Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 8
Sourceसावर्णिरुवाच ।। महर्षिवारितैर्द्देवैस्त्यक्ते हिंसामये मखे ।। पुनः कथं संप्रवृत्ता मखाः सर्वत्र तादृशाः ।। १ ।। देवेष्वृषिषु भूपेषु प्राचीनाधुनिकेषु च ।। सनातनः शुद्धधर्मो विपर्यासं कथं गतः ।। २ ।। अत्र मे संशयो भूयान्संजातोऽद्य षडानन ।। त्वं सर्वशास्त्रतत्त्वज्ञस्तमपाकर्त्तुमर्हसि ।। ३ ।। स्कन्द उवाच ।। कालो बलीयान्बलिनां भिद्यन्ते तेन बुद्धयः ।। कामक्रोधरसास्वादलोभमानवतां मुने ।। ४ ।। अतिक्रमेण महतां यथार्थहितभाषिणाम् ।। क्रोधमानवशात्पुंसां नश्यन्त्येव च सद्धियः ।। ५ ।। अकार्यमपि ते कर्तुं तदानीं तु बुधा अपि ।। प्रवर्त्तन्तेऽनुतप्यन्ते बम्भ्रम्यन्तेऽथ संसृतौ ।। ६ ।। कामादिभिर्विहीना ये सात्वताः क्षीणवासनाः ।। तेषां तु बुद्धिभेदाय क्वापि कालो न शक्नुते ।।७।। अनाश्रितस्तु सद्धर्मं पुमान्कश्चन कर्हिचित् ।। संसृतेर्म्मुच्यते नैव सत्यमेतद्वचो मम ।। ८ ।। प्रवृत्तिं हिंस्रयज्ञादेरथ ते द्विजसत्तम ।। कथयामि यथा पूर्वं मयाऽश्रावि पितुर्मुखात् ।।९।। अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् ।। नारायणस्य माहात्म्यं यत्र लक्ष्म्याश्च कीर्तितम् ।। 2.9.8.१० ।। मुनीनां बृहतां तेषामतिक्रमणदोषतः ।। इन्द्रस्यासीद्विश्वजितः सद्बुद्धिविलयो मुने ।। ११ ।। दुर्वासाः शंकरस्यांशस्तपस्वी मुनिरेकदा ।। चरन्यदृच्छया लोकान्पुष्पभद्रां नदीं ययौ ।। १२ ।। जलक्रीडार्थमायांतीं स्वर्गात्तत्र सखीवृताम् ।। विद्याधरस्य सुमतेरङ्गनां स समैक्षत ।। १३ ।। स्वर्गङ्गाहेमकमलैर्ग्रथितामतिसौरभाम् ।। दधतीं दक्षिणे पाणौ स्रजं मदकलाभिधाम् ।। १४ ।। तामवेक्ष्य मुनिस्तस्याः समीपमुपगम्य सः ।। उन्मत्तवद्ययाचे तां स्रजं विद्याधरीधृताम्।। ।। १५ ।। सापि प्रणम्य तं सद्यो माहात्म्यं तस्य जानती ।। तत्कंठे धारयामास मालां तां परमादरात् ।। १६ ।। ततः प्रीतमना गच्छन्गायन्नुन्मत्तवन्मुनिः ।। ददर्श पथि देवेन्द्रमायान्तं तां महानदीम् ।। १७ ।। अप्सरोभिश्च गन्धर्वैः सतालं मधुरस्वरम् ।। उपगीयमानविजयमधिरूढं गजाधिपम् ।। १८ ।। रम्भामधुरसंगीतश्रवणानन्दनिर्वृतम् ।। तन्मुखाब्जस्थिरदृशं छत्रचामरशोभितम् ।। १९ ।। अनवेक्षमाणमात्मानं तं दृष्ट्वा सोऽत्रिनन्दनः ।। स्वकण्ठस्थां स्रजं तस्मिंश्चिक्षेपोन्मत्तवद्धसन् ।। 2.9.8.२० ।। इन्द्रोप्यधर्मसर्गेण समाविष्टः पुरैव यत् ।। ततस्तदा कामवशस्तां न्यधाद्गजकुम्भयोः ।। तत्सौरभाकृष्टचेताः करीन्द्रः शुण्डयाऽकृषत् ।। २१ ।। करात्सा पतिता भूमौ तां च गच्छन्करी पदा ।। ममर्द्द पश्यतस्तस्य महर्षेस्तपसां निधेः ।। २२ ।। ततः क्रुद्धः स दुर्वासाः प्रलयाग्न्यरुणेक्षणः ।। प्राहेन्द्रं मत्त दुष्टात्मन्स्तब्धोसि कामलम्पट ।। २३ ।। श्रियो धाम स्रजं प्रीत्या मद्दत्तां नाभिनन्दसि ।। प्रणाममपि रे मूढ न करोषि त्वमुन्मदः ।। २४ ।। न वीक्षसे मामपि त्वं त्वादृङ्मत्तैकशिक्षकम् ।। त्रैलोक्यराज्यप्राप्तान्ध्यः सम्यक्त्वां शिक्षयेऽधुना ।।२५।। यस्याः प्रसादात्त्रैलोक्यराज्यसौख्यं त्वमाप्तवान् ।। सैव श्रीः सत्रिलोकं त्वां हित्वा लीनाऽस्तु सागरे ।। २६ ।। वज्रपातोपमं वाक्यं तन्निशम्यैव तत्क्षणम् ।। गजादुत्प्लुत्य विमदस्तदंघ्र्योर्न्यपतद्धरि ।। २७ ।। प्रार्थयामास च मुहुः प्रणमंस्तं सवेपथुः ।। प्रसादं मयि दासे त्वं कृपालो कर्तुमर्हसि ।। २८ ।। तं प्राहाऽथ स रे शक्र नाहं वै गौतमो मुनिः ।। अक्षमासारसर्वस्वं दुर्वाससमवेहि माम् ।। २९ ।। अन्ये ते मुनयो दुष्टास्तावकास्तेऽनुवर्त्तिनः ।। अहं तु त्वादृशान्कीटान्गणये नैव निःस्पृहः ।। 2.9.8.३० ।। ज्वलज्जटाकलापाच्च भ्रुकुटीकुटिलेक्षणात् ।। को वा न बिभियान्मत्तो ब्रह्माण्डे पापकर्मकृत् ।। ३१ ।। इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे श्रीवासुदेवमाहात्म्ये देवेन्द्रशापो नामाऽष्टमोऽध्यायः ।। ८ ।।
sāvarṇiruvāca || maharṣivāritairddevaistyakte hiṃsāmaye makhe || punaḥ kathaṃ saṃpravṛttā makhāḥ sarvatra tādṛśāḥ || 1 || deveṣvṛṣiṣu bhūpeṣu prācīnādhunikeṣu ca || sanātanaḥ śuddhadharmo viparyāsaṃ kathaṃ gataḥ || 2 || atra me saṃśayo bhūyānsaṃjāto'dya ṣaḍānana || tvaṃ sarvaśāstratattvajñastamapākarttumarhasi || 3 || skanda uvāca || kālo balīyānbalināṃ bhidyante tena buddhayaḥ || kāmakrodharasāsvādalobhamānavatāṃ mune || 4 || atikrameṇa mahatāṃ yathārthahitabhāṣiṇām || krodhamānavaśātpuṃsāṃ naśyantyeva ca saddhiyaḥ || 5 || akāryamapi te kartuṃ tadānīṃ tu budhā api || pravarttante'nutapyante bambhramyante'tha saṃsṛtau || 6 || kāmādibhirvihīnā ye sātvatāḥ kṣīṇavāsanāḥ || teṣāṃ tu buddhibhedāya kvāpi kālo na śaknute ||7|| anāśritastu saddharmaṃ pumānkaścana karhicit || saṃsṛtermmucyate naiva satyametadvaco mama || 8 || pravṛttiṃ hiṃsrayajñāderatha te dvijasattama || kathayāmi yathā pūrvaṃ mayā'śrāvi piturmukhāt ||9|| atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam || nārāyaṇasya māhātmyaṃ yatra lakṣmyāśca kīrtitam || 2.9.8.10 || munīnāṃ bṛhatāṃ teṣāmatikramaṇadoṣataḥ || indrasyāsīdviśvajitaḥ sadbuddhivilayo mune || 11 || durvāsāḥ śaṃkarasyāṃśastapasvī munirekadā || caranyadṛcchayā lokānpuṣpabhadrāṃ nadīṃ yayau || 12 || jalakrīḍārthamāyāṃtīṃ svargāttatra sakhīvṛtām || vidyādharasya sumateraṅganāṃ sa samaikṣata || 13 || svargaṅgāhemakamalairgrathitāmatisaurabhām || dadhatīṃ dakṣiṇe pāṇau srajaṃ madakalābhidhām || 14 || tāmavekṣya munistasyāḥ samīpamupagamya saḥ || unmattavadyayāce tāṃ srajaṃ vidyādharīdhṛtām|| || 15 || sāpi praṇamya taṃ sadyo māhātmyaṃ tasya jānatī || tatkaṃṭhe dhārayāmāsa mālāṃ tāṃ paramādarāt || 16 || tataḥ prītamanā gacchangāyannunmattavanmuniḥ || dadarśa pathi devendramāyāntaṃ tāṃ mahānadīm || 17 || apsarobhiśca gandharvaiḥ satālaṃ madhurasvaram || upagīyamānavijayamadhirūḍhaṃ gajādhipam || 18 || rambhāmadhurasaṃgītaśravaṇānandanirvṛtam || tanmukhābjasthiradṛśaṃ chatracāmaraśobhitam || 19 || anavekṣamāṇamātmānaṃ taṃ dṛṣṭvā so'trinandanaḥ || svakaṇṭhasthāṃ srajaṃ tasmiṃścikṣeponmattavaddhasan || 2.9.8.20 || indropyadharmasargeṇa samāviṣṭaḥ puraiva yat || tatastadā kāmavaśastāṃ nyadhādgajakumbhayoḥ || tatsaurabhākṛṣṭacetāḥ karīndraḥ śuṇḍayā'kṛṣat || 21 || karātsā patitā bhūmau tāṃ ca gacchankarī padā || mamardda paśyatastasya maharṣestapasāṃ nidheḥ || 22 || tataḥ kruddhaḥ sa durvāsāḥ pralayāgnyaruṇekṣaṇaḥ || prāhendraṃ matta duṣṭātmanstabdhosi kāmalampaṭa || 23 || śriyo dhāma srajaṃ prītyā maddattāṃ nābhinandasi || praṇāmamapi re mūḍha na karoṣi tvamunmadaḥ || 24 || na vīkṣase māmapi tvaṃ tvādṛṅmattaikaśikṣakam || trailokyarājyaprāptāndhyaḥ samyaktvāṃ śikṣaye'dhunā ||25|| yasyāḥ prasādāttrailokyarājyasaukhyaṃ tvamāptavān || saiva śrīḥ satrilokaṃ tvāṃ hitvā līnā'stu sāgare || 26 || vajrapātopamaṃ vākyaṃ tanniśamyaiva tatkṣaṇam || gajādutplutya vimadastadaṃghryornyapataddhari || 27 || prārthayāmāsa ca muhuḥ praṇamaṃstaṃ savepathuḥ || prasādaṃ mayi dāse tvaṃ kṛpālo kartumarhasi || 28 || taṃ prāhā'tha sa re śakra nāhaṃ vai gautamo muniḥ || akṣamāsārasarvasvaṃ durvāsasamavehi mām || 29 || anye te munayo duṣṭāstāvakāste'nuvarttinaḥ || ahaṃ tu tvādṛśānkīṭāngaṇaye naiva niḥspṛhaḥ || 2.9.8.30 || jvalajjaṭākalāpācca bhrukuṭīkuṭilekṣaṇāt || ko vā na bibhiyānmatto brahmāṇḍe pāpakarmakṛt || 31 || iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe śrīvāsudevamāhātmye devendraśāpo nāmā'ṣṭamo'dhyāyaḥ || 8 ||
English translation
Note: In this chapter also the curse-motif is used to explain Indra ’s loss of fortune. The episode is mentioned in BhP and Brahmāṇḍa P. ( Purāṇa Index II.106). The object here is to explain why Yajñas involving Hiṃsā came in vogue even after that punishment to Uparicara Vasu .
Sāvarṇi enquired :
1. How is it that sacrifices (involving Hiṃsā) became prevalent again after sacrifices involving injury to animals were given up by Devas at the request of great sages?
2 How is it that the eternal pure Dharma became perverse among ancient and modern Devas, sages and kings?
3. O Six-faced God! A great doubt has been engendered today in me. You are a knower of the truth of all Śāstras . It behoves you to remove that doubt.
Skanda replied :
4. Time ( Kāla ) is mighty. The minds of the powerful ones who are possessed of desire, anger, taste for liquor, avarice, pride are penetrated by Kāla.
5. Good ideas of men become spoiled by being subjected to anger and pride owing to the transgression of (the advice of) the great ones who speak true and beneficial (words).
6. Even ṃough they are wise, they are intent on doing a criminal act, repent and continuously wander in Saṃsāra .
7. But even Kāla (god of Death, Time) is not able to create aberrations in the mind of those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa and are devoid of (illicit) desire for pleasure etc., and whose instinctive tendencies have all ceased.
8. I speak the truth that any person who does not resort to proper Dharma (path of virtue), shall never be liberated from Saṃsāra.
9. O most excellent Brāhmaṇa ! I shall now narrate to you, the beginning of sacrifices involving violence, as I have heard it from the mouth of my father ( Śiva ).
10. Here they cite as an illustration this ancient legend in which Nārāyaṇa and Lakṣmī are glorified.
11. Due to his fault of transgressing great sages, the power of mentally perceiving rightly what is good, was lost by Indra called Viśvajit , O sage.
12. Sage Durvāsas , a part of god Śaṅkara , a performer of penance, once happened to go to the river Puṣpabhadrā during his course of wanderings in the worlds.
13. There he saw the wife of a Vidyādhara named Sumati surrounded by her friends. She came down from heaven for water sports.
14. She was called Madakalā (‘one singing softly as if intoxicated’). She was holding in her right hand a very fragrant garland of golden lotuses from the Heavenly Gaṅgā .
15. Seeing her, the sage approached her. Like an intoxicated person, he requested for the garland held by the Vidyādhara lady.
16. Knowing his greatness, she immediately bowed down to him, and out of great respect, she made him wear the garland round his neck.
17. Being highly pleased in mind, the sage went away singing like an inebriated person. On his way, he saw Devendra coming to the great river.
18. His victories were being praised in sweet musical voice by divine damsels and musicians ( Gandharvas ). He was riding a royal elephant.
19. He saw Indra who was lost in the ecstasy of hearing the sweet (vocal) music of Raṃbhā, whose eyes were fixed on her lotus-like face and looked splendid, embellished as he was with (royal) umbrella and chowries , but he was not looking at him (Durvāsas).
20. Seeing him, the son of Atri (i.e Durvāsas), laughing like an intoxicated person, hurled at him the garland he was wearing round his neck.
21. Indra who was already possessed (as it were), due to his contact with Adharma (unrighteousness), was then overcome with passion, placed it on the temples of the elephant. The royal elephant, with his mind attracted by the fragrance, pulled it down with his trunk.
22. From his trank it fell down on the ground. The elephant crushed it under his feet while he was walking—all this happened while the great sage, a storehouse of penance, was looking on.
23-26. Then the infuriated Durvāsas, with his eyes red like the fire appearing at the time of world-destruction, spoke to Indra:
“O intoxicated wicked-souled one, addicted to licentious pleasures, you are arrogant. You do not welcome the garland, the abode of Goddess Śrī, given by me out of love (for you). You intoxicated fellow do not pay me obeisance, O fool. You do not take cognizance even of me who am the only person who (can) teach a lesson to an arrogant and inebriated fellow like you. You have become blind by getting the kingdom of the three worlds . Now I shall teach you properly. Goddess Śrī, with whose favour you are enjoying the kingdom of the three worlds, has abandoned you along with the three worlds and is submerged in the sea.”
27. As soon as he heard his (Durvāsas’) words terrible like a stroke of thunderbolt, he at once jumped down from the elephant. With his pride humbled, Hari (Indra) fell at his feet.
28. Trembling and bowing down again and again, he prayed: “Compassionate as you are, it behoves you to show favour unto me.”
29-31. He (Durvāsas) spoke out, “O Śakra , I am not verily a sage (like) Gautama . 1 Know me to be Durvāsas who is the very essence of non-forbearance and wrath. Other sages spoiled by you are your followers. But I, a desireless sage, have no regard for worms like you. Is there a sinner in the whole of the universe who is not afraid of me, of my brilliant mass of matted hair, and my (angry) sight with curved eyebrows?”
Gautama did not spare Indra for his affair with his wife Ahalyā . He did curse Indra whereby he became goat-testicled (VR I. 49.2-10).
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23179, revision 71857 (2016-06-24T10:09:27Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371747.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.