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Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Unit 192 of 221Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 3Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 31 source entries

Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 3

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।। नारद उवाच ।। वेदेषु सपुराणेषु सांगोपांगेषु गीयसे ।। त्वमेव शाश्वतो धाता नियन्तामृतमच्युत ।। त्वं विधाता च सततं त्वयि सर्वमिदं जगत् ।। १ ।। चत्वारो ह्याश्रमा देव सर्वे वर्णाश्च कर्मभिः ।। यजन्ते त्वामहरहर्न्नानामूर्त्तिसमास्थितम् ।। २ ।। पिता माता च सर्वस्य दैवतं त्वं हि शाश्वतम् ।। कं त्वं च यजसे देवं पितरं वा न विद्महे ।। ३ ।। श्रीनारायण उवाच ।। नैतद्रहस्यं वक्तव्यमात्मगुह्यमथापि ते ।। मयि भक्तिमते ब्रह्मन्प्रवक्ष्यामि यथातथम् ।। ४ ।। सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं यो ब्रह्मेति श्रुतिवर्णितः ।। त्रिगुणव्यतिरिक्तश्च पुरुषो दिव्यविग्रहः ।।५।। महापुरुष इत्युक्तो वासुदेवश्च यः प्रभुः ।। नारायण ऋषिर्विष्णुः कृष्णश्च भगवानिति ।।६।। एकः स एव देवो नौ पितरौ चेति विद्धि भोः ।। आवाभ्यां पूज्यतेऽसौ हि दैवे पित्र्ये च कल्पिते ।।७।। नास्ति तस्मात्परतरः पिता देवोऽथ वा द्विज ।। ] आत्मा हि नौ स विज्ञेयः कृष्णो ब्रह्मपुरेश्वरः ।।८।। तेनैषा प्रथिता ब्रह्मन्मर्यादा लोकभावनी।। दैवं पित्र्यं च कर्तव्यमिति लोकहितैषिणा ।। ९।। प्रवृत्तं च निवृत्तं च द्वेधा कर्मास्ति वैदिकम् ।। यथाधिकारं विहितं पुरुषार्थोपलब्धये ।।2.9.3.१०।। तन्त्रवेदोक्तविधिना स्वोचितस्त्रीपरिग्रहः ।। वित्तार्जनं च न्यायेन द्रव्ययज्ञाः सकामनाः ।। ११ ।। वासो ग्रामे च नगरे पूर्तमिष्टं च कर्म यत् ।। प्रवृत्तं तत्तु सकलमशान्तिकृदुदीरितम् ।। १२ ।। स्त्रीद्रव्ययोः परित्यागः कामलोभक्रुधां तथा ।। वनवासश्च वैराग्यं तपः क्षान्तिः शमो दमः ।। १३ ।। ब्रह्मयज्ञा योगयज्ञा ज्ञानयज्ञाश्च सर्वशः ।। जपयज्ञाश्चेति मुने निवृत्तं कर्म कीर्तितम् ।। १४ ।। त्रिलोक्यां गतयो धर्मं प्रवृत्तमनुतिष्ठताम् ।। स्वर्गलोकावधि मुने मनुष्याणां भवन्ति वै।। १५ ।। इन्द्रचन्द्राग्निलोकादौ स्वस्वपुण्यफलं च ते ।। भोगैश्वर्यं वहुविधमभीष्टं भुञ्जते खलु ।। १६ ।। यावत्पुण्यं तावदेव भुक्त्वा तत्ते सुराऽस्ततः ।। क्षीणे तु सुकृते भूयः पतन्ति विवशा भुवि ।। १७ ।। भोगैश्वर्यादिनाशो हि कालवेगेन जायते ।। अनिच्छतामपि मुने तेषां पुण्यक्षये सति ।। १८ ।। आधिकारिकदेवानामपि ब्रह्मदिने मुहुः ।। इष्टभोगैश्वर्यनाशो जायते कालरंहसा ।।१९।। निवृत्तधर्मनिष्ठा ये योगिनश्च तपस्विनः ।। जनादीन्यान्ति लोकांस्त्रींस्ते तु त्रैलोक्यतो बहिः ।।2.9.3.२०।। तत्तल्लोकैश्वर्यभोगान्भुञ्जते ते निजेप्सितान् ।। दैनन्दिनेपि प्रलये वर्त्तन्ते ते यथासुखम् ।। २१ ।। ब्रह्मणो द्विपरार्द्धान्ते तद्भोगैश्वर्यसंपदः ।। नश्यन्ति कालशक्त्यैव लोकास्तेषां च नारद ।। २२ ।। अथैतद्विविधं कर्म गुणात्मकमपि द्विज ।। कृतं चेद्विष्णुसंबद्धं निर्गुणं स्यात्तदा तु तत् ।। २३ ।। तत्फलं चाक्षयं स्याद्धि स्वेष्टादप्यधिकं नृणाम् ।। भक्तास्ते भगवद्धाम यान्त्यष्टावृत्तितः परम् ।। २४ ।। अतो विवेकिनो नित्यं विष्णुभक्त्यन्विताः क्रियाः ।। प्रवृत्ता वा निवृत्ता वा कुर्वते सकला अपि ।। २५ ।। ब्रह्मा स्थाणुर्मनुर्द्दक्षो भृगुर्द्धर्मस्तथा यमः ।। मरीचिरङ्गिराश्चात्रिः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः ।। २६ ।। वैभ्राजश्च वसिष्ठश्च विवस्वान्सोम एव च ।। कश्यपः कर्द्दमाद्याश्च प्रजानां पतयो मुने ।। २७ ।। देवाश्च ऋषयः सर्वे सर्वे वर्णास्तथाश्रमाः ।। पूजयन्ति तमेवेशं प्रवृत्तं धर्ममास्थिताः ।। २८ ।। सनः सनत्सुजातश्च सनकः स सनन्दनः ।। सनत्कुमारः कपिल आरुणिश्च सनातनः ।। २९ ।। ऋभुर्यतिश्च हंसाद्या मुनयो नैष्ठिकव्रताः ।। तमेव पूजयन्तीशं निवृत्तं धर्ममास्थिताः ।। 2.9.3.३० ।। वासुदेवस्याङ्गतया भावयित्वा सुरान्पितॄन् ।। अहिंसपूजाविधिना यजन्ते चान्वहं हि ते ।। ३१ ।। यथाधिकारमेते हि तेन यत्र नियोजिताः ।। प्रवृत्ते वा निवृत्ते वा धर्मे ते पालयन्ति तम् ।। तस्य देवस्य मर्यादां न क्रामन्त्युभयेपि ते ।। ३२ ।। चतुर्वर्गे तेषु यस्य यद्यदिष्टतमं भवेत् ।। तत्तत्संपूरयत्येव सर्व शक्तिपतिः प्रभुः ।। ३३ ।। भक्त्या कृतस्याप्यल्पस्य भगवान्पुण्यकर्मणः ।। प्रीतो ददात्येव फलं महदक्षयमीप्सितम् ।। ३४ ।। तेषु तद्भक्तितो लोके ये त्वेकान्तित्वमास्थिताः ।। वासुदेवं विनान्यत्र संक्षीणाशेषवासनाः ।। ३५ ।। देहान्ते ते तु संप्राप्य तस्य धाम तमःपरम् ।। देहैरप्राकृतैरेव प्रेम्णा परिचरन्ति तम् ।। ३६ ।। अन्ये तु भक्ताः कालेन तदुपासनदार्ढ्यतः ।। वासनानां क्षये जाते यान्त्येकान्तिकवद्धि तम् ।। ३७ ।। येन केनापि भावेन तेन संबध्यते तु यः ।। संसृतिं न प्रयात्येव स तु क्वाप्यन्यजीववत् ।। ३८ ।। कर्मयोगस्य संसिद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगस्य चेप्सिता ।। तस्याश्रयादेव नृणां निर्विघ्नं भवति द्रुतम्।। ३९ ।। तस्मात्स एव भगवान्सवर्रैपि जनैरिह ।। स्वाभीष्टफलसिद्ध्यर्थं प्रीत्योपास्यो यथाविधि ।। 2.9.3.४० ।। ब्रह्मैक्यमाप्ता निर्विघ्ना अपि ब्रह्मशिवादयः ।। श्रीविष्णोः कुर्वते भक्तिं सन्तीत्थं तन्महागुणाः ।। ४१ ।। इति गुह्यसमुद्देशस्तव नारद कीर्त्तितः ।। अतिप्रेम्णा हि सततं मयि भक्तिमतोऽखिलः ।। ४२ ।। इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे श्रीवासुदेवमाहात्म्ये श्रीवासुदेवसर्वोपास्यत्वनिरूपणं नाम तृतीयोऽध्यायः ।। ३ ।।

|| nārada uvāca || vedeṣu sapurāṇeṣu sāṃgopāṃgeṣu gīyase || tvameva śāśvato dhātā niyantāmṛtamacyuta || tvaṃ vidhātā ca satataṃ tvayi sarvamidaṃ jagat || 1 || catvāro hyāśramā deva sarve varṇāśca karmabhiḥ || yajante tvāmaharaharnnānāmūrttisamāsthitam || 2 || pitā mātā ca sarvasya daivataṃ tvaṃ hi śāśvatam || kaṃ tvaṃ ca yajase devaṃ pitaraṃ vā na vidmahe || 3 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca || naitadrahasyaṃ vaktavyamātmaguhyamathāpi te || mayi bhaktimate brahmanpravakṣyāmi yathātatham || 4 || satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ yo brahmeti śrutivarṇitaḥ || triguṇavyatiriktaśca puruṣo divyavigrahaḥ ||5|| mahāpuruṣa ityukto vāsudevaśca yaḥ prabhuḥ || nārāyaṇa ṛṣirviṣṇuḥ kṛṣṇaśca bhagavāniti ||6|| ekaḥ sa eva devo nau pitarau ceti viddhi bhoḥ || āvābhyāṃ pūjyate'sau hi daive pitrye ca kalpite ||7|| nāsti tasmātparataraḥ pitā devo'tha vā dvija || ] ātmā hi nau sa vijñeyaḥ kṛṣṇo brahmapureśvaraḥ ||8|| tenaiṣā prathitā brahmanmaryādā lokabhāvanī|| daivaṃ pitryaṃ ca kartavyamiti lokahitaiṣiṇā || 9|| pravṛttaṃ ca nivṛttaṃ ca dvedhā karmāsti vaidikam || yathādhikāraṃ vihitaṃ puruṣārthopalabdhaye ||2.9.3.10|| tantravedoktavidhinā svocitastrīparigrahaḥ || vittārjanaṃ ca nyāyena dravyayajñāḥ sakāmanāḥ || 11 || vāso grāme ca nagare pūrtamiṣṭaṃ ca karma yat || pravṛttaṃ tattu sakalamaśāntikṛdudīritam || 12 || strīdravyayoḥ parityāgaḥ kāmalobhakrudhāṃ tathā || vanavāsaśca vairāgyaṃ tapaḥ kṣāntiḥ śamo damaḥ || 13 || brahmayajñā yogayajñā jñānayajñāśca sarvaśaḥ || japayajñāśceti mune nivṛttaṃ karma kīrtitam || 14 || trilokyāṃ gatayo dharmaṃ pravṛttamanutiṣṭhatām || svargalokāvadhi mune manuṣyāṇāṃ bhavanti vai|| 15 || indracandrāgnilokādau svasvapuṇyaphalaṃ ca te || bhogaiśvaryaṃ vahuvidhamabhīṣṭaṃ bhuñjate khalu || 16 || yāvatpuṇyaṃ tāvadeva bhuktvā tatte surā'stataḥ || kṣīṇe tu sukṛte bhūyaḥ patanti vivaśā bhuvi || 17 || bhogaiśvaryādināśo hi kālavegena jāyate || anicchatāmapi mune teṣāṃ puṇyakṣaye sati || 18 || ādhikārikadevānāmapi brahmadine muhuḥ || iṣṭabhogaiśvaryanāśo jāyate kālaraṃhasā ||19|| nivṛttadharmaniṣṭhā ye yoginaśca tapasvinaḥ || janādīnyānti lokāṃstrīṃste tu trailokyato bahiḥ ||2.9.3.20|| tattallokaiśvaryabhogānbhuñjate te nijepsitān || dainandinepi pralaye varttante te yathāsukham || 21 || brahmaṇo dviparārddhānte tadbhogaiśvaryasaṃpadaḥ || naśyanti kālaśaktyaiva lokāsteṣāṃ ca nārada || 22 || athaitadvividhaṃ karma guṇātmakamapi dvija || kṛtaṃ cedviṣṇusaṃbaddhaṃ nirguṇaṃ syāttadā tu tat || 23 || tatphalaṃ cākṣayaṃ syāddhi sveṣṭādapyadhikaṃ nṛṇām || bhaktāste bhagavaddhāma yāntyaṣṭāvṛttitaḥ param || 24 || ato vivekino nityaṃ viṣṇubhaktyanvitāḥ kriyāḥ || pravṛttā vā nivṛttā vā kurvate sakalā api || 25 || brahmā sthāṇurmanurddakṣo bhṛgurddharmastathā yamaḥ || marīciraṅgirāścātriḥ pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ || 26 || vaibhrājaśca vasiṣṭhaśca vivasvānsoma eva ca || kaśyapaḥ karddamādyāśca prajānāṃ patayo mune || 27 || devāśca ṛṣayaḥ sarve sarve varṇāstathāśramāḥ || pūjayanti tameveśaṃ pravṛttaṃ dharmamāsthitāḥ || 28 || sanaḥ sanatsujātaśca sanakaḥ sa sanandanaḥ || sanatkumāraḥ kapila āruṇiśca sanātanaḥ || 29 || ṛbhuryatiśca haṃsādyā munayo naiṣṭhikavratāḥ || tameva pūjayantīśaṃ nivṛttaṃ dharmamāsthitāḥ || 2.9.3.30 || vāsudevasyāṅgatayā bhāvayitvā surānpitṝn || ahiṃsapūjāvidhinā yajante cānvahaṃ hi te || 31 || yathādhikāramete hi tena yatra niyojitāḥ || pravṛtte vā nivṛtte vā dharme te pālayanti tam || tasya devasya maryādāṃ na krāmantyubhayepi te || 32 || caturvarge teṣu yasya yadyadiṣṭatamaṃ bhavet || tattatsaṃpūrayatyeva sarva śaktipatiḥ prabhuḥ || 33 || bhaktyā kṛtasyāpyalpasya bhagavānpuṇyakarmaṇaḥ || prīto dadātyeva phalaṃ mahadakṣayamīpsitam || 34 || teṣu tadbhaktito loke ye tvekāntitvamāsthitāḥ || vāsudevaṃ vinānyatra saṃkṣīṇāśeṣavāsanāḥ || 35 || dehānte te tu saṃprāpya tasya dhāma tamaḥparam || dehairaprākṛtaireva premṇā paricaranti tam || 36 || anye tu bhaktāḥ kālena tadupāsanadārḍhyataḥ || vāsanānāṃ kṣaye jāte yāntyekāntikavaddhi tam || 37 || yena kenāpi bhāvena tena saṃbadhyate tu yaḥ || saṃsṛtiṃ na prayātyeva sa tu kvāpyanyajīvavat || 38 || karmayogasya saṃsiddhirjñānayogasya cepsitā || tasyāśrayādeva nṛṇāṃ nirvighnaṃ bhavati drutam|| 39 || tasmātsa eva bhagavānsavarraipi janairiha || svābhīṣṭaphalasiddhyarthaṃ prītyopāsyo yathāvidhi || 2.9.3.40 || brahmaikyamāptā nirvighnā api brahmaśivādayaḥ || śrīviṣṇoḥ kurvate bhaktiṃ santītthaṃ tanmahāguṇāḥ || 41 || iti guhyasamuddeśastava nārada kīrttitaḥ || atipremṇā hi satataṃ mayi bhaktimato'khilaḥ || 42 || iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe śrīvāsudevamāhātmye śrīvāsudevasarvopāsyatvanirūpaṇaṃ nāma tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ || 3 ||

English translation

Nārada said :

1. You are being praised in Vedas along with Purāṇas in all their divisions and sub-divisions. O Acyuta , you arc the eternal creator, controller. You are the creator and this entire world is always within you (i.e. you arc all-pervasive).

2. O Lord, (persons belonging to) the four stages of life, (people of) all castes, everyday adore with (worshipful, ritualistic) acts, you who are abiding in various forms.

3. You are the father, the mother and the eternal God unto all. We do not know whom you worship as father or god.

Nārāyaṇa replied :

4. This esoteric matter should be kept secret with one’s own self. Still, O Brāhmaṇa , I shall accurately explain to you who are devoted unto me.

5-7. Know him only to be our God and parent, who is described in Vedas as the Truth, Knowledge, Infinite Brahman , the Person transcendent to the three guṇas , the person of divine personality who is called the Supreme Man, Vāsudeva , the Master, Nārāyaṇa , Rṣi (Sage), Viṣṇu , Kṛṣṇa and the Lord. He is worshipped by us both, regarding him as God and Parent.

8. O Brāhmaṇa, there is no one superior to him as Father (Protector) or God. Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Brahma-pura (- loka ) should be known as our soul.

9. He has proclaimed this limit for promoting the welfare of the world, viz. performance of duties pertaining to gods and ancestors.

10. Vedic Karma is of two types—one Pravṛtta i.e. pertaining to the active duties (of worldly life), and the other, Nivṛtta or abstaining from worldly life. For realizing the objectives in life, it is prescribed according to the capacity of men.

11-12. ( Karmas under Pravṛtta category are as follows:)

Marrying a woman suitable to oneself by procedure prescribed in Tantra and/or Veda ; earning of wealth in a just way; sacrifices involving expenditure of money, but performed with a desired objective; stay in a village or a town; works of personal piety and works of public utility,—all this is Pravṛtta , which is said to be not contributory to peace.

13-14. (Karmas under the Nivṛtta category are as follows:)

Renuciation of wife, wealth, sex, greed and anger; stay in a forest; indifference to worldly objects; penance; forbearance; equanimity; self-control; recitation of the Vedas; Yoga - yajña ; Jñāna -yajña; muttering a mantra or prayer as sacrifice—all this has been mentioned as Nivṛtta Karma .

15. The movement of the souls of men who perform the Pravṛtta dharma is up to heaven in the three worlds .

16. As a fruit of their respective merits, they certainly enjoy various kinds of coveted lordly pleasures in the abodes of Indra , Candra , Agni and others.

17. Having enjoyed pleasures so long as the (balance of) merits lasts, those gods helplessly fall down to the earth again, when (the store of) their merit is exhausted. [1]

18. O sage, when their (stock of) merit is exhausted, their enjoyment and prosperity dwindle fast with the passage of time, even if they are unwilling.

19. Even in the case of Devas who are established there as authority, the destruction of their desired enjoyment and lordship frequently takes place with the speed of Time during Brahmā ’s day.

20. Yogins , the performers of penance who have firm devotion in Nivṛtta Dharma go to Jana and other three worlds beyond (our) three worlds (viz. the earth, the nether world and heaven).

21. As desired by them, they enjoy the pleasures and lordship afforded in those respective worlds. They live equally in happiness, during the daily type of Pralaya (world destruction).

22. At the end of two Parārdhas (i.e. one hundred) years of God Brahmā, their worlds as well as their prosperity, pleasures and lordliness, perish with the speed of Time, O Nārada .

23. Now this two-fold Karma, though possessed of Guṇas, becomes devoid of Guṇas, if performed with reference to (i.e. dedicating it to) Viṣṇu.

24. Its fruit is imperishable. It is much more than what is desired by men. Those devotees go to the supreme abode of the Lord from eight (various) modes of life.

25. Hence people with (right) discrimination always do all the acts, whether of the Pravṛtta or Nivṛtta type, (remaining imbued) always with devotion to Viṣṇu.

26-28. O sage, Brahmā, Śiva , Manu , Dakṣa , Bhṛgu , Dharma, Yama , Marīci , Aṅgiras , Atri , Pulastya , Pulaha , Kratu , Vaibhrāja , Vasiṣṭha , Sun-god, Moon-god, Patriarchs like Kaśyapa , Kardama and others, all gods, sages, all castes, and (persons belonging to) all stages of life—all those who have resorted to Pravṛtta Dharma (should) worship that very Lord.

29-30. Sana , Sanatsujāta , Sanaka , Sanandana , Sanatkumāra , Kapila , Āruṇi , Sanātana , Ṛbhu , Yati and sages like Haṃsa who are steady performers of vows—all these who arc established in Nivṛtta Dharma , worship that very Lord.

31. Considering gods and ancestors as parts of the person of Vāsudeva, they everyday worship them with the mode of worship free from injury to beings.

32. Wherever these are posted by him according to their powers, whether it is Pravṛtta type of Dharma or Nivṛtta type, they abide by it. In both the cases they never transgress the bounds of morality and propriety set by the Lord.

33. That Almighty Lord fully supplies whatever is most desired by any of them in the four classes.

34. The Lord, being pleased, gives the great, cherished imperishable fruit (i.e. Mokṣa ), for even a slight meritorious act done (unto him) with devotion.

35-36. Out of them, those who, out of devotion to him in the world, are established in devotion solely unto him, and all whose longings for objects other than Vāsudeva are thoroughly exhausted, at the end of their life attain to his domain which is beyond darkness. With their divine bodies they wait upon him with love.

37. Other devotees whose longings and false notions come to an end in due course, by firmness of devotional service also go to him like Ekāntika devotees (i.e. devotees who are exclusively attached to a single deity, Viṣṇu).

38. He who is associated with him in whatever manner or capacity, never returns to Saṃsāra anywhere like other living beings.

39. It is due solely to taking resort to him that the attainment of the fruit of Karma Yoga or Jñāna Yoga is quickly accomplished without any impediment.

40. Hence, that very Lord should be propitiated with love and devotion as per proper procedure by all people for the accomplishment of the fruit desired by oneself.

41. Gods Brahmā, Śiva and others attained oneness (and merger) with Brahman without any impediment. The great virtues of the Lord accrue unto him who performs worship of Śrī Viṣṇu.

42. As you entertain constant devotion unto me, O Nārada, I have spoken to you with deep affection, the whole of this esoteric doctrine.

[1]: [1] : Cf. BG XI.47.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23174, revision 71852 (2016-06-24T10:05:08Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371742.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.