Brahma Purana — Chapter 26
BrP 26.1
पृथिव्याम् उत्तमां भूमिं धर्मकामार्थमोक्षदाम् तीर्थानाम् उत्तमं तीर्थं ब्रूहि नो वदतां वर ॥
pṛthivyām uttamāṃ bhūmiṃ dharmakāmārthamokṣadām tīrthānām uttamaṃ tīrthaṃ brūhi no vadatāṃ vara //
Tell us the best region on earth, the giver of dharma, pleasure, wealth and liberation, and the best tīrtha among tīrthas, O best of speakers.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.2
इमं प्रश्नं मम गुरुं पप्रच्छुर् मुनयः पुरा तम् अहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि यत् पृच्छध्वं द्विजोत्तमाः ॥
imaṃ praśnaṃ mama guruṃ papracchur munayaḥ purā tam ahaṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi yat pṛcchadhvaṃ dvijottamāḥ //
The sages formerly asked my teacher this very question; I shall declare it fully, that which you ask, O best of the twice-born.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.3
स्वाश्रमे सुमहापुण्ये नानापुष्पोपशोभिते नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णे नानामृगगणैर् युते ॥
svāśrame sumahāpuṇye nānāpuṣpopaśobhite nānādrumalatākīrṇe nānāmṛgagaṇair yute //
In his own hermitage, exceedingly holy, adorned with many kinds of flowers, strewn with many kinds of trees and creepers, filled with many herds of deer,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.4
पुंनागैः कर्णिकारैश् च सरलैर् देवदारुभिः शालैस् तालैस् तमालैश् च पनसैर् धवखादिरैः ॥
puṃnāgaiḥ karṇikāraiś ca saralair devadārubhiḥ śālais tālais tamālaiś ca panasair dhavakhādiraiḥ //
with puṃnāgas and karṇikāras, with saralas and deodars, with śāla, palm and tamāla trees, with breadfruit, dhava and khadira trees,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.5
पाटलाशोकबकुलैः करवीरैः सचम्पकैः अन्यैश् च विविधैर् वृक्षैर् नानापुष्पोपशोभितैः ॥
pāṭalāśokabakulaiḥ karavīraiḥ sacampakaiḥ anyaiś ca vividhair vṛkṣair nānāpuṣpopaśobhitaiḥ //
with pāṭala, aśoka and bakula trees, with oleanders together with campakas, and with various other trees adorned with many kinds of flowers —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.6
कुरुक्षेत्रे समासीनं व्यासं मतिमतां वरम् महाभारतकर्तारं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम् ॥
kurukṣetre samāsīnaṃ vyāsaṃ matimatāṃ varam mahābhāratakartāraṃ sarvaśāstraviśāradam //
(they came) to Vyāsa, seated in Kurukṣetra, best of the wise, maker of the Mahābhārata, skilled in all the sciences,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.7
अध्यात्मनिष्ठं सर्वज्ञं सर्वभूतहिते रतम् पुराणागमवक्तारं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगम् ॥
adhyātmaniṣṭhaṃ sarvajñaṃ sarvabhūtahite ratam purāṇāgamavaktāraṃ vedavedāṅgapāragam //
devoted to the supreme Self, all-knowing, intent on the welfare of all beings, the reciter of the Purāṇas and the traditional lore, gone to the far shore of the Vedas and the Vedic auxiliaries,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.8
पराशरसुतं शान्तं पद्मपत्त्रायतेक्षणम् द्रष्टुम् अभ्याययुः प्रीत्या मुनयः संशितव्रताः ॥
parāśarasutaṃ śāntaṃ padmapattrāyatekṣaṇam draṣṭum abhyāyayuḥ prītyā munayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ //
the son of Parāśara, tranquil, with eyes long as lotus petals — the sages of strict vows came near with affection to see (him):
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.9
कश्यपो जमदग्निश् च भरद्वाजो ऽथ गौतमः वसिष्ठो जैमिनिर् धौम्यो मार्कण्डेयो ऽथ वाल्मिकिः ॥
kaśyapo jamadagniś ca bharadvājo 'tha gautamaḥ vasiṣṭho jaiminir dhaumyo mārkaṇḍeyo 'tha vālmikiḥ //
Kaśyapa and Jamadagni, Bharadvāja, then Gautama, Vasiṣṭha, Jaimini, Dhaumya, Mārkaṇḍeya, then Vālmīki,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.10
विश्वामित्रः शतानन्दो वात्स्यो गार्ग्यो ऽथ आसुरिः सुमन्तुर् भार्गवो नाम कण्वो मेधातिथिर् गुरुः ॥
viśvāmitraḥ śatānando vātsyo gārgyo 'tha āsuriḥ sumantur bhārgavo nāma kaṇvo medhātithir guruḥ //
Viśvāmitra, Śatānanda, Vātsya, Gārgya, then Āsuri, Sumantu, Bhārgava by name, Kaṇva, the teacher Medhātithi,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.11
माण्डव्यश् च्यवनो धूम्रो ह्य् असितो देवलस् तथा मौद्गल्यस् तृणयज्ञश् च पिप्पलादो ऽकृतव्रणः ॥
māṇḍavyaś cyavano dhūmro hy asito devalas tathā maudgalyas tṛṇayajñaś ca pippalādo 'kṛtavraṇaḥ //
Māṇḍavya, Cyavana, Dhūmra, and indeed Asita, Devala too, Maudgalya and Tṛṇayajña, Pippalāda, Akṛtavraṇa,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.12
संवर्तः कौशिको रैभ्यो मैत्रेयो हरितस् तथा शाण्डिल्यश् च विभाण्डश् च दुर्वासा लोमशस् तथा ॥
saṃvartaḥ kauśiko raibhyo maitreyo haritas tathā śāṇḍilyaś ca vibhāṇḍaś ca durvāsā lomaśas tathā //
Saṃvarta, Kauśika, Raibhya, Maitreya, and Harita too, Śāṇḍilya and Vibhāṇḍa, Durvāsas and Lomaśa too,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.13
नारदः पर्वतश् चैव वैशंपायनगालवौ भास्करिः पूरणः सूतः पुलस्त्यः कपिलस् तथा ॥
nāradaḥ parvataś caiva vaiśaṃpāyanagālavau bhāskariḥ pūraṇaḥ sūtaḥ pulastyaḥ kapilas tathā //
Nārada and Parvata, Vaiśaṃpāyana and Gālava, Bhāskari, Pūraṇa, Sūta, Pulastya, and Kapila too,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.14
उलूकः पुलहो वायुर् देवस्थानश् चतुर्भुजः सनत्कुमारः पैलश् च कृष्णः कृष्णानुभौतिकः ॥
ulūkaḥ pulaho vāyur devasthānaś caturbhujaḥ sanatkumāraḥ pailaś ca kṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇānubhautikaḥ //
Ulūka, Pulaha, Vāyu, Devasthāna, Caturbhuja, Sanatkumāra, Paila, Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇānubhautika.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.15
एतैर् मुनिवरैश् चान्यैर् वृतः सत्यवतीसुतः रराज स मुनिः श्रीमान् नक्षत्रैर् इव चन्द्रमाः ॥
etair munivaraiś cānyair vṛtaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ rarāja sa muniḥ śrīmān nakṣatrair iva candramāḥ //
Surrounded by these best of sages and by others, the son of Satyavatī, that glorious sage, shone like the moon among the stars.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.16
तान् आगतान् मुनीन् सर्वान् पूजयाम् आस वेदवित् ते ऽपि तं प्रतिपूज्यैव कथां चक्रुः परस्परम् ॥
tān āgatān munīn sarvān pūjayām āsa vedavit te 'pi taṃ pratipūjyaiva kathāṃ cakruḥ parasparam //
The knower of the Veda honoured all those sages who had come; and they too, honouring him in return, made conversation with one another.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.17
कथान्ते ते मुनिश्रेष्ठाः कृष्णं सत्यवतीसुतम् पप्रच्छुः संशयं सर्वे तपोवननिवासिनः ॥
kathānte te muniśreṣṭhāḥ kṛṣṇaṃ satyavatīsutam papracchuḥ saṃśayaṃ sarve tapovananivāsinaḥ //
At the end of the talk, those best of sages, all dwellers in the penance-grove, asked Kṛṣṇa (Dvaipāyana), the son of Satyavatī, about a doubt (of theirs).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.18
मुने वेदांश् च शास्त्राणि पुराणागमभारतम् भूतं भव्यं भविष्यं च सर्वं जानासि वाङ्मयम् ॥
mune vedāṃś ca śāstrāṇi purāṇāgamabhāratam bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca sarvaṃ jānāsi vāṅmayam //
"Sage, you know the Vedas and the treatises, the Purāṇas, the Āgamas and the Bhārata, the past, the present and the future — all that is made of speech."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.19
कष्टे ऽस्मिन् दुःखबहुले निःसारे भवसागरे रागग्राहाकुले रौद्रे विषयोदकसंप्लवे ॥
kaṣṭe 'smin duḥkhabahule niḥsāre bhavasāgare rāgagrāhākule raudre viṣayodakasaṃplave //
"In this ocean of existence, hard, full of sorrow, without substance, teeming with the sea-monsters of passion, terrible, flooded with the water of sense-objects,"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.20
इन्द्रियावर्तकलिले दृष्टोर्मिशतसंकुले मोहपङ्काविले दुर्गे लोभगम्भीरदुस्तरे ॥
indriyāvartakalile dṛṣṭormiśatasaṃkule mohapaṅkāvile durge lobhagambhīradustare //
"muddy with the whirlpools of the senses, thronged with hundreds of waves of (false) views, turbid with the mire of delusion, impassable, deep with greed and hard to cross —"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.21
निमज्जज् जगद् आलोक्य निरालम्बम् अचेतनम् पृच्छामस् त्वां महाभागं ब्रूहि नो मुनिसत्तम ॥
nimajjaj jagad ālokya nirālambam acetanam pṛcchāmas tvāṃ mahābhāgaṃ brūhi no munisattama //
"seeing the world sinking, without support and senseless, we ask you, greatly blessed one: tell us, best of sages."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.22
श्रेयः किम् अत्र संसारे भैरवे लोमहर्षणे उपदेशप्रदानेन लोकान् उद्धर्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
śreyaḥ kim atra saṃsāre bhairave lomaharṣaṇe upadeśapradānena lokān uddhartum arhasi //
"What is the good here in this transmigratory existence, dreadful and hair-raising? By granting instruction you ought to rescue the worlds."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.23
दुर्लभं परमं क्षेत्रं वक्तुम् अर्हसि मोक्षदम् पृथिव्यां कर्मभूमिं च श्रोतुम् इच्छामहे वयम् ॥
durlabhaṃ paramaṃ kṣetraṃ vaktum arhasi mokṣadam pṛthivyāṃ karmabhūmiṃ ca śrotum icchāmahe vayam //
"You should tell (us) of the supreme, hard-to-obtain sacred field that bestows liberation; and we wish to hear of the land of (ritual) action on earth."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.24
कृत्वा किल नरः सम्यक् कर्म भूमौ यथोदितम् प्राप्नोति परमां सिद्धिं नरकं च विकर्मतः ॥
kṛtvā kila naraḥ samyak karma bhūmau yathoditam prāpnoti paramāṃ siddhiṃ narakaṃ ca vikarmataḥ //
"For a man, having rightly performed action in the (proper) land as prescribed, attains the highest success, and hell from wrong action."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.25
मोक्षक्षेत्रे तथा मोक्षं प्राप्नोति पुरुषः सुधीः तस्माद् ब्रूहि महाप्राज्ञ यत् पृष्टो ऽसि द्विजोत्तम ॥
mokṣakṣetre tathā mokṣaṃ prāpnoti puruṣaḥ sudhīḥ tasmād brūhi mahāprājña yat pṛṣṭo 'si dvijottama //
"And so in a field of liberation a wise man attains liberation. Therefore, greatly wise one, best of the twice-born, tell what you have been asked."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.26
श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तेषां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् व्यासः प्रोवाच भगवान् भूतभव्यभविष्यवित् ॥
śrutvā tu vacanaṃ teṣāṃ munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām vyāsaḥ provāca bhagavān bhūtabhavyabhaviṣyavit //
Hearing the words of those sages of disciplined selves, the lord Vyāsa, knower of past, present and future, spoke.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.27
शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वे वक्ष्यामि यदि पृच्छथ यः संवादो ऽभवत् पूर्वम् ऋषीणां ब्रह्मणा सह ॥
śṛṇudhvaṃ munayaḥ sarve vakṣyāmi yadi pṛcchatha yaḥ saṃvādo 'bhavat pūrvam ṛṣīṇāṃ brahmaṇā saha //
"Listen, all you sages: since you ask, I shall tell the conversation that took place long ago between the seers and Brahmā."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.28
मेरुपृष्ठे तु विस्तीर्णे नानारत्नविभूषिते नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णे नानापुष्पोपशोभिते ॥
merupṛṣṭhe tu vistīrṇe nānāratnavibhūṣite nānādrumalatākīrṇe nānāpuṣpopaśobhite //
"On the broad summit of Meru, adorned with many kinds of jewels, covered with many trees and creepers, made beautiful with many flowers,"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.29
नानापक्षिरुते रम्ये नानाप्रसवनाकुले नानासत्त्वसमाकीर्णे नानाश्चर्यसमन्विते ॥
nānāpakṣirute ramye nānāprasavanākule nānāsattvasamākīrṇe nānāścaryasamanvite //
"delightful with the cries of many birds, crowded with many springs, filled with many kinds of creatures, endowed with many wonders,"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.30
नानावर्णशिलाकीर्णे नानाधातुविभूषिते नानामुनिजनाकीर्णे नानाश्रमसमन्विते ॥
nānāvarṇaśilākīrṇe nānādhātuvibhūṣite nānāmunijanākīrṇe nānāśramasamanvite //
"strewn with rocks of many colours, adorned with many minerals, crowded with many sage-folk, provided with many hermitages —"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.31
तत्रासीनं जगन्नाथं जगद्योनिं चतुर्मुखम् जगत्पतिं जगद्वन्द्यं जगदाधारम् ईश्वरम् ॥
tatrāsīnaṃ jagannāthaṃ jagadyoniṃ caturmukham jagatpatiṃ jagadvandyaṃ jagadādhāram īśvaram //
"(they saw) seated there the lord of the world, the womb of the world, the four-faced one, the master of the world, whom the world reveres, the support of the world, the Lord,"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.32
देवदानवगन्धर्वैर् यक्षविद्याधरोरगैः मुनिसिद्धाप्सरोभिश् च वृतम् अन्यैर् दिवालयैः ॥
devadānavagandharvair yakṣavidyādharoragaiḥ munisiddhāpsarobhiś ca vṛtam anyair divālayaiḥ //
"surrounded by gods, dānavas, gandharvas, yakṣas, vidyādharas and serpents, and by sages, siddhas and apsarases, and by other dwellers in heaven."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.33
केचित् स्तुवन्ति तं देवं केचिद् गायन्ति चाग्रतः केचिद् वाद्यानि वाद्यन्ते केचिन् नृत्यन्ति चापरे ॥
kecit stuvanti taṃ devaṃ kecid gāyanti cāgrataḥ kecid vādyāni vādyante kecin nṛtyanti cāpare //
Some praise that god, some sing before him, some play instruments, and others dance.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.34
एवं प्रमुदिते काले सर्वभूतसमागमे नानाकुसुमगन्धाढ्ये दक्षिणानिलसेविते ॥
evaṃ pramudite kāle sarvabhūtasamāgame nānākusumagandhāḍhye dakṣiṇānilasevite //
Thus, at that joyful time, at the gathering of all beings, rich with the fragrance of manifold flowers, attended by the south wind—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.35
भृग्वाद्यास् तं तदा देवं प्रणिपत्य पितामहम् इमम् अर्थम् ऋषिवराः पप्रच्छुः पितरं द्विजाः ॥
bhṛgvādyās taṃ tadā devaṃ praṇipatya pitāmaham imam artham ṛṣivarāḥ papracchuḥ pitaraṃ dvijāḥ //
—then Bhṛgu and the others, the best of seers, those brāhmaṇas, bowing down to that god, the Grandfather, their father, asked (him) this matter:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.36
भगवञ् श्रोतुम् इच्छामः कर्मभूमिं महीतले वक्तुम् अर्हसि देवेश मोक्षक्षेत्रं च दुर्लभम् ॥
bhagavañ śrotum icchāmaḥ karmabhūmiṃ mahītale vaktum arhasi deveśa mokṣakṣetraṃ ca durlabham //
"Lord, we wish to hear about the land of action on the surface of the earth; you should tell (us), O lord of gods, also of the hard-to-attain field of liberation."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 26.37
तेषां वचनम् आकर्ण्य प्राह ब्रह्मा सुरेश्वरः पप्रच्छुस् ते यथा प्रश्नं तत् सर्वं मुनिसत्तमाः ॥
teṣāṃ vacanam ākarṇya prāha brahmā sureśvaraḥ papracchus te yathā praśnaṃ tat sarvaṃ munisattamāḥ //
Having heard their speech, Brahmā, the lord of the gods, spoke—all that, O best of sages, just as they had asked their question:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition