Srimad Bhagavatam, Book One, Chapter 5

SB.1.5.

(Suta said)

The god-like sage was thus seated at ease,

And smilingly received the courtesies;

The veena player was thus respected,

Then to the learned vipra Vyasa said. 1

(Narada said)

Son of Parasara, most fortunate!

Does your good self enjoy a happy state?

Are you at peace; is your soul satisfied,

With body and the mind identified? 2

You have examined well and analysed;

A wondrous composition have devised;

A means to all welfare you have explained,

As in the Mahabharat text contained. 3

You have examined by analysis,

That Supreme Brahman which eternal is,

And yet you grieve in lamentation tossed,

O my Lord! like one quite undone and lost. 4

(Vyasa said)

'Tis even as you say my Lord, in truth,

Yet my soul is disquieted, forsooth;

The causes unseen I do not cognise,

But you, great one, are infinitely wise;

May we thus question you, O gentle one,

Who are of the great self-born god the son? 5

You are all-knowing since you have adored

The Primal Purusha and Mighty Lord;

The ruler who exercises control

Over the high and low, the supreme whole;

The disinterested universal cause,

Who projects the gunas and then withdraws. 6

You move about like Arka, Lord of light,

In the three worlds with penetrating sight;

And like the blowing wind you have access

Into the hearts of creatures as witness;

Therefore may you the causes ascertain,

Though I the righteous discipline maintain,

Avowed to Brahman as cause and effect,

What is my omission or my defect? 7

(Narada said)

You have not expounded extensively

The spotless fame of Almighty Hari;

I think doctrines not pleasing to the Lord,

Cannot that high exultation afford. 8

You have not glorified to that extent

Almighty Vasudeva radiant,

As you, O holy sage, doctrines maintain,

Of customary virtue, wealth and gain. 9

Embellished speech that does not glorify

Lord Hari, who the world doth purify,

Is like a sacred shrine for screeching crows,

The which is not resorted to by those

Who are like noble swans, and who betake

Their way to the tranquil Manasa lake. 10

But such works of literature as there be,

Though fraught with some irregularity

In each couplet, which devoutly acclaims

The Infinite One's fame and diverse names,

Are to the sainted souls exceeding dear,

Which they recite with joy and love to hear;

Which they also acknowledge and approve,

And which the sins of the world doth remove. 11

Not bound to acts, that self-knowledge sublime,

Without Acyuta's glory does not shine;

Then how can actions benefits afford,

That are not dedicated to the Lord? 12

Now therefore, O highly fortunate one,

Recall to mind by deep contemplation;

O you of great renown and pure insight,

Whose pleasure is the vow and sacred rite,

Release from their bondage to all afford,

And recount deeds of the Almighty Lord! 13

Apart from that whatever you construe,

And describe with a differential view,

The mind in forms and designations lost,

Were like a boat without an anchor tossed. 14

You have indeed been negligent I see,

Since in forms of righteousness you decree,

Some censurable acts have been assigned,

To those who are to evil deeds inclined;

Who prohibitions will but little heed,

That you yourself have also there decreed! 15

One only adept in contemplation,

Conceives the bliss of the Infinite One;

Then, for those distracted to gunas bound,

Devoid of sense, the way to them expound,

And for the general welfare and weal,

The wondrous deeds of the Great Lord reveal! 16

One who hath his prescribed duty forswore,

The lotus-feet of Hari to adore,

If he should fall before maturity,

Oh, what inauspiciousness could there be!

But one who merely duty doth maintain,

Without such worship, what will be his gain? 17

Therefore the wise man should strive to achieve

That which one roaming here cannot conceive,

Nor found in lofty heights nor realms below,

Where time brings forth due happiness and woe. 18

Who serves Mukuda's feet with love profound,

Are no more in metempsychosis bound;

Mukunda's feet recalling in their heart,

From that relish, my dear, they cannot part. 19

This cosmos is indeed the Might One,

And yet distinct as his emanation;

From him this vasty creation evolves.

It is in him, and into him dissolves.

All this, O sage, to you is fully known,

Which I to you in brief outline have shown. 20

Search out the self within the self adored,

The Supreme Being and Almighty Lord;

You are his portion of taintless insight,

Who is the birthless Lord of puissant might.

Grant blessing and the world felicitate,

On the deeds of the Lord expatiate! 21

The wise ones have determined and maintain,

That mankind can the best fulfilment gain,

The fruit of study and austerity,

Grand sacrifice and pious charity,

By hearing the accounts, thence to rehearse

The glory of the Lord in charming verse. 22

Formally, in the previous aeon,

I took my birth as a maidservant's son;

Some Vedic scholars came once by reason

To stay four months of the rainy season,

And myself during that time as a boy,

Those yogins in their service did employ. 23

Although they looked upon all equally,

Those sages were extremely kind to me;

Even when a child I was self subdued,

And served them with an humble attitude,

Without puerile caprice but reverent,

I said little and was obedient. 24

On one occasion by their gracious leave,

I did a portion of their orts receive;

Thereupon suddenly, without delay,

All taint within my mind was swept away.

Thus purified and of all sin relieved,

A fond liking I thereupon conceived

For self knowledge, and would the way ensue

That those great sages did themselves pursue. 25

Thus everyday I heard attentively,

By grace and the favour they showed to me,

Accounts of Krishna's deeds, which when I heard,

My mind was charmed, with admiration stirred;

From every verse which his glory described,

A relish for his praises I imbibed. 26

Thus having gained relish, O holy sage,

I did my mind attentively engage

In the Lord who is exceedingly dear,

And who is fond his own praises to hear;

His Maya, gross and subtle, I perceived,

And Brahman sublime in myself conceived. 27

Those sages for two seasons did remain,

The monsoon and Sharat after the rain;

And while there with pure praises did prolong

The glory of the Lord in verse and song;

And as I was attentive to their word,

My soul with deepest devotion was stirred.

Then restive passion and dark ignorance

Were overcome and sudden vanished hence. 28

My sins were absolved by fond attachment

To those sages whom I served reverent;

Though but a boy, my senses were subdued,

And full of faith their teaching I ensued. 29

When those sages were ready to depart,

The secret knowledge did to me impart,

Which had to them by the Lord been disclosed,

Since they are to the poor kindly disposed. 30

In pursuance of that I came to see

Almighty Vasudeva's potency

Of creation, which when devotees know,

His feet they gain, and to his region go. 31

This then, O brahman, is the remedy

Prescribed for those under afflictions three,

That all acts be done in dedication

To the Supreme and Illustrious One. 32

It has been shown, O you of pious vows,

The same substance medicated bestows,

Though it had been cause of distemper sure,

When well decocted it effects the cure. 33

Thus in action mankind themselves engage,

Which is the cause of their worldly bondage,

But action dedicated to the Lord,

Has freedom from bondage as its reward. 34

Deeds done here satisfaction to afford

To the Almighty Illustrious Lord,

In yoga of devotion the pursuit,

Gives rise to knowledge of the absolute. 35

Thus acting in this way the Lord to please,

According to his teachings and decrees,

And taking up the chanting of his name,

Grants recollection of his deeds and fame. 36

Om, let us bow down in salutation

To Vasudeva, the Almighty One,

And may we the meditation pursue

Of Pradyumna and Anirudha too,

And bow to Sankarshan with obeisance,

In profound contemplative reverence. 37

Thus meditation on him is maintained,

Who is not limited by form constrained,

And who adores the Lord of sacrifice,

Perceives reality and is deemed wise. 38

All this, O holy brahman, was made known,

And by Lord Kesava unto me shown;

He, marking me observant, deigned to bless,

With love and knowledge of his Lordliness. 39

Therefore, O you of infinite insight,

The excellences of the Lord recite!

Which doth delight on the learned bestow,

Who wish to hear and who desire to know;

And unto those long suffering convey

These tidings, for I see no other way. 40

Thus ends Chapter Five in Book One

of the great and glorious

Bhagavata Purana,

the text beloved of swan-like saints,

sung by the son of Vyasa.