Adhyaya 32: Dharma as the Bull-Form: Soma’s Transgression and the Institution of the Thirteenth Lunar Day Observance

Verse 1

पूर्वं ब्रह्माऽव्ययः शुद्धः परादपरसंज्ञितः । स सिसृक्षुः प्रजास्त्वादौ पालनं च विचिन्तयत् ॥ ३२.२ ॥

At first, Brahmā—imperishable and pure, designated as both transcendent and immanent—when desiring to create beings in the beginning, also deliberated upon their protection and governance.

Verse 2

तस्य चिन्तयतस्त्वङ्गाद् दक्षिणाच्छ्वेतकुण्डलः । प्रादुर्बभूव पुरुषः श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनः ॥ ३२.३ ॥

As he was contemplating, from his body—on the right side—there manifested a man, wearing a white earring, adorned with a white garland and white unguents.

Verse 3

तं दृष्ट्वोवाच भगवान्श्चतुष्पादं वृषाकृतिम् । पालयेमाः प्रजाः साधो त्वं ज्येष्ठो जगतो भव ॥ ३२.४ ॥

Seeing him, the Blessed Lord spoke to the four-footed one, bull-formed: “Protect these subjects, O worthy one; become the foremost in the world.”

Verse 4

इत्युक्तः समवस्थोऽसौ चतुःपद्भ्यां कृते युगे । त्रेतायां स समस्तृभ्यां द्वे चैव द्वापरेऽभवत् । कलावेकेन पादेन प्रजाः पालयते प्रभुः ॥ ३२.५ ॥

Thus addressed, he remained in a balanced state: in the Kṛta Yuga he stood with four quarters fully established; in the Tretā with three; in the Dvāpara he became two; and in the Kali, the Lord sustains the peoples with only a single quarter remaining.

Verse 5

षड्भेदो ब्राह्मणानां स त्रिधा क्षत्रे व्यवस्थितः । द्विधा वैश्येकधा शूद्रे स्थितः सर्वगतः प्रभुः । रसातलेषु सर्वेषु द्वीपवर्षे स्वयं प्रभुः ॥ ३२.६ ॥

That principle/order is described as sixfold among Brāhmaṇas; it is arranged as threefold among Kṣatriyas; as twofold among Vaiśyas; and as onefold among Śūdras. The all-pervading Lord abides everywhere; indeed, the Lord himself is present in all Rasātalas and in the dvīpa-varṣas, the island-continents and regions.

Verse 6

द्रव्यगुणक्रियाजातिचतुःपादः प्रकीर्तितः । संहितापदक्रमश्चैव त्रिशृङ्गोऽसौ स्मृतो बुधैः ॥ ३२.७ ॥

It is proclaimed to have four quarters—substance (dravya), quality (guṇa), action (kriyā), and class or genus (jāti). And the learned remember it also as having three peaks—saṁhitā (continuous recitation), pada (word-separation), and krama (sequential arrangement).

Verse 7

तथा आद्यन्त ओङ्कार द्विशिराः सप्तहस्तवान् । त्रिबद्धबद्धो विप्राणां मुख्यः पालयते जगत् ॥ ३२.८ ॥

Likewise, the primordial-and-terminal principle, the syllable Oṁkāra—two-headed and seven-handed—bound with a threefold binding, the foremost among the Brāhmaṇas, protects the world.

Verse 8

स धर्मः पीडितः पूर्वं सोमेनाद्भुतकर्मणा । तारां जिघृक्षता पत्नीं भ्रातुराङ्गिरसस्य ह ॥ ३२.९ ॥

Formerly, Dharma was afflicted by Soma—of wondrous deeds—when he sought to seize Tārā, the wife of his brother Aṅgirasa.

Verse 9

सोऽपायाद्भीषितस्तेन बलिना क्रूरकर्मणा । अरण्यं गहनं घोरमाविवेश तदा प्रभुः ॥ ३२.१० ॥

Then, frightened by that powerful one of cruel deeds, the lord withdrew and entered a dense, dreadful forest.

Verse 10

तस्मिन्गते सुराः सर्वे असुराणां तु पत्नयः । जिघृक्षन्तस्तदौकांसि बभ्रमुर्धर्मवञ्चिताः । असुरा अपि तद्वच्च सुरवेश्मनि बभ्रमुः ॥ ३२.११ ॥

After the gods had departed, the wives of the Asuras—bereft of dharma—wandered about, seeking to seize their dwellings. The Asuras too, likewise, roamed within the residence of the gods.

Verse 11

निर्मर्यादे तथा जाते धर्मनाशे च पार्थिव । देवासुरा युयुधिरे सोमदोषेण कोपिताः । स्त्रीहेतोश्च महाभाग विविधायुधपाणयः ॥ ३२.१२ ॥

When boundaries and norms were thus transgressed and dharma fell into ruin, O king, the Devas and Asuras fought, angered by the fault connected with Soma; and, O noble one, they took up diverse weapons, with a woman as the cause.

Verse 12

तान्दृष्ट्वा युध्यतो देवानसुरैः सह कोपितान् । नारदः प्राह संगम्य पित्रे ब्रह्मणि हर्षितः ॥ ३२.१३ ॥

Seeing the gods engaged in battle and enraged together with the Asuras, Nārada—gladdened—approached his father Brahmā and spoke.

Verse 13

स हंसयानमारुह्य सर्वलोकपितामहः । निवारयामास तदा कस्यार्थे युद्धमब्रवीत् ॥ ३२.१४ ॥

Then the Grandfather of all the worlds, mounting his swan-vehicle, restrained them and said at that time: “For whose sake is this battle?”

Verse 14

सर्वे शशंसुः सोमं तु स तु बुद्ध्वा स्वकं सुतम् । पीडनादपयातं तु गहनं वनमाश्रितम् ॥ ३२.१५ ॥

All of them praised Soma; but he, realizing it was his own son—who had withdrawn because of affliction—took refuge in a dense forest.

Verse 15

ततो ब्रह्मा ययौ तत्र देवासुरयुतस्त्वरन् । ददर्श च सुरैः सार्द्धं चतुष्पादं वृषाकृतिम् । चरन्तं शशिसङ्काशं दृष्ट्वा देवानुवाच ह ॥ ३२.१६ ॥

Then Brahmā hurried to that place, accompanied by the gods and the asuras. With the devas he saw a four-footed being in the form of a bull, moving about and shining like the moon; on seeing it, he addressed the gods.

Verse 16

ब्रह्मा उवाच । अयं मे प्रथमः पुत्रः पीडितः शशिना भृशम् । पत्नीं जिघृक्षता भ्रातुर्धर्मसंज्ञो महामुनिः ॥ ३२.१७ ॥

Brahmā said: “This is my first son, the great sage known as Dharma. He was severely afflicted by Śaśin (the Moon) when his brother sought to seize his wife.”

Verse 17

इदानीं तोषयध्वं वै सर्व एव सुरासुराः । येन स्थितिर्वो भवति समं देवासुरा इति ॥ ३२.१८ ॥

“Now indeed, all of you—devas and asuras alike—should render satisfaction (to the rightful party), by which your stability may come about, equally for devas and asuras.”

Verse 18

ततः सर्वे स्तुतिं चक्रुस्तस्य देवस्य हर्षिताः । विदित्वा ब्रह्मणो वाक्यात् सम्पूर्णशशिसन्निभम् ॥ ३२.१९ ॥

Then all of them, rejoicing, composed a hymn of praise to that Deity, having understood from Brahmā’s words that his splendor was like the full moon.

Verse 19

देवा ऊचुः । नमोऽस्तु शशिसङ्काश नमस्ते जगतः पते । नमोऽस्तु देवरूपाय स्वर्गमार्गप्रदर्शक । कर्ममार्गस्वरूपाय सर्वगाय नमो नमः ॥ ३२.२० ॥

The gods said: “Homage to you, O one whose radiance is like the moon; homage to you, Lord of the world. Homage to you who appear in divine form, revealer of the path to heaven. Homage to you whose very nature is the path of action (karma), O all-pervading one—homage, homage.”

Verse 20

त्वयैयं पाल्यते पृथ्वी त्रैलोक्यं च त्वयैव हि । जनस्तपस्तथा सत्यं त्वया सर्वं तु पाल्यते ॥ ३२.२१ ॥

By you this Earth is sustained, and indeed by you alone the three worlds as well. People, ascetic discipline (tapas), and truth—by you all of this is sustained.

Verse 21

न त्वया रहितं किञ्चिज्जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । विद्यते त्वद्विहीनं तु सद्यो नश्यति वै जगत् ॥ ३२.२२ ॥

Nothing whatsoever in the world—whether immobile or mobile—exists apart from you. Indeed, once deprived of you, the world perishes immediately.

Verse 22

त्वमात्मा सर्वभूतानां सतां सत्त्वस्वरूपवान् । राजसानां रजस्त्वं च तामसानां तम एव च ॥ ३२.२३ ॥

You are the Self (Ātman) of all beings; among the virtuous you are of the nature of sattva. Among those characterized by rajas, you are rajas itself; and among those characterized by tamas, you are indeed tamas itself.

Verse 23

चतुष्पादो भवान् देव चतुःशृङ्गस्त्रिलोचनः । सप्तहस्तस्त्रिबन्धश्च वृषरूप नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ३२.२४ ॥

O Deva, you are four-footed, four-horned, and three-eyed. You are seven-handed and possessed of three joints/bands; O one of bull-form, homage be to you.

Verse 24

त्वया हीना वयं देव सर्व उन्मार्गवर्त्तिनः । तन्मार्गं यच्छ मूढानां त्वं हि नः परमा गतिः ॥ ३२.२५ ॥

O Deva, bereft of you we all proceed on a path gone astray. Grant the true path to us who are deluded, for you indeed are our highest refuge and destination.

Verse 25

एवं स्तुतस्तदा देवैर्वृषरूपी प्रजापतिः । तुष्टः प्रसन्नमनसा शान्तचक्षुरपश्यत ॥ ३२.२६ ॥

Thus praised at that time by the gods, Prajāpati, assuming the form of a bull, being satisfied and with a serene mind, looked on with calm eyes.

Verse 26

दृष्टमात्रास्तु ते देवाः स्वयं धर्मेण चक्षुषा । क्षणेन गतसंमोहाः सम्यक्सद्धर्मसंहिताः ॥ ३२.२७ ॥

But those deities, upon merely beholding him, with vision grounded in dharma itself, in an instant became free from delusion—properly aligned with true and right dharma.

Verse 27

असुरा अपि तद्वच्च ततो ब्रह्मा उवाच तम् । अद्यप्रभृति ते धर्म तिथिरस्तु त्रयोदशी ॥ ३२.२८ ॥

The Asuras too acted in the same manner; then Brahmā spoke to him: “From today onward, O Dharma, let Trayodaśī—the thirteenth lunar day—be your appointed dharma-tithi, the day of ritual observance.”

Verse 28

यस्तामुपोष्य पुरुषो भवंतं समुपार्जयेत् । कृत्वा पापसमाहारं तस्मान्मुञ्चति मानवः ॥ ३२.२९ ॥

A man who, having observed that fast and discipline, duly gains Your favor; even if he has amassed a heap of sin, the human being is released from it.

Verse 29

यच्चारण्यमिदं धर्म्म त्वया व्याप्तं चिरं प्रभो । ततो नाम्ना भविष्ये तद्धर्मारण्यमिति प्रभो ॥ ३२.३० ॥

“O Lord, since this forest has long been pervaded by You—You who are Dharma—therefore, by name it shall be known as ‘Dharmāraṇya,’ O Lord.”

Verse 30

चतुष्ट्रिपाद् द्व्येकपाच्च प्रभो त्वं कृतादिभिर्लक्ष्यसे येन लोकैः । तथा तथा कर्मभूमौ नभश्च प्रायोयुक्तः स्वगृहं पाहि विश्वम् ॥ ३२.३१ ॥

O Lord, the worlds recognize You through the Kṛta and the other ages, as One who manifests successively with four, three, two, and one ‘feet’. Accordingly, in the realm of action on earth and also in the sky, being almost constantly engaged, protect the universe as Your own dwelling.

Verse 31

इत्युक्तमात्रः प्रपितामहोऽधुना सुरासुराणामथ पश्यतां नृप । अदृश्यतामगमत् स्वालयांश्च जग्मुः सुराः सवृषा वीतशोकाः ॥ ३२.३२ ॥

No sooner had the Grandsire spoken thus, O king, than—before the very eyes of the gods and the asuras—he vanished from sight. And the gods, together with the bull (Vṛṣa), departed to their own abodes, free from sorrow.

Verse 32

धर्मोत्पत्तिं य इमां श्रावयीत तदा श्राद्धे तर्पयेत पितॄंश्च । त्रयोदश्यां पायसेन स्वशक्त्या स स्वर्गगामी तु सुरानुपेयात् ॥ ३२.३३ ॥

Whoever has this account of the ‘arising of dharma’ recited should, at the time of the śrāddha, also satisfy the ancestors with libations (tarpana). On the thirteenth day, offering rice-milk (pāyasa) according to one’s means, that person—destined for heaven—attains the company of the gods.

Verse 33

सोऽपायाद् भीषितस्तेन बलिना क्रूरकर्मणा । अरण्यं गहनं घोरमाविवेश तदा प्रभुः ॥

Frightened by that powerful one of cruel deeds, he fled; then the Lord entered a dense and dreadful forest.