12.175
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
कुतः सृष्टमिदं विश्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्। प्रलये च कमभ्येति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१२-१७५-१॥
O Grandfather, tell me from where this universe, the world of immobile and mobile beings, is created, and where it goes at dissolution.
ससागरः सगगनः सशैलः सबलाहकः। सभूमिः साग्निपवनो लोकोऽयं केन निर्मितः ॥१२-१७५-२॥
This world, endowed with ocean, sky, mountains, clouds, earth, fire, and wind—by whom was it created?
कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः। शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥१२-१७५-३॥
How are beings created? How are the divisions of caste? How is purity and impurity determined for them? How are their dharma and adharma established, and how is this so?
कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः। अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥१२-१७५-४॥
What is the nature of the soul among the living? Where do those who have died go? Please tell us everything, from this world to the next, your honor.
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। भृगुणाभिहितं श्रेष्ठं भरद्वाजाय पृच्छते ॥१२-१७५-५॥
Here too, they recount this ancient story, the excellent one spoken by Bhṛgu to Bharadvāja when he asked.
कैलासशिखरे दृष्ट्वा दीप्यमानमिवौजसा। भृगुं महर्षिमासीनं भरद्वाजोऽन्वपृच्छत ॥१२-१७५-६॥
Bharadvāja, upon seeing the great sage Bhṛgu seated on the peak of Kailāsa, radiant as if with energy, asked him.
ससागरः सगगनः सशैलः सबलाहकः। सभूमिः साग्निपवनो लोकोऽयं केन निर्मितः ॥१२-१७५-७॥
Who created this world, endowed with ocean, sky, mountains, clouds, earth, fire, and wind?
कथं सृष्टानि भूतानि कथं वर्णविभक्तयः। शौचाशौचं कथं तेषां धर्माधर्मावथो कथम् ॥१२-१७५-८॥
How are beings created? How are the divisions of castes determined? How is purity and impurity established among them? How are their dharma and adharma defined? And then, how is all this so?
कीदृशो जीवतां जीवः क्व वा गच्छन्ति ये मृताः। परलोकमिमं चापि सर्वं शंसतु नो भवान् ॥१२-१७५-९॥
Please tell us, what is the nature of the soul among the living, and where do those who have died go? Kindly explain to us everything about this world and the next, O revered one.
एवं स भगवान्पृष्टो भरद्वाजेन संशयम्। महर्षिर्ब्रह्मसङ्काशः सर्वं तस्मै ततोऽब्रवीत् ॥१२-१७५-१०॥
Thus, when Bharadvāja asked his doubt, the great sage, who resembled Brahmā, explained everything to him.
मानसो नाम विख्यातः श्रुतपूर्वो महर्षिभिः। अनादिनिधनो देवस्तथाभेद्योऽजरामरः ॥१२-१७५-११॥
The mind-born, known by this name, is renowned and was heard of by great sages; the god who is eternal, thus unbreakable, undecaying, and immortal.
अव्यक्त इति विख्यातः शाश्वतोऽथाक्षरोऽव्ययः। यतः सृष्टानि भूतानि जायन्ते च म्रियन्ति च ॥१२-१७५-१२॥
The unmanifest, so called, is well-known as the eternal, imperishable, and immutable; it is that from which created beings arise and into which they perish.
सोऽसृजत्प्रथमं देवो महान्तं नाम नामतः। आकाशमिति विख्यातं सर्वभूतधरः प्रभुः ॥१२-१७५-१३॥
He first created the god, the great one by name; this is well-known as ether, the supporter of all beings, the lord.
आकाशादभवद्वारि सलिलादग्निमारुतौ। अग्निमारुतसंयोगात्ततः समभवन्मही ॥१२-१७५-१४॥
Water arose from space; from water came fire and wind; from the union of fire and wind, the earth was then produced.
ततस्तेजोमयं दिव्यं पद्मं सृष्टं स्वयम्भुवा। तस्मात्पद्मात्समभवद्ब्रह्मा वेदमयो निधिः ॥१२-१७५-१५॥
Then, the self-born created a divine, radiant lotus. From that lotus emerged Brahmā, the repository of the Vedas.
अहङ्कार इति ख्यातः सर्वभूतात्मभूतकृत्। ब्रह्मा वै सुमहातेजा य एते पञ्च धातवः ॥१२-१७५-१६॥
The ego, thus known as the maker of the self of all beings, is Brahmā himself, of great splendor, who is these five elements.
शैलास्तस्यास्थिसञ्ज्ञास्तु मेदो मांसं च मेदिनी। समुद्रास्तस्य रुधिरमाकाशमुदरं तथा ॥१२-१७५-१७॥
The mountains are regarded as his bones, while fat, flesh, and the earth are his body; the oceans are his blood, and the sky is his abdomen.
पवनश्चैव निःश्वासस्तेजोऽग्निर्निम्नगाः सिराः। अग्नीषोमौ तु चन्द्रार्कौ नयने तस्य विश्रुते ॥१२-१७५-१८॥
It is well-known that in him, wind and breath, radiance and fire, rivers and veins, Agni and Soma, and the moon and sun are (represented as) his eyes.
नभश्चोर्ध्वं शिरस्तस्य क्षितिः पादौ दिशो भुजौ। दुर्विज्ञेयो ह्यनन्तत्वात्सिद्धैरपि न संशयः ॥१२-१७५-१९॥
The sky is his head above, the earth his feet, and the directions his arms. He is indeed difficult to comprehend due to his infinitude, and even the perfected beings have no doubt about this.
स एव भगवान्विष्णुरनन्त इति विश्रुतः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतस्थो दुर्विज्ञेयोऽकृतात्मभिः ॥१२-१७५-२०॥
He alone is the Lord Viṣṇu, known as the infinite. He is the self of all beings, abiding within them, and is difficult to comprehend for those whose minds are not purified.
अहङ्कारस्य यः स्रष्टा सर्वभूतभवाय वै। यतः समभवद्विश्वं पृष्टोऽहं यदिह त्वया ॥१२-१७५-२१॥
You have asked me here about the one who is the creator of ego, for the existence of all beings, from whom the universe arose.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
गगनस्य दिशां चैव भूतलस्यानिलस्य च। कान्यत्र परिमाणानि संशयं छिन्धि मेऽर्थतः ॥१२-१७५-२२॥
Please resolve my doubt regarding the measures of the sky, directions, earth's surface, and wind, and explain their meanings to me.
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
अनन्तमेतदाकाशं सिद्धचारणसेवितम्। रम्यं नानाश्रयाकीर्णं यस्यान्तो नाधिगम्यते ॥१२-१७५-२३॥
This is the endless sky, attended by siddhas and cāraṇas, beautiful and filled with various abodes, whose end cannot be reached.
ऊर्ध्वं गतेरधस्तात्तु चन्द्रादित्यौ न दृश्यतः। तत्र देवाः स्वयं दीप्ता भास्वराश्चाग्निवर्चसः ॥१२-१७५-२४॥
Above the path, below, the moon and sun are not visible; there, the gods themselves shine, radiant and possessing the brilliance of fire.
ते चाप्यन्तं न पश्यन्ति नभसः प्रथितौजसः। दुर्गमत्वादनन्तत्वादिति मे विद्धि मानद ॥१२-१७५-२५॥
They also do not see the end of the sky, which is of renowned strength, because it is difficult to reach and infinite—know this from me, O bestower of honor.
उपरिष्टोपरिष्टात्तु प्रज्वलद्भिः स्वयम्प्रभैः। निरुद्धमेतदाकाशमप्रमेयं सुरैरपि ॥१२-१७५-२६॥
But above and above, this immeasurable sky is obstructed by blazing self-luminous lights, even by the gods.
पृथिव्यन्ते समुद्रास्तु समुद्रान्ते तमः स्मृतम्। तमसोऽन्ते जलं प्राहुर्जलस्यान्तेऽग्निरेव च ॥१२-१७५-२७॥
At the edge of the earth are the oceans; at the edge of the oceans is said to be darkness. Beyond darkness, they say, is water; and beyond water, indeed, is fire.
रसातलान्ते सलिलं जलान्ते पन्नगाधिपः। तदन्ते पुनराकाशमाकाशान्ते पुनर्जलम् ॥१२-१७५-२८॥
At the end of the netherworld is water; at the end of the water is the lord of serpents; beyond that, again is the sky; and at the end of the sky, again is water.
एवमन्तं भगवतः प्रमाणं सलिलस्य च। अग्निमारुततोयेभ्यो दुर्ज्ञेयं दैवतैरपि ॥१२-१७५-२९॥
Thus, the limits of the Lord, the measure of water, and the origins of fire, wind, and water are difficult to comprehend even for the gods.
अग्निमारुततोयानां वर्णाः क्षितितलस्य च। आकाशसदृशा ह्येते भिद्यन्ते तत्त्वदर्शनात् ॥१२-१७५-३०॥
The colors of fire, wind, water, and the earth's surface, though appearing distinct, are in truth like the sky; they are differentiated only due to the perception of reality.
पठन्ति चैव मुनयः शास्त्रेषु विविधेषु च। त्रैलोक्ये सागरे चैव प्रमाणं विहितं यथा ॥ अदृश्याय त्वगम्याय कः प्रमाणमुदाहरेत् ॥१२-१७५-३१॥
The sages study various scriptures, and in the three worlds and the ocean, evidence is established as appropriate. But for that which is invisible and inaccessible, who can provide evidence?
सिद्धानां देवतानां च यदा परिमिता गतिः। तदा गौणमनन्तस्य नामानन्तेति विश्रुतम् ॥ नामधेयानुरूपस्य मानसस्य महात्मनः ॥१२-१७५-३२॥
When the movement of perfected beings and deities is limited, then the secondary name of the Infinite is well-known as 'Ananta'. The name corresponds to the mind of the great soul.
यदा तु दिव्यं तद्रूपं ह्रसते वर्धते पुनः। कोऽन्यस्तद्वेदितुं शक्तो योऽपि स्यात्तद्विधोऽपरः ॥१२-१७५-३३॥
But when that divine form diminishes and grows again, who else could know it, even if there were another of the same kind?
ततः पुष्करतः सृष्टः सर्वज्ञो मूर्तिमान्प्रभुः। ब्रह्मा धर्ममयः पूर्वः प्रजापतिरनुत्तमः ॥१२-१७५-३४॥
Then, from Puṣkara, the all-knowing, embodied lord Brahmā, full of righteousness, the ancient and unsurpassed progenitor, was created.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
पुष्कराद्यदि सम्भूतो ज्येष्ठं भवति पुष्करम्। ब्रह्माणं पूर्वजं चाह भवान्संदेह एव मे ॥१२-१७५-३५॥
If one is born from Puṣkara, then Puṣkara becomes the eldest. Brahmā is the ancestor, and you say this; yet, I still have doubt.
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
मानसस्येह या मूर्तिर्ब्रह्मत्वं समुपागता। तस्यासनविधानार्थं पृथिवी पद्ममुच्यते ॥१२-१७५-३६॥
Here, the form of the mind which has attained the state of Brahman—for arranging its seat, the earth is called the lotus.
कर्णिका तस्य पद्मस्य मेरुर्गगनमुच्छ्रितः। तस्य मध्ये स्थितो लोकान्सृजते जगतः प्रभुः ॥१२-१७५-३७॥
The central part of that lotus is Mount Meru, which rises to the sky. In its center, the Lord of the universe sits and creates all the worlds.
