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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 321

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 321

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 321

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 321 of the classical Mahābhārata with 44 verses.

Total: 44 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.321.1–44 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
गृहस्थो ब्रह्मचारी वा वानप्रस्थोऽथ भिक्षुकः । य इच्छेत्सिद्धिमास्थातुं देवतां कां यजेत सः ॥
English Translation
If a man be a house-holder or Brahmacharin, a hermit or a mendicant, and if he wishes to acquire success, what god should he worship?
कुतो ह्यस्य ध्रुवः स्वर्गः कुतो निःश्रेयसं परम् । विधिना केन जुहुयाद्दैवं पित्र्यं तथैव च ॥
English Translation
Whence can he surely acquire heaven and whence that which is of the highest benefit? According to what ordinances should he perform the Homa in honour of the gods and the departed manes?
मुक्तश्च कां गतिं गच्छेन्मोक्षश्चैव किमात्मकः । स्वर्गतश्चैव किं कुर्याद्येन न च्यवते दिवः ॥
English Translation
What is the end to which one goes when he becomes Liberated? What is the essence of Liberation? What should one do, so that he, having attained to heaven, would not have to drop down thence?
देवतानां च को देवः पितॄणां च तथा पिता । तस्मात्परतरं यच्च तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Who is the God of the gods? And who is the Pitri of the Pitris? Who is He who is superior to him who is the God of the gods and the Pitri of the Pitris? Tell me all this, O Grandfather?"
गूढं मां प्रश्नवित्प्रश्नं पृच्छसे त्वमिहानघ । न ह्येष तर्कया शक्यो वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said "O you who are well acquainted with the art of questioning, this question which you have put to me, O pure one, is one which is enveloped in deep mystery. One cannot answer it with the help of logic even if one were to try for a hundred years.
ऋते देवप्रसादाद्वा राजञ्ज्ञानागमेन वा । गहनं ह्येतदाख्यानं व्याख्यातव्यं तवारिहन् ॥
English Translation
Without the favour of Narayana, O king, or an acquisition of high knowledge, this question of yours cannot be answered. Though this subject is filled with deep mystery, I shall yet, O destroyer of enemies, explain it to you?
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । नारदस्य च संवादमृषेर्नारायणस्य च ॥
English Translation
Regarding it is cited the old discourse between Narada and the Rishi Narayana.
नारायणो हि विश्वात्मा चतुर्मूर्तिः सनातनः । धर्मात्मजः संबभूव पितैवं मेऽभ्यभाषत ॥
English Translation
I heard it from my father that in the golden age, O king, during the epoch of the Self-create Manu, the eternal Narayana, the Soul of the universe, was born as the son of Dharma in a quadrupie form, viz., as Nara, Narayana, Hari, and the Self-create Krishna.
कृते युगे महाराज पुरा स्वायंभुवेऽन्तरे । नरो नारायणश्चैव हरिः कृष्णस्तथैव च ॥
तेभ्यो नारायणनरौ तपस्तेपतुरव्ययौ । बदर्याश्रममासाद्य शकटे कनकामये ॥
English Translation
Amongst them all, Narayana and Nara practised severest austerities by going to the Himalayan retreat known by the name of Vadari, and riding on their golden cars.
अष्टचक्रं हि तद्यानं भूतयुक्तं मनोरमम् । तत्राद्यौ लोकनाथौ तौ कृशौ धमनिसंततौ ॥
English Translation
Each of those cars had eight wheels, and was made up of the five primal elements, and supremely beautiful. Those original regents of the world who had taken birth as the sons of Dharma, became extremely emaciated in body on account of the austerities they practised. Indeed, for those austerities and for their energy, the very gods were unable to look at them. Only that god to whom they were kind could see them.
तपसा तेजसा चैव दुर्निरीक्षौ सुरैरपि । यस्य प्रसादं कुर्वाते स देवौ द्रष्टुमर्हति ॥
English Translation
Each of those cars had eight wheels, and was made up of the five primal elements, and supremely beautiful. Those original regents of the world who had taken birth as the sons of Dharma, became extremely emaciated in body on account of the austerities they practised. Indeed, for those austerities and for their energy, the very gods were unable to look at them. Only that god to whom they were kind could see them.
नूनं तयोरनुमते हृदि हृच्छयचोदितः । महामेरोर्गिरेः शृङ्गात्प्रच्युतो गन्धमादनम् ॥
English Translation
Forsooth, with his heart given to them, and moved by a longing desire to see them, Narada dropped down on Gandhamadana from a summit of the high mountains of Meru and walked over all the world.
नारदः सुमहद्भूतं लोकान्सर्वानचीचरत् । तं देशमगमद्राजन्बदर्याश्रममाशुगः ॥
English Translation
Endued with great speed, he at last went to that spot whereon was situate the retreat of Vadari. Moved by curiosity he entered that retreat at the hour of Nara's and Narayana's performing their daily rites.
तयोराह्निकवेलायां तस्य कौतूहलं त्वभूत् । इदं तदास्पदं कृत्स्नं यस्मिँल्लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥
English Translation
He said to himself,-This is truly the retreat of that Being in whom are placed all the worlds including the gods, the Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, and the great snakes.
सदेवासुरगन्धर्वाः सर्षिकिंनरलेलिहाः । एका मूर्तिरियं पूर्वं जाता भूयश्चतुर्विधा ॥
धर्मस्य कुलसंतानो महानेभिर्विवर्धितः । अहो ह्यनुगृहीतोऽद्य धर्म एभिः सुरैरिह । नरनारायणाभ्यां च कृष्णेन हरिणा तथा ॥
English Translation
How wonderful it is that Dharma has thus been honoured by these four great gods, viz., Nara, Narayana, Krishna and Hari.
तत्र कृष्णो हरिश्चैव कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे । स्थितौ धर्मोत्तरौ ह्येतौ तथा तपसि धिष्ठितौ ॥
English Translation
In this spot Krishna and Hari lived formerly. The other two, however, viz., Nara and Narayana, are now living here performing penances for the object of increasing their merit.
एतौ हि परमं धाम कानयोराह्निकक्रिया । पितरौ सर्वभूतानां दैवतं च यशस्विनौ । कां देवतां नु यजतः पितॄन्वा कान्महामती ॥
English Translation
These two are the highest refuge of the universe. What can be the nature of the daily rites these two perform? They are the fathers of all creatures and the illustrious gods of all beings. Gifted with great intelligence, what is that god whom these two adore? Who are those Pitris whom these two Pitris of all beings worship.
इति संचिन्त्य मनसा भक्त्या नारायणस्य ह । सहसा प्रादुरभवत्समीपे देवयोस्तदा ॥
English Translation
Thinking of this mentally, and filled with devotion towards Narayana, Narada suddenly appeared before those two gods.
कृते दैवे च पित्र्ये च ततस्ताभ्यां निरीक्षितः । पूजितश्चैव विधिना यथाप्रोक्तेन शास्त्रतः ॥
English Translation
After those two gods had finished their adorations to their deities and the Rishis, they looked at the celestial Rishi arrived at their asylum. The latter was honoured with those eternal rites that are laid down in their scriptures.
तं दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्यमपूर्वं विधिविस्तरम् । उपोपविष्टः सुप्रीतो नारदो भगवानृषिः ॥
English Translation
Seeing that extraordinary conduct of the two original gods in themselves adoring other deities and Pitris, the illustrious Rishi Narada took his seat there, well pleased with the honours he had received.
नारायणं संनिरीक्ष्य प्रसन्नेनान्तरात्मना । नमस्कृत्वा महादेवमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
With a cheerful soul he looked at Narayana, and bowing to Mahadeva he said these words.
वेदेषु सपुराणेषु साङ्गोपाङ्गेषु गीयसे । त्वमजः शाश्वतो धाता मतोऽमृतमनुत्तमम् । प्रतिष्ठितं भूतभव्यं त्वयि सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥
English Translation
In the Vedas and the Puranas in the auxiliary and sub-auxiliary treaties, you are sung with respect! You are unborn and eternal! you are the Creator! You are the mother of the universe! You are the embodiment of Immortality and you are the foremost of all things. The Past and the Future, indeed, the entire universe has been placed on you.
चत्वारो ह्याश्रमा देव सर्वे गार्हस्थ्यमूलकाः । यजन्ते त्वामहरहर्नानामूर्तिसमास्थितम् ॥
English Translation
The four modes of life,olord, of which the domestic is the first, continually sacrifice to you who are of diverse forms.
पिता माता च सर्वस्य जगतः शाश्वतो गुरुः । कं त्वद्य यजसे देवं पितरं कं न विद्महे ॥
English Translation
You are the father and the mother and the eternal preceptor of the universe. We know not who is that god or that Pitri to whom you are sacrificing to-day.
अवाच्यमेतद्वक्तव्यमात्मगुह्यं सनातनम् । तव भक्तिमतो ब्रह्मन्वक्ष्यामि तु यथातथम् ॥
English Translation
This topic is one regarding which nothing should be said. It is an ancient ministry. Your devotion to me is very great. Hence, O twiceborn one, I shall describe it to you according to the truth.
यत्तत्सूक्ष्ममविज्ञेयमव्यक्तमचलं ध्रुवम् । इन्द्रियैरिन्द्रियार्थैश्च सर्वभूतैश्च वर्जितम् ॥
English Translation
That which is minute, which is inconceivable, unmanifest, immobile, durable dissociated from the senses and the objects of the senses, as well as the (five) elements,—that is called the in-dwelling Soul of all existent creatures. That is known by the name of Kshetrajna. Transcending the three qualities of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, that is regarded as Purusha in the scriptures.
स ह्यन्तरात्मा भूतानां क्षेत्रज्ञश्चेति कथ्यते । त्रिगुणव्यतिरिक्तोऽसौ पुरुषश्चेति कल्पितः । तस्मादव्यक्तमुत्पन्नं त्रिगुणं द्विजसत्तम ॥
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