मैत्रेय उवाच ।
सत्सेवनीयो बत पूरुवंशो
यल्लोकपालो भगवत्प्रधानः ।
बभूविथेहाजितकीर्तिमालां
पदे पदे नूतनयस्यभीक्ष्णम् ॥ १॥
सोऽहं नृणां क्षुल्लसुखाय दुःखं
महद्गतानां विरमाय तस्य ।
प्रवर्तये भागवतं पुराणं
यदाह साक्षाद्भगवान् ऋषिभ्यः ॥ २॥
आसीनमुर्व्यां भगवन्तमाद्यं
सङ्कर्षणं देवमकुण्ठसत्त्वम् ।
विवित्सवस्तत्त्वमतःपरस्य
कुमारमुख्या मुनयोऽन्वपृच्छन् ॥ ३॥
स्वमेव धिष्ण्यं बहु मानयन्तं
यं वासुदेवाभिधमामनन्ति ।
प्रत्यग्धृताक्षाम्बुजकोशमीष-
दुन्मीलयन्तं विबुधोदयाय ॥ ४॥
स्वर्धुन्युदार्द्रैः स्वजटाकलापै-
रुपस्पृशन्तश्चरणोपधानम् ।
पद्मं यदर्चन्त्यहिराजकन्याः
सप्रेमनानाबलिभिर्वरार्थाः ॥ ५॥
मुहुर्गृणन्तो वचसानुराग-
स्खलत्पदेनास्य कृतानि तज्ज्ञाः ।
किरीटसाहस्रमणिप्रवेक-
प्रद्योतितोद्दामफणासहस्रम् ॥ ६॥
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Maitreya said : Oh ! the race of Pūru has become worthy of adoration even by noble men ever since you were born into it—you, who are no other than the god Yama (one of the protectors of the world), so devoted to the Lord; and you lend fresher and newer charm at every step and every moment to the garland of Śrī Hari's glories (by your pertinent questions). (1)
Now, in order to relieve the great woe of men who fall into it in their search for trivial delights (of sense), I commence the Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, which Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa (Śeṣa) himself was pleased to teach the seers (Sanaka and others). (2)
Eager to know the truth about the Lord who is even higher than Saṅkarṣaṇa, Sanatkumāra and the other sages approached and questioned Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, the first among the gods, whose wisdom knows no obstruction and who had ensconced himself in the subterranean region (of Pātāla). (3)
Saṅkarṣaṇa was (at that time) engaged in offering (mental) worship to his own (source and) stay, whom the Vedas call by the name of Lord Vāsudeva; and in order to afford delight to the sages (Sanatkumāra and others) he had now partially opened his eyes, that resembled a pair of lotus buds and which he had turned inward till then. (4)
The sages (reverentially) touched with their matted locks, drenched* by the water of the heavenly river (Gaṅgā), the lotus that served as a support for his feet, and which daughters of the serpent chiefs, lovingly worshipped through various offerings with a longing to obtain a suitable match. (5)
The sages, who were conversant with his doings, repeatedly extolled them in accents that faltered on account of affection. The thousand noble hoods of the serpent-god were brightened by superb gems set in his thousand crowns. (6) (1-6)
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प्रोक्तं किलैतद्भगवत्तमेन
निवृत्तिधर्माभिरताय तेन ।
सनत्कुमाराय स चाह पृष्टः
साङ्ख्यायनायाङ्ग धृतव्रताय ॥ ७॥
साङ्ख्यायनः पारमहंस्यमुख्यो
विवक्षमाणो भगवद्विभूतीः ।
जगाद सोऽस्मद्गुरवेऽन्विताय
पराशरायाथ बृहस्पतेश्च ॥ ८॥
प्रोवाच मह्यं स दयालुरुक्तो
मुनिः पुलस्त्येन पुराणमाद्यम् ।
सोऽहं तवैतत्कथयामि वत्स
श्रद्धालवे नित्यमनुव्रताय ॥ ९॥
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Tradition says that the most worshipful Saṅkarṣaṇa taught this 'Bhāgavata' to Sanatkumāra, who is devoted to the path of renunciation; and the latter in his turn, O dear Vidura, imparted it to Sāṅkhyāyana, who had taken a vow (of strict celibacy) and asked him questions about the same. (7)
Sāṅkhyāyana, the foremost among those who had realized the truth, in his eagerness to recount the glories of the Lord, repeated it to his devoted pupil and our preceptor, Parāśara, and then to the sage Bṛhaspati. (8)
Urged by Pulastya, the gracious sage Parāśara reproduced that foremost Purāṇa (Śrīmad Bhāgavata) to me; and I now proceed to teach the same to you, dear child, who are so reverent and ever devoted to me. (9) (7-9)
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उदाप्लुतं विश्वमिदं तदासी-
द्यन्निद्रयामीलितदृङ्न्यमीलयत् ।
अहीन्द्रतल्पेऽधिशयान एकः
कृतक्षणः स्वात्मरतौ निरीहः ॥ १०॥
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*While coming from the highest heaven, Satyaloka, to the nethermost region of Pātāla, it seems, Sanatkumāra and others had coursed through the stream of the Gaṅgā, which flows from Satyaloka right up to Pātāla washing on its way all the other celestial spheres, the atmosphere, the surface of the earth and all the other terrestrial regions. This obviously accounts for the wetness of their matted locks. (10)
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सोऽन्तःशरीरेऽर्पितभूतसूक्ष्मः
कालात्मिकां शक्तिमुदीरयाणः ।
उवास तस्मिन् सलिले पदे स्वे
यथानलो दारुणि रुद्धवीर्यः ॥ ११॥
चतुर्युगानां च सहस्रमप्सु
स्वपन् स्वयोदीरितया स्वशक्त्या ।
कालाख्ययाऽऽसादितकर्मतन्त्रो
लोकानपीतान् ददृशे स्वदेहे ॥ १२॥
तस्यार्थसूक्ष्माभिनिविष्टदृष्टे-
रन्तर्गतोऽर्थो रजसा तनीयान् ।
गुणेन कालानुगतेन विद्धः
सूष्यंस्तदाभिद्यत नाभिदेशात् ॥ १३॥
स पद्मकोशः सहसोदतिष्ठ-
त्कालेन कर्मप्रतिबोधनेन ।
स्वरोचिषा तत्सलिलं विशालं
विद्योतयन्नर्क इवात्मयोनिः ॥ १४॥
तल्लोकपद्मं स उ एव विष्णुः
प्रावीविशत्सर्वगुणावभासम् ।
तस्मिन् स्वयं वेदमयो विधाता
स्वयम्भुवं यं स्म वदन्ति सोऽभूत् ॥ १५॥
तस्यां स चाम्भोरुहकर्णिकाया-
मवस्थितो लोकमपश्यमानः ।
परिक्रमन् व्योम्नि विवृत्तनेत्र-
श्चत्वारि लेभेऽनुदिशं मुखानि ॥ १६॥
तस्माद्युगान्तश्वसनावघूर्ण-
जलोर्मिचक्रात्सलिलाद्विरूढम् ।
उपाश्रितः कञ्जमु लोकतत्त्वं
नात्मानमद्धाविददादिदेवः ॥ १७॥
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(Prior to the creation) the whole of this universe was submerged in water. At that time the only one that existed was Lord Nārāyaṇa, who lay on His couch of Śeṣa (the lord of serpents), having shut His eyes on account of sleep (in the form of deep meditation), although His consciousness was wide awake even then, ceasing from all activity (in the form of creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe) and revelling in the bliss of His own Self. (10)
Having deposited the subtle bodies of all the Jīvas (embodied souls) in His own body, the Lord reposed on those waters, which served as His resting-place—even as fire remains latent in wood, concealing its burning capacity etc.,—keeping only His potency in the shape of Time active (in order to rouse Him when the time of creation arrived again). (11)
Having thus slept on those waters for (a period equivalent to) one thousand rounds of the four Yugas with His own energy in the form of consciousness about Him, when He was shown the residue of Karma of all the Jīvas by His potency called Time, which had already been directed by Him for this purpose, He saw countless worlds merged in His own body. (12)
When His eye thus fell on the subtle matter (in the shape of subtle bodies) which lay deposited in His body and which was now roused into activity by the Rajoguṇa (the principle of activity impelled by Time, the same issued out of His navel in order to evolve grosser forms. (13)
By force of Time, which roused into activity the residue of Karma of the Jīvas, that subtle matter which came out of the navel of Lord Viṣṇu sprang all of a sudden in the form of a lotus bud, illuminating with its splendour that vast expanse of water even as the sun. (14)
The all-pervading Lord Viṣṇu Himself, O Vidura, entered as the inner controller that lotus representing all the (fourteen) worlds, which brought to light (later on) all the objects of sensuous enjoyment. (When the Lord entered the lotus), there appeared from it the Creator (Brahmā), who is no other than Veda personified and whom they call "Self-born" (because his Progenitor was not to be seen). (15)
Perched on the pericarp of the lotus, Brahmā failed to perceive any world. Turning his neck all round, therefore, he looked about in the sky with distended eyes and was immediately endowed with four faces, one on each side. (16)
Lo! resting on that lotus, which had emerged from the waters uproarious with waves tossed by the (furious) winds which characterized the period of universal destruction, Brahmā (the first god) could not make out the reality of that lotus, which formed the basis of the coming worlds, nor of himself. (17) (11-17)
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क एष योऽसावहमब्जपृष्ठ
एतत्कुतो वाब्जमनन्यदप्सु ।
अस्ति ह्यधस्तादिह किञ्चनैत-
दधिष्ठितं यत्र सता नु भाव्यम् ॥ १८॥
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(He said to himself:) "Who am I, seated on the pericarp of this lotus, and whence can this lotus be, standing on these waters all alone (without any support)? It can, therefore, be easily understood by any sane person that there must be something underneath it, on which this stands supported." (18) (18)
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स इत्थमुद्वीक्ष्य तदब्जनाल-
नाडीभिरन्तर्जलमाविवेश ।
नार्वाग्गतस्तत्खरनालनाल-
नाभिं विचिन्वंस्तदविन्दताजः ॥ १९॥
तमस्यपारे विदुरात्मसर्गं
विचिन्वतोऽभूत्सुमहांस्त्रिणेमिः ।
यो देहभाजां भयमीरयाणः
परिक्षिणोत्यायुरजस्य हेतिः ॥ २०॥
ततो निवृत्तोऽप्रतिलब्धकामः
स्वधिष्ण्यमासाद्य पुनः स देवः ।
शनैर्जितश्वासनिवृत्तचित्तो
न्यषीददारूढसमाधियोगः ॥ २१॥
कालेन सोऽजः पुरुषायुषाभि-
प्रवृत्तयोगेन विरूढबोधः ।
स्वयं तदन्तर्हृदयेऽवभात-
मपश्यतापश्यत यन्न पूर्वम् ॥ २२॥
मृणालगौरायतशेषभोग-
पर्यङ्क एकं पुरुषं शयानम् ।
फणातपत्रायुतमूर्धरत्न-
द्युभिर्हतध्वान्तयुगान्ततोये ॥ २३॥
प्रेक्षां क्षिपन्तं हरितोपलाद्रेः
सन्ध्याभ्रनीवेरुरुरुक्ममूर्ध्नः ।
रत्नोदधारौषधिसौमनस्य-
वनस्रजो वेणुभुजाङ्घ्रिपाङ्घ्रेः ॥ २४॥
आयामतो विस्तरतः स्वमान-
देहेन लोकत्रयसङ्ग्रहेण ।
विचित्रदिव्याभरणांशुकानां
कृतश्रियापाश्रितवेषदेहम् ॥ २५॥
पुंसां स्वकामाय विविक्तमार्गै-
रभ्यर्चतां कामदुघाङ्घ्रिपद्मम् ।
प्रदर्शयन्तं कृपया नखेन्दु-
मयूखभिन्नाङ्गुलिचारुपत्रम् ॥ २६॥
मुखेन लोकार्तिहरस्मितेन
परिस्फुरत्कुण्डलमण्डितेन ।
शोणायितेनाधरबिम्बभासा
प्रत्यर्हयन्तं सुनसेन सुभ्र्वा ॥ २७॥
कदम्बकिञ्जल्कपिशङ्गवाससा
स्वलङ्कृतं मेखलया नितम्बे ।
हारेण चानन्तधनेन वत्स
श्रीवत्सवक्षःस्थलवल्लभेन ॥ २८॥
परार्ध्यकेयूरमणिप्रवेक-
पर्यस्तदोर्दण्डसहस्रशाखम् ।
अव्यक्तमूलं भुवनाङ्घ्रिपेन्द्र-
महीन्द्रभोगैरधिवीतवल्शम् ॥ २९॥
चराचरौको भगवन् महीध्र-
महीन्द्रबन्धुं सलिलोपगूढम् ।
किरीटसाहस्रहिरण्यशृङ्ग-
माविर्भवत्कौस्तुभरत्नगर्भम् ॥ ३०॥
निवीतमाम्नायमधुव्रतश्रिया
स्वकीर्तिमय्या वनमालया हरिम् ।
सूर्येन्दुवाय्वग्न्यगमं त्रिधामभिः
परिक्रमत्प्राधनिकैर्दुरासदम् ॥ ३१॥
तर्ह्येव तन्नाभिसरःसरोज-
मात्मानमम्भः श्वसनं वियच्च ।
ददर्श देवो जगतो विधाता
नातः परं लोकविसर्गदृष्टिः ॥ ३२॥
स कर्मबीजं रजसोपरक्तः
प्रजाः सिसृक्षन्नियदेव दृष्ट्वा ।
अस्तौद्विसर्गाभिमुखस्तमीड्य-
मव्यक्तवर्त्मन्यभिवेशितात्मा ॥ ३३॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां
संहितायां तृतीयस्कन्धे अष्टमोऽध्यायः ॥ ८॥
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Reasoning thus, he dived into the water through the pores in the stalk of that lotus. But much as he strove to find out the base of the lotus stalk, Brahmā (the unborn) failed to get at it then, even though he approached it. (19)
While he thus looked about for his own source in that impenetrable darkness, O Vidura, there elapsed a very long time—time, which is nothing but the Lord's discus (Sudarśana), that inspires terror in the heart of living creatures and cuts short the allotted span of their life (every moment). (20)
At last he gave up the search without achieving the object of his desire; and, returning to his resting-place, the deity gradually controlled his breath, withdrew his mind from everything else and sat down in Samādhi (deep meditation on the Lord). (21)
When he had unremittingly practised Yoga for a hundred years (the full life-span of a healthy man) the light of wisdom dawned on him and he saw revealed in his heart of its own accord that which he had failed to perceive before. (22)
On the waters that had submerged the whole universe during the period of universal destruction Brahmā beheld the one Supreme Person (Lord Nārāyaṇa) lying on the huge body of Śeṣa, which was white as a lotus fibre, and served as a bed for Him. The (extensive) hoods of the serpent-god, numbering ten thousand, served as so many umbrellas for the Lord and the gems set on his (myriad) crowns dispelled by their brilliance the darkness all round. (23)
(By the effulgence of His swarthy person) He obscured the splendour of a mountain of emerald; (by His yellow loin-cloth) He outshone the bright evening clouds hanging round the sides of such a mountain; (by the brilliant crown adorning His head) He stole the charm of its many peaks of gold; (by His wreath of sylvan flowers) He eclipsed the beauty of the gems, rills, shining herbs and flowers adorning the breast of such a mountain; (by His shapely arms) He excelled the bamboos looking like the arms of that mountain and (by His beautiful legs) He threw into the background the trees constituting its legs. (24)
His person, which contained all the three worlds, was its own compeer both in length and breadth; even though it added grace to the wonderful divine ornaments and robes themselves, yet He had chosen to adorn it with the same. (25)
He graciously showed (by placing them in a prominent position) His wish-yielding lotus-feet to devotees that worshipped Him through faultless processes for the gratification of their own desire—lotus-feet whose petals in the shape of toes could be distinctly seen (though closely united with one another) through the rays of their moon-like nails. (26)
Nay, He greeted His worshippers with His countenance, which was endowed with a beautiful nose and graceful eyebrows and lit up with a smile that was enough to relieve the agony of the whole world, and which was graced with brilliant ear-rings and reflected the ruddy lustre of His lips, that resembled a ripe Bimba fruit. (27)
His buttocks were adorned with a loin-cloth yellow as the filaments of a Kadamba flower, as well as with a girdle; while His bosom, dear son, was marked with a golden streak and graced with its favourite necklace, which was invaluable. (28)
In the shape of the fourteen worlds He is like a sandal tree, the king of trees, with His pair of stout arms, adorned with most precious armlets and the best of gems, for its numberless boughs, with its root unknown (because it has no root other than itself) and with the hoods of Śeṣa (the lord of serpents) coiled about its trunk. (29)
(Lying in the midst of the ocean) the Lord further looked like a mountain surrounded by water. Even as a mountain affords shelter to both animate and inanimate beings, the Lord is the resting-place of the whole animate and inanimate creation. Even as a mountain is friendly (hospitable) to large serpents, the Lord is a friend of Śeṣa (the lord of serpents). The thousands of diadems that adorned the hoods of Śeṣa appeared like so many peaks of gold; while the diamond called Kaustubha that shone on the bosom of the Lord looked like a gem emerging from the heart of a mountain. (30)
Brahmā now had a clear view of Śrī Hari, who wore round His neck a wreath of sylvan flowers, that represented His glory and was graced by the Vedas that had taken the form of bees to hymn His praises. He was inaccessible even to the sun, the moon, the air and fire, and could hardly be approached (by His enemies), being closely guarded by His weapons (like Sudarśana and others) who were truth, consciousness and bliss personified (i.e., had divine forms of their own), and ever paraded round Him. (31)
That very moment, Brahmā, the would-be creator of the world, who was intent on evolving the universe, beheld (in his heart along with the Lord) the lotus which had shot forth from His navel, the water (that surrounded Him), the blast (that was blowing), the sky (that hung over his head like a canopy) as well as himself (seated on the lotus) and nothing other than these. (32)
Dominated as he was by the quality of Rajas (the principle of activity), he desired to undertake the work of evolving the creation; but when he saw only the aforesaid material for the same, he fixed his mind on the Lord, whose ways are unknown to anyone, and thus began to extol Him who is the only one deserving of praise, intent as he was on creation. (33)
Thus ends the eighth discourse in Book Three of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārṣa-Sarhhitā. (19-33)
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