Adhyaya 3: Nārada’s Account of a Former Birth and a Hymn to Nārāyaṇa

Verse 1

प्रियव्रत उवाच । अन्यस्मिन् भगवन् जन्मन्यासीत् यत् तद् विचेष्टितम् । सर्वं कथय देवर्षे महत् कौतूहलं हि मे ॥ ३.१ ॥

Priyavrata said: “O Blessed Lord, what conduct or activity took place in another birth? Tell me all of it. O divine seer, a great curiosity has indeed arisen in me.”

Verse 2

नारद उवाच । स्नातस्य मम राजेन्द्र तस्मिन् वेदसरस्यथ । सावित्र्याश्च वचः श्रुत्वा तस्मिन् जन्मसहस्रकम् । स्मरणं तत्क्षणाज्जातं शृणु जन्मान्तरं मम ॥ ३.२ ॥

Nārada said: “O king, after I bathed there in that Veda-saras, and after hearing the words of Sāvitrī, in that very moment the remembrance of a thousand births arose in me. Listen to my former birth.”

Verse 3

अस्त्यवन्तीपुरं राजंस्तत्राहं प्राग् द्विजोत्तमः । नाम्ना सारस्वतः पूर्वं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः ॥ ३.३ ॥

O King, there is a city called Avantīpura. There, in former times, I was a foremost Brahmin; previously I was known by the name Sārasvata, one who had mastered the Veda and its ancillary disciplines (vedāṅgas).

Verse 4

बहुभृत्यपरिवारो बहुधान्यश्च पार्थिवः । अन्यस्मिन् कृतसंज्ञे तु युगे परमबुद्धिमान् ॥ ३.४ ॥

In another age, known as the Kṛta (Satya) Yuga, the king was attended by many servants and entourages, possessed abundant grain and provisions, and was of the highest intelligence.

Verse 5

ततो ध्यातं मयैकान्ते किमनेन करोम्यहम् । द्वन्द्वेन सर्वमेतद्धि न्यस्त्वा पुत्रेषु याम्यहम् । तपसे धृतसङ्कल्पः सरः सारस्वतं द्रुतम् ॥ ३.५ ॥

Then, having reflected in solitude, (he thought): “What shall I do with this? Indeed, all this is bound up with the pairs of opposites (dvandva). Having entrusted it to my sons, I shall depart.” Resolute in undertaking austerity (tapas), he quickly went to the Sārasvata lake.

Verse 6

एवं चिन्त्य मया इष्टः कर्मकाण्डेन केशवः । श्राद्धैश्च पितरो देवा यज्ञैश्चान्ये तथा जनाः ॥ ३.६ ॥

Thus, having reflected, I worshipped Keśava through the rite-centered discipline of karma-kāṇḍa; by śrāddha rites the ancestors and the deities are honored, and likewise other people are satisfied through sacrifices (yajñas).

Verse 7

ततोऽहं निर्गतो राजंस्तपसे धृतमानसः । सारस्वतं नाम सरो यदेतत् पुष्करं स्मृतम् ॥ ३.७ ॥

Then, O King, I set forth, my mind firmly resolved for austerity (tapas), to the lake named Sārasvata—this very one that is remembered as Puṣkara.

Verse 8

तत्र गत्वा मया विष्णुः पुराणः पुरुषः शिवः । आराधितो मया भक्त्या जपं नारायणात्मकम् ॥ ३.८ ॥

Having gone there, I worshipped Viṣṇu—ancient, the Supreme Person, auspicious—through devotion; and I performed a japa whose essence is Nārāyaṇa.

Verse 9

ब्रह्मपारमयं राजन् जपता परमं स्तवम् । ततो मे भगवान् तुष्टः प्रत्यक्षत्वं जगाम ह ॥ ३.९ ॥

O king, as I recited the supreme hymn, imbued with the highest Brahman, then the Blessed Lord—pleased with me—indeed came into direct manifestation before me.

Verse 10

प्रियव्रत उवाच । कीदृशं ब्रह्मपारं तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि सत्तम । कथयस्व प्रसादेन देवर्षे सुप्रसन्नधीः ॥ ३.१० ॥

Priyavrata said: “O best of the virtuous, I wish to hear about that which is the far shore—the ultimate purport—of brahman. O divine sage, with favor, please explain, your intellect being fully serene.”

Verse 11

नारद उवाच । परं पराणाममृतं पुराणं पारं परं विष्णुमनन्तवीर्यम् । नमामि नित्यं पुरुषं पुराणं परायणं पारगतं पराणाम् ॥ ३.११ ॥

Nārada said: I continually bow to Viṣṇu—supreme beyond the supreme—of endless prowess: the immortal, ancient (Purāṇa) reality, the farther shore beyond the farther shore; the primordial Person, the highest refuge, who has crossed beyond all that is highest.

Verse 12

पुरातनं त्वप्रतिमं पुराणं परापरं पारगमुग्रतेजसम् । गम्भीरगम्भीरधियां प्रधानं नतोऽस्मि देवं हरिमीशितारम् ॥ ३.१२ ॥

I bow to Hari, the Lord—ancient, incomparable, the Purāṇa itself; transcending both higher and lower (conditions), the one who leads beyond (to the far shore), of formidable radiance; the foremost among those of profoundly deep understanding.

Verse 13

परात्परं चापरमं प्रधानं परास्पदं शुद्धपदं विशालम् । परात्परेशं पुरुषं पुराणं नारायणं स्तौमि विशुद्धभावः ॥ ३.१३ ॥

With a purified disposition, I praise Nārāyaṇa—the Supreme beyond the beyond and also the highest reality; the primordial principle; the supreme abode; the pure and expansive state; the Lord over what is beyond; the primeval Puruṣa.

Verse 14

पुरा पुरं शून्यमिदं ससर्ज्ज तदा स्थितत्वात् पुरुषः प्रधानः । जने प्रसिद्धः शरणं ममास्तु नारायणो वीतमलः पुराणः ॥ ३.१४ ॥

In former times he brought forth this world-city that was (as though) empty; then, by virtue of his abiding steadiness, the Puruṣa—who is the Pradhāna (the primary principle)—(stood as its support). May that Nārāyaṇa, renowned among people, ancient and free from impurity, be my refuge.

Verse 15

पारं परं विष्णुमपाररूपं पुरातनं नीतिमतां प्रधानम् । धृतक्षमं शान्तिधरं क्षितीशं शुभं सदा स्तौमि महानुभावम् ॥ ३.१५ ॥

I continually praise that great-souled Viṣṇu—supreme beyond all measure, of boundless forms, the ancient one, foremost among those devoted to ethical order; steadfast in forbearance, the bearer of peace, the lord of the earth, ever auspicious.

Verse 16

सहस्रमूर्धानमनन्तपादम् अनेकबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् । क्षराक्षरं क्षीरसमुद्रनिद्रं नारायणं स्तौम्यमृतं परेशम् ॥ ३.१६ ॥

I praise Nārāyaṇa, the supreme Lord—of a thousand heads, endless feet, many arms, and the moon and sun as His eyes; both perishable and imperishable; reclining in sleep upon the Ocean of Milk; deathless and transcendent.

Verse 17

त्रिवेदगम्यं त्रिनवैकमूर्तिं त्रिशुक्लसंस्थं त्रिहुताशभेदम् । त्रितत्त्वलक्ष्यं त्रियुगं त्रिनेत्रं नमामि नारायणमप्रमेयम् ॥ ३.१७ ॥

I bow to Nārāyaṇa, the immeasurable one—attainable through the three Vedas; one in form yet expressed in threefold ways; established in threefold purity; differentiated as the three sacred fires; marked by the three tattvas; pertaining to the three yugas; and bearing three eyes.

Verse 18

कृते शितं रक्ततनुं तथा च त्रेतायुगॆ पूततनुं पुराणम् । तथा हरिं द्वापरतः कलौ च कृष्णीकृतात्मानमथो नमामि ॥ ३.१८ ॥

I pay homage to Hari who, in the Kṛta age, is spoken of as radiant and red-bodied; in the Tretā age, as the ancient one with a purified body; likewise in the Dvāpara age; and in the Kali age as one whose very nature has become “Kṛṣṇa” (dark).

Verse 19

ससर्ज यो वक्त्रत एव विप्रान् भुजान्तरे क्षत्रमथोरुयुग्मे । विशः पदाग्रेषु तथैव शूद्रान् नमामि तं विश्वतनुं पुराणम् ॥ ३.१९ ॥

I pay homage to that ancient one whose body is the universe—who brought forth the brāhmaṇas from the mouth, the kṣatriyas from between the arms, the vaiśyas from the pair of thighs, and likewise the śūdras from the forepart of the feet.

Verse 20

परात्परं पारगतं प्रमेयं युधाम्पतिं कार्यत एव कृष्णम्। गदासिचर्मण्यभृतोत्थपाणिं नमामि नारायणमप्रमेयम्॥ ३.२० ॥

I bow to Nārāyaṇa, the immeasurable—higher than the highest, having crossed beyond all limitation; knowable through valid means of knowledge and yet beyond measure; the lord of battles; Kṛṣṇa in manifest action—His upraised hands bearing the mace, the sword, and the shield.

Verse 21

इति स्तुतो देववरः प्रसन्नो जगाद मां नीरदतुल्यघोषः । वरं वृणीष्वेत्यसकृत् ततोऽहं तस्यैव देहे लयमिष्टवान्श्च ॥ ३.२१ ॥

Thus praised, the most excellent God, pleased and with a voice like a thundercloud, said to me again and again, “Choose a boon.” Thereupon I too desired dissolution—absorption into that very body of His.

Verse 22

इति श्रुत्वा वचो मह्यं देवदेवः सनातनः । उवाच प्रकृतिं विप्र संसारस्वाक्षयामिमाम् ॥ ३.२२ ॥

Having thus heard my words, the eternal Lord of the gods said, “O brāhmaṇa, I shall declare this Prakṛti—this imperishable foundation of saṃsāra (worldly existence).”

Verse 23

ब्रह्मणो युगसहस्रं तत्ते तस्मात् समुद्भवः । भविता ते तथा नाम दास्यते संप्रयोजनम् ॥ ३.२३ ॥

He said, “A thousand yugas constitute Brahmā’s measure of time; from that, your emergence will arise. Likewise, a name will come to be for you, and its proper application (purpose) will be assigned.”

Verse 24

नारं पानीयमित्युक्तं तं पितॄणां सदा भवान् । ददाति तेन ते नाम नारदेति भविष्यति ॥ ३.२४ ॥

“‘Nāra’ is said to mean ‘water’ (pānīya). Since you continually offer that water to the Pitṛs (ancestral manes), therefore your name shall become ‘Nārada’.”

Verse 25

एवमुक्त्वा गतो देवः सद्योऽदर्शनमुच्चकैः । अहं कलेवरं त्यक्त्वा कालेन तपसा तदा ॥ ३.२५ ॥

Having spoken thus, the deity departed at once, rising high and passing beyond sight. Then I, relinquishing the body, at that time—through the course of time and through austerity (tapas)—continued onward.

Verse 26

ब्रह्मणोऽङ्गे लयं प्राप्तस्तदुत्पत्तिं च पार्थिव । दिवसे तु पुनः सृष्टो दशभिस्तनयैः सह ॥ ३.२६ ॥

Having entered dissolution within the body of Brahmā and then emerging again, O Earth, he is, in Brahmā’s day, recreated once more together with ten sons.

Verse 27

दिनादिर्यो हि देवस्य ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । स सृष्ट्यादिः समस्तानां देवादीनां न संशयः ॥ ३.२७ ॥

Indeed, the one who is the beginning of “day” for the god Brahmā—whose birth is from the Unmanifest—is the very beginning of creation for all beings, beginning with the gods; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 28

सर्वस्य जगतः सृष्टिरेषैव प्रभुधर्मतः । एतन्मे प्राकृतं जन्म यन्मां पृच्छसि पार्थिव ॥ ३.२८ ॥

“This indeed is the creation of the entire world, arising from the intrinsic nature of sovereign power. This is my birth according to Prakṛti (material nature)—the very matter about which you ask me, O ruler of the earth.”

Verse 29

तस्मान्नारायणं ध्यात्वा प्राप्तोऽस्मि परतो नृप । तस्मात् त्वमपि राजेन्द्र भव विष्णुपरायणः ॥ ३.२९ ॥

Therefore, O king, having meditated upon Nārāyaṇa, I have attained the supreme state. Hence you too, O best of kings, should become wholly devoted to Viṣṇu.