Vāsudeva-māhātmya · Chapter 19
Source।। स्कन्द उवाच ।। ततः स ददृशे देवौ पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ ।। तपश्चरन्तौ सुमहदात्मनिष्ठौ महाव्रतौ ।।१।। तेजसाप्यधिकौ सूर्यात्सर्वलोकविरोचनात् ।। श्रीवत्सलक्षणौ पूज्यौ जटामण्डलधारिणौ ।।२।। पद्मचिह्नभुजौ तौ च पादयोश्चक्रलक्षणौ।। व्यूढोरस्कौ दीर्घभुजौ सितसूक्ष्मघनांशुकौ ।। ३ ।। स्वास्यौ पृथुललाटौ च सुभ्रुवौ शुभनासिकौ ।। शुभलक्षणसंपन्नौ दिव्यमूर्त्ती घनप्रभौ ।। ४ ।। विनयेनान्तिकं प्राप्य तयोः कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणाम् ।। भक्त्या प्रणम्य साष्टाङ्गं तस्थौ प्राञ्जलिरग्रतः ।। ५ ।। ततस्तौ तपसां वासौ यशसां तेजसामपि ।। ऋषी पौर्वाह्णिकस्यान्ते विधेर्मौनं विहाय च ।। ६ ।। प्रीत्या नारदमव्यग्रौ पाद्यार्घ्याभ्यां समार्चताम् ।। पीठयोरुपविष्टौ तौ कौशयोर्नारदश्च सः।। ।।७।। तेषु तत्रोपविष्टेषु स देशोभिव्यराजत ।। आज्याहुतिमहाज्वालैर्यज्ञवाटोग्निभिर्यथा ।। ८ ।। अथ नारायणस्तत्र नारदं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। सुखोपविष्टं विश्रान्तं कृतातिथ्यं सुसत्कृतम् ।। ९ ।। श्रीनारायण उवाच ।। अपि ब्रह्मन्स भगवान्परमात्मा सनातनः ।। ब्रह्मधाम्नि त्वया दृष्ट आवयो कारणं परम् ।। 2.9.19.१० ।। नारद उवाच ।। भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादेन तमहं परमेश्वरम् ।। वासुदेवं समालोके स्थितमक्षरधामनि ।। ११ ।। इह चैवागतस्तेन विसृष्टो वां निषेवितुम् ।। आसिष्ये तत्परो भूत्वा युवाभ्यां सह नित्यशः ।। १२ ।। श्रीनारायण उवाच ।। धन्योस्यनुगृहीतोसि यत्ते दृष्टः स्वयं प्रभुः ।। नहि तं दृष्टवान्ब्रह्मन्कश्चिद्देवोपि वा ऋषिः ।।१३।। भक्त्यैकान्तिकया तस्य प्राप्ता अक्षरसाम्यताम्।। ये हि भक्तास्त एवैनं पश्यन्त्यखिलकारणम्।।१४।। स दिव्यमूर्त्तिर्भगवान्दुर्द्दर्शः पुरुषोत्तमः ।। नारदैतद्धि मे सत्यं वचनं समुदाहृतम् ।। १५।। नान्यो भक्तात्प्रियतरो लोके तस्यास्ति कश्चन ।। ततः स्वयं दर्शितवांस्तवात्मानं द्विजोत्तम ।। १६ ।। तेजःपुञ्जाभिरुद्धांगो गुणातीताद्भुताकृतिः ।। अखण्डानन्दरूपश्च सदा शुद्धोऽच्युतोस्ति सः ।। १७ ।। रूपवर्णवयोवस्थाः प्राकृता नैव तस्य हि ।। सर्वं तस्यास्ति तद्दिव्यं सर्वोपकरणानि च ।। एकान्तिकानां भक्तानां स एव परमा गतिः ।। १८ ।। आत्मब्रह्मैक्यसंपन्नैर्विनिवृत्तगुणैरपि ।। क्रियते वासुदेवस्य भक्तिरित्थंगुणो हि सः ।। १९।। माहात्म्यमस्य को वक्तुं शक्नुयात्परमात्मनः ।। अचिन्त्यानन्तशक्तीनामधिपस्य महामुने ।। 2.9.19.२० ।। आत्मात्मा चाक्षरात्मा च ह्येष आकाशनिर्मलः ।। दिव्यदृगीक्ष्यः सन्मात्रः पुरुषो वसुदेवजः ।। २१ ।। समस्तकल्याणगुणो निर्गुणश्चेश्वरेश्वरः ।। परया विद्यया वेद्य उपास्यो ब्रह्मवित्प्रभुः ।। २२ ।। दिव्यमूर्त्तिं तमीशानं तपसैकान्तिकेन च ।। यः प्रीणयति धर्मेण स धन्यतम उच्यते ।। २३ ।। तस्मात्त्वमपि देवर्षे धर्मेणैकान्तिकेन तम् ।। आराधयन्निहैवांग कंचित्कालं तपः कुरु ।। २४ ।। तपसैवाऽतिशुद्धात्मा माहात्म्यं तस्य सत्पतेः ।। यथावज्ज्ञास्यति भवान्प्रोच्यमानं मयाऽखिलम् ।। २५ ।। सर्वार्थसाधनं विद्धि तपस्तद्धृदयं मुने ।। नातप्तभूरितपसा स वशीक्रियते प्रभुः ।। २६ ।। ।। स्कन्द उवाच ।। एवमुक्तो भगवता नरनारायणेन सः ।। प्रीतस्तपः कर्त्तुमिच्छँस्तमुवाच महामतिः ।।२७।। इति श्रीस्कन्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे श्रीवासुऽदेवमाहात्म्ये नारदनरनारायणसमागमो नामैकोनविंशोऽध्यायः ।।१९।।
|| skanda uvāca || tataḥ sa dadṛśe devau purāṇāvṛṣisattamau || tapaścarantau sumahadātmaniṣṭhau mahāvratau ||1|| tejasāpyadhikau sūryātsarvalokavirocanāt || śrīvatsalakṣaṇau pūjyau jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇau ||2|| padmacihnabhujau tau ca pādayoścakralakṣaṇau|| vyūḍhoraskau dīrghabhujau sitasūkṣmaghanāṃśukau || 3 || svāsyau pṛthulalāṭau ca subhruvau śubhanāsikau || śubhalakṣaṇasaṃpannau divyamūrttī ghanaprabhau || 4 || vinayenāntikaṃ prāpya tayoḥ kṛtvā pradakṣiṇām || bhaktyā praṇamya sāṣṭāṅgaṃ tasthau prāñjaliragrataḥ || 5 || tatastau tapasāṃ vāsau yaśasāṃ tejasāmapi || ṛṣī paurvāhṇikasyānte vidhermaunaṃ vihāya ca || 6 || prītyā nāradamavyagrau pādyārghyābhyāṃ samārcatām || pīṭhayorupaviṣṭau tau kauśayornāradaśca saḥ|| ||7|| teṣu tatropaviṣṭeṣu sa deśobhivyarājata || ājyāhutimahājvālairyajñavāṭognibhiryathā || 8 || atha nārāyaṇastatra nāradaṃ vākyamabravīt || sukhopaviṣṭaṃ viśrāntaṃ kṛtātithyaṃ susatkṛtam || 9 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca || api brahmansa bhagavānparamātmā sanātanaḥ || brahmadhāmni tvayā dṛṣṭa āvayo kāraṇaṃ param || 2.9.19.10 || nārada uvāca || bhagavaṃstvatprasādena tamahaṃ parameśvaram || vāsudevaṃ samāloke sthitamakṣaradhāmani || 11 || iha caivāgatastena visṛṣṭo vāṃ niṣevitum || āsiṣye tatparo bhūtvā yuvābhyāṃ saha nityaśaḥ || 12 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca || dhanyosyanugṛhītosi yatte dṛṣṭaḥ svayaṃ prabhuḥ || nahi taṃ dṛṣṭavānbrahmankaściddevopi vā ṛṣiḥ ||13|| bhaktyaikāntikayā tasya prāptā akṣarasāmyatām|| ye hi bhaktāsta evainaṃ paśyantyakhilakāraṇam||14|| sa divyamūrttirbhagavāndurddarśaḥ puruṣottamaḥ || nāradaitaddhi me satyaṃ vacanaṃ samudāhṛtam || 15|| nānyo bhaktātpriyataro loke tasyāsti kaścana || tataḥ svayaṃ darśitavāṃstavātmānaṃ dvijottama || 16 || tejaḥpuñjābhiruddhāṃgo guṇātītādbhutākṛtiḥ || akhaṇḍānandarūpaśca sadā śuddho'cyutosti saḥ || 17 || rūpavarṇavayovasthāḥ prākṛtā naiva tasya hi || sarvaṃ tasyāsti taddivyaṃ sarvopakaraṇāni ca || ekāntikānāṃ bhaktānāṃ sa eva paramā gatiḥ || 18 || ātmabrahmaikyasaṃpannairvinivṛttaguṇairapi || kriyate vāsudevasya bhaktiritthaṃguṇo hi saḥ || 19|| māhātmyamasya ko vaktuṃ śaknuyātparamātmanaḥ || acintyānantaśaktīnāmadhipasya mahāmune || 2.9.19.20 || ātmātmā cākṣarātmā ca hyeṣa ākāśanirmalaḥ || divyadṛgīkṣyaḥ sanmātraḥ puruṣo vasudevajaḥ || 21 || samastakalyāṇaguṇo nirguṇaśceśvareśvaraḥ || parayā vidyayā vedya upāsyo brahmavitprabhuḥ || 22 || divyamūrttiṃ tamīśānaṃ tapasaikāntikena ca || yaḥ prīṇayati dharmeṇa sa dhanyatama ucyate || 23 || tasmāttvamapi devarṣe dharmeṇaikāntikena tam || ārādhayannihaivāṃga kaṃcitkālaṃ tapaḥ kuru || 24 || tapasaivā'tiśuddhātmā māhātmyaṃ tasya satpateḥ || yathāvajjñāsyati bhavānprocyamānaṃ mayā'khilam || 25 || sarvārthasādhanaṃ viddhi tapastaddhṛdayaṃ mune || nātaptabhūritapasā sa vaśīkriyate prabhuḥ || 26 || || skanda uvāca || evamukto bhagavatā naranārāyaṇena saḥ || prītastapaḥ karttumiccha~stamuvāca mahāmatiḥ ||27|| iti śrīskande mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe śrīvāsu'devamāhātmye nāradanaranārāyaṇasamāgamo nāmaikonaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||19||
English translation
Skanda said :
1-4. Then he saw the two divine, ancient, excellent sages performing a great penance. They were established in their Ātmans and were great performers of religious observances. By their refulgence they superseded the Sun who illuminates all the world. They were characterised by Śrīvatsa and were worthy of worship. They had circular mass of matted hair. Their arms (palms?) were characterised by lotus. They had discus-sign on (the soles of) their feet. Their chests were broad (and well developed). They had long arms and wore white, fine, compact silken garment. They had excellent faces with high foreheads, excellent eyelashes and beautiful nose. They were endowed with auspicious characteristics, divine form with excessively brilliant lustre.
5. Approaching them with humility, he circumambulated them. He devoutly prostrated himself before them (touching the ground). He stood before them with palms folded in reverence.
6-7. Then, both of the sages, the abodes of penance, glory and lustre, broke their silence at the end of the rituals perfomed in the first part of the day. They worshipped (received) Nārada by offering Pādya and Arghya in a quiet manner. They sat on their seats and Nārada on one of Kuśa grass.
8. When they were seated there, the place shone like an enclosure of sacrifice illuminated by fires having huge flames after receiving oblation of ghee .
9. Then Nārāyaṇa addressed Nārada who had taken rest, was received with hospitality and respect and was seated comfortably there.
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said :
10. O Brāhmaṇa , was eternal Lord, the Supreme Soul, the great cause (source) of both of us seen by you in the Brahmadhāma (residence of Brahman )?
Nārada said :
11. Venerable Sir! It is through your favour that I saw the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva staying in his imperishable residence.
12. Being sent by him to serve you both, I have come here only. I shall always stay with you remaining exclusively devoted to him.
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said :
13. You are blessed; you are favoured (by God) that the Lord Himself was seen by you. Neither a Deva not a sage has ever seen him, O Brāhmaṇa.
14. Those devotees only who by exclusive devotion unto him have attained imperishable equality with him, (can) see him who is the cause of everything.
15. That the Supreme Person, the Lord of divine form, is very difficult to be seen, is the purport of a true statement of mine, O Nārada.
16. None other than his devotee is more dear to him in this world. Hence he manifested himself to you, O excellent Brāhmaṇa.
17. His person is enveloped by a mass of lustre. His mysterious form transcends Guṇas . Complete bliss constitutes his form. He is forever pure and imperishable.
18. He does not have a form, complexion, age of the ordinary type (or derived from Prakṛti ). Whatever he has is divine including his weapons. He alone is the highest resort of devotees exclusively attached to him.
19. Devotion to Vāsudeva is performed by persons who have realized the one-ness of Ātman and Brahman and who have desisted from Guṇas. He is endowed with such qualities.
20. Who is capable of describing the greatness of this Supreme Soul, who is the master of incomprehensible, infinite powers, O great sage?
21-22. He is the Soul of souls, imperishable Soul, unsoiled and pure like the firmament, visible only to persons endowed with divine vision, who is pure existence, the Puruṣa born of Vasudeva . He is endowed with all auspicious qualities, attributeless, the master of all rulers. He, the knower of Brahman, the master is knowable through superior knowledge. He should be propitiated.
23. He who pleases that Lord of divine form with penance solely devoted to him, and pious devotion, is the most blessed.
24. Therefore, O divine sage, you also propitiate him with exclusive pious devotion, and perform penance here for some time, O dear one.
25. With your soul extremely purified with penance, you will (be in a position to) know truly all the glory of the Lord, the great soul, as will be described by me.
26. Know that penance is the means of attaining all objectives (and) his heart, O sage. The Lord is not won over by a person who has not performed extreme penance.
Skanda said :
27. Addressed thus by revered Nara-Nārāyaṇa , he (Nārada) was pleased. Being desirous of performing penance, the highly intelligent one spoke.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23190, revision 71868 (2016-06-24T10:18:20Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371758.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.