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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 249

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 249

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 249

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 249 of the classical Mahābhārata with 23 verses.

Total: 23 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.249.1–23 • 250 Lexicon Terms
प्रजासर्गनिमित्तं मे कार्यवत्तामिमां प्रभो । विद्धि सृष्टास्त्वया हीमा मा कुप्यासां पितामह ॥
English Translation
Sthanu said Know, O lord, that my prayer to you is in behalf of the created beings of the universe! These beings have been created by you. Do not be angry with them, O Grandfather.
तव तेजोग्निना देव प्रजा दह्यन्ति सर्वशः । ता दृष्ट्वा मम कारुण्यं मा कुप्यासां जगत्प्रभो ॥
English Translation
By the fire born of your anger, illustrious one, all the created beings are being burnt. Seeing them placed in such a condition, I am filled with compassion. Do not be angry with them, O maker of the universe.
न कुप्ये न च मे कामो न भवेरन्प्रजा इति । लाघवार्थं धरण्यास्तु ततः संहार इष्यते ॥
English Translation
The lord of all created beings said, I am not angry, nor is it my desire that all the create beings should perish. It is only for lightening the lord of the Earth that destruction is desirable.
इयं हि मां सदा देवी भारार्ता समचोदयत् । संहारार्थं महादेव भारेणाप्सु निमज्जति ॥
English Translation
The godess Earth, suffering from the load of creatures, requested me, O Mahadeva, for destroying them, especially as she appeared to sink under their load into the water.
यदाहं नाधिगच्छामि बुद्ध्या बहु विचारयन् । संहारमासां वृद्धानां ततो मां क्रोध आविशत् ॥
English Translation
When after exercising my intelligence even for a long time I could not find out the means by which to bring about the destruction of this overgrown population, it was then that I was possessed by ire.
संहारान्तं प्रसीदस्व मा क्रुधस्त्रिदशेश्वर । मा प्रजाः स्थावरं चैव जङ्गमं च विनीनशः ॥
English Translation
Do not give way to anger, O lord of the celestials, about the destruction of living creatures! Be-pleased! Let not these mobile and immobile beings be destroyed.
पल्वलानि च सर्वाणि सर्वं चैव तृणोलपम् । स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव भूतग्रामं चतुर्विधम् ॥
English Translation
All tanks, all sorts of grass and herbs, all immobile beings, and all the four divisions of mobile creatures, are being consumed. The whole universe is about to be shorn of beings. Be pleased, O divine Lord! O you of pious soul this is the boon that I seek at your hands.
तदेतद्भस्मसाद्भूतं जगत्सर्वमुपप्लुतम् । प्रसीद भगवन्साधो वर एष वृतो मया ॥
English Translation
All tanks, all sorts of grass and herbs, all immobile beings, and all the four divisions of mobile creatures, are being consumed. The whole universe is about to be shorn of beings. Be pleased, O divine Lord! O you of pious soul this is the boon that I seek at your hands.
नष्टा न पुनरेष्यन्ति प्रजा ह्येताः कथंचन । तस्मान्निवर्त्यतामेतत्तेजः स्वेनैव तेजसा ॥
English Translation
If destroyed, these creatures would not return. Therefore, let this energy of yours be neutralised by your own energy.
उपायमन्यं संपश्य प्रजानां हितकाम्यया । यथेमे जन्तवः सर्वे निवर्तेरन्परंतप ॥
अभावमभिगच्छेयुरुत्सन्नप्रजनाः प्रजाः । अधिदैवनियुक्तोऽस्मि त्वया लोकेष्विहेश्वर ॥
त्वद्भवं हि जगन्नाथ जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । प्रसाद्य त्वां महादेव याचाम्यावृत्तिजाः प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
All this inobile and immobile creatures, O lord of the universe, originated from you. Pacifying you, O god of gods, I beg of you that living creatures may repeatedly come back into the world, undergoing repeated deaths!
श्रुत्वा तु वचनं देवः स्थाणोर्नियतवाङ्मनाः । तेजस्तत्स्वं निजग्राह पुनरेवान्तरात्मना ॥
English Translation
Narada continued Hearing these words of Sthanu, the divine Brahma of controlled speech and mind himself suppressed that energy of his within his own heart.
ततोऽग्निमुपसंगृह्य भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः । प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कल्पयामास वै प्रभुः ॥
English Translation
Suppressing that fire that had been destroying the universe, the illustrious Brahma, worshipped of all, and endued with illimitable power, then arranged for both birth and death of all living creatures.
उपसंहरतस्तस्य तमग्निं रोषजं तदा । प्रादुर्बभूव विश्वेभ्यः खेभ्यो नारी महात्मनः ॥
English Translation
After the Self-create had withdrawn and suppressed that fire, there came out, from all the pores of his body, a lady dressed in robes of black and red, with black eyes, black palms, wearing a pair of charming ear-rings and bedecked with celestial ornaments.
कृष्णा रक्ताम्बरधरा रक्तनेत्रतलान्तरा । दिव्यकुण्डलसंपन्ना दिव्याभरणभूषिता ॥
सा विनिःसृत्य वै खेभ्यो दक्षिणामाश्रिता दिशम् । ददृशातेऽथ तौ कन्यां देवौ विश्वेश्वरावुभौ ॥
English Translation
Having originated from Brahman's body, the lady sat on his right. The two foremost of gods thereupon espied her.
तामाहूय तदा देवो लोकानामादिरीश्वरः । मृत्यो इति महीपाल जहि चेमाः प्रजा इति ॥
English Translation
Then, O king, the powerful Self-create, the prime Cause of all the worlds, saluted her and said, O Death, kill these creatures of the universe.
त्वं हि संहारबुद्ध्या मे चिन्तिता रुषितेन च । तस्मात्संहर सर्वास्त्वं प्रजाः सजडपण्डिताः ॥
English Translation
Filled with ire and resolved to encompass the destruction of created beings, I have called you. Do you, there, begin to destroy all creatures foolish or learned.
अविशेषेण चैव त्वं प्रजाः संहर भामिनि । मम त्वं हि नियोगेन श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यसि ॥
English Translation
O lady, kill all created beings without any exception. At my command you will acquire great prosperity.
एवमुक्ता तु सा देवी मृत्युः कमलमालिनी । प्रदध्यौ दुःखिता बाला साश्रुपातमतीव हि ॥
English Translation
Thus addressed, the the goddess Death, adorned with a garland of lotuses, began to think sorrowfully and shed profuse tears.
पाणिभ्यां चैव जग्राह तान्यश्रूणि जनेश्वरः । मानवानां हितार्थाय ययाचे पुनरेव च ॥
English Translation
Without suffering her tears, however, to fall down, she held them, O king, in her joinedhands. She then solicited the Self-born, moved by the desire of doing good to mankind.
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