Sixth Skandha · Chapter 10
Sourceजनमेजय उवाच कथितं चरितं ब्रह्मञ्छक्रस्याद्भुतकर्मणः । स्थानभ्रंशस्तथा दुःखप्राप्तिरुक्ता विशेषतः ॥ १ ॥ यत्र देवाधिदेव्याश्च महिमातीव वर्णितः । सन्देहोऽत्र ममाप्यस्ति यच्छक्रोऽपि महातपाः ॥ २ ॥ देवाधिपत्यमासाद्य दुःसहं दुःखमन्वभूत् । मखानां तु शतं कृत्वा प्राप्तं स्थानमनुत्तमम् ॥ ३ ॥ देवेशत्वं च सम्प्राप्य भ्रष्टः स्थानादसौ कथम् । एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व कारणं करुणानिधे ॥ ४ ॥ सर्वज्ञोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुराणानां प्रवर्तकः । नावाच्यं महतां किञ्चिच्छिष्ये च श्रद्धयान्विते ॥ ५ ॥ तस्मात्कुरु महाभाग मत्सन्देहापनोदनम् । सूत उवाच इति पृष्टः स राज्ञा वै तदा सत्यवतीसुतः ॥ ६ ॥ तमाहातिप्रसन्नात्मा यथानुक्रममुत्तरम् । व्यास उवाच निबोध नृपतिश्रेष्ठ कारणं परमाद्भुतम् ॥ ७ ॥ कर्मणस्तु त्रिधा प्रोक्ता गतिस्तत्त्वविदां वरैः । सञ्चितं वर्तमानं च प्रारब्धमिति भेदतः ॥ ८ ॥ अनेकजन्मसञ्जातं प्राक्तनं सञ्चितं स्मृतम् । सात्त्विकं राजसं कर्म तामसं त्रिविधं पुनः ॥ ९ ॥ शुभं वाप्यशुभं भूप सञ्चितं बहुकालिकम् । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं सुकृतं दुष्कृतं तथा ॥ १० ॥ जन्मजन्मनि जीवानां सञ्चितानां च कर्मणाम् । निःशेषस्तु क्षयो नाभूत्कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ११ ॥ क्रियमाणं च यत्कर्म वर्तमानं तदुच्यते । देहं प्राप्य शुभं वापि ह्यशुभं वा समाचरेत् ॥ १२ ॥ सञ्चितानां पुनर्मध्यात्समाहृत्य कियान्किल । देहारम्भे च समये कालः प्रेरयतीव तत् ॥ १३ ॥ प्रारब्धं कर्म विज्ञेयं भोगात्तस्य क्षयः स्मृतः । प्राणिभिः खलु भोक्तव्यं प्रारब्धं नात्र संशयः ॥ १४ ॥ पुरा कृतानि राजेन्द्र ह्यशुभानि शुभानि च । अवश्यमेव कर्माणि भोक्तव्यानीति निश्चयः ॥ १५ ॥ देवैर्मनुष्यैरसुरैर्यक्षगन्धर्वकिन्नरैः । कर्मैव हि महाराज देहारम्भस्य कारणम् ॥ १६ ॥ कर्मक्षये जन्मनाशः प्राणिनां नात्र संशयः । ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्र इन्द्राद्याश्च सुरास्तथा ॥ १७ ॥ दानवा यक्षगन्धर्वाः सर्वे कर्मवशा किल । अन्यथा देहसम्बन्धः कथं भवति भूपते ॥ १८ ॥ कारणं यस्तु भोगस्य देहिनः सुखदुःखयोः । तस्मादनेकजन्मोत्थसञ्चितानां च कर्मणाम् ॥ १९ ॥ मध्ये वेगः समायाति कस्यचित्कालपाकतः । तत्प्रारब्धवशात्पुण्यं करोति च यथा तथा ॥ २० ॥ पापं करोति मनुजस्तथा देवादयोऽपि च । तथा नारायणो राजन्नरश्च धर्मजावुभौ ॥ २१ ॥ जातौ कृष्णार्जुनौ काममंशौ नारायणस्य तौ । पुराणपीठिकेयं वै मुनिभिः परिकीर्तिता ॥ २२ ॥ देवांशः स तु विज्ञेयो यो भवेद्विभवाधिकः । नानृषिः कुरुते काव्यं नारुद्रो रुद्रमर्चते ॥ २३ ॥ नादेवांशो ददात्यन्नं नाविष्णुः पृथिवीपतिः । इन्द्रादग्नेर्यमाद्विष्णोर्धनदादिति भूपते ॥ २४ ॥ प्रभुत्वं च प्रभावं च कोपं चैव पराक्रमम् । आदाय क्रियते नूनं शरीरमिति निश्चयः ॥ २५ ॥ यः कश्चिद्बलवाँल्लोके भाग्यवानथ भोगवान् । विद्यावान्दानवान्वापि स देवांशः प्रपढ्यते ॥ २६ ॥ तथैवैते मयाख्याता पाण्डवाः पृथिवीपते । देवांशो वासुदेवोऽपि नारायणसमद्युतिः ॥ २७ ॥ शरीरं प्राणिनां नूनं भाजनं सुखदुःखयोः । शरीरी प्राप्नुयात्कामं सुखं दुःखमनन्तरम् ॥ २८ ॥ देही नास्ति वशः कोऽपि दैवाधीनः सदैव हि । जननं मरणं दुःखं सुखं प्राप्नोति चावशः ॥ २९ ॥ पाण्डवास्ते वने जाताः प्राप्तास्तु स्वगृहं पुनः । स्वबाहुबलतः पश्चाद्राजसूयं क्रतूत्तमम् ॥ ३० ॥ वनवासं पुनः प्राप्ता बहुदुःखकरं परम् । अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्तं दुष्करं ह्यजितेन्द्रियैः ॥ ३१ ॥ सन्तुष्टैस्तु सुरैर्दत्तं वरदानं पुनः शुभम् । नरदेहकृतं पुण्यं क्व गतं वनवासजम् ॥ ३२ ॥ नरदेहे तपस्तप्तं चोग्रं बदरिकाश्रमे । नार्जुनस्य शरीरे तत्फलदं सम्बभूव ह ॥ ३३ ॥ प्राणिनां देहसम्बन्धे गहना कर्मणो गतिः । दुर्ज्ञेया सर्वथा देवैर्मानवानां तु का कथा ॥ ३४ ॥ वासुदेवोऽपि सञ्जातः कारागारेऽतिसङ्कटे । नीतोऽसौ वसुदेवेन नन्दगोपस्य गोकुलम् ॥ ३५ ॥ एकादशैव वर्षाणि संस्थितस्तत्र भारत । पुनः स मथुरां गत्वा जघानोग्रसुतं बलात् ॥ ३६ ॥ मोचयामास पितरौ बन्धनाद्भृशदुःखितौ । उग्रसेनं च राजानञ्चकार मधुरापुरे ॥ ३७ ॥ जगाम द्वारवत्यां स म्लेच्छराजभयात्पुनः । सर्वं भाविवशात्कृष्णः कृतवान्पौरुषं महत् ॥ ३८ ॥ कृत्वा कार्याण्यनेकानि द्वारवत्यां जनार्दनः । देहं त्यक्त्वा प्रभासे तु सकुटुम्बो दिवं गतः ॥ ३९ ॥ पुत्राः पौत्राश्च सुहृदो भ्रातरो जामयस्तथा । प्रभासे यादवाः सर्वे विप्रशापात्क्षयं गताः ॥ ४० ॥ एवं ते कथिता राजन् कर्मणो गहना गतिः । वासुदेवोऽपि व्याधस्य बाणेन निधनं गतः ॥ ४१ ॥
janamejaya uvāca kathitaṃ caritaṃ brahmañchakrasyādbhutakarmaṇaḥ | sthānabhraṃśastathā duḥkhaprāptiruktā viśeṣataḥ || 1 || yatra devādhidevyāśca mahimātīva varṇitaḥ | sandeho'tra mamāpyasti yacchakro'pi mahātapāḥ || 2 || devādhipatyamāsādya duḥsahaṃ duḥkhamanvabhūt | makhānāṃ tu śataṃ kṛtvā prāptaṃ sthānamanuttamam || 3 || deveśatvaṃ ca samprāpya bhraṣṭaḥ sthānādasau katham | etatsarvaṃ samācakṣva kāraṇaṃ karuṇānidhe || 4 || sarvajño'si muniśreṣṭha purāṇānāṃ pravartakaḥ | nāvācyaṃ mahatāṃ kiñcicchiṣye ca śraddhayānvite || 5 || tasmātkuru mahābhāga matsandehāpanodanam | sūta uvāca iti pṛṣṭaḥ sa rājñā vai tadā satyavatīsutaḥ || 6 || tamāhātiprasannātmā yathānukramamuttaram | vyāsa uvāca nibodha nṛpatiśreṣṭha kāraṇaṃ paramādbhutam || 7 || karmaṇastu tridhā proktā gatistattvavidāṃ varaiḥ | sañcitaṃ vartamānaṃ ca prārabdhamiti bhedataḥ || 8 || anekajanmasañjātaṃ prāktanaṃ sañcitaṃ smṛtam | sāttvikaṃ rājasaṃ karma tāmasaṃ trividhaṃ punaḥ || 9 || śubhaṃ vāpyaśubhaṃ bhūpa sañcitaṃ bahukālikam | avaśyameva bhoktavyaṃ sukṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ tathā || 10 || janmajanmani jīvānāṃ sañcitānāṃ ca karmaṇām | niḥśeṣastu kṣayo nābhūtkalpakoṭiśatairapi || 11 || kriyamāṇaṃ ca yatkarma vartamānaṃ taducyate | dehaṃ prāpya śubhaṃ vāpi hyaśubhaṃ vā samācaret || 12 || sañcitānāṃ punarmadhyātsamāhṛtya kiyānkila | dehārambhe ca samaye kālaḥ prerayatīva tat || 13 || prārabdhaṃ karma vijñeyaṃ bhogāttasya kṣayaḥ smṛtaḥ | prāṇibhiḥ khalu bhoktavyaṃ prārabdhaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ || 14 || purā kṛtāni rājendra hyaśubhāni śubhāni ca | avaśyameva karmāṇi bhoktavyānīti niścayaḥ || 15 || devairmanuṣyairasurairyakṣagandharvakinnaraiḥ | karmaiva hi mahārāja dehārambhasya kāraṇam || 16 || karmakṣaye janmanāśaḥ prāṇināṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | brahmā viṣṇustathā rudra indrādyāśca surāstathā || 17 || dānavā yakṣagandharvāḥ sarve karmavaśā kila | anyathā dehasambandhaḥ kathaṃ bhavati bhūpate || 18 || kāraṇaṃ yastu bhogasya dehinaḥ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ | tasmādanekajanmotthasañcitānāṃ ca karmaṇām || 19 || madhye vegaḥ samāyāti kasyacitkālapākataḥ | tatprārabdhavaśātpuṇyaṃ karoti ca yathā tathā || 20 || pāpaṃ karoti manujastathā devādayo'pi ca | tathā nārāyaṇo rājannaraśca dharmajāvubhau || 21 || jātau kṛṣṇārjunau kāmamaṃśau nārāyaṇasya tau | purāṇapīṭhikeyaṃ vai munibhiḥ parikīrtitā || 22 || devāṃśaḥ sa tu vijñeyo yo bhavedvibhavādhikaḥ | nānṛṣiḥ kurute kāvyaṃ nārudro rudramarcate || 23 || nādevāṃśo dadātyannaṃ nāviṣṇuḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | indrādagneryamādviṣṇordhanadāditi bhūpate || 24 || prabhutvaṃ ca prabhāvaṃ ca kopaṃ caiva parākramam | ādāya kriyate nūnaṃ śarīramiti niścayaḥ || 25 || yaḥ kaścidbalavā~lloke bhāgyavānatha bhogavān | vidyāvāndānavānvāpi sa devāṃśaḥ prapaḍhyate || 26 || tathaivaite mayākhyātā pāṇḍavāḥ pṛthivīpate | devāṃśo vāsudevo'pi nārāyaṇasamadyutiḥ || 27 || śarīraṃ prāṇināṃ nūnaṃ bhājanaṃ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ | śarīrī prāpnuyātkāmaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkhamanantaram || 28 || dehī nāsti vaśaḥ ko'pi daivādhīnaḥ sadaiva hi | jananaṃ maraṇaṃ duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ prāpnoti cāvaśaḥ || 29 || pāṇḍavāste vane jātāḥ prāptāstu svagṛhaṃ punaḥ | svabāhubalataḥ paścādrājasūyaṃ kratūttamam || 30 || vanavāsaṃ punaḥ prāptā bahuduḥkhakaraṃ param | arjunena tapastaptaṃ duṣkaraṃ hyajitendriyaiḥ || 31 || santuṣṭaistu surairdattaṃ varadānaṃ punaḥ śubham | naradehakṛtaṃ puṇyaṃ kva gataṃ vanavāsajam || 32 || naradehe tapastaptaṃ cograṃ badarikāśrame | nārjunasya śarīre tatphaladaṃ sambabhūva ha || 33 || prāṇināṃ dehasambandhe gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ | durjñeyā sarvathā devairmānavānāṃ tu kā kathā || 34 || vāsudevo'pi sañjātaḥ kārāgāre'tisaṅkaṭe | nīto'sau vasudevena nandagopasya gokulam || 35 || ekādaśaiva varṣāṇi saṃsthitastatra bhārata | punaḥ sa mathurāṃ gatvā jaghānograsutaṃ balāt || 36 || mocayāmāsa pitarau bandhanādbhṛśaduḥkhitau | ugrasenaṃ ca rājānañcakāra madhurāpure || 37 || jagāma dvāravatyāṃ sa mleccharājabhayātpunaḥ | sarvaṃ bhāvivaśātkṛṣṇaḥ kṛtavānpauruṣaṃ mahat || 38 || kṛtvā kāryāṇyanekāni dvāravatyāṃ janārdanaḥ | dehaṃ tyaktvā prabhāse tu sakuṭumbo divaṃ gataḥ || 39 || putrāḥ pautrāśca suhṛdo bhrātaro jāmayastathā | prabhāse yādavāḥ sarve vipraśāpātkṣayaṃ gatāḥ || 40 || evaṃ te kathitā rājan karmaṇo gahanā gatiḥ | vāsudevo'pi vyādhasya bāṇena nidhanaṃ gataḥ || 41 ||
English translation
1-5. Janamejaya said “O Brahmana! You have described in detail the wonderful character of Indra, his displacement from his Heavens, and his suffering many hardships and at the same time, you have described very widely the greatness of the Highest Goddess of the world. But one doubt has arisen in my mind that Indra was very powerful and when he got the lordship over the Devas, which means in other words that no trouble would pain him, how was it that he had to feel pain and agony? He got the Lordship of the Devas and his highest position by performing one hundred Horse Sacrifices; how was it, then that he was again displaced from that position? O Ocean of mercy! Kindly explain to me the causes of all these. You know everything; you are the best of the Munis and the maker of the Puranas; I am your devoted disciple; therefore nothing there can be that cannot be mentioned to me. So, O highly fortunate One! Kindly remove my doubts.” Suta said Thus asked by Janamejaya, Vyasa the son of Satyavati gladly spoke, in due order, the following words
6-29. Vyasa said O King! Hear, then the causes that are certainly very wonderful. The seers say that Karma is of three kinds Sahchita (accumulated), Vartamana (present) and Prarabdha (commenced). Each of these is again subdivided into three, Sattvik, Rajasik, and Tamasik. The accumulated effects of Karmas done in many past lives is called Sahchita, O King! The effects of this Sanchita Karma, be it auspicious or inauspicious, be it for a long or for a short time, must have to be enjoyed by the beings whether they be good or bad. This Sahchita Karma done by the embodied beings in several previous births, can never be totally exhausted even in hundred Koti Kalpas without their being enjoyed. The Karma that is being done by a JTva and that has not as yet been completed, that is called Vartamana Karma. The Jivas do this Vartamana Karma,
auspicious or inauspicious, in their present embodiments. At the time of birth, a part of the Sahchita Karma, the soul takes up for fructification. This part of Sahchita Karma is called Prarabdha Karma. This exhausts only when its effects have been fully borne out by the embodied soul. The beings cannot but bear the effects of this Prarabdha Karma. O King! Know this for certain that the effects of merits or demerits done previously must be borne by anybody, be he a Deva, or a man, or an Asura, or a Yaksa or a Gandharba. The acts done previously go to form the new births of all beings. When the Karma gets exhausted, then no more birth takes place. There is no doubt in this. Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Indra and the other Devas, the Danavas, Yaksas, Gandharbas, all are under the control of this Karma. O King! Were it not so, how could they get bodies that are the causes of the enjoyments of pains and pleasures of all the beings. Therefore, O King! Out of the Sahchita Karmas done in many previous births, some Karmas get ripe in due time and they manifest themselves; those manifested Sahchita Karmas are called Prarabdha Karmas (those that are being enjoyed by an individual in the present birth). Impelled by this Prarabdha Karma, the Devas and the human beings, all do meritorious acts as well as sinful acts. Thus Indra out of his past meritorious acts attained his Indraship, and, out of his past sinful acts, committed the sin Brahmahattya and so he was dislodged from his Indraship. What doubt can exist here? O King! So Nara and Narayana, the sons of Dharma, had to take births out of their previous Karmas; again Arjuna and Krisna were born out of their Karmic effects as part incarnations of this Nara and Narayana. The Munis describe this Karma as the basis of the Puranas. Know that he is born of a Deva who is very wealthy and prosperous; he who is not born of the part of a Muni, never writes any spiritual treatise on Jhana or Knowledge; he who is not born of Rudra, never worships Rudra; who is not born of a Deva never distributes rice in charity; he who is not born of S'ri Visnu, never becomes the king and lord of the earth. O King! The embodied souls derive their bodies certainly from Indra, Agni, Yama, Visnu, and Kuvera. Indra presides over lordship, Agni presides over energy, Yama presides over anger, and Visnu presides over strength. He
who is powerful, fortunate, enjoying many enjoyments, learned, charitable, is said to be born of a Devams'a. O Lord of the earth! Similarly the Pandavas and Vasudeva who was as glorious as Narayana were born of Devams'as. O King! Know this as quite certain that the bodies of the Jivas are the receptacles of pains and pleasures; and the embodied souls (Jivas) experience alternately pleasure and pain. No Jiva is independent; he is always under the Great Fate. He experiences birth, death, pleasure and pain, not out of his self will, but compelled and guided, as it were, by the unseen Fate.
30-41. O King! How very strong is that Fate can easily be judged by the following. The Pandavas were born in forest; then they went their own homes. They performed the Great Rajasuya Sacrifice by virtue of their own strength. After this they had to suffer their exiles in forest a much greater and more terrible hardship indeed! Next Arjuna performed a very hard asceticism when the Devas, not self- controlled, became pleased and granted him an auspicious boon.
Still he could not extricate himself from the hands of the terrible hardship; nowhere could be found the fruits of the merits acquired in the past when he was afterwards remaining in exile in his human body in the forest! The severe tapasya that he did in the Vadarikasrama in his past incarnation as Nara, the son of Dharma, did not bear any fruit in his Arjuna birth. Mysterious and inexplicable are the ways and means of Karma with which the bodies of the several beings are concerned. How could men get an idea of it when the Devas themselves are at a loss to solve it. Bhagavan Vasudeva had to take birth in the prison, a very critical and dangerous place; he was then carried by Vasudeva to the milkman Nanda's abode at Gokula; he remained there eleven years and thence came back to Mathura where he killed by force Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena. Then he released his sorrowful father and mother from the bonds of prison and made Ugrasena, the King of Mathura. Afterwards he went to Dvarka city, out of the fear of Kala Yavana, the King of the
MIechchas; thus Janardana Krisna performed many great and heroic deeds, being impelled by Fate. Then he left his mortal coil at Prabhasa, a place of pilgrimage, along with his relatives and acquaintances and then ascended to his Vaikuntha abode. All the Yadavas, sons, grandsons, friends, brothers, sisters and ladies of the houses all died under the curse of a Brahmin. O King! I have thus described to you the inexplicable ways of Karma.
What more shall I say than the fact that Vasudeva was killed by the arrows of a hunter!
Here ends the Tenth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the phase of Karma in the Mahapuranam S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25325, revision 76785 (2016-08-27T22:33:18Z). 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/bk06ch10.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.