The Bhagavata Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 780,972 words | ISBN-10: 8120838203 | ISBN-13: 9788120838208
This page describes The Story of Nriga which is chapter 64 of the English translation of the Bhagavata Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas containing roughly 18,000 metrical verses. Topics include ancient Indian history, religion, philosophy, geography, mythology, etc. The text has been interpreted by various schools of philosophy. This is the sixty-fourth chapter of the Tenth Skandha of the Bhagavatapurana.
Chapter 64 - The Story of Nṛga
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
[Note: Nṛga, a son of Ikṣvāku, was very famous for his generosity and performance of sacrifices (Mahābhārata, Sabha 8.8, Vana. 88.5-6, 121.1-2). Due to oversight, he gifted a cow twice for which he was cursed to be a chameleon (Mahābhārata Anu. 70.10-28, also Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 7.24, 7.53).]
Śrī Śuka said:
1. On one occasion Sāmba, Pradyumna, Cāru, Bhānu, Gada and other princes of the Yadu clan went to a park for sports and entertainment.
2. Having played there for a long time, they felt very thirsty. While in search of water, they found a dry well and noticed a strange animal in it.
3. Observing that it is a lizard as big as a hill, they marvelled in their minds. Moved with pity, they tried to lift it out.
4. The boys tied the animal fallen (in the well) with leather thongs and ropes of fiber but were unable to lift it up. Overcome with curiosity and surprise, they reported the matter to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
5. The lotus-eyed glorious Lord Kṛṣṇa, the creator and protector of the world; went there (to the well). Peeping at it he sportively lifted it up by his left hand.
6. Being touched by the hand of the Lord of hallowingrenown, the being instantly shuffled off his body of a chameleon and was transformed into a heavenly being adorned with wonderful ornaments, garments, and garland of flowers and distinguished by a complexion (bright) like molten gold.
[Padaratnāvalī’sṣ Text adds:]
6(A). He bowed down to the lotus-feet of Lord Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) with his head and lay prostrate before him.
7. Although Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) was omniscient (and as such knew the reason), he enquired of him (the newly transformed god) with a view to making known to the public the cause of his birth in the species of lizards “Who are you, O glorious person blessed with most excellent personality. I believe you must be a great god.
8. My good friend! What act of yours brought you to such a wretched plight which you certainly did not deserve. We are curious to hear your story. Be pleased to narrate it to us if you deem us worthy of being told.”
Śrī Śuka said:
2. When the king (Nṛga) was thus accosted by Kṛṣṇa of infinite forms (Kṛṣṇa, the embodiment of Bliss), he bowed down to the Lord of Lakṣmī with his crown radiant like the Sun, and spoke:
Nṛga submitted:
10. O Lord! I am a king called Nṛga, the son of Ikṣvāku. My name might have reached your ears if a list of liberal donors has been (at any time) mentioned to you.
11. What is there that is unknown to you who abide as a witness in the hearts of all? And your vision and knowledge are unobstructed by Time. It is, however, in obedience to your command that I recount my history.
12. I donated as religious gift to Brāhmaṇas as many cows as there are sand-grains on the earth or as many as there are stars in the heavens or as many drops in the showers of rain,
13. All those cows were youthful, milk-yielding, possessed of good nature, of beautiful form and excellent breed. They were tawny in colour, had their hoṛns plated in gold and hoofs in silver. They were gifted along with their calves all duly covered with silk garment, garlands and ornaments. And everyone of them was legitimately obtained by me (by paying their price in well-earned money).
14. I used to give them to youthful prominent Brāhmaṇas possessing excellent qualities and noble character; who, though coming from poverty-stricken families, were noted for their vow of truthfulness and were endowed with penance, learning or knowledge of the Vedas, spiritual lore and generosity.
15. I gave as religious gifts cows, lands, gold, houses, horses, elephants, girls (in marriage) along with maid-servants, a lot of sesamum seeds, silver, beds, garments, precious stones, utensils and furniture (necessary) for (unfurnished) houses as well as chariots. I performed a number of sacrifices and constructed wells, tanks and other works of social welfare.
16. (On one occasion) a cow belonging to a prominent Brāhmaṇa strayed and mingled in the herd of my cattle. Not. being aware of this, it was gifted by me to another Brāhmaṇa.
17. As the cow was being taken away, the original owner of the cow saw it and asserted to him, “This cow belongs to me”. The recipient of the cow as a gift argued, “The cow is mine, for king Nṛga has given it to me as a religious gift”.
18. Both the disputant Brāhmaṇas, each trying to establish his claim, (approached me and) said, “You are the donor of the cow to me”. The other asserted, “In that case, you have lifted my cow.” And I became confused and embarrassed to hear their claims.
19. Caught in such a religious predicament, I tried to conciliate them with a humble entreaty. “I shall give a hundred thousand excellent cows (all better than this). Please give in exchange this cow.
20. Both of you be pleased to condone this fault which has been unknowingly committed by me—your humble servant. Be pleased to lift me up from this difficult situation whereby I shall be falling in a dirty hell.
21. The original owner of the cow declared, “I am not willing to accept (your offer at all) and he left. The other (new recepient owner) went away saying, “I do not wish to have ten thousand cows in exchange for this cow.”
Bhāgavata Candrikā’s Text adds:
21 A. O Supreme Lord! May be due to your Māyā power or your will expressed through force of time, I died. O Lord! I narrate in your presence where I was taken away by the force of my destiny.
22. O God of gods! In the meanwhile (after death) I was carried away by the messenger of Yama to Yama’s abode. O Lord of the world! I was asked there by the god of death:
23. “Would you like to reap the fruit of your evil acts first or would you like to enjoy the fruits of your meritorious acts first. I do not see the limit of the charitable and religious acts performed by you nor of the glorious world that you have attained thereby.”
24. I said, “O god! I shall first suffer for my inauspicious acts”. He commanded, “Fall down” and immediately I fell and while falling, I found myself transformed into a lizard, O Almighty Lord.
25. O Keśava! I am your servant (devotee) who have been friendly and charitable to Brāhmaṇas. I have been earnestly craving and striving to have your direct revelation. It is hence that my memory is still unblurred.
26. O Omnipresent Lord! You are beyond the ken of sense perception. You are the Supreme Soul to be contemplated and visualized in their pure hearts with the help of the ‘eye’ (knowledge) of Upaniṣads by masters of yoga. (Such as you are) I am amazed as to how you came directly within the range of my sight—I whose reason is blinded by extreme miseries—for, you are visualized by those who are to be emancipated from saṃsāra (Hence I believe I shall be released and this is my last birth).
27-28. O God of gods! Lord of the world! O Govinda (protector of cows or master of senses)? O Supreme Man! O Nārāyaṇa! O Hṛṣīkeśa (the Master of Sense-organs; their prime mover)! O Lord of hallowing renown! O Infallible Lord! O Immutable God! O Kṛṣṇa! Give n:e leave to return to my celestial state. O Lord! (I pray) wherever I may be (i.e. in whatever species I be born) my mind have asylum at your feet.
29. Hail to you the source (creator) of everything! The Master of Māyā potency! The final resort (or abode) of all beings! O Kṛṣṇa,[1] the Lord of all yogas, I bow down to you. (Though I am unwilling to part from you of above description, I take my leave of you to enjoy the fruits of actions conferred upon me by you”.
30. Submitting to him this prayer, Nṛga circumambulated him and touched the feet of the Lord with his diadem. With his permission, he ascended an excellent aerial car, even as all people were looking on.
31. Lord Kṛṣṇa! The son of Devakī, the God who is friendly to Brāhmaṇas—nay the very Dharma incarnate—spoke to person around him with a view to instruct those born in Kṣattriya class.
32. “The property of Brāhmaṇas, howsoever little it may be, if misappropriated, is indigestible even to the Fire-god (i.e. a person of immeasurable power and glory like the Fire god); what need be said that it is certainly so in the case of kings who, out of (empty) pride, regard themselves as the rulers (of the world).
33. I do not consider the most deadly poison Halāhala as the real fatal poison, as, there is an antidote against it. But the property of a Brāhmaṇa (if misappropriated) is the real poison, as it cannot be counteracted by any remedy in the world.
34. Poison kills (only one person viz.) the swallower. The fire is extinguished with water. But the fire ignited out of churning the Araṇis in the form of (misappropxiated) Brāhmaṇa property burns the whole race along with its roots.
35. A Brāhmaṇa’s property used without his (willing) permission (or with permission under duress) ruins three generations (the enjoyer, his son and grandson). But if usurped and enjoyed per force, it spells disaster to ten generations of ancestors (by forcing them to hell) and ten generation of successors after him.
36.[2] Kings blinded with the pride of their sovereign power and affluence, are incapable of seeing their own fall. Those kings who regard it good to covet Brāhmaṇa’s property which is a veritable hell, are fools.
37-38. Those uncontrolled dictatorial monarchs, their descendants and relatives who deprive Brāhmaṇas of bountiful nature but with large family responsibilities, of their means of livelihood and their properry are subjected to torture (lit. are cooked) in the hell called Kumbhīpāka[3] for as many years as the number of particles of earth moistened by the tears shed by those Brāhmaṇas while crying.
39. He who confiscates the means of livelihood of a Brāhmaṇa irrespective of its being donated to him by himself or by another person, becomes a worm in the faeces for sixty thousand years.
40. (I strongly wish that) I may not come in possession of the wealth or property of a Brāhmaṇa (at any time and in any. way), by coveting which people are cut short in their prime, kings become defeated and are deprived of their kingdoms and (after death) are born as formidable serpents.
41. O my kinsmen! Abstain from hatred or injury (in retaliation) to a Brāhmaṇa who has offended you, attacked you or reproached you (with words of abuse). Always pay them your respects.
42. Just as I bow to Brāhmaṇas regularly with a calm and collected mind, similarly you also salute to them. He who fails to do so, shall be recepient of the punishment at my hands.
43. The property of Brāhmaṇa, even though misappropriated without being aware of it, brings about the downfall of the sinner just as the cow of the Brāhmaṇa brought about the fall of king Nṛga though he was ignorant of misappropriation.”
44. Having thus taught (dharma) with the actual demonstration (of Nṛga’s case) to the residents of Dvārakā, the glorious Lord Mukunda who hallows all (beings in all) worlds, entered his palace.
[Here Padaratnāvalī’s Text adds:]
44.1 Association with the righteous persons will never fail to bear fruit, O King Parīkṣit. It was by virtue of his companionship with the pious that king Nṛga was released from hell (i.e. hellish life).
44.2 As with sacred places, everything done in relation to the righteous—their sight, touch, glorification, remembrance—brings about purification.
44.3 As you have listened to this. O chastiser of enemies, you should always (try to) adore the saintly people. If you desire to have the final emancipation, the property of a Brāhmaṇa should never be misappropriated by you.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]: