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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 175

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 175

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 175

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 175 of the classical Mahābhārata with 38 verses.

Total: 38 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.175.1–38 • 250 Lexicon Terms
कुतः सृष्टमिदं विश्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । प्रलये च कमभ्येति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said Whence has this universe, consisting of mobile and immobile creatures, originated? Whom does it go to when it is destroyed? Tell me this, O grandfather.
ससागरः सगगनः सशैलः सबलाहकः । सभूमिः साग्निपवनो लोकोऽयं केन निर्मितः ॥
English Translation
Indeed, by whom has this universe with its oceans, its sky, its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire, and its wind, been created.
कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः । शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥
English Translation
How were all objects created? Whence has this division of creatures originated? Whence are their purity and impurity, and the laws about virtue and vice?
कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः । अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥
English Translation
Of what nature is the life of living creatures? Where also do they go who die? Tell us everything about this and the next world.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । भृगुणाभिहितं श्रेष्ठं भरद्वाजाय पृच्छते ॥
English Translation
Bhishina said Regarding it is cited the old discourse of the sacred words the Bhrigu said in reply to the questions of Bharadwaja addressed him thusकैलासशिखरे दृष्ट्वा दीप्यमानं महौजसम्।
कैलासशिखरे दृष्ट्वा दीप्यमानमिवौजसा । भृगुं महर्षिमासीनं भरद्वाजोऽन्वपृच्छत ॥
English Translation
Seeing the sage Bhrigu, endued with high power and effulgent seated on the peak of Kailasa mountain, Bharadvaja said him
ससागरः सगगनः सशैलः सबलाहकः । सभूमिः साग्निपवनो लोकोऽयं केन निर्मितः ॥
English Translation
Indeed, by whom has this universe with its oceans, its sky, its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire, and its wind, been created.
कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः । शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥
English Translation
How were all objects created? Whence has this division of creatures originated? Whence are their purity and impurity, and the laws about virtue and vice?
कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः । परलोकमिमं चापि सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥
English Translation
Of what nature is the life of living creatures? Where also do they go who die? Tell us everything about this and the next world.
एवं स भगवान्पृष्टो भरद्वाजेन संशयम् । महर्षिर्ब्रह्मसंकाशः सर्वं तस्मै ततोऽब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
Thus accosted about his doubts by Bharadwaja, the illustrious and twice-born Rishi Bhrigu who took after Brahma itself, replied to him thus.
मानसो नाम विख्यातः श्रुतपूर्वो महर्षिभिः । अनादिनिधनो देवस्तथाभेद्योऽजरामरः ॥
English Translation
Bhrigu said There is a Primeval Being, known to the great Rishis, by the name of Manasa. He is without beginning and without end. That Divine being cannot be cut by weapons. he is without decay and is immortal.
अव्यक्त इति विख्यातः शाश्वतोऽथाक्षरोऽव्ययः । यतः सृष्टानि भूतानि जायन्ते च म्रियन्ति च ॥
English Translation
He is Unmanifest. he is Eternal, Undecaying, and Unchangeable. By Him are crcatures born and through Him they die.
सोऽसृजत्प्रथमं देवो महान्तं नाम नामतः । आकाशमिति विख्यातं सर्वभूतधरः प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
He first created a Divine Being known by the name of Mahat (Great). Mahat created Consciousness, who created Space. That powerful Being holds all created objects.
आकाशादभवद्वारि सलिलादग्निमारुतौ । अग्निमारुतसंयोगात्ततः समभवन्मही ॥
English Translation
From Space was born Water, and from Water were born Fire and Wind. Through the union of Fire and Wind was born the Earth.
ततस्तेजोमयं दिव्यं पद्मं सृष्टं स्वयंभुवा । तस्मात्पद्मात्समभवद्ब्रह्मा वेदमयो निधिः ॥
English Translation
Self-born Manasa then created a divine Lotus of Energy. From that Lotus originated Brahmana, that Ocean of Veda.
अहंकार इति ख्यातः सर्वभूतात्मभूतकृत् । ब्रह्मा वै सुमहातेजा य एते पञ्च धातवः ॥
English Translation
The Shrutis say that as soon as born, that divine Being uttered the words—I am He. For this He passed by the name of Consciousness. All created things are his body and He is their Creator. These five elements that we see are the Brahman of great energy.
शैलास्तस्यास्थिसंज्ञास्तु मेदो मांसं च मेदिनी । समुद्रास्तस्य रुधिरमाकाशमुदरं तथा ॥
English Translation
The Mountains from his bones. the Earth forins his fat and flesh. the Oceans constitute his blood. space is his stomach.
पवनश्चैव निःश्वासस्तेजोऽग्निर्निम्नगाः सिराः । अग्नीषोमौ तु चन्द्रार्कौ नयने तस्य विश्रुते ॥
English Translation
The Wind forins his breath. Fire his energy. The rivers forms his arteries and veins. Agni and Soma, otherwise called the Sun and the Moon, are his eyes.
नभश्चोर्ध्वं शिरस्तस्य क्षितिः पादौ दिशो भुजौ । दुर्विज्ञेयो ह्यनन्तत्वात्सिद्धैरपि न संशयः ॥
English Translation
The sky is above his head. The Earth is his two feet. The cardinal and minor points of compass are his arms, Forsooth, He is incapable of being known and His Soul cannot be conceived even by successful ascetics.
स एव भगवान्विष्णुरनन्त इति विश्रुतः । सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्थो दुर्विज्ञेयोऽकृतात्मभिः ॥
English Translation
That Divine Being, who pervades the entire universe, passes also by the name of Ananta (Infinite). He lives in Consciousness, and persons of impure souls cannot know him.
अहंकारस्य यः स्रष्टा सर्वभूतभवाय वै । यतः समभवद्विश्वं पृष्टोऽहं यदिह त्वया ॥
English Translation
Asked by you I have now told you of Him who created objects, and from whom this universe had originated.
गगनस्य दिशां चैव भूतलस्यानिलस्य च । कान्यत्र परिमाणानि संशयं छिन्धि मेऽर्थतः ॥
English Translation
Bharadwaja said What is the extent of the sky, of the points of the horizon, of the surface of this Earth, and of the Wind? By telling me the truth, remove my doubts.
अनन्तमेतदाकाशं सिद्धचारणसेवितम् । रम्यं नानाश्रयाकीर्णं यस्यान्तो नाधिगम्यते ॥
English Translation
The sky you see above is infinite. It is the abode of successful ascetics and of celestial beings. It is lovely and consists of various regions. Its limits cannot be determined.
ऊर्ध्वं गतेरधस्तात्तु चन्द्रादित्यौ न दृश्यतः । तत्र देवाः स्वयं दीप्ता भास्वराश्चाग्निवर्चसः ॥
English Translation
The Sun and Moon cannot sec, above or below, beyond the range of their own rays. There where are rays of the Sun and the Moon cannot go are luminaries which are selfeffulgent and shining like the Sun or the fire.
ते चाप्यन्तं न पश्यन्ति नभसः प्रथितौजसः । दुर्गमत्वादनन्तत्वादिति मे विद्धि मानद ॥
English Translation
Know this, O giver of honours, that even these luminaries which have great effulgence, do not see the limits of the sky for the inaccessibility and infinity of those limits.
उपरिष्टोपरिष्टात्तु प्रज्वलद्भिः स्वयंप्रभैः । निरुद्धमेतदाकाशमप्रमेयं सुरैरपि ॥
English Translation
This Space which even the very celestials cannot measure contains many shining and self-luminous worlds each above the other.
पृथिव्यन्ते समुद्रास्तु समुद्रान्ते तमः स्मृतम् । तमसोऽन्ते जलं प्राहुर्जलस्यान्तेऽग्निरेव च ॥
English Translation
Beyond the limits of land are oceans, Beyond water is darkness. Beyond darkness is water again, and beyond water is fire.
रसातलान्ते सलिलं जलान्ते पन्नगाधिपः । तदन्ते पुनराकाशमाकाशान्ते पुनर्जलम् ॥
English Translation
Underneath, beyond the neither regions is water. Beyond water is the region of the great serpents. Beyond that is sky once more, and beyond the sky is water again.
एवमन्तं भगवतः प्रमाणं सलिलस्य च । अग्निमारुततोयेभ्यो दुर्ज्ञेयं दैवतैरपि ॥
English Translation
Thus exist water and sky alternately without end. Such are the limits of the god of water. The very gods cannot determine the limits of fire and wind and water.
अग्निमारुततोयानां वर्णाः क्षितितलस्य च । आकाशसदृशा ह्येते भिद्यन्ते तत्त्वदर्शनात् ॥
English Translation
The nature of fire, wind, water, and land, is like that of space. It is the absence of true knowledge that draws distinction between them.
पठन्ति चैव मुनयः शास्त्रेषु विविधेषु च । त्रैलोक्ये सागरे चैव प्रमाणं विहितं यथा । अदृश्याय त्वगम्याय कः प्रमाणमुदाहरेत् ॥
English Translation
Sages read in various scriptures the limits of the three worlds and the ocean.
सिद्धानां देवतानां च यदा परिमिता गतिः । तदा गौणमनन्तस्य नामानन्तेति विश्रुतम् । नामधेयानुरूपस्य मानसस्य महात्मनः ॥
English Translation
If even it becomes possible to learn the limits of the sky which is the region of the gods and successful ascetics, it is not possible to set limits to that which is limitless and passes by the name of the Infinite, to that which answers its name, viz., the high-souled Manasa?
यदा तु दिव्यं तद्रूपं ह्रसते वर्धते पुनः । कोऽन्यस्तद्वेदितुं शक्तो योऽपि स्यात्तद्विधोऽपरः ॥
English Translation
When again His form is sometimes contracted and sometimes expanded, how can any one else save one who is equal to him, perceive his limits?
ततः पुष्करतः सृष्टः सर्वज्ञो मूर्तिमान्प्रभुः । ब्रह्मा धर्ममयः पूर्वः प्रजापतिरनुत्तमः ॥
English Translation
From the Lotus sprang first the Omniscient lord Brahman, endued with form, of the essence of Righteousness, and the Creator of all mobile and immobile things.
पुष्कराद्यदि संभूतो ज्येष्ठं भवति पुष्करम् । ब्रह्माणं पूर्वजं चाह भवान्संदेह एव मे ॥
English Translation
Bharadwaja said If Brahman originated from the Lotus, then it is the Lotus that should be considered as the first-born and not Brahman. Why, however, is Brahman said to be the first? Do you dispel this doubt of mine.
मानसस्येह या मूर्तिर्ब्रह्मत्वं समुपागता । तस्यासनविधानार्थं पृथिवी पद्ममुच्यते ॥
English Translation
Bhrigu said The Earth is called that Lotus. It was created for giving a seat to that form of Manasa which became Brahman.
कर्णिका तस्य पद्मस्य मेरुर्गगनमुच्छ्रितः । तस्य मध्ये स्थितो लोकान्सृजते जगतः प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
Extending up to heaven itself, the Sumeru became the pericarp of that Lotus. Remaining within it, the powerful Lord of the Universe created all the worlds.
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