BHISHMAVADHA PARVA: Chapter 67

Nativity and glory of Keshava

दुर्योधन उवाच वासुदेवो महद् भूतं सर्वलोकेषु कथ्यते। तस्यागमं प्रतिष्ठां च ज्ञातुमिच्छे पितामह॥
Duryodhana said In all the worlds, Vasudeva is spoken of as the Highest Being; O grandsire, I desire to know all about his nativity and his glory.

भीष्म उवाच वासुदेवो महद् भूतं सर्वदैवतदैवतम्। न परं पुण्डरीकाक्षाद् दृश्यते भरतर्षभ॥
Bhishma said Vasudeva is the Supreme Being, the God of all gods. There is to be seen none, O foremost of the Bharata, superior to Him of eyes resembling lotus petals.

मार्कण्डेयश्च गोविन्दे कथयत्यद्भुतं महत्। सर्वभूतानि भूतात्मा महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः॥
Markandeya speaks of Govinda as the great mystery, as all beings, as the Soul of all, as the Highest Soul and as the Foremost of all male beings.

आपो वायुश्च तेजश्च त्रयमेतदकल्पयत्। स सृष्ट्वा पृथिवीं देवीं सर्वलोकेश्वरः प्रभुः॥
He created these three things viz., Water, Air, and Fire. Having created this Earth, that Divine Master, the Lord of all the worlds.

अप्सु वै शयनं चक्रे महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः। सर्वतेजोमयो देवो योगात् सुष्वाप तत्र ह॥
That Highest Soul, that Foremost of all Beings, laid himself down on the waters. Therein, that Divine One composed of all energies, was lulled in sleep through his Yoga.

मुखतः सोऽग्निमसृजत् प्राणाद् वायुमथापि च। सरस्वती च वेदांश्च मनसः ससृजेऽच्युतः॥
He created Fire from his mouth, and wind from His vital breath. That undeteriorating One created Words and the Vedas from his mind.

एष लोकान् ससर्जादौ देवांश्च ऋषिभिः सह। निधनं चैव मृत्युं च प्राजानां प्रभवाप्ययौ॥
At first, He created these worlds as also the celestials along with all the sages, He also created decrepitude and death of all creatures and also their growth and birth.

एष धर्मश्च धर्मज्ञो वरदः सर्वकामदः। एष कर्ता च कार्यं च पूर्वदेवः स्वयम्प्रभुः॥
He is righteousness itself and is versed in all duties. He is the giver of boons and the gratifier of all our desires. He is the Actor himself as well as the Act itself, and he is the Divine and the Sole Master.

भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च पूर्वमेतदकल्पयत्। उभे संध्ये दिशः खं च नियमांश्च जनार्दनः॥ ऋषींश्चैव हि गोविन्दस्तपश्चैवाभ्यकल्पयत्। स्रष्टारं जगतश्चापि महात्मा प्रभुरव्ययः॥
That undeteriorating Lord of illustrious soul, as first created the Past, the Present and the Future and also the creator of the worlds viz., (Brahma).

अग्रजं सर्वभूतानां संकर्षणकल्पयत्। तस्मान्नारायणो जज्ञे देवदेवः सनातनः॥ नाभौ पद्मं बभूवास्य सर्वलोकस्य सम्भवात्। तस्मात् पितामहो जातस्तस्माज्जातास्त्विमाः प्रजाः।१२। शेषं चाकल्पयद् देवमनन्तं विश्वरूपिणम्।
That perfect supreme soul Sri Krishna very first originated Samkarsana, the elder to all living beings. Narayana, the everlasting god of gods was then emerged from him. A lotus was appeared from the navel zone of Narayana. Brahma, grandfather to all and sole cause for creation of this entire world, appeared from that lotus flower. All species of the living organisms have originated then from god Brahina. He created the divine Shesha who is otherwise known as Ananta.

यो धारयति भूतानि धरां चेमां सपर्वताम्॥ ध्यानयोगेन विप्राश्च तं विदन्ति महौजसम्।
And who supports all creatures and upholds the Earth with all her mountains. Through devout mediation, the Vipras come to know him of supreme energy.

कर्णस्रोतोभवं चापि मधुं नाम महासुरम्॥ तमुग्रमुग्रकर्माणमुग्रां बुद्धिं समास्थितम्। ब्रह्मणोऽपचितिं कुर्वञ् जघान पुरुषोत्तमः॥ तस्य तात वधादेव देवदानवमानवाः।
That Foremost of all make beings slew the mighty Asura named Madhu who was born out of the secretion of His ears, who was furious and of fierce actions and fierce intentions, when he was on the point of destroying Brahma. In consequence of His slaying that Asura, the celestials, the Danavas, and the mortals.

मधुसूदनमित्याहुर्ऋषयश्च जनार्दनम्॥ वराहश्चैव सिंहश्च त्रिविक्रमगतिः प्रभुः।
And the sages call Janardana by the name of the Slayer of Madhu. The great Boar, the Lion and the three treaded Lord.

एष माता पिता चैव सर्वेषां प्राणिनां हरिः॥ परं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षान्न भूतं न भविष्यति।
Hari is the Father, and the Mother of all living creatures. Neither there was nor there will be, any one superior to Him of eyes like lotus petals.

मुखतः सोऽसृजद् विप्रान् बाहुभ्यां क्षत्रियांस्तथा॥ वैश्यांश्चाप्यूस्तो राजशूद्रान् वै पादतस्तथा।
From His mouth, O monarch, He created, the Regenerate, from His arms the Kshatriya, from His thighs the Vaishyas and from His legs the Shudras.

तपसा नियतो देवं विधानं सर्वदेहिनाम्॥ ब्रह्मभूतममावास्यां पौर्णमास्यां तथैव च। योगभूतं परिचरन् केशवं महदाप्नुयात्॥ केशवः परमं तेजः सर्वलोकपितामहः।
With ascetic austerities devoutly serving in the days of the full moon and the new moon Keshava the Divine, the creator of all corporal creatures, the Essence of Brahma and of Yoga, one surely attains to Him. Keshava has been called the Supreme energy and the Grandsire of the worlds.

एनमाहुर्हषीकेशं मुनयो वै नराधिप॥ एवमेनं विजानीहि आचार्यं पितरं गुरुम्।
The sages, O ruler of men, call Him Hrishikesha or the Lord of the senses, Know Him also to be the supreme Teacher, the Father, and the Preceptor.

कृष्णो यस्य प्रसीदेत लोकास्तेनाक्षया जिताः॥ यश्चैवैनं भयस्थाने केशवं शरणं व्रजेत्।
Regions of undeteriorating blessedness is secured by him on whom Krishna becomes gracious. He that seeks protection from Keshava in seasons of danger, and

सदा नरः पठंश्चेदं स्वस्तिमान् स सुखी भवेत्॥ ये च कृष्णं प्रपद्यन्ते ते न मुह्यन्ति मानवाः।
He that always reads of His themes, becomes happy and attended will all blessings. Those who attain to Krishna are never again befouled.

भये महति मग्नांश्च पाति नित्यं जनार्दनः॥ स तं युधिष्ठिरो ज्ञात्वा याथातथ्येन भारत।
That Janardana ever saves those who are overwhelmed with great terror. O descendant of the Bharata race, perfectly aware of this fact, Yudhishthira,

सर्वात्मना महात्मानं केशवं जदीश्वरम्। प्रपन्नः शरणं राजन् योगानां प्रभुमीश्वरम्॥
With his whole soul, has sought shelter in Keshava, the Supreme God, the Lord of the worlds, the Master of all Yoga and the Lord of this Earth.