उपमन्युरुवाच ऋषिरासीत् कृते तात तण्डिरित्येव विश्रुतः। दशवर्षसहस्राणि तेन देव: समाधिना॥ आराधितोऽभूद् भक्तेन तस्योदकं निशामय। स दृष्टवान् महादेवमस्तौषीच्च स्तवैर्विभुम्॥
Upamanyu said There was in the golden cycle. O sire, a Rishi named Tandi. With devoted heart he worshipped with the help of Yoga meditation, the great God for ten thousand years. Hear me as I tell you the fruit, or reward he reaped of such wonderful devotion. He succeeded in seeing Mahadeva and lauded him by uttering some hymns.
इति तण्डिस्तपोयोगात् परमात्मानमव्ययम्। चिन्तयित्वा महात्मानमिदमाह सुविस्मितः॥
Thinking, with the help of his penances, of Him who is the supreme Soul and who is eternal and undecaying. Tandi became stricken with wonder and said these words,
यं पठन्ति सदा सांख्याश्चिन्तयन्ति च योगिनः। परं प्रधानं पुरुषमधिष्ठातारमीश्वरम्॥ उत्पत्तौ च विनाशे च कारणं यं विदुर्बुधाः। देवासुरमुनीनां च परं यस्मान्न विद्यते॥ अजं तमहमीशानमनादिनिधनं प्रभुम्। अत्यन्तसुखिनं देवमनघं शरणं व्रजे॥
I scek His refuge whom the Sankhyas describe and the Yogins think of as the greal, the foremost, the Male Being, the pervader of all things, and the Lord of all existent objects, who is the cause of both the creation and the destruction of the universe, who is superior to all the gods, the Asuras, and the Munis, who has nothing higher who is uncreate, who is the Lord of all things. Who has neither beginning nor end, and who is gifted with supreme power, who is possessed of the highest happiness, and who is effulgent and sinless.
एवं ब्रुवन्नेव तदा ददर्श तपसां निधिम्। तमव्ययमनौपम्यमचिन्त्यं शाश्वतं ध्रुवम्॥ निष्कलं सकलं ब्रह्म निर्गुणं गुणगोचरम्। योगिनां परमानन्दमक्षरं मोक्षसंज्ञितम्॥ मनोरिन्द्राग्निमरुतां विश्वस्य ब्रह्मणो गतिम्। अग्राह्यमचलं शुद्धं बुद्धिग्राह्यं मनोमयम्॥ दुर्विज्ञेयमसंख्येयं दुष्प्रापमकृतात्मभिः। योनि विश्वस्य जगतस्तमसः परतः परम्॥
After he had said these words, Tandi, saw before him that ocean of penances, that great God who is eternal and undecaying, who is peerless, who is inconceivable, who is eternal, and who is without any change, who is indivisible, who is whole, who is Brahma, who is above all attributes, and who is gifted with attributes, who is the highest delight of Yogins, who is without decrease, who is called Liberation, who is the refuge of the mind, of Indra, of Agni, of the Wind-God, of the entire universe, and of the Grandfather Brahman; who cannot be comprehended by the mind who is without change of any kind, who is pure, who is capable of being apprehended by the understanding only, and who is immaterial as the mind; who cannot be comprehended, who cannot be measured, who is difficult of being attained, by persons of impure souls, who is the origin of the universe, and who is above both the universe and the quality of darkness; who is ancient, who is Purusha, who is gifted with effulgence, and who is higher than the highest.
यः प्राणवन्तमात्मानं ज्योतिर्जीवस्थितं मनः। तं देवं दर्शनाकाङ्क्षी बहून् वर्षगणानृषिः॥
Desirous of seeing Him who investing himself with vital airs, lives in the individual soul, in the form of that effulgence which is called the Mind, the Rishi Tandin, passed many years practising the severest austerities, and having succeeded in seeing Him as the reward of those penances, he lauded the great God in the following terms.
तण्डि उवाच तपस्युग्रे स्थितो भूत्वा दृष्ट्वा तुष्टाव चेश्वरम्।। पवित्राणां पवित्रस्त्वं गतिर्गतिमतां वर॥
Tandi said You are the purifier of all purifiers and the refuge of all, o foremost of all beings gifted with intelligence! You are the most dreadful energy of all kinds of energy. You are the austerest penance of all penances.
अत्युग्रं तेजसां तेजस्तपां परमं तपः। विश्वावसुहिरण्याक्षपुरुहूतनमस्कृत॥
You, O powerful one, are the liberal giver of blessings. You are the supreme Truth. I bow to you.
भूरिकल्याणद विभो परं सत्यं नमोऽस्तु ते। जातीमरणभीरूणां यतीनां यततां विभो॥
I bow to you, O you of a thousand rays, and, O refuge of all happiness! You are the bestower of that emancipation for which, O powerful one, Yatis, standing in fear of birth and death, strive so hard.
निर्वाणद सहस्रांशो नमस्तेऽस्तु सुखाश्रय। ब्रह्मा शतक्रतुर्विष्णुर्विश्वेदेवा महर्षयः॥ न विदुस्त्वां तु तत्त्वेन कुतो वेत्स्यामहे वयम्
The Grandfather Brahman, Indra of a hundred sacrifices, Vishnu, the Vishvedevas, the great Rishis, cannot comprehend your real nature. How then can persons like ourselves expect to comprehend you.
त्वत्तः प्रवर्तते सर्वं त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्॥ कालाख्यः पुरुषाख्यश्च ब्रह्माख्यश्च त्वमेव हि। तनवस्ते स्मृतास्तिस्रः पुराणज्ञैः सुरर्षिभिः॥
Everything originates from you. Upon you depends everything. You are called Kala, you are called Purusha, you are called Brahma. Celestial Rishis well read in the Puranas, say that you are triune.
अधिपौरुषमध्यात्ममधिभूताधिदैवतम्। अधिलोकाधिविज्ञानमधियज्ञस्त्वमेव हि॥
You are Adhi Purusha, Adhyatma, Adhi Bhauta, Adhi Daivata, Adhi Loka, AdhiVijnanam, and AdhiYajna.
त्वां विदित्वात्मदेहस्थं दुर्विदं दैवतैरपि। विद्वांसो यान्ति निर्मुक्ताः परं भावमनामयम्॥
Wise men, when they succeed in knowing you that lives in themselves and that can be known by the very gods, become freed from all fetters and enter into a state of existence that is above all sorrow.
अनिच्छतस्तव विभो जन्ममृत्युरनेकतः। द्वारं तु स्वर्गमोक्षाणामाक्षेप्ता त्वं ददासि च॥
They who do not wish to know you, are constrained to pass through numberless births and deaths. You are the door of heaven and of Liberation. You are he who brings all beings into existence and withdraw them again into yourself. You are the great giver.
त्वं वै स्वर्गच कामः क्रोधस्त्वमेव च। सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव अधश्चोर्ध्वं त्वमेव हि॥
You are heaven, you are liberation, you are desire. You are the anger which inspires creatures. You are Sattwa, you are Rajas, you are Tamas, you are the nether regions, and you are the upper regions,
ब्रह्मा भवश्च विष्णुश्च स्कन्देन्द्रौ सविता यमः। वरुणेन्दू मनुर्धाता विधाता त्वं धनेश्वरः॥
You are the Grandfather Brahman, you are Bhava, you are Vishnu, you are Skanda, you are Indra, you are Savitri, you are Yama you are Varuna, you are Soma, you are Dhatri, you are Manu, you are Vidhatri, and you are Kubera the Lord of riches.
भूर्वायुः सलिलाग्निश्च खं वाग्बुद्धिः स्थितिर्मतिः। कर्म सत्यानृते चोभे त्वमेवास्ति च नास्ति च॥
You are Earth, you are Wind, you are Water, you are Agni, you are Ether, you are Speech, you are the Understanding, you are Steadiness, you are Intelligence, you are the Acts, you are Truth, you are Untruth, you are existent, you are nonexistent.
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थाश्च प्रकृतिभ्यः परं ध्रुवम्। विश्वाविश्वपरोभावश्चिन्त्याचिन्त्यस्त्वमेव हि॥
You are the senses, you are what is above Nature, you are immutable. You are superior to existent objects, you are superior to nonexistent objects, you are capable of being conceived, you are incapable of being conceived.
यच्चैतत् परमं ब्रह्म यच्च तत् परमं पदम्। या गतिः सांख्ययोगानां स भवान् नात्र संशयः॥
You are at one with what is Supreme Brahma, with what is the highest entity, with what is the end of both the Sankhyas and the Yogins.
नूनमद्य कृतार्थाः स्म नूनं प्राप्ताः सतां गतिम्। यां गतिं प्रार्थयन्तीह ज्ञाननिर्मलबुद्धयः॥
Indeed, I have been greatly rewarded by you today on account of your granting me a sight of your form. I have attained the end of the righteous. I have been rewarded with that end which is prayed for by persons whose understanding have been purified by Knowledge.
अहो मूढाः स्म सुचिरमिमं कालमचेतसा। यन्न विद्यः परं देवं शाश्वतं यं विदुर्बुधाः॥
Alas, so long I was steeped in Ignorance; for this long time I was an insensate fool, since I had no knowledge of you who are the Supreme Deity, you who are the only Eternal Entity as known by all persons.
सेयमासादिता साक्षात् त्वद्भक्तिर्जनमभिर्मया। भक्तानुग्रहकृद् देवो यं ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते॥
In course of numberless lives have I at last succeeded in acquiring that Devotion towards you, for which you have shown yourself to me, O you who are ever inclined to favour those who are devoted to you! He who knows you enjoys immortality.
देवासुरमुनीनां तु यच्च गुह्यं सनातनम्। गुहायां निहितं ब्रह्म दुर्विज्ञेयं मुनेरपि॥
You are always a mystery with the gods, the Asuras, and the ascetics. Brahma is concealed in a cave. The very ascetics cannot see or know him.
स एष भगवान् देवः सर्वकृत् सर्वतोमुखः। सर्वात्मा सर्वदर्शी च सर्वगः सर्ववेदिता।॥
You are that powerful god who is the Creator of everything and whose face is turned towards all directions. You are the soul of all things you see all things, you pervade all things, and you know ali things.
देहकृद् देहभृद् देही देहभुगदेहिनां गतिः। प्राणकृत् प्राणभृत् प्राणी प्राणदः प्राणिनां गतिः॥३१
You make a body for yourself. You bear that body. You are an embodied Being. You have a body and you are the refuge of all embodied creatures. You are the creator of the vital airs. You possess the vital airs, you are endued with vital airs, you are the giver of the vital airs, and you are the refuge of all beings endued with vital airs.
अध्यात्मगतिरिष्टानां ध्यायिनामात्मवेदिनाम्। अपुनर्भवकामानां या गतिः सोऽयमीश्वरः॥
You are that Adhyatma, which is the refuge of all pious persons who are given to Yogameditation and conversant with the Soul and who seek to avoid rebirth. Indeed, you are that Supreme Lord who is at one with that refuge.
अयं च सर्वभूतानां शुभाशुभगतिप्रदः। अयं च जन्ममरणे विदध्यात् सर्वजन्तुषु॥
You distribute all ends, happy or miserable, to all creatures. You ordain the birth and death for all created beings.
अयं संसिद्धिकामानां या गतिः सोऽयमीश्वरः। भूराद्यान् सर्वभुवनानुत्पाद्य सदिवौकसः। दधाति देवस्तनुभिरष्टाभिर्यो बिभर्ति च॥
You are the powerful Lord who grants success to Rishis crowned with success regarding the fruition of their wishes. Haying created all the worlds beginning with Bhu, together with all the dwellers of heaven, you uphold and cherish them all, dividing yourself into your well known eight forms.
अतः प्रवर्तते सर्वमस्मिन् सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्। अस्मिंश्च प्रलयं याति अयमेकः सनातनः॥
Everything originates from you. All things depend upon you. All things, again disappear in you. You are the sole Eternal object.
अयं स सत्यकामानां सत्यलोकः परं सताम्। अपवर्गश्च मुक्तानां कैवल्यं चात्मवेदिनाम्॥
You are that region of Truth which is sought by the righteous and considered by them as the highest. You are that stoppage of individual existence sought by the Yogins. You are that Liberation which is sought by persons conversant with the Soul.
अयं ब्रह्मादिभिः सिद्धैर्गुहायां गोपितः प्रभुः। देवासुरमनुष्याणामप्रकाशो भवेदिति॥
Beings crowned with success and having Brahman amongst them have concealed you in a cave for preventing the deities and Asuras and human beings from seeing you.
तं त्वां देवासुरनरास्तत्त्वेन न विदुर्भवम्। मोहिताः खल्वनेनैव हृदिस्थेनाप्रकाशिना॥
Although you live in the heart, yet are you concealed. Hence, stupefied by you the deities and Asuras and men cannot understand you, O Bhava, truly and in all your details.
ये चैनं प्रतिपद्यन्ते भक्तियोगेन भाविताः। तेषामेवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं दर्शयत्येष हृच्छयः॥
O you living in all heart you appear before those persons who succeed in attaining to you after having purified themselves by devotion.
यं ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्जन्म मरणं चापि विद्यते। यं विदित्वा परं वेद्यं वेदितव्यं न विद्यते॥
By knowing you one can avoid both death and rebirth. You are the highest object of knowledge. By knowing you no higher object remains for one to know.
यं लब्वा परमं लाभं नाधिकं मन्यते बुधः। यां सूक्ष्मां परमां प्राप्तिं गच्छन्नव्ययमक्षयम्॥
You are the greatest object of acquirement. The person that is truly wise, who by acquiring you, thinks that there is no higher object of acquisition. By attaining to you who are greatly subtile and who are the highest object of acquisition, the wise man becomes immortal.
यं सांख्या गुणतत्त्वज्ञाः सांख्यशास्त्रविशारदाः। सूक्ष्मज्ञानतराः सूक्ष्म ज्ञात्वा मुच्यन्ति बन्धनैः॥
The followers of the Sankhya system, well read in their own system of philosophy and possessing a knowledge of the qualities and of all the topics of enquiry-those learned men who reign over the destructible by attaining to a knowledge of the subtile or indestructible, succeed by knowing you in freeing themselves from all fetters.
यं च वेदविदो वेद्यं वेदान्ते च प्रतिष्ठितम्। प्राणायामपरा नित्यं यं विशन्ति जपन्ति च॥
Persons well read in the Vedas consider you as the one object of knowledge which has been explained in the Vedanta. These men, given to the suppression of vital airs, always meditate on you and at last enter into you as their highest end.
ओंकाररथमारुह्य ते विशन्ति महेश्वरम्। अयं स देवयानानामादिते द्वारमुच्यते॥
Riding on the car of OM, those men enter inter into Maheshvara. You are the solar door of the celestial road.
अयं च पितृयानानां चन्द्रमा द्वारमुच्यते। एष काष्ठा दिशश्चैव संवत्सरयुगादि च॥
You are the lunar door, of that which is called the road of the Pitris. You are Kashtha, You are the points of the horizon, you are the year, and you are the cycles.
दिव्यादिव्यः परो लाभ अयने दक्षिणोत्तरे। एनं प्रजापतिः पूर्वमाराध्य बहुभिः स्तवैः॥
You are the sovereignty of the heavens, you are the sovereignty of the Earth you are the Northern and the Southern solistices. In days of yore the Grandfather Brahman sang your praises.
प्रजार्थं वरयामास नीललोहितसंज्ञितम्। ऋग्भिर्यमनुशासन्ति तत्त्वे कर्मणि बढचाः॥ यजुर्भिर्यन्त्रिधा वेद्यं जुह्वत्यध्वर्यवोऽध्वरे।
O you who are called blue and red, by reciting various hymns and urged you to create living creatures. Brahmanas conversant with Richs praise you by uttering Richs, considering you as unattached to all things and as shorn of all forms. In sacrifices, Adhvaryus, pour libations, uttering Yajushas in honour of you who are the sole object of knowledge, according to the three well-known ways.
सामभिर्ये च गायन्ति सामगा: शुद्धबुद्धयः॥ ऋतं सत्यं परं ब्रह्म स्तुवन्त्याथर्वणा द्विजाः। यज्ञस्य परमा योनिः पतिश्चायं परः स्मृतः॥
Persons of purified understandings, who are conversant with Samans, sing you with the help of Samans. Those twice born, again, who are conversant with the Atharvans, hymn you as Rita, as Truth, as the Highest, and as Brahma. You are the highest cause of the Sacrifice. You are the Lord, and you are Supreme.
रात्र्यहःश्रोत्रनयन: पक्षमासशिरोभुजः। ऋतुवीर्यस्तपोधैर्यो ह्यब्दगुह्योरुपादवान्॥
The night and day are your organs of hearing and organ of sight. The fortnights and months for your head and arms. The seasons are your cnergy, penances are your patience and the year is your anus, and thighs, and feet.
मृत्युर्यमो हताशश्च कालः संहारवेगवान्। कालस्य परमा योनिः कालश्चायं सनातनः॥
You are Death, you are Yama, you are Hutasha, you are Kala, you are gifted with speed of destruction, you are the prime cause of Time and you are eternal Time.
चन्द्रादित्यौ सनक्षत्रौ ग्रहाश्च सह वायुना। ध्रुव: सप्तर्षयश्चैव भुवनाः सप्त एव च॥
You are the Moon and the Sun, with all the stars and planets and the atmosphere that fills space. You are the polestar, you are the constellation called the seven Rishis, you are the seven regions beginning with Bhu.
प्रधानं महदव्यक्तं विशेषान्तं सवैकृतम्। ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं भूतादि सदसच्च यत्॥
You are Pradhana and Mahat, you are Unmanifest, and you are this world. You are the universe beginning with Brahma and ending with the lowest vegetable creation. You are the beginning of all creatures. You are identical with the existent and the non-existent.
अष्टौ प्रकृतयश्चैव प्रकृतिभ्यश्च यः परः। अस्य देवस्य यद् भागं कृत्स्नं सम्परिवर्तते॥
You are the eight Prakritis. You are, again, above the eight Prakritis. Every thing that exists, represents a portion of your divine Self.
एतत् परममानन्दं यत् तच्छाश्वतमेव च। एषा गतिर्विरक्तानामेष भावः परः सताम्॥
You are the Supreme Eternal Happiness. You are the end of all things. You are the highest existence of the Righteous.
एतत् पदमनुद्विग्नमेतद् ब्रह्म सनातनम्। शास्त्रवेदाङ्गविदुषामेतद् ध्यानं परं पदम्॥
You are that state which is freed from every anxiety. You are Eternal Brahma. You are that highest state which forms the meditation of persons wellread in the auxiliary branches of the Vedas.
इयं सा परमा काष्ठा इयं सा परमा कला। इयं सा परमा सिद्धिरियं सा परमा गतिः॥
You are the highest Kashtha, you are the highest Kala. You are highest Success, and you are the highest Refuge.
इयं सा परमा शान्तिरियं सा निर्वृति: परा। यं प्राप्य कृतकृत्याः स्म इत्यमन्यन्त योगिनः॥
You are the highest Tranquility. You are the highest stoppage of Existence, By attaining to you, Yogins think that they have acquired the highest success.
इयं तुष्टिरियं सिद्धिरियं श्रुतिरियं स्मृतिः। अध्यात्मगतिरिष्टानां विदुषां प्राप्तिरव्यया॥
You are Contentment, you are Success, you are Shruti, and you are the Smriti, You are that Refuge of the Soul which Yogins seek, and you are that indestructible Prapti which men of knowledge seek.
यजतां कामयानानां मखैर्विपुलदक्षिणैः। या गतिर्यज्ञशीलानां सा गतिस्त्वं न संशयः॥
You are forsooth, that End which is sought by persons given to sacrifices and those who pour sacrificial libations, moved by particular desires, and who make large presents on such Occasions.
सम्यग् योगजपैः शान्तिर्नियमैर्देहतापनैः। तप्यतां या गतिर्देव परमा सा गतिर्भवान्॥
You are that high End which those persons seek who consume and search their bodies with austere penances with continued recitations, with those rigid vows and fasts which belong to their peaceful lives, and with other means of selfaffliction.
कर्मन्यासकृतानां च विरक्तानां ततस्ततः। या गतिर्ब्रह्मसदने सा गतिस्त्वं सनातन॥
O Eternal One, you are the End of those who are unattached to all things and who have given up ail acts.
उपमन्युरुवाच अपुनर्भवकामानां वैराग्ये वर्ततां च या। प्रकृतीनां लयानां च सा गतिस्त्वं सनातन॥ ज्ञानविज्ञानयुक्तानां निरुपाख्या निरञ्जना। कैवल्या या गतिर्देव परमा सा गतिर्भवान्॥ वेदशास्त्रपुराणोक्ताः पञ्चैता गतयः स्मृताः। त्वत्प्रसादिद्धि लभ्यन्ते न लभ्यन्तेऽन्यथा विभो॥ इति तण्डिस्तपोराशिस्तुष्टावेशानमात्मना। जगौ च परमं ब्रह्म यत् पुरा लोककृज्जगौ॥ एवं स्तुतो महादेवस्तण्डिना ब्रह्मवादिना। उवाच भगवान् देव उमया सहितः प्रभुः॥
Upamanyu said You, O Eternal One, are that End of those who seek Liberation from rebirth, who give up all enjoyments, and who desire the annihilation of the elements. You are that high End, O illustrious one, which cannot be described, which is pure, which is the immutable one, and which is theirs who are given to knowledge and science. These are the five Ends described in the Vedas and the scriptures and the Puranas. It is through your favour that persons acquire those ends, or if they fail to attain to them it is through your favour being denied to them. It was thus that Tandi, who was a heap of penances, lauded Ishana. And he sang also that high Brahma which in days of yore was sung by the Creator himself. Thus lauded by that utterer of Brahma, viz., Tandi, Mahadeva, that illustrious and powerful god who was accompanied by his wife Uma, said these words.
तण्डि उवाच ब्रह्मा शतक्रतुर्विष्णुर्विश्वेदेवा महर्षयः न विदुस्त्वामिति ततस्तुष्टः प्रोवाच तं शिवः॥
Tandi said Neither Brahman, nor Indra, nor Vishnu, nor the Vishvedevas, nor the great Rishis, know you. Pleased at this Shiva Said the following words.
अक्षयश्चाव्ययश्चैव भविता दुःखवर्जितः। यशस्वी तेजसा युक्तो दिव्यज्ञानसमन्वितः॥
The Holy one said You shall be indestructible and eternal. You shall be freed from all sorrows. You will have great fame. You will be gifted with energy. You will get Spiritual knowledge.
ऋषीणामभिगम्यश्च सूत्रकर्ता सुतस्तव। मत्प्रसादाद् द्विजश्रेष्ठ भविष्यति न संशयः॥
All the Rishis shall seek you, and your son, through my favour, shall become the author of Sutras, O foremost of twice born ones.
कं वा कामं ददाम्यद्य ब्रूहि यद् वत्स काङ्क्षसे। प्राञ्जलिः स उवाचेदं त्वयि भक्तिर्दृढास्तु मे॥
What wishes of yours shall I grant today? Tell me, O son, what do you seek. At this, Tandi Joined his hands and said O Lord, let my devotion to you be steady.
उपमन्युरुवाच एतान् दत्त्वा वरान् देवो वन्द्यमानः सुरर्षिभिः। स्तूयमानश्च विबुधैस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत॥
Upamanyu said Having given to Tandin these boons and received the adorations of both the gods and the Rishis, the great Deity disappeared there and then.
अन्तर्हिते भगवति सानुगे यादवेश्वर। ऋषिराश्रममागम्य ममैतत् प्रोक्तवानिह॥
When the illustrious Deity, O lord of the Yadavas, thus disappeared with all his followers, the Rishi came to my hermitage and said to me all that had taken place.
यानि च प्रथितान्यादौ तण्डिराख्यातवान् मम। नामानि मानवश्रेष्ठ तानि त्वं शृणु सिद्धये॥
Do you hear O foremost of men, for your success, all those celebrated names that Tandi said to me.
दशनामसहस्राणि देवेष्वाह पितामहः। शर्वस्य शास्त्रेषु तथा दशनामशतानि च॥
The Grandfather had at one time recited ten thousand names of Mahadeva. In the Scriptures, a thousand names of the god occur.
गुह्यानीमानि नामानि तण्डिर्मवतोऽच्युत। देवप्रसादाद् देवेशः पुरा प्राह महात्मने॥
These names are not known to all. O you, who is above destruction, In days of yore, the Grandfather Brahman uttered these names for worshipping the great Deity. Having acquired them through the favour of the Grandfather Tandi communicated them to me.