॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः - १३ ॥
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Discourse XIII
The extent of the eighteen Purāṇas and the glory of the Bhāgavata (Preamble)
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सूत उवाच ।
यं ब्रह्मा वरुणेन्द्ररुद्रमरुतः स्तुन्वन्ति दिव्यैः स्तवैः
वेदैः साङ्गपदक्रमोपनिषदैर्गायन्ति यं सामगाः ।
ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा पश्यन्ति यं योगिनो
यस्यान्तं न विदुः सुरासुरगणा देवाय तस्मै नमः ॥ १॥
पृष्ठे भ्राम्यदमन्दमन्दरगिरिग्रावाग्रकण्डूयनात्
निद्रालोः कमठाकृतेर्भगवतः श्वासानिलाः पान्तु वः ।
यत्संस्कारकलानुवर्तनवशाद्वेलानिभेनाम्भसां
यातायातमतन्द्रितं जलनिधेर्नाद्यापि विश्राम्यति ॥ २॥
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Sūta began again : Hail to the glorious Lord, whom Brahmā (the creator), Varuṇa (the god presiding over the waters), Indra (the chief of gods), Rudra (the god of destruction), the Maruts (the wind-gods) extol through heavenly hymns; whom the chanters of the Sāmaveda glorify by means of the Vedas including the Aṅgas or branches of knowledge auxiliary to the study of the Vedas (viz., phonetics, grammar prosody, astronomy, etymology and Kalpa or the branch of knowledge prescribing the ritual and giving rules for ceremonial and sacrificial acts), their analysis into word marking their sequence and the Upaniṣads; whom the Yogis perceive with their mind fixed on Him through meditation; yet whose whole truth neither the hosts of gods nor of the demons are able to know ! (1)
May the (incoming and outgoing) breaths of the almighty Lord assuming the form of the divine Tortoise—who felt sleepy as a result of His being scratched (and thereby soothed) by the ends of the rocks (forming part) of the colossal Mount Mandara revolving on His back (while the ocean was being conjointly churned by the gods and the demons for the sake of nectar)—protect you ! Responding to the subtle impetus communicated by those breaths in the guise of the flow-tide and ebb-tide, the constant rise and fall of the waters of the ocean know no rest till now ! (2) (1-2)
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पुराणसङ्ख्यासम्भूतिमस्य वाच्यप्रयोजने ।
दानं दानस्य माहात्म्यं पाठादेश्च निबोधत ॥ ३॥
ब्राह्मं दशसहस्राणि पाद्मं पञ्चोनषष्टि च ।
श्रीवैष्णवं त्रयोविंशच्चतुर्विंशति शैवकम् ॥ ४॥
दशाष्टौ श्रीभागवतं नारदं पञ्चविंशतिः ।
मार्कण्डं नव वाह्नं च दशपञ्च चतुःशतम् ॥ ५॥
चतुर्दश भविष्यं स्यात्तथा पञ्चशतानि च ।
दशाष्टौ ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैङ्गमेकादशैव तु ॥ ६॥
चतुर्विंशति वाराहमेकाशीतिसहस्रकम् ।
स्कान्दं शतं तथा चैकं वामनं दश कीर्तितम् ॥ ७॥
कौर्मं सप्तदशाख्यातं मात्स्यं तत्तु चतुर्दश ।
एकोनविंशत्सौपर्णं ब्रह्माण्डं द्वादशैव तु ॥ ८॥
एवं पुराणसन्दोहश्चतुर्लक्ष उदाहृतः ।
तत्राष्टादशसाहस्रं श्रीभागवतमिष्यते ॥ ९॥
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(Now) hear (from me) the number of Ślokas comprised in each Purāṇa as well as their aggregate, the theme and object of this work (Śrīmad Bhāgavata), the procedure to be followed in gifting (a copy of) it, the value of giving it away as well as of reading it and so on. (3)
The Brahma-Purāṇa comprises ten thousand Ślokas; the Padma-Purāṇa, fifty-five thousand; the Śrīviṣṇu-Purāṇa, twenty three thousand; the Śiva-Purāṇa, twenty-four thousand. (4)
The Śrīmad Bhāgavata consists of eighteen thousand; the Nārada-Purāṇa, of twenty-five thousand; the Mārkaṇḍeya-Purāṇa, of nine thousand and the Agni-Purāṇa, of fifteen thousand and four hundred. (5)
(Even) so the Bhaviṣya-Purāṇa consists of fourteen thousand and five hundred Ślokas and Brahmavaivarta-Purāṇa, of eighteen thousand; while the Liṅga-Purāṇa comprises eleven thousand only. (6)
The Varāha-Purāṇa comprises twenty-four thousand Ślokas; the Skanda-Purāṇa, eighty-one thousand and one hundred; (and) the Vāmana-Purāṇa is reputed to consist of ten thousand Ślokas. (7)
The Kūrma-Purāṇa has been declared as consisting of seventeen thousand Ślokas; the Matsya-Purāṇa, of fourteen thousand; the Garuḍa-Purāṇa of nineteen thousand; while the Brahmāṇḍa-Purāṇa comprises only twelve thousand Ślokas. (8)
In this way the extent of (all) the Purāṇas taken together has been declared to be four hundred thousand Ślokas. Of them (as has already been stated) Śrīmad Bhāgavata is recognized as consisting of eighteen thousand Ślokas. (9) (3-9)
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इदं भगवता पूर्वं ब्रह्मणे नाभिपङ्कजे ।
स्थिताय भवभीताय कारुण्यात्सम्प्रकाशितम् ॥ १०॥
आदिमध्यावसानेषु वैराग्याख्यानसंयुतम् ।
हरिलीलाकथाव्राता मृतानन्दितसत्सुरम् ॥ ११॥
सर्ववेदान्तसारं यद्ब्रह्मात्मैकत्वलक्षणम् ।
वस्त्वद्वितीयं तन्निष्ठं कैवल्यैकप्रयोजनम् ॥ १२॥
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The Bhāgavata-Purāṇa was graciously revealed by the almighty Lord for the first time to Brahmā (the creator), seated on the lotus sprung from His navel and afraid of transmigration (and hence earned the title of "Bhāgavata"). (10)
It has been enriched at the beginning, in the middle and at the end with legends illustrating the glory of Dispassion and has been delighting the righteous as well as the gods with its nectar-like stories describing the pastimes of Lord Śrī Hari. (11)
It has for its theme that one reality without a second—which is the sum and substance of all the Upaniṣads (which are the culmination of the Vedas) and has been characterized as the oneness of Brahma (the Absolute) and the (individual) soul—and has detachment of the Spirit from Matter as its only object. (12) (10-12)
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प्रौष्ठपद्यां पौर्णमास्यां हेमसिंहसमन्वितम् ।
ददाति यो भागवतं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ १३॥
राजन्ते तावदन्यानि पुराणानि सतां गणे ।
यावन्न दृश्यते साक्षात्श्रीमद्भागवतं परम् ॥ १४॥
(यावद्भागवतं नैव श्रूयतेऽमृतसागरं)
सर्ववेदान्तसारं हि श्रीभागवतमिष्यते ।
तद्रसामृततृप्तस्य नान्यत्र स्याद्रतिः क्वचित् ॥ १५॥
निम्नगानां यथा गङ्गा देवानामच्युतो यथा ।
वैष्णवानां यथा शम्भुः पुराणानामिदं तथा ॥ १६॥
क्षेत्राणां चैव सर्वेषां यथा काशी ह्यनुत्तमा ।
तथा पुराणव्रातानां श्रीमद्भागवतं द्विजाः ॥ १७॥
श्रीमद्भागवतं पुराणममलं यद्वैष्णवानां प्रियं
यस्मिन् पारमहंस्यमेकममलं ज्ञानं परं गीयते ।
तत्र ज्ञानविरागभक्तिसहितं नैष्कर्म्यमाविस्कृतं
तच्छृण्वन्विपठन्विचारणपरो भक्त्या विमुच्येन्नरः ॥ १८॥
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He who, on the full moon of (the month of) Bhādrapada (roughly corresponding to August of the English calendar) gifts (a copy of) the Bhāgavata, placed on a throne of gold, attains the highest goal (after death). (13)
The other Purāṇas spread their lustre in an assemblage of the righteous (only) so long as the great and glorious Bhāgavata is not directly visible. (14)
The glorious Bhāgavata is surely considered to be the cream of the Upaniṣads. A man sated with its nectarine flavour will not find delight anywhere else. (15)
It occupies the same (pride of) place among the Purāṇas as the holy Gaṅgā among the rivers, Viṣṇu (the immortal Lord) among the gods, and Lord Śiva (the Source of all blessings) among the votaries of Lord Viṣṇu. (16)
Again, Śrīmad Bhāgavata is certainly unexcelled among the Puranic collections in the same way, O Brāhmaṇa sages! as Kāśī is really unsurpassed among holy places. (17)
The glorious Bhāgavata is a faultless Purāṇa, which is beloved of the Vaiṣṇavas, (nay,) in which stands celebrated the one supreme Reality, which is all consciousness (as well as all truth and all bliss), free from (all) impurity (in the form of contact with Māyā) and which is the goal of Paramahāṃsas (ascetics of the highest order). In this Purāṇa withdrawal from (all) activity, coupled with spiritual enlightenment, dispassion and Devotion, has been expounded. A man devoutly listening to it, carefully reading it and given to pondering it bids fair to get liberated. (18) (13-18)
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कस्मै येन विभासितोऽयमतुलो ज्ञानप्रदीपः पुरा
तद्रूपेण च नारदाय मुनये कृष्णाय तद्रूपिणा ।
योगीन्द्राय तदात्मनाथ भगवद्राताय कारुण्यतः
तच्छुद्धं विमलं विशोकममृतं सत्यं परं धीमहि ॥ १९॥
नमस्तस्मै भगवते वासुदेवाय साक्षिणे ।
य इदं कृपया कस्मै व्याचचक्षे मुमुक्षवे ॥ २०॥
योगीन्द्राय नमस्तस्मै शुकाय ब्रह्मरूपिणे ।
संसारसर्पदष्टं यो विष्णुरातममूमुचत् ॥ २१॥
भवे भवे यथा भक्तिः पादयोस्तव जायते ।
तथा कुरुष्व देवेश नाथस्त्वं नो यतः प्रभो ॥ २२॥
नामसङ्कीर्तनं यस्य सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ।
प्रणामो दुःखशमनस्तं नमामि हरिं परम् ॥ २३॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे वैयासक्यामष्टादशसाहस्र्यां
पारमहंस्यां संहितायां द्वादशस्कन्धे त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १३॥
॥ इति द्वादशस्कन्धः समाप्तः ॥
॥ सम्पूर्णोऽयं ग्रन्थः ॥
त्वदीयं वस्तु गोविन्द तुभ्यमेव समर्पये ।
तेन त्वदङ्घ्रिकमले रतिं मे यच्छ शाश्वतीम् ॥
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ ॐ तत्सत् ॥
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We meditate on that pure, taintless, immortal and highest Reality which is untouched by sorrow and by which (manifested in the form of Lord Nārāyaṇa) was graciously brought to light at the beginning of creation this matchless lamp of wisdom to Brahmā (the creator) and as Brahmā to (the celestial sage) Nārada, as Nārada to the sage Kṛṣṇa (Vedavyāsa) and as the latter to the sage Śuka (the prince among the Yogis) and in the form of Śuka, to King Parikṣit (the favoured of the Lord). (19)
Hail to the celebrated Lord Vāsudeva, the Witness (of all), who (for the first time) taught this Purāṇa out of grace to Brahmā, who was keen to get liberated. (20)
Hail to the sage Śuka, that prince among the Yogis, the revealer of Brahma, who redeemed King Parikṣit (the favoured of Lord Viṣṇu), bitten by the serpent in the form of (fear of) rebirth. (21)
(Pray,) so ordain, O Ruler of the gods! that devotion to Your feet may sprout (in my heart) in every birth (that I may have to take); for You are our protector, O Lord! (22)
I salute Śrī Hari (the Dispeller of all fears and agony), the Supreme Lord, the loud chanting of whose Names is the (most efficacious and easiest) way to wipe out all sin and respectful salutation to whom alleviates (all) suffering. (23)
Thus ends the thirteenth discourse in Book Twelve of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahāṃsa-Sarhhitā, composed by the sage Vedāvyāsa and consisting of eighteen thousand Ślokas.
END OF BOOK TWELVE (19-23)
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