Chapter 48 - Description of Puruṣottama

Śrī Bhagavān said:

1-2. I am neither a Deva nor Yakṣa neither a Daitya nor the king of Devas. I am neither Brahmā nor Rudra. Understand me to be Parameśvara (The Supreme Lord). I dispel the agony of all worlds. My strength and manliness are in perfect state. I have no end. I am to be propitiated by all living beings.

3. The deity whom the Yogins call Vāsudeva can be comprehended only through perfect knowledge. It is mentioned in all scriptures. The lord is mentioned (as Brahma) in Vedānta texts.

4. I am Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. I am Indra, the king of Devas. I am Yama who restrains the universe.

5. I am the earth and other elements. I am the threefold sacrificial fire.^[1] O king, I am also the fìre-god swallowing what is consigned into him. I am Varuṇa, lord of Waters. I am earth and the supporter of the Earth.

6. Whatever there is in the world that can be expressed by a word, whether mobile or immobile, I am that.

The whole universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings is nothing other than what I am.^[2]

7. O excellent king of good holy rites! I am pleased with you. Choose any boon that you wish. Whatever is desired by you, whatever is cherished in the heart by you, I shall give you immediately.

8. Persons without merit do not have my vision even in a dream. Due to your steadfast devotion you have seen me directly.

Brahmā said:

9. O brahmins, on hearing these words of Vasudeva the king experienced horripilation all over his body and he recited the following prayer:

The king prayed:

10-16. O lover of Śrī, obeisance be to you. O consort of Śrī, obeisance to the yellow-robed one. O bestower of glory, O lord of Śrī, O abode of glory and prosperity, obeisance to you. O home of Glory, I bow down to the primordial Puruṣa. Īśāna the lord of all, having faces all round. I bow down to you who are eternal and unsullied.

I make obeisance to one who is beyond sound, beyond attributes, devoid of positive and negative aspects, unsmeared, attributeless, subtle and omniscient and who conceives and creates all.

I bow down to one who resembles the colour in the rainy season; who is engaged in activities conducive to the welfare of cows and brahmins, who protects all, who pervades all and who purifies all.

I bow down to the lord who holds conch and discus, who holds iron club and the threshing rod; I bow down to the lord who grants boon and who has the lustre of the petals of the blue lotus.

I bow down to Hari who lies down on the serpent couch in the milky ocean. I bow down to Hṛṣīkeśa who dispels all sins.

I bow down to you, the lord of the chiefs of Devas, who bestows boons and pervades all.

Brahmā said:

17. After eulogising thus, he bowed to the lord with palms joined in reverence. After bowing down and falling down on the ground he said.

The king said:

18-21. O lord, if you are pleased with me, I choose this excellent boon. The following persons shall meditate on the greatest region:—Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Nāgas, Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Sādhyas, Kinnaras, Guhyakas, the sages who are highly blessed and experts in the different texts of scriptures, recluses, interpreting Yogins, Vedic scholars, and those others who are conversant with the scriptures on liberation. The region that is devoid of attributes, free from impurities, peaceful, highly sanctifying and worthy of being hidden as a secret. Due to your favour I wish to go to that region which is very difficult of access.

The Lord said:

22. May everything be to your welfare. Obtain everything desired by you. Everything will happen as you wish by my favour. There is no doubt about it.

23. O excellent king, rule over the great kingdom continuously for ten thousand nine hundred years.

24-26. You will then go to the divine region which is difficult of access even to Devas and Asuras. Your desire shall be fulfilled. I shall show you the calm and peaceful region worthy to be known. It is the unchanging, unmanifest secret region, greater than the greatest, subtle, unsmeared, motionless and steady. It is devoid of old age and grief, devoid of activities and cause. I shall show you that region by attaining which you will derive the highest bliss and realize the greatest goal.

27-28, O leading king, may your fame stay here on the Earth as long as there are clouds, as long as the sky exists, as long as the moon, sun and stars last, as long as the seven oceans exist; as long as Meru and other mountains stand and Devas stand in heaven. So long your fame will remain undiminished.

29. This sacred water-reservoir named Indradyumnasaras is born as a part of sacrifice. By taking bath in it even for once, people attain the world of Indra.

30. He who offers rice balls on the splendid bank of the lake shall redeem twenty-one generations and go to the world of Indra.

31. He will go there in aerial chariot honoured by celestial damsels and the divine musicians singing in loud voice. He shall stay there for the duration of fourteen Indras.

32-36. To the South of the lake, in the South West corner there is a holy fig tree. There is a raised platform close by. It is covered by a bushy growth of Ketaki plants. The place is full of different trees with innumerable coconut palms, Camakas, Bakulas, Aśokas, Karṇikāras, Punnāgas, Nāgakesaras, Pāṭalas, Āmrātas, Saralas, sandal trees, Deodars, Nyagrodhas, Aśvatthas, Khadiras, Pārijātas, Arjunas, Hintālas, Tālas, Śiṃśapas, Badaras, Karañjas, Lakucas, Plakṣas, Jack, Bilva and many other trees. All of them adorn the place.

37-41. On the fifth day in the bright half of the month of Āṣādha when the constellation is Maghā, devotees will keep us there for seven days. Good-featured Courtesans clad in splendid dress will install the idols. Sweet and pleasing songs as well as dances coupled with sports (will entertain them). Fanning with chowries having golden handles and fans decorated with jewels, the auspicious ladies will instal us there. There will be religious students, recluses, excellent brahmins, householders, forest-dwellers. Siddhas, and others will assemble there and eulogise Rāma and Keśava by reciting hymns of excellent words and letters and the Mantras of Ṛk, Yajus and Sāman.

42. By eulogising, visiting and devoutly bowing to the idols men shall stay in the prosperous city of Hari for ten thousand years in accordance with the divine reckoning.

43-45. He will be honoured and worshipped by heavenly nymphs and Gandharvas singing sweetly. He shall sport about there as a follower of Hari, Keśava. He will go to the excellent world on an aerial chariot that has the colour of the sun wearing a shining necklace of precious gems. He will enjoy all desired pleasures in that excellent world. When the power of penance dwindles he will return to the earth as a man and be born as a brahmin. He will have crores of coins and wealth. He will certainly be a master of four Vedas.

Brahmā said:

46. After granting him the boons thus and giving him the time-limit O brahmins, Hari vanished along with Viśvakarmā.

47. The king was delighted. The hairs over his body stood up. He considered himself blessed due to the vision of Hari.

48-53. The idols of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Subhadrā the bestower of boons, were brought on the divine chariots. They were rendered beautiful and wonderful by the adornment of jewels and gold coverings. With shouts of victory and auspicious slogans the intelligent king accompanied by his ministers and priests brought the images there.

With the accompaniment of sounds of different musical instruments and auspicious chanting of vedic Mantras, he installed them in a holy, beautiful auspicious place. He got them installed through brahmins in an auspicious time when the constellation was auspicious and the (lunar day) was splendid, in accordance with the injunctions and regulations laid down in the śāstras. The king did every thing with the permission of his preceptor. After offering monetary gifts duly to the preceptor he distributed money among the Ṛtviks and others in accordance with the injunctions of the Śāstras.

54-58. After duly performing the rites of installation in the palace, the most excellent abode, he established all of them duly by holy rites. He worshipped them with fragrant flowers of all sorts. He offered gold, jewels, pearls and splendid clothes. Gems of various kinds, divine chairs, villages, towns, cities, lands and territories were gifted by him. After giving away such gifts, after performing different sacrifices and after ruling over the kingdom in the most fitting manner the king became contented. He abandoned every thing he possessed. Then he attained the highest abode, the greatest region of Viṣṇu.

59-60. Thus excellent sages, the pious king has been recounted by me. The greatness of the holy centre has also been mentioned. What else do you wish to hear? On hearing the words of Brahmā born of the unmanifest, the Brahmins thought it wonderful and gladly asked him again.

The sages said:

61-62. O most excellent Deva, at what time is one to go to Puruṣottama shrine? O lord, what is the mode whereby the Pañcatīrtha pilgrimage is to be performed? Tell us the respective merits and benefits of taking holy dip and offering charitable gifts in each of these Tīrthas as well as of visiting the deity. Mention them separately.

Brahmā said:

63-71. If any one observes fast and performs penance in the holy centre of Kurukṣetra, standing on one leg, conquering anger and sense-organs and continues it for seventy thousand years he may derive some benefit thereof. But, O excellent Brahmins, if he observes fast and visits Puruṣottama but once he obtains a greater benefit than that. Hence, O excellent sages, Puruṣottama is to be visited in the month of Jyeṣṭha assiduously by brahmins and other castes who desire to attain heavenly world and who have perfect restraint. After performing pilgrimages to the five Tīrthas duly, the excellent man should visit Puruṣottama on the twelfth day in the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭha. Those who visit the undiminishing lord Puruṣottama on the twelfth day, reach the world of Viṣṇu from where they never fall off. Hence, O excellent brahmins, one must assiduouly go there in the month of Jyeṣṭha. After taking the holy dip in the five Tīrthas, Puruṣottama should be visited. Even that person who is far off but who devoutly glorifies Puruṣottama everyday with a pure mind shall go to the city of Viṣṇu. The man who undertakes pilgrimage with faith and concentration to Kṛṣṇa (shrine) shall be liberated from all sins. He shall go to the world of Viṣṇu. By visiting the wheel of Hari, that is kept above the palace even from a distance and by bowing to it devoutly, the man is immediately liberated from sins.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Three fires—Gārhapatya, Āhavanīya and Dakṣiṇa.

[2]:

This tendency towards monotheism is due to the influence of Vedantic advaitavāda, but generally the Purāṇas represent polytheistic creed.