Canto 7 - Chapter 9: A Eulogy of the Lord (by Prahrada)

Discourse IX

A Eulogy of the Lord (by Prahrāda)

Nārada resumed : (Extolling the Lord) thus all the gods and other (heavenly) beings, led by Brahmā (the creator) and Rudra (Lord Śiva), dared not go near Him, possessed as He was by anger and (hence) most difficult to approach. (1)
Śrī (the Lord's own Consort and the goddess of beauty and prosperity) was personally sent by the gods (to appease Him). Perceiving that great wonder and full of misgiving (however), She dared not go near, the form having neither been seen nor heard of (by Her) before. (2)
Brahmā (then) sent Prahrāda, standing close by, with the words; "Approach, dear one, and pacify the Lord, who has waxed angry at your father." (3)
Uttering the words "So be it", and slowly drawing near, O king (Yudhiṣṭhira), the great child devotee (Prahrāda) bowed down with his body (lying prostrate) on the ground and his palms joined together. (4)
Overwhelmed with compassion on seeing the infant fallen at the soles of His feet, and lifting it, the Lord placed on its head His lotus hand, which has (ever) brought security to those whose mind is terribly afraid of the serpent in the shape of Time. (5)
All (traces of) evil (in the shape of dormant desires or impressions left on the mind by good or evil actions of past lives) having been wiped out by the (most auspicious and sacred) touch of His hand and direct knowledge of the Supreme Spirit instantly revealed to him, Prahrāda felt (supremely) gratified and with the hair of his body standing on end, his heart moistened (with love) and tears (of joy) in his eyes, he installed (an image of) His lotus-feet in his heart. (6)
Perfectly composed, he extolled Śrī Hari with a concentrated mind and in a voice choked with emotion, his heart and eyes fixed on Him. (7)

Prahrāda said : Hosts of gods headed by Brahmā, contemplative souls and wise men too, whose mind is solely devoted to virtue, knowledge and asceticism (products of Sattva) have not succeeded even to this day in propitiating Śrī Hari through streams of prayers abounding in many qualities. Can He (then) be pleased with me, born of a ferocious race (the demon race)? (8)
Wealth, pedigree, comeliness of form, asceticism, learning, keenness of the senses, splendour, glory, bodily strength, self-endeavour, intelligence and Yoga (concentration of mind or breath-control), I believe, are not sufficient for the propitiation of the Supreme Person. For (on the other hand) the Lord was pleased with the leader of a herd of (wild) elephants* through (mere) Devotion. (9)
I account a pariah (a Cāṇḍāla)—who has dedicated his mind, speech, actions, wealth and life (itself) to Him—far worthier than a Brāhmaṇa that has turned away his face from (the worship of) the lotus-feet of Lord Viṣṇu (who has a lotus sprung from His navel), though endowed with the (aforesaid) twelve attributes. (For) the former redeems his (whole) race, but not the Brāhmaṇa, (who is) full of inordinate pride (and therefore unable to redeem his own soul, much less his race). (10)
This all-merciful Lord (present before me), who is sated with the realization of His own (blissful) nature, does not covet honour (worship) at the hands of His ignorant devotee for His own sake. (But He does it for the sake of the devotee himself.) For whatever honour the devotee offers to the almighty Lord redounds upon himself, (even) as the decoration of one's face is (immediately) reflected on its image (in a mirror, which cannot be decorated otherwise). (11)
Therefore, with (all) my fear completely gone, I (hereby) celebrate with all my being and to the best of my understanding the greatness of the almighty Lord, by which, when praised, (even) a mean fellow, who has fallen into (the whirlpool of) mundane existence (a product of the three Guṇas or modes of Prakṛti) by force of Avidyā (Nescience), is undoubtedly purified. (12)
Indeed all these (gods), Brahmā (the creator) and others, are Your devotees (who remember You with faith and love)—although (at present) they are afraid of You, the embodiment of Sattva (unmixed with Rajas and Tamas)—but not like us (demons, who though constantly thinking of You, look upon You as their enemy), O Lord! (Besides,) the sport of the almighty Lord (in You) through (various) delightful descents (manifestations) is (only) conducive to the well-being and prosperity of this world as well as to final beatitude. (13)
Therefore, be pleased to hold Your anger, now that the demon (who excited it) has been slain by You (for the gratification of pious souls); (for) even a holy man rejoices over the destruction of a scorpion or a snake (which is conducive to its welfare). Nay, all the worlds, relieved as they are (at the death of Hiraṇyakaśipu), await the withdrawal of Your anger. People will recall this form of Yours, O Nṛsiṁha, for being rid of fear (so that there is no more need of Your retaining this angry mood even for ridding Your devotees of fear hereafter). (14)
(As for myself) I am not (at all) afraid, O invincible Lord, of Your (weird) form with a most frightful countenance and tongue, eyes (dazzling) like the sun, an overbearing frown and fierce teeth (jaws), manes crimsoned with blood, ears erect as wedges and claws that tear the enemy—the form which is adorned with a garland of intestines and whose roar terrifies the very elephants guarding the four quarters. (15)
I am (certainly) afraid, O Lover of the miserable, of the formidable and terrible suffering involved in the cycle of transmigration, bound as I am with (the fetters in the shape of good and evil) actions of my own and thrown (as a consequence of such actions) in the midst of devouring (blood-thirsty) demons, O most shining One! Pleased with me, when will You call me to the soles of Your feet, the abode of final beatitude? (16)
Since, O infinite Lord, I have been wandering through all wombs (forms of birth), identifying myself with the body and other material sheaths (which are other than the Self) and scorched with the fire of grief born of separation from one's beloved objects and being placed in unpleasant situations, and since that too which is (universally) regarded as a cure for misery entails suffering, (pray,) tell me the method of serving You (which is the only means of ridding oneself of sorrow and of which I am utterly ignorant). (17)
Thus instructed (in the art of service and blessed by You with the rare privilege of serving You) and enjoying the fellowship of enlightened souls that have taken shelter in Your feet, and completely and finally rid (through such fellowship) of attachment and other evils (the products of the three Guṇas or modes of Prakṛti), I shall easily tide over (make light of) obstacles (in the form of worldly calamities), constantly repeating, O Nṛsiṁha, the (soul-enthralling) stories—sung by Brahmā (the creator himself)—of the (innumerable) sports of my beloved Friend and the Supreme Deity in You. (18)
The parents are no protectors to a child in this world, O Nṛsiṁha! a medicine is no remedy for an ailing person; and a vessel is no protection to a person drowning in the ocean (inasmuch as they are all seen to fail in numerous cases). Whatever is approved of here as an easy cure against some evil for an afflicted person proves effective only for the time being (and not forever), O Lord, in the case of embodied beings neglected by You. (19)
Whatever being, high or low, and possessing a distinctive nature (Sāttvika and so on), produces or transforms a thing; wherever, from whatever motive, whenever, with whatever instrument, from whatever source and howsoever he does it; (nay,) whatever he produces or transforms, whosoever the thing (produced or transformed) is and by whomsoever he is prompted (to do so)—all that is You (and nothing other than You). (20)

Māyā (Prakṛti or primordial Matter) with her attributes (in the shape of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) thrown into activity by Kāla (the Time-Spirit), representing the creative will of the Cosmic Being (a part manifestation of Yours), evolves the subtle body (chiefly consisting of the mind), which is a product of Karma (activity), is exceedingly powerful (hard to conquer) and full of (endless) latent desires, and constitutes the wheel of transmigration with sixteen spokes (in the shape of the mind, the ten Indriyas and the five subtle elements) provided by Nescience (which has no beginning). Who that is averse (not devoted) to You can cross over this wheel, O birthless One ? (21)
As such You, who have by Your own energy (in the shape of Consciousness) ever kept under full control the properties of intellect (e.g., joy and sorrow, attachment and greed and so on) nay, who as Kāla (the Director of Māyā) have exercised full sway over the powers of both the effects and the causes, may (kindly) draw me, O omnipotent Lord, close to You—me who have been thrown by Nescience into this wheel of sixteen spokes and am being crushed thereby (as a sequel), and who have (now) sought Your protection. (22)
The (inordinately) long life, riches and glory in heaven of all the guardians of the (different) worlds—which these (earthly) people (generally) crave for, and which were swept away by a mere play of my father's eyebrows, knit in the course of an angry laugh—have been seen by me. But (even) he has been disposed of by You. (23)
Therefore, I do not covet those blessings, sought for by embodied beings—long life, wealth, glory and sensuous pleasures, including those enjoyed by Brahmā (the creator)—not even mystic powers, crushed by You in the form of the mighty Kāla (Time-Spirit), knowing as I do their real worth. (Only be pleased to) place me by the side of Your servants. (24)
How unsubstantial are the enjoyments (of this world), which are (only) pleasant to hear of and are of the nature of a mirage (tantalizing in character); and on the other hand, how frail is this body, the hotbed of all (kinds of) diseases! (It is absurd to think of enjoying such pleasures through such a body.) Though knowing this, people do not feel disgusted with them, busy as they are quenching the fire of desire with drops of honey (in the shape of trivial and momentary pleasures), (so) difficult to procure. (25)
How undeserving of compassion, O Lord, am I, a creature of Rajas, born in this race of demons, characterized by an excess of Tamoguna; and how unsparing (on the other hand) is Your mercy, prompted by which You have placed on my head as a token of favour Your lotus hand, placed (heretofore) neither on Brahmā's nor on Śiva's nor again on Lakṣmī's head. (26)
Surely such a notion of superiority and inferiority as that found in a worldly creature could not exist in You, the (disinterested) friend, nay, the very Self of the (entire) universe. Yet Your grace, like that of a celestial (wish-yielding) tree, could be secured only through devoted service; and the fruit (enjoyed by Your devotees) varies according to (the measure of) the service rendered by them, superiority or inferiority (of the devotee) having nothing to do with it. (27)
Indeed how can I (afford to) give up the service of Your servants (devotees)—the self-same I, who was, O Lord, favoured by the celestial sage (Nārada), after being accepted as his own, in this way (so as to ensure Your grace even during the period of my gestation) while I was about to fall headlong through excessive fondness into the (deep) well of metempsychosis inhabited by a (deadly) python (in the shape of Death), following the example of people hankering after the pleasures of sense (generally sought after) and (already) fallen into it (in quest of such pleasures). (28)
The act of rescuing of my life as well as the slaughter of my father was done by You, O immortal Lord, in order to vindicate the words of the sages (Sanaka and his three brothers), Your devotees, when, taking up his sword, my father (Hiranyakasipu), who sought to do violence (to me), said, "If there is any God other than me, let him save you; I (hereby) sever your head!" (29)
Indeed You alone constitute this universe, since it is You who exist apart (from the world) at its beginning (before its creation) as well as at its end (after its dissolution) and (hence) at the middle (in the form of the universe too). Having evolved by Your Māyā (creative will) this cosmos (which is a modification of the three Guṇas or modes of Prakṛti—viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), and forthwith entered it (as its Inner Controller). You appear as many (as its Creator, Preserver and Destroyer) through (association with) these Guṇas. (30)
This universe, consisting of (both) causes and effects, O Lord, is as a matter of fact the same as You; while You are different from it (existing as You do even before and after it). Because it is so, the notion that he is one's own and he is another is indeed meaningless and illusory. A thing is actually the same as that from which it originates and comes to light, in which it lives and into which it gets dissolved, just as a tree is essentially the same as its seed and a seed is identical with (its cause) earth (which is a product of and therefore identical with odour). (31)

Withdrawing (dissolving) this cosmos into Yourself by Yourself (of Your own free will), You repose in the Deluge water, enjoying the bliss which is Your very nature, and devoid of (all) activity. Having closed Your eyes (in that state) through Yoga (Self-absorption) and set aside sleep by Self-illumination, and existing in Your absolute nature (transcending the three states of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep), You cognize neither Tamas (ignorance, which is characteristic of deep sleep) nor the objects of senses (which are presented to one's mind during the states of wakefulness and dream). (32)
This cosmos is an embodiment of that very Lord in You, who spurred into activity, by Your own energy in the shape of the Time-Spirit, the (three) modes of Prakṛti (viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, which combine to produce this universe). (For) from Your navel—(even) as You reposed in water on the (cosy) bed of Ananta (the immortal Śeṣa, the serpent-god) and when Your trance came to an end—sprang up, like a banyan tree from a tiny seed, a huge lotus that had lain hidden in You (till then). (33)
Sprung from that lotus, Brahmā (the seer)—who failed to perceive anything other than that, and thought You, the seed, though pervading himself, to be outside his body—could not discover You, although he kept diving into the water for a hundred (celestial) years. Oh! how, on a sprout having shot forth, could one get at the seed? (34)
Utterly amazed (at not finding You) and perched on the lotus (once more), Brahmā (the self-born), whose heart had been thoroughly purified in course of time through intense meditation, eventually discovered You, O Lord, in a most subtle form as pervading his own being—consisting of the (five gross) elements, the (ten) Indriyas (the five senses of perception and the five organs of action) and the inner sense—even as a Yogi would perceive the most subtle odour pervading the earth. (35)
Brahmā (the creator) experienced (great) joy on seeing the Lord (in that subtle form) and in the same way on beholding the Supreme Person (the Cosmic Being), a manifestation of His own Māyā (creative will), (who was) endowed with innumerable faces, feet, heads, hands, thighs, noses, mouths, ears, eyes, ornaments and weapons, (and) the disposition of whose (different) limbs was symbolized by (the various spheres of) this (visible) universe. (36)
Assuming the form of Lord Hayagriva (who was endowed with a horse's head) and having slain the two mighty enemies of Veda, Madhu and Kaitabha by name, the embodiments of Rajas and Tamas respectively, (who had snatched away the Vedas and were bent upon killing Brahmā,) You restored to Brahmā the Vedic texts, (which are a symbol of Sattva or enlightenment and which taught to him the means of pushing the work of creation). (For) they declare Sattva to be Your most beloved body. (37)
In this way You protect the (different) worlds and destroy the enemies of creation through Your (numerous) descents in the form of human beings (such as Śrī Rāma and Śrī Balarāma), beasts (such as the divine Boar), seers (such as the sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa), gods (such as Vāmana, the divine Dwarf), and the (divine) Fish, and maintain (the standards of) virtue prevalent in the various Yugas, O supreme Person ! (And) because You remain hidden (unmanifest) in the Kali age, hence You as such are called Triyuga (the Lord manifest in the first three Yugas, viz., Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara only). (38)

This mind (of mine), O Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, does not find sufficient delight in Your stories, vitiated as it is by sins, (nay,) grossly wicked, morbid due to lust and afflicted with joy and grief, fear and (the threefold) craving (for progeny, wealth and fame). With such a mind how can I, a wretched creature, contemplate on Your essential nature ? (39)
Not fully gratified, the palate pulls me, O immortal Lord, in one direction (towards dainties); the generative organ drags me in another direction (towards sexual gratification); the tactile sense, the (empty) stomach and the sense of hearing pull me in other directions (viz., towards objects that are pleasant to touch, substantial food and a melodious sound or voice respectively); the olfactory sense drags me in a quite different direction (towards sweet-smelling flowers, scents and so on); while the eyes, which are (very) restless, and the faculties (organs) of action pull me in yet other directions (viz., towards things of beauty and the objects to be attained through the various organs of action). (All) these tear me (even) as a number of co-wives wrench a householder (each to her bedroom). (40)
Perceiving (all) these foolish creatures fallen thus in consequence of their own (evil) actions into the Vaitaraṇi* of metempsychosis and exceedingly afraid of birth, death and suffering proceeding from one to another and making friendship with the bodies of their own people and enmity with the bodies of others, (pray,) protect them this very day (by ferrying them across), feeling compassion for them, O Lord (ever) staying on the other side (of that river) ! (41)
Oh ! What exertion can there be, O Lord, the Teacher of all, in this work of lifting up (rescuing) these people, to You, who are responsible for the birth, existence (continuance) and dissolution of this universe? Indeed, it is on the ignorant that the grace of the exalted ought to descend, O Befriender of the afflicted ! Such grace will be superfluous to us who are busy serving Your beloved devotees (and will cross the ocean of metempsychosis by serving them). (42)
I am not at all afraid, O Supreme, of the (aforesaid) Vaitaraṇi—which is (so) difficult to cross—My mind being immersed in the songs of Your prowess, which are like an extraordinary nectar. I lament (only) those deluded persons whose mind is turned away from such nectar and who are carrying (on their shoulders) the burden of maintaining their family etc., for the illusory delight proceeding from the objects of senses. (43)
Ascetics desirous of their own liberation, O Lord, generally practise silent meditation in solitude. They are (however) not devoted to the interest of others. I (of course) do not long to be liberated alone, leaving behind these miserable creatures. (For) I find no haven of rest other than You for these people wandering in the forest of transmigration. (44)

• Vaitaraṇi is the name of a river marking the boundary of the realm of departed spirits, presided over by Yama (the god of retribution). It is described as rushing with great impetuosity, hot, fetid and filled with blood, hair and bones etc.

That which goes by the name of pleasures enjoyed by a householder, such as copulation, is trivial; for it results in suffering after suffering akin to that caused by the scratching of one (itching) hand with another. (But) though undergoing a lot of trouble, the wretched people (given up to sensual gratification) do not feel sated with these pleasures. (Only) some wise man is able (by Your grace) to curb passion like the itching sensation. (45)
A vow of silence, fasting, the hearing of scriptures, asceticism, the study of sacred books, discharging one's sacred obligations, exposition of the scriptures, living in seclusion, the muttering of prayers and concentration of mind, conducive as they are to final beatitude, O Inner Controller, generally only prove to be the means of livelihood of those who have not yet been able to conquer their senses (and are prone to sell these for base gain in the shape of money and sensuous pleasures); whereas they may or may not be so in the case of hypocrites (whose pietism may or may not succeed). (46)
Like the seed and the sprout (following in unbroken succession), the Unmanifest (primordial Matter) and the manifest (the visible universe)—these are (but) Your two forms (symbols) made known by the Vedas; (for there is nothing other than You, who are devoid of (a material) form. Through Yoga (the process of Devotion) men who have controlled their mind are directly able to perceive You in both these (forms), as fire in pieces of wood (through attrition), which is not possible by any other means. (47)
You are the air, fire, earth, ether and water, the (five) objects of senses (viz., sound, touch, sight, taste and smell), the (five) vital airs (viz., Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Udāna and Samāna), the (ten) Indriyas (the five senses of perception and the five organs of action), the mind, the intellect and the ego (or, according to another interpretation, the deities presiding over the Indriyas and the mind). That which is qualified (gross or material) and that which is unqualified (subtle or transcendental)—everything is You and You alone, O infinite One! Whatever is revealed by mind or speech is no other than You. (48)
Neither these Guṇas (modes of Prakṛti, viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) nor the deities who preside over the (three) Guṇas (viz., Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva) nor the categories commencing from Mahat-tattva (and ending with the Indriyas, that is to say, Mahat-tattva or the principle of cosmic intelligence, Ahaṅkāra or the ego, the five subtle and the five gross elements and the ten Indriyas), nor the mind etc. (viz., the mind, intellect and reason), nor (the various) living beings including the gods and human beings, all of whom have a beginning and an end (too), are able to know You in truth, O much-praised One! Thinking thus, men of good sense desist* from the study of the Vedas and other scriptures (and devote themselves exclusively to meditation). (49)
Therefore, can a man develop devotion to You, the goal of ascetics of the highest order; except through whole-hearted service to You, O most worshipful One—service consisting of (the following) six limbs, viz., salutation, glorification, worship in the form of offering one's actions to You, waiting on You, concentrating one's mind on Your feet and listening to Your stories? (50)

Nārada resumed : The Lord, who is beyond the three Guṇas (modes of Prakṛti) and whose so many (transcendental) virtues were celebrated with reverence by His devotee (Prahrāda), and who had not only controlled His anger but was (highly) pleased (with the latter), spoke (as follows) to Prahrāda, who was bent low (with respect). (51)

The Lord said : O noble Prahrāda, may good betide you ! I am pleased with you, O chief of the demons ! Ask any boon liked by you; I am wont to gratify the desires of men. (52)
To him who is unable to propitiate Me, O long-lived one, I am difficult of perception. (And) having beheld Me (once), a living being has no longer any reason to bewail itself (to grieve). (53)
It is for this reason alone that enlightened and pious souls, who are highly fortunate and desirous of blessedness (endeavour to) propitiate Me, the Lord (bestower) of all boons, with all their being. (54)
Even on being thus tempted with boons that are so alluring to the world, Prahrāda (the best of the Asuras) did not hanker after them, exclusively devoted as he was to the Lord. (55)

Thus ends the ninth discourse entitled "A Eulogy of the Lord", forming part of the story of Prahrāda, in Book Seven of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhita.
* This is borne out by the Lord Himself when He says in the Bhagavadgītā:—

"When your mind will have fully crossed the mire of delusion, you will then grow indifferent to what has been heard and what is yet to be heard about this world and the next."