"Skandham-1: Creation, Chapter-4: The appearance of Naradha Mahrishi"

Skandham-1: Creation.

Chapter-4: The appearance of Naradha Mahrishi.

 

Slokam- 1. to 33.

(1) The elderly and learned S'aunaka, the head of the ceremony the sages were gathered for, congratulated Sûta Gosvâmî thanking him thus:

 (2) "O most fortunate one of the ones respected to speak, tell us of the message of the Bhâgavatam, as spoken by S'ukadeva Gosvâmî.

 (3) When, where, on what ground and wherefrom inspired could this literature be compiled by Vyâsadeva? 

(4) His son, a balanced monist with his mind always fixed on the One, was a great devotee, but unexposed he appeared ignorant. 

(5) Seeing the sage Vyâsa following his son, naked bathing beauties covered their bodies out of shyness, whereas astonishingly asked of his son they replied him that they did not do so for him as he regarded them purely without sexual discrimination.

 (6) How was he [S'uka], appearing like a retarded dumb madman, upon reaching the Kuru-jângala provinces recognized by the inhabitants when he entered Hastinâpura [now: Delhi]?

 (7) How could the discussion of this sage with king Parîkchit take place about this essence of the Vedas? 

(8) He, pilgrimaging, only for the time of milking a cow stayed at the door of the householders sanctifying the residence.

 (9) Please tell us about Parîkchit, the son of Abhimanyu, who is said to be a first class devotee whose birth and activities are all wonderful.

(10) For what reason did the emperor who enriched the name of Pându, neglect the opulences of his kingdom, sitting down for penance at the Ganges until his death? 

(11) Why did he, at whose feet all enemies surrendered their wealth for their own sake, in full youth exclaim to give up his life of royal riches?

 (12) How could he, giving shelter and living for the welfare of others, being as a man unattached and unselfish by devotion to the cause, give up his mortal body?

 (13) Explain this all to us as we consider you fully acquainted with as good as all the meaning of the words in the scriptures."

(14) Sûta Gosvâmî said: "When the second millennium that ran into the third, ended, was the sage [Vyâsa] born to Parâs'ara from the womb of the daughter of Vasu as a full aspect of the Lord. 

(15) One morning at sunrise, after being cleansed by the water of his morning duties, he sat down at the bank of the river Sarasvatî to concentrate. 

(16) Knowing past and future, he saw from the different ages that in the religion of his time gradually anomalies were accruing.

 (17-18) In the dull and impatient of the faithless lacking in goodness, he saw a decline in the natural power in material actions. By his transcendence seeing the people in general being short-lived and unlucky, he who is full in knowledge contemplated for the welfare of all the vocations and stages in life. 

(19) After seeing that there were four sacrificial fires for purifying the work of the people, he expanded the one Veda accordingly into four.

 (20) Rig, Yajuh, Sâma and Atharva were the names of these four parts while the original source of knowledge, the purânas were called the fifth Veda.

 (21) After that the Rig Veda was propagated by the rishi Paila, the Sâma Veda by Jaimini, while Vais'ampâyana was the one well versed enough to be qualified to defend the Yajur Veda. 

(22) The serious respect for the Atharva Veda was with Angirâ [Sumantu Muni], while the records of history, the purânas, were defended by my father Romaharshana.

 (23) They in their turn handed the knowledge entrusted to them down to their disciples who did the same with their following and thus the different branches of followers of the Vedas came about.

 (24) In order to have the Veda assimilated as much by the less intellectual ones, the great sage of lordship Vyâsa took care to edit it for the masses.

 (25) Thinking this way, for the welfare of the more foolish women [see 6.9: 6 & 9], the working class and the friends of the twice-born who themselves do not work for understanding, from the mercy of the sage the benefit of the completion of the history of the Mahâbhârata was achieved.

(26) O dear twice-born, by no means could he, who was always working for the welfare of all, find satisfaction at that time..

 (27) Knowing what religion is, he, purified in seclusion at the bank of the Sarasvatî, thus from the dissatisfaction of his heart said to himself: 

(28-29)'With strict discipline I sincerely did proper worship to the tradition of the vedic hymns, respecting the masters and doing the sacrifices. For women, s'ûdras and others I properly explained of the disciplic succession what is necessary to know of the path of religion by compiling the Mahâbhârata. 

(30) Although it appears that I did enough for the Supreme to the demands of the vedantists, I feel something is missing. 

(31) I might not have given sufficient directions about the devotional service so dear to as well the perfect as to the Infallible One.'

(32) While Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa was regretfully thinking this way of his shortcomings, Nârada, whom I spoke of before, reached his cottage.

 (33) Seeing the auspicious arrival of the muni he quickly got up and venerated him with the respect equal to the respect the godly pay Brahmâjî the creator."