Adhyaya 72: Instruction on the Unity of the Triad (Brahmā–Viṣṇu–Rudra)

Verse 1

श्रीवराह उवाच । सर्वज्ञं सर्वकर्त्तारं भवं रुद्रं पुरातनम् । प्रणम्य प्रयतोऽगस्त्यः पप्रच्छ परमेश्वरम् ॥ ७२.१ ॥

Śrī Varāha said: Having bowed with disciplined attention, Agastya questioned the Supreme Lord—ancient Rudra, Bhava, the all-knowing and the universal agent.

Verse 2

अगस्त्य उवाच । भवान् ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च त्रयमेतत् त्रयी स्मृता । दीपोऽग्निर्दोपसंयोगैः सर्वशास्त्रेषु सर्वतः ॥ ७२.२ ॥

Agastya said: “You, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu—this triad is remembered as the ‘Trayī’ (the threefold Vedic form). Just as a lamp is made manifest through fire by the conjunction of its components, so this principle is taught everywhere throughout all śāstras.”

Verse 3

कस्मिन् प्रधानः भगवान् काले कस्मिन्नधोक्षजः । ब्रह्मा वा एतदाचक्ष्व मम देव त्रिलोचन ॥ ७२.३ ॥

“At what time is the Blessed Lord the primary governing principle, and at what time is the Transcendent, Adhokṣaja, so? O three-eyed deity, tell me this—as Brahmā would explain it.”

Verse 4

रुद्र उवाच । विष्णुरेव परं ब्रह्म त्रिभेदमिह पठ्यते । वेदसिद्धान्तमार्गेषु तन्न जानन्ति मोहतः ॥ ७२.४ ॥

Rudra said: “Viṣṇu alone is the supreme Brahman; here it is recited as having a threefold distinction. Yet, through delusion, people do not understand that truth along the pathways of the established conclusions of the Vedas.”

Verse 5

विषप्रवेशने धातुस्तत्र श्नु प्रत्ययादनु । विष्णुर्यः सर्वदेवेषु परमात्मा सनातनः ॥ ७२.५ ॥

The verbal root is understood in the sense of “entering/pervading” (praveśana); there, following the suffix *śnu*. He who is Viṣṇu—pervading all the gods—is the supreme Self (Paramātman), eternal.

Verse 6

योऽयं विष्णुस्तु दशधा कीर्त्यते चैैकधा द्विजाः । स आदित्यो महाभाग योगैश्वर्यसमन्वितः ॥ ७२.६ ॥

O twice-born, this Viṣṇu is praised in tenfold ways and also as the one single Reality. He is Āditya (the Sun), the greatly fortunate one, endowed with yogic sovereignty (yoga-aiśvarya).

Verse 7

स देवकार्याणि सदा कुरुते परमेश्वरः । मनुष्यभावमाश्रित्य स मां स्तौति युगे युगे । लोकमार्गप्रवृत्त्यर्थं देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये ॥ ७२.७ ॥

That Supreme Lord ever accomplishes the works of the gods. Assuming a human mode of being, he praises me age after age—so that the world’s path may be set in motion and the aims of the gods’ work be fulfilled.

Verse 8

अहं च वरदस्तस्य द्वापरे द्वापरे द्विज । अहं च तं सदा स्तौमि श्वेतद्वीपे कृते युगे ॥ ७२.८ ॥

And I too, O twice-born, was his boon-giver in the Dvāpara age—indeed, in the Dvāpara. And in the Kṛta age, on Śvetadvīpa, I continually praise him.

Verse 9

सृष्टिकाले चतुर्वक्त्रं स्तौमि कालो भवामि च । ब्रह्मा देवासुरा स्तौति मां सदा तु कृते युगे । लिङ्गमूर्तिं च मां देवा यजन्ते भोगकाङ्क्षिणः ॥ ७२.९ ॥

At the time of creation I praise the Four-faced (Brahmā), and I also become Kāla (Time). In the Kṛta Yuga, Brahmā together with the gods and the asuras continually praises me. And the gods, desiring enjoyment, worship me in the Liṅga-form.

Verse 10

सहस्रशीर्षकं देवं मनसा तु मुमुक्षवः । यजन्ते यं स विश्वात्मा देवो नारायणः स्वयम् ॥ ७२.१० ॥

Seeking liberation, aspirants worship with the mind that thousand-headed deity; he is the World-Self—indeed Nārāyaṇa himself.

Verse 11

ब्रह्मयज्ञेन ये नित्यं यजन्ते द्विजसत्तमाः । ते ब्रह्माणं प्रीणयन्ति वेदो ब्रह्मा प्रकीर्तितः ॥ ७२.११ ॥

Those best among the twice-born who constantly worship through the brahma-yajña gladden Brahmā; for the Veda is declared to be Brahmā.

Verse 12

नारायणः शिवो विष्णुः शङ्करः पुरुषोत्तमः । एतैस्तु नामभिर्ब्रह्म परं प्रोक्तं सनातनम् । तं च चिन्तामयं योगं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ॥ ७२.१२ ॥

“(He is) Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Śaṅkara, the Supreme Person. By these names the eternal supreme Brahman is spoken of; and the wise describe that reality as a yoga consisting of contemplative awareness.”

Verse 13

पशूनां शमनं यज्ञे होमकर्म च यद्भवेत् । तदोमिति च विख्यातं तत्राहं संव्यवस्थितः ॥ ७२.१३ ॥

That act which, in a sacrifice, becomes the pacification of beings and the rite of oblation (homa) is known as “Om”; and there I am firmly established.

Verse 14

कर्मवेदयुजां विप्र ब्रह्मा विष्णुर्महेश्वरः । वयं त्रयोऽपि मन्त्राद्या नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥ ७२.१४ ॥

O brāhmaṇa, for those who unite the Veda with ritual action, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara—these three of us—are indeed the presiding authorities, expressed beginning with mantra; in this matter no further deliberation is required.

Verse 15

अहं विष्णुस्तथा वेदा ब्रह्म कर्माणि चाप्युत । एतत् त्रयं त्वेकमेव न पृथग्भावयेत् सुधीः ॥ ७२.१५ ॥

“I am Viṣṇu; likewise are the Vedas, Brahman, and also ritual actions. Yet this triad is truly one alone; the wise should not conceive of it as separate.”

Verse 16

योऽन्यथा भावयेदेतत् पक्षपातेन सुव्रत । स याति नरकं घोरं रौरवं पापपूरुषः ॥ ७२.१६ ॥

O one of good vows, whoever, through partiality, construes this teaching otherwise—such a sinful person goes to the dreadful hell called Raurava.

Verse 17

अहं ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च ऋग्यजुः साम एव च । नैतस्मिन् भेदमस्यास्ति सर्वेषां द्विजसत्तम ॥ ७२.१७ ॥

“I am Brahmā, and I am also Viṣṇu; I am the Ṛg-, Yajus-, and Sāma-Vedas as well. In this there is no difference at all, O best of the twice-born.”