Brahma Purana — Chapter 158
BrP 158.1
व्यासतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं प्राचेतसम् अतः परम् नातः परतरं किंचित् पावनं सर्वसिद्धिदम् ॥
vyāsatīrtham iti khyātaṃ prācetasam ataḥ param nātaḥ parataraṃ kiṃcit pāvanaṃ sarvasiddhidam //
Beyond that is (the tīrtha) known as Vyāsatīrtha, belonging to Prācetasa; there is nothing more purifying than this, (nothing) that grants every attainment (as it does).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 158.2
दश मे मानसाः पुत्राः स्रष्टारो जगताम् अपि अन्तं जिज्ञासवस् ते वै पृथिव्या जग्मुर् ओजसा ॥
daśa me mānasāḥ putrāḥ sraṣṭāro jagatām api antaṃ jijñāsavas te vai pṛthivyā jagmur ojasā //
"I had ten mind-born sons, creators of the worlds too; wishing to know the limit of the earth, they went forth by their own power.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.3
पुनः सृष्टाः पुनस् ते ऽपि यातास् तान् समवेक्षितुम् नैव ते ऽपि समायाता ये गतास् ते गता गताः ॥
punaḥ sṛṣṭāḥ punas te 'pi yātās tān samavekṣitum naiva te 'pi samāyātā ye gatās te gatā gatāḥ //
Again (others) were created, and they too went to look for them; they too did not come back. Those who went were gone, gone for good.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.4
तदोत्पन्ना महाप्राज्ञा दिव्या आङ्गिरसो मुने वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञाः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदाः ॥
tadotpannā mahāprājñā divyā āṅgiraso mune vedavedāṅgatattvajñāḥ sarvaśāstraviśāradāḥ //
Then, O sage, there were born the greatly wise, divine Āṅgirasas, knowers of the truth of the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas, expert in all the scriptures.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.5
ते ऽनुज्ञाता अङ्गिरसा गुरुं नत्वा तपोधनाः तपसे निश्चिताः सर्वे नैव पृष्ट्वा तु मातरम् ॥
te 'nujñātā aṅgirasā guruṃ natvā tapodhanāḥ tapase niścitāḥ sarve naiva pṛṣṭvā tu mātaram //
Permitted by Aṅgiras, having bowed to their teacher, those men whose wealth was austerity all resolved upon austerity — but without asking their mother.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.6
सर्वेभ्यो ह्य् अधिका माता गुरुभ्यो गौरवेण हि तदा नारद कोपेन सा शशाप तदात्मजान् ॥
sarvebhyo hy adhikā mātā gurubhyo gauraveṇa hi tadā nārada kopena sā śaśāpa tadātmajān //
For in respect of the honour due, a mother is greater than all teachers; and so, O Nārada, in anger she cursed her own sons:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.7
माम् अनादृत्य ये पुत्राः प्रवृत्ताश् चरितुं तपः सर्वैर् अपि प्रकारैस् तन् न तेषां सिद्धिम् एष्यति ॥
mām anādṛtya ye putrāḥ pravṛttāś carituṃ tapaḥ sarvair api prakārais tan na teṣāṃ siddhim eṣyati //
"Those sons who, slighting me, have set out to practise austerity — by no means whatsoever will that austerity of theirs reach success."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.8
नानादेशांश् च चिन्वानास् तपःसिद्धिं न यान्ति च विघ्नम् अन्वेति तान् सर्वान् इतश् चेतश् च धावतः ॥
nānādeśāṃś ca cinvānās tapaḥsiddhiṃ na yānti ca vighnam anveti tān sarvān itaś cetaś ca dhāvataḥ //
And though they searched through many lands, they did not attain success in austerity; an obstacle followed all of them as they ran this way and that.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.9
क्वापि तद् राक्षसैर् विघ्नं क्वापि तन् मानुषैर् अभूत् प्रमदाभिः क्वचिच् चापि क्वापि तद्देहदोषतः ॥
kvāpi tad rākṣasair vighnaṃ kvāpi tan mānuṣair abhūt pramadābhiḥ kvacic cāpi kvāpi taddehadoṣataḥ //
In one place that obstacle came from rākṣasas, in another from human beings, in some place from women, and in another from a defect of the body.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.10
एवं तु भ्रममाणास् ते ययुः सर्वे तपोनिधिम् अगस्त्यं तपतां श्रेष्ठं कुम्भयोनिं जगद्गुरुम् ॥
evaṃ tu bhramamāṇās te yayuḥ sarve taponidhim agastyaṃ tapatāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ kumbhayoniṃ jagadgurum //
Wandering about in this way, they all went to Agastya, the treasury of austerity, best of ascetics, born from a jar, teacher of the world.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.11
नमस्कृत्वा ह्य् आङ्गिरसा ह्य् अग्निवंशसमुद्भवाः दक्षिणाशापतिं शान्तं विनीताः प्रष्टुम् उद्यताः ॥
namaskṛtvā hy āṅgirasā hy agnivaṃśasamudbhavāḥ dakṣiṇāśāpatiṃ śāntaṃ vinītāḥ praṣṭum udyatāḥ //
Having made obeisance, the Āṅgirasas, sprung from the lineage of Fire, humbly prepared to question the peaceful lord of the southern quarter.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.12
भगवन् केन दोषेण तपो ऽस्माकं न सिध्यति नानाविधैर् अप्य् उपायैः कुर्वतां च पुनः पुनः ॥
bhagavan kena doṣeṇa tapo 'smākaṃ na sidhyati nānāvidhair apy upāyaiḥ kurvatāṃ ca punaḥ punaḥ //
"Lord, by what fault does our austerity not succeed, though we perform it again and again by many different means?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.13
किं कुर्मः कः प्रकारो ऽत्र तपस्य् एव भवाम किम् उपायं ब्रूहि विप्रेन्द्र ज्येष्ठो ऽसि तपसा ध्रुवम् ॥
kiṃ kurmaḥ kaḥ prakāro 'tra tapasy eva bhavāma kim upāyaṃ brūhi viprendra jyeṣṭho 'si tapasā dhruvam //
What shall we do? What is the way here? Are we to remain in austerity itself? Tell us the means, O best of brahmins; you are surely the eldest in austerity.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.14
ज्ञातासि ज्ञानिनां ब्रह्मन् वक्तासि वदतां वरः शान्तो ऽसि यमिनां नित्यं दयावान् प्रियकृत् तथा ॥
jñātāsi jñānināṃ brahman vaktāsi vadatāṃ varaḥ śānto 'si yamināṃ nityaṃ dayāvān priyakṛt tathā //
You are the knower among those who know, O brahmin; you are the speaker, the best of speakers; you are ever calm among the self-restrained, and likewise compassionate and doing what pleases.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.15
अक्रोधनश् च न द्वेष्टा तस्माद् ब्रूहि विवक्षितम् साहंकारा दयाहीना गुरुसेवाविवर्जिताः असत्यवादिनः क्रूरा न ते तत्त्वं विजानते ॥
akrodhanaś ca na dveṣṭā tasmād brūhi vivakṣitam sāhaṃkārā dayāhīnā gurusevāvivarjitāḥ asatyavādinaḥ krūrā na te tattvaṃ vijānate //
and you are free from anger and not one who hates; therefore tell us what is to be told. Those who are full of egotism, devoid of compassion, without service to their teacher, speakers of untruth, cruel — they do not understand the truth."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.16
अगस्त्यः प्राह तान् सर्वान् क्षणं ध्यात्वा शनैः शनैः ॥
agastyaḥ prāha tān sarvān kṣaṇaṃ dhyātvā śanaiḥ śanaiḥ //
Agastya, having reflected for a moment, spoke to them all very slowly:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.17
शान्तात्मानो भवन्तो वै स्रष्टारो ब्रह्मणा कृताः न पर्याप्तं तपश् चाभूत् स्मरध्वं स्मयकारणम् ॥
śāntātmāno bhavanto vai sraṣṭāro brahmaṇā kṛtāḥ na paryāptaṃ tapaś cābhūt smaradhvaṃ smayakāraṇam //
"You are indeed calm of soul, made creators by Brahmā; yet your austerity has not been sufficient. Recall the cause of your pride.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.18
ब्रह्मणा निर्मिताः पूर्वं ये गताः सुखम् एधते ये गताः पुनर् अन्वेष्टुं ते च त्व् आङ्गिरसो ऽभवन् ॥
brahmaṇā nirmitāḥ pūrvaṃ ye gatāḥ sukham edhate ye gatāḥ punar anveṣṭuṃ te ca tv āṅgiraso 'bhavan //
Those who were fashioned by Brahmā earlier and went forth prosper in happiness; and those who went again to search for them became the Āṅgirasas.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 158.19
ते यूयं च पुनः काले याता याताः शनैः शनैः प्रजापतेर् अप्य् अधिका भवितारो न संशयः ॥
te yūyaṃ ca punaḥ kāle yātā yātāḥ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ prajāpater apy adhikā bhavitāro na saṃśayaḥ //
And you, those very ones, having gone forth again in due time, little by little, will without doubt become even greater than Prajāpati.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 158.20
इतो यान्तु तपस् तप्तुं गङ्गां त्रैलोक्यपावनीम् नोपायो ऽन्यो ऽस्ति संसारे विना गङ्गां शिवप्रियाम् ॥
ito yāntu tapas taptuṃ gaṅgāṃ trailokyapāvanīm nopāyo 'nyo 'sti saṃsāre vinā gaṅgāṃ śivapriyām //
Let (them) go from here to practise austerity at the Gaṅgā, purifier of the three worlds; there is no other means in this round of existence apart from the Gaṅgā, dear to Śiva.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.21
तत्राश्रमे पुण्यदेशे ज्ञानदं पूजयिष्यथ स च्छेदयिष्यत्य् अखिलं संशयं वो महामतिः न सिद्धिः क्वापि केषांचिद् विना सद्गुरुणा यतः ॥
tatrāśrame puṇyadeśe jñānadaṃ pūjayiṣyatha sa cchedayiṣyaty akhilaṃ saṃśayaṃ vo mahāmatiḥ na siddhiḥ kvāpi keṣāṃcid vinā sadguruṇā yataḥ //
There, in that hermitage, in that holy region, you shall worship the giver of knowledge; he, of great understanding, will cut away every doubt of yours — since for no one, nowhere, is there attainment without a true teacher.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.22
ते तम् ऊचुर् मुनिवरं ज्ञानदः को ऽभिधीयते ब्रह्मा विष्णुर् महेशो वा आदित्यो वापि चन्द्रमाः ॥
te tam ūcur munivaraṃ jñānadaḥ ko 'bhidhīyate brahmā viṣṇur maheśo vā ādityo vāpi candramāḥ //
They said to that best of sages: "Who is called the giver of knowledge? Brahmā, Viṣṇu, or Maheśa, or the Sun, or the Moon?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.23
अग्निश् च वरुणः कः स्याज् ज्ञानदो मुनिसत्तम अगस्त्यः पुनर् अप्य् आह ज्ञानदः श्रूयताम् अयम् ॥
agniś ca varuṇaḥ kaḥ syāj jñānado munisattama agastyaḥ punar apy āha jñānadaḥ śrūyatām ayam //
And Agni, and Varuṇa — who would be the giver of knowledge, O best of sages?" Agastya spoke again: "Let this giver of knowledge be heard of.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.24
या आपः सो ऽग्निर् इत्य् उक्तो यो ऽग्निः सूर्यः स उच्यते यश् च सूर्यः स वै विष्णुर् यश् च विष्णुः स भास्करः ॥
yā āpaḥ so 'gnir ity ukto yo 'gniḥ sūryaḥ sa ucyate yaś ca sūryaḥ sa vai viṣṇur yaś ca viṣṇuḥ sa bhāskaraḥ //
What the waters are, that is called Agni; what Agni is, that is called the Sun; and what the Sun is, that indeed is Viṣṇu; and what Viṣṇu is, that is the Sun.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.25
यश् च ब्रह्मा स वै रुद्रो यो रुद्रः सर्वम् एव तत् यस्य सर्वं तु तज् ज्ञानं ज्ञानदः सो ऽत्र कीर्त्यते ॥
yaś ca brahmā sa vai rudro yo rudraḥ sarvam eva tat yasya sarvaṃ tu taj jñānaṃ jñānadaḥ so 'tra kīrtyate //
And what Brahmā is, that indeed is Rudra; what Rudra is, that is verily all this. But he whose (knowledge) is that knowledge of the whole — he is here proclaimed the giver of knowledge.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 158.26
देशिकप्रेरकव्याख्याकृदुपाध्यायदेहदाः गुरवः सन्ति बहवस् तेषां ज्ञानप्रदो महान् ॥
deśikaprerakavyākhyākṛdupādhyāyadehadāḥ guravaḥ santi bahavas teṣāṃ jñānaprado mahān //
Guides, instigators, makers of exposition, instructors, and givers of the body — there are many gurus; among them the bestower of knowledge is the great one.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.27
तद् एव ज्ञानम् अत्रोक्तं येन भेदो विहन्यते एक एवाद्वयः शंभुर् इन्द्रमित्राग्निनामभिः वदन्ति बहुधा विप्रा भ्रान्तोपकृतिहेतवे ॥
tad eva jñānam atroktaṃ yena bhedo vihanyate eka evādvayaḥ śaṃbhur indramitrāgnināmabhiḥ vadanti bahudhā viprā bhrāntopakṛtihetave //
That alone is here called knowledge by which difference is destroyed. Śambhu is one only, without a second; the brahmins speak of him in many ways, by the names Indra, Mitra, Agni, in order to help the deluded.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.28
एतच् छ्रुत्वा मुनेर् वाक्यं गाथा गायन्त एव ते जग्मुः पञ्चोत्तरां गङ्गां पञ्च जग्मुश् च दक्षिणाम् ॥
etac chrutvā muner vākyaṃ gāthā gāyanta eva te jagmuḥ pañcottarāṃ gaṅgāṃ pañca jagmuś ca dakṣiṇām //
Having heard this speech of the sage, singing verses as they went, five of them went to the northern Gaṅgā and five went to the southern.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.29
अगस्त्येनोदितान् देवान् पूजयन्तो यथाविधि आसनेषु विशेषेण ह्य् आसीनास् तत्त्वचिन्तकाः ॥
agastyenoditān devān pūjayanto yathāvidhi āsaneṣu viśeṣeṇa hy āsīnās tattvacintakāḥ //
Worshipping, according to rule, the gods named by Agastya, and seated in particular on (proper) seats, they meditated on the truth.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.30
तेषां सर्वे सुरगणाः प्रीतिमन्तो ऽभवन् मुने स्रष्टृत्वं तु युगादौ यत् कल्पितं विश्वयोनिना ॥
teṣāṃ sarve suragaṇāḥ prītimanto 'bhavan mune sraṣṭṛtvaṃ tu yugādau yat kalpitaṃ viśvayoninā //
All the hosts of gods became well-pleased with them, O sage. But the creatorship that was fashioned at the beginning of the age by the source of the universe —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.31
अधर्माणां निवृत्त्यर्थं वेदानां स्थापनाय च लोकानाम् उपकारार्थं धर्मकामार्थसिद्धये ॥
adharmāṇāṃ nivṛttyarthaṃ vedānāṃ sthāpanāya ca lokānām upakārārthaṃ dharmakāmārthasiddhaye //
— for the sake of putting an end to unrighteous practices, and for the establishment of the Vedas, for the benefit of the worlds, for the achievement of dharma, pleasure and wealth —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.32
पुराणस्मृतिवेदार्थधर्मशास्त्रार्थनिश्चये स्रष्टृत्वं जगताम् इष्टं तादृग्रूपा भविष्यथ ॥
purāṇasmṛtivedārthadharmaśāstrārthaniścaye sraṣṭṛtvaṃ jagatām iṣṭaṃ tādṛgrūpā bhaviṣyatha //
— for determining the meaning of the Purāṇas, the Smṛtis, the Vedas and the Dharmaśāstras, the creatorship of the worlds is (thus) intended: of such a form you shall become.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 158.33
प्रजापतित्वं तेषां वै भविष्यति शनैः क्रमात् यदा ह्य् अधर्मो भविता वेदानां च पराभवः ॥
prajāpatitvaṃ teṣāṃ vai bhaviṣyati śanaiḥ kramāt yadā hy adharmo bhavitā vedānāṃ ca parābhavaḥ //
The state of being Prajāpati will indeed come to them slowly, in due order, when unrighteousness shall arise and the Vedas suffer defeat.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.34
वेदानां व्यसनं तेभ्यो भाविव्यासास् ततस् तु ते यदा यदा तु धर्मस्य ग्लानिर् वेदस्य दृश्यते ॥
vedānāṃ vyasanaṃ tebhyo bhāvivyāsās tatas tu te yadā yadā tu dharmasya glānir vedasya dṛśyate //
By them comes the dividing of the Vedas; therefore they are to be the future Vyāsas. Whenever a wasting of dharma and of the Veda is seen,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.35
तदा तदा तु ते व्यासा भविष्यन्त्य् उपकारिणः तेषां यत् तपसः स्थानं गङ्गायास् तीरम् उत्तमम् ॥
tadā tadā tu te vyāsā bhaviṣyanty upakāriṇaḥ teṣāṃ yat tapasaḥ sthānaṃ gaṅgāyās tīram uttamam //
then and then again they shall become Vyāsas, doing benefit. That place of their austerity is the excellent bank of the Gaṅgā.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.36
तत्र तत्र शिवो विष्णुर् अहम् आदित्य एव च अग्निर् आपः सर्वम् इति तत्र संनिहितं सदा ॥
tatra tatra śivo viṣṇur aham āditya eva ca agnir āpaḥ sarvam iti tatra saṃnihitaṃ sadā //
There, in each such place, Śiva, Viṣṇu, myself, and the Sun, Agni, the waters — everything is ever present there.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.37
नैतेभ्यः पावनं किंचिन् नैतेभ्यस् त्व् अधिकं क्वचित् तत्तदाकारतां प्राप्तं परं ब्रह्मैव केवलम् ॥
naitebhyaḥ pāvanaṃ kiṃcin naitebhyas tv adhikaṃ kvacit tattadākāratāṃ prāptaṃ paraṃ brahmaiva kevalam //
There is nothing purifying apart from these, nor anywhere anything greater than these; it is the supreme Brahman alone that has assumed those various forms.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.38
सर्वात्मकः शिवो व्यापी सर्वभावस्वरूपधृक् विशेषतस् तत्र तीर्थे सर्वप्राण्यनुकम्पया ॥
sarvātmakaḥ śivo vyāpī sarvabhāvasvarūpadhṛk viśeṣatas tatra tīrthe sarvaprāṇyanukampayā //
Śiva, the all-pervading, whose self is all, bearing the form of every existing thing, (is present) especially at that sacred ford, out of compassion for all living beings.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 158.39
सर्वैर् देवैर् अनुवृतस् तदनुग्रहकारकः धर्मव्यासास् तु ते ज्ञेया वेदव्यासास् तथैव च ॥
sarvair devair anuvṛtas tadanugrahakārakaḥ dharmavyāsās tu te jñeyā vedavyāsās tathaiva ca //
Attended by all the gods, he is the bestower of grace upon them. But those (sages) are to be known as the Dharma-vyāsas and likewise the Veda-vyāsas.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 158.40
तेषां तीर्थं तेन नाम्ना व्यपदिष्टं जगत्त्रये पापपङ्कक्षालनाम्भो मोहध्वान्तमदापहम् सर्वसिद्धिप्रदं पुंसां व्यासतीर्थम् अनुत्तमम् ॥
teṣāṃ tīrthaṃ tena nāmnā vyapadiṣṭaṃ jagattraye pāpapaṅkakṣālanāmbho mohadhvāntamadāpaham sarvasiddhipradaṃ puṃsāṃ vyāsatīrtham anuttamam //
Their sacred ford, designated by that name in the three worlds, whose water washes away the mire of sin, which removes the intoxication of delusion's darkness, granting all attainments to men — the unsurpassed Vyāsatīrtha.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition