SECTION XI
"Narada said,--Listen to me, O child, as I tell you of the assembly
house of the Grandsire, that house which none can describe, saying it is
such. In the Krita (golden) age of old, O king, the exalted deity Aditya
(once) came down from heaven into the world of men. Having seen before
the assembly-house of Brahma the Self-created, Aditya was cheerfully
wandering over the Earth in human form, desirous of beholding what could
be seen here. It was on that occasion, O son of Pandu, that the god of
day spoke unto me, O bull of the Bharata race, of that celestial Sabha
(assembly) of the Grandsire, immeasurable and immaterial and
indescribable, as regards form and shape, and capable of delighting the
heart of every creature by its splendour. Hearing, O bull of the Bharata
race, of the merits of that Sabha, I became, O king, desirous of
beholding it. I then asked Aditya, saying,--O exalted one, I desire to
behold the sacred Sabha of the Grandsire. O lord of light, tell me, O
exalted one, by what ascetic penances, or by what acts, or by what charms
or by what rites, I may be enabled to behold that excellent sin-cleaning
Sabha."--Hearing these words of mine, Aditya the god of day, the deity of
a thousand rays, answered me, O chief of the Bharata race, thus: Observe
thou, with mind rapt in meditation, the Brahma vow extending for a
thousand years. Repairing then to the breast of the Himavat, I commenced
that great vow, and after I had completed it the exalted and sinless
deity Surya endued with great energy, and knowing no fatigue, took me
with him to the Sabha of the Grandsire. O king, it is impossible to
describe that Sabha, saying--it is such, for within a moment it assumes a
different form that language fails to paint. O Bharata, it is impossible
to indicate its dimensions or shape. I never saw anything like it before.
Ever contributing to the happiness of those within it, its atmosphere is
neither cold nor warm. Hunger and thirst or any kind of uneasiness
disappear as soon as one goeth thither. It seems to be made up of
brilliant gems of many kinds. It doth not seem to be supported on
columns, it knoweth no deterioration, being eternal. That self effulgent
mansion, by its numerous blazing, celestial indications of unrivalled
splendour, seems to surpass the moon, the sun and the fire in splendour.
Stationed in heaven, it blazes forth, censuring as it were the maker of
the day. In that mansion O king, the Supreme Deity, the Grand-sire of all
created things, having himself created everything by virtue of his
creative illusion, stayeth ever. And Daksha, Prachetas, Pulaha, Marichi,
the master Kasyapa, Bhrigu, Atri, and Vasistha and Gautama, and also
Angiras, and Pulastya, Kraut, Prahlada, and Kardama, these Prajapatis,
and Angirasa of the Atharvan Veda, the Valikhilyas, the Marichipas;
Intelligence, Space, Knowledge, Air, Heat, Water, Earth, Sound, Touch,
Form, Taste, Scent; Nature, and the Modes (of Nature), and the elemental
and prime causes of the world,--all stay in that mansion beside the lord
Brahma. And Agastya of great energy, and Markandeya, of great ascetic
power, and Jamadagni and Bharadwaja, and Samvarta, and Chyavana, and
exalted Durvasa, and the virtuous Rishyasringa, the illustrious
Sanatkumara of great ascetic merit and the preceptor in all matters
affecting Yoga; Asita and Devala, and Jaigishavya acquainted with truth;
Rishava, Ajitasatru, and Mani of great energy; and the Science of healing
with its eight branches--all in their personified forms, O Bharata; the
moon with all the stars and the stellar conjunctions; Aditya with all his
rays; the winds; the Sacrifices, the Declarations of purpose (in
sacrifices), the Vital principles,--these illustrious and vow-observing
beings in their personified forms, and many others too numerous to
mention, attend all upon Brahma in that mansion. Wealth and Religion and
Desire, and Joy, and Aversion, and Asceticism and Tranquillity--all wait
together upon the Supreme Deity in that palace. The twenty tribes of the
Gandharvas and Apsaras, as also their seven other tribes, and all the
Lokapalas (chief protectors of several regions), and Sukra, and
Vrihaspati, and Vudha, and Angaraka (Mangala), Sani, Rahu, and the other
planets; the Mantras (of the Sama Veda), the special Mantras (of the same
Veda); (the rites of) Harimat and Vasumat, the Adityas with Indra, the
two Agnis mentioned by name (viz. Agnisoma and Indragni), the Marutas,
Viswakarman, and the Vasus, O Bharata; the Pitris, and all kinds of
sacrificial libations, the four Vedas. viz., Rig, Sama, Yajuh, and
Atharva; all Sciences and branches of learning; Histories and all minor
branches of learning; the several branches of the Vedas; the planets, the
Sacrifices, the Soma, all the deities; Savitri (Gayatri), the seven kinds
of rhyme; Understanding, Patience, Memory, Wisdom, Intelligence, Fame,
Forgiveness; the Hymns of the Sama Veda; the Science of hymns in general,
and various kinds of Verses and Songs; various Commentaries with
arguments;--all in their personified forms, O king, and various Dramas
and Poems and Stories and abridged Glosses--these also, and many others
wait upon the Supreme Deity in that Sabha, Kshanas, Lavas, Muhurtas, Day,
Night, Fortnights, Months, the six Seasons, O Bharata, Years, Yugas, the
four kinds of Days and Nights (viz., appearing to man, to the Pitris, to
the gods, and to Brahma) and that eternal, indestructible,
undeteriorating, excellent Wheel of Time and also the Wheel of
Virtue,--these always wait there. O Yudhishthira; and Aditi, Diti, Danu,
Surasa, Vinata, Ira, Kalika, Suravi, Devi, Sarama, Gautami and the
goddesses Pradha, and Kadru;--these mothers of the celestials, and
Rudrani, Sree, Lakshmi, Bhadra, Shashthi, the Earth, Ganga, Hri, Swaha,
Kriti, the goddess Sura, Sachi Pushti, Arundhati, Samvritti, Asa, Niyati,
Srishti, Rati,--these and many other goddesses wait upon the Creator of
all. The Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Marutas, Aswinas, the Viswadevas
Sadhyas, and the Pitris gifted with the speed of the mind; these all wait
there upon the Grandsire. And, O bull amongst men, know you that there
are seven classes of Pitris, of which four classes have embodied forms
and the remaining three without embodied forms. It is well known that the
illustrious Vairajas and Agniswattas and Garhapattyas (three classes of
Pitris) range in heaven. And those amongst the Pitris that are called the
Somapas, the Ekasringras, the Chaturvedas, and the Kalas, are ever
worshipped amongst the four orders of men. Gratified with the Soma
(juice), first, these gratify Soma afterwards. All these tribes of Pitris
wait upon the Lord of the creation and cheerfully worship the Supreme
Deity of immeasurable energy. And Rakshasas, Pisachas, the Danavas and
Guhyakas; Nagas, Birds, and various animals; and all mobile and immobile
great beings;--all worship the Grandsire. And Purandara the chief of the
celestials, and Varuna and Kuvera and Yama, and Mahadeva accompanied by
Uma, always repair thither. And, O king of kings, Mahasena (Kartikeya)
also adoreth there the Grandsire. Narayana himself, and the celestial
Rishis, and those Rishis called Valakhillyas, and all beings born of
females and all those not born of females, and whatever else is seen in
the three worlds--both mobile and immobile, were all seen by me there,
know O king. And eighty thousand Rishis with vital seed drawn up, and O
Pandu, fifty thousand Rishis having sons, were all seen by me there. And
all the dwellers in heaven repairing thither behold the Supreme Deity
when they please, and worshipping him with a bow of their head return
whence they came. And, O king of men, the Grandsire of all created
beings, the Soul of the universe, the Self create Brahma of immeasurable
intelligence and glory, equally kind unto all creatures, honoureth as
they deserve, and gratifieth with sweet speech and gift of wealth and
other enjoyable articles, the gods, the Daityas, the Nagas, the
Brahmanas, the Yakshas, the Birds, the Kaleyas, the Gandharvas, the
Apsaras, and all other exalted beings that came to him as his guests. And
that delicious Sabha, O child, is always crowded with persons coming and
going. Filled with every kind of energy, and worshipped by Brahmarshis,
that celestial Sabha blazes forth with the graceful possessions of Brahma
and looks extremely handsome, O tiger among kings as this Sabha of yours
is unrivalled in the world of men, so is that Sabha of Brahma, seen by me
unrivalled in all the worlds. I have seen these Sabhas, O Bharata, in
regions of the celestials. This your Sabha is unquestionably the foremost
in the world of men!"
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 11 ---------------------
