Indradyumna in Brahma's Assembly, and the Secret of the Wooden Lord

Verse 1 (skanda.2.63.1)

नारद उवाच । दौवारिकाय राजर्षिरिंद्रद्युम्नो महायशाः । सार्वभौमो वैष्णवाग्र्यो धातारं द्रष्टुमागतः

nārada uvāca dauvārikāya rājarṣiriṁdradyumno mahāyaśāḥ sārvabhaumo vaiṣṇavāgryo dhātāraṁ draṣṭumāgataḥ

Narada said [to the doorkeeper]: "The royal sage Indradyumna, of great renown, sovereign of the whole earth, foremost among Vaishnavas, has come to see the Creator.

Verse 2 (skanda.2.63.2)

यात्वयं पुरतस्तस्य यदि त्वमनुमन्यसे । इत्युक्तस्तं पुनः प्राह नारदं मणिकोदरः

yātvayaṁ puratastasya yadi tvamanumanyase ityuktastaṁ punaḥ prāha nāradaṁ maṇikodaraḥ

Let him go before him, if you permit it." Thus addressed, Manikodara spoke again to Narada:

Verse 3 (skanda.2.63.3)

स्वामिंस्त्वयागतो योऽसौ न सामान्यो हि बुध्यते । यत्र पश्यसि दिक्पालान्पितॄन्मन्वंतराधिपान्

svāmiṁstvayāgato yo'sau na sāmānyo hi budhyate yatra paśyasi dikpālānpitṝnmanvaṁtarādhipān

"O master, this one who has come with you is understood to be no ordinary being — in the very place where you see the guardians of the directions, the ancestors, the lords of the Manvantaras,

Verse 4 (skanda.2.63.4)

तत्रायं मर्त्त्यनिलयस्तिष्ठेदपि हि पौरुषम् । भवान्गत्वा पद्मयोनिं विज्ञाप्यैनं प्रवेशय

tatrāyaṁ marttyanilayastiṣṭhedapi hi pauruṣam bhavāngatvā padmayoniṁ vijñāpyainaṁ praveśaya

— would this dweller of the mortal world too stand there, on the strength of his own valor? Go yourself to the Lotus-born and, having informed him, then admit him."

Verse 5 (skanda.2.63.5)

सभाद्वारगतो योऽसौ दिक्पालैः सह यास्यति । एकाग्रचित्तो भगवान्गायने चतुराननः

sabhādvāragato yo'sau dikpālaiḥ saha yāsyati ekāgracitto bhagavāngāyane caturānanaḥ

One standing at the door of the assembly may go in together with the guardians of the directions; but the four-faced Lord, his mind held one-pointed upon the singing,

Verse 6 (skanda.2.63.6)

अस्माकं द्वारि युक्तानां प्रतीक्ष्योऽवसरो ध्रुवम् । न क्रोधो मयि कर्त्तव्यो दासे तव पितुश्च ते

asmākaṁ dvāri yuktānāṁ pratīkṣyo'vasaro dhruvam na krodho mayi karttavyo dāse tava pituśca te

— for us stationed at the door, the right occasion must surely be awaited. Show no anger toward me, who am the servant of your father and of you as well."

Verse 7 (skanda.2.63.7)

इत्युक्तो नारदो गत्वा ब्रह्माणं जगतां पतिम् । नत्वा साष्टांगपतनं विज्ञप्तो वसुधाधिपः

ityukto nārado gatvā brahmāṇaṁ jagatāṁ patim natvā sāṣṭāṁgapatanaṁ vijñapto vasudhādhipaḥ

Thus addressed, Narada went to Brahma, lord of the worlds, and, prostrating himself with all eight limbs, informed him of the lord of the earth.

Verse 8 (skanda.2.63.8)

कटाक्षेणादिशत्सोऽथ इन्द्रद्युम्नप्रवेशनम् । नोवाच किंचिद्भगवान्गाने दत्तावधानतः

kaṭākṣeṇādiśatso'tha indradyumnapraveśanam novāca kiṁcidbhagavāngāne dattāvadhānataḥ

Then, with a mere sidelong glance, he signaled Indradyumna's entry; the Lord said nothing at all, his attention wholly given to the singing,

Verse 9 (skanda.2.63.9)

दिव्यगायनसंगीते कौतुकाविष्टमानसः । ज्ञात्वेंगितं नारदोऽथ इंद्रद्युम्नं नृपोत्तमम् । प्रवेशयामास ततः शक्राद्यैः सुनिरीक्षितः

divyagāyanasaṁgīte kautukāviṣṭamānasaḥ jñātveṁgitaṁ nārado'tha iṁdradyumnaṁ nṛpottamam praveśayāmāsa tataḥ śakrādyaiḥ sunirīkṣitaḥ

— his mind absorbed in wonder at the divine song and music. Then Narada, reading the gesture, led in Indradyumna, best of kings, closely watched by Indra and the rest.

Verse 10 (skanda.2.63.10)

दृष्ट्वा पितामहं दूरात्स्रष्टारं जगतां नृपः । अमन्यत द्विजश्रेष्ठाः साक्षाद्दारुमयं हरिम्

dṛṣṭvā pitāmahaṁ dūrātsraṣṭāraṁ jagatāṁ nṛpaḥ amanyata dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ sākṣāddārumayaṁ harim

Seeing the Grandsire, creator of the worlds, from afar, the king, O best of the twice-born, took him for none other than Hari himself in wooden form,

Verse 11 (skanda.2.63.11)

शनैः शनैर्ययौ भूपः प्रणमंश्च कृतांजलिः । स्तुवन्नमन्प्रणिपतन्साध्वसस्खलितं व्रजन् । किंचिद्दूरे स्थितो भूपो नारदस्य निदेशतः

śanaiḥ śanairyayau bhūpaḥ praṇamaṁśca kṛtāṁjaliḥ stuvannamanpraṇipatansādhvasaskhalitaṁ vrajan kiṁciddūre sthito bhūpo nāradasya nideśataḥ

the king moved slowly, step by step, bowing with joined palms, praising, saluting, prostrating himself, his gait faltering with awe; and, at Narada's direction, he remained standing a little apart.

Verse 12 (skanda.2.63.12)

ततः पुण्यं गीयमानं चरितं सिंधुजापतेः । शृण्वंश्चतुर्मुखस्तस्थौ मुहूर्त्तं द्विजपुंगवाः

tataḥ puṇyaṁ gīyamānaṁ caritaṁ siṁdhujāpateḥ śṛṇvaṁścaturmukhastasthau muhūrttaṁ dvijapuṁgavāḥ

Then, O foremost of Brahmins, the four-faced one paused a moment, listening to the sacred deeds of the Lord of Lakshmi being sung,

Verse 13 (skanda.2.63.13)

सावित्रीशारदाभ्यां च वीज्यमानस्तु पार्श्वयोः । शुद्धदेहधरैर्वेदैः स्तूयमानः स्वयंभुवः

sāvitrīśāradābhyāṁ ca vījyamānastu pārśvayoḥ śuddhadehadharairvedaiḥ stūyamānaḥ svayaṁbhuvaḥ

— fanned on either side by Savitri and Sharada, and praised by the Vedas embodied in pure form, that Self-born one,

Verse 14 (skanda.2.63.14)

कलाकाष्ठानिमेषादि कल्पयन्युगपर्ययम् । न जराजन्ममरणं रूपादिपरिणामनम्

kalākāṣṭhānimeṣādi kalpayanyugaparyayam na jarājanmamaraṇaṁ rūpādipariṇāmanam

— who ordains the measures of time — kala, kashtha, the blink of an eye, and the rest — and the turning of the ages, yet for whom there is no old age, birth, death, or change of form,

Verse 15 (skanda.2.63.15)

यस्य लोकगतानां वै नाधयो व्याधयस्तथा । मन्वतरादयो यत्र युगावर्त्तादयस्तथा

yasya lokagatānāṁ vai nādhayo vyādhayastathā manvatarādayo yatra yugāvarttādayastathā

— in whose worlds none of the dwellers suffer mental or bodily affliction; where the Manvantaras and the turning cycles of the ages,

Verse 16 (skanda.2.63.16)

कल्पांताद्या न विद्यंते स साक्षात्परमेश्वरः । गीतावसाने तं भूपमुवाच प्रहसन्निव

kalpāṁtādyā na vidyaṁte sa sākṣātparameśvaraḥ gītāvasāne taṁ bhūpamuvāca prahasanniva

— nor the dissolution of the kalpa, exist at all — he is the Supreme Lord in very person. At the close of the song he spoke to the king, as if smiling:

Verse 17 (skanda.2.63.17)

इंद्रद्युम्न महासत्त्व साक्षात्त्वं भगवत्प्रियः । अन्यस्य दुर्लभो लोकः सत्याख्यो विदितस्तव

iṁdradyumna mahāsattva sākṣāttvaṁ bhagavatpriyaḥ anyasya durlabho lokaḥ satyākhyo viditastava

"Indradyumna, O great soul, you are indeed dear to the Lord; this world called Satya, so hard for another to attain, has become known to you —

Verse 18 (skanda.2.63.18)

अत्रागतिं हि वांछंतो मुनयः क्षीणकल्मषाः । तपोनिष्ठाश्च तिष्ठंति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्

atrāgatiṁ hi vāṁchaṁto munayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ taponiṣṭhāśca tiṣṭhaṁti yāvadābhūtasaṁplavam

— sages whose sins are spent, longing to come here, remain steadfast in austerity even until the dissolution of all beings.

Verse 19 (skanda.2.63.19)

चतुर्दशसु लोकेषु सृष्टानां प्राणिनां हि यत् । चैतन्यादिविचित्राणि सर्वेषामाश्रयो ह्यसौ

caturdaśasu lokeṣu sṛṣṭānāṁ prāṇināṁ hi yat caitanyādivicitrāṇi sarveṣāmāśrayo hyasau

Whatever manifold kinds of consciousness and the like exist among the beings created in the fourteen worlds — of all of them, he alone is the refuge.

Verse 20 (skanda.2.63.20)

जानन्नपि हि तत्कार्यं मानयन्नृपसत्तमम् । उवाच परमप्रीत इंद्रद्युम्नं पितामहः

jānannapi hi tatkāryaṁ mānayannṛpasattamam uvāca paramaprīta iṁdradyumnaṁ pitāmahaḥ

Though he already knew the purpose of his visit, the Grandsire, honoring that best of kings and exceedingly pleased, said to Indradyumna:

Verse 21 (skanda.2.63.21)

किमर्थमागतोस्यत्र तद्ब्रूहि हृदयस्थितम् । मयि दृष्टे न दुष्प्रापममृतं किन्नु वांछितम्

kimarthamāgatosyatra tadbrūhi hṛdayasthitam mayi dṛṣṭe na duṣprāpamamṛtaṁ kinnu vāṁchitam

"For what purpose have you come here? Speak what lies in your heart. Once I have been beheld, even immortality is not hard to obtain — what then is it you desire?"

Verse 22 (skanda.2.63.22)

इन्द्रद्युम्न उवाच । अंतर्यामिन्हि भगवंस्त्वदज्ञातं कुतो भवेत् । तथापि प्रश्नो यो नाथ मय्यनुक्रोश एव सः

indradyumna uvāca aṁtaryāminhi bhagavaṁstvadajñātaṁ kuto bhavet tathāpi praśno yo nātha mayyanukrośa eva saḥ

Indradyumna said: "O Lord, indwelling in all, how could anything be unknown to you? And yet, O master, this very question of yours is nothing but your compassion toward me.

Verse 23 (skanda.2.63.23)

मूर्ध्न्याधाय तवानुज्ञां कथितं तव सूनुना । इष्टाः सहस्रं क्रतवस्तदंते दारुदेहभृत्

mūrdhnyādhāya tavānujñāṁ kathitaṁ tava sūnunā iṣṭāḥ sahasraṁ kratavastadaṁte dārudehabhṛt

Bearing your command upon my head — as told by your own son — I performed a thousand sacrifices, and at their close, he who bears a body of wood,

Verse 24 (skanda.2.63.24)

आविर्बभूव भगवान्भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः । त्वदनुग्रहसंपत्तिवशादेवावलोकयन्

āvirbabhūva bhagavānbhūtabhavyabhavatprabhuḥ tvadanugrahasaṁpattivaśādevāvalokayan

the Lord, master of the past, the future, and the present, became manifest — beholding me solely through the wealth of your grace.

Verse 25 (skanda.2.63.25)

तादृशं पुंडरीकाक्षं येन त्वल्लोकमागतः । यस्यारब्धो मया देव प्रासादस्तत्र चेत्स्वयम्

tādṛśaṁ puṁḍarīkākṣaṁ yena tvallokamāgataḥ yasyārabdho mayā deva prāsādastatra cetsvayam

it is because of that same lotus-eyed one that I have come to your world; and, O god, if that temple which I have begun for him there —

Verse 26 (skanda.2.63.26)

गत्वा देवं जगन्नाथं स्थापयिष्यसि चेत्प्रभो । त्वदनुग्रहस्तु सफलो भवेन्मे लोकभावन

gatvā devaṁ jagannāthaṁ sthāpayiṣyasi cetprabho tvadanugrahastu saphalo bhavenme lokabhāvana

— if you yourself would go there and install the Lord Jagannatha within it, O master, then, O nurturer of the worlds, your grace toward me would bear its fruit.

Verse 27 (skanda.2.63.27)

एतदर्थं जगत्स्वामिन्नारदेन सहाधुना । त्वत्पादपद्मयुगलं द्रष्टुं त्वल्लोकमागतः

etadarthaṁ jagatsvāminnāradena sahādhunā tvatpādapadmayugalaṁ draṣṭuṁ tvallokamāgataḥ

For this very purpose, O lord of the worlds, I have now come, together with Narada, to your world, to behold the pair of your lotus feet.

Verse 28 (skanda.2.63.28)

प्रसीद मां कुरुष्वेदं जगन्नाथस्त्वमेव हि । त्वमेव स जगन्नाथो न भेदो युवयोर्विभो

prasīda māṁ kuruṣvedaṁ jagannāthastvameva hi tvameva sa jagannātho na bhedo yuvayorvibho

Be gracious, and grant me this: you yourself are Jagannatha; you are that very Jagannatha — there is no difference between the two of you, O mighty one.

Verse 29 (skanda.2.63.29)

स्थाप्यः स्थापयिता चासि वेद्यो वेदयिता भवान्

sthāpyaḥ sthāpayitā cāsi vedyo vedayitā bhavān

You are both that which is to be enshrined and the one who enshrines; you are both that which is to be known and the knower."

Verse 30 (skanda.2.63.30)

जैमिनिरुवाच । एवं विज्ञापनांते तु दुर्वासा स महामुनिः । प्रणम्य साष्टांगपातं कृतांजलिरुपस्थितः

jaiminiruvāca evaṁ vijñāpanāṁte tu durvāsā sa mahāmuniḥ praṇamya sāṣṭāṁgapātaṁ kṛtāṁjalirupasthitaḥ

Jaimini said: Then, at the end of this petition, the great sage Durvasas, prostrating himself with all eight limbs and joining his palms, came forward,

Verse 31 (skanda.2.63.31)

प्रोवाच विनयान्नीचो धातारं जगतां गुरुम् । विभो द्वारप्रवेशेऽत्र दौवारिकनिवारिताः

provāca vinayānnīco dhātāraṁ jagatāṁ gurum vibho dvārapraveśe'tra dauvārikanivāritāḥ

and, bowed low in humility, said to the Creator, teacher of the worlds: "O mighty one, held back at this entrance by the doorkeeper,

Verse 32 (skanda.2.63.32)

लोकपालाः सपितरस्तथा मन्वंतराधिपाः । तिष्ठंति दीनजनवत्सुचिराल्लोकभावन

lokapālāḥ sapitarastathā manvaṁtarādhipāḥ tiṣṭhaṁti dīnajanavatsucirāllokabhāvana

the guardians of the worlds, along with the ancestors and the lords of the Manvantaras, stand there like wretched men, for a very long time now, O nurturer of the worlds.

Verse 33 (skanda.2.63.33)

तदाज्ञापय पश्यंतु तव पादसरोरुहम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा देवदेवस्तु तदा दुर्वाससो वचः

tadājñāpaya paśyaṁtu tava pādasaroruham tacchrutvā devadevastu tadā durvāsaso vacaḥ

So command that they may behold your lotus feet." Hearing this, the god of gods, at Durvasas's word,

Verse 34 (skanda.2.63.34)

प्रहस्य वचनं प्राह नैषां प्रस्ताव एव हि । इंद्रद्युम्नेन स्पर्द्धंते किं तु मोहवशानुगाः

prahasya vacanaṁ prāha naiṣāṁ prastāva eva hi iṁdradyumnena sparddhaṁte kiṁ tu mohavaśānugāḥ

— smiling, gave this answer: "This is no concern of theirs at all. Do they, overcome by delusion, presume to rival Indradyumna?

Verse 35 (skanda.2.63.35)

जीवन्मुक्तोऽयं नृपतिः क्षीणकर्माघसंहतिः । मत्संततेः पंचमोऽयं वैष्णवो विष्णुतत्परः

jīvanmukto'yaṁ nṛpatiḥ kṣīṇakarmāghasaṁhatiḥ matsaṁtateḥ paṁcamo'yaṁ vaiṣṇavo viṣṇutatparaḥ

This king is liberated while yet living, the mass of his karma and sin exhausted; he is the fifth in my own lineage, a Vaishnava devoted wholly to Vishnu.

Verse 36 (skanda.2.63.36)

एते हि सुखभोगाय कर्मणा प्राप्तपौरुषाः । अत्रागतिं प्रार्थयंतस्तपस्तप्त्वा हि देवताः

ete hi sukhabhogāya karmaṇā prāptapauruṣāḥ atrāgatiṁ prārthayaṁtastapastaptvā hi devatāḥ

These others are deities who through their ritual deeds have attained their station for the sake of enjoyment; longing to gain entry here, they have practiced austerity —

Verse 37 (skanda.2.63.37)

ममानुग्रहत एते आयाता मदुपासने । तथापि त्वदनुज्ञाता आयांतु मम दर्शने

mamānugrahata ete āyātā madupāsane tathāpi tvadanujñātā āyāṁtu mama darśane

— and by my grace they have come to worship me. Even so, with your leave, let them come into my presence."

Verse 38 (skanda.2.63.38)

ततः प्रविष्टास्ते देवा दुर्वासोवचनेन वै । दूरात्प्रणेमुर्ब्रह्माणं गायनानां समीपतः

tataḥ praviṣṭāste devā durvāsovacanena vai dūrātpraṇemurbrahmāṇaṁ gāyanānāṁ samīpataḥ

Then, at Durvasas's word, those gods entered, and, from a distance, near where the singers stood, bowed down to Brahma,

Verse 39 (skanda.2.63.39)

इंद्रद्युम्नं नरपतिं संलपंतं कृतांजलिम् । ताँल्लोकपालान्प्रणतान्कटाक्षेण जगत्प्रभुः

iṁdradyumnaṁ narapatiṁ saṁlapaṁtaṁ kṛtāṁjalim tāṁllokapālānpraṇatānkaṭākṣeṇa jagatprabhuḥ

and also to King Indradyumna, standing there conversing with joined palms. The Lord of the worlds, with a mere sidelong glance, regarded those bowing guardians of the worlds,

Verse 40 (skanda.2.63.40)

अनुजग्राह कथयन्निंद्रद्युम्नं ससादरम् । राजन्कृतस्त्वया सत्यं प्रासादो भगवत्स्थितौ

anujagrāha kathayanniṁdradyumnaṁ sasādaram rājankṛtastvayā satyaṁ prāsādo bhagavatsthitau

— and graciously favored them, then said to Indradyumna with regard: "It is true, O king, that you have built a temple for the Lord's abode,

Verse 41 (skanda.2.63.41)

नायं कालस्तथा राज्यं न वा त्वत्संततिर्नृप । गीतगानावसरतो भूयान्कालो गतस्तव

nāyaṁ kālastathā rājyaṁ na vā tvatsaṁtatirnṛpa gītagānāvasarato bhūyānkālo gatastava

— but this is no longer that same time, nor that kingdom, nor even your own line, O king; a vast span of time has passed for you in the mere occasion of this song."

Verse 42 (skanda.2.63.42)

मन्वंतरो हि दिव्यानां युगानामेकसप्ततिः । तव वंशोऽपि विच्छिन्नः कोटिशः क्षितिपा गताः

manvaṁtaro hi divyānāṁ yugānāmekasaptatiḥ tava vaṁśo'pi vicchinnaḥ koṭiśaḥ kṣitipā gatāḥ

For a single Manvantara consists of seventy-one divine ages; your lineage too has long since been broken off — kings beyond counting, in the tens of millions, have come and gone.

Verse 43 (skanda.2.63.43)

देवोंऽतिमश्च प्रासादो द्वयमत्रावशिष्यते । द्वितीयस्य मनोरादियुगं स्वारोचिषस्य तु

devoṁ'timaśca prāsādo dvayamatrāvaśiṣyate dvitīyasya manorādiyugaṁ svārociṣasya tu

Only two things remain here: the god, and the last of the temples built; we now stand at the first age of the second Manu, Svarochisha,

Verse 44 (skanda.2.63.44)

ममांतिकेऽत्र वसतोमृत्युर्वा न जरा तथा । विपर्ययमृतूनां वा न कालपरिणामता

mamāṁtike'tra vasatomṛtyurvā na jarā tathā viparyayamṛtūnāṁ vā na kālapariṇāmatā

— and, dwelling here in my presence, there is neither death nor old age, nor any reversal of the seasons, nor any change wrought by time.

Verse 45 (skanda.2.63.45)

तद्गच्छ भूमौ राजेंद्र देवं प्रासादमेव च । आत्मसंबंधिनं कृत्वा पुनरायाहि वेगवान्

tadgaccha bhūmau rājeṁdra devaṁ prāsādameva ca ātmasaṁbaṁdhinaṁ kṛtvā punarāyāhi vegavān

So go to earth, O king of kings, to the god and to his temple; having made them your own once again, return swiftly —

Verse 46 (skanda.2.63.46)

अथवाहं प्रयास्यामि तवानुपदमेव हि । त्वमग्रतो धरां गत्वा यावत्संभारमृद्धिमत्

athavāhaṁ prayāsyāmi tavānupadameva hi tvamagrato dharāṁ gatvā yāvatsaṁbhāramṛddhimat

— or, rather, I myself shall come, following close on your very heels. Go on ahead to the earth, and while you gather together the rich array of materials,

Verse 47 (skanda.2.63.47)

करिष्यसि महाभाग तावदेव व्रजाम्यहम् । इत्याज्ञाप्येंद्रद्युम्नं तं भगवान्स पितामहः

kariṣyasi mahābhāga tāvadeva vrajāmyaham ityājñāpyeṁdradyumnaṁ taṁ bhagavānsa pitāmahaḥ

— O fortunate one, by that same time I shall arrive." Having thus commanded Indradyumna, that Lord, the Grandsire,

Verse 48 (skanda.2.63.48)

देवान्पुरःस्थितानाह विनयानतकंधरान् । बद्धांजलीन्साध्वसांस्तांस्तत्पादन्यस्तवीक्षणान्

devānpuraḥsthitānāha vinayānatakaṁdharān baddhāṁjalīnsādhvasāṁstāṁstatpādanyastavīkṣaṇān

— spoke to the gods standing before him, their necks bowed in reverence, hands joined in awe, their eyes fixed upon his feet:

Verse 49 (skanda.2.63.49)

उवाच भगवान्स्निग्धगंभीरवचसा द्विजाः । किमर्थमागताः सर्वे युगपत्तु दिवौकसः

uvāca bhagavānsnigdhagaṁbhīravacasā dvijāḥ kimarthamāgatāḥ sarve yugapattu divaukasaḥ

The Lord spoke, O Brahmins, in a voice both tender and grave: "For what reason have all you dwellers of heaven come here at once?

Verse 50 (skanda.2.63.50)

जैमिनिरुवाच । यत्कार्यं वो मया कार्यं विज्ञापयत मा चिरम् । इति श्रुत्वा वचो धातुस्त्रिदशा विगतज्वराः

jaiminiruvāca yatkāryaṁ vo mayā kāryaṁ vijñāpayata mā ciram iti śrutvā vaco dhātustridaśā vigatajvarāḥ

Jaimini said: "Whatever business you have with me, declare it without delay." Hearing these words of the Creator, the gods, their anguish now gone,

Verse 51 (skanda.2.63.51)

प्रत्यूचुर्हर्षिताः सर्वे भगवंतं पितामहम् । देवा ऊचुः । उपासितः पुरास्माभिर्यो नीलाद्रौ मणीमयः

pratyūcurharṣitāḥ sarve bhagavaṁtaṁ pitāmaham devā ūcuḥ upāsitaḥ purāsmābhiryo nīlādrau maṇīmayaḥ

all replied to the Lord, the Grandsire, filled with joy. The gods said: He whom we formerly worshipped on the Blue Mountain, in a form made of sapphire —

Verse 52 (skanda.2.63.52)

अन्तर्हितः कथं देव इदानीं दारुदेहधृक् । आविर्भूतः क्रतोरंत इन्द्रद्युम्नस्य भूपतेः

antarhitaḥ kathaṁ deva idānīṁ dārudehadhṛk āvirbhūtaḥ kratoraṁta indradyumnasya bhūpateḥ

how has that god now become hidden, and how, taking on a body of wood, has he appeared at the end of King Indradyumna's sacrifice?

Verse 53 (skanda.2.63.53)

एतस्य कारणं ज्ञातुं भवतः पादपंकजम् । आराधितुमिहायाताः प्रसीद कथयस्व तत्

etasya kāraṇaṁ jñātuṁ bhavataḥ pādapaṁkajam ārādhitumihāyātāḥ prasīda kathayasva tat

To learn the reason for this, we have come here to worship your lotus feet; be gracious, and explain it to us."

Verse 54 (skanda.2.63.54)

इत्युक्ते त्रिदशैर्देवो भगवान्पंकजासनः । रहस्यमेतद्भो देवाः कस्यचिन्नोदितं पुरा

ityukte tridaśairdevo bhagavānpaṁkajāsanaḥ rahasyametadbho devāḥ kasyacinnoditaṁ purā

Thus addressed by the gods, the divine Lord seated on the lotus said: "This, O gods, is a mystery never before declared to anyone.

Verse 55 (skanda.2.63.55)

सर्वे समुदिता यस्मादपृच्छत चिरागताः । ततो वः कथयिष्यामि सुराणां गुह्यमुत्तमम्

sarve samuditā yasmādapṛcchata cirāgatāḥ tato vaḥ kathayiṣyāmi surāṇāṁ guhyamuttamam

Since you have all gathered together and asked, having journeyed here from afar, I shall now tell you this supreme secret of the gods.

Verse 56 (skanda.2.63.56)

पूर्वे परार्द्धे भो देवाः क्षेत्रं श्रीपुरुषोत्तमम् । नीलाश्मवपुरास्थाय न तत्याज जनार्दनः

pūrve parārddhe bho devāḥ kṣetraṁ śrīpuruṣottamam nīlāśmavapurāsthāya na tatyāja janārdanaḥ

In the earlier half of the cosmic cycle, O gods, in the field of glorious Purushottama, Janardana, dwelling in a form of blue stone, never forsook it;

Verse 57 (skanda.2.63.57)

सांप्रतं मे द्वितीयं तु परार्द्धं समुपस्थितम् । मनुः स्वायम्भुवो नाम श्वेतवाराहकल्पके

sāṁprataṁ me dvitīyaṁ tu parārddhaṁ samupasthitam manuḥ svāyambhuvo nāma śvetavārāhakalpake

but now my second half has arrived; this is the era of the Manu named Svayambhuva, in the Shvetavaraha kalpa,

Verse 58 (skanda.2.63.58)

प्रवर्त्ततेऽयं कालो वै प्रातराद्यदिनस्य च । दारुमूर्तिरयं देवो भुवनानां हि मध्यमे

pravarttate'yaṁ kālo vai prātarādyadinasya ca dārumūrtirayaṁ devo bhuvanānāṁ hi madhyame

— this present time corresponds, as it were, to the very dawn of the cosmic day. This god, in his form of wood, in the very midst of the worlds,

Verse 59 (skanda.2.63.59)

ममायुषः प्रमाणं तु स्थास्यते मानयन्प्रभुः । ममात्मा एष भगवानहमेतन्मयः सुराः

mamāyuṣaḥ pramāṇaṁ tu sthāsyate mānayanprabhuḥ mamātmā eṣa bhagavānahametanmayaḥ surāḥ

— will abide for the whole span of my own lifetime, that Lord thus honoring me. This Lord is my very self; I, O gods, am made of that same essence.

Verse 60 (skanda.2.63.60)

नावयोर्विद्यते किंचिदस्मिन्स्थावरजंगमे । क्षीरोदार्णवमध्ये हि श्वेतद्वीपे हि तल्पके

nāvayorvidyate kiṁcidasminsthāvarajaṁgame kṣīrodārṇavamadhye hi śvetadvīpe hi talpake

In this whole world of the moving and the unmoving, there is no difference at all between the two of us. In the midst of the Ocean of Milk, upon the couch of the White Island,

Verse 61 (skanda.2.63.61)

यः शेते योगनिद्रां तां मानयन्पुरुषोत्तमः । स मूलं जगतामादिस्तस्य रोमाणि यानि वै । तानि कल्पद्रुमाख्यानि शंखचक्रांकितानि वै

yaḥ śete yoganidrāṁ tāṁ mānayanpuruṣottamaḥ sa mūlaṁ jagatāmādistasya romāṇi yāni vai tāni kalpadrumākhyāni śaṁkhacakrāṁkitāni vai

— he who lies there in that yogic slumber, honoring it, is Purushottama, the root and origin of the worlds; and his very body-hairs are those known as the wish-granting trees, marked with the conch and the discus.

Verse 62 (skanda.2.63.62)

तन्मध्यस्थो ह्ययं वृक्षश्चैतन्याधिष्ठितः सुराः । स्वयमुत्पतितः सिंधोः सलिले सत्यपूरुषः

tanmadhyastho hyayaṁ vṛkṣaścaitanyādhiṣṭhitaḥ surāḥ svayamutpatitaḥ siṁdhoḥ salile satyapūruṣaḥ

In the midst of them stands this very tree, O gods, presided over by consciousness itself; the True Person himself arose spontaneously from the waters of the ocean,

Verse 63 (skanda.2.63.63)

भोगान्भोक्तुं त्रिलोकस्थान्दारुवर्ष्मा जनार्दनः । अनेकजन्मसाहस्रैर्भक्तियोगेन भावितः

bhogānbhoktuṁ trilokasthāndāruvarṣmā janārdanaḥ anekajanmasāhasrairbhaktiyogena bhāvitaḥ

— Janardana, in a wooden form, in order to partake of the enjoyments belonging to the three worlds, moved by devotion cultivated over many thousand births —

Verse 64 (skanda.2.63.64)

घोरसंसारनाशाय मया पूर्वं प्रयाचितः । पुनः पुनः सृष्टिलीनपालनोद्विग्नचेतसा

ghorasaṁsāranāśāya mayā pūrvaṁ prayācitaḥ punaḥ punaḥ sṛṣṭilīnapālanodvignacetasā

— was entreated by me long ago for the destruction of dread transmigration, my mind wearied again and again by the burden of creating, dissolving, and sustaining all things.

Verse 65 (skanda.2.63.65)

अशेषकर्मनाशाय जगतां सर्वमुक्तये । धारणाध्यानयोगानां दुष्कराणां विनापि सः

aśeṣakarmanāśāya jagatāṁ sarvamuktaye dhāraṇādhyānayogānāṁ duṣkarāṇāṁ vināpi saḥ

For the destruction of all karma, for the complete liberation of the worlds, he, without even the arduous disciplines of concentration, meditation, and yoga —

Verse 66 (skanda.2.63.66)

मोक्षाय भगवानाविर्बभूव पुरुषोत्तमः । प्रच्छन्नं वपुरेतस्य क्षेत्रं नास्य विचारयेत्

mokṣāya bhagavānāvirbabhūva puruṣottamaḥ pracchannaṁ vapuretasya kṣetraṁ nāsya vicārayet

— the Lord Purushottama became manifest for the sake of liberation. His form here is hidden; one should not subject this field of his to mere reasoning —

Verse 67 (skanda.2.63.67)

धर्मिग्राहप्रमाणेन यादृग्दृष्टः स एव सः । चतुर्वर्गप्रदो देवो यो यथा तं विभावयेत्

dharmigrāhapramāṇena yādṛgdṛṣṭaḥ sa eva saḥ caturvargaprado devo yo yathā taṁ vibhāvayet

According to the measure of each one's own capacity for righteousness, so he appears to that one; the god grants the four aims of life to each according to how that one conceives of him.

Verse 68 (skanda.2.63.68)

तद्दर्शनपरिक्षीणपापसंघाः क्रमाद्भुवि । भवन्ति निर्मलात्मानः पुरुषा मुक्तिभाजनम्

taddarśanaparikṣīṇapāpasaṁghāḥ kramādbhuvi bhavanti nirmalātmānaḥ puruṣā muktibhājanam

By the sight of him, their accumulated sins worn away, men gradually become, here on earth, pure of soul, and fit vessels for liberation."

Verse 69 (skanda.2.63.69)

जैमिनिरुवाच । एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु ते देवाः पद्मयोनेर्वचोमृतम् । हृष्टाः संचिंतयामासुः प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना

jaiminiruvāca etacchrutvā tu te devāḥ padmayonervacomṛtam hṛṣṭāḥ saṁciṁtayāmāsuḥ prahṛṣṭenāṁtarātmanā

Jaimini said: Hearing this nectar-like speech of the Lotus-born one, the gods, delighted, their inmost hearts full of joy, began to reflect:

Verse 70 (skanda.2.63.70)

अचिरस्थायि देवत्वं विहायैतद्भुवं गताः । अस्मिन्क्षेत्रवरे देवमाराध्यामः सुसंयताः

acirasthāyi devatvaṁ vihāyaitadbhuvaṁ gatāḥ asminkṣetravare devamārādhyāmaḥ susaṁyatāḥ

"Let us set aside this fleeting godhood, go to this earth, and, well restrained, worship the god in this most excellent field."

Verse 71 (skanda.2.63.71)

हर्षप्रफुल्लवदनान्सुरान्दृष्ट्वा पितामह । इन्द्रद्युम्नानुग्रहाय यः प्रकाशं गतः प्रभुः

harṣapraphullavadanānsurāndṛṣṭvā pitāmaha indradyumnānugrahāya yaḥ prakāśaṁ gataḥ prabhuḥ

Seeing the gods, their faces alight with joy, the Grandsire — and that Lord who had become manifest for Indradyumna's sake —

Verse 72 (skanda.2.63.72)

याताऽत्र प्रतिमा त्वस्य स्वयमेव वदिष्यति । वरान्प्रदास्यति बहून्भगवान्भक्तवत्सलः

yātā'tra pratimā tvasya svayameva vadiṣyati varānpradāsyati bahūnbhagavānbhaktavatsalaḥ

"This image that has come here will itself speak; the Lord, so fond of his devotees, will grant many boons.

Verse 73 (skanda.2.63.73)

प्रासादमिन्द्रद्युम्नस्य प्रतिष्ठापयितुं विभुम् । अहं चापि गमिष्यामि यूयं तत्र प्रयात वै

prāsādamindradyumnasya pratiṣṭhāpayituṁ vibhum ahaṁ cāpi gamiṣyāmi yūyaṁ tatra prayāta vai

To install that mighty Lord in Indradyumna's temple, I too shall go there; you also should proceed there.

Verse 74 (skanda.2.63.74)

इन्द्रद्युम्नोऽग्रतो यातु प्रतिष्ठावस्तुसंभृतौ । सहायास्तत्र भवत यूयं क्षीणाधिकारिणः

indradyumno'grato yātu pratiṣṭhāvastusaṁbhṛtau sahāyāstatra bhavata yūyaṁ kṣīṇādhikāriṇaḥ

Let Indradyumna go on ahead to gather together the materials for the consecration; you, whose term of divine office has run its course, be his helpers there."

Verse 75 (skanda.2.63.75)

मन्वन्तरं व्यतीतं वै प्रथमं सांप्रतं सुराः । इन्द्रद्युम्नेन सहितास्तत्र गत्वा सुरोत्तमाः

manvantaraṁ vyatītaṁ vai prathamaṁ sāṁprataṁ surāḥ indradyumnena sahitāstatra gatvā surottamāḥ

The first Manvantara has now passed, O gods; going there together with Indradyumna, O best among the gods,

Verse 76 (skanda.2.63.76)

प्रासादप्रतिमानां च विधर्ता स्वाम्यमस्य वै । तस्मात्संभृतसंभारः ससहायोऽधुना ह्यसौ

prāsādapratimānāṁ ca vidhartā svāmyamasya vai tasmātsaṁbhṛtasaṁbhāraḥ sasahāyo'dhunā hyasau

— he alone ordains the temple and the images, and holds authority over this. So now, with the materials gathered and his helpers beside him,

Verse 77 (skanda.2.63.77)

अस्य संततिसंबन्धस्मरणादपि भूतले । मदाज्ञया पद्मनिधिः सह यास्यति भूतलम्

asya saṁtatisaṁbandhasmaraṇādapi bhūtale madājñayā padmanidhiḥ saha yāsyati bhūtalam

— recalling too his kinship with this line, by my command Padmanidhi will go along with him to the earth,

Verse 78 (skanda.2.63.78)

प्रतिष्ठायै भगवतः संयतौ सर्ववस्तुनः । इन्द्रद्युम्नोऽपि हृष्टात्मा दृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मीं श्रियं द्विजाः

pratiṣṭhāyai bhagavataḥ saṁyatau sarvavastunaḥ indradyumno'pi hṛṣṭātmā dṛṣṭvā brāhmīṁ śriyaṁ dvijāḥ

— both, self-restrained, attending to all the materials for the Lord's consecration. Indradyumna too, O Brahmins, his soul filled with joy at beholding the glory of Brahma,

Verse 79 (skanda.2.63.79)

महदाश्चर्यसंपन्नः प्रणिपत्य जगद्गुरुम् । तदाज्ञां शिरसा धृत्वा देवैः क्षीणाधिकारिभिः

mahadāścaryasaṁpannaḥ praṇipatya jagadgurum tadājñāṁ śirasā dhṛtvā devaiḥ kṣīṇādhikāribhiḥ

— filled with great wonder, prostrated himself before the teacher of the worlds and, bearing his command upon his head, together with the gods whose term of office had ended,

Verse 80 (skanda.2.63.80)

आजगाम भुवं विप्रा विधिना चानुमोदिताः

ājagāma bhuvaṁ viprā vidhinā cānumoditāḥ

— came down, O Brahmins, to the earth, duly sanctioned according to rite.