Bhagavata Purana — Skandha 5 — Chapter 3

SB 5 3.1

_* श्री-शुक उवाच नाभिर् अपत्य-कामो ऽप्रजया मेरुदेव्या भगवन्तं यज्ञ-पुरुषम् अवहितात्मायजत

_* śrī-śuka uvāca nābhir apatya-kāmo 'prajayā merudevyā bhagavantaṃ yajña-puruṣam avahitātmāyajata

Śrī Śuka said: Nābhi, desiring offspring, since Merudevī was childless, worshipped with concentrated mind the Lord, the Person of sacrifice.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.2

_* तस्य ह वाव श्रद्धया विशुद्ध-भावेन यजतः प्रवर्ग्येषु प्रचरत्सु द्रव्य-देश-काल-मन्त्रर्त्विग्-दक्षिणा-विधान-योगोपपत्त्या दुरधिगमो ऽपि भगवान् भागवत-वात्सल्यतया सुप्रतीक आत्मानम् अपराजितं निज-जनाभिप्रेतार्थ-विधित्सया गृहीत-हृदयो हृदयङ्गमं मनो-नयनानन्दनावयवाभिरामम् आविश्चकार

_* tasya ha vāva śraddhayā viśuddha-bhāvena yajataḥ pravargyeṣu pracaratsu dravya-deśa-kāla-mantrartvig-dakṣiṇā-vidhāna-yogopapattyā duradhigamo 'pi bhagavān bhāgavata-vātsalyatayā supratīka ātmānam aparājitaṃ nija-janābhipretārtha-vidhitsayā gṛhīta-hṛdayo hṛdayaṅgamaṃ mano-nayanānandanāvayavābhirāmam āviścakāra

And indeed, while he was sacrificing with faith and with wholly pure intent, when the pravargya rites were being performed, the Lord — though hard to reach even by the proper application of substance, place, time, mantra, priests, sacrificial fees, ritual injunction and disciplined practice — being of fair aspect, his heart taken captive by his affection for his devotees, wishing to accomplish what his own people desired, revealed himself, the unconquered one, charming to the heart, lovely with limbs that delight mind and eye.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.3

_* अथ ह तम् आविष्कृत-भुज-युगल-द्वयं हिरण्मयं पुरुष-विशेषं कपिश-कौशेयाम्बर-धरम् उरसि विलसच्-छ्रीवत्स-ललामं दरवर-वनरुह-वन-मालाच्छूर्य्-अमृत-मणि-गदादिभिर् उपलक्षितं स्फुट-किरण-प्रवर-मुकुट-कुण्डल-कटक-कटि-सूत्र-हार-केयूर-नूपुराद्य्-अङ्ग-भूषण-विभूषितम् ऋत्विक्-सदस्य-गृह-पतयो ऽधना इवोत्तम-धनम् उपलभ्य सबहु-मानम् अर्हणेनावनत-शीर्षाण उपतस्थुः

_* atha ha tam āviṣkṛta-bhuja-yugala-dvayaṃ hiraṇmayaṃ puruṣa-viśeṣaṃ kapiśa-kauśeyāmbara-dharam urasi vilasac-chrīvatsa-lalāmaṃ daravara-vanaruha-vana-mālācchūry-amṛta-maṇi-gadādibhir upalakṣitaṃ sphuṭa-kiraṇa-pravara-mukuṭa-kuṇḍala-kaṭaka-kaṭi-sūtra-hāra-keyūra-nūpurādy-aṅga-bhūṣaṇa-vibhūṣitam ṛtvik-sadasya-gṛha-patayo 'dhanā ivottama-dhanam upalabhya sabahu-mānam arhaṇenāvanata-śīrṣāṇa upatasthuḥ

Then the priests, the members of the assembly and the sponsors of the sacrifice, on obtaining him — the distinguished Person, golden, who had manifested two pairs of arms, wearing a garment of tawny silk, with the śrīvatsa mark shining as an ornament on his chest, marked by the excellent conch, the lotus, the forest garland, the sword, the Amṛta gem, the mace and the rest, adorned with crown, earrings, bracelets, waistband, necklace, armlets, anklets and other bodily ornaments of brilliant, surpassing radiance — like poor men obtaining the highest wealth, approached him with great reverence, with offerings, their heads bowed down.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.4

_* ऋत्विज ऊचुः अर्हसि मुहुर् अर्हत्तमार्हणम् अस्माकम् अनुपथानां नमो नम इत्य् एतावत् सद्-उपशिक्षितं को ऽर्हति पुमान् प्रकृति-गुण-व्यतिकर-मतिर् अनीश ईश्वरस्य परस्य प्रकृति-पुरुषयोर् अर्वाक्तनाभिर् नाम-रूपाकृतिभी रूप-निरूपणम् सकल-जन-निकाय-वृजिन-निरसन-शिवतम-प्रवर-गुण-गणैक-देश-कथनाद् ऋते

_* ṛtvija ūcuḥ arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṃ namo nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṃ ko 'rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam sakala-jana-nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-kathanād ṛte

The priests said: O most worthy of worship, you deserve again and again our worship, we who follow your path — 'obeisance, obeisance': just this much is what the good have taught. For what man, whose mind is confused by the interaction of the qualities of prakṛti, powerless as he is, is competent to define the form of the Lord who is beyond prakṛti and puruṣa, by means of names, forms and shapes that come later than these — except by telling one portion of the host of your excellent, most auspicious qualities, which dispels the sin of all the multitudes of people?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.5

_* परिजनानुराग-विरचित-शबल-संशब्द-सलिल-सित-किसलय-तुलसिका-दूर्वाङ्कुरैर् अपि सम्भृतया सपर्यया किल परम परितुष्यसि

_* parijanānurāga-viracita-śabala-saṃśabda-salila-sita-kisalaya-tulasikā-dūrvāṅkurair api sambhṛtayā saparyayā kila parama parituṣyasi

O supreme one, you are indeed fully satisfied even by a worship assembled out of the love of your servants, made up of variegated (offerings), water consecrated with mantras, white sprouts, tulasī and shoots of dūrvā grass.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.6

_* अथानयापि न भवत इज्ययोरु-भार-भरया समुचितम् अर्थम् इहोपलभामहे

_* athānayāpi na bhavata ijyayoru-bhāra-bharayā samucitam artham ihopalabhāmahe

Now, by this sacrifice too, burdened with its great load, we do not perceive here any purpose befitting you,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.7

_* आत्मन एवानुसवनम् अञ्जसाव्यतिरेकेण बोभूयमानाशेष-पुरुषार्थ-स्वरूपस्य किन्तु नाथाशिष आशासानानाम् एतद् अभिसंराधन-मात्रं भवितुम् अर्हति

_* ātmana evānusavanam añjasāvyatirekeṇa bobhūyamānāśeṣa-puruṣārtha-svarūpasya kintu nāthāśiṣa āśāsānānām etad abhisaṃrādhana-mātraṃ bhavitum arhati

since for you yourself, whose very nature is all the goals of human life, directly and without difference, ever increasing at every pressing — but rather, O Lord, for those who ask for blessings, this can only amount to a means of propitiating you.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.8

_* तद् यथा बालिशानां स्वयम् आत्मनः श्रेयः परम् अविदुषां परम-परम-पुरुष प्रकर्ष-करुणया स्व-महिमानं चापवर्गाख्यम् उपकल्पयिष्यन् स्वयं नापचित एवेतरवद् इहोपलक्षितः

_* tad yathā bāliśānāṃ svayam ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ param aviduṣāṃ parama-parama-puruṣa prakarṣa-karuṇayā sva-mahimānaṃ cāpavargākhyam upakalpayiṣyan svayaṃ nāpacita evetaravad ihopalakṣitaḥ

So it is that, O Person supremest of the supreme, for the sake of the simple who do not themselves know the highest good of the self, out of abounding compassion, intending to bestow also your own glory called liberation, you have here been perceived, unhonoured as you are, just like an ordinary being.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.9

_* अथायम् एव वरो ह्य् अर्हत्तम यर्हि बर्हिषि राजर्षेर् वरदर्षभो भवान् निज-पुरुषेक्षण-विषय आसीत्

_* athāyam eva varo hy arhattama yarhi barhiṣi rājarṣer varadarṣabho bhavān nija-puruṣekṣaṇa-viṣaya āsīt

And indeed, O most worthy of worship, this itself is the boon: that on the sacrificial grass of the royal sage, you, the best of boon-givers, became the object of the sight of your own people.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.10

_* असङ्ग-निशित-ज्ञानानल-विधूताशेष-मलानां भवत्-स्वभावानाम् आत्मारामाणां मुनीनाम् अनवरत-परिगुणित-गुण-गण परम-मङ्गलायन-गुण-गण-कथनो ऽसि

_* asaṅga-niśita-jñānānala-vidhūtāśeṣa-malānāṃ bhavat-svabhāvānām ātmārāmāṇāṃ munīnām anavarata-pariguṇita-guṇa-gaṇa parama-maṅgalāyana-guṇa-gaṇa-kathano 'si

O you whose host of qualities is unceasingly told over by the sages — those whose every impurity has been shaken off by the fire of knowledge sharpened by detachment, who share your own nature and delight in the self — you are one the telling of whose host of qualities is the abode of the highest auspiciousness.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.11

_* अथ कथञ्चित् स्खलन-क्षुत्-पतन-जृम्भण-दुरवस्थानादिषु विवशानां नः स्मरणाय ज्वर-मरण-दशायाम् अपि सकल-कश्मल-निरसनानि तव गुण-कृत-नामधेयानि वचन-गोचराणि भवन्तु

_* atha kathañcit skhalana-kṣut-patana-jṛmbhaṇa-duravasthānādiṣu vivaśānāṃ naḥ smaraṇāya jvara-maraṇa-daśāyām api sakala-kaśmala-nirasanāni tava guṇa-kṛta-nāmadheyāni vacana-gocarāṇi bhavantu

Then, when we are helpless in stumbling, sneezing, falling, yawning, being in bad straits, and the like — and even in the condition of fever and death — let your names, made from your qualities, which dispel every impurity, be within reach of our speech, so that we may remember (you).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.12

_* किञ्चायं राजर्षिर् अपत्य-कामः प्रजां भवादृशीम् आशासान ईश्वरम् आशिषां स्वर्गापवर्गयोर् अपि भवन्तम् उपधावति प्रजायाम् अर्थ-प्रत्ययो धनदम् इवाधनः फलीकरणम्

_* kiñcāyaṃ rājarṣir apatya-kāmaḥ prajāṃ bhavādṛśīm āśāsāna īśvaram āśiṣāṃ svargāpavargayor api bhavantam upadhāvati prajāyām artha-pratyayo dhanadam ivādhanaḥ phalīkaraṇam

Moreover, this royal sage, desiring offspring, hoping for a child like yourself, resorts to you — who are the lord of all blessings, even of heaven and of liberation — placing his conviction of what is valuable in a child, as a poor man approaches the giver of wealth for mere husks.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.13

_* को वा इह ते ऽपराजितो ऽपराजितया माययानवसित-पदव्यानावृत-मतिर् विषय-विष-रयानावृत-प्रकृतिर् अनुपासित-महच्-चरणः

_* ko vā iha te 'parājito 'parājitayā māyayānavasita-padavyānāvṛta-matir viṣaya-viṣa-rayānāvṛta-prakṛtir anupāsita-mahac-caraṇaḥ

Or who here is unconquered by your unconquerable māyā — whose mind is not veiled (since) your path is not reached (by it), whose nature is not enveloped by the rush of the poison of sense-objects, who has not served the feet of the great?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.14

_* यद् उ ह वाव तव पुनर् अदभ्र-कर्तर् इह समाहूतस् तत्रार्थ-धियां मन्दानां नस् तद् यद् देव-हेलनं देव-देवार्हसि साम्येन सर्वान् प्रतिवोढुम् अविदुषाम्

_* yad u ha vāva tava punar adabhra-kartar iha samāhūtas tatrārtha-dhiyāṃ mandānāṃ nas tad yad deva-helanaṃ deva-devārhasi sāmyena sarvān prativoḍhum aviduṣām

And indeed, O doer of no small deeds, in that you were summoned here again by us, dull-witted ones bent on (material) gain — that was a slighting of the deity; O God of gods, you should bear with all of us ignorant ones with equanimity.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.15

_* श्री-शुक उवाच इति निगदेनाभिष्टूयमानो भगवान् अनिमिषर्षभो वर्ष-धराभिवादिताभिवन्दित-चरणः सदयम् इदम् आह

_* śrī-śuka uvāca iti nigadenābhiṣṭūyamāno bhagavān animiṣarṣabho varṣa-dharābhivāditābhivandita-caraṇaḥ sadayam idam āha

Śrī Śuka said: Being thus praised aloud with speech, the Lord, the chief of the unblinking ones, whose feet were saluted and worshipped by the ruler of the region (Nābhi), spoke this compassionately.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.16

_* श्री-भगवान् उवाच अहो बताहम् ऋषयो भवद्भिर् अवितथ-गीर्भिर् वरम् असुलभम् अभियाचितो यद् अमुष्यात्मजो मया सदृशो भूयाद् इति ममाहम् एवाभिरूपः कैवल्याद् अथापि ब्रह्म-वादो न मृषा भवितुम् अर्हति ममैव हि मुखं यद् द्विज-देव-कुलम्

_* śrī-bhagavān uvāca aho batāham ṛṣayo bhavadbhir avitatha-gīrbhir varam asulabham abhiyācito yad amuṣyātmajo mayā sadṛśo bhūyād iti mamāham evābhirūpaḥ kaivalyād athāpi brahma-vādo na mṛṣā bhavitum arhati mamaiva hi mukhaṃ yad dvija-deva-kulam

The Lord said: Alas, O sages, I have been begged by you, whose words are never untrue, for a boon hard to obtain — namely that a son like me should be born to him. But I alone am like myself, since (I am) unique; yet even so, the word of brahmins must not become false, for the community of twice-born gods is my very mouth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SB 5 3.17

_* तत आग्नीध्रीये ऽंश-कलयावतरिष्याम्य् आत्म-तुल्यम् अनुपलभमानः

_* tata āgnīdhrīye 'ṃśa-kalayāvatariṣyāmy ātma-tulyam anupalabhamānaḥ

Therefore, finding none equal to myself, I shall descend by a portion of a part into the wife of Āgnīdhra's son (Nābhi).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SB 5 3.18

_* श्री-शुक उवाच इति निशामयन्त्या मेरुदेव्याः पतिम् अभिधायान्तर्दधे भगवान्

_* śrī-śuka uvāca iti niśāmayantyā merudevyāḥ patim abhidhāyāntardadhe bhagavān

Śrī Śuka said: Having said this to the husband of Merudevī, while she was listening, the Lord vanished.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition