॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ षोडशोऽध्यायः - १६ ॥
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Discourse XVI
Glorification of king Pṛthu by the bards (Preamble)
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मैत्रेय उवाच ।
इति ब्रुवाणं नृपतिं गायका मुनिचोदिताः ।
तुष्टुवुस्तुष्टमनसस्तद्वागमृतसेवया ॥ १॥
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Maitreya continued : The minstrels were delighted at heart to hear the sweet words of the king, which they enjoyed as ambrosia. Urged by the sages, however, they began to glorify him (in the following words) as soon as he ceased to speak :—(1) (1)
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नालं वयं ते महिमानुवर्णने
यो देववर्योऽवततार मायया ।
वेनाङ्गजातस्य च पौरुषाणि ते
वाचस्पतीनामपि बभ्रमुर्धियः ॥ २॥
अथाप्युदारश्रवसः पृथोर्हरेः
कलावतारस्य कथामृतादृताः ।
यथोपदेशं मुनिभिः प्रचोदिताः
श्लाघ्यानि कर्माणि वयं वितन्महि ॥ ३॥
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"We are not able to describe Your greatness as You are the foremost among the gods and have (condescended to) come to the world through exercise of a mysterious power of Yours, known as Māyā. (It is a fact that) You have arisen from the arms of king Vena, yet Your powers and performances are such that the minds of even (the recognized) masters of speech get perplexed (in trying to describe them). (2)
You are a part manifestation of the Supreme Divinity known as Śrī Hari, which name has here been changed to Pṛthu, the accounts of whose glorious deeds are worth hearing; we love to enjoy the same, as they are as good as nectar and want to spread the fame of Your magnificent deeds, as we realize them in our hearts according to the instructions of the sages. (3) (2-3)
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एष धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठो लोकं धर्मेऽनुवर्तयन् ।
गोप्ता च धर्मसेतूनां शास्ता तत्परिपन्थिनाम् ॥ ४॥
एष वै लोकपालानां बिभर्त्येकस्तनौ तनूः ।
काले काले यथा भागं लोकयोरुभयोर्हितम् ॥ ५॥
वसु काल उपादत्ते काले चायं विमुञ्चति ।
समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु प्रतपन् सूर्यवद्विभुः ॥ ६॥
तितिक्षत्यक्रमं वैन्य उपर्याक्रमतामपि ।
भूतानां करुणः शश्वदार्तानां क्षितिवृत्तिमान् ॥ ७॥
देवेऽवर्षत्यसौ देवो नरदेववपुर्हरिः ।
कृच्छ्रप्राणाः प्रजा ह्येष रक्षिष्यत्यञ्जसेन्द्रवत् ॥ ८॥
आप्याययत्यसौ लोकं वदनामृतमूर्तिना ।
सानुरागावलोकेन विशदस्मितचारुणा ॥ ९॥
अव्यक्तवर्त्मैष निगूढकार्यो
गम्भीरवेधा उपगुप्तवित्तः ।
अनन्तमाहात्म्यगुणैकधामा
पृथुः प्रचेता इव संवृतात्मा ॥ १०॥
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"He is the best among those who pursue the paths of righteousness, and will persuade the people to tread those paths. He is the preserver of the various systems of moral and religious life, the ruler who punishes the antagonists that seek to violate them. (4)
Though one, He bears in His own person the bodies of the guardians of the celestial and terrestrial spheres executing the different functions of beneficence—of protection, promotion of peace and happiness and furtherance of the general well-being of both heaven and earth, according to the need, from time to time. (5)
He replenishes His royal treasury by collection of revenue when there is time for it and again expends it by free distribution at times of emergency, in the same way as the sun, shining brighter, absorbs water and storing it as vapour for a large part of the year, releases it (abundantly as showers in the rainy season). He is equally good to all living beings and powerful as the sun. (6)
He is also like the earth (in his kindness and goodness). The earth is trampled upon by all beings, yet she kindly bestows her benefits on them when they are in distress. She is always compassionate. In the same way, king Pṛthu (the son of Vena) is ever gracious and beneficent to His subjects in spite of the offences and wrongs done to Him by them, which He forgives (before they ask for His forgiveness). (7)
When the god of clouds will not allow them to rain, so that manifold sufferings will be caused to living beings, especially human beings, the king will come forward and, to save all kinds of life, order the clouds to rain asserting His divine power as Indra, as He is God in the form of a human king. (8)
(He is not only like the sun, He is like the moon too.) He delights the world by His shining face, which is an embodiment of ambrosial sweetness—by His bright glances—full of affection and by His lucid smiles, beaming and beautiful. (9)
His ways are inscrutable; His deeds are too deep for thought; the purposes His mind pursues are too remote for comprehension. His wealth is well protected. The points of His magnanimity are innumerable; all qualities and attributes concentrate in Him. Pṛthu is like the divinity of the ocean completely self-contained. (10) (4-10)
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दुरासदो दुर्विषह आसन्नोऽपि विदूरवत् ।
नैवाभिभवितुं शक्यो वेनारण्युत्थितोऽनलः ॥ ११॥
अन्तर्बहिश्च भूतानां पश्यन् कर्माणि चारणैः ।
उदासीन इवाध्यक्षो वायुरात्मेव देहिनाम् ॥ १२॥
नादण्ड्यं दण्डयत्येष सुतमात्मद्विषामपि ।
दण्डयत्यात्मजमपि दण्ड्यं धर्मपथे स्थितः ॥ १३॥
अस्याप्रतिहतं चक्रं पृथोरामानसाचलात् ।
वर्तते भगवानर्को यावत्तपति गोगणैः ॥ १४॥
रञ्जयिष्यति यल्लोकमयमात्मविचेष्टितैः ।
अथामुमाहू राजानं मनोरञ्जनकैः प्रजाः ॥ १५॥
दृढव्रतः सत्यसन्धो ब्रह्मण्यो वृद्धसेवकः ।
शरण्यः सर्वभूतानां मानदो दीनवत्सलः ॥ १६॥
मातृभक्तिः परस्त्रीषु पत्न्यामर्ध इवात्मनः ।
प्रजासु पितृवत्स्निग्धः किङ्करो ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥ १७॥
देहिनामात्मवत्प्रेष्ठः सुहृदां नन्दिवर्धनः ।
मुक्तसङ्गप्रसङ्गोऽयं दण्डपाणिरसाधुषु ॥ १८॥
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"He is beyond the reach not only of His enemy's arms, but also of the latter's thought. He is overwhelming in His power exercised against His antagonists. He is as if at a great distance when He seems to be near. He is invincible in everyway. He is an incandescent force risen from friction or the body of Vena as fire from wood. (11)
Seeing the inner (secret) as well as the outer efforts and actions of men and other beings through spies, He continues to be unaffected as an indifferent super-seer as if He were the inner vital spirit that is there in every living body. (12)
He never punishes him who does not deserve to be punished even if he be the son of those who are determined to do harm to His own self; on the other hand, He punishes His own son when found guilty, as He is established in the path of truth and justice. (13)
The sphere of the irresistible sway of Pṛthu, the limit of the advance of His army and the path of the wheels of His chariot will extend from the Mānasottara mountain to the whole region over which the sun shines with his rays. (14)
He will delight (the various sections of) His subjects by His own (independent) efforts and works, giving full satisfaction as well as fascination to their hearts; so He will be called a Rājā (a king in the truest sense of 'he who pleases'). (15)
He is immovable in His promise and purpose, He never deviates from truth, He loves the Vedas and the Brāhmaṇas (those who are devoted to the Vedas); He serves those who are advanced in age; He is ever ready to give shelter to all beings (who are in distress or danger, whoever they be); He knows how to honour others; He is affectionate and compassionate to the poor. (16)
He regards and reveres the wives of others as His mother and loves His own wife as a half of His own body. He is loving as a father to those over whom He rules; He looks upon Himself as a servant to those who are well-versed in the Vedic lore. (17)
He is supremely dear to all as if He were no other than their own self; He is a constant source of increasing delight and joy to His friends and relations. He particularly seeks the company of persons who are free from all ties of attachment (to the world). He is ever up with arms of punishment against those who are evil-minded. (18) (11-18)
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अयं तु साक्षाद्भगवांस्त्र्यधीशः
कूटस्थ आत्मा कलयावतीर्णः ।
यस्मिन्नविद्यारचितं निरर्थकं
पश्यन्ति नानात्वमपि प्रतीतम् ॥ १९॥
अयं भुवो मण्डलमोदयाद्रे-
र्गोप्तैकवीरो नरदेवनाथः ।
आस्थाय जैत्रं रथमात्तचापः
पर्यस्यते दक्षिणतो यथार्कः ॥ २०॥
अस्मै नृपालाः किल तत्र तत्र
बलिं हरिष्यन्ति सलोकपालाः ।
मंस्यन्त एषां स्त्रिय आदिराजं
चक्रायुधं तद्यश उद्धरन्त्यः ॥ २१॥
अयं महीं गां दुदुहेऽधिराजः
प्रजापतिर्वृत्तिकरः प्रजानाम् ।
यो लीलयाद्रीन् स्वशरासकोट्या
भिन्दन् समां गामकरोद्यथेन्द्रः ॥ २२॥
विस्फूर्जयन्नाजगवं धनुः स्वयं
यदाचरत्क्ष्मामविषह्यमाजौ ।
तदा निलिल्युर्दिशि दिश्यसन्तो
लाङ्गूलमुद्यम्य यथा मृगेन्द्रः ॥ २३॥
एषोऽश्वमेधाञ्शतमाजहार
सरस्वती प्रादुरभावि यत्र ।
अहार्षीद्यस्य हयं पुरन्दरः
शतक्रतुश्चरमे वर्तमाने ॥ २४॥
एष स्वसद्मोपवने समेत्य
सनत्कुमारं भगवन्तमेकम् ।
आराध्य भक्त्यालभतामलं तत्
ज्ञानं यतो ब्रह्म परं विदन्ति ॥ २५॥
तत्र तत्र गिरस्तास्ता इति विश्रुतविक्रमः ।
श्रोष्यत्यात्माश्रिता गाथाः पृथुः पृथुपराक्रमः ॥ २६॥
दिशो विजित्याप्रतिरुद्धचक्रः
स्वतेजसोत्पाटितलोकशल्यः ।
सुरासुरेन्द्रैरुपगीयमान-
महानुभावो भविता पतिर्भुवः ॥ २७॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां
संहितायां चतुर्थस्कन्धे षोडशोऽध्यायः ॥ १६॥
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"He is the Person Supreme directly manifested to men, the Lord of the three worlds; He is divinity absolute. He is the Spirit pure that is there as the self-contained Soul in every living individual; in the exercise of one of His divine functions He has appeared as a superman among men. When He is fully realized in His truth, the apparent multiplicity of the world due to ignorance will all disappear in him as phantoms in Reality. (19)
He is the protector of the terrestrial sphere from the quarter of sunrise (to that of sunset), a unique warrior and King of kings that He is. Seated in his triumphant chariot, (fearlessly) armed with a bow (and arrows), He will travel over the world, as the sun travels along the circle of the zodiac in his celestial journey, from the south to the north. (20)
Wherever He will be in course of His travels, the kings will come to acknowledge His supremacy with tributes and offerings and it is believed that the guardians of the regions will follow the kings. Their consorts will think this primordial monarch to be no other than Lord Viṣṇu (who holds a discus in one of His hands for a weapon) and will sing songs of His fame. (21)
In obedience to Him as a supreme king, Earth will become a cow for Him (to milk the desirable items of wealth for the good of all). As a powerful patriarch He will provide for the livelihood of the people. He will smash the mountains, even as Indra did, with the points of His bow and level the earth in mere sport. (22)
When He roams over the earth like a lion with his tail thrown up, twanging His bow made of the horns of a cow and a goat, and irresistible in encounter, all workers of iniquity will hide themselves here and there. (23)
He will perform as many as a hundred horse-sacrifices at the source of the Saraswatī river (in Brahmāvarta) and in the course of the last sacrifice Indra (the king of the gods), himself a performer of one hundred sacrifices, will steal away the (sacrificial) horse. (24)
In the garden attached to His own palace, He will meet the divine Sanatkumāra (the master of spiritual knowledge) alone. Pṛthu will worship him with devotion and service and attain that pure and perfect enlightenment by which they realize the Supreme Absolute. (25)
Pṛthu's warlike power and influence are unlimited and are known far and wide. A large volume of sayings, songs and sagas and stories will grow around Him (in the different parts of the earth) and He will hear them (sung and recounted) wherever He will go (in the course of His wanderings). (26)
The vast orbit of His power knows no force of opposition, His burning spirit will enable Him to destroy the enemies of the people by conquering the quarters. He will be a (matchless) Master of the earth and His mighty glory will serve as the theme of songs for the chiefs of the gods and demons to sing." (27)
Thus ends the sixteenth discourse in Book Four of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārṣa-Sarhhitā. (19-27)
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