Adhyaya 5

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं भगवतादिष्टो दुर्वासश्चक्रतापित: । अम्बरीषमुपावृत्य तत्पादौ दु:खितोऽग्रहीत् ॥ १ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus instructed by Lord Viṣṇu, Durvāsā Muni—greatly tormented by the Sudarśana cakra—at once approached Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Overwhelmed with distress, the muni fell down and clasped the king’s lotus feet.

Verse 2

तस्य सोद्यममावीक्ष्य पादस्पर्शविलज्जित: । अस्तावीत् तद्धरेरस्त्रं कृपया पीडितो भृशम् ॥ २ ॥

When Durvāsā touched his lotus feet, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa felt deeply ashamed; and seeing the muni attempt to offer prayers, he was moved by mercy and became even more distressed. Therefore he at once began to glorify the great weapon of Lord Hari—the Sudarśana.

Verse 3

अम्बरीष उवाच त्वमग्निर्भगवान् सूर्यस्त्वं सोमो ज्योतिषां पति: । त्वमापस्त्वं क्षितिर्व्योम वायुर्मात्रेन्द्रियाणि च ॥ ३ ॥

Mahārāja Ambarīṣa said: O Sudarśana cakra, you are fire; you are the most powerful sun; you are the moon, lord of all luminaries. You are water, earth, and sky; you are the air; you are the five sense objects and the senses as well.

Verse 4

सुदर्शन नमस्तुभ्यं सहस्राराच्युतप्रिय । सर्वास्त्रघातिन् विप्राय स्वस्ति भूया इडस्पते ॥ ४ ॥

O Sudarśana, I offer obeisances to you, thousand-spoked and dear to Acyuta. O destroyer of all weapons, O Īḍaspati, may auspiciousness be upon this brāhmaṇa; kindly grant him shelter and blessing.

Verse 5

त्वं धर्मस्त्वमृतं सत्यं त्वं यज्ञोऽखिलयज्ञभुक् । त्वं लोकपाल: सर्वात्मा त्वं तेज: पौरुषं परम् ॥ ५ ॥

O Sudarśana wheel, you are dharma; you are ṛta and truth; you are yajña and the enjoyer of the fruits of all yajñas. You are the protector of the worlds, the Soul of all; you are the supreme transcendental splendor and prowess in the Lord’s hand.

Verse 6

नम: सुनाभाखिलधर्मसेतवे ह्यधर्मशीलासुरधूमकेतवे । त्रैलोक्यगोपाय विशुद्धवर्चसे मनोजवायाद्भ‍ुतकर्मणे गृणे ॥ ६ ॥

O Sudarśana, I offer “namaḥ” to you—whose auspicious hub upholds the bridge of all dharma. To irreligious asuras you are like an inauspicious comet. Protector of the three worlds, filled with pure effulgence, swift as the mind and wondrous in action, I can only bow and utter “namaḥ.”

Verse 7

त्वत्तेजसा धर्ममयेन संहृतं तम: प्रकाशश्च द‍ृशो महात्मनाम् । दुरत्ययस्ते महिमा गिरां पते त्वद्रूपमेतत् सदसत् परावरम् ॥ ७ ॥

O lord of speech, by your dharma-filled effulgence the world’s darkness is dispelled, and light—true knowledge—appears before the eyes of the great souls. Your glory cannot be surpassed, for the manifest and unmanifest, the gross and subtle, the higher and lower are all but forms of you revealed by your radiance.

Verse 8

यदा विसृष्टस्त्वमनञ्जनेन वै बलं प्रविष्टोऽजित दैत्यदानवम् । बाहूदरोर्वङ्‌घ्रिशिरोधराणि वृश्चन्नजस्रं प्रधने विराजसे ॥ ८ ॥

O Ajita, when the Supreme Lord sends you into the ranks of the Daityas and Dānavas, you shine upon the battlefield, ceaselessly severing their arms, bellies, thighs, legs, and heads.

Verse 9

स त्वं जगत् त्राण खलप्रहाणये निरूपित: सर्वसहो गदाभृता । विप्रस्य चास्मत्कुलदैवहेतवे विधेहि भद्रं तदनुग्रहो हि न: ॥ ९ ॥

O protector of the universe, to strike down the wicked the Lord who bears the mace has appointed you as His all-enduring, all-powerful weapon. For the welfare of our whole dynasty, please show favor to this brāhmaṇa; that will indeed be mercy upon us all.

Verse 10

यद्यस्ति दत्तमिष्टं वा स्वधर्मो वा स्वनुष्ठित: । कुलं नो विप्रदैवं चेद् द्विजो भवतु विज्वर: ॥ १० ॥

If our family has given charity to worthy persons, performed rites and sacrifices, properly upheld our dharma, and been guided by learned brāhmaṇas as our sacred guardians, then by that merit may this twice-born brāhmaṇa be freed from the burning torment of the Sudarśana cakra.

Verse 11

यदि नो भगवान् प्रीत एक: सर्वगुणाश्रय: । सर्वभूतात्मभावेन द्विजो भवतु विज्वर: ॥ ११ ॥

If the Supreme Lord—one without a second, the shelter of all transcendental virtues, and the very Soul of all beings—is pleased with us, then may this twice-born sage (Durvāsā Muni) be freed from the pain of burning.

Verse 12

श्रीशुक उवाच इति संस्तुवतो राज्ञो विष्णुचक्रं सुदर्शनम् । अशाम्यत् सर्वतो विप्रं प्रदहद् राजयाञ्चया ॥ १२ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: As the King thus offered prayers to Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana cakra, the divine disc grew calm, and by the King’s earnest supplication it ceased burning the brāhmaṇa Durvāsā Muni.

Verse 13

स मुक्तोऽस्त्राग्नितापेन दुर्वास: स्वस्तिमांस्तत: । प्रशशंस तमुर्वीशं युञ्जान: परमाशिष: ॥ १३ ॥

Freed from the burning fire of the Sudarśana cakra, the greatly powerful sage Durvāsā became satisfied. Then he praised the virtues of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the lord of the earth, and bestowed upon him the highest benedictions.

Verse 14

दुर्वासा उवाच अहो अनन्तदासानां महत्त्वं द‍ृष्टमद्य मे । कृतागसोऽपि यद् राजन् मङ्गलानि समीहसे ॥ १४ ॥

Durvāsā Muni said: “O King, today I have directly witnessed the greatness of the servants of Ananta, the Infinite Lord. Though I committed an offense, you still pray for my welfare and auspicious fortune.”

Verse 15

दुष्कर: को नु साधूनां दुस्त्यजो वा महात्मनाम् । यै: संगृहीतो भगवान् सात्वतामृषभो हरि: ॥ १५ ॥

For the sadhus and great souls who have attained Bhagavān Hari, the master of the pure devotees, what could be impossible to accomplish, and what could be impossible to renounce?

Verse 16

यन्नामश्रुतिमात्रेण पुमान् भवति निर्मल: । तस्य तीर्थपद: किं वा दासानामवशिष्यते ॥ १६ ॥

By merely hearing His holy name, a person becomes purified. Therefore, for the servants of the Lord—He who is the shelter of all holy places (Tīrtha-pada)—what could ever be impossible?

Verse 17

राजन्ननुगृहीतोऽहं त्वयातिकरुणात्मना । मदघं पृष्ठत: कृत्वा प्राणा यन्मेऽभिरक्षिता: ॥ १७ ॥

O King, you, whose heart is exceedingly merciful, have shown me great favor. Setting my offense behind you, you have protected my very life; therefore I am deeply indebted and grateful to you.

Verse 18

राजा तमकृताहार: प्रत्यागमनकाङ्क्षuया । चरणावुपसङ्गृह्य प्रसाद्य समभोजयत् ॥ १८ ॥

Awaiting Durvāsā Muni’s return, the King had not eaten. When the sage came back, the King fell at his lotus feet, satisfied him in every way, and then fed him with a sumptuous feast.

Verse 19

सोऽशित्वाद‍ृतमानीतमातिथ्यं सार्वकामिकम् । तृप्तात्मा नृपतिं प्राह भुज्यतामिति सादरम् ॥ १९ ॥

Having eaten many delicious preparations, Durvāsā Muni respectfully accepted the King’s all-satisfying hospitality. Fully pleased, he affectionately requested the King, “Please take your meal as well.”

Verse 20

प्रीतोऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि तव भागवतस्य वै । दर्शनस्पर्शनालापैरातिथ्येनात्ममेधसा ॥ २० ॥

Durvāsā Muni said: “My dear King, I am greatly pleased and feel obliged to you, for you are truly a bhāgavata, the Lord’s devotee. By seeing you, touching your feet, speaking with you, and receiving your wise hospitality, I have understood your exalted devotion.”

Verse 21

कर्मावदातमेतत् ते गायन्ति स्व:स्त्रियो मुहु: । कीर्तिं परमपुण्यां च कीर्तयिष्यति भूरियम् ॥ २१ ॥

The blessed women of the heavenly realms will again and again sing of your spotless conduct, and the people of this earth will also ceaselessly chant your supremely pious fame.

Verse 22

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं सङ्कीर्त्य राजानं दुर्वास: परितोषित: । ययौ विहायसामन्‍त्र्य ब्रह्मलोकमहैतुकम् ॥ २२ ॥

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thus, after glorifying the King, the great mystic yogī Durvāsā became fully satisfied. Taking permission, he departed through the skyways to Brahmaloka, a realm free from atheists and dry philosophical speculators.

Verse 23

संवत्सरोऽत्यगात् तावद् यावता नागतो गत: । मुनिस्तद्दर्शनाकाङ्क्षोत राजाब्भक्षो बभूव ह ॥ २३ ॥

After Durvāsā Muni departed from Mahārāja Ambarīṣa’s place, and until he returned—throughout one full year—the King fasted, sustaining himself only by drinking water.

Verse 24

गतेऽथ दुर्वाससि सोऽम्बरीषो द्विजोपयोगातिपवित्रमाहरत् । ऋषेर्विमोक्षं व्यसनं च वीक्ष्य मेने स्ववीर्यं च परानुभावम् ॥ २४ ॥

After one year, when Durvāsā Muni returned, King Ambarīṣa respectfully satisfied him with many kinds of supremely pure foods, and then ate himself. Seeing the brāhmaṇa freed from the great danger of being burned, the King understood that everything had been accomplished by the Lord’s grace, and he took no credit for himself.

Verse 25

एवं विधानेकगुण: स राजा परात्मनि ब्रह्मणि वासुदेवे । क्रियाकलापै: समुवाह भक्तिं ययाविरिञ्‍च्यान् निरयांश्चकार ॥ २५ ॥

Thus, that King—endowed with many transcendental qualities—cultivated perfect devotional service through all his activities unto Vāsudeva, who is Brahman and Paramātmā. By that devotion, he considered even the highest planet of this material world no better than the hellish realms.

Verse 26

श्रीशुक उवाच अथाम्बरीषस्तनयेषु राज्यं समानशीलेषु विसृज्य धीर: । वनं विवेशात्मनि वासुदेवे मनो दधद् ध्वस्तगुणप्रवाह: ॥ २६ ॥

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, the steady Mahārāja Ambarīṣa entrusted the kingdom to his sons, who were equal in character, accepted the order of vānaprastha, and entered the forest. Fixing his mind wholly upon Lord Vāsudeva, he brought the flow of material qualities to an end.

Verse 27

इत्येतत् पुण्यमाख्यानमम्बरीषस्य भूपते । सङ्कीर्तयन्ननुध्यायन् भक्तो भगवतो भवेत् ॥ २७ ॥

Anyone who chants this pious narration of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, or even meditates upon it, certainly becomes a pure devotee of the Lord.

Verse 28

अम्बरीषस्यचरितं येश‍ृण्वन्तिमहात्मन: । मुक्तिं प्रयान्तितेसर्वेभक्त्याविष्णो: प्रसादत: ॥ २८ ॥

Those who hear with devotion the sacred deeds of the great soul Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, by the mercy of Lord Viṣṇu, swiftly attain bhakti or liberation.