Prakṛti-khaṇḍa · Chapter 62
Sourceनारद उवाच ।। कथं राजा महाज्ञानं संप्राप मुनिसत्तमात् ।। वैश्यो मुक्तिं मेधसश्च तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ।। १ ।। श्रीनारायण उवाच ।। ध्रुवस्य पौत्रो बलवान्नन्दिरुत्कलनन्दनः ।। स्वायम्भुवमनोर्वंश्यः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः ।। २ ।। अक्षौहिणीनां शतकं गृहीत्वा सैन्यमेव च ।। कोलां च वेष्टयामास सुरथस्य महामतेः ।।३।। युद्धं बभूव नियतं पूर्णमब्दं च नारद ।। चिरंजीवी वैष्णवश्च जिगाय सुरथं नृपः ।।४।। एकाकी सुरथो भीतो नन्दिना च बहिष्कृतः ।। निशायां हयमारुह्य जगाम गहनं वनम् ।। ५ ।। ददर्श तत्र वैश्यं च पुष्पभद्रानदीतटे ।। तयोर्बभूव संप्रीतिः कृतबान्धवयोर्मुने ।। ६ ।। वैश्येन सार्द्धं नृपतिरगच्छन्मेधसाश्रमम् ।। पुष्करं दुष्करं पुण्यक्षेत्रं वै भारते सताम् ।। ।। ७ ।। ददर्श तत्र नृपतिर्मुनिं तं तीव्रतेजसम् ।। शिष्येभ्यश्च प्रवोचन्तं ब्रह्मतत्त्वं सुदुर्लभम् ।।८।। राजा ननाम वैश्यश्च शिरसा मुनिपुङ्गवम् ।। मुनिस्तौ पूजयामास ददौ ताभ्यां शुभाशिषम् ।। ९ ।। प्रश्नं चकार कुशलं जातिनाम पृथक्पृथक् ।। ददौ प्रत्युत्तरं राजा क्रमेण मुनिपुङ्गवम् ।। 2.62.१० ।। सुरथ उवाच ।। राजाऽहं सुरथो ब्रह्मंश्चैत्रवंशसमुद्भवः ।। बहिर्भूतः स्वराज्याच्च नन्दिना बलिनाऽधुना ।। ।। ११ ।। किमुपायं करिष्यामि कथं राज्यं भवेन्मम ।। तन्मां ब्रूहि महाभाग त्वामेव शरणागतम् ।। १२ ।। अयं वैश्यः समाधिश्च स्वगृहाच्च बहिष्कृतः ।। पुत्रैः कलत्रैर्दैवेन धनलोभेन धार्मिकः ।। १३ ।। ब्राह्मणाय ददौ नित्यं रत्नकोटिं दिने दिने ।। निषिद्ध्यमानः पुत्रैश्च कलत्रैर्बान्धवैरयम् ।। १४ ।। कोपान्निराकृतस्तैश्च पुनरन्वेषितः शुचा ।। अयं गृहं च न ययौ विरक्तो ज्ञानवाञ्छुचिः।। १५ ।। पुत्राश्च पितृशोकेन गृहं त्यक्त्वा ययुर्वनम् ।। दत्त्वा दानानि विप्रेभ्यो विरक्ताः सर्वकर्मसु ।। १६ ।। सुदुर्लभं हरेर्दास्यं वैश्यस्यास्य च वाञ्छितम् ।। कथं प्राप्नोति निष्कामस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ।। १७ ।। श्रीमेधा उवाच ।। करोति मायया च्छन्नं विष्णुमाया दुरत्यया ।। निर्गुणस्य च कृष्णस्य त्रिगुणा विश्वमाज्ञया ।। १८ ।। कृपां करोति येषां सा धर्मिणां च कृपामयी ।। तेभ्यो ददाति कृपया कृष्णभक्तिं सुदुर्लभाम् ।। १९ ।। येषां मायाविनां माया न करोति कृपां नृप ।। मायया तान्निबध्नाति मोहजालेन दुर्गतान् ।। 2.62.२० ।। नश्वरेऽनित्यसंसारे भ्रामयेद्बर्बरा सदा ।। कुर्वन्ती नित्यबुद्धिं च विहाय परमेश्वरम् ।। २१ ।। देवमन्यं निषेवन्ते तन्मन्त्रं च जपंति च ।। मिथ्या किञ्चिन्निमित्तं च कृत्वा मनसि लोभतः ।। २२ ।। सप्तजन्मसु संसेव्य देवताश्च हरेः कलाः ।। तदा प्रकृत्या कृपया सेवन्ते प्रकृतिं तदा ।। २३ ।। सप्तजन्मसु संसेव्य विष्णुमायां कृपामयीम् ।। शिवे भक्तिं लभन्ते ते ज्ञानानन्दे सनातने ।। २४ ।। ज्ञानाधिष्ठातृदेवं च हरेस्संसेव्य शङ्करम् ।। अचिराद्विष्णुभक्तिं च प्राप्नुवन्ति महेश्वरात् ।। २५ ।। सेवन्ते सगुणं सत्त्वं विष्णुं विषयिणं तदा ।। सत्त्वज्ञानाच्च पश्यन्ति ज्ञानं वै निर्मलं नराः ।। ।। २६ ।। निषेव्य सगुणं विष्णुं सात्त्विका वैष्णवा नराः ।। लभन्ते निर्गुणे भक्तिं श्रीकृष्णे प्रकृतेः परे ।। २७ ।। गृह्णन्ति सन्तस्तद्भक्ता मन्त्रं तस्य निरामयम् ।। निषेव्य निर्गुणं देवं ते भवन्ति च निर्गुणाः ।। २८ ।। असंख्यब्रह्मणां पातं ते च पश्यन्ति वैष्णवाः ।। दास्यं कुर्वन्ति सततं गोलोके च निरामये ।। २९ ।। कृष्णभक्तात्कृष्णमन्त्रं यो गृह्णाति नरोत्तमः ।। पुरुषाणां सहस्रं च स्वपितॄणां समुद्धरेत् ।। 2.62.३० ।। मातामहानां साहस्रमुद्धरेन्मातरं तथा ।। दासादिकं समुद्धृत्य गोलोकं स प्रयाति च ।। ३१ ।। भवार्णवे महाघोरे कर्णधारस्वरूपिणी ।। दीनान्पारयते नित्यं कृष्णभक्त्या च नौकया ।। ३२ ।। स्वकर्मबन्धनं छेत्तुं वैष्णवानां च वैष्णवी ।। तीक्ष्णशस्त्रस्वरूपा सा कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः ।। ३३ ।। विवेचिका चावरणी शक्तेः शक्तिर्द्विधा नृप ।। पूर्वं ददाति भक्ताय चेतराय परात्परा ।। ३४ ।। सत्यस्वरूपः श्रीकृष्णस्तस्मात्सर्वं च नश्वरम् ।। बुद्धिर्विवेचिकेत्येवं वैष्णवानां सनातनी ।। ३५ ।। नित्यरूपा ममेयं श्रीरिति चावरणी च धीः ।। अवैष्णवानामसतां कर्म्मभोगभुजामहो ।। ३६ ।। अहं प्रचेतसः पुत्रः पौत्रश्च ब्रह्मणो नृप ।। भजामि कृष्णमात्मानं ज्ञानं संप्राप्य शङ्करात् ।। ३७ ।। गच्छ राजन्नदीतीरं भज दुर्गां सनातनीम् ।। बुद्धिमावरणीं तुभ्यं देवो दास्यति कामिने ।। ३८ ।। निष्कामाय च वैश्याय वैष्णवाय च वैष्णवी ।। बुद्धिं विवेचिकां शुद्धां दास्यत्येव कृपामयी।। ३९।। इत्युक्त्वा च मुनिश्रेष्ठो ददौ ताभ्यां कृपानिधिः ।। पूजाविधानं दुर्गायाः स्तोत्रं च कवचं मनुम् ।। ।। 2.62.४० ।। वैश्यो मुक्तिं च संप्राप तां निषेव्य कृपामयीम् ।। राजा राज्यं मनुत्वं च परमैश्वर्य्यमीप्सितम् ।। ४१ ।। इत्येवं कथितं सर्वं दुर्गोपाख्यानमुत्तमम् ।। सुखदं मोक्षदं सारं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ।। ४२ ।। इति श्रीब्रह्मवैवर्त्ते महापुराणे द्वितीये प्रकृति खण्डे नारदनारायणसंवादे दुर्गोपाख्याने सुरथमेधस्संवादे सुरथवैश्ययोरभिलषितसिद्धिर्नाम द्विषष्टितमोऽध्यायः ।। ६२ ।।
nārada uvāca || kathaṃ rājā mahājñānaṃ saṃprāpa munisattamāt || vaiśyo muktiṃ medhasaśca tanme vyākhyātumarhasi || 1 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca || dhruvasya pautro balavānnandirutkalanandanaḥ || svāyambhuvamanorvaṃśyaḥ satyavādī jitendriyaḥ || 2 || akṣauhiṇīnāṃ śatakaṃ gṛhītvā sainyameva ca || kolāṃ ca veṣṭayāmāsa surathasya mahāmateḥ ||3|| yuddhaṃ babhūva niyataṃ pūrṇamabdaṃ ca nārada || ciraṃjīvī vaiṣṇavaśca jigāya surathaṃ nṛpaḥ ||4|| ekākī suratho bhīto nandinā ca bahiṣkṛtaḥ || niśāyāṃ hayamāruhya jagāma gahanaṃ vanam || 5 || dadarśa tatra vaiśyaṃ ca puṣpabhadrānadītaṭe || tayorbabhūva saṃprītiḥ kṛtabāndhavayormune || 6 || vaiśyena sārddhaṃ nṛpatiragacchanmedhasāśramam || puṣkaraṃ duṣkaraṃ puṇyakṣetraṃ vai bhārate satām || || 7 || dadarśa tatra nṛpatirmuniṃ taṃ tīvratejasam || śiṣyebhyaśca pravocantaṃ brahmatattvaṃ sudurlabham ||8|| rājā nanāma vaiśyaśca śirasā munipuṅgavam || munistau pūjayāmāsa dadau tābhyāṃ śubhāśiṣam || 9 || praśnaṃ cakāra kuśalaṃ jātināma pṛthakpṛthak || dadau pratyuttaraṃ rājā krameṇa munipuṅgavam || 2.62.10 || suratha uvāca || rājā'haṃ suratho brahmaṃścaitravaṃśasamudbhavaḥ || bahirbhūtaḥ svarājyācca nandinā balinā'dhunā || || 11 || kimupāyaṃ kariṣyāmi kathaṃ rājyaṃ bhavenmama || tanmāṃ brūhi mahābhāga tvāmeva śaraṇāgatam || 12 || ayaṃ vaiśyaḥ samādhiśca svagṛhācca bahiṣkṛtaḥ || putraiḥ kalatrairdaivena dhanalobhena dhārmikaḥ || 13 || brāhmaṇāya dadau nityaṃ ratnakoṭiṃ dine dine || niṣiddhyamānaḥ putraiśca kalatrairbāndhavairayam || 14 || kopānnirākṛtastaiśca punaranveṣitaḥ śucā || ayaṃ gṛhaṃ ca na yayau virakto jñānavāñchuciḥ|| 15 || putrāśca pitṛśokena gṛhaṃ tyaktvā yayurvanam || dattvā dānāni viprebhyo viraktāḥ sarvakarmasu || 16 || sudurlabhaṃ harerdāsyaṃ vaiśyasyāsya ca vāñchitam || kathaṃ prāpnoti niṣkāmastanme vyākhyātumarhasi || 17 || śrīmedhā uvāca || karoti māyayā cchannaṃ viṣṇumāyā duratyayā || nirguṇasya ca kṛṣṇasya triguṇā viśvamājñayā || 18 || kṛpāṃ karoti yeṣāṃ sā dharmiṇāṃ ca kṛpāmayī || tebhyo dadāti kṛpayā kṛṣṇabhaktiṃ sudurlabhām || 19 || yeṣāṃ māyāvināṃ māyā na karoti kṛpāṃ nṛpa || māyayā tānnibadhnāti mohajālena durgatān || 2.62.20 || naśvare'nityasaṃsāre bhrāmayedbarbarā sadā || kurvantī nityabuddhiṃ ca vihāya parameśvaram || 21 || devamanyaṃ niṣevante tanmantraṃ ca japaṃti ca || mithyā kiñcinnimittaṃ ca kṛtvā manasi lobhataḥ || 22 || saptajanmasu saṃsevya devatāśca hareḥ kalāḥ || tadā prakṛtyā kṛpayā sevante prakṛtiṃ tadā || 23 || saptajanmasu saṃsevya viṣṇumāyāṃ kṛpāmayīm || śive bhaktiṃ labhante te jñānānande sanātane || 24 || jñānādhiṣṭhātṛdevaṃ ca haressaṃsevya śaṅkaram || acirādviṣṇubhaktiṃ ca prāpnuvanti maheśvarāt || 25 || sevante saguṇaṃ sattvaṃ viṣṇuṃ viṣayiṇaṃ tadā || sattvajñānācca paśyanti jñānaṃ vai nirmalaṃ narāḥ || || 26 || niṣevya saguṇaṃ viṣṇuṃ sāttvikā vaiṣṇavā narāḥ || labhante nirguṇe bhaktiṃ śrīkṛṣṇe prakṛteḥ pare || 27 || gṛhṇanti santastadbhaktā mantraṃ tasya nirāmayam || niṣevya nirguṇaṃ devaṃ te bhavanti ca nirguṇāḥ || 28 || asaṃkhyabrahmaṇāṃ pātaṃ te ca paśyanti vaiṣṇavāḥ || dāsyaṃ kurvanti satataṃ goloke ca nirāmaye || 29 || kṛṣṇabhaktātkṛṣṇamantraṃ yo gṛhṇāti narottamaḥ || puruṣāṇāṃ sahasraṃ ca svapitṝṇāṃ samuddharet || 2.62.30 || mātāmahānāṃ sāhasramuddharenmātaraṃ tathā || dāsādikaṃ samuddhṛtya golokaṃ sa prayāti ca || 31 || bhavārṇave mahāghore karṇadhārasvarūpiṇī || dīnānpārayate nityaṃ kṛṣṇabhaktyā ca naukayā || 32 || svakarmabandhanaṃ chettuṃ vaiṣṇavānāṃ ca vaiṣṇavī || tīkṣṇaśastrasvarūpā sā kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ || 33 || vivecikā cāvaraṇī śakteḥ śaktirdvidhā nṛpa || pūrvaṃ dadāti bhaktāya cetarāya parātparā || 34 || satyasvarūpaḥ śrīkṛṣṇastasmātsarvaṃ ca naśvaram || buddhirviveciketyevaṃ vaiṣṇavānāṃ sanātanī || 35 || nityarūpā mameyaṃ śrīriti cāvaraṇī ca dhīḥ || avaiṣṇavānāmasatāṃ karmmabhogabhujāmaho || 36 || ahaṃ pracetasaḥ putraḥ pautraśca brahmaṇo nṛpa || bhajāmi kṛṣṇamātmānaṃ jñānaṃ saṃprāpya śaṅkarāt || 37 || gaccha rājannadītīraṃ bhaja durgāṃ sanātanīm || buddhimāvaraṇīṃ tubhyaṃ devo dāsyati kāmine || 38 || niṣkāmāya ca vaiśyāya vaiṣṇavāya ca vaiṣṇavī || buddhiṃ vivecikāṃ śuddhāṃ dāsyatyeva kṛpāmayī|| 39|| ityuktvā ca muniśreṣṭho dadau tābhyāṃ kṛpānidhiḥ || pūjāvidhānaṃ durgāyāḥ stotraṃ ca kavacaṃ manum || || 2.62.40 || vaiśyo muktiṃ ca saṃprāpa tāṃ niṣevya kṛpāmayīm || rājā rājyaṃ manutvaṃ ca paramaiśvaryyamīpsitam || 41 || ityevaṃ kathitaṃ sarvaṃ durgopākhyānamuttamam || sukhadaṃ mokṣadaṃ sāraṃ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi || 42 || iti śrībrahmavaivartte mahāpurāṇe dvitīye prakṛti khaṇḍe nāradanārāyaṇasaṃvāde durgopākhyāne surathamedhassaṃvāde surathavaiśyayorabhilaṣitasiddhirnāma dviṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ || 62 ||
English translation
The desires of Suratha and Vais'ya fulfilled Narada said - You kindly tell me how king Suratha achieved from the Medhas, the best of the sages, divine knowledge and ultimately Sri Narayana said ^ Nandi the grandson of Dhruva who happened to be the son of Utkala and belonged to the race of Svayambhuvamanu, was truthful and self disciplined. He together with his hundred Aksauhini army surrounded the kingdom of Kola, ruled by Suratha.
Narada, the war continued regularly for a year. Thereafter Nandi who enjoyed a long life and was a Vaisnavas, defeated Suratha.
Suratha was alone and was driven out from the kingdom. He somehow escaped at the dead of night and mounted on a horse, went to a thick forest. In the forest he met a Vaisya on the bank of Puspabhadra river. O sage, soon they became Thereafter, accompanied by Vaisya the king Suratha went to the hermitage of the sage Medhas which happened to be a sacred place and was known as the remover of the misfortune of noble people. The king found the sage having immense gloiy, teaching the divine tattvas to his Both the king and the Vaisya bowed in reverence to the king. The sage in turn blessed them both welcoming them. Enquiring about tlieir caste and named separately, the sage enquired of them about their welfare. The king then replied to the best of the sages.
Suratha said ~ O Brahmana, my name is Suratha and I am born in the Caitra race.
Currently the powerful king Nandi has defeated me and separated me from my kingdom.
O virtuous one, what remedy should I apply, by which I could regain my lost kingdom? You kindly tell me. I have therefore come to take refuge with you.
This is the Vaisya named Samadhi. By a turn of destiny, his son and the wife, over-powered by greed, have turned out this religious person from the house.
He used to give away a crore of gold coins in charity to the Brahmanas daily. The sons, wives and brothers objected to his perfonning charity.
When he did not listen to them, they were enraged and ultimately they drove him out.
When their anger subsided, they tried to find out his w^hereabouts. The noble hearted Vaisya developed detachment and he could not return his home.
On the other hand to the sons left their home with the separation of the father. In the forest getting relieved of all the karmas they distributed the entire riches to the Brahmanas.
Now only one desire is left with him to become the slave of the lord. He is the person with the only desire to know can how he achieve it; you kindly tell us.
The sage Medhas said - The unconquerable Visnumaya possessing three gums pervades the entire universe at the command of lord Krsna who is devoid of all the gums.
On whomsoever the merciful goddess showers her grace, he achieves the devotion of lord Krs na, which is difficult to get.
O king, the one on whom the goddess does not shower her grace, he is entangled with her illusion and has to face several types of miseries.
In this perishable universe she roams about always and separating the people from the lord, she creates illusions.
As a result of this, a person afflicted with grief, meditates upon false deities with false mantras. They ultimately become devotees of goddess Durga after adoring her for seven births.
Thereafter, they serve for seven births the compassionate and eternal Visnumaya, who is also called Durga and thereafter they achieve the devotion of lord Durga. Siva who is eternal also bestows divine knowledge. Then'after adoring lord Siva, the great god of knowledge, they achieve the devotion of lord Visnu.
And after serving Visnu they 'achieve the spotless divine knowledge.
ftlRcIchl IwMl I Thus while serving Visnu, the possessor of all the gunas, the 5dftviA:a-Vaisnavas achieve the devotion of lord Krsna who is beyond Prakrti.
His devotees and the noble people recite his spotless mantra and by serving lord Krsna with the same, they are themselves deprived of all the Such of the Vaisnava people always adore lord Visnu in Goloka and continue there in that position up to the life of innumerable Brahma.
Such of the persons who are indeed the best, receive the mantra of lord Krsna, who redeems a thousand generations from his mother's as well as father's side besides the servants and ultimately proceeds to the Goloka.
The illusion of Maya becomes a sailor in the terrific ocean of the universe and makes the devotees to cross it mounted on the boat of the devotion of lord Krsna.
The same Vaisnavl, the illusion of lord Krsna, cuts off all the bondages of the Vaisnavas with O king, the sakti is divided into two parts viz.
Vivecikd and Avar am. Initially she bestows on a devotee the Avarani-sakti.
Lord Krsna happens to be the form of truth and all things which are separated from him are perishable. Similarly the Vivecikd-sakti is also bestowed by the goddess to the Vaisnavas.
Such of the people who enjoy the rewards of their karmas are either opponents of Vaisnava or are wicked people and they are always engrossed in Avarani sakti which creates illusions for them.
This is quite surprising.
O king, I am the son of Varuna and the grandson of Brahma; after achieving the divine knowledge from Siva I always recite the name of lord Krsna.
Chapter-aligned complete witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource revision 120146 (2017-09-08T01:56:00Z); Shanti Lal Nagar English scan pages n565–n567: https://archive.org/details/brahma-vaivarta-purana-all-four-kandas-english-translation/page/n565/mode/1up. The historic English OCR transcription is lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.