Prahlada, Best Among Exalted Devotees

Verse 1 (bhagavata.7.10.1)

श्रीनारद उवाच भक्तियोगस्य तत्सर्वमन्तरायतयार्भकः । मन्यमानो हृषीकेशं स्मयमान उवाच ह ॥ १ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca bhakti-yogasya tat sarvam antarāyatayārbhakaḥ manyamāno hṛṣīkeśaṁ smayamāna uvāca ha

Narada said: Regarding all those offered boons as obstacles to bhakti-yoga, the child, smiling gently, spoke to Hrishikesha, the Lord.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.7.10.2)

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच मा मां प्रलोभयोत्पत्त्या सक्तं कामेषु तैर्वरैः । तत्सङ्गभीतो निर्विण्णो मुमुक्षुस्त्वामुपाश्रितः ॥ २ ॥

śrī-prahrāda uvāca mā māṁ pralobhayotpattyā saktaṁ kāmeṣu tair varaiḥ tat-saṅga-bhīto nirviṇṇo mumukṣus tvām upāśritaḥ

Prahlada said: Please do not tempt me with these boons, assuming I am attached to desire by my very birth. It is that very attachment I fear; disillusioned with it and longing for liberation, I have taken shelter of You.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.7.10.3)

भृत्यलक्षणजिज्ञासुर्भक्तं कामेष्वचोदयत् । भवान् संसारबीजेषु हृदयग्रन्थिषु प्रभो ॥ ३ ॥

bhṛtya-lakṣaṇa-jijñāsur bhaktaṁ kāmeṣv acodayat bhavān saṁsāra-bījeṣu hṛdaya-granthiṣu prabho

O Lord, wishing to test the true character of Your servant, You have tried to draw Your devotee toward desires — those very knots of the heart that are the seed of material existence.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.7.10.4)

नान्यथा तेऽखिलगुरो घटेत करुणात्मनः । यस्त आशिष आशास्ते न स भृत्यः स वै वणिक् ॥ ४ ॥

nānyathā te ’khila-guro ghaṭeta karuṇātmanaḥ yas ta āśiṣa āśāste na sa bhṛtyaḥ sa vai vaṇik

O teacher of all, it could not truly be otherwise for one whose very nature is compassion. But one who desires blessings from You is not a true servant at all — he is nothing but a merchant.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.7.10.5)

आशासानो न वै भृत्यः स्वामिन्याशिष आत्मनः । न स्वामी भृत्यतः स्वाम्यमिच्छन्यो राति चाशिषः ॥ ५ ॥

āśāsāno na vai bhṛtyaḥ svāminy āśiṣa ātmanaḥ na svāmī bhṛtyataḥ svāmyam icchan yo rāti cāśiṣaḥ

One who desires blessings for himself from his master is not truly a servant; nor is one truly a master who grants blessings only out of a wish to preserve his own standing as master.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.7.10.6)

अहं त्वकामस्त्वद्भक्तस्त्वं च स्वाम्यनपाश्रयः । नान्यथेहावयोरर्थो राजसेवकयोरिव ॥ ६ ॥

ahaṁ tv akāmas tvad-bhaktas tvaṁ ca svāmy anapāśrayaḥ nānyathehāvayor artho rāja-sevakayor iva

I am Your desireless devotee, and You are my master, dependent on nothing else. Our bond has no other purpose than this — it is simply that of a king and his servant.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.7.10.7)

यदि दास्यसि मे कामान्वरांस्त्वं वरदर्षभ । कामानां हृद्यसंरोहं भवतस्तु वृणे वरम् ॥ ७ ॥

yadi dāsyasi me kāmān varāṁs tvaṁ varadarṣabha kāmānāṁ hṛdy asaṁrohaṁ bhavatas tu vṛṇe varam

O best of the givers of boons, if You must grant me some desired blessing, then this is the one I choose from You: that no desire should ever take root in my heart.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.7.10.8)

इन्द्रियाणि मनः प्राण आत्मा धर्मो धृतिर्मतिः । ह्रीः श्रीस्तेजः स्मृतिः सत्यं यस्य नश्यन्ति जन्मना ॥ ८ ॥

indriyāṇi manaḥ prāṇa ātmā dharmo dhṛtir matiḥ hrīḥ śrīs tejaḥ smṛtiḥ satyaṁ yasya naśyanti janmanā

The senses, the mind, the vital breath, the body, dharma, steadiness, intelligence, modesty, prosperity, vigor, memory and truthfulness — all of these are destroyed the very moment desire is born.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.7.10.9)

विमुञ्चति यदा कामान्मानवो मनसि स्थितान् । तर्ह्येव पुण्डरीकाक्ष भगवत्त्वाय कल्पते ॥ ९ ॥

vimuñcati yadā kāmān mānavo manasi sthitān tarhy eva puṇḍarīkākṣa bhagavattvāya kalpate

O lotus-eyed one, only when a person gives up the desires lodged within his own mind does he become fit for true blessedness.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.7.10.10)

ॐ नमो भगवते तुभ्यं पुरुषाय महात्मने । हरयेऽद्भुतसिंहाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने ॥ १० ॥

oṁ namo bhagavate tubhyaṁ puruṣāya mahātmane haraye ’dbhuta-siṁhāya brahmaṇe paramātmane

Om. Obeisance to You, the Blessed Lord, the great and Supreme Person; to Hari in this wondrous lion-form, to Brahman, the Supreme Self.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.7.10.11)

श्रीभगवानुवाच नैकान्तिनो मे मयि जात्विहाशिष आशासतेऽमुत्र च ये भवद्विधाः । तथापि मन्वन्तरमेतदत्र दैत्येश्वराणामनुभुङ्क्ष्व भोगान् ॥ ११ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca naikāntino me mayi jātv ihāśiṣa āśāsate ’mutra ca ye bhavad-vidhāḥ tathāpi manvantaram etad atra daityeśvarāṇām anubhuṅkṣva bhogān

The Lord said: Devotees exclusively devoted to Me, like you, never desire any blessing from Me, either in this world or the next. Nonetheless, for the remainder of this age of Manu, enjoy the pleasures befitting the lords of the daityas.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.7.10.12)

कथा मदीया जुषमाणः प्रियास्त्व- मावेश्य मामात्मनि सन्तमेकम् । सर्वेषु भूतेष्वधियज्ञमीशं यजस्व योगेन च कर्म हिन्वन् ॥ १२ ॥

kathā madīyā juṣamāṇaḥ priyās tvam āveśya mām ātmani santam ekam sarveṣu bhūteṣv adhiyajñam īśaṁ yajasva yogena ca karma hinvan

Delighting in accounts of Me, which are dear to you, and fixing Me — the one who dwells within — upon your very self, worship Me, the Lord present in all beings as the object of sacrifice, and let go of your attachment to action through yoga.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.7.10.13)

भोगेन पुण्यं कुशलेन पापं कलेवरं कालजवेन हित्वा । कीर्तिं विशुद्धां सुरलोकगीतां विताय मामेष्यसि मुक्तबन्धः ॥ १३ ॥

bhogena puṇyaṁ kuśalena pāpaṁ kalevaraṁ kāla-javena hitvā kīrtiṁ viśuddhāṁ sura-loka-gītāṁ vitāya mām eṣyasi mukta-bandhaḥ

Exhausting your pious merit through enjoyment and your sin through righteous action, and giving up this body when time's swift force comes for it, spreading a spotless fame that will be sung even in the world of the gods, you shall come to Me, free of all bondage.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.7.10.14)

य एतत्कीर्तयेन्मह्यं त्वया गीतमिदं नरः । त्वां च मां च स्मरन्काले कर्मबन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ १४ ॥

ya etat kīrtayen mahyaṁ tvayā gītam idaṁ naraḥ tvāṁ ca māṁ ca smaran kāle karma-bandhāt pramucyate

Whoever chants this hymn of yours to Me, and, in due course, remembers both you and Me together, is freed from the bondage of fruitive action.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.7.10.15)

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच वरं वरय एतत्ते वरदेशान्महेश्वर । यदनिन्दत्पिता मे त्वामविद्वांस्तेज ऐश्वरम् ॥ १५ ॥

śrī-prahrāda uvāca varaṁ varaya etat te varadeśān maheśvara yad anindat pitā me tvām avidvāṁs teja aiśvaram

Prahlada said: O supreme Lord, best among the givers of boons, I ask You for this one blessing alone: that my father, who out of ignorance of Your true power and majesty spoke ill of You —

Verse 16 (bhagavata.7.10.16)

विद्धामर्षाशयः साक्षात्सर्वलोकगुरुं प्रभुम् । भ्रातृहेति मृषादृष्टिस्त्वद्भक्ते मयि चाघवान् ॥ १६ ॥

viddhāmarṣāśayaḥ sākṣāt sarva-loka-guruṁ prabhum bhrātṛ-heti mṛṣā-dṛṣṭis tvad-bhakte mayi cāghavān

—his heart pierced through with resentment, wrongly regarding You, the very master and teacher of every world, as the killer of his brother, and thereby sinning also against me, Your own devotee —

Verse 17 (bhagavata.7.10.17)

तस्मात्पिता मे पूयेत दुरन्ताद् दुस्तरादघात् । पूतस्तेऽपाङ्गसंदृष्टस्तदा कृपणवत्सल ॥ १७ ॥

tasmāt pitā me pūyeta durantād dustarād aghāt pūtas te ’pāṅga-saṁdṛṣṭas tadā kṛpaṇa-vatsala

—may he be purified of that endless and hard-to-cross sin. O lover of the fallen, may he be made pure by that very sidelong glance of Your grace.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.7.10.18)

श्रीभगवानुवाच त्रिःसप्तभिः पिता पूतः पितृभिः सह तेऽनघ । यत्साधोऽस्य कुले जातो भवान्वै कुलपावनः ॥ १८ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca triḥ-saptabhiḥ pitā pūtaḥ pitṛbhiḥ saha te ’nagha yat sādho ’sya kule jāto bhavān vai kula-pāvanaḥ

The Lord said: O sinless one, your father has already been purified, together with three times seven generations of ancestors — for you, O saintly one, having been born into this family, are yourself the purifier of the whole dynasty.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.7.10.19)

यत्र यत्र च मद्भक्ताः प्रशान्ताः समदर्शिनः । साधवः समुदाचारास्ते पूयन्तेऽपि कीकटाः ॥ १९ ॥

yatra yatra ca mad-bhaktāḥ praśāntāḥ sama-darśinaḥ sādhavaḥ samudācārās te pūyante ’pi kīkaṭāḥ

Wherever My devotees dwell — peaceful, equal-sighted, virtuous, of good conduct — even the lowliest of places is purified by their presence.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.7.10.20)

सर्वात्मना न हिंसन्ति भूतग्रामेषु किञ्चन । उच्चावचेषु दैत्येन्द्र मद्भावविगतस्पृहाः ॥ २० ॥

sarvātmanā na hiṁsanti bhūta-grāmeṣu kiñcana uccāvaceṣu daityendra mad-bhāva-vigata-spṛhāḥ

O lord of the daityas, My devotees, absorbed in devotion to Me and free of every worldly desire, never harm any being at all, high or low, in any way whatsoever.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.7.10.21)

भवन्ति पुरुषा लोके मद्भक्तास्त्वामनुव्रताः । भवान्मे खलु भक्तानां सर्वेषां प्रतिरूपधृक् ॥ २१ ॥

bhavanti puruṣā loke mad-bhaktās tvām anuvratāḥ bhavān me khalu bhaktānāṁ sarveṣāṁ pratirūpa-dhṛk

Those in this world who follow in your footsteps become My devotees; for you are, in truth, the very likeness of all My devotees.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.7.10.22)

कुरु त्वं प्रेतकृत्यानि पितुः पूतस्य सर्वशः । मदङ्गस्पर्शनेनाङ्ग लोकान्यास्यति सुप्रजाः ॥ २२ ॥

kuru tvaṁ preta-kṛtyāni pituḥ pūtasya sarvaśaḥ mad-aṅga-sparśanenāṅga lokān yāsyati suprajāḥ

Now perform, in full accordance with the rites, the funerary duties for your father, who has already been purified; O child, through the touch of My own body, he will attain worlds filled with the virtuous.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.7.10.23)

पित्र्यं च स्थानमातिष्ठ यथोक्तं ब्रह्मवादिभिः । मय्यावेश्य मनस्तात कुरु कर्माणि मत्परः ॥ २३ ॥

pitryaṁ ca sthānam ātiṣṭha yathoktaṁ brahmavādibhiḥ mayy āveśya manas tāta kuru karmāṇi mat-paraḥ

Take up your father's royal seat, exactly as prescribed by those versed in the Vedas; and, my child, fixing your mind upon Me, carry out your duties while remaining ever devoted to Me.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.7.10.24)

श्रीनारद उवाच प्रह्रादोऽपि तथा चक्रे पितुर्यत्साम्परायिकम् । यथाह भगवान् राजन्नभिषिक्तो द्विजातिभिः ॥ २४ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca prahrādo ’pi tathā cakre pitur yat sāmparāyikam yathāha bhagavān rājann abhiṣikto dvijātibhiḥ

Narada said: O King, then Prahlada, exactly as the Lord had instructed, performed the after-death rites for his father, and was thereafter enthroned by the brahmanas.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.7.10.25)

प्रसादसुमुखं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा नरहरिं हरिम् । स्तुत्वा वाग्भिः पवित्राभिः प्राह देवादिभिर्वृतः ॥ २५ ॥

prasāda-sumukhaṁ dṛṣṭvā brahmā narahariṁ harim stutvā vāgbhiḥ pavitrābhiḥ prāha devādibhir vṛtaḥ

Seeing Lord Hari, in His Narahari form, His countenance bright with grace, Brahma, surrounded by the demigods, praised Him with sacred words and spoke as follows.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.7.10.26)

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच देवदेवाखिलाध्यक्ष भूतभावन पूर्वज । दिष्टया ते निहतः पापो लोकसन्तापनोऽसुरः ॥ २६ ॥

śrī-brahmovāca deva-devākhilādhyakṣa bhūta-bhāvana pūrvaja diṣṭyā te nihataḥ pāpo loka-santāpano ’suraḥ

Brahma said: O God of gods, ruler over all, creator of every being, O first-born one, by great good fortune this sinful demon who tormented the whole world has now been slain by You.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.7.10.27)

योऽसौ लब्धवरो मत्तो न वध्यो मम सृष्टिभिः । तपोयोगबलोन्नद्धः समस्तनिगमानहन् ॥ २७ ॥

yo ’sau labdha-varo matto na vadhyo mama sṛṣṭibhiḥ tapo-yoga-balonnaddhaḥ samasta-nigamān ahan

This demon had received from me the boon that he could not be slain by any of my own creation, and, made arrogant by the strength of his austerity and mystic power, he had gone on to transgress every scripture of the Vedas.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.7.10.28)

दिष्टया तत्तनयः साधुर्महाभागवतोऽर्भकः । त्वया विमोचितो मृत्योर्दिष्टया त्वां समितोऽधुना ॥ २८ ॥

diṣṭyā tat-tanayaḥ sādhur mahā-bhāgavato ’rbhakaḥ tvayā vimocito mṛtyor diṣṭyā tvāṁ samito ’dhunā

By good fortune his son, though only a child, a saintly soul and a great devotee, has been freed by You from death; and by good fortune he now stands here close beside You.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.7.10.29)

एतद् वपुस्ते भगवन्ध्यायतः परमात्मनः । सर्वतो गोप्तृ सन्त्रासान्मृत्योरपि जिघांसतः ॥ २९ ॥

etad vapus te bhagavan dhyāyataḥ paramātmanaḥ sarvato goptṛ santrāsān mṛtyor api jighāṁsataḥ

O Lord, O Supreme Soul, for one who meditates upon this transcendental form of Yours, You Yourself become the protector from every fear, even from death itself, though it stands ready to devour him.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.7.10.30)

श्रीभगवानुवाच मैवं विभोऽसुराणां ते प्रदेयः पद्मसम्भव । वरः क्रूरनिसर्गाणामहीनाममृतं यथा ॥ ३० ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca maivaṁ vibho ’surāṇāṁ te pradeyaḥ padma-sambhava varaḥ krūra-nisargāṇām ahīnām amṛtaṁ yathā

The Lord said: O mighty one, born of the lotus, never again grant such a boon to demons — their nature is cruel, and to bless them so is as dangerous as feeding nectar to serpents.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.7.10.31)

श्रीनारद उवाच इत्युक्त्वा भगवान् राजंस्ततश्चान्तर्दधे हरिः । अदृश्यः सर्वभूतानां पूजितः परमेष्ठिना ॥ ३१ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca ity uktvā bhagavān rājaṁs tataś cāntardadhe hariḥ adṛśyaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ pūjitaḥ parameṣṭhinā

Narada said: O King, having spoken thus, the Lord Hari, honored by Brahma's worship, then vanished from that place, becoming invisible to every being.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.7.10.32)

ततः सम्पूज्य शिरसा ववन्दे परमेष्ठिनम् । भवं प्रजापतीन्देवान्प्रह्रादो भगवत्कलाः ॥ ३२ ॥

tataḥ sampūjya śirasā vavande parameṣṭhinam bhavaṁ prajāpatīn devān prahrādo bhagavat-kalāḥ

Then Prahlada duly worshiped and bowed his head to Brahma, Shiva, the Prajapatis and the other demigods, all of whom are portions of the Lord Himself.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.7.10.33)

ततः काव्यादिभिः सार्धं मुनिभिः कमलासनः । दैत्यानां दानवानां च प्रह्रादमकरोत्पतिम् ॥ ३३ ॥

tataḥ kāvyādibhiḥ sārdhaṁ munibhiḥ kamalāsanaḥ daityānāṁ dānavānāṁ ca prahrādam akarot patim

Thereafter Brahma, seated on the lotus, together with Shukracharya and the other sages, installed Prahlada as lord over all the daityas and danavas.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.7.10.34)

प्रतिनन्द्य ततो देवाः प्रयुज्य परमाशिषः । स्वधामानि ययू राजन्ब्रह्माद्याः प्रतिपूजिताः ॥ ३४ ॥

pratinandya tato devāḥ prayujya paramāśiṣaḥ sva-dhāmāni yayū rājan brahmādyāḥ pratipūjitāḥ

O King, thereafter the demigods, headed by Brahma, having been duly honored, congratulated Prahlada, gave him their highest blessings, and returned each to his own abode.

Verse 35 (bhagavata.7.10.35)

एवं च पार्षदौ विष्णोः पुत्रत्वं प्रापितौ दितेः । हृदि स्थितेन हरिणा वैरभावेन तौ हतौ ॥ ३५ ॥

evaṁ ca pārṣadau viṣṇoḥ putratvaṁ prāpitau diteḥ hṛdi sthitena hariṇā vaira-bhāvena tau hatau

Thus those two attendants of Lord Vishnu, having taken birth as the sons of Diti, and holding enmity toward Hari who dwells within every heart, were both slain by Him.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.7.10.36)

पुनश्च विप्रशापेन राक्षसौ तौ बभूवतुः । कुम्भकर्णदशग्रीवौ हतौ तौ रामविक्रमैः ॥ ३६ ॥

punaś ca vipra-śāpena rākṣasau tau babhūvatuḥ kumbhakarṇa-daśa-grīvau hatau tau rāma-vikramaiḥ

Again, cursed by brahmanas, the two of them became rakshasas — Kumbhakarna and the ten-headed Ravana — and were slain by the might of Lord Rama.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.7.10.37)

शयानौ युधि निर्भिन्नहृदयौ रामशायकैः । तच्चित्तौ जहतुर्देहं यथा प्राक्तनजन्मनि ॥ ३७ ॥

śayānau yudhi nirbhinna- hṛdayau rāma-śāyakaiḥ tac-cittau jahatur dehaṁ yathā prāktana-janmani

Lying on the battlefield, their hearts pierced by Rama's arrows, they gave up their bodies with their minds fixed on Him — just as they had in that earlier birth.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.7.10.38)

ताविहाथ पुनर्जातौ शिशुपालकरूषजौ । हरौ वैरानुबन्धेन पश्यतस्ते समीयतुः ॥ ३८ ॥

tāv ihātha punar jātau śiśupāla-karūṣa-jau harau vairānubandhena paśyatas te samīyatuḥ

Then in this world they were born again as Shishupala and the king of Karusha, and, keeping to that same enmity, they merged into Hari right before your own eyes.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.7.10.39)

एनः पूर्वकृतं यत् तद् राजानः कृष्णवैरिणः । जहुस्तेऽन्ते तदात्मानः कीटः पेशस्कृतो यथा ॥ ३९ ॥

enaḥ pūrva-kṛtaṁ yat tad rājānaḥ kṛṣṇa-vairiṇaḥ jahus te ’nte tad-ātmānaḥ kīṭaḥ peśaskṛto yathā

Those kings who were enemies of Krishna, shedding at the end the sin built up from their earlier deeds, became absorbed entirely in Him — just as an insect held captive by a wasp comes in time to take on the very form of that wasp.

Verse 40 (bhagavata.7.10.40)

यथा यथा भगवतो भक्त्या परमयाभिदा । नृपाश्चैद्यादयः सात्म्यं हरेस्तच्चिन्तया ययुः ॥ ४० ॥

yathā yathā bhagavato bhaktyā paramayābhidā nṛpāś caidyādayaḥ sātmyaṁ hares tac-cintayā yayuḥ

Just as devotees attain oneness with the Lord through supreme, loving devotion to Him, so too kings such as Shishupala attained that same oneness with Hari simply through their constant, if hostile, thought of Him.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.7.10.41)

आख्यातं सर्वमेतत्ते यन्मां त्वं परिपृष्टवान् । दमघोषसुतादीनां हरेः सात्म्यमपि द्विषाम् ॥ ४१ ॥

ākhyātaṁ sarvam etat te yan māṁ tvaṁ paripṛṣṭavān damaghoṣa-sutādīnāṁ hareḥ sātmyam api dviṣām

All that you asked me — how Damaghosha's son and the other enemies of the Lord came to attain oneness with Hari — I have now told you fully.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.7.10.42)

एषा ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य कृष्णस्य च महात्मनः । अवतारकथा पुण्या वधो यत्रादिदैत्ययोः ॥ ४२ ॥

eṣā brahmaṇya-devasya kṛṣṇasya ca mahātmanaḥ avatāra-kathā puṇyā vadho yatrādi-daityayoḥ

This is the sacred account of the incarnations of the great soul Krishna, protector of the brahmanas and of dharma, in which the killing of the two primordial demons is described.

Verse 43 (bhagavata.7.10.43)

प्रह्रादस्यानुचरितं महाभागवतस्य च । भक्तिर्ज्ञानं विरक्तिश्च याथार्थ्यं चास्य वै हरेः ॥ ४३ ॥

prahrādasyānucaritaṁ mahā-bhāgavatasya ca bhaktir jñānaṁ viraktiś ca yāthārthyaṁ cāsya vai hareḥ

It also describes the conduct of Prahlada, that great devotee, together with his devotion, knowledge and detachment, and the true nature of Hari Himself.

Verse 44 (bhagavata.7.10.44)

सर्गस्थित्यप्ययेशस्य गुणकर्मानुवर्णनम् । परावरेषां स्थानानां कालेन व्यत्ययो महान् ॥ ४४ ॥

sarga-sthity-apyayeśasya guṇa-karmānuvarṇanam parāvareṣāṁ sthānānāṁ kālena vyatyayo mahān

It describes the qualities and deeds of the Lord of creation, maintenance and dissolution, and the great transformation that time works upon both the higher and lower worlds.

Verse 45 (bhagavata.7.10.45)

धर्मो भागवतानां च भगवान्येन गम्यते । आख्यानेऽस्मिन्समाम्नातमाध्यात्मिकमशेषतः ॥ ४५ ॥

dharmo bhāgavatānāṁ ca bhagavān yena gamyate ākhyāne ’smin samāmnātam ādhyātmikam aśeṣataḥ

In this narration, the dharma of the devotees, by which the Lord is truly attained, together with the whole of spiritual truth, has been fully set forth.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.7.10.46)

य एतत्पुण्यमाख्यानं विष्णोर्वीर्योपबृंहितम् । कीर्तयेच्छ्रद्धया श्रुत्वा कर्मपाशैर्विमुच्यते ॥ ४६ ॥

ya etat puṇyam ākhyānaṁ viṣṇor vīryopabṛṁhitam kīrtayec chraddhayā śrutvā karma-pāśair vimucyate

One who, having heard this sacred narration filled with Vishnu's mighty deeds, chants it with faith, is freed from the ropes of fruitive action.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.7.10.47)

एतद्य आदिपुरुषस्य मृगेन्द्रलीलां दैत्येन्द्रयूथपवधं प्रयतः पठेत । दैत्यात्मजस्य च सतां प्रवरस्य पुण्यं श्रुत्वानुभावमकुतोभयमेति लोकम् ॥ ४७ ॥

etad ya ādi-puruṣasya mṛgendra-līlāṁ daityendra-yūtha-pa-vadhaṁ prayataḥ paṭheta daityātmajasya ca satāṁ pravarasya puṇyaṁ śrutvānubhāvam akuto-bhayam eti lokam

Whoever attentively reads or hears this account of the Original Person's lion-pastime, the killing of the lord of the daityas, and the sacred glory of that son of a demon, foremost among the virtuous, attains that world where there is no fear at all.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.7.10.48)

यूयं नृलोके बत भूरिभागा लोकं पुनाना मुनयोऽभियन्ति । येषां गृहानावसतीति साक्षाद् गूढं परं ब्रह्म मनुष्यलिङ्गम् ॥ ४८ ॥

yūyaṁ nṛ-loke bata bhūri-bhāgā lokaṁ punānā munayo ’bhiyanti yeṣāṁ gṛhān āvasatīti sākṣād gūḍhaṁ paraṁ brahma manuṣya-liṅgam

Ah, how greatly fortunate you are in this world of men — sages who purify the world by their very presence come to your home, knowing that the concealed, Supreme Brahman Himself dwells there, disguised in human form.

Verse 49 (bhagavata.7.10.49)

स वा अयं ब्रह्म महद्विमृग्य- कैवल्यनिर्वाणसुखानुभूतिः । प्रियः सुहृद् वः खलु मातुलेय आत्मार्हणीयो विधिकृद्गुरुश्च ॥ ४९ ॥

sa vā ayaṁ brahma mahad-vimṛgya- kaivalya-nirvāṇa-sukhānubhūtiḥ priyaḥ suhṛd vaḥ khalu mātuleya ātmārhaṇīyo vidhi-kṛd guruś ca

He is that very Brahman, the blissful liberation sought after by the greatest of seekers — yet He is also your dear friend, the son of your maternal uncle, your very own self, worthy of your worship, your servant, and your guru all at once.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.7.10.50)

न यस्य साक्षाद्भवपद्मजादिभी रूपं धिया वस्तुतयोपवर्णितम् । मौनेन भक्त्योपशमेन पूजितः प्रसीदतामेष स सात्वतां पतिः ॥ ५० ॥

na yasya sākṣād bhava-padmajādibhī rūpaṁ dhiyā vastutayopavarṇitam maunena bhaktyopaśamena pūjitaḥ prasīdatām eṣa sa sātvatāṁ patiḥ

He whose true form even Shiva and Brahma themselves could not fully describe with their own intelligence — may that Lord of the Satvatas, worshiped through silence, devotion and inner peace, be pleased with us.

Verse 51 (bhagavata.7.10.51)

स एष भगवान् राजन्व्यतनोद्विहतं यशः । पुरा रुद्रस्य देवस्य मयेनानन्तमायिना ॥ ५१ ॥

sa eṣa bhagavān rājan vyatanod vihataṁ yaśaḥ purā rudrasya devasya mayenānanta-māyinā

O King, long ago the reputation of Lord Rudra was diminished by Maya Danava, of boundless illusory power — but it was this very Lord who restored and enlarged that reputation once again.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.7.10.52)

राजोवाच कस्मिन्कर्मणि देवस्य मयोऽहञ्जगदीशितुः । यथा चोपचिता कीर्तिः कृष्णेनानेन कथ्यताम् ॥ ५२ ॥

rājovāca kasmin karmaṇi devasya mayo ’hañ jagad-īśituḥ yathā copacitā kīrtiḥ kṛṣṇenānena kathyatām

The King said: By what act did Maya Danava diminish the glory of Lord Shiva, ruler of the universe, and how did this Krishna restore and increase that reputation once more? Please tell me.

Verse 53 (bhagavata.7.10.53)

श्रीनारद उवाच निर्जिता असुरा देवैर्युध्यनेनोपबृंहितैः । मायिनां परमाचार्यं मयं शरणमाययुः ॥ ५३ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca nirjitā asurā devair yudhy anenopabṛṁhitaiḥ māyināṁ paramācāryaṁ mayaṁ śaraṇam āyayuḥ

Narada said: When the demigods, strengthened by this very Lord, defeated the demons in battle, the demons took shelter of Maya, the supreme master of illusion among magicians.

Verse 54 (bhagavata.7.10.54)

स निर्माय पुरस्तिस्रो हैमीरौप्यायसीर्विभुः । दुर्लक्ष्यापायसंयोगा दुर्वितर्क्यपरिच्छदाः ॥ ५४ ॥

sa nirmāya puras tisro haimī-raupyāyasīr vibhuḥ durlakṣyāpāya-saṁyogā durvitarkya-paricchadāḥ

That powerful Maya built three cities, of gold, silver and iron, whose coming together and parting could not be perceived, and whose contents defied all reckoning —

Verse 55 (bhagavata.7.10.55)

ताभिस्तेऽसुरसेनान्यो लोकांस्त्रीन् सेश्वरान्नृप । स्मरन्तो नाशयां चक्रुः पूर्ववैरमलक्षिताः ॥ ५५ ॥

tābhis te ’sura-senānyo lokāṁs trīn seśvarān nṛpa smaranto nāśayāṁ cakruḥ pūrva-vairam alakṣitāḥ

—and, O King, using those cities, remembering their old enmity and staying unseen, the demon commanders began to lay waste to the three worlds together with their rulers.

Verse 56 (bhagavata.7.10.56)

ततस्ते सेश्वरा लोका उपासाद्येश्वरं नताः । त्राहि नस्तावकान्देव विनष्टांस्त्रिपुरालयैः ॥ ५६ ॥

tatas te seśvarā lokā upāsādyeśvaraṁ natāḥ trāhi nas tāvakān deva vinaṣṭāṁs tripurālayaiḥ

Then the dwellers of the three worlds, together with their rulers, went to Lord Shiva, bowed low, and said: O Lord, save us, Your own people, now being destroyed by the dwellers of the three cities.

Verse 57 (bhagavata.7.10.57)

अथानुगृह्य भगवान्मा भैष्टेति सुरान्विभुः । शरं धनुषि सन्धाय पुरेष्वस्त्रं व्यमुञ्चत ॥ ५७ ॥

athānugṛhya bhagavān mā bhaiṣṭeti surān vibhuḥ śaraṁ dhanuṣi sandhāya pureṣv astraṁ vyamuñcata

Then that mighty Lord Shiva, graciously reassuring the demigods with the words "Fear not," fitted his arrow to his bow and loosed his weapon at the three cities.

Verse 58 (bhagavata.7.10.58)

ततोऽग्निवर्णा इषव उत्पेतुः सूर्यमण्डलात् । यथा मयूखसन्दोहा नादृश्यन्त पुरो यतः ॥ ५८ ॥

tato ’gni-varṇā iṣava utpetuḥ sūrya-maṇḍalāt yathā mayūkha-sandohā nādṛśyanta puro yataḥ

Then fire-colored arrows shot out like a mass of rays from the disc of the sun, and the cities, wherever they had been, could no longer be seen at all.

Verse 59 (bhagavata.7.10.59)

तैः स्पृष्टा व्यसवः सर्वे निपेतुः स्म पुरौकसः । तानानीय महायोगी मयः कूपरसेऽक्षिपत् ॥ ५९ ॥

taiḥ spṛṣṭā vyasavaḥ sarve nipetuḥ sma puraukasaḥ tān ānīya mahā-yogī mayaḥ kūpa-rase ’kṣipat

Touched by those arrows, every inhabitant of the cities lost his life and fell down; then the great mystic Maya gathered them up and threw them into a well filled with nectar.

Verse 60 (bhagavata.7.10.60)

सिद्धामृतरसस्पृष्टा वज्रसारा महौजसः । उत्तस्थुर्मेघदलना वैद्युता इव वह्नयः ॥ ६० ॥

siddhāmṛta-rasa-spṛṣṭā vajra-sārā mahaujasaḥ uttasthur megha-dalanā vaidyutā iva vahnayaḥ

Touched by that perfected nectar, they rose up once more, their bodies now hard as thunderbolts, full of tremendous vigor, splitting the clouds like flashes of lightning-fire.

Verse 61 (bhagavata.7.10.61)

विलोक्य भग्नसङ्कल्पं विमनस्कं वृषध्वजम् । तदायं भगवान्विष्णुस्तत्रोपायमकल्पयत् ॥ ६१ ॥

vilokya bhagna-saṅkalpaṁ vimanaskaṁ vṛṣa-dhvajam tadāyaṁ bhagavān viṣṇus tatropāyam akalpayat

Seeing Lord Shiva, bearer of the bull-flag, disheartened at his plan's failure, Lord Vishnu then devised a way to help him.

Verse 62 (bhagavata.7.10.62)

वत्सश्चासीत्तदा ब्रह्मा स्वयं विष्णुरयं हि गौः । प्रविश्य त्रिपुरं काले रसकूपामृतं पपौ ॥ ६२ ॥

vatsaś cāsīt tadā brahmā svayaṁ viṣṇur ayaṁ hi gauḥ praviśya tripuraṁ kāle rasa-kūpāmṛtaṁ papau

Then Brahma became a calf, and Lord Vishnu Himself became a cow; entering the three cities at the appointed hour, they drank up every drop of the well's nectar.

Verse 63 (bhagavata.7.10.63)

तेऽसुरा ह्यपि पश्यन्तो न न्यषेधन्विमोहिताः । तद्विज्ञाय महायोगी रसपालानिदं जगौ । स्मयन्विशोकः शोकार्तान्स्मरन्दैवगतिं च ताम् ॥ ६३ ॥

te ’surā hy api paśyanto na nyaṣedhan vimohitāḥ tad vijñāya mahā-yogī rasa-pālān idaṁ jagau smayan viśokaḥ śokārtān smaran daiva-gatiṁ ca tām

The demons, though watching, were so bewildered they could not stop it. Realizing this, the great mystic Maya, himself untouched by grief and mindful of the workings of fate, spoke with a smile to the well's grieving guards.

Verse 64 (bhagavata.7.10.64)

देवोऽसुरो नरोऽन्यो वा नेश्वरोऽस्तीह कश्चन । आत्मनोऽन्यस्य वा दिष्टं दैवेनापोहितुं द्वयोः ॥ ६४ ॥

devo ’suro naro ’nyo vā neśvaro ’stīha kaścana ātmano ’nyasya vā diṣṭaṁ daivenāpohituṁ dvayoḥ

Maya said: Be one a demigod, a demon, a human being, or anyone else at all — no one in this world has the power to undo what fate has ordained, whether for himself or for another.

Verse 65 (bhagavata.7.10.65)

अथासौ शक्तिभिः स्वाभिः शम्भोः प्राधानिकं व्यधात् । धर्मज्ञानविरक्त्यृद्धितपोविद्याक्रियादिभिः ॥ ६५ ॥

athāsau śaktibhiḥ svābhiḥ śambhoḥ prādhānikaṁ vyadhāt dharma-jñāna-virakty-ṛddhi- tapo-vidyā-kriyādibhiḥ

Then He, by His own energies — dharma, knowledge, renunciation, prosperity, austerity, learning, action and the rest — furnished Lord Shiva with all the chief equipment he needed.

Verse 66 (bhagavata.7.10.66)

रथं सूतं ध्वजं वाहान्धनुर्वर्मशरादि यत् । सन्नद्धो रथमास्थाय शरं धनुरुपाददे ॥ ६६ ॥

rathaṁ sūtaṁ dhvajaṁ vāhān dhanur varma-śarādi yat sannaddho ratham āsthāya śaraṁ dhanur upādade

—a chariot, a charioteer, a flag, horses, a bow, armor, arrows, and whatever else was required. Thus fully equipped, Shiva mounted his chariot and took up his bow and arrow.

Verse 67 (bhagavata.7.10.67)

शरं धनुषि सन्धाय मुहूर्तेऽभिजितीश्वरः । ददाह तेन दुर्भेद्या हरोऽथ त्रिपुरो नृप ॥ ६७ ॥

śaraṁ dhanuṣi sandhāya muhūrte ’bhijitīśvaraḥ dadāha tena durbhedyā haro ’tha tripuro nṛpa

O King, fitting the arrow to his bow at the auspicious Abhijit hour, the mighty Lord Shiva then burned those impenetrable three cities to ashes with that single shaft.

Verse 68 (bhagavata.7.10.68)

दिवि दुन्दुभयो नेदुर्विमानशतसङ्कुलाः । देवर्षिपितृसिद्धेशा जयेति कुसुमोत्करैः । अवाकिरञ्जगुर्हृष्टा ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः ॥ ६८ ॥

divi dundubhayo nedur vimāna-śata-saṅkulāḥ devarṣi-pitṛ-siddheśā jayeti kusumotkaraiḥ avākirañ jagur hṛṣṭā nanṛtuś cāpsaro-gaṇāḥ

In the sky, kettledrums rang out amid hundreds of crowded airplanes; the demigods, sages, Pitris and lords of the Siddhas showered down flowers, crying "Victory!"; and the Apsaras, overjoyed, broke into song and dance.

Verse 69 (bhagavata.7.10.69)

एवं दग्ध्वा पुरस्तिस्रो भगवान्पुरहा नृप । ब्रह्मादिभिः स्तूयमानः स्वं धाम प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ ६९ ॥

evaṁ dagdhvā puras tisro bhagavān pura-hā nṛpa brahmādibhiḥ stūyamānaḥ svaṁ dhāma pratyapadyata

O King, having thus burned the three cities to ashes, Lord Shiva, now known as Tripurari, praised by Brahma and the other demigods, returned to His own abode.

Verse 70 (bhagavata.7.10.70)

एवं विधान्यस्य हरेः स्वमायया विडम्बमानस्य नृलोकमात्मनः । वीर्याणि गीतान्यृषिभिर्जगद्गुरो- र्लोकं पुनानान्यपरं वदामि किम् ॥ ७० ॥

evaṁ vidhāny asya hareḥ sva-māyayā viḍambamānasya nṛ-lokam ātmanaḥ vīryāṇi gītāny ṛṣibhir jagad-guror lokaṁ punānāny aparaṁ vadāmi kim

Such are the mighty deeds — sung by the sages, purifying to the world — of this Hari, teacher of the universe, who through His own maya plays the part of a man among men. What more, then, is there left for me to say?