Fourth Skandha · Chapter 13
Sourceराजोवाच किं कृतं गुरुणा पश्चाद्भृगुरूपेण वर्तता । छलेनैव हि दैत्यानां पौरोहित्येन धीमता ॥ १ ॥ गुरुः सुराणामनिशं सर्वविद्यानिधिस्तथा । सुतोऽङ्गिरस एवासौ स कथं छलकृन्मुनिः ॥ २ ॥ धर्मशास्त्रेषु सर्वेषु सत्यं धर्मस्य कारणम् । कथितं मुनिभिर्येन परमात्मापि लभ्यते ॥ ३ ॥ वाचस्पतिस्तथा मिथ्यावक्ता चेद्दानवान्प्रति । कः सत्यवक्ता संसारे भविष्यति गृहाश्रमी ॥ ४ ॥ आहारादधिकं भोज्यं ज्रह्माण्डविभवेऽपि न । तदर्थं मुनयो मिथ्या प्रवर्तन्ते कथं मुने ॥ ५ ॥ शब्दप्रमाणमुच्छेदं शिष्टाभावे गतं न किम् । छलकर्मप्रवृत्ते वाविगीतत्वं गुरौ कथम् ॥ ६ ॥ देवाः सत्त्वसमुद्भूता राजसा मानवाः स्मृताः । तिर्यञ्चस्तामसाः प्रोक्ता उत्पत्तौ मुनिभिः किल ॥ ७ ॥ अमराणां गुरुः साक्षान्मिथ्यावादी स्वयं यदि । तदा कः सत्यवक्ता स्याद्राजसस्तामसः पुनः ॥ ८ ॥ क्व स्थितिस्तस्य धर्मस्य सन्देहोऽयं ममात्मनः । का गतिः सर्वजन्तूनां मिथ्याभूते जगत्त्रये ॥ ९ ॥ हरिर्ब्रह्मा शचीकान्तस्तथान्ये सुरसत्तमाः । सर्वे छलविधौ दक्षा मनुष्याणाञ्च का कथा ॥ १० ॥ कामक्रोधाभिसन्तप्ता लोभोपहतचेतसः । छले दक्षाः सुराः सर्वे मुनयश्च तपोधनाः ॥ ११ ॥ वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च विश्वामित्रो गुरुस्तथा । एते पापरताः कात्र गतिर्धर्मस्य मानद ॥ १२ ॥ इन्द्रोऽग्निश्चन्द्रमा वेधाः परदाराभिलम्पटाः । आर्यत्वं भुवनेष्वेषु स्थितं कुत्र मुने वद ॥ १३ ॥ वचनं कस्य मन्तव्यमुपदेशधियानघ । सर्वे लोभाभिभूतास्ते देवाश्च मुनयस्तदा ॥ १४ ॥ व्यास उवाच किं विष्णुः किं शिवो ब्रह्मा मघवा किं बृहस्पतिः । देहवान् प्रभवत्येव विकारैः संयुतस्तदा ॥ १५ ॥ रागी विष्णुः शिवो रागी ब्रह्मापि रागसंयुतः । (रागवान्किमकृत्यं वै न करोति नराधिप) ॥ रागवानपि चातुर्याद्विदेह इव लक्ष्यते ॥ १६ ॥ सम्प्राप्ते संकटे सोऽपि गुणैः सम्बाध्यते किल । कारणाद्रहितं कार्यं कथं भवितुमर्हति ॥ १७ ॥ ब्रह्मादीनां च सर्वेषां गुणा एव हि कारणम् । पञ्चविंशत्समुद्भूता देहास्तेषां न चान्यथा ॥ १८ ॥ काले मरणधर्मास्ते सन्देहः कोऽत्र ते नृप । परोपदेशे विस्पष्टं शिष्टाः सर्वे भवन्ति च ॥ १९ ॥ विप्लुतिर्ह्यविशेषेण स्वकार्ये समुपस्थिते । कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभद्रोहाहङ्कारमत्सराः ॥ २० ॥ देहवान्कः परित्यक्तुमीशो भवति तान्पुनः । संसारोऽयं महाराज सदैवैवंविधः स्मृतः ॥ २१ ॥ नान्यथा प्रभवत्येव शुभाशुभमयः किल । कदाचिद्भगवान्विष्णुस्तपश्चरति दारुणम् ॥ २२ ॥ कदाचिद्विविधान्यज्ञान्वितनोति सुराधिपः । कदाचित्तु रमारङ्गरञ्जितः परमेश्वरः ॥ २३ ॥ रमते किल वैकुण्ठे तद्वशस्तरुणो विभुः । कदाचिद्दानवैः सार्धं युद्धं परमदारुणम् ॥ २४ ॥ करोति करुणासिन्धुस्तद्बाणापीडितो भृशम् । कदाचिज्जयमाप्नोति दैवात्सोऽपि पराजयम् ॥ २५ ॥ सुखदुःखाभिभूतोऽसौ भवत्येव न संशयः । शेषे शेते कदाचिद्वै योगनिद्रासमावृतः ॥ २६ ॥ काले जागर्ति विश्वात्मा स्वभावप्रतिबोधितः । शर्वो ब्रह्मा हरिश्चेति इन्द्राद्या ये सुरास्तथा ॥ २७ ॥ मुनयश्च विनिर्माणैः स्वायुषो विचरन्ति हि । निशावसाने सञ्जाते जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् ॥ २८ ॥ म्रियते नात्र सन्देहो नृप किञ्चित्कदापि च । स्वायुषोऽन्ते पद्यजाद्याः क्षयमृच्छन्ति पार्थिव ॥ २९ ॥ प्रभवन्ति पुनर्विष्णुहरशक्रादयः सुराः । तस्मात्कामादिकान्भावान्देहवान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥ ३० ॥ नात्र ते विस्मयः कार्यः कदाचिदपि पार्थिव । संसारोऽयं तु सन्दिग्धः कामक्रोधादिभिर्नृप ॥ ३१ ॥ दुर्लभस्तद्विनिर्मुक्तः पुरुषः परमार्थवित् । यो बिभेतीह संसारे स दारान्न करोत्यपि ॥ ३२ ॥ विमुक्तः सर्वसङ्गेभ्यो विचरत्यविशङ्कितः । तस्माद्बृहस्पतेर्भार्या शशिना लम्भिता पुनः ॥ ३३ ॥ गुरूणा लम्भिता भार्या तथा भ्रातुर्यवीयसः । एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् रागलोभादिभिर्वृतः ॥ ३४ ॥ गार्हस्थ्यञ्च समास्थाय कथं मुक्तो भवेन्नरः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन हित्वा संसारसारताम् ॥ ३५ ॥ आराधयेन्महेशानीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । तन्मायागुणतश्छन्नं जगदेतच्चराचरम् ॥ ३६ ॥ भ्रमत्युन्मत्तवत्सर्वं मदिरामत्तवन्नृप । तस्या आराधनेनैव गुणान्सर्वान्विमृद्य च ॥ ३७ ॥ मुक्तिं भजेत मतिमान्नान्यः पन्थास्त्वितः परः । आराधिता महेशानी न यावत्कुरुते कृपाम् ॥ ३८ ॥ तावद्भवेत्सुखं कस्मात्कोऽन्योऽस्ति दयया युतः । करुणासागरामेतां भजेत्तस्मादमायया ॥ ३९ ॥ यस्यास्तु भजनेनैव जीवन्मुक्तत्वमश्नुते । मानुष्यं दुर्लभं प्राप्य सेविता न महेश्वरी ॥ ४० ॥ निःश्रेणिकाग्रात्पतिता अध इत्येव विद्महे । अहङ्कारावृतं विश्वं गुणत्रयसमन्वितम् ॥ ४१ ॥ असत्येनापि सम्बद्धं मुच्यते कथमन्यथा । हित्वा सर्वं ततः सर्वेः संसेव्या भुवनेश्वरी ॥ ४२ ॥ राजोवाच किं कृतं गुरूणा तत्र काव्यरूपधरेण च । कदा शुक्रः समायातस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ ४३ ॥ व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्कृतं गुरुणा तदा । कृत्वा काव्यस्वरूपञ्च प्रच्छन्नेन महात्मना ॥ ४४ ॥ गुरुणा बोधिता दैत्या मत्वा काव्यं स्वकं गुरुम् । विश्वासं परमं कृत्वा बभूवुस्तन्मयास्तदा ॥ ४५ ॥ विद्यार्थं शरणं प्राप्ता भृगुं मत्वातिमोहिताः । गुरुणा विप्रलब्धास्ते लोभात्को वा न मुह्यति ॥ ४६ ॥ दशवर्षात्मके काले सम्पूर्णसमये तदा । जयन्त्या सह क्रीडित्वा काव्यो याज्यानचिन्तयत् ॥ ४७ ॥ आशया मम मार्गं ते पश्यन्तः संस्थिताः किल । गत्वा तान्वै प्रपश्येऽहं याज्यानतिभयातुरान् ॥ ४८ ॥ मा देवेभ्यो भयं तेषां मद्भक्तानां भवेदिति । सञ्चिन्त्य बुद्धिमास्थाय जयन्तीं प्रत्युवाच ह ॥ ४९ ॥ देवानेवोपसंयान्ति पुत्रा मे चारुलोचने । समयस्तेऽद्य सम्पूर्णो जातोऽयं दशवार्षिकः ॥ ५० ॥ तस्माद् गच्छाम्यहं देवि द्रष्टुं याज्यान्सुमध्यमे । पुनरेवागमिष्यामि तवान्तिकमनुद्रुतः ॥ ५१ ॥ तथेति तमुवाचाथ जयन्ती धर्मवित्तमा । यथेष्टं गच्छ धर्मज्ञ न ते धर्मं विलोपये ॥ ५२ ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं काव्यो जगाम त्वरितस्ततः । अपश्यद्दानवानां च पार्श्वे वाचस्पतिं तदा ॥ ५३ ॥ छद्मरूपधरं सौम्यं बोधयन्तं छलेन तान् । जैनं धर्मं कृतं स्वेन यज्ञनिन्दापरं तथा ॥ ५४ ॥ भो देवरिपवः सत्यं ब्रवीमि भवतां हितम् । अहिंसा परमो धर्मोऽहन्तव्या ह्याततायिनः ॥ ५५ ॥ द्विजैर्भोगरतैर्वेदे दर्शितं हिंसनं पशोः । जिह्वास्वादपरैः काममहिंसैव परा मता ॥ ५६ ॥ एवंविधानि वाक्यानि वेदशास्त्रपराणि च । ब्रुवाणं गुरुमाकर्ण्य विस्मितोऽसौ भृगोः सुतः ॥ ५७ ॥ चिन्तयामास मनसा मम द्वेष्यो गुरुः किल । वञ्चिताः किल धूर्तेन याज्या मे नात्र संशयः ॥ ५८ ॥ धिग्लोभं पापबीजं वै नरकद्वारमूर्जितम् । गुरुरप्यनृतं ब्रूते प्रेरितो येन पाप्मना ॥ ५९ ॥ प्रमाणं वचनं यस्य सोऽपि पाखण्डधारकः । गुरुः सुराणां सर्वेषां धर्मशास्त्रप्रवर्तकः ॥ ६० ॥ किं किं न लभते लोभान्मलिनीकृतमानसः । अन्योऽपि गुरुरप्येवं जातः पाखण्डपण्डितः ॥ ६१ ॥ शैलूषचेष्टितं सर्वं परिगृह्य द्विजोत्तमः । वञ्जयत्यतिसम्मूढान्दैत्यान्याज्यान्ममाप्यसौ ॥ ६२ ॥
rājovāca kiṃ kṛtaṃ guruṇā paścādbhṛgurūpeṇa vartatā | chalenaiva hi daityānāṃ paurohityena dhīmatā || 1 || guruḥ surāṇāmaniśaṃ sarvavidyānidhistathā | suto'ṅgirasa evāsau sa kathaṃ chalakṛnmuniḥ || 2 || dharmaśāstreṣu sarveṣu satyaṃ dharmasya kāraṇam | kathitaṃ munibhiryena paramātmāpi labhyate || 3 || vācaspatistathā mithyāvaktā ceddānavānprati | kaḥ satyavaktā saṃsāre bhaviṣyati gṛhāśramī || 4 || āhārādadhikaṃ bhojyaṃ jrahmāṇḍavibhave'pi na | tadarthaṃ munayo mithyā pravartante kathaṃ mune || 5 || śabdapramāṇamucchedaṃ śiṣṭābhāve gataṃ na kim | chalakarmapravṛtte vāvigītatvaṃ gurau katham || 6 || devāḥ sattvasamudbhūtā rājasā mānavāḥ smṛtāḥ | tiryañcastāmasāḥ proktā utpattau munibhiḥ kila || 7 || amarāṇāṃ guruḥ sākṣānmithyāvādī svayaṃ yadi | tadā kaḥ satyavaktā syādrājasastāmasaḥ punaḥ || 8 || kva sthitistasya dharmasya sandeho'yaṃ mamātmanaḥ | kā gatiḥ sarvajantūnāṃ mithyābhūte jagattraye || 9 || harirbrahmā śacīkāntastathānye surasattamāḥ | sarve chalavidhau dakṣā manuṣyāṇāñca kā kathā || 10 || kāmakrodhābhisantaptā lobhopahatacetasaḥ | chale dakṣāḥ surāḥ sarve munayaśca tapodhanāḥ || 11 || vasiṣṭho vāmadevaśca viśvāmitro gurustathā | ete pāparatāḥ kātra gatirdharmasya mānada || 12 || indro'gniścandramā vedhāḥ paradārābhilampaṭāḥ | āryatvaṃ bhuvaneṣveṣu sthitaṃ kutra mune vada || 13 || vacanaṃ kasya mantavyamupadeśadhiyānagha | sarve lobhābhibhūtāste devāśca munayastadā || 14 || vyāsa uvāca kiṃ viṣṇuḥ kiṃ śivo brahmā maghavā kiṃ bṛhaspatiḥ | dehavān prabhavatyeva vikāraiḥ saṃyutastadā || 15 || rāgī viṣṇuḥ śivo rāgī brahmāpi rāgasaṃyutaḥ | (rāgavānkimakṛtyaṃ vai na karoti narādhipa) || rāgavānapi cāturyādvideha iva lakṣyate || 16 || samprāpte saṃkaṭe so'pi guṇaiḥ sambādhyate kila | kāraṇādrahitaṃ kāryaṃ kathaṃ bhavitumarhati || 17 || brahmādīnāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ guṇā eva hi kāraṇam | pañcaviṃśatsamudbhūtā dehāsteṣāṃ na cānyathā || 18 || kāle maraṇadharmāste sandehaḥ ko'tra te nṛpa | paropadeśe vispaṣṭaṃ śiṣṭāḥ sarve bhavanti ca || 19 || viplutirhyaviśeṣeṇa svakārye samupasthite | kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhadrohāhaṅkāramatsarāḥ || 20 || dehavānkaḥ parityaktumīśo bhavati tānpunaḥ | saṃsāro'yaṃ mahārāja sadaivaivaṃvidhaḥ smṛtaḥ || 21 || nānyathā prabhavatyeva śubhāśubhamayaḥ kila | kadācidbhagavānviṣṇustapaścarati dāruṇam || 22 || kadācidvividhānyajñānvitanoti surādhipaḥ | kadācittu ramāraṅgarañjitaḥ parameśvaraḥ || 23 || ramate kila vaikuṇṭhe tadvaśastaruṇo vibhuḥ | kadāciddānavaiḥ sārdhaṃ yuddhaṃ paramadāruṇam || 24 || karoti karuṇāsindhustadbāṇāpīḍito bhṛśam | kadācijjayamāpnoti daivātso'pi parājayam || 25 || sukhaduḥkhābhibhūto'sau bhavatyeva na saṃśayaḥ | śeṣe śete kadācidvai yoganidrāsamāvṛtaḥ || 26 || kāle jāgarti viśvātmā svabhāvapratibodhitaḥ | śarvo brahmā hariśceti indrādyā ye surāstathā || 27 || munayaśca vinirmāṇaiḥ svāyuṣo vicaranti hi | niśāvasāne sañjāte jagatsthāvarajaṅgamam || 28 || mriyate nātra sandeho nṛpa kiñcitkadāpi ca | svāyuṣo'nte padyajādyāḥ kṣayamṛcchanti pārthiva || 29 || prabhavanti punarviṣṇuharaśakrādayaḥ surāḥ | tasmātkāmādikānbhāvāndehavānpratipadyate || 30 || nātra te vismayaḥ kāryaḥ kadācidapi pārthiva | saṃsāro'yaṃ tu sandigdhaḥ kāmakrodhādibhirnṛpa || 31 || durlabhastadvinirmuktaḥ puruṣaḥ paramārthavit | yo bibhetīha saṃsāre sa dārānna karotyapi || 32 || vimuktaḥ sarvasaṅgebhyo vicaratyaviśaṅkitaḥ | tasmādbṛhaspaterbhāryā śaśinā lambhitā punaḥ || 33 || gurūṇā lambhitā bhāryā tathā bhrāturyavīyasaḥ | evaṃ saṃsāracakre'smin rāgalobhādibhirvṛtaḥ || 34 || gārhasthyañca samāsthāya kathaṃ mukto bhavennaraḥ | tasmātsarvaprayatnena hitvā saṃsārasāratām || 35 || ārādhayenmaheśānīṃ saccidānandarūpiṇīm | tanmāyāguṇataśchannaṃ jagadetaccarācaram || 36 || bhramatyunmattavatsarvaṃ madirāmattavannṛpa | tasyā ārādhanenaiva guṇānsarvānvimṛdya ca || 37 || muktiṃ bhajeta matimānnānyaḥ panthāstvitaḥ paraḥ | ārādhitā maheśānī na yāvatkurute kṛpām || 38 || tāvadbhavetsukhaṃ kasmātko'nyo'sti dayayā yutaḥ | karuṇāsāgarāmetāṃ bhajettasmādamāyayā || 39 || yasyāstu bhajanenaiva jīvanmuktatvamaśnute | mānuṣyaṃ durlabhaṃ prāpya sevitā na maheśvarī || 40 || niḥśreṇikāgrātpatitā adha ityeva vidmahe | ahaṅkārāvṛtaṃ viśvaṃ guṇatrayasamanvitam || 41 || asatyenāpi sambaddhaṃ mucyate kathamanyathā | hitvā sarvaṃ tataḥ sarveḥ saṃsevyā bhuvaneśvarī || 42 || rājovāca kiṃ kṛtaṃ gurūṇā tatra kāvyarūpadhareṇa ca | kadā śukraḥ samāyātastanme brūhi pitāmaha || 43 || vyāsa uvāca śṛṇu rājan pravakṣyāmi yatkṛtaṃ guruṇā tadā | kṛtvā kāvyasvarūpañca pracchannena mahātmanā || 44 || guruṇā bodhitā daityā matvā kāvyaṃ svakaṃ gurum | viśvāsaṃ paramaṃ kṛtvā babhūvustanmayāstadā || 45 || vidyārthaṃ śaraṇaṃ prāptā bhṛguṃ matvātimohitāḥ | guruṇā vipralabdhāste lobhātko vā na muhyati || 46 || daśavarṣātmake kāle sampūrṇasamaye tadā | jayantyā saha krīḍitvā kāvyo yājyānacintayat || 47 || āśayā mama mārgaṃ te paśyantaḥ saṃsthitāḥ kila | gatvā tānvai prapaśye'haṃ yājyānatibhayāturān || 48 || mā devebhyo bhayaṃ teṣāṃ madbhaktānāṃ bhavediti | sañcintya buddhimāsthāya jayantīṃ pratyuvāca ha || 49 || devānevopasaṃyānti putrā me cārulocane | samayaste'dya sampūrṇo jāto'yaṃ daśavārṣikaḥ || 50 || tasmād gacchāmyahaṃ devi draṣṭuṃ yājyānsumadhyame | punarevāgamiṣyāmi tavāntikamanudrutaḥ || 51 || tatheti tamuvācātha jayantī dharmavittamā | yatheṣṭaṃ gaccha dharmajña na te dharmaṃ vilopaye || 52 || tacchrutvā vacanaṃ kāvyo jagāma tvaritastataḥ | apaśyaddānavānāṃ ca pārśve vācaspatiṃ tadā || 53 || chadmarūpadharaṃ saumyaṃ bodhayantaṃ chalena tān | jainaṃ dharmaṃ kṛtaṃ svena yajñanindāparaṃ tathā || 54 || bho devaripavaḥ satyaṃ bravīmi bhavatāṃ hitam | ahiṃsā paramo dharmo'hantavyā hyātatāyinaḥ || 55 || dvijairbhogaratairvede darśitaṃ hiṃsanaṃ paśoḥ | jihvāsvādaparaiḥ kāmamahiṃsaiva parā matā || 56 || evaṃvidhāni vākyāni vedaśāstraparāṇi ca | bruvāṇaṃ gurumākarṇya vismito'sau bhṛgoḥ sutaḥ || 57 || cintayāmāsa manasā mama dveṣyo guruḥ kila | vañcitāḥ kila dhūrtena yājyā me nātra saṃśayaḥ || 58 || dhiglobhaṃ pāpabījaṃ vai narakadvāramūrjitam | gururapyanṛtaṃ brūte prerito yena pāpmanā || 59 || pramāṇaṃ vacanaṃ yasya so'pi pākhaṇḍadhārakaḥ | guruḥ surāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ dharmaśāstrapravartakaḥ || 60 || kiṃ kiṃ na labhate lobhānmalinīkṛtamānasaḥ | anyo'pi gururapyevaṃ jātaḥ pākhaṇḍapaṇḍitaḥ || 61 || śailūṣaceṣṭitaṃ sarvaṃ parigṛhya dvijottamaḥ | vañjayatyatisammūḍhāndaityānyājyānmamāpyasau || 62 ||
English translation
1. The king said What did the intelligent Brihaspati do after he had assumed falsely the appearance of S’ukracharya, and lived there as the spiritual guide of the Demons.
2. O Muni! Brihaspati is the Guru of the Devas; he also devotes his time in studying the Vedas; and is the ocean of all knowledge; he is the son of the Maharsi Angira and he is himself a Muni. Endorsed with all these good qualifications, how could he deceive the Demons
3-4. In all the religious S’astras, Truth is declared to be the essence of Dharma; and the Supreme Self is attained through Truth, so the wise sages say. How can we expect an ordinary householder to be true when such a man as Brihaspati takes recourse to falsehood with the Demons.
5. If one acquires, as one’s wealth, the whole Universe, still one does not require anything more than what is required in feeding one’s belly; how is it that Brihaspati could speak falsehood merely for the sake of his belly?
6. O Muni! The words sung by the ancient virtuous and respectable sages were true and had their corresponding objects denoted by those words; now they employed the term S’ista meaning that there were virtuous, respectable persons as denoted by them. When Brihaspati can even commit such condemnable deceitful acts and speak falsehood, we can expect no virtuous respectable persons in the world. Where then do you find the S’ista persons, denoted by the
word S’ista, sung by the ancient sages? The word S’ista is now meaningless!
7. The Devas are sprung from the Sattvic qualities, men from Rajasic qualities and birds, etc. from the Tamasic qualities.
8. When the Guru of the Immortals, the incarnate of Sattvic qualities, can become a liar, how can one expect those who are Rajasic or Tamasic to follow rigorously the truth?
9. Oh! This Triloki is all pierced with falsehood! Where is the Religion! And what will be the ultimate goal of all these creatures!
10. When Bhagavan Hari, Brahma, Indra and the best of the Devas when all can betake to pretext, fraud and trickery and show cleverness in them; what to speak of men!
11-12. O Giver of honour! When all the Devas, Vas’istha, Vamadeva, VisVamitra, Brihaspati and other ascetic Munis get themselves overpowered by lust and anger, when their intelligence gets destroyed by covetousness and avarice, when they are addicted to vices and are expert in fraud, pre-text and trickery, then what fate, alas! can you expect of Dharma and what help is there of any religious persons!
13. Alas! Indra, Agni, Moon, and Brahma when these get overpowered by the strong influence of lust, are in illicit love with others’ wives, where is the goodness and virtuous behaviour in this Triloki?
14. O Sinless One! To whom, then, can we look upon as our spiritual guide and our advice and law givers when all the Devas and Munis are corrupt with avarice?
15. Vyasa said O king! Be he Indra, Brihaspati, Brahma, Visnu or Mahes’a, whoever is embodied or will put on bodies, he will have to be in touch with the previously mentioned Ahamkara, and covetousness and other vices due to name and form.
16. O king! Brahma, Visnu and Mahes’a are all attached to sensual objects; and what improper and sinful actions there can be that cannot be committed by persons devoted to sensual objects!
17. It is through cleverness and fraud that any one devoted to sensual objects can easily make oneself as cleverly free from Maya; but when difficulty comes, then his trickery gets discovered and the respective qualities hidden in him are brought to bear their respective results. Know, then, the three qualities to be conjointly the cause of all these actions; as without any cause, no action gets visible.
18. These discrepancies in the case of Brahma and others are caused by the three qualities; their bodies are all created from Pradhan Mahat and the other 25 Tattvas (essences).
19-20. O king! Brahma and others are subject to death; then how can you doubt on other things? In advising others, everybody gives, as it were, good and virtuous advices; but the burden falls upon their
own heads; they fall off from their advices and act according to their hidden natures; then they yield to lust, anger, envy, egoism and fascination.
21. No one who is embodied can get rid of passions, born of the 3 qualities. O king! Thus the Triloki goes, is the saying of the Maharsis.
22-29. This Triloki, auspicious, inauspicious, mixed, never gets any serious change; its nature remains always uniform. See Bhagavan Visnu sometimes practises severe asceticism; Indra, the lord of the Devas sometimes follows the practices of religious sacrifices. Again you find Visnu Bhagavan, full of youth, fond of the Leela, enjoying the company of Rama in Vaikuntha; sometimes He is the ocean of mercy, is fighting dreadful battles with the Demons and being severely afflicted with their clusters of arrows; sometimes he gains victories, sometimes he gets defeat through the irony of Fate; thus he gets undoubtedly pleasures and pains. O king! some time Narayana draws all the worlds into his belly and takes his yogic sleep on the thousand headed serpent S’es’a and again he gets himself awakened by Prakriti. O king! Brahma, Visnu, Mahes’a, Indra, the Devas, and Munis all of them, live up to the limit of their ordained time and when the time of Pralaya, the Universal dissolution, ends, this whole Universe, moving and nonmoving, again comes into existence as before; there is no doubt in this. O king, at the expiry of the ordained time, Brahma and all others will die, no doubt.
30-31. Again, in due course, Brahma, Visnu, and Mahes’a and the other Devas come out and assume bodies and get all the passions, lust, etc., as ordained. O King! You need not be astonished; this Triloki always goes on accompanied by lust, anger, etc.
32-34. Persons free from lust, anger and other passions are very rare in this world. He who is afraid of this world does not marry, and thus being free from the attachments to any worldly object, becomes free and roams fearless. The Moon stole away the wife of Brihaspati and Brihaspati himself stole away the wife of his younger brother. Thus in this wheel of Samsara, all the creatures are ever passioned with attachment, avarice, etc.
35. The householder can never expect to obtain freedom. Therefore those who want to be free, should carefully relinquish the idea of the stability of the world and worship the Eternal Mother Full and Sat, Chit and Anandam.
36. This world, moving and unmoving, O Mahes’ani, rolls in madness, overpowered by Her Maya.
37. Intelligent persons worshipping Her, trample down the three qualities and become free. O king! No other Path exists for Freedom
38-39. Until one gets the Grace from the Mahes’ani, one never gets happiness. True mercy is not found anywhere else but from Her. Then one should worship the All merciful, being of pure heart. For Her worship leads to freedom, even in this body-hood.
40. He who getting a human frame fails to worship Mahes’ani, gets down from the highest rung of the ladder. This is my opinion.
41-42. This Universe, composed of the three qualities, is encompassed with Ahamkara and fastened to untruth; therefore
freedom can never be expected without the worship of That Potent Goddess, O Muni! O king! Renounce every worldly object and serve the Goddess BhuvanesVari; this is the highest duty of all.
43. The king said What did, then, the Devaguru do in the disguise of S’ukracharya? And when did the real S’ukracharya come there? O respected Muni! Speak on these points.
44. Vyasa said Please hear what the disguised Brihaspati in the shape of S’ukracharya did afterwards.
45. The demons were made to understand clearly by Brihaspati; and then they took him for S’ukracharya and placed implicit faith on him and began to think of him and him alone.
46. The Daityas, enchanted and deceived by the magic of Brihaspati, took now his refuge for acquiring the knowledge from him, since they mistook him for S’ukracharya. Who is there that is not enchanted by the idea of gaining something?
47. On the other hand, when the term of ten years was over, S’ukracharya, the real Guru of the Daityas, ceased enjoying Jayanti and began to remember his disciples, the Daityas.
48. He now began to think that “My disciples, the Daityas, are expecting every instant my return; and I would now go and see them, bewildered with fear.
49-51. They are my devotees and I ought to do such that they might not be afraid of the Devas.” And then he exclaimed to Jayanti, “O beautiful one! Let my sons take the shelter of the Gods; your term of ten years is today over; I now go therefore, to see my disciples; soon I will again come to you.”
52. “Be it so”, replied Jayanti, the best of those who know religion, “you can go where you like; I am not to destroy your Dharma.”
53-54. Hearing these words, S’ukracharya went hurriedly to the Demons and saw the Devaguru Brihaspati sitting before them in the guise of S’ukracharya. He was explaining to them the Jaina doctrines, compiled by himself and finding fault with the act of envy, taking revenge and killing and cursing the sacrifices, etc.
55. He was telling them “O Enemies of Gods! Truly, I am telling you words that will, no doubt, prove good to you. Non-killing is the highest virtue; even the enemies ought never to be killed.
56. It is the Brahmanas, addicted to enjoyments and pleasures of the senses, who want to satisfy their tastes and pleasures that are found in the Veda’s injunctions to kill animals; but there is no virtue higher than non-killing animals.”
57-58. O king! S’ukracharya was perfectly astonished to hear Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devas, speaking against the Vedas and began to think that Brihaspati is certainly my enemy. My disciples have been duped by this cheat; there is no doubt in this.
59. Fie to Avarice! It is the seed of sin; very strong and the veritable gate to hell; Brihaspati, even, the Guru of the Devas, is speaking lies, bound under the influence of this heinous avarice!
60. Oh! What wonder is this that the Guru of the Devas, who is the promulgator of all the religious S’astras and whose word is accepted as the final decision, is now expounding the doctrines of atheists.
61. When Brihaspati can become the expounder of atheistic doctrines, impelled by covetousness what to speak of those whose minds are not pure and whose intelligence is not sharp?
62. This Deva Guru, though a Brahmin, is acting today like a rogue, wanting to take away all and is deceiving my disciples the Daityas, who have been confounded by his magic.
Here ends the Thirteenth Chapter in the Fourth Book of S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, the Mahapuranam of 18,000 verses on cheating the Daityas by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25181, revision 76338 (2016-08-19T16:32:58Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch13.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.