Chapter 16 - Glory of Īśāna

Sūta said:

1. O leading sages, there was a kalpa of Brahmā known as Viśvarūpa. It was exceedingly wonderful.

2-7. When the period of dissolution passed by, when again the universe of mobile and immobile beings came into existence Brahmā began to meditate with a desire for sons. Then Sarasvatī of universal form and loud sound manifested herself. The universe constituted her garlands, garments, sacred thread and turban. The mother of the universe with all universal scents and long lips manifested herself. Brahmā meditated on lord Īśāna resembling pure crystal and bedecked in all ornaments. With concentrated mind, Brahmā paid homage to Īśāna, the omnipresent lord of all—Om O Īśāna, O Mahādeva, obeisance be to you. O lord of all learning, obeisance be to you. O lord, with the bull as your conveyance, obeisance be to you. O lord of living beings, obeisance be to you.

8. O overlord of Brahmā, obeisance be to you. Obeisance to Brahman in the form of Brahma. Obeisance to the overlord of Brahmā. O Sadāśiva, may auspiciousness befall me.

9. O lord representing oṃkāra in a physical form, O lord of devas, O Sadyojāta, obeisance be to you. I resort to you. I have resorted to Sadyojāta. Obeisance to Sadyojāta.

10. Obeisance to you, the unborn, the source of birth and who are not beyond the worldly existence. O Bhava, O Īśāna, O source of the worlds, O deity of great lustre, bless me.

11. O Vāmadeva, obeisance to you, the eldest being, the granter of boons. Obeisance to Rudra, Kāla the reckoner of time.

12. Obeisance to the lord as the mind, to the lord black in colour, to the lord as a religious student, to the lord as the strength of the strong and to the lord devoid of organs and their function.

13. Obeisance to the suppressor of Bala, to the strong, of the form of Brahman. Obeisance to the overlord, the suppressor of living beings.

14. Obeisance to the lord the impeller of the mind, obeisance to the lord of great lustre, obeisance to the refulgent Vāmadeva and to the supreme soul.

15. Obeisance to the eldest and the greatest; obeisance to Rudra the bestower of boons. Obeisance to you the slayer of Kāla. Obeisance to you possessed of the noble soul.

16. With this prayer he bowed to the lord of Devas, to the God with the Bull as his emblem. He who reads this narrative even once becomes entitled to the world of Brahmā.

17- 23. He who narrates this to the brahmins at the time of Śrāddha attains the greatest goal. When Brahmā thus paid homage to him, lord Śiva spoke: “I am delighted with you. What favour do you seek from me?”

Then Brahmā who bowed to the delighted Rudra said with a delighted mind in clear words: know O lord, I wish to see this universal form of yours. Here is the universal cow^[1] Goddess of welfare. Who is she possessed of four feet, four faces, four horns, four mouths, four curved fangs, four udders, four hands and four eyes? How is she known as Viśvarūpā (of universal forms)? What is her name? What is her lineage? To whom does she belong? What is her power of action?” On hearing his words the bull-bannered lord Īśāna addressed Brahmā the best of Devas, born of himself, in words full of the secret of all mantras which being pious are conducive to prosperity.

24-25. Listen to a great secret. As in the first creation, the kalpa that is current now is known as Viśvarūpa. O lord (Brahmā) there is the region of Brahmā which, you have attained. O lord! beyond that region there is an auspicious region occupied by Viṣṇu born of my left limb. Since that time, this the thirty-third kalpa has begun.

27. O lord of Devas possessed of great intellect, before you, hundreds and hundred thousands of Brahmās have passed away. Now listen.

28. You who are a devotee of the spiritual lineage of Maṇḍavya have attained the state of my son by practising penance. Stabilised in bliss you can realize the supreme bliss.

29-31. O lord, you are characterized by the following qualities: (1) Yoga, (2) Sāṅkhya, (3) penance, (4) learning (5) Shastric injunctions, (6) holy rites (7) pleasant speech, (8) truth, (9) mercifulness, (10) Vedic knowledge, (11) nonviolence, (12) wisdom, (13) forbearance, (14) meditation, (15) proximity with the lord, (16)control of the senses, (17) quiescence, (18) intelligence, (19) illusion, (20) intellect, (21) fortitude, (22) splendour, (23) ethics, (24) fame, (25) intelligence, (26) modesty, (27) vision, (28) auspicious speech, (29) satisfaction, (30) skill in the exercise of sense-organs, (31) performance of Vedic rites, and (32) pleasure. While she, the goddess, has these thirty-two qualities recognizable in her appellation of thirty-two syllables.

32-34. O Brahmā, the goddess Prakṛti, the source of your origin has been created by me. She is the overlord of Viṣṇu and other gods. She is my progeny. Philosophers call her by various names, the four-faced deity, the origin of the universe, primordial nature, cow or speech, Gaurī, Māyā, Vidyā, Kṛṣṇā, Haimavatī, Pradhāna or Prakṛti.

35-39. She alone is unborn.^[2] She is red, white and black in colour; She creates subjects in the universe that are of the form as she herself. I am unborn, know me to be omnipresent and know her to be Gāyatrī of universal form.

After saying this, the lord created four sons. They were boys of all forms, who stood beside the Goddess. They were known Jaṭī, Muṇḍī, Śikhaṇḍī Ardhamuṇḍa. Resorting to the yaugic practices they of great splendour worshipped the lord. They carried out their task of instruction in dharma. They followed the path of yogic practice. These controlled souls of good conduct entered lord Rudra at the end of a thousand divine years.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Viśvagauḥ [Viśvago]: She is identical with Prakṛti or Pradhāna. Comprising thirty two qualities she is described as the source of this universe. See below, verses 29-35.

[2]:

TĀ.10.1; Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 9.2, Śvet. U 4.5.