Matali Describes the Worlds of the Gods

Verse 1 (padma.2.71.1)

ययातिरुवाच- यत्त्वया सर्वमाख्यातं धर्माधर्ममनुत्तमम् । शृण्वतोऽथ मम श्रद्धा पुनरेव प्रवर्तते

yayātiruvāca- yattvayā sarvamākhyātaṁ dharmādharmamanuttamam śṛṇvato'tha mama śraddhā punareva pravartate

Yayati said: "Hearing all that you have told me of dharma and adharma, unsurpassed as it is, my faith rises up once again."

Verse 2 (padma.2.71.2)

देवानां लोकसंस्थानां वद संख्याः प्रकीर्तिताः । यस्य पुण्यप्रसंगेन येन प्राप्तं च मातले

devānāṁ lokasaṁsthānāṁ vada saṁkhyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ yasya puṇyaprasaṁgena yena prāptaṁ ca mātale

"Tell me, O Matali, the numbers proclaimed of the abodes of the gods - by whose merit, and by whom, each is attained."

Verse 3 (padma.2.71.3)

मातलिरुवाच- योगयुक्तं प्रवक्ष्यामि तपसा यदुपार्जितम् । देवानां लोकसंस्थानं सुखभोगप्रदायकम्

mātaliruvāca- yogayuktaṁ pravakṣyāmi tapasā yadupārjitam devānāṁ lokasaṁsthānaṁ sukhabhogapradāyakam

Matali said: "United in yoga, I shall declare what is earned through austerity - the arrangement of the worlds of the gods, the giver of happy enjoyment."

Verse 4 (padma.2.71.4)

धर्मभावं प्रवक्ष्यामि आयासैरर्जितं पृथक् । उपरिष्टाच्च लोकानां स्वरूपं चाप्यनुक्रमात्

dharmabhāvaṁ pravakṣyāmi āyāsairarjitaṁ pṛthak upariṣṭācca lokānāṁ svarūpaṁ cāpyanukramāt

"I shall tell, one by one, the state of merit earned through effort, and, in due order, the very nature of the worlds that lie above."

Verse 5 (padma.2.71.5)

तत्राष्टगुणमैश्वर्यं पार्थिवं पिशिताशिनाम् । तस्मात्सद्यो गतानां च नराणां तत्समं स्मृतम्

tatrāṣṭaguṇamaiśvaryaṁ pārthivaṁ piśitāśinām tasmātsadyo gatānāṁ ca narāṇāṁ tatsamaṁ smṛtam

"There, the earthly glory of flesh-eating beings is eightfold; and the same is held equal for men who have died suddenly."

Verse 6 (padma.2.71.6)

रक्षसां षोडशगुणं पार्थिवानां च तद्विधम् । एवं निरवशेषं च यच्छेषं कुलतेजसाम्

rakṣasāṁ ṣoḍaśaguṇaṁ pārthivānāṁ ca tadvidham evaṁ niravaśeṣaṁ ca yaccheṣaṁ kulatejasām

"For the Rakshasas it is sixteenfold, and the same again for earth-bound beings of that kind; thus, without remainder, whatever glory is left belongs to the splendor of their lineages."

Verse 7 (padma.2.71.7)

गंधर्वाणां च वायव्यं याक्षं च सकलं स्मृतम् । पांचभौतिकमिंद्रस्य चत्वारिंशद्गुणं महत्

gaṁdharvāṇāṁ ca vāyavyaṁ yākṣaṁ ca sakalaṁ smṛtam pāṁcabhautikamiṁdrasya catvāriṁśadguṇaṁ mahat

"For the Gandharvas it is of the nature of wind, and for the Yakshas it is remembered as complete; Indra's is composed of the five elements, forty times as great."

Verse 8 (padma.2.71.8)

सोमस्य मानसं दिव्यं विश्वेशं पांचभौतिकम् । सौम्यं प्रजापतीशानामहंकारगुणाधिकम्

somasya mānasaṁ divyaṁ viśveśaṁ pāṁcabhautikam saumyaṁ prajāpatīśānāmahaṁkāraguṇādhikam

"Soma's is mental and divine, of the nature of the Lord of all and the five elements; the gentle glory of the Prajapatis exceeds even the quality of ego."

Verse 9 (padma.2.71.9)

चतुष्षष्टिगुणं ब्राह्मं बौधमैश्वर्यमुत्तमम् । विष्णोः प्राधानिकं तंत्रमैश्वर्यं ब्रह्मणः पदम्

catuṣṣaṣṭiguṇaṁ brāhmaṁ baudhamaiśvaryamuttamam viṣṇoḥ prādhānikaṁ taṁtramaiśvaryaṁ brahmaṇaḥ padam

"Brahma's glory, born of wisdom, is sixty-fourfold and supreme; Vishnu's glory belongs to Pradhana, primal matter itself, and it is the very seat of Brahman."

Verse 10 (padma.2.71.10)

श्रीमच्छिवपुरे दिव्ये ऐश्वर्यं सर्वकामिकम् । अनंतगुणमैश्वर्यं शिवस्यात्मगुणं महत्

śrīmacchivapure divye aiśvaryaṁ sarvakāmikam anaṁtaguṇamaiśvaryaṁ śivasyātmaguṇaṁ mahat

"In the glorious, divine city of Shiva, that glory fulfils every desire; Shiva's glory is endless in measure, the great quality inherent to his own being."

Verse 11 (padma.2.71.11)

आदिमध्यांतरहितं विशुद्धं तत्त्वलक्षणम् । सर्वावभासकं सूक्ष्ममनौपम्यं परात्परम्

ādimadhyāṁtarahitaṁ viśuddhaṁ tattvalakṣaṇam sarvāvabhāsakaṁ sūkṣmamanaupamyaṁ parātparam

"Without beginning, middle, or end, utterly pure, the very mark of Reality - illuminating all things, subtle, without compare, higher than the highest."

Verse 12 (padma.2.71.12)

सुसंपूर्णं जगद्वेषं पशुपाशाविमोक्षणम् । यो यत्स्थानमनुप्राप्तस्तस्य भोगस्तदात्मकः

susaṁpūrṇaṁ jagadveṣaṁ paśupāśāvimokṣaṇam yo yatsthānamanuprāptastasya bhogastadātmakaḥ

"Utterly complete, pervading the universe, it releases the bound soul from its fetters; whatever station each being attains, its enjoyment there is exactly of that nature."

Verse 13 (padma.2.71.13)

विमानं तत्समानं च भवेदीशप्रसादतः । नानारूपाणि ताराणां दृश्यंते कोटयस्त्विमा

vimānaṁ tatsamānaṁ ca bhavedīśaprasādataḥ nānārūpāṇi tārāṇāṁ dṛśyaṁte koṭayastvimā

"By the Lord's grace, a celestial vehicle matching that station is granted; and these countless forms seen as stars are but multitudes of such souls."

Verse 14 (padma.2.71.14)

अष्टविंशतिरेवं ते संदीप्ताः सुकृतात्मनाम् । ये कुर्वंति नमस्कारमीश्वराय क्वचित्क्वचित्

aṣṭaviṁśatirevaṁ te saṁdīptāḥ sukṛtātmanām ye kurvaṁti namaskāramīśvarāya kvacitkvacit

"Thus twenty-eight worlds shine forth for meritorious souls - for those who bow in homage to the Lord even now and then."

Verse 15 (padma.2.71.15)

संपर्कात्कौतुकाल्लोभात्तद्विमानं लभंति ते । नामसंकीर्तनाद्वापि प्रसंगेन शिवस्य यः

saṁparkātkautukāllobhāttadvimānaṁ labhaṁti te nāmasaṁkīrtanādvāpi prasaṁgena śivasya yaḥ

"Whether from mere association, curiosity, or even greed, they obtain that celestial vehicle; or else through the chanting of Shiva's name on any occasion -"

Verse 16 (padma.2.71.16)

कुर्याद्वापि नमस्कारं न तस्य विलयो भवेत् । इत्येता गतयस्तत्र महत्यः शिवकर्मणि

kuryādvāpi namaskāraṁ na tasya vilayo bhavet ityetā gatayastatra mahatyaḥ śivakarmaṇi

"- or who so much as bows to him once, for that person there is never destruction. These, then, are the great destinies won through acts done for Shiva."

Verse 17 (padma.2.71.17)

कर्मणाभ्यंतरेणापि पुंसामीशानभावतः । प्रसंगेनापि ये कुर्युः शंकरस्मरणं नराः

karmaṇābhyaṁtareṇāpi puṁsāmīśānabhāvataḥ prasaṁgenāpi ye kuryuḥ śaṁkarasmaraṇaṁ narāḥ

"Even through an inward act alone, out of feeling for the Lord, those men who, even incidentally, call Shankara to mind -"

Verse 18 (padma.2.71.18)

तैर्लभ्यं त्वतुलं सौख्यं किं पुनस्तत्परायणैः । विष्णुचिंतां प्रकुर्वंति ध्यानेन गतमानसाः

tairlabhyaṁ tvatulaṁ saukhyaṁ kiṁ punastatparāyaṇaiḥ viṣṇuciṁtāṁ prakurvaṁti dhyānena gatamānasāḥ

"- by them too incomparable happiness is obtained; how much more, then, by those wholly devoted to him! Those whose minds, absorbed in meditation, dwell upon Vishnu -"

Verse 19 (padma.2.71.19)

ते यांति परमं स्थानं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् । शैवं च वैष्णवं रूपमेकरूपं नरोत्तम

te yāṁti paramaṁ sthānaṁ tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam śaivaṁ ca vaiṣṇavaṁ rūpamekarūpaṁ narottama

"- they go to that supreme abode, the highest station of Vishnu. The form of Shiva and the form of Vishnu, O best of men, are one and the same form."

Verse 20 (padma.2.71.20)

द्वयोश्च अंतरं नास्ति एकरूपमहात्मनोः । शिवाय विष्णुरूपाय शिवरूपाय विष्णवे

dvayośca aṁtaraṁ nāsti ekarūpamahātmanoḥ śivāya viṣṇurūpāya śivarūpāya viṣṇave

"Between these two great souls there is no difference; they are one form - homage to Shiva who bears the form of Vishnu, and to Vishnu who bears the form of Shiva."

Verse 21 (padma.2.71.21)

शिवस्य हृदयं विष्णुर्विष्णोश्च हृदयं शिवः । एकमूर्तिस्त्रयो देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः

śivasya hṛdayaṁ viṣṇurviṣṇośca hṛdayaṁ śivaḥ ekamūrtistrayo devā brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ

"Vishnu is the heart of Shiva, and Shiva is the heart of Vishnu; the three gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara - are a single form."

Verse 22 (padma.2.71.22)

त्रयाणामंतरं नास्ति गुणभेदाः प्रकीर्तिताः । शिवभक्तोसि राजेंद्र तथा भागवतोसि वै

trayāṇāmaṁtaraṁ nāsti guṇabhedāḥ prakīrtitāḥ śivabhaktosi rājeṁdra tathā bhāgavatosi vai

"Among the three there is no real difference; the distinctions declared are only of quality. O king of kings, you are both a devotee of Shiva and, equally, a devotee of Vishnu."

Verse 23 (padma.2.71.23)

तेन देवाः प्रसन्नास्ते ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । सुप्रीता वरदा राजन्कर्मणस्तव सुव्रत

tena devāḥ prasannāste brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ suprītā varadā rājankarmaṇastava suvrata

"For this reason the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara are pleased with you; well-pleased and ready to grant boons are they, O king of good vows, on account of your deeds."

Verse 24 (padma.2.71.24)

इंद्रादेशात्समायातः सन्निधौ तव मानद । ऐंद्रमेनं पदं याहि पश्चाद्ब्राह्मं महेश्वरम्

iṁdrādeśātsamāyātaḥ sannidhau tava mānada aiṁdramenaṁ padaṁ yāhi paścādbrāhmaṁ maheśvaram

"By Indra's command I have come here to your presence, O giver of honor. Go now to this station of Indra, and afterward to the worlds of Brahma and of Maheshvara -"

Verse 25 (padma.2.71.25)

वैष्णवं च प्रयाहि त्वं दाहप्रलयवर्जितम् । अनेनापि विमानेन दिव्येन सर्वगामिना

vaiṣṇavaṁ ca prayāhi tvaṁ dāhapralayavarjitam anenāpi vimānena divyena sarvagāminā

"- and then go on to the Vaishnava world, which is free from burning and dissolution, by means of this very divine, all-traversing vehicle."

Verse 26 (padma.2.71.26)

दिव्यमूर्तिरतो भुंक्ष्व दिव्यभोगान्मनोरमान् । समारुह्य विमानं त्वं पुष्पकं सुखगामिनम्

divyamūrtirato bhuṁkṣva divyabhogānmanoramān samāruhya vimānaṁ tvaṁ puṣpakaṁ sukhagāminam

"Assuming a divine form, and mounting this Pushpaka vehicle that moves at ease, enjoy delightful, divine pleasures."

Verse 27 (padma.2.71.27)

सुकर्मोवाच- एवमुक्त्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठ मौनवान्मातलिस्तदा । राजानं धर्मतत्त्वज्ञं ययातिं नहुषात्मजम्

sukarmovāca- evamuktvā dvijaśreṣṭha maunavānmātalistadā rājānaṁ dharmatattvajñaṁ yayātiṁ nahuṣātmajam

Sukarma said: "Having spoken thus, O best of the twice-born, Matali then fell silent before King Yayati, son of Nahusha, the knower of the truth of dharma."