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व्यास उवाच।
इति ब्रुवाणं संस्तूय मुनीनां दीर्घसन्निषाम्।
वृद्धः कुलपतिः सूतं बहुवृचः शौनकोऽब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
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Vedavyāsa says : When Sūta spoke thus, Śaunaka, who was a student of Ṛgveda and the head of a large seminary, and was the oldest of the sages assembled for that long sacrificial session, applauded him and said: (1) (1)
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शौनक उवाच ।
सूत सूत महाभाग वद नो वदतां वर ।
कथां भागवतीं पुण्यां यदाह भगवाञ्छुकः ॥ २॥
कस्मिन् युगे प्रवृत्तेयं स्थाने वा केन हेतुना ।
कुतः सञ्चोदितः कृष्णः कृतवान् संहितां मुनिः ॥ ३॥
तस्य पुत्रो महायोगी समदृङ्निर्विकल्पकः ।
एकान्तमतिरुन्निद्रो गूढो मूढ इवेयते ॥ ४॥
दृष्ट्वानुयान्तमृषिमात्मजमप्यनग्नंदेव्यो ह्रिया परिदधुर्न सुतस्य चित्रम् ।
तद्वीक्ष्य पृच्छति मुनौ जगदुस्तवास्ति स्त्रीपुम्भिदा न तु सुतस्य विविक्तदृष्टेः ॥ ५॥
कथमालक्षितः पौरैः सम्प्राप्तः कुरुजाङ्गलान् ।
उन्मत्तमूकजडवद्विचरन् गजसाह्वये ॥ ६॥
कथं वा पाण्डवेयस्य राजर्षेर्मुनिना सह ।
संवादः समभूत्तात यत्रैषा सात्वती श्रुतिः ॥ ७॥
स गोदोहनमात्रं हि गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् ।
अवेक्षते महाभागस्तीर्थीकुर्वंस्तदाश्रमम् ॥ ८॥
अभिमन्युसुतं सूत प्राहुर्भागवतोत्तमम् ।
तस्य जन्म महाश्चर्यं कर्माणि च गृणीहि नः ॥ ९॥
स सम्राट् कस्य वा हेतोः पाण्डूनां मानवर्धनः ।
प्रायोपविष्टो गङ्गायामनादृत्याधिराट् श्रियम् ॥ १०॥
नमन्ति यत्पादनिकेतमात्मनः शिवाय हानीय धनानि शत्रवः ।
कथं स वीरः श्रियमङ्ग दुस्त्यजां युवैषतोत्स्रष्टुमहो सहासुभिः ॥ ११॥
शिवाय लोकस्य भवाय भूतयेय उत्तमश्लोकपरायणा जनाः ।
जीवन्ति नात्मार्थमसौ पराश्रयं मुमोच निर्विद्य कुतः कलेवरम् ॥ १२॥
तत्सर्वं नः समाचक्ष्व पृष्टो यदिह किञ्चन ।
मन्ये त्वां विषये वाचां स्नातमन्यत्र छान्दसात् ॥ १३॥
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Śaunaka said : Sūta, you are highly blessed and the foremost of expositors. Pray, repeat to us the same sacred story of the Lord as the divine sage Śuka recited (to king Parikṣit). (2)
In which particular Yuga (aeon) was the discourse held and at what place, and what was the occasion for it ? And at whose instance did the sage Kṛṣṇa (Vedavyāsa) compose this Saṃhitā (large collection of poems) ? (3)
His son (Śukadeva) is a great Yogi (mystic), viewing all alike, in whose eye diversity has ceased to exist, whose mind is exclusively set upon God and who has awoke from the sleep of worldliness. He remains incognito and is therefore taken for a stupid fellow. (4)
On perceiving the sage Vyāsa (closely) following his son (who was retiring to the forest as a recluse) the ladies (who happened to be bathing in a pond on the roadside), covered themselves out of modesty, even though the sage had clothes on, while they took no notice of his son (who was stark naked). Noticing this strange behaviour on their part the sage asked them to account for it; thereupon the ladies told him that he was still alive to the difference of sex, but not so his son, whose vision was faultless (who perceived no difference at all). (5)
How did the citizens of Hastināpura come to recognize him when he visited the Kuru-Jāṅgala country and went about that city like one mad, dumb and dull ? (6)
And, how did the royal sage Parikṣit (a scion of Pāṇḍu) come to have a talk with that sage, in the course of which the latter recited this Bhāgavata-Purāṇa ? (7)
That highly blessed sage (Śukadeva) waits at the door of householders to sanctify their abode only for such time as one takes in milking a cow. (8)
They say king Parikṣit (Abhimanyu's son), O Sūta, was counted among the foremost devotees of the Lord. Kindly narrate to us the story of his most wonderful birth and doings. (9)
Why did that emperor, who served to enhance the glory of the Pāṇḍavas, take his seat on the bank of the Gaṅgā with a vow to fast unto death, spurning his imperial fortune ? (10)
Enemies bowed at his footstool, bringing to him riches for their own security. It is really strange, dear Sūta, how did that valiant prince, while he was so young, take it into his head to relinquish that fortune, which is so difficult to renounce, as well as his life. (11)
Men who are solely devoted to the Lord of excellent fame live, not for their own sake, but only for (promoting) the welfare, affluence and prosperity of the world. Why, then, did he cast off his body, which was the support of other beings, in a spirit of aversion ? (12)
Therefore, pray, tell us all that we have asked you on this occasion; for we know you have mastered the entire range of sacred lore barring, of course, the Vedas. (13) (2-13)
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सूत उवाच ।
द्वापरे समनुप्राप्ते तृतीये युगपर्यये ।
जातः पराशराद्योगी वासव्यां कलया हरेः ॥ १४॥
स कदाचित्सरस्वत्या उपस्पृश्य जलं शुचिः ।
विविक्तदेश आसीन उदिते रविमण्डले ॥ १५॥
परावरज्ञः स ऋषिः कालेनाव्यक्तरंहसा ।
युगधर्मव्यतिकरं प्राप्तं भुवि युगे युगे ॥ १६॥
भौतिकानां च भावानां शक्तिह्रासं च तत्कृतम् ।
अश्रद्दधानान् निःसत्त्वान् दुर्मेधान् ह्रसितायुषः ॥ १७॥
दुर्भगांश्च जनान् वीक्ष्य मुनिर्दिव्येन चक्षुषा ।
सर्ववर्णाश्रमाणां यद्दध्यौ हितममोघदृक् ॥ १८॥
चातुर्होत्रं कर्म शुद्धं प्रजानां वीक्ष्य वैदिकम् ।
व्यदधाद्यज्ञसन्तत्यै वेदमेकं चतुर्विधम् ॥ १९॥
ऋग्यजुःसामाथर्वाख्या वेदाश्चत्वार उद्धृताः ।
इतिहासपुराणं च पञ्चमो वेद उच्यते ॥ २०॥
तत्रर्ग्वेदधरः पैलः सामगो जैमिनिः कविः ।
वैशम्पायन एवैको निष्णातो यजुषामुत ॥ २१॥
अथर्वाङ्गिरसामासीत्सुमन्तुर्दारुणो मुनिः ।
इतिहासपुराणानां पिता मे रोमहर्षणः ॥ २२॥
त एत ऋषयो वेदं स्वं स्वं व्यस्यन्ननेकधा ।
शिष्यैः प्रशिष्यैस्तच्छिष्यैर्वेदास्ते शाखिनोऽभवन् ॥ २३॥
त एव वेदा दुर्मेधैर्धार्यन्ते पुरुषैर्यथा ।
एवं चकार भगवान् व्यासः कृपणवत्सलः ॥ २४॥
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Sūta replied : In the Dwāpara age, the third Yuga of the present Caturyugī (the period of four Yugas from Satya to Kali) the great Yogī, Vyāsa, who is a part manifestation of Śrī Hari, was born of Satyavatī (who had sprung from the seed of Uparicara Vasu) through the sage Parāśara. (14)
One day, after taking his bath in the sacred water of the Saraswatī he sat in a lonely place just at sunrise. (15)
The sage, who had an unfailing eye and could read the past as well as the future, saw how by flux of time, which passed unnoticed, there ensued in every age an overlapping of duties, as a result of which the potency of material objects had diminished and people had grown irreverent, weak, dull-witted and short-lived. Finding the people so unlucky, the sage began to investigate by means of his divine insight as to wherein lay the welfare of men belonging to all the grades of society and stages of life. (16—18)
Perceiving that Vedic sacrifices, which are performed through the agency of four priests (viz., the Hotā, the Adhwaryu, the Udgātā and the Brahmā*) are the purifiers of men, he divided the one Veda into four for the continuance of sacrifices. (19)
He thus separated the four Vedas under the names of Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda. And the Itihāsas and the Purāṇas are called the fifth Veda. (20)
Of these Paila received (was taught) Ṛgveda, the seer Jaimini (was the first who) learnt how to chant the Sāmaveda, while Vaiśampāyana was the only one who mastered the Yajurveda. (21)
The sage Sumantu, son of Dāruṇa, acquired proficiency in the Atharvaveda; while my (Sūta's) father, Romaharṣaṇa, gained mastery over the Itihāsas and Purāṇas. (22)
These latter sages (Paila and others) divided their respective Vedas into more than one branches. In this way through their pupils, pupils' pupils and the pupils of these latter the four Vedas came to be divided into so many branches. (23)
The divine Vyāsa, who is compassionate to men of poor wits (evidently) did so in order that even the dull-witted might be able to retain the Vedas (in parts). (24) (14-24)
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स्त्रीशूद्रद्विजबन्धूनां त्रयी न श्रुतिगोचरा ।
कर्मश्रेयसि मूढानां श्रेय एवं भवेदिह ।
इति भारतमाख्यानं कृपया मुनिना कृतम् ॥ २५॥
एवं प्रवृत्तस्य सदा भूतानां श्रेयसि द्विजाः ।
सर्वात्मकेनापि यदा नातुष्यद्धृदयं ततः ॥ २६॥
नातिप्रसीदद्धृदयः सरस्वत्यास्तटे शुचौ ।
वितर्कयन् विविक्तस्थ इदं चोवाच धर्मवित् ॥ २७॥
धृतव्रतेन हि मया छन्दांसि गुरवोऽग्नयः ।
मानिता निर्व्यलीकेन गृहीतं चानुशासनम् ॥ २८॥
भारतव्यपदेशेन ह्याम्नायार्थश्च दर्शितः ।
दृश्यते यत्र धर्मादि स्त्रीशूद्रादिभिरप्युत ॥ २९॥
तथापि बत मे दैह्यो ह्यात्मा चैवात्मना विभुः ।
असम्पन्न इवाभाति ब्रह्मवर्चस्यसत्तमः ॥ ३०॥
किं वा भागवता धर्मा न प्रायेण निरूपिताः ।
प्रियाः परमहंसानां त एव ह्यच्युतप्रियाः ॥ ३१॥
तस्यैवं खिलमात्मानं मन्यमानस्य खिद्यतः ।
कृष्णस्य नारदोऽभ्यागादाश्रमं प्रागुदाहृतम् ॥ ३२॥
तमभिज्ञाय सहसा प्रत्युत्थायागतं मुनिः ।
पूजयामास विधिवन्नारदं सुरपूजितम् ॥ ३३॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां प्रथमस्कन्धे नैमिषीयोपाख्याने चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥ १.४॥
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Seeing that the women, the Śūdras and the fallen Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas were debarred even from hearing the Vedas, and did not know how to perform acts that are conducive to good, the sage (Vedavyāsa) was good enough to compose the Mahābhārata epic in order that women and others too might attain blessedness through the same. (25)
Even though Vyāsa ever remained whole-heartedly engaged in doing good to living creatures, his heart was not satisfied with it, O Brāhmaṇas! (26)
Feeling uneasy at heart, the sage, who knew the secret of Dharma (righteousness), sat reflecting in a secluded spot on the holy bank of the Saraswati, and said to himself thus:— (27)
"Observing the vow of celibacy I reverently studied the Vedas, served the elders and worshipped the sacrificial fires and honestly followed their precepts. (28)
I have also revealed the purport of the Vedas through the Mahābhārata, in which even women, the Śūdras and others can find their respective duties and other things explained. (29)
Though I stand foremost among those who are preeminent in sacred knowledge, and possess uncommon powers too, my soul it seems has not yet realized its true nature (oneness with Brahma). (30)
Is it because I have not yet fully expounded the virtues that enable one to attain the Lord? It is these virtues that are loved by God-realized saints and they alone are dear to Lord Viṣṇu Himself." (31)
While the sage Kṛṣṇadwaipāyana (Vyāsa) was thus sorrowing with the consciousness that something was wanting in him, the sage Nārada called at his hermitage already referred to. (32)
When the sage Vedavyāsa saw Nārada come, he instantly rose to receive him and duly offered worship to the celestial sage, who was adored even by the gods. (33)
- The function of a Hotā is to invoke the gods by reciting the Ṛgveda; that of an Adhwaryu is to measure the sacrificial ground, to build the altar, to prepare the vessels, to fetch wood and water, to light the fire while repeating the Yajurveda, and so on; that of an Udgātā is to chant the Sāmaveda and that of a Brahmā to supervise the sacrificial performance and set right mistakes.
Thus ends the fourth discourse, forming part of the story relating to the Naimiṣa forest, in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahāṃsa-Sarhhitā
(25-33)
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