Chapter 24 - Devas Eulogize the Lord: Padmanidhi’s Reception

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Jaimini said:

1-5. After coming (to the earth) with an anxious mind on account of the delay (in returning), he prostrated before the Lord like a long staff. Hair standing on end through excessive joy covered his body as though it was an upper garment. (He said:)

Indradyumna said:

Obeisance to the Lord friendly to Brāhmaṇas; to the Lord conducive to the welfare of cows and Brāhmaṇas; to the Lord who destroys the miseries of his suppliants; to the Lord who is the sole cause for the acquisition of the fourfold aim of life.

Oṃ, Obeisance to Vāsudeva who is in the form of Hiraṇyagarbha, Puruṣa and Pradhāna; to the Lord, the embodiment of pure knowledge.

Uttering the prayer thus, the king had his eyes filled with tears of joy. Circumambulating the Lord, he bowed to him again and again.

Then the Devas who had gone there, joyously bowed down to the Lord and eulogized him with palms joined in reverence.

The Devas said:

6. The Puruṣa has a thousand (innumerable) heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. He pervades the entire earth and stands ten Aṅgulas above^[1].

7. He is being sung as the Puruṣa, the Supreme Brahman and the great Ātman. The past, present and the future everything is Puruṣa himself

8. His greatness is this much. This Puruṣa, the Lord, is very great. The collection of all living beings constitutes his one pāda (i.e. one-fourth part). His (remaining) three pādas (parts) are immortals in heaven.

9. The Vedas were born of you. From you was born the Yajña-Puruṣa. Horses were born of you, cows and sheep too.

10. Brāhmaṇas were born of your mouth; Kṣatriyas were born of your arms. Vaiśyas were born of your thighs. Śūdras issued forth from your feet.

11. From your mind the Moon was born and from your eyes, the Sun. The Wind flowed from (was born of) your ears along with the vital airs and the Carrier of Havya (i.e. Fire) from tongues.

12. Ether emerged forth from your navel; Firmament from your head; the Earth was born from your feet and the eight Quarters came out from your ears.

13. The Seven Paridhis (sacrificial sticks laid round the sacred fire) issued from you and so also the twenty-one Samits (sacrificial twigs). The mobile and immobile beings of all species came forth from you alone.

14. You alone are the lord of all the worlds; you alone are the protector. In a fierce form, O great Lord, you alone are the annihilator.

15. You alone are Yajña and part of Yajña. You are the lord of Yajña, greater than the greatest. You are the great Śabda Brahman (Sound as the Supreme Being or the Vedas).

16. You are the independent king, Emperor. O Lord of the worlds, O ruler of the universe, you are Virāṭ (of Cosmic form). You are beneath. You are above. You are at the sides. O Lord identical with the universe, everything in the world has been pervaded by you.

17. Yājñikas (performers of Yajñas) who worship you, obtain the highest abode. You alone are the consumer and what is consumed. You are the Havis offering, the Hotṛ (oblator of Havis) and the Havana (the act of offering havis into the fire); you are the bestower of benefits.

18. You are the enjoyer of the benefit of all holy rites, O Lord; you are identical with all holy rites. You are the implements of all holy rites; you are the bestower of the benefit of all holy rites.

19. You are the inspirer to perform Karmas. You are the bestower of perfection in Virtue, Love and Wealth. Excepting you, who else is the bestower of salvation? O Hṛṣīkeśa, obeisance to you.

20. Obeisance to the infinite one having a thousand (innumerable) forms; to the lord having a thousand feet, eyes, head, thighs and arms; to the eternal Puruṣa having a thousand names. Hail to the Lord, the sustainer of thousands of crores of Yugas!

21. We have fallen off from the posts of authority; we have resorted to you as our refuge. O Lord, save us, O lotus-eyed one. Be the asylum unto the helpless ones.

22. O Lord, you are the sole refuge to the creature fallen into the ocean of worldly existence. There is none equal to you in your creation, who can protect the distressed ones.

23. O Lord, you are the father of the universe, the sole refuge to the distressed one, to the helpless one. You are the protector, the nourisher; O Lord, you alone are the person to prevent all calamities.

24. Save us, O Viṣṇu, O Lord of the universe, save us, O Supreme Lord. O lover of Kamalā, excepting you who else is competent to protect us?

25. O immanent soul, obeisance to you. O storehouse of all splendour, obeisance to you.

26. Eulogizing thus, those Devas bowed down again and again, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, and came out along with Indradyumna.

27. They then went to the Shrine of Śrī Narasiṃha, fell (at his feet), bowed down with great devotion and worshipped Nṛkesarī (the Man-Lion).

28. Then, along with Padmanidhi they went to the summit of the mountain Nīla where the excellent Mansion (had been built). They went there for the purpose of getting all the requisites together.

29. There they saw the excessively lofty (Mansion) pervading the entire sky. (It caused the suspicion) whether it was the rising Vinḍhya mountain getting ready to obstruct the movement of the Sun.

30. It pervaded all the quarters. It sparkled with its wonderful structure. Although much time had elapsed, it retained its grace and wonderful outline.

31-32. Then Indradyumna, the devotee of Viṣṇu, thought thus: ‘From here I went to the Satyaloka formerly while it was being constructed. After a long time the completed Mansion, the perfect palace, has come into my view. It is only due to the grace of the Lord and not to human endeavour.

33. There is the end of a Manvantara when even the Sun, Moon and Indra are annihilated? Still this rare Mansion continues to stand (perfectly).

34. These Mansions built by human beings are like anthills. They crumble down and they are overgrown with trees. In a short while, their life expires (and they crumble down).

35. It is on account of the compassion for me of the Lord that Hari’s abode has been preserved.’ Then he spoke threse humble words to his assistants:

36-39. “Know that the Mansion of the Lord has been constructed by me. The Lord himself manifested there with a wooden body. At that time an unembodied ethereal voice spoke to me: ‘Get the Mansion for the stay of the Lord of the universe constructed on the peak of Nīla mountain. It shall be a thousand Hastas high. For the ceremony of the installation of this, the Lotus-born Lord himself will come here along with Siddhas, Brahminical sages and Devas.’ How can it be known what requisites are to be gathered together?”

When (Indradyumna) said thus, those Devas, divested of their authority, spoke to him:

Devas said:

40. We too do not know that. Our preceptor Guru (Bṛhaspati) is not within our power now. He is engaged in the welfare of heaven.

Padmanidhi said:

41. O Lord, according to the behest of Brahmā, I have come here along with you. What is to be done by me here? What is the object expected (by you all)?

Jaimini said:

42. While they were conversing thus, Nārada, who had been previously sent by Brahmā and who was an expert in all sacred treatises, stood in front of them.

43. (Brahmā had said to him) “O sage, collect together all the requisite things in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures. At your bidding Padmanidhi will fetch everything.”

44. On seeing the son of Brahmā all of them joyously stood up. The excellent king adored him by means of Ṣaḍarghya Pūjā (worship in which the Arghya is offered six times) too.

45. Those Devas who were having human forms, bowed down. Indradyumna told him about the articles necessary for the rite of installation:

46. “O excellent sage, I do not know what specific things should be collected together, as I have been abandoned by my priest for a long time. Hence, O Brāhmaṇa, command whatever is to be done and the sequence thereof.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf the Puruṣa Sūkta (RV X.90). The eulogy is a Purāṇic version of RV.