one, you alone are the remover of fear for your devotees; you are the deliverance from burning suffering in this cycle of birth and death.

त्वमाद्यः पुरुषः साक्षाद् ईश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । मायां व्युदस्य चिच्छक्त्या कैवल्ये स्थित आत्मनि

You are the original person, the direct Lord, transcendent over nature; casting aside illusion by your power of consciousness, you remain established in the Self, in oneness.

स एव जीवलोकस्य मायामोहितचेतसः । विधत्से स्वेन वीर्येण श्रेयो धर्मादिलक्षणम्

You alone, by your own strength, bestow the highest good, marked by dharma and other virtues, upon the living beings whose minds are deluded by your māyā.

तथायं चावतारस्ते भुवो भारजिहीर्षया । स्वानां चानन्यभावानां अनुध्यानाय चासकृत्

Thus, this incarnation of yours has appeared on earth to relieve its burden, and repeatedly for the constant meditation of your own devoted ones.

किमिदं स्वित्कुतो वेति देवदेव न वेद्‌म्यहम् । सर्वतो मुखमायाति तेजः परमदारुणम्

What is this, and from where does it come, O God of gods? I do not know. From all sides, a most terrible and blazing energy approaches.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । वेत्थेदं द्रोणपुत्रस्य ब्राह्ममस्त्रं प्रदर्शितम् । नैवासौ वेद संहारं प्राणबाध उपस्थिते

The Blessed Lord said: Know this to be the Brahmāstra weapon unleashed by the son of Droṇa; he does not know how to withdraw it, as death approaches.

न ह्यस्यान्यतमं किञ्चिद् अस्त्रं प्रत्यवकर्शनम् । जह्यस्त्रतेज उन्नद्धं अस्त्रज्ञो ह्यस्त्रतेजसा

There is no other weapon that can counteract this; only another weapon of the same kind can neutralize its force, for only one skilled in weapons can subdue the energy of a weapon with another.

सूत उवाच । श्रुत्वा भगवता प्रोक्तं फाल्गुनः परवीरहा । स्पृष्ट्वापस्तं परिक्रम्य ब्राह्मं ब्राह्माय संदधे

Sūta said: Hearing the words of the Blessed Lord, Arjuna, destroyer of enemy heroes, circumambulated, touched water, and invoked the Brahmāstra to counter the Brahmāstra.

संहत्य अन्योन्यं उभयोः तेजसी शरसंवृते । आवृत्य रोदसी खं च ववृधातेऽर्कवह्निवत्

The energies of both weapons, meeting and enveloped by arrows, covered the earth and sky, growing like the fire of the sun.