Chapter 15 - Eulogy of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Brahmā said:

1. After having constantly meditated upon the Vedas, I have arrived at the decision that, if living beings entertain firmer devotion unto you, the delight of Ramā, they will enjoy an unending and never decreasing multitude of pleasures, and that they attain to worlds, the ultimate destination of which is the Supreme Person.

2. Not knowing this, they propitiate us, Devas, through various kinds of penances, worships, even though we are (ourselves) possessed of the qualities of Rajas and Tamas. Hence they are called stupid, O Keśava. I, therefore, cherish you in my heart.

Śaṅkara said:

3. O Lord! The Three Vedas, Sāṅkhya, Vedānta, Yoga, Purāṇa, Pāñcarātra as well as Dharmaśāstra—all these devoutly sing in various ways the supreme majestic glory of yours alone.

4. In the first Kalpa (Ādi-Kalpa), it is from you, the great one, alone that these Śāstras were born and they have you as their only resort, O Sovereign Lord. I betake myself to you and worship you, the Primordial One whose lotus-feet are served by Ramā, who are the source of the origin of Śāstras.

Dharma said:

5. A talk about you is a releaser from the bonds of Saṃsāra. It is like nectar to embodied beings who are tormented by the three kinds of miseries (namely, Ādhibhautika, Ādhidaivika, Ādhyātmika). It is a destroyer of sins accumulated during innumerable births. Devotion unto you instantly enhances knowledge.

6. O Lord of innumerable names! May it (i.e. a talk about you) issued from the mouths of saintly persons, forever enter into the valley (in the form) of my heart, through (my) ear. It should remove every (other) wish except the one for you. Salute unto you, the ocean of mercy, the mighty one.

Prajāpati said:

7. Blessed are these wish-yielding trees, the shade of which has been resorted to by you along with Śrī. Blissful is the creator (builder) of this hall (of your marriage-ceremony). Beatified [Beautified?] is this earth where your seat stands, O Lord.

8. Verily this Ocean is blessed in this world, (inasmuch as) his own daughter was given unto you directly by him. Blessed are these—we—who behold you. We have paid our obeisance to you, the blessed Lord, the consort of Śrī.

Manus said:

9. O Lord of Lakṣmī! That Dharma certainly is superior to all (oṃers), the Dharma wherefrom pure devotion unto you, the support of Dharma, is engendered.

10. We praise you, the soul of Dharma, the leader and protector of Dharma, the source of Dharma, to whom Dharma is dearest, O Lord.

Sages said:

11. He who is devoid of devotion is averse to you; (being) desirous of knowledge he exerts, yet does not achieve success. He is, therefore, attached to Karmas for a desired object. How can he attain imperishable joy, O ocean of bliss?

12. Hence, we, filled with faith and devotion, (practising) Dharma, penance and Vedas (Vedic studies), meditate upon you who are beyond Māyā, the controller of Kāla (Death or Time), the noble one, the Lord of Śrī, senior to the senior ones.

Indra said:

13. Really, due to our insulting behaviour towards Durvāsas we became extremely miserable. With your exception, none of these gods like Brahmā, Rudra and others were able to protect us, O Lord.

14. Devoid of all wealth and wanting in food we were reduced to a condition on par with destitutes on the earth. By you only we had our miseries removed instantly. Obeisance to you, O Śrī Hari.

Fire-god said:

15. The food that is the means of subsistence to Devas, Dānavas and human beings, is created by you only. Therewith learned men offer oblations in sacrifices to you, and the remnant is carried (offered) to other inhabitants of heaven.

16. Those performers of sacrifices, though interestedly engaged in acts for realization of desires, get quickly freed from the bondage of Karmas and attain to the Brāhmī state. The others (i.e. non-sacrificers) are thieves. I bow down to you, Śrī-Yajña-Puruṣa (Viṣṇu).

Maruts said:

17. By rendering service to you, the imperishable, supreme station, devotees exclusively attached to you, do not crave for houses, prosperity etc. (regarding them) as low, nor do they desire for the final emancipation full of excessive happiness. It is proper that they regard their birth in a family of Cāṇḍālas as the excellent one. We have approached you, the great person, the refuge of devotees, who are exclusively attached to you.

Siddhas said:

18. We pay obeisance to you who alone, though causeless, are the cause of creation (sustenance and destruction) of innumerable Cosmic Eggs (Brahmāṇḍas), to you who are immanent in them yet transcendent and their controller.

Rudras said:

19. Obeisance to you, the Supreme Person, who, though yourself free from delusion, are the enchanter of Māyā, the deluder of all and who are Kāla (i.e. destroyer) even of Mahākāla (the great destroyer of the universe).

Sun said:

20. O Lord of Ramā! Illuminated by you, we lighten the worlds. We have bowed down to you who are self-luminous, of great refulgence, the very light incarnate.

Sādhyas said:

21. You are the ruler (and controller) of kings, great serpents, kings of Daityas, of Devas, of Manus, Prajāpatis. We repeatedly salute you, the Supreme King of Kings.

Vasus said:

22. Whenever there is a destruction of the proclaimed eternal Dharma and its followers by persons (born) with Asura portions, then, every time, you incarnate of your own accord. We bow down to the protector of Dharma.

Cāraṇas said:

23. Devotees sing (the praise) of the auspicious deeds of you who have assumed innumerable forms in various poetical compositions. It (the poetic composition) instantly purifies the hearer as well as the speaker. We have bowed down to you of auspicious fame.

Gandharvas and celestial damsels said:

24. O Lord! Those who, leaving aside your episodes, describe or listen to the laudatory verses about others, become miserable and get sewn (bound) with the bonds of Saṃsāra. We salute you, a worthy resort.

The Ocean said:

25. O unconquerable Lord! If anyone serves with delight your people (devotees) even once with a little of wealth, water, food, garments, bows, he attains a high position, even if he be of a low status. I salute that merciful one.

Pārṣadas (Viṣṇu’s attendānts) said:

26. You are our parents; you are (our) relative; you are our beloved teacher, friend and protector; you alone are our ruler; you are the highest (to us); you are our entire wealth.

Mūrti (Nārāyaṇa’s mother) said:

27. I always adore in my heart you, the ruler of Goloka, you, through association with whom, women, Śūdras, Asuras, birds and beasts of low categories and even wicked-souled beings attain to a high status praised even by the great ones and abandoned by whom even the lords of Devas immediately become bereft of worship (unfit to be worshipped).

Sāvitrī said:

28. At the time of the creation of the universe, you have created by your glance Prakṛti and Puruṣa, creating through them, these Tattvas, (primary) substances or principles beginning with Mahat; you created many Virājs.

29. Assuming the creatorship of the world in the form of Vairāja (Brahmā), you created Devas, Asuras, human beings, serpents, movables and immovable beings, O Lord. I seek refuge in you, the first creator.

Durgā said:

30. O omnipresent Lord! In this world those who perform your meditation in their hearts with excessive love and devotion do not desire for the happiness of Brahmā (or of Brahmā’s post), or the pleasure in heaven or the position of being the sole sovereign lord of the earth.

31. Having obtained this incomparable bliss conferred per force by you (upon them), they, the powerful ones, do not give it up even for a moment. I bow down to such a Lord of Sātvatas.

Rivers said:

32. O grantor of boons! Today we have approached you, Nārāyaṇa who protect from the fear of birth, death and Yama, people who, knowingly or unknowingly, perform a mere bow unto you or the glorification (or recitation) of your name, O friend of Nara.

Wives of Devas said:

33. The birth of you who have assumed a body on this earth, is auspicious. Your deeds are wonderful and sanctifying to the world. As you are the attributeless Brahman, everything pertaining to you becomes devoid of all attributes.

34. By resorting to you, people who are characterised even by Tamas, Rajas and Sattva attributes, become attribute less. Hence we worship (you) who are devoid of attributes.

Wives of sages said:

35. The lotus-feet of Viṣṇu, that is of yours, are the only pacifiers of all difficulties of people afflicted with extremely calamitous torments of three types. Hence, we have approached you as refugees, O infinite God of gods.

Pṛthivī said:

36. I seek refuge only in Vāsudeva whose face is like the full autumnal moon, whose eyes are long like lotus-petals in autumn, who relieves immense sufferings due to separation from Śrī (wealth).

Sarasvatī said:

37. My eyes have been (as if) transformed into Cakora birds with reference to your extremely beautiful moon-like face. They do not go elsewhere. May this form of yours abide in my heart and no other!

Skanda said:

38. Thus praised by all gods, he welcomed them by his glance only. He spoke to Śrī, “O auspicious lady, give a (favourable) look to these gods.”

39. With a pleasing look all the residents of the three worlds were glanced with favour by her. They became prosperous as before.

40. Householders as well as renouncers, all got back their own (previous) prosperity. Dharma and others began to move with delight as before.

41. The Lord offered his chest as the place to Śrī. Stationing herself there, she pervaded the three worlds with her affluence.

42. Then the Ocean (lit. ‘the mine of jewels’) as a consequence of being the progenitor of Śrī, became true to the meaning of his name by becoming the abode (Kṣaya) of all jewels.

43. There he respectfully satisfied all the guests with nectar-like excellent food of four varieties of very good flavour.

44. With great pleasure, he presented to all (guests) including Devas individually valuable garments, bejewelled ornaments and other paraphernalia.

45. At that time, for the satisfaction of his son-in-law, there was nothing that could not be given to his relatives, in the case of the Ocean who was showering wealth like a cloud.

46. The Lord also distributed among Brāhmaṇas all the abundant wealth given to him as dowry, and vanished along with Śrī.

47. Suras were excessively delighted by Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa. Gods including Indra, went to heaven and others went to their respective homes.

48. Getting back their respective powers as before, all of them became happy through the grace of the Lord of Kamalā (Lakṣmī).

49. By the order of the Lord Garuḍa again took back Mount Mandara to his place and fixed him there sportively.

50. O Brāhmaṇa-sage! In this way the prosperity which was lost through the curse of a Brāhmaṇa, was got back by Indra through the grace of Nārāyaṇa.

51. O sage! He who hears this holy story of the Lord and who extols it observing religious restraints, both of them will get riches.

52. By (listening) to this there will be attainment of wealth to householders. To the recluses there will be attainment of devotion, spiritual knowledge, disaffection from worldly pleasures and others, as desired by them.

53. In this way I have narrated to you, O Brāhmaṇa, how Indra got back his prosperity. I shall tell you everything as to how Sage Nārada went to Śveta Dvīpa. Listen with concentrated mind.

52. By (listening) to this there will be attainment of wealth to householders. To the recluses there will be attainment of devotion, spiritual knowledge, disaffection from worldly pleasures and others, as desired by them.

53. In this way I have narrated to you, O Brāhmaṇa, how Indra got back his prosperity. I shall tell you everything as to how Sage Nārada went to Śveta Dvīpa. Listen with concentrated mind.