Chapter 32 - Aṅga Gets a Boon from Vāsudeva

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-20. The best mountain (i.e. Meru), with its regions very bright with various gems and gold on all sides, shone like the Sun with his rays. All the meditating saints, seated on firm seats after resorting to very pleasing, cool, comfortable shades, meditated. At some places the sages practised penance; at some places Kinnaras sang (songs). Gandharvas, being delighted, (sang songs), beating time with their hands. Delightful songs were presented by them, who were engrossed in beating (and) measuring time in music, and with the seven musical notes; and with melody and closed fists. On that greatest mountain, Gandharvas, knowing the essential nature of songs, and being intent on singing, sang them, after having resorted to the shades of sandal-trees. The divine women danced there on the excellent mountain. The sound (of the recitation) of the Vedas, which destroyed sins, gave religious merit, which was divine, which bestowed great bliss, and which was very sweet, was heard on the best mountain. The excellent mountain shone with (trees like) sandal, Aśoka, Punnāga, Śāla, Tāla, and bunyan, resembling clouds. The lord of mountains shone at every place with Santānaka^[1] trees, desire-yielding trees crowded with Ambhā (?) trees and well-blossomed divine trees. The mountain was full of many minerals and full of heaps of gems. It was full of many wonders and of various auspicious things. It was resorted to by groups of Vedas and was full of the groups of celestial nymphs. It shone with sages, ascetics, Siddhas and Gandharvas. It looked beautiful with elephants resembling mountains and with the roars of lions. It was adorned with Śarabhas^[2], with furious tigers and cunning beasts. Everywhere it looked charming with wells, pools and tanks containing spotless water and crowded with swans and ducks. It looked beautiful with golden, white and red lotuses. The lord of mountains looked charming with groups of rivers and streams having clear water, with Śāla and Tāla trees, and with crystal forms and elephants, and with slabs of stone which were extensive, golden, divine and which resembled the sun and fire. It was adorned with the mansions of deities, and palaces (resembling) excellent mountains, and with golden staffs resembling swans and the moon. It was also decorated with pitchers, chowries and palaces. It was also adorned with hosts of gods delighted by various excellences (of the mountain). That holy, best mountain Meru shone all round with many hosts of gods, Gandharvas and bards. That great river, which is very holy, which contains sacred water, which is rich with holy places, which is crowded with swans and lotuses, and which is resorted to by ascetics and hosts of sages, has risen from it.

21-31. Aṅga, the great meritorious sage, the son of Atri, (went to) that best mountain having such excellences and auspicious on account of holy wonders. He entered a beautiful cave on the very sacred and secluded bank of the Gaṅgā. The intelligent one, free from desire and anger, sat there after having controlled all his senses, and meditated upon the pious Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa, the lord who removes all afflictions and who remained in his mind. He, being attentive, full of deep meditation and with his senses conquered (i.e. controlled) always saw Madhusūdana (i.e. Viṣṇu) on a seat or bed or in a vehicle or in meditation. He saw Viṣṇu in the beings—mobile and immobile. That brāhmaṇa (saw Viṣṇu) in all wet, dry and other things. In this way a hundred years passed, while he was practising penance. Seeing the best brāhmaṇa (practising penance like this), the lord of the world, with the disc in his hand, always presented before him many very fearful dangers. With that lustre of the glorious god Nṛsiṃha, the pious and fearless (brāhmaṇa) burnt (himself) as fire burns the fuel. The best brāhmaṇa Aṅga was getting emaciated by observances and restraints; yet by means of his own lustre he appeared shining like the sun and fire. The god appeared before him who was thus deeply engrossed in penances and was meditating upon Janārdana, and said to him, “O you who show respect, choose a boon.” Seeing that Hṛṣīkeśa, Aṅga, who was highly delighted, with his mind pleased, and bowing down, praised him.

Aṅga said:

32-54. O you origin of beings, O you purifier, you are the refuge of all beings; O you lord of all beings, you are the soul of beings. My salutation to you who are full of merit. My salutation to you who are of the nature of merit, who are a mystery and are beyond all qualities; to you who are merit (itself), who are the cause of merit, who are endowed with merit and are of the nature of merit; to you who are the worldly life, the cause of the worldly life and who remove (i.e. free) your devotees from the worldly existence; to you from whom the worldly life has sprung up, to you who are a mystery, and the destroyer of the worldly life. Salutation to you, who are the sacrifice, who are of the form of sacrifices and the lord of sacrifice; who are connected with the sacrificial act and the holder of the conch. My repeated salutations to (you who are) gold, who hold a disc, to you who are truth, and are of true thoughts and are full of all truth. My salutation to you who are Dharma (i.e. Piety), the cause of Dharma and the cause of everything. My salutation to you whose body is Dharma, who are a great hero and who are the prop of righteousness. My salutation to you who are a meritorious and noble son and not a son; to you who destroy illusion and delusion and who bring about entire illusion. My repeated salutations to you who sustain illusion, who are embodied and formless. My salutation to you who take up all forms and are Śaṅkara (i.e. you who bring about blisses). My salutation to you, who are Brahman, of the nature of Brahman and identical with the highest Brahman; to you who are all lustre and possess lustre. My salutation to you who possess glory, who live in glory and sustain glory; to you who live in the ocean and are immortal. My salutation to you who are a great mineral, who are fierce and are beyond great wisdom; to you who are not cruel, who are pure and the lord of sacred things. My salutations to you, the unlimited one, the complete one, and to the sinless one. Salutation to you who are the light of the sky and are of the form of a bird. Salutation to you who are the one to whom oblations are offered, who enjoys the oblations and who are of the form of oblations. Salutation to you who are Buddha (i.e. enlightened), who are a god, and you who are ever enlightened. Salutation to you, who are the oblation offered to the' gods and to the manes; to you who are the utterance svadhā (used at the time of offering oblation to the manes) and svāhā (the utterance used at the time of offering oblation to the gods), to you who are pure, who are unmanifest and glorious. Salutation to you who are Vyāsa, Indra and of the nature of the Vasus; to you who are Vāsudeva, who are everything and to you who arc of the form of fire; repeated salutations to you, who alone are Hari, Vāmana (i.e. Viṣṇu). Salutation to the god Nṛsiṃha and to you who maintain righteousness. My salutation to the cowherd Govinda and to the one-syllabled one. My salutation to you who are omni-syllabled and of the nature of the Supreme Soul. My salutation to you who are of the nature of the three principles or of the nature of the five elements; salutation to you who are (of the form of) the twenty-five principles and the support of the elements. Salutation to you who are Kṛṣna (i.e. Viṣṇu or dark), who are of the nature of Kṛṣna and are the lord of Lakṣmī. My salutation to you who are (charming) like a lotus-petal and are the highest bliss. My salutation to you who are the supporter of all and the destroyer of sins. My salutation to you who are the very great merit and you who practise truth. O eternal one, my repeated salutations to you who are immutable and a misty heap; to you having a lotus in (i.e. rising from) your navel; to you who are the great god. O Keśava, I salute your lotus-like feet. O you root of joy, O you dear to Lakṣmī, O Vāsudeva, O lord of all, O god, O Madhusūdana, make me your slave. O Keśava, I salute your feet. Be gracious to me in existence after existence, O you who give tranquility and who have a conch in your hand. Sprinkle me with water of knowledge, who am burnt by the heat of the fierce fire of the worldly existence and by many (kinds of) anguish and agony due to the deaths of sons etc. and of kinsmen; O lord Padmanābha, be a refuge to me.

55-58. Having heard this hymn of praise of (i.e. recited by) the noble Aṅga, Hṛṣīkeśa, shining with great lustre, and with the holy Kaustubha, marked with the Śrīvatsa, presented before Aṅga his own and very superior form having the conch, the disc and the mace in his hands, (and also) a lotus in his hand, and mounted upon Garuḍa, and with all limbs of his body beautified with a necklace, bracelets, and ear-rings, and looking great, divine and spotless, and charming due to the sylvan garland.

59-70a. Having thus manifested his own form, Hari, of the nature of all gods, said to that best noble sage, Aṅga: “O blessed brāhmaṇa, listen to (these) auspicious words.” With a sound deep like (the thundering of) clouds, he spoke to the best brāhmaṇa: “I am pleased with this penance (practised by you). Choose an auspicious boon.” He, full of great joy, again and again saluted the feet of Janārdana, who was shining, looking bright, who was the lord of people, who was of a universal form, who, the lord of Lakṣmī, was pleased, and said to him: “O you god of gods, O you holder of the conch, the disc and the mace, I am your slave. (If) you desire to grant me a boon, then give me a son born in my family (i.e. of my blood). Give me a son, the protector of all the people, and one full of all lustre shining like Indra in heaven. When you desire to grant me a boon, (then) (give me) a son, who is dear to all gods, who knows the Vedas, who is well-versed in the code of conduct, who is a donor, who is endowed with knowledge, and with the lustre of piety, who is the protector of the three worlds, who is Kṛṣṇa, who protects the truthful conduct, who is the best among the sacrificers, who is a unique hero, and who is the ornament of the three worlds, who is hospitable to brāhmaṇas, who knows the Vedas, whose promises are true, who has curbed his senses, who is unconquerable, who is the conqueror of all, whose lustre is like that of Viṣṇu, who is a devotee of Viṣṇu, who performs meritorious deeds, who is born due to merit, who has auspicious marks, who is tranquil, who is endowed with penance, who has mastered all branches of knowledge, who knows the Vedas, who is best among the meditating sages, and who is like you in point of virtues. Give me such a son.”

Vāsudeva said:

70b-72. O you very intelligent one, you will have a son endowed with all these qualities. He will support the family of Atri, and also this universe. He will also emancipate his father by means of his lustre, glory and merit; with his truthfulness he will emancipate his father (i.e. you) and his grandfather; you will reach my place, that is Viṣṇu’s highest position.

73-75. The lord of gods, spoke like this to that Aṅga, O brāhmaṇa. (He said to him): “Marry the auspicious daughter of someone of virtuous power. Generate on her a son, who will be auspicious, bringing merit and dear (to you). O you very intelligent one, by my favour, he will be religious-minded, omniscient, knowing all, (that is) as desired by you.” Thus giving (Aṅga) a boon Hari then vanished.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Santānaka—One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise.

[2]:

Śarabha—a fabulous animal said to have eight legs and to be stronger than a lion.