Chapter 72 - Narada’s Advice

1. Vaishampayana said:—On having heard the words of Mahendra that foremost of eloquent speakers Narada addressed these words to the king of the celestials in secret.

2. There is not the slightest doubt that kings should be told only what is agreeable. But sometimes when the opportunity presents itself, disagreeable words but conducive to their good should also be spoken to them.

3. The sages^[1] say that it is not even proper to appear before a king without having leave to do so.

4. But, as you always seek my advice in matters as to what should be done or not, I shall therefore tell you something to-day uncalled-for and you may accept it if you like.

5. Specially friends, who do not desire to see their friends defeated, should proffer them their just and good advice opportunely even if they are not called upon to do so.

6. Good and pious people should always speak what is conducive to one’s welfare although it may be disagreeable and unpleasant. This is the way for the acquittance of the debt of affection that the sages recognised in days gone by.

7. Disagreeable and untrue words that are transgressions of virtue, are not listened to (by anyone). Agreeable but harmful words should never be spoken in as much as they have been condemned by the sages.

8. O foremost of all good listeners, listen to what it is my encumbent duty to speak, and listening to my words that will conduce to your good, act up to them, O knower of all things!.

9. O Slayer of Vala, there is no doubt, O god, that disunion among friendly or affectionate brothers causes delight into the hearts of the enemy.

10. O foremost of the celestials, those actions only that are connected with a succession of good, should be undertaken; and others, O best of intelligent beings, should be taken in hand after due deliberation.

11. Acts which, if begun, would bring repentance in its train, the learned should not at all begin. This is the policy of the wise and intelligent.

12. I do not really descry any very good result of this act (viz.), refusal to give Parijata to Krishna. O lord of the immortals, now listen to the reasons thereof.

13-14. That Hari, who does pervade the world of causes and the world of consequences, and whom the wise know to be the Supreme Soul beyond the influence of Maya, the manifestation of whom is this universe, is that unmanifest Self and all other conscious beings, have all drawn their consciousness from that Supreme Being Vishnu.^[2]

15. The illustrious goddess Uma is the best and principal part of Prakiti and Vishnu is the source of consciousness to all conscious creation; he pervades the manifest universe, and is identified with all objects of enjoyment.

16. Like Uma, Rukshmini and other wives of Krishna are his manifest qualities; and the exchangeable Prakriti, and Vishnu and Rudra are all equally possessed of these qualities (gunas).

17. O foremost of gods, there is not the slightest difference between Rudra and Vishnu; and they are the eternal regulators of all qualified creations (i.e. all created things endowed with one of more of the qualities of Satwa, Rajas, Tama), and are also the primary qualities.

18. The all-creating, highly powerful Vishnu, known also as Adhokshaja, that protector of the worlds, is the creator of the world and the god Mahesvara is the destroyer.

19. Brahma and the rest of the celestials and the Prajapatis also have been all created afterwards, O lord of the immortals, by the high-souled Mahadeva.

20. That inconceivable, infinite, ancient Purusha Vishnu, who is beyond the qualities themselves, has thus been described in the Vedas.

21. In days gone by, the illustrious Vishnu was worshipped by Aditi with great austerities; and he then, pleased with Aditi, bestowed a boon on her. "

22. I desire to have you as a son." This your mother Aditi spoke to the god Narayana and after having offered him prayers she bowed down to him.

23. Thereupon she was told by him "There is no person equal to myself in the universe; I shall therefore be born as your son in my own parts.

24. Thus, O lord of the celestials, that creator of all, the highly powerful Narayana, was born as your brother and he is called Upendra.

25. Thus out of his own will did that lord of the past, present and future, the eternal god Hari, create himself in the race of the Kasyapa, because it is in his nature to incarnate himself in this wise.

26. That lord of the universe, its creator and destroyer, Keshava has manifested himself in Mathura out of a desire for the well-being of the world.

27. O bestower of honor, as just a lump of Palala is pervaded by a lubricating substance, so is the universe itself pervaded by that wondrous powerful Vishnu.

28. That Supreme Brahma, the soul of all, the Protector of all, he that transcends all the gunas (manifested primary elements) being induced by his own desire, incarnates himself in the world and thus produces changes in his own self.

29-30. For these reasons Keshava is to be worshipped by all the celestials; that lotus-navelled almighty and the creator of the people is attended with great praise because he upholds the world in the shape of Ananta. He is also called Sacrifice (yajna) by pious reciters of the Vedas.

31. That Lord assumed a white semblance in the Satya cycle, a red semblance in the Treta, a yellow semblance in the Dvapara, and he has now assumed a dark semblance in this Kali cycle.

32-33. This Hari slew Hiranakshya having assumed a divine semblance and this God, out of desire for doing good to the world, upheld the earth when she was sinking into the depth of the waters having assumed the shape of a boar. He slew Hiranyakasipu, in the semblance of the Man-lion.

34. Assuming the semblance of the Dwarf, Vishnu conquered the world and that auspicious God also bound Vali with serpentine bonds.

35. The generous Vishnu, of immeasurable prowess, also usurped for your sake, prosperity that was the common heritage of both the gods and Asuras (both having exerted for its production).

36. Janarddana slays him, whose virtue has waned and it is the vow of that high souled one to kill him who rests on untruth.

37. That refuge of the pious, Govinda, who is ever firm in virtue, slew the principal Danavas, the enemies of the gods, only for the sake of pleasing you.

38. That self-contained Being, born as Rama, slew Ravana and other Rakshasas like a lion slaying an elephant.

39. For the sake of the well-being of the world that lord of the universe, that best of all best beings, still lives in the human world, known by the name of Upendra.

40. I have seen Hari wander among the Daityas, wearing matted locks and black deer-skin and bearing a Danda (rod) in his hand, like a raging fire amidst a heap of (dried) grass.

41. I have also seen Govinda rid Danava-ridden world of its Danavas, for the sake of the well-being of the world.

42. O foremost of the gods, Janarddana must take away your Parijata tree to Dvarka. I do not speak untruth.

43. You shall not be able to strike Krishna, filled as you are with fraternal affection; nor shall Krishna be able to deal blows on an elder brother like yourself.

44. If, O God, you do not like to pay any heed to the words spoken by me, then consult with your other counsellors who are conversant with the rules of polity and are bent on our welfare".

45. Vaishampayana said:—O Janamejaya, thus spoken to by Narada, Mahendra replied to that world-honored sage in the following words:—"

46. This sort of greatness, that you attributest to Krishna, O twice-born sage, I have heard of many and many a time before.

47. In as much as Krishna is of the nature described by you, I shall not give him the Parijata tree, bearing fully as I do in mind the duty of the pious and the good.

48. O sage, may good betide you! I am assured as I know that Krishna, endowed as he is with all commendable qualities and mighty, energy will not be angry merely for a trifle.

49. The highly powerful gods are always very forgiving in their nature, and are obedient to the words of elderly people who look with the eye of knowledge.

50. The high-souled Krishna is the foremost of the virtuous and knows all things; does it therefore befit him to quarrel with his elder brother only for a trivial reason?

51. As Adhokshaja bestowed the boon on my mother, so also it behoves him now to satisfy the request of her sons who are his elder brothers.

52. As Janarddana out of his own will became Upendra i.e., Indra’s younger brother, so also it behoves him now to maintain the honor of his brother Indra.

53. Did not that god, in a previous incarnation, accept my priority of birth? And if the slayer of Madhu now desires to be my elder brother, let him be so!"

54. Then having found the slayer of Vala to be determined (so as not to part with the Parijata) and having been dismissed by that foremost of the celestials, the virtuous, intelligent, and self-controlled Narada went to the city protected by that foremost of the Yadus viz., Krishna.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Conversant with the rules of worldly conduct and the essentials of polity.

[2]:

These slokas are rendered freely in consultation with the Bengali translation.