Vayu Purana

दृष्ट्वा सुरगणान् भीतान् ब्रह्मो वाच महाद्युतिः। किमर्थं भो महाभागा भीता उद्विग्नचेतसः ।। ५४.

Seeing the frightened gods, the radiant Brahmā spoke: 'Why, O greatly fortunate ones, are you fearful and anxious in mind?'

मयाष्टगुणमैश्वर्यं भवतां सम्प्रकल्पितम्। केन व्यावर्त्तितैश्वर्या यूयं वै सुरसत्तमाः ।। ५४.

'I have established for you an eightfold sovereignty—by whom has your power been diminished, O best of gods?'

त्रैलोक्यस्येश्वरा यूयं सर्वे वै विगतज्वराः। प्रजासर्गे न सोऽस्तीह आज्ञां यो मे निवर्त्तयेत् ।। ५४.

'You are all lords of the three worlds, free from affliction; in the creation of beings, there is none here who can countermand my command.'

विमानगामिनः सर्वे सर्वे स्वच्छन्दगामिनः। अध्यात्मे चाधिभूते च अधिदैवे च नित्यशः। प्रजाः कर्मविपाकेन शक्ता यूयं प्रवर्त्तितुम् ।। ५४.

'All of you move in the sky, all move as you wish; in the spiritual, material, and divine realms, always, you are able to act according to the results of karma.'

तत्किमर्थं भयोद्विग्ना मृगाः सिंहार्दिता इव। किं दुःखं केन सन्तापः कुलो वा भयमागतम्। एतत्सर्वं यथान्यायं शीग्रमाख्यातुमर्हथ ।। ५४.

'Then why are you so fearful, like deer terrified by a lion? What sorrow, what affliction, or what danger has come to your line? Tell me all this properly and quickly.'

श्रुत्वा वाक्यं ततस्तस्य ब्रह्मणो वै महात्मनः। ऊचुस्ते ऋषिभिः सार्ध्धं सुरदैत्येन्द्रदानवाः ।। ५४.

Hearing these words from the great-souled Brahmā, the gods, demons, Indras, and Dānavas, along with the sages, spoke.

सुरासुरैर्मथ्यमाने पाथोधौ च महात्मभिः। भुजङ्गभृङ्गसङ्काशं नीलजीमूतसन्निभम्। प्रादुर्भूतं विषं घोरं संवर्ताग्निसमप्रभम् ।। ५४.

While the gods and demons of great soul were churning the ocean, a terrible poison appeared, resembling a swarm of serpents, dark as a rain cloud, blazing like the fire of dissolution.

कालमृत्युरिवोद्भूतं युगान्तादित्यवर्चसम्। त्रैलोक्योत्सादि सूर्याभं प्रस्फुरन्तं समन्ततः ।। ५४.

It arose like Time and Death, shining with the brilliance of the sun at the end of an age, threatening to destroy the three worlds, blazing everywhere.

विषेणोत्तिष्ठमानेन कालानलसमत्विषा। निर्दग्धो रक्तगौराङ्गः कृतकृष्णो जनार्दनः ।। ५४.

From that poison, rising with the radiance of the fire of time, Janārdana, his body fair and red, was scorched and became dark.

दृष्ट्वा तं रक्तगौराङ्गं कृतकृष्णं जनार्दनम्। भीताः सर्वे वयं देवास्त्वामेव शरणं गताः ।। ५४.

Seeing Janārdana, his fair-red body now darkened, all of us gods, frightened, sought refuge in you.

सुराणामसुराणाञ्च श्रुत्वा वाक्यं पितामहः। प्रत्युवाच महातेजा लोकानां हितकाम्यया ।। ५४.

Hearing the words of the gods and demons, the grandsire, desiring the welfare of the worlds, replied with great brilliance.

श्रृणुध्वं देवताः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः। यत्तदग्रे समुत्पन्नं मथ्यमाने महोदधौ ।। ५४.

Hear, all you gods and ascetic sages, what first arose when the great ocean was being churned.

विषं कालानलप्रख्यं कालकूटेति विश्रुतम्। येन प्रोद्भूतमात्रेण कृतकृष्णो जनार्दनः ।। ५४.

A poison, resembling the fire of time and famed as Kālakuṭa, appeared, by whose very emergence Janārdana became dark.

तस्य विष्णुरहञ्चापि सर्वे ते सुरपुङ्गवाः। न शक्नुवन्ति वै सोढुं वेगमन्ये तु शङ्करात् ।। ५४.

Neither Viṣṇu nor I, nor all those foremost gods, were able to endure its force—only Śaṅkara could.

इत्युक्त्वा पझगर्भाभः पझयोनिरयोनिजः । ततः स्तोतुं समारब्धो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।। ५४.

Having spoken thus, the one whose womb is the lotus, the self-born, began to praise Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds.

नमस्तुभ्यं विरूपाक्ष नमस्तेऽनेकचक्षुषे। नमः पिनाकहस्ताय वज्रहस्ताय वै नमः ।। ५४.

Salutations to you, O three-eyed one, salutations to you of many eyes; homage to the wielder of Pināka, homage indeed to the one who holds the thunderbolt.

नमस्त्रैलोक्यनाथाय भूतानाम्पतये नमः। नमः सुरारिसंहर्त्रे तापसाय त्रिचक्षुषे ।। ५४.

Homage to the lord of the three worlds, to the lord of beings; homage to the destroyer of the enemies of the gods, to the ascetic, to the three-eyed one.

ब्रहमणे चैव रुद्राय विष्णवे चैव ते नमः। साङ्ख्याय चैव योगाय भूतग्रामाय वै नमः ।। ५४.

Homage to you as Brahmā, as Rudra, and as Viṣṇu; homage to you as Sāṅkhya, as Yoga, and as the host of beings.

मन्मताङ्गविनाशाय कालकालाय वै नमः। रुद्राय च सुरेशाय देवदेवाय ते नमः। ५४.

Homage to the destroyer of Madana and the elephant, to the death of death; homage to Rudra, to the lord of gods, to the god of gods.

कपर्दिने करालाय शङ्कराय कपालिने। विरूपायैकरूपाय शिवाय वरदाय च ।। ५४.

To the matted-haired, the fierce, the beneficent, the skull-bearer; to the deformed, the singularly formed, the auspicious, and the bestower of boons—homage.

त्रिपुरघ्नाय वन्द्याय मातॄणाम्पतये नमः। बुद्धाय चैव शुद्धाय मुक्ताय केवलाय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the destroyer of Tripura, the venerable one, the lord of the Mothers; to the wise, the pure, the liberated, and the solitary one.

नमः कमलहस्ताय दिग्वासाय शिखण्डिने । लोक त्रयवलिधात्रे च चन्द्राय वरुणाय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the lotus-handed, the sky-clad, the crested one; to the sustainer of the three worlds, to the moon, and to Varuṇa.

अग्राय चैव चोग्राय विप्रायानेकचक्षुषे। रजसे चैव सत्त्वाय तमसेऽव्यक्तयोनये ।। ५४.

Homage to the foremost and the terrible, to the wise, to the one with many eyes; to rajas, to sattva, to tamas, and to the unmanifest source.

नित्यायानित्यरूपाय नित्यानित्याय वै नमः। व्यक्ताय चैवाव्यक्ताय व्यक्ताव्यक्ताय वै नमः ।। ५४.

Homage to the eternal and the impermanent form, to the eternal and the non-eternal; to the manifest, the unmanifest, and the manifest-unmanifest.

चिन्त्याय चैवाचिन्त्याय चिन्त्याचिन्त्याय वै नमः। भक्तानामार्तिनाशाय नरनारायणाय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the conceivable and the inconceivable, to the conceivable-inconceivable; to the destroyer of the distress of devotees, to Nara-Nārāyaṇa.

उमाप्रियाय शर्वाय नन्दिचक्राङ्किताय च। पक्षमासार्द्धमासाय नमः संवत्सराय च ।। ५४.

Homage to the beloved of Umā, to Śarva, to the one marked by the circle of Nandi; to the fortnight, the month, the half-month, and to the year.

बहुरूपाय मुण्डाय दण्डिनेऽथ वरूथिने। नमः कपालहस्ताय दिग्वासाय शिखणिडने ।। ५४.

Homage to the many-formed, the shaven-headed, the staff-bearer, and the leader; to the skull-handed, the sky-clad, and the crested one.

ध्वजिने रथिने चैव यमिने ब्रह्मचारिणे। ऋग्यजुः सामवेदाय पुरुषायेश्वराय च। इत्येवमादिचरितैस्तुभ्यं देव नमोऽस्तु ते ।। ५४.

To the bannered, the charioteer, the restrainer, the celibate; to the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, to the Person, to the Lord—thus, with such deeds, I bow to you, O god.

एवं स्तुतस्ततो देवैः प्रणिपत्य वरानने ।। ५४.

Thus praised by the gods, having bowed down, O beautiful-faced one—