Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 9
Sourceस्कन्द उवाच ।। भाविधर्मविपर्यासकालवेगवशोऽथ सः ।। नाहं क्षमिष्य इत्युक्त्वा कैलासं प्रययौ मुने ।। १ ।। त्रैलोक्याच्छ्रीरपि तदा समुद्रेन्तर्द्धिमाययौ ।। इन्द्रं विहायाप्सरसः सर्वशः श्रियमन्वयुः ।। २ ।। तपः शौचं दया सत्यं पादः सद्धर्मऋद्धयः ।। सिद्धयश्च बलं सत्त्वं सर्वतः श्रियमन्वयुः ।। ३ ।। गजादीनि च यानानि स्वर्णाद्याभूषणानि च ।। चिक्षिपुर्मणिरत्नानि धातूपकरणानि च ।। ४ ।। अन्नान्यौषधयः स्नेहाः कालेनाल्पेन चिक्षियुः ।। न क्षीरं धेनुमहिषीप्रमुखानां स्तनेष्वऽभूत् ।। ५ ।। नवापि निधयो नष्टाः कुबेरस्यापि मन्दिरात ।। इन्द्रः सहामरगणैरासीत्तापससन्निभः ।। ६ ।। सर्वाणि भोगद्रव्याणि नाशमीयुस्त्रिलोकतः ।। देवा दैत्या मनुष्याश्च सर्वे दारिद्यपीडिताः ।। ७ ।। कान्त्या हीनस्ततश्चन्द्रः प्रापाम्बुत्वं महोदधौ।। अनावृष्टिर्महत्यासीद्धान्यबीजक्षयंकरी ।। ८ ।। क्वान्नं क्वान्नेति जल्पन्तः क्षुत्क्षामाश्च निरोजसः ।। त्यक्त्वा ग्रामान्पुरश्चोषुर्वनेषु च नगेषु च ।।९।। क्षुधार्त्तास्ते पशून्हत्वा ग्राम्यानारण्यकांस्तथा ।। पक्त्वाऽपक्त्वापि वा केचित्तेषां मांसान्यभुञ्जत ।। 2.9.9.१० ।। विद्वांसो मुनयश्चाऽथ ये वै सद्धर्मचारिणः ।। म्रियमाणाः क्षुधाऽथापि नाश्नन्त पललानि तु ।। ११ ।। तदा तु वृद्धा ऋषयस्तान्दृष्ट्वाऽनशनादृतान् ।। मनुभिः सह वेदोक्तमापद्धर्ममबोधयन् ।। १२ ।। मुनयः प्रायशस्तत्र क्षुधा व्याकुलितेन्द्रियाः ।। परोक्षवादवेदार्थान्विपरीतान्प्रपेदिरे ।। १३ ।। अर्थं चाजादिशब्दानां मुख्यं छागादिमेव ते ।। बुबुधुश्चाऽथ ते प्राहुर्यज्ञान् कुरुत भो द्विजाः ।। १४ ।। या वेदविहिता हिंसा न सा हिंसास्ति दोषदा ।। उद्दिश्य देवान्पितॄंश्च ततो घ्नत पशूञ्छुभान्।। १५ ।। प्रोक्षितं देवताभ्यश्च पितृभ्यश्च निवेदितम् ।। भुञ्जत स्वेप्सितं मांसं स्वार्थं तु घ्नत मा पशून् ।।१६।। ततो देवर्षिभूपाला नराश्च स्वस्वशक्तितः ।। चक्रुस्तैर्बोधिता यज्ञानृते ह्येकान्तिकान्हरेः।।१७।। गोमेधमश्वमेधं च नरमेधमुखान्मखान् ।। चक्रुर्यज्ञावशिष्टानि मांसानि बुभुजुश्च ते।।१८।। विनष्टायाः श्रियः प्राप्त्यै केचिद्यज्ञांश्च चक्रिरे ।। स्त्रीपुत्रमंदिराद्यर्थं केचिच्च स्वीयवृत्तये ।। १९।। महायज्ञेष्वशक्तास्तु पितॄनुदिश्य भूरिशः ।। निहत्य श्राद्धेषु पशून्मांसान्यादंस्तथाऽऽदयन् ।। 2.9.9.२० ।। केचित्सरित्समुद्राणां तीरेष्वेवावसञ्जनाः ।। मत्स्याञ्जालैरुपादाय तदाहारा बभूविरे ।।२१।। स्वगृहागतशिष्टेभ्यः पशूनेव निहत्य च ।। निवेदयामासुरेते गोछागप्रमुखान्मुने ।। २२ ।। सजातीयविवाहानां नियमश्च तदा क्वचित् ।। नाभवद्धर्मसांकर्याद्वित्तवेश्माद्यभावतः ।।२३।।।। ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियादीनां क्षत्राद्या ब्रह्मणां सुताः ।। उपयेमिरे कालगत्या स्वस्ववंशविवृद्धये ।। २४ ।। इत्थं हिंसामया यज्ञाः संप्रवृत्ता महापदि ।। धर्मस्त्वाभासमात्रोऽस्थात्स्वयं तु श्रियमन्वगात् ।। २५ ।। अधर्मः सान्वयो लोकांस्त्रीनपि व्याप्य सर्वतः ।। अवर्द्धताऽल्पकालेन दुर्निवार्यो बुधैरपि ।। २६ ।। दरिद्राणामथैतेषामपत्यानि तु भूरिशः ।। तेषां च वंशविस्तारो महाँल्लोकेष्ववर्द्धत ।। २७ ।। विद्वांसस्तत्र ये जातास्ते तु धर्मं तमेव हि ।। मेनिरे मुख्यमेवाऽथ ग्रन्थांश्चक्रुश्च तादृशान् ।। २८ ।। ते परम्परया ग्रन्थाः प्रामाण्यं प्रतिपेदिरे ।। आद्ये त्रेतायुगे हीत्थमासीद्धर्मस्य विप्लवः ।। २९ ।। ततःप्रभृति लोकेषु यज्ञादौ पशुहिंसनम् ।। बभूव सत्ये तु युगे धर्म आसीत्सनातनः ।। 2.9.9.३० ।। कालेन महता सोपि सह देवैः सुराधिपः ।। आराध्य संपदं प्राप वासुदेवं प्रभुं मुने ।। ३१ ।। ततो धर्मनिकेतस्य श्रीपतेः कृपया हरेः ।। यथापूर्वं च सद्धर्मस्त्रिलोक्यां संप्रवर्त्तत ।। ३२ ।। तत्रापि केचिन्मुनयो नृपा देवाश्च मानुषाः ।। कामक्रोधरसास्वादलोभोपहतसद्धियः ।। तमापद्धर्ममद्यापि प्राधान्येनैव मन्वते ।। ३३ ।। एकान्तिनो भागवता जितकामादयस्तु ये ।। आपद्यपि न तेऽगृह्णंस्तं तदा किमुताऽन्यदा ।। ३४ ।। इत्थं ब्रह्मन्नादिकल्पे हिंस्रयज्ञप्रवर्त्तनम् ।। यथासीत्तन्मयाख्यातमापत्कालवशाद्भुवि ।। ३५ ।। ।। इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे श्रीवासुदेवमाहात्म्ये हिंस्रयज्ञप्रवृत्तिहेतुनिरूपणं नाम नवमोऽध्यायः ।। ९ ।।
skanda uvāca || bhāvidharmaviparyāsakālavegavaśo'tha saḥ || nāhaṃ kṣamiṣya ityuktvā kailāsaṃ prayayau mune || 1 || trailokyācchrīrapi tadā samudrentarddhimāyayau || indraṃ vihāyāpsarasaḥ sarvaśaḥ śriyamanvayuḥ || 2 || tapaḥ śaucaṃ dayā satyaṃ pādaḥ saddharmaṛddhayaḥ || siddhayaśca balaṃ sattvaṃ sarvataḥ śriyamanvayuḥ || 3 || gajādīni ca yānāni svarṇādyābhūṣaṇāni ca || cikṣipurmaṇiratnāni dhātūpakaraṇāni ca || 4 || annānyauṣadhayaḥ snehāḥ kālenālpena cikṣiyuḥ || na kṣīraṃ dhenumahiṣīpramukhānāṃ staneṣva'bhūt || 5 || navāpi nidhayo naṣṭāḥ kuberasyāpi mandirāta || indraḥ sahāmaragaṇairāsīttāpasasannibhaḥ || 6 || sarvāṇi bhogadravyāṇi nāśamīyustrilokataḥ || devā daityā manuṣyāśca sarve dāridyapīḍitāḥ || 7 || kāntyā hīnastataścandraḥ prāpāmbutvaṃ mahodadhau|| anāvṛṣṭirmahatyāsīddhānyabījakṣayaṃkarī || 8 || kvānnaṃ kvānneti jalpantaḥ kṣutkṣāmāśca nirojasaḥ || tyaktvā grāmānpuraścoṣurvaneṣu ca nageṣu ca ||9|| kṣudhārttāste paśūnhatvā grāmyānāraṇyakāṃstathā || paktvā'paktvāpi vā kecitteṣāṃ māṃsānyabhuñjata || 2.9.9.10 || vidvāṃso munayaścā'tha ye vai saddharmacāriṇaḥ || mriyamāṇāḥ kṣudhā'thāpi nāśnanta palalāni tu || 11 || tadā tu vṛddhā ṛṣayastāndṛṣṭvā'naśanādṛtān || manubhiḥ saha vedoktamāpaddharmamabodhayan || 12 || munayaḥ prāyaśastatra kṣudhā vyākulitendriyāḥ || parokṣavādavedārthānviparītānprapedire || 13 || arthaṃ cājādiśabdānāṃ mukhyaṃ chāgādimeva te || bubudhuścā'tha te prāhuryajñān kuruta bho dvijāḥ || 14 || yā vedavihitā hiṃsā na sā hiṃsāsti doṣadā || uddiśya devānpitṝṃśca tato ghnata paśūñchubhān|| 15 || prokṣitaṃ devatābhyaśca pitṛbhyaśca niveditam || bhuñjata svepsitaṃ māṃsaṃ svārthaṃ tu ghnata mā paśūn ||16|| tato devarṣibhūpālā narāśca svasvaśaktitaḥ || cakrustairbodhitā yajñānṛte hyekāntikānhareḥ||17|| gomedhamaśvamedhaṃ ca naramedhamukhānmakhān || cakruryajñāvaśiṣṭāni māṃsāni bubhujuśca te||18|| vinaṣṭāyāḥ śriyaḥ prāptyai kecidyajñāṃśca cakrire || strīputramaṃdirādyarthaṃ kecicca svīyavṛttaye || 19|| mahāyajñeṣvaśaktāstu pitṝnudiśya bhūriśaḥ || nihatya śrāddheṣu paśūnmāṃsānyādaṃstathā''dayan || 2.9.9.20 || kecitsaritsamudrāṇāṃ tīreṣvevāvasañjanāḥ || matsyāñjālairupādāya tadāhārā babhūvire ||21|| svagṛhāgataśiṣṭebhyaḥ paśūneva nihatya ca || nivedayāmāsurete gochāgapramukhānmune || 22 || sajātīyavivāhānāṃ niyamaśca tadā kvacit || nābhavaddharmasāṃkaryādvittaveśmādyabhāvataḥ ||23|||| brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyādīnāṃ kṣatrādyā brahmaṇāṃ sutāḥ || upayemire kālagatyā svasvavaṃśavivṛddhaye || 24 || itthaṃ hiṃsāmayā yajñāḥ saṃpravṛttā mahāpadi || dharmastvābhāsamātro'sthātsvayaṃ tu śriyamanvagāt || 25 || adharmaḥ sānvayo lokāṃstrīnapi vyāpya sarvataḥ || avarddhatā'lpakālena durnivāryo budhairapi || 26 || daridrāṇāmathaiteṣāmapatyāni tu bhūriśaḥ || teṣāṃ ca vaṃśavistāro mahā~llokeṣvavarddhata || 27 || vidvāṃsastatra ye jātāste tu dharmaṃ tameva hi || menire mukhyamevā'tha granthāṃścakruśca tādṛśān || 28 || te paramparayā granthāḥ prāmāṇyaṃ pratipedire || ādye tretāyuge hītthamāsīddharmasya viplavaḥ || 29 || tataḥprabhṛti lokeṣu yajñādau paśuhiṃsanam || babhūva satye tu yuge dharma āsītsanātanaḥ || 2.9.9.30 || kālena mahatā sopi saha devaiḥ surādhipaḥ || ārādhya saṃpadaṃ prāpa vāsudevaṃ prabhuṃ mune || 31 || tato dharmaniketasya śrīpateḥ kṛpayā hareḥ || yathāpūrvaṃ ca saddharmastrilokyāṃ saṃpravarttata || 32 || tatrāpi kecinmunayo nṛpā devāśca mānuṣāḥ || kāmakrodharasāsvādalobhopahatasaddhiyaḥ || tamāpaddharmamadyāpi prādhānyenaiva manvate || 33 || ekāntino bhāgavatā jitakāmādayastu ye || āpadyapi na te'gṛhṇaṃstaṃ tadā kimutā'nyadā || 34 || itthaṃ brahmannādikalpe hiṃsrayajñapravarttanam || yathāsīttanmayākhyātamāpatkālavaśādbhuvi || 35 || || iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe śrīvāsudevamāhātmye hiṃsrayajñapravṛttihetunirūpaṇaṃ nāma navamo'dhyāyaḥ || 9 ||
English translation
Skanda said :
1. O sage, under the influence of Time leading to the perversity of Dharma in future, he ( Durvāsas ) said, “I will not forgive” and went to Kailāsa .
2. Goddess Śrī also then disappeared from the three worlds into the sea. All the celestial damsels in a body left Indra and followed Śrī.
3. Penance, Purity, Mercy, Truth, Pāda (?), True Dharma, Prosperity, Supernatural Powers, Strength, Sattva (quality of goodness)—all of them followed Śrī.
4. Vehicles, elephants and others, ornaments of gold etc., precious stones etc. and metal implements decreased.
5. Within a short time foods, plants, herbs, oils, greasy substances became scanty. No milk was generated in the udders of milk-giving beasts of which cows, she-buffaloes were prominent.
6. From the mansion of Kubera , even the nine treasures [1] disappeared. Indra along with multitudes of Devas became like ascetics.
7. All materials of enjoyment came to an end in all the three worlds. Devas, Daityas and human beings were afflicted with poverty.
8. The moon became devoid of its lovely brightness, and became like water in the ocean. There was a terrific drought which ruined completely seeds and grains of corn.
9. Repeatedly crying out ‘Where is food,?’ men emaciated with hunger and bereft of strength, left villages and towns and resorted to forests and mountains.
10. Being overwhelmed with hunger, some of them killed animals, both wild and domesticated, and ate their flesh, either cooked or uncooked.
11. Learned men and sages who followed the true Dharma did not eat flesh, even though they were being starved to death.
12. Seeing them taking to fasting and starvation, old sages along with Manu taught them Dharma to be followed in adversity as proclaimed by the Vedas .
Most of the sages whose sense-organs had become confused due to hunger gave perverse interpretation of the Vedas.
13-15. They took a word like Aja to means as a goat and exhorted, “O Brāhmaṇas , perform (animal) sacrifices. The violence ( Hiṃsā ) prescribed by the Vedas is not a fault or violence resulting in sin [2] . Therefore, kill auspicious (sacrificial) beasts in the name of Devas and Pitṛs . Enjoy the flesh (of any animal) desired by you after it is consecrated with sprinkling of water and dedicated to deities and manes as Naivedya . But do not kill animals for your own sake.”
16. Then Devas, sages, kings and men who were thus taught by them performed according to their capacities sacrifices, except those who were solely devoted to Hari .
17-18. They performed sacrifices like Go- medha (bull-sacrifice), Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice) and sacrifices of which human-sacrifice [3] was prominent and enjoyed the flesh that was left over after the sacrifice.
19. Some performed sacrifices for wealth that is lost. Some performed for obtaining women (wives), sons and house and some for (the prosperity of) their profession.
20. Those who were unable to perform great sacrifices, killed on various occasions animals intending them for their Pitṛs (manes) in Śrāddhas and ate them and made others do so.
21. Some people living on the shores of seas or banks of rivers, caught fishes with nets and became eaters of them (fish).
22. O sage, by killing animals of which cows (bulls) and goats were prominent for the sake of distinguished guests, they served it to them.
23. At that time, in the absence of wealth, houses etc., and due to promiscuous mixture of Dharmas , no rule of marriage between individuals belonging to the same caste was observed.
24. In accordance with the damands [demands?] of times (and new trends), for the sake of enlargement and continuity of one’s race, Brāhmaṇas married daughters of Kṣatriyas (and oṃer castes) and Kṣatriyas and others married daughters of Brāhmaṇas.
25. Thus in that great calamity, sacrifices involving Hiṃsā were commenced. Dharma itself followed Goddess Śrī (to the bottom of the sea), while a semblance of Dharma remained.
26. Adharma along with its consequents pervaded all the three worlds and thrived within a short time. It was extremely difficult to be checked by the wise and learned people.
27. There were numerous children produced by those poverty-stricken people and the extensions of their families increased greatly in the world.
28. Those who became learned among them regarded it (i.e. Adharma, the then prevalent practices) as the real Dharma, and wrote treatises accordingly.
29. Those treatises became authoritative in due course by the power of tradition. In the first Tretā Yuga Dharma took such an evil turn.
30. Then onwards, killing of animals in Yajña (sacrifices) and on other (religious) occasions gained currency. It was only in Satya ( Kṛta ) Yuga that there prevailed the eternal Dharma.
31. After a long time, Indra, the Lord of Devas, along with Devas, propitiated Lord Vāsudeva and regained his prosperity, O sage.
32. Then through the grace of Hari, the Lord of Śrī and the seat (refuge) of Dharma, the real Dharma spread about in the three worlds.
33. Still there are some Devas, sages, and men whose good minds are adversely affected by sex, anger, greed and relish for (non-vegetarian) taste, who regard the Āpad-dharma (i.e. practices allowable in time of distress) as the main Dharma.
34. Devotees of the Lord, who have conquered their passions, and who are solely devoted to the Lord, do not take to them (those practices) even while under duress. What to say of other occasions!
35. Thus, O brāhmaṇa , I have narrated to you how in the first Kalpa , sacrifices involving Hiṃsā (violence) became prevalent.
[1]: [1] : The following are the nine treasures of Kubera: Padma, Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Nanda, Nīla, and Kharva. They are also personified as the attendants of Kubera or Lakṣmī.
[2]: [2] : This has been the stance of Mīmāṃsakas, Pāñcarātrikas i.e. Vaiṣṇavas like Rāmānuja.
[3]: [3] : The Purāṇa-author seems to be ignorant of the fact that human-beings were never killed in the so-called Nara-medha . Western scholar like A.B. Keith and others have specially pointed out that this Nṛ-Yajña or Manuṣya-Yajña is ‘Honouring Guests’. For details vide Kane, HD, H.ii, Ch.XXI, pp. 749-56.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23180, revision 71858 (2016-06-24T10:10:18Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371748.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.