The Prayers of Akrura

Verse 1 (bhagavata.10.40.1)

श्रीअक्रूर उवाच नतोऽस्म्यहं त्वाखिलहेतुहेतुं नारायणं पूरुषमाद्यमव्ययम् । यन्नाभिजातादरविन्दकोषाद् ब्रह्माविरासीद् यत एष लोकः ॥ १ ॥

śrī-akrūra uvāca nato ’smy ahaṁ tvākhila-hetu-hetuṁ nārāyaṇaṁ pūruṣam ādyam avyayam yan-nābhi-jātād aravinda-koṣād brahmāvirāsīd yata eṣa lokaḥ

Shri Akrura said: ‘I bow down to You, the cause of all causes — Narayana, the original, inexhaustible Person — from whose navel-born lotus-whorl Brahma arose, and from whom this entire world has come.’

Verse 2 (bhagavata.10.40.2)

भूस्तोयमग्निः पवनं खमादि- र्महानजादिर्मन इन्द्रियाणि । सर्वेन्द्रियार्था विबुधाश्च सर्वे ये हेतवस्ते जगतोऽङ्गभूताः ॥ २ ॥

bhūs toyam agniḥ pavanaṁ kham ādir mahān ajādir mana indriyāṇi sarvendriyārthā vibudhāś ca sarve ye hetavas te jagato ’ṅga-bhūtāḥ

‘Earth, water, fire, air and ether, and false ego their source; the mahat-tattva, unmanifest nature and her source; the mind, the senses, all objects of the senses, and all the gods — these causes of the universe are but portions of Your own body.’

Verse 3 (bhagavata.10.40.3)

नैते स्वरूपं विदुरात्मनस्ते ह्यजादयोऽनात्मतया गृहीताः । अजोऽनुबद्धः स गुणैरजाया गुणात् परं वेद न ते स्वरूपम् ॥ ३ ॥

naite svarūpaṁ vidur ātmanas te hy ajādayo ’nātmatayā gṛhītaḥ ajo ’nubaddhaḥ sa guṇair ajāyā guṇāt paraṁ veda na te svarūpam

‘These — beginning with unmanifest nature — do not know Your true self, for they are apprehended as non-conscious matter; even Brahma, himself bound by the modes born of nature, does not know Your form, which lies beyond the modes.’

Verse 4 (bhagavata.10.40.4)

त्वां योगिनो यजन्त्यद्धा महापुरुषमीश्वरम् । साध्यात्मं साधिभूतं च साधिदैवं च साधवः ॥ ४ ॥

tvāṁ yogino yajanty addhā mahā-puruṣam īśvaram sādhyātmaṁ sādhibhūtaṁ ca sādhidaivaṁ ca sādhavaḥ

‘Saintly yogis worship You directly as the Supreme Person, the Controller — in Your threefold aspect comprising the individual self, the material elements and the presiding deities.’

Verse 5 (bhagavata.10.40.5)

त्रय्या च विद्यया केचित्त्वां वै वैतानिका द्विजाः । यजन्ते विततैर्यज्ञैर्नाना रूपामराख्यया ॥ ५ ॥

trayyā ca vidyayā kecit tvāṁ vai vaitānikā dvijāḥ yajante vitatair yajñair nānā-rūpāmarākhyayā

‘And some, the ritualist brahmanas, worship You through the knowledge of the three Vedas, by elaborate sacrifices, under the various names and forms of the gods.’

Verse 6 (bhagavata.10.40.6)

एके त्वाखिलकर्माणि सन्न्यस्योपशमं गताः । ज्ञानिनो ज्ञानयज्ञेन यजन्ति ज्ञानविग्रहम् ॥ ६ ॥

eke tvākhila-karmāṇi sannyasyopaśamaṁ gatāḥ jñānino jñāna-yajñena yajanti jñāna-vigraham

‘Some, the seekers of knowledge, renouncing all action and attaining tranquility, worship You — the very embodiment of knowledge — through the sacrifice of knowledge.’

Verse 7 (bhagavata.10.40.7)

अन्ये च संस्कृतात्मानो विधिनाभिहितेन ते । यजन्ति त्वन्मयास्त्वां वै बहुमूर्त्येकमूर्तिकम् ॥ ७ ॥

anye ca saṁskṛtātmāno vidhinābhihitena te yajanti tvan-mayās tvāṁ vai bahu-mūrty-eka-mūrtikam

‘And others, their hearts purified, following the rite that You Yourself have set forth, worship You — filled with thought of You alone — as the one who is single in essence yet manifests as many forms.’

Verse 8 (bhagavata.10.40.8)

त्वामेवान्ये शिवोक्तेन मार्गेण शिवरूपिणम् । बह्वाचार्यविभेदेन भगवन्तम् उपासते ॥ ८ ॥

tvām evānye śivoktena mārgeṇa śiva-rūpiṇam bahv-ācārya-vibhedena bhagavantarn upāsate

‘You alone, others worship as the Supreme Lord in the form of Shiva, by the path that Shiva himself declared, as variously interpreted by many different teachers.’

Verse 9 (bhagavata.10.40.9)

सर्व एव यजन्ति त्वां सर्वदेवमयेश्वरम् । येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यद्यप्यन्यधियः प्रभो ॥ ९ ॥

sarva eva yajanti tvāṁ sarva-deva-mayeśvaram ye ’py anya-devatā-bhaktā yady apy anya-dhiyaḥ prabho

‘All indeed worship You, the Lord who comprises every god — even those who are devoted to other deities, even though their understanding is turned elsewhere, O Master.’

Verse 10 (bhagavata.10.40.10)

यथाद्रिप्रभवा नद्यः पर्जन्यापूरिताः प्रभो । विशन्ति सर्वतः सिन्धुं तद्वत्त्वां गतयोऽन्ततः ॥ १० ॥

yathādri-prabhavā nadyaḥ parjanyāpūritāḥ prabho viśanti sarvataḥ sindhuṁ tadvat tvāṁ gatayo ’ntataḥ

‘Just as rivers born of the mountains, swollen with rain, flow into the ocean from every side, O master, so too do all these paths finally lead into You.’

Verse 11 (bhagavata.10.40.11)

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति भवतः प्रकृतेर्गुणाः । तेषु हि प्राकृताः प्रोता आब्रह्मस्थावरादयः ॥ ११ ॥

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti bhavataḥ prakṛter guṇāḥ teṣu hi prākṛtāḥ protā ā-brahma-sthāvarādayaḥ

‘Goodness, passion and ignorance — these are the qualities of Your material nature; woven into them are all the conditioned beings, from Brahma down to the unmoving creatures.’

Verse 12 (bhagavata.10.40.12)

तुभ्यं नमस्ते त्वविषक्तदृष्टये सर्वात्मने सर्वधियां च साक्षिणे । गुणप्रवाहोऽयमविद्यया कृतः प्रवर्तते देवनृतिर्यगात्मसु ॥ १२ ॥

tubhyaṁ namas te tv aviṣakta-dṛṣṭaye sarvātmane sarva-dhiyāṁ ca sākṣiṇe guṇa-pravāho ’yam avidyayā kṛtaḥ pravartate deva-nṛ-tiryag-ātmasu

‘Obeisance to You, whose vision remains ever unattached, the Self of all, the witness of the intellects of all beings — this flow of the modes, brought about by ignorance, courses on among those who embody it as gods, men and animals.’

Verse 13 (bhagavata.10.40.13)

अग्निर्मुखं तेऽवनिरङ्घ्रिरीक्षणं सूर्यो नभो नाभिरथो दिशः श्रुतिः । द्यौः कं सुरेन्द्रास्तव बाहवोऽर्णवाः कुक्षिर्मरुत् प्राणबलं प्रकल्पितम् ॥ १३ ॥

agnir mukhaṁ te ’vanir aṅghrir īkṣaṇaṁ sūryo nabho nābhir atho diśaḥ śrutiḥ dyauḥ kaṁ surendrās tava bāhavo ’rṇavāḥ kukṣir marut prāṇa-balaṁ prakalpitam

‘Fire is Your mouth, the earth Your feet, the sun Your eye, the sky Your navel, the directions Your hearing; heaven is Your head, the chief gods Your arms, the oceans Your belly, and the wind is held to be Your breath and strength.’

Verse 14 (bhagavata.10.40.14)

रोमाणि वृक्षौषधयः शिरोरुहा मेघाः परस्यास्थिनखानि तेऽद्रयः । निमेषणं रात्र्यहनी प्रजापति- र्मेढ्रस्तु वृष्टिस्तव वीर्यमिष्यते ॥ १४ ॥

romāṇi vṛkṣauṣadhayaḥ śiroruhā meghāḥ parasyāsthi-nakhāni te ’drayaḥ nimeṣaṇaṁ rātry-ahanī prajāpatir meḍhras tu vṛṣṭis tava vīryam iṣyate

‘The trees and plants are Your bodily hairs, the clouds the hair of Your head; the mountains, O Supreme One, Your bones and nails; the blinking of Your eyes is night and day, Prajapati Your generative organ, and the rain is held to be Your seed.’

Verse 15 (bhagavata.10.40.15)

त्वय्यव्ययात्मन् पुरुषे प्रकल्पिता लोकाः सपाला बहुजीवसङ्कुलाः । यथा जले सञ्जिहते जलौकसो- ऽप्युदुम्बरे वा मशका मनोमये ॥ १५ ॥

tvayy avyayātman puruṣe prakalpitā lokāḥ sa-pālā bahu-jīva-saṅkulāḥ yathā jale sañjihate jalaukaso ’py udumbare vā maśakā mano-maye

‘Within You, O inexhaustible Self, the Supreme Person, the worlds are fashioned, together with their protecting deities, teeming with countless beings — just as aquatic creatures move about within water, or gnats within a fig — for You are the very ground of mind itself.’

Verse 16 (bhagavata.10.40.16)

यानि यानीह रूपाणि क्रीडनार्थं बिभर्षि हि । तैरामृष्टशुचो लोका मुदा गायन्ति ते यशः ॥ १६ ॥

yāni yānīha rūpāṇi krīḍanārthaṁ bibharṣi hi tair āmṛṣṭa-śuco lokā mudā gāyanti te yaśaḥ

‘Whatever forms You assume in this world for the sake of play, by those very forms the worlds, their sorrows wiped away, joyfully sing Your glory.’

Verse 17 (bhagavata.10.40.17)

नमः कारणमत्स्याय प्रलयाब्धिचराय च । हयशीर्ष्णे नमस्तुभ्यं मधुकैटभमृत्यवे ॥ १७ ॥

namaḥ kāraṇa-matsyāya pralayābdhi-carāya ca hayaśīrṣṇe namas tubhyaṁ madhu-kaiṭabha-mṛtyave

‘Obeisance to the causal Fish, who moved through the ocean of dissolution; obeisance to You, the Horse-headed one, death of Madhu and Kaitabha.’

Verse 18 (bhagavata.10.40.18)

अकूपाराय बृहते नमो मन्दरधारिणे । क्षित्युद्धारविहाराय नमः शूकरमूर्तये ॥ १८ ॥

akūpārāya bṛhate namo mandara-dhāriṇe kṣity-uddhāra-vihārāya namaḥ śūkara-mūrtaye

‘Obeisance to the great Tortoise, the bearer of Mandara mountain; obeisance to the Boar-formed One, whose sport was the raising up of the earth.’

Verse 19 (bhagavata.10.40.19)

नमस्तेऽद्भुतसिंहाय साधुलोकभयापह । वामनाय नमस्तुभ्यं क्रान्तत्रिभुवनाय च ॥ १९ ॥

namas te ’dbhuta-siṁhāya sādhu-loka-bhayāpaha vāmanāya namas tubhyaṁ krānta-tribhuvanāya ca

‘Obeisance to You, the wondrous Lion, remover of the fear of the saintly; obeisance to You, the Dwarf, who strode across the three worlds.’

Verse 20 (bhagavata.10.40.20)

नमो भृगुणां पतये दृप्तक्षत्रवनच्छिदे । नमस्ते रघुवर्याय रावणान्तकराय च ॥ २० ॥

namo bhṛguṇāṁ pataye dṛpta-kṣatra-vana-cchide namas te raghu-varyāya rāvaṇānta-karāya ca

‘Obeisance to the Lord of the Bhrigus, who felled the forest of arrogant kshatriyas; obeisance to You, best of the Raghus, who brought about Ravana’s end.’

Verse 21 (bhagavata.10.40.21)

नमस्ते वासुदेवाय नमः सङ्कर्षणाय च । प्रद्युम्नायनिरुद्धाय सात्वतां पतये नमः ॥ २१ ॥

namas te vāsudevāya namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca pradyumnāyaniruddhāya sātvatāṁ pataye namaḥ

‘Obeisance to You as Vasudeva, obeisance to Sankarshana; to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, and to the Lord of the Satvatas, my obeisance.’

Verse 22 (bhagavata.10.40.22)

नमो बुद्धाय शुद्धाय दैत्यदानवमोहिने । म्लेच्छप्रायक्षत्रहन्त्रे नमस्ते कल्किरूपिणे ॥ २२ ॥

namo buddhāya śuddhāya daitya-dānava-mohine mleccha-prāya-kṣatra-hantre namas te kalki-rūpiṇe

‘Obeisance to the pure Buddha, who bewilders the Daityas and Danavas; obeisance to You in the form of Kalki, slayer of kings who have become as good as outcastes.’

Verse 23 (bhagavata.10.40.23)

भगवन् जीवलोकोऽयं मोहितस्तव मायया । अहं ममेत्यसद्ग्राहो भ्राम्यते कर्मवर्त्मसु ॥ २३ ॥

bhagavan jīva-loko ’yaṁ mohitas tava māyayā ahaṁ mamety asad-grāho bhrāmyate karma-vartmasu

‘O Lord, this world of living beings, bewildered by Your maya and gripped by the false notions of “I” and “mine,” is made to wander along the paths of fruitive action.’

Verse 24 (bhagavata.10.40.24)

अहं चात्मात्मजागारदारार्थस्वजनादिषु । भ्रमामि स्वप्नकल्पेषु मूढः सत्यधिया विभो ॥ २४ ॥

ahaṁ cātmātmajāgāra- dārārtha-svajanādiṣu bhramāmi svapna-kalpeṣu mūḍhaḥ satya-dhiyā vibho

‘And I too, O almighty Lord, foolishly wander among body, children, home, wife, wealth, kinsfolk and the rest — all of them like a dream — believing them to be real.’

Verse 25 (bhagavata.10.40.25)

अनित्यानात्मदुःखेषु विपर्ययमतिर्ह्यहम् । द्वन्द्वारामस्तमोविष्टो न जाने त्वात्मनः प्रियम् ॥ २५ ॥

anityānātma-duḥkheṣu viparyaya-matir hy aham dvandvārāmas tamo-viṣṭo na jāne tvātmanaḥ priyam

‘My understanding turned upside down about what is impermanent, not the true Self, and full of suffering, I delight in dualities, immersed in darkness, and fail to recognize You as the true beloved of my own self.’

Verse 26 (bhagavata.10.40.26)

यथाबुधो जलं हित्वा प्रतिच्छन्नं तदुद्भवैः । अभ्येति मृगतृष्णां वै तद्वत्त्वाहं पराङ्मुखः ॥ २६ ॥

yathābudho jalaṁ hitvā praticchannaṁ tad-udbhavaiḥ abhyeti mṛga-tṛṣṇāṁ vai tadvat tvāhaṁ parāṅ-mukhaḥ

‘Just as a fool, overlooking water hidden beneath the plants that grow upon it, runs instead after a mirage — even so have I turned my face away from You.’

Verse 27 (bhagavata.10.40.27)

नोत्सहेऽहं कृपणधीः कामकर्महतं मनः । रोद्धुं प्रमाथिभिश्चाक्षैर्ह्रियमाणमितस्ततः ॥ २७ ॥

notsahe ’haṁ kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ kāma-karma-hataṁ manaḥ roddhuṁ pramāthibhiś cākṣair hriyamāṇam itas tataḥ

‘With my understanding so crippled, I am unable to restrain my mind — struck down by desire and by fruitive action, and dragged here and there by my turbulent senses.’

Verse 28 (bhagavata.10.40.28)

सोऽहं तवाङ्घ्र्युपगतोऽस्म्यसतां दुरापं तच्चाप्यहं भवदनुग्रह ईश मन्ये । पुंसो भवेद् यर्हि संसरणापवर्ग- स्त्वय्यब्जनाभ सदुपासनया मतिः स्यात् ॥ २८ ॥

so ’haṁ tavāṅghry-upagato ’smy asatāṁ durāpaṁ tac cāpy ahaṁ bhavad-anugraha īśa manye puṁso bhaved yarhi saṁsaraṇāpavargas tvayy abja-nābha sad-upāsanayā matiḥ syāt

‘Such as I am, I have still approached Your feet, unattainable though they are for the impure; and even this, O Lord, I take to be Your own grace. For a soul’s release from the cycle of birth and death comes about only when, O lotus-naveled one, one’s mind fixes upon You through the worship of the saintly.’

Verse 29 (bhagavata.10.40.29)

नमो विज्ञानमात्राय सर्वप्रत्ययहेतवे । पुरुषेशप्रधानाय ब्रह्मणेऽनन्तशक्तये ॥ २९ ॥

namo vijñāna-mātrāya sarva-pratyaya-hetave puruṣeśa-pradhānāya brahmaṇe ’nanta-śaktaye

‘Obeisance to You, the very embodiment of pure consciousness, the source of every form of understanding, He who predominates over the principles of the individual soul and the controller, the Brahman of infinite potencies.’

Verse 30 (bhagavata.10.40.30)

नमस्ते वासुदेवाय सर्वभूतक्षयाय च । हृषीकेश नमस्तुभ्यं प्रपन्नं पाहि मां प्रभो ॥ ३० ॥

namas te vāsudevāya sarva-bhūta-kṣayāya ca hṛṣīkeśa namas tubhyaṁ prapannaṁ pāhi māṁ prabho

‘Obeisance to You as Vasudeva, the resting place of all beings; O Hrishikesha, obeisance to You; O Master, protect me, who have taken refuge in You.’