Kashyapa Consoles Diti: Vishnu as Dharma Itself

Verse 1 (padma.2.9.1)

कश्यप उवाच- एवं संबोधितस्तत्र आत्मा ध्यानादिकैस्तदा । त्यक्तुकामः स तत्कार्यं पंचात्मकं स बुद्धिमान्

kaśyapa uvāca- evaṁ saṁbodhitastatra ātmā dhyānādikaistadā tyaktukāmaḥ sa tatkāryaṁ paṁcātmakaṁ sa buddhimān

Kashyapa said: Thus instructed there by Meditation and the rest, that wise Self then desired to abandon that work bound up with the five elements.

Verse 2 (padma.2.9.2)

निमित्तान्येव पश्यैव प्राप्य तांस्तान्प्रयाति सः । विहाय कायं निर्लक्ष्यं पतितं नैव पश्यति

nimittānyeva paśyaiva prāpya tāṁstānprayāti saḥ vihāya kāyaṁ nirlakṣyaṁ patitaṁ naiva paśyati

Seeing only the occasions before him, attaining them one by one, he passes onward; having abandoned the body, marked by nothing further, he does not even look back upon what he has left behind.

Verse 3 (padma.2.9.3)

सहवर्द्धितयोर्नास्ति संबंधः प्राण देहयोः । धनपुत्रकलत्रैश्च संबंधः केन हेतुना

sahavarddhitayornāsti saṁbaṁdhaḥ prāṇa dehayoḥ dhanaputrakalatraiśca saṁbaṁdhaḥ kena hetunā

Even between breath and body, though they grew up together, there is no true bond — by what reason, then, could there be a bond with wealth, sons, and wife?

Verse 4 (padma.2.9.4)

एवं ज्ञात्वा शमं गच्छ क्लैब्यं मा भज सुप्रिये । अयमेव परं ब्रह्म अयमेव सनातनः

evaṁ jñātvā śamaṁ gaccha klaibyaṁ mā bhaja supriye ayameva paraṁ brahma ayameva sanātanaḥ

'Knowing this, attain peace; do not yield to weakness, my dear. This very one is the Supreme Brahman, this very one is the eternal one.'

Verse 5 (padma.2.9.5)

अयमात्मस्वरूपेण दैत्य देवेषु संस्थितः । अयं ब्रह्मा अयं रुद्रो ह्ययं विष्णुः सनातनः

ayamātmasvarūpeṇa daitya deveṣu saṁsthitaḥ ayaṁ brahmā ayaṁ rudro hyayaṁ viṣṇuḥ sanātanaḥ

'This very one abides, in the form of the Self, among daityas and gods alike; this is Brahma, this is Rudra, and this indeed is the eternal Vishnu.'

Verse 6 (padma.2.9.6)

अयं सृजति विश्वानि अयं पालयते प्रजाः । संहरत्येष धर्मात्मा धर्मरूपी जनार्दनः

ayaṁ sṛjati viśvāni ayaṁ pālayate prajāḥ saṁharatyeṣa dharmātmā dharmarūpī janārdanaḥ

'This one creates all the worlds, this one sustains every creature; and this righteous Janardana, the embodiment of dharma, brings about their dissolution too.'

Verse 7 (padma.2.9.7)

अनेनोत्पादिता देवा दानवाश्चैव सुप्रिय । देवाश्चाधर्मनिर्मुक्ता धर्महीनाः सुतास्तव

anenotpāditā devā dānavāścaiva supriya devāścādharmanirmuktā dharmahīnāḥ sutāstava

'By him, my dear, were the gods and the danavas alike brought into being; the gods remained free of unrighteousness, while your sons abandoned dharma.'

Verse 8 (padma.2.9.8)

धर्मोयं माधवस्यांगं सर्वदैवैश्च पालितम् । धर्मं च चिंतयेद्देवि धर्मं चैव तु पालयेत्

dharmoyaṁ mādhavasyāṁgaṁ sarvadaivaiśca pālitam dharmaṁ ca ciṁtayeddevi dharmaṁ caiva tu pālayet

'This dharma is the very body of Madhava, upheld by all the gods; one should reflect upon dharma, O goddess, and should uphold dharma alone.'

Verse 9 (padma.2.9.9)

तस्य विष्णुः स धर्मात्मा सर्वदैव प्रसादवान् । धर्मेण वर्तिता देवाः सत्येन तपसा किल

tasya viṣṇuḥ sa dharmātmā sarvadaiva prasādavān dharmeṇa vartitā devāḥ satyena tapasā kila

'Toward one who upholds it, that righteous Vishnu is ever gracious; the gods conducted themselves through dharma, through truth and austerity indeed.'

Verse 10 (padma.2.9.10)

येषां विष्णुः प्रसन्नो वै धर्मस्तैरिह पालितः । विष्णोः कायमिदं धर्मं सत्यं हृदयमेव च

yeṣāṁ viṣṇuḥ prasanno vai dharmastairiha pālitaḥ viṣṇoḥ kāyamidaṁ dharmaṁ satyaṁ hṛdayameva ca

'Those with whom Vishnu is truly pleased are those by whom dharma is upheld here; this dharma is the very body of Vishnu, and truth indeed his very heart.'

Verse 11 (padma.2.9.11)

यस्तौ पालयते नित्यं तस्य विष्णुः प्रसीदति । दूषयेद्यः सत्यधर्मौ पापमेव प्रपालयेत्

yastau pālayate nityaṁ tasya viṣṇuḥ prasīdati dūṣayedyaḥ satyadharmau pāpameva prapālayet

'Whoever upholds these two, truth and dharma, constantly, with him Vishnu is pleased; whoever corrupts truth and dharma merely upholds sin.'

Verse 12 (padma.2.9.12)

तस्य विष्णुः प्रकुप्येत नाशयेदतिवीर्यवान् । वैष्णवैः पालितं धर्मं तपः सत्येन संस्थितैः

tasya viṣṇuḥ prakupyeta nāśayedativīryavān vaiṣṇavaiḥ pālitaṁ dharmaṁ tapaḥ satyena saṁsthitaiḥ

'With him Vishnu grows wrathful, and, most mighty, destroys him. Dharma is upheld by Vishnu's devotees, established in austerity and truth.'

Verse 13 (padma.2.9.13)

तेषां प्रसन्नो धर्मात्मा रक्षामेवं करोति च । तव पुत्रा दनोः पुत्राः सैंहिकेयास्तथैव च

teṣāṁ prasanno dharmātmā rakṣāmevaṁ karoti ca tava putrā danoḥ putrāḥ saiṁhikeyāstathaiva ca

'With them, that righteous soul, well pleased, thus grants protection. Your sons, and Danu's sons, and the sons of Sinhika likewise—'

Verse 14 (padma.2.9.14)

अधर्मेणापि पापेन वर्तिताः पापचेतसः । सूदिता वासुदेवेन समरे चक्रपाणिना

adharmeṇāpi pāpena vartitāḥ pāpacetasaḥ sūditā vāsudevena samare cakrapāṇinā

—'conducted themselves through unrighteousness and sin, their minds turned to evil; they were slain by Vasudeva, the discus-bearer, in battle.'

Verse 15 (padma.2.9.15)

योसावात्मा मयोक्तः पूर्वमेव तवाग्रतः । सोयं विष्णुर्न संदेहो धर्मात्मा सर्वपालकः

yosāvātmā mayoktaḥ pūrvameva tavāgrataḥ soyaṁ viṣṇurna saṁdeho dharmātmā sarvapālakaḥ

'That very Self of whom I spoke to you before — he indeed is Vishnu, no doubt of it, the righteous soul, protector of all.'

Verse 16 (padma.2.9.16)

दैत्यकायेषु यः स्वस्थः पापमेव समास्थितः । जघ्निवान्दानवान्देवि स च क्रुद्धो महामतिः

daityakāyeṣu yaḥ svasthaḥ pāpameva samāsthitaḥ jaghnivāndānavāndevi sa ca kruddho mahāmatiḥ

'He who dwelt at ease within the bodies of the daityas, given wholly over to sin — that same great-minded one, grown wrathful, slew the danavas, O goddess.'

Verse 17 (padma.2.9.17)

स बाह्याभ्यंतरे भूत्वा तव पुत्रा निपातिताः । येन चोत्पादिता देवि तेनैव विनिपातिताः

sa bāhyābhyaṁtare bhūtvā tava putrā nipātitāḥ yena cotpāditā devi tenaiva vinipātitāḥ

'Present both within and without, it was he by whom your sons were struck down; by the very one who brought them into being, O goddess, were they cast down.'

Verse 18 (padma.2.9.18)

नैषां मोहस्तु कर्तव्यो भवत्या वचनं शृणु । पापेन वर्तते योसौ स एव निधनं व्रजेत्

naiṣāṁ mohastu kartavyo bhavatyā vacanaṁ śṛṇu pāpena vartate yosau sa eva nidhanaṁ vrajet

'No delusion regarding them should be entertained by you — hear my word: whoever conducts himself through sin goes surely to his own destruction.'

Verse 19 (padma.2.9.19)

तस्मान्मोहं परित्यज्य सदाधर्मं समाश्रय । दितिरुवाच- एवमस्तु महाभाग करिष्ये वचनं तव

tasmānmohaṁ parityajya sadādharmaṁ samāśraya ditiruvāca- evamastu mahābhāga kariṣye vacanaṁ tava

'Therefore, abandoning delusion, take refuge always in dharma.' Diti said: 'So be it, O greatly fortunate one; I shall do as you say.'

Verse 20 (padma.2.9.20)

कश्यपं च मुनिश्रेष्ठमेवमाभाष्य दुःखिता । संबोधिता सा मुनिना दुःखं संत्यज्य संस्थिता

kaśyapaṁ ca muniśreṣṭhamevamābhāṣya duḥkhitā saṁbodhitā sā muninā duḥkhaṁ saṁtyajya saṁsthitā

Having thus spoken to Kashyapa, foremost of sages, that grieving one, instructed by the sage, let go of her sorrow and became composed.