12.200
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
pitāmaha mahāprājña puṇḍarīkākṣamacyutam। kartāramakṛtaṃ viṣṇuṃ bhūtānāṃ prabhavāpyayam ॥12-200-1॥
The grandfather, the supremely wise, the lotus-eyed, the infallible one, the creator, the uncreated Viṣṇu, is the origin and dissolution of all beings.
nārāyaṇaṃ hṛṣīkeśaṃ govindamaparājitam। tattvena bharataśreṣṭha śrotumicchāmi keśavam ॥12-200-2॥
O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear in reality about Nārāyaṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, Govinda, the unconquered one, O Keśava.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
śruto'ayam artho rāmasya jāmadagnyasya jalpataḥ। nāradasya ca devarṣeḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanasya ca ॥12-200-3॥
This meaning has been heard from Rāma, from Jāmadagnya as he spoke, and from Nārada and the divine sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.
asito devalastāta vālmīkiśca mahātapāḥ। mārkaṇḍeyaśca govinde kathayatyadbhutaṃ mahat ॥12-200-4॥
Asita, Devala, Vālmīki, the great ascetic, and Mārkaṇḍeya narrated the great and wonderful story to Govinda, O dear.
keśavo bharataśreṣṭha bhagavāniśvaraḥ prabhuḥ। puruṣaḥ sarvamityeva śrūyate bahudhā vibhuḥ ॥12-200-5॥
O best of the Bharatas, Keśava, the glorious lord and master, is heard to be the supreme person, the all-pervading, in many ways.
kiṁ tu yāni vidur loke brāhmaṇāḥ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ। māhātmyāni mahābāho śṛṇu tāni yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-200-6॥
But, O mighty-armed Yudhiṣṭhira, listen to those great glories of the wielder of the Śārṅga bow which the Brāhmaṇas know in the world.
yāni cāhurmanuṣyendra ye purāṇavido janāḥ। aśeṣeṇa hi govinde kīrtayiṣyāmi tānyaham ॥12-200-7॥
O king of men, I shall recount to you, completely and indeed, those things about Govinda which the knowers of the Purāṇas have said.
mahābhūtāni bhūtātmā mahātmā puruṣottamaḥ। vāyurjyotistathā cāpaḥ khaṃ gāṃ caivānvalkalpayat ॥12-200-8॥
The supreme person, the great-souled soul of beings, arranged the great elements—wind, light, water, ether, and earth—in their order.
sa dṛṣṭvā pṛthivīṃ caiva sarvabhūteśvaraḥ prabhuḥ। apsveva śayanaṃ cakre mahātmā puruṣottamaḥ ॥12-200-9॥
Having seen the earth, the lord of all beings, the supreme person, made his resting place in the waters.
sarvatejomayastasmaiñśayānaḥ śayane śubhe। so'grajaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ saṅkarṣaṇamacintayat ॥12-200-10॥
Lying on that auspicious bed, composed of all splendor, he thought of Saṅkarṣaṇa, the elder brother of all beings.
āśrayaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ manaseti viśuśruma। sa dhārayati bhūtātmā ubhe bhūtabhaviṣyatī ॥12-200-11॥
We have heard that the mind is the support of all beings. The soul of beings sustains both the past and the future.
tatas tasmin mahābāho prādurbhūte mahātmani। bhāskarapratimaṃ divyaṃ nābhyāṃ padmam ajāyata ॥12-200-12॥
Then, O mighty-armed one, when that great soul appeared, a divine lotus, radiant like the sun, sprang forth from his navel.
sa tatra bhagavān devaḥ puṣkare bhāsayan diśaḥ। brahmā samabhavat tāta sarvabhūtapitāmahaḥ ॥12-200-13॥
O dear one, there at Puṣkara, the illustrious god Brahmā, shining forth in all directions, arose as the grandsire of all beings.
tasminnapi mahābāho prādurbhūte mahātmani। tamasaḥ pūrvajo jajñe madhurnāma mahāsuraḥ ॥12-200-14॥
O mighty-armed one, when that great soul appeared, then the elder brother of Tamas was born—Madhu by name, the great asura.
tamugramugrakarmāṇamugrāṃ buddhiṃ samāsthitam। brahmaṇopacitiṃ kurvañjaghāna puruṣottamaḥ ॥12-200-15॥
The best among men, firmly established in fierce intellect and performing the accumulation of Brahman, killed him of fierce deeds.
tasya tāta vadhātsarve devadānavamānavāḥ। madhusūdanamityāhurvṛṣabhaṃ sarvasātvatām ॥12-200-16॥
O father, after his killing, all the gods, demons, and humans called him Madhusūdana, the foremost among all the Sātvatas.
brahmā tu sasṛje putrān mānasān dakṣa-sapta-mān। marīci-matry-aṅgirasau pulastyaṃ pulahaṃ kratum ॥12-200-17॥
But Brahmā created mind-born sons: Dakṣa and the seven sages, namely Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratū.
marīciḥ kaśyapaṃ tāta putraṃ cāsṛjadagrajam। mānasaṃ janayāmāsa taijasaṃ brahmasattamam ॥12-200-18॥
Marīci, O dear one, created his son Kaśyapa, who was also his elder brother. He mentally gave birth to the radiant and supreme being among the Brahmās.
aṅguṣṭhādasṛjadbrahmā marīcerapi pūrvajam। so'bhavadbharataśreṣṭha dakṣo nāma prajāpatiḥ ॥12-200-19॥
Brahmā created from his thumb the ancestor of Marīci. That ancestor, O best of the Bharatas, became known as Dakṣa, the progenitor.
tasya pūrvam ajāyanta daśa tisraś ca bhārata। prajāpater duhitaraḥ tāsāṃ jyeṣṭhā abhavat ditiḥ ॥12-200-20॥
O Bhārata, formerly, ten and three daughters were born to Prajāpati; among them, Diti was the eldest.
sarvadharmaviśeṣajñaḥ puṇyakīrtirmahāyaśāḥ। mārīcaḥ kaśyapastāta sarvāsāmabhavatpatiḥ ॥12-200-21॥
O dear one, Mārīca Kaśyapa, knower of all dharma distinctions, of meritorious fame and great renown, became the lord of all women.
utpādya tu mahābhāgas tāsām avarajā daśa। dadau dharmāya dharmajño dakṣa eva prajāpatiḥ ॥12-200-22॥
But having produced them, the greatly fortunate Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, gave his ten younger daughters to Dharma, as he was a knower of dharma.
dharmasya vasavaḥ putrā rudrāś cāmitatejasaḥ। viśvedevāś ca sādhyāś ca marutvantaś ca bhārata ॥12-200-23॥
O Bhārata, the sons of Dharma, the Vasus, the Rudras of immeasurable energy, the Viśvedevas, the Sādhyas, and the Maruts (were present there).
aparāstu yavīyasyastābhyo'nyāḥ saptaviṃśatiḥ। somastāsāṃ mahābhāgaḥ sarvāsāmabhavatpatiḥ ॥12-200-24॥
But there were others, twenty-seven in number, younger than those. Soma, who was greatly fortunate, became the lord of all of them.
itarāstu vyajāyanta gandharvāṃsturagāndvijān। gāśca kimpuruṣānmatsyānaudbhidāṃśca vanaspatīn ॥12-200-25॥
But others were born, such as Gandharvas, horses, twice-born beings, cows, Kimpurushas, fishes, plants, and trees.
ādityān aditir jajñe devaśreṣṭhān mahābalān। teṣāṃ viṣṇur vāmano'bhūd govindaś cābhavat prabhuḥ ॥12-200-26॥
Aditi gave birth to the Ādityas, the foremost and most powerful of the gods. Among them, Viṣṇu took the form of Vāmana, and Govinda became the supreme Lord.
tasya vikramaṇādeva devānāṃ śrīrvyavardhata। dānavāśca parābhūtā daiteyī cāsurī prajā ॥12-200-27॥
From his stride, the prosperity of the gods increased, while the Dānavas and the Daiteyī and Asurī races were defeated.
vipracittipradhānāṃś ca dānavān asṛjad danuḥ। ditis tu sarvān asurān mahāsattvān vyajāyata ॥12-200-28॥
Danu created the Dānavas, led by Vipracitti; but Diti gave birth to all the asuras, the mighty beings.
ahorātraṃ ca kālaṃ ca yathartu madhusūdanaḥ। pūrvāhṇaṃ cāparāhṇaṃ ca sarvamevānvakalpayat ॥12-200-29॥
Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu) arranged day and night, time, and the seasons; he also established the forenoon and afternoon, arranging everything accordingly.
buddhyāpaḥ so'sṛjan meghāṃs tathā sthāvara-jaṅgamān। pṛthivīṃ so'sṛjad viśvāṃ sahitāṃ bhūritejasā ॥12-200-30॥
By his intelligence, he created the waters, the clouds, as well as all immovable and movable beings; he created the entire earth together with all of them, endowed with great brilliance.
tataḥ kṛṣṇo mahābāhuḥ punareva yudhiṣṭhira। brāhmaṇānāṃ śataṃ śreṣṭhaṃ mukhādasṛjata prabhuḥ ॥12-200-31॥
Then Kṛṣṇa, the mighty-armed Lord, again created a hundred of the best Brāhmaṇas from his mouth, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
bāhubhyāṃ kṣatriyaśataṃ vaiśyānāmūrutaḥ śatam | padbhyāṃ śūdraśataṃ caiva keśavo bharatarṣabha ||12-200-32||
O Keśava, O best of the Bharatas, a hundred Kṣatriyas arose from the arms, a hundred Vaiśyas from the thighs, and a hundred Śūdras from the feet.
sa evaṃ caturo varṇān samutpādya mahā-yaśāḥ। adhyakṣaṃ sarva-bhūtānāṃ dhātāram akarot prabhuḥ॥12-200-33॥
Thus, he, of great fame, having created the four classes, appointed the lord as the overseer and sustainer of all beings.
yāvad yāvad abhūc chraddhā dehaṃ dhārayituṃ nṛṇām। tāvat tāvad ajīvaṃs te nāsīd yam akṛtaṃ bhayam ॥12-200-34॥
As long as men had faith to sustain their bodies, they lived; there was no fear of what was left undone.
na caiṣāṃ maithuno dharmo babhūva bharatarṣabha। saṅkalpādeva caiteṣāmapatyamudapadyata ॥12-200-35॥
O bull among the Bharatas, for these, sexual union was not the law. Indeed, from mere resolve, offspring arose for them.
tatra tretāyuge kāle saṅkalpājjāyate prajā। na hyabhūnmaithuno dharmasteṣāmapi janādhipa ॥12-200-36॥
O ruler of men, in the Tretā Yuga, progeny was born from resolve alone; sexual union was not the law for them.
dvāpare maithuno dharmaḥ prajānām abhavan nṛpa। tathā kaliyuge rājan dvandvam āpedire janāḥ ॥12-200-37॥
O king, in the Dvāpara age, sexual union was the duty of the people. Likewise, in the Kali age, O king, people turned to pairing. "12-200-37"
eṣa bhūtapatis tāta svadhyakṣaś ca prakīrtitaḥ। niradhyakṣāṃs tu kaunteya kīrtayiṣyāmi tān api ॥12-200-38॥
This lord of beings, O dear one, is said to be self-supervised. But, O son of Kunti, I will also mention those who are without supervision.
dakṣiṇāpathajanmānaḥ sarve talavarāndhrakāḥ। utsāḥ pulindāḥ śabarāś cūcupā maṇḍapaiḥ saha ॥12-200-39॥
All those born in the southern region—Talavaras, Andhrakas, Utsas, Pulindas, and Shabaras—remained silent together with their pavilions.
uttarāpathajanmānaḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi tān api। yaunakāmbojagāndhārāḥ kirātā barbaraiḥ saha ॥12-200-40॥
I will also mention those born in the northern region: the Yavanas, Kambojas, Gandharas, Kiratas, together with the Barbaras.
ete pāpakṛtastāta caranti pṛthivīmimām। śvakākabalagṛdhrāṇāṃ sadharmāṇo narādhipa ॥12-200-41॥
O king, these evil-doers roam this earth, sharing the same nature as dogs, crows, and vultures.
naite kṛtayuge tāta caranti pṛthivīmimām। tretāprabhṛti vartante te janā bharatarṣabha ॥12-200-42॥
O best of the Bharatas, these people did not dwell on this earth in the Kṛta Yuga, O dear one. They have existed from the beginning of the Tretā Yuga.
tatas tasmin mahāghore sandhyākāle yugāntike। rājānaḥ samasajjanta samāsādyetaretaram ॥12-200-43॥
Then, at that dreadful twilight at the end of the age, the kings gathered together, coming face to face with one another.
evameṣa kuruśreṣṭha prādurbhāvo mahātmanaḥ। devadevarṣirācaṣṭa nāradaḥ sarvalokadṛk ॥12-200-44॥
Thus, O best of the Kurus, Nārada, the sage among the gods and seer of all worlds, spoke of this manifestation of the great soul.
nārado'pyatha kṛṣṇasya paraṃ mene narādhipa| śāśvatatvaṃ mahābāho yathāvad bharatarṣabha ॥12-200-45॥
O king, Nārada also then recognized the supreme and eternal nature of Kṛṣṇa, O mighty-armed one, just as it truly is, O best of the Bharatas.
evameṣa mahābāhuḥ keśavaḥ satyavikramaḥ। acintyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣo naiṣa kevalamānuṣaḥ ॥12-200-46॥
Thus, this mighty-armed Keśava, who is true in valor, inconceivable, and lotus-eyed, is not merely a human being.
