Adhyaya 53: The Origin Account of Saptamūrti Svara and the Emergence of Saṃbhūti through Vibhūti

Verse 1

भद्राश्व उवाच । मत्प्रश्नविषये ब्रह्मन् कथेयं कथिता त्वया । तस्या विभूतिरभवत् कस्य केन कृतॆन ह ॥ ५३.१ ॥

Bhadrāśva said: “O Brahmin, you have narrated this account in connection with my question. By whose agency did its extraordinary manifestation occur, and through what deed, indeed?”

Verse 2

अगस्त्य उवाच । आगतेयं कथा चित्रा सर्वस्य विषये स्थिता । त्वद्देहे मम देहे च सर्वजन्तुषु सा समा ॥ ५३.२ ॥

Agastya said: “This narrative concerning Āgateya is remarkable, and it is established with reference to all domains. In your body and in my body—and indeed in all living beings—it is the same, equally present.”

Verse 3

तस्यां सम्भूतिमिच्छन् यस्तस्योपायं स्वयं परम् । पशुपालात् समुत्पन्नो यश्चतुष्पाच्चतुर्मुखः ॥ ५३.३ ॥

He who desired manifestation within her (the Earth) and who himself became the supreme means for that manifestation—he who arose from a cowherd, and who, though four-footed, became four-faced.

Verse 4

स गुरुः स कथायास्तु तस्याश्चैव प्रवर्तकः । तस्य पुत्रः स्वरो नाम सप्तमूर्तिंरसौ स्मृतः ॥ ५३.४ ॥

He was the teacher, and he was also the promulgator of that sacred discourse. His son, named Svara, is remembered as “Saptamūrtiṃrasa”.

Verse 5

तेन प्रोक्तं तु यत्किञ्चित् चतुर्णां साधनं नृप । ऋगर्थानां चतुर्भिस्ते तद्भक्त्याराध्यतां ययुः ॥ ५३.५ ॥

O King, whatever discipline (sādhana) he taught for the four aims, those four—devoted to the meanings of the Ṛk-verses—went forth to worship that principle/deity through bhakti (devotion).

Verse 6

चतुर्णां प्रथमो यस्तु चतुःशृङ्गसमास्थितः । वृषद्वितीयस्तत्प्रोक्तमार्गेणैव तृतीयकः । चतुर्थस्तत्प्रणीतस्तां पूज्य भक्त्या सुतं व्रजेत् ॥ ५३.६ ॥

Among the four, the first is the one established at Catuḥśṛṅga; the second is declared to be Vṛṣa; the third is precisely the one attained by the route that has been stated; and the fourth is that which is guided by that teaching. Having worshiped her with devotion, one should proceed to the divine son.

Verse 7

सप्तमूर्त्तेष्टु चरितं शुश्रुवुः प्रथमं नृप । ब्रह्मचर्येण वर्त्तेत द्वितीयोऽस्य सनातनः ॥ ५३.७ ॥

O king, they first listened to the account concerning the seven forms. The second instruction of this ancient teaching is that one should live in accordance with brahmacarya—disciplined continence and student-like restraint.

Verse 8

ततो भृत्यादिभरणं वृषभारोहणं त्रिषु । वनवासश्च निर्दिष्ट आत्मस्थे वृषभे सति ॥ ५३.८ ॥

Thereafter, the support of servants and others is stated, and also—among the three—the mounting of the bull. Forest-dwelling is likewise prescribed, when the bull is present, established within oneself.

Verse 9

अहमस्मि वदत्यन्यश्चतुर्द्धा एकधा द्विधा । भेदभिन्नसहोत्पन्नास्तस्यापत्यानि जज्ञिरे ॥ ५३.९ ॥

“I am (this),” says another—thus in fourfold form, in single form, and in dual form. From that One, offspring were born, arising together yet differentiated by distinction.

Verse 10

नित्यानित्यस्वरूपाणि दृष्ट्वा पूर्वं चतुर्मुखः । चिन्तयामास जनकं कथं पश्याम्यहं नृप ॥ ५३.१० ॥

Having previously observed the forms of the eternal and the non-eternal, the four-faced one (Brahmā) reflected: “How shall I behold Janaka, O king?”

Verse 11

मदीयस्य पितुर्ये हि गुणा आसन् महात्मनः । न ते सम्प्रति दृश्यन्ते स्वारापत्येषु केषुचित् ॥ ५३.११ ॥

Indeed, the virtues that belonged to my father, the great-souled one—those are not now seen among any of his own descendants.

Verse 12

पितुः पुत्रस्य यः पुत्रः स पितामहनामवान् । एवं श्रुतिः स्थिता चेयं स्वारापत्येषु नान्यथा ॥ ५३.१२ ॥

The son who is born to one’s son is designated by the name “pitāmaha” (“grandfather”). Thus this śruti-based convention is established here regarding lines of progeny, and not otherwise.

Verse 13

क्वापि संपत्स्यते भावो द्रष्टव्यश्चापि ते पिता । एवं नीतेऽपि किं कार्यमिति चिन्तापरोऽभवत् ॥ ५३.१३ ॥

“Somehow, somewhere, the situation may turn out well; and your father, too, must be seen.” Even after being led away in this manner, he became absorbed in the thought: “What is to be done?”

Verse 14

तस्य चिन्तयतः शस्त्रं पितृकं पुरतो बभौ । तेन शस्त्रेण तं रोषान्ममन्थ स्वमन्तिके ॥ ५३.१४ ॥

As he was contemplating, an ancestral weapon appeared before him. In wrath, he struck the other with that weapon at close range.

Verse 15

तस्मिन् मथितमात्रे तु शिरस्तस्यापि दुर्ग्रहम् । नालिकेरफलाकारं चतुर्वक्त्रोऽन्वपश्यत ॥ ५३.१५ ॥

But as soon as that churning was completed, he beheld even its head—hard to seize—shaped like a coconut fruit; the Four-faced One observed it.

Verse 16

तच्छावृतं प्रधानेन दशधा संवृतो बभौ । चतुष्पादेन शस्त्रेण चिच्छेद तिलकाण्डवत् ॥ ५३.१६ ॥

When it was enveloped by Pradhāna (primordial matter), it appeared covered in tenfold fashion. With a four-footed weapon, he cut it apart, as one would cut a sesame stalk.

Verse 17

प्रकामं तिलसंच्छिन्नॆ तदमूलौ न मे बभौ । अहं त्वहं वदन्भूतं तमप्येवमथाच्छिनत् ॥ ५३.१७ ॥

Though it was cut into pieces, down to sesame-seed-sized fragments, its root still did not appear to me. Then that being, repeatedly declaring “I am I,” likewise cut it again in the same manner.

Verse 18

तस्मिन् छिन्ने तदस्यांसे ह्रस्वमन्यमवेक्षत । अहं भूतादि वः पञ्च वदन्तं भूतिमन्तिकात् ॥ ५३.१८ ॥

When that portion was cut, he observed another, short figure upon that very part. Nearby, he saw one declaring, “I am the origin of beings,” addressing the five elements.

Verse 19

तमप्येवमथो छित्त्वा पञ्चाशून्यममीक्षत । कृत्वावकाशं ते सर्वे जल्पन्त इदमन्तिकात् ॥ ५३.१९ ॥

Then, having likewise cut him down in that manner, they saw the assembly of the fifty to be empty. Making space, all of them spoke these words from nearby.

Verse 20

तमप्यसङ्गशस्त्रेण चिच्छेद तिलकाण्डवत् । तस्मिँच्छिन्ने दशांशेन ह्रस्वमन्यमपश्यत ॥ ५३.२० ॥

Him too he cut down with the weapon called “Asaṅga,” as one cuts a sesame-stalk. And when that one was severed, he saw another, shorter by a tenth part.

Verse 21

पुरुषं रूपशस्त्रेण तं छित्त्वाऽन्यमपश्यत । तद्वद् ह्रस्वं सितं सौम्यं तमप्येवं तदाऽकरोत ॥ ५३.२१ ॥

Having cut that man with the weapon of form, he beheld another. Likewise, the gentle one—short and fair—was also dealt with in the same manner at that time.

Verse 22

एवं कृते शरीरं तु ददर्श स पुनः प्रभुः । स्वकीयमेवाकाश्यन्तः पितरं नृपसत्तम ॥ ५३.२२ ॥

When this had been done, the lord again beheld the body; and within the sky itself he saw his own father—O best of kings.

Verse 23

त्रसरेणुसमं मूर्त्या अव्यक्तं सर्वजन्तुषु । समं दृष्ट्वा परं हर्षं उभे विसस्वरार्त्तवित् ॥ ५३.२३ ॥

Having beheld the Unmanifest (Avyakta), equally present in all living beings, in a form as subtle as a particle of pollen-dust, both participants in the dialogue—knowing the distress voiced in faltering tones—experienced supreme joy.

Verse 24

एवंविधोऽसौ पुरुषः स्वरनाम महातपाः । मूर्त्तिस्तस्य प्रवृत्ताख्यं निवृत्ताख्यं शिरो महत् ॥ ५३.२४ ॥

Such is that Person (Puruṣa), named “Svara,” a great ascetic. His embodied form is called “Pravṛtti,” and his great head is called “Nivṛtti.”

Verse 25

एतस्मादेव तस्याशु कथया राजसत्तम । संभूतिरभवद् राजन् विवृत्तिस्त्वेष एव तु ॥ ५३.२५ ॥

From this very account of his, O best of kings, there quickly arose an origin (a subsequent emergence); O king, this alone is the course of events as it unfolded.

Verse 26

एषेतिहासः प्रथमः सर्वस्य जगतो भृशम् । य इमं वेत्ति तत्त्वेन साक्षात् कर्मपरो भवेत् ॥ ५३.२६ ॥

This sacred narrative (itihāsa) is foremost for the entire world, emphatically so. Whoever understands it in accordance with reality (in its true principle) becomes directly devoted to rightful action (karma).