Thursday, July 17, 2014

Parva 03 188

SECTION CLXXXVIII

"Markandeya continued, 'The Deity then said, 'O Brahmana, the gods even
do not know me truly! As however, I have been gratified with thee, I will
tell you how I created the universe! O regenerate Rishi, you art
devoted to your ancestors and hast also sought my protection! Thou hast
also beheld me with your eyes, and your ascetic merit also is great! In
ancient times I called the waters by the name of Nara; and because the
waters have ever been my ayana or home, therefore have I been called
Narayana (the water-homed). O best of regenerate ones, I am Narayana, the
Source of all things, the Eternal, the Unchangeable. I am the Creator of
all things, and the Destroyer also of all. I am Vishnu, I am Brahma and I
am Sakra, the chief of the gods. I am king Vaisravana, and I am Yama, the
lord of the deceased spirits. I am Siva, I am Soma, and I am Kasyapa the
lord of the created things. And, O best of regenerate ones, I am he
called Dhatri, and he also that is called Vidhatri, and I am Sacrifice
embodied. Fire is my mouth, the earth my feet, and the Sun and the Moon
are my eyes; the Heaven is the crown of my head, the firmament and the
cardinal points are my ears; the waters are born of my sweat. Space with
the cardinal points are my body, and the Air is my mind. I have performed
many hundreds of sacrifices with gifts in profusion. I am always present
in the sacrifices of the gods; and they that are cognisant of the Vedas
and officiate therein, make their offerings to me. On earth the Kshatriya
chiefs that rule over men, in performing their sacrifices from desire of
obtaining heaven, and the Vaisyas also in performing theirs from desire
of winning those happy regions, all worship me at such times and by those
ceremonials. It is I who, assuming the form of Sesha support (on my head)
this earth bounded by the four seas and decked by Meru and Mandara. And O
regenerate one, it is I who, assuming the form of a boar, had raised in
days of yore this earth sunk in water. And, O best of Brahmanas, it is I
who, becoming the fire that issues out of the Equine mouth, drink up the
waters (of the ocean) and create them again. In consequence of my energy
from my mouth, my arms, my thighs, and my feet gradually sprang Brahmanas
and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras. It is from me that the Rik, the
Sama, the Yajus, and the Atharvan Vedas spring, and it is in me that they
all enter when the time cometh. Brahmanas devoted to asceticism, they
that value Peace as the highest attribute, they that have their souls
under complete control, they that are desirous of knowledge, they that
are freed from lust and wrath and envy, they that are unwedded to things
of the earth, they that have their sins completely washed away, they that
are possessed of gentleness and virtue, and are divested of pride, they
that have a full knowledge of the Soul, all worship me with profound
meditation. I am the flame known as Samvartaka, I am the Wind called by
that name, I am the Sun wearing that appellation, and I am the fire that
hath that designation. And, O best of Brahmanas, those things that are
seen in the firmament as stars, know them to be the pores of my skin. The
ocean--those mines of gems and the four cardinal points, know, O
Brahmana, are my robes, my bed, and my home. By me have they been
distributed for serving the purposes of the gods. And, O best of men,
know also that lust, wrath, joy, fear, and the over-clouding of the
intellect, are all different forms of myself. And, O Brahmana, whatever
is obtained by men by the practice of truth, charity, ascetic
austerities, and peace and harmlessness towards all creatures, and such
other handsome deeds, is obtained because of my arrangements. Governed by
my ordinance, men wander within my body, their senses overwhelmed by me.
They move not according to their will but as they are moved by me.
Regenerate Brahmanas that have thoroughly studied the Vedas, that have
tranquillity in their souls, they that have subdued their wrath, obtain a
high reward by means of their numerous sacrifices. That reward, however,
is unattainable by men that are wicked in their deeds, overwhelmed by
covetousness, mean and disreputable with souls unblessed and impure.
Therefore, must you know, O Brahmana that this reward which is obtained
by persons having their souls under control and which is unobtainable by
the ignorant and the foolish,--this which is attainable by asceticism
alone,--is productive of high merit. And, O best of men, at those times
when virtue and morality decrease and sin and immorality increase, I
create myself in new forms. And, O Muni, when fierce and malicious
Daityas and Rakshasas that are incapable of being slain by even the
foremost of the gods, are born on earth, I then take my birth in the
families of virtuous men, and assuming human body restore tranquillity by
exterminating all evils. Moved by my own maya, I create gods and men, and
Gandharvas and Rakshasas, and all immobile things and then destroy them
all myself (when the time cometh). For the preservation of rectitude and
morality I assume a human form, and when the season for action cometh, I
again assume forms that are inconceivable. In the Krita age I become
white, in the Treta age I become yellow, in the Dwapara I have become red
and in the Kali age I become dark in hue, I the Kali age, the proportion
of immorality becometh three-fourths, (a fourth only being that of
morality). And when the end of the Yuga cometh, assuming the fierce form
of Death, alone I destroy all the three worlds with their mobile and
immobile existences. With three steps, I cover the whole Universe; I am
the Soul of the universe; I am the source of all happiness; I am the
humbler of all pride; I am omnipresent; I am infinite; I am the Lord of
the senses; and my prowess is great. O Brahmana, alone do I set a-going
the wheel of Time; I am formless; I am the Destroyer of all creatures;
and I am the cause of all efforts of all my creatures. O best of Munis,
my soul completely pervadeth all my creatures, but, O foremost of all
regenerate ones, no one knoweth me. It is me that the pious and the
devoted worship in all the worlds. O regenerate one, whatever of pain
thou hast felt within my stomach, know, O sinless one, that all that is
for your happiness and good fortune. And whatever of mobile and immobile
objects you hast seen in the world, everything hath been ordained by my
Soul which is the Spring of all existence. The grandsire of all creatures
is half my body; I am called Narayana, and I am bearer of the
conch-shell, the discus and the mace. O regenerate Rishi, for a period
measured by a thousand times the length of the Yugas, I who am the
Universal Soul sleep overwhelming all creatures in insensibility. And, O
best of regenerate Rishis, I stay here thus for all time, in the form of
a boy though I am old, until Brahma waketh up. O foremost of Brahmanas,
gratified with thee, I who am Brahma have repeatedly granted you boons,
O you who are worshipped by regenerate Rishis! Beholding one vast
expanse of water and seeing that all mobile and immobile creatures have
been destroyed, you wert afflicted with melancholy. I know this, and it
is for this that I showed you the universe (within my stomach). And
while you wert within my body, beholding the entire universe, you wert
filled with wonder and deprived of your senses. O regenerate Rishi, it is
for this that you wert speedily brought out by me through my mouth. I
have (now) told you of that Soul which is incapable of being
comprehended by the gods and the Asuras. And as long as that great
ascetic, the holy Brahma, doth not awake, thou, O regenerate Rishi, canst
happily and trustfully dwell here. And when that Grandsire of all
creatures awaketh up, I will then, O best of Brahmanas, alone create all
creatures endued with bodies, the firmament, the earth, light, the
atmosphere, water, and indeed all else of mobile and immobile creatures
(that you mayst have seen) on the earth!'

'Markandeya continued, 'Having said so unto me that wonderful Deity
vanished, O son, from my sight! I then beheld this varied and wondrous
creation start into life. O king, O you foremost of the Bharata race, I
witnessed all this, so wonderful, O you foremost of all virtuous men, at
the end of the Yuga! And the Deity, of eyes large as lotus leaves, seen
by me, in days of yore is this tiger among men, this Janardana who hath
become your relative! It is in consequence of the boon granted to me by
this one that memory doth not fail me, that the period of my life, O son
of Kunti, is so long and death itself is under my control. This is that
ancient and supreme Lord Hari of inconceivable soul who hath taken his
birth as Krishna of the Vrishni race, and who endued with mighty arms,
seemeth to sport in this world! This one is Dhatri and Vidhatri, the
Destroyer of all the Eternal, the bearer of the Sreevatsa mark on his
breast, the Lord of the lord of all creatures, the highest of the high,
called also Govinda! Beholding this foremost of all gods, this
ever-victorious Being, attired in yellow robes, this chief of the Vrishni
race, my recollection cometh back to me! This Madhava is the father and
mother of all creatures! Ye bulls of the Kuru race, seek the the refuge of
this Protector!'

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the sons of Pritha and those
bulls among men--the twins, along with Draupadi, all bowed down unto
Janardana. And that tiger among men deserving of every respect thus
revered by the sons of Pandu, then consoled them all with words of great
sweetness."





--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 188 ---------------------