"Answering by Citing the Lord's Version"

Skandham-2.

 

 

Chapter-9.

 

 

 

Slokam-1 to 46.

 

 

Answering by Citing the Lord's Version:-

 

 

(1) S'uka said: 'Without the drive of the [Super-]soul, o King, there will never be any good in the spirited consciousness of the beyond relating to the material body, which is then to the seer completely like in a dream.

 

(2) Driven in matter the many forms that appear to have manifested experience different sorts of enjoyment according the modes of the material world and thus they think of 'I' and 'mine'.

 

(3) Whenever indeed, in his own glory of transcendence to the time of the material energy, he [the living entity] enjoys the freedom from misconceptions, then, in that fullness, he will give up those two.

 

 (4) 'The reality of the soul is the goal of purification' is what the Supreme Lord factually told the Creator showing him His Form when he was without any misunderstanding in vows and worship

 

(5) He, the first godly person in the universe, as the supreme spiritual teacher, began from his own divine position [on the lotus of the creation] to reflect on the matter of where it came from and he could not figure out what the directions and the ways were of how all should be put together materially.

 

 

(6) Once when he was immersed in thinking thus, he heard two syllables being spoken which were the sixteenth [ta] and the twenty-first [pa] of the spars'a-alphabeth and, joined together, became known as the wealth of the renounced order, o King [tapas means penance].

 

(7) When he heard that, he looked all sides to see the speaker, but there was no one to be found and from where he sat in his divine position he then thought it the best to pay attention to doing penance as he was instructed.

 

(8) With a spotless vision for a thousand godly years, he as the controller of both life and mind, enlightened all the worlds executing such a penance in the past, being of all the one's doing penance the one of the severest practice.

 

 

(9) Unto him, the Supreme Lord being pleased by his penance, manifested His own abode [also called Vaikunthha, the place without fear], beyond which no other world is found and which is worshiped as the place where the five miseries of material life [ignorance, selfhood, attachment, hatred and death-fear] have completely ceased with persons who without illusion and fear of existence are of perfect selfrealization.

 

(10) There, the mode of goodness prevails over the other two of passion and slowness without them ever being mixed with it, nor is there the influence of time, the external energy or what to say of [the influence of] others; there both the theists and atheists worship the Lord as devotees.

 

(11) Sky-bluish and glowing with lotuslike eyes, very attractive and youthful with yellowish dress, all of them there have the four arms and the luster of pearls and effulgence of fine ornaments.

 

(12) Some radiate like coral or diamonds, with heads blooming like a celestial lotus with earrings and garlands.

 

(13) In the midst of that brilliance they live in high rising buildings specially designed for the great devotees of the Lord, with ladies beautiful like lightening who have an electrifying celestial complexion as if they are the clouds in the sky.

 

(14) The goddess there is doing devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord of praise with the help of diverse paraphernalia and a following of dearmost associates who moved by the company [of Apsara's] that took to the shelter of the [everlasting season of] spring are singing their songs.

 

(15) There one surrounds the Lord of the entire community of devotees, of the goddess, of the Universe and the sacrifice - the Almighty One, who is being served in transcendental love by the foremost associates like Sunanda, Nanda, Prabala and Arhana.

 

(16) The servitors affectionately facing Him are intoxicated by the very pleasing sight of His smile, reddish eyes, His face with His helmet and earrings, His four hands, yellow dress, his marked chest and the goddess of fortune at His side.

 

(17) Adorable and seated on His throne He, accompanied by the opulence of His four [matter, original person, principles and ego] sixteen [the five elements, perceptive and working senses, and mind] and fivefold energies [sense objects of form, taste, sound, smell and touch] and other personal prowesses He sometimes shows [the eight siddhis or mystic powers], verily enjoys His abode as the Supreme Lord.

 

 

(18) The Creator of the Universe who was overwhelmed by the sight of that audience was in his heart full of ecstasy and with his body full of divine love he bowed down with tears in his eyes under the lotus feet of the Lord - an example which is followed by the great liberated souls.

 

(19) Seeing him present before Him He thought the worthy great scholar suitable for creating the lives of all living beings to His own control and mildly smiling He addressed the beloved one with enlightening words shaking very pleased hands with His partner in divine love.

 

(20) The Supreme Lord said: 'As opposed to My contentment with those who do profit-minded service, I am completely satisfied about your your long lasting penance to create from your vedic expertise.

 

(21) All my blessings to you, just ask Me, the giver of all benediction, whatever favor you wish from Me, o Brahmâ, as the limit of My realization is the ultimate success of everyone's penances.

 

(22) This enviable perception of My abodes you may actually experience because of your submissive hearing in doing penance to the beyond.

 

(23) It was ordered by Me as you were perplexed in your duty. That penance directly affects My heart and soul and is to the one engaged in it what I factually am, o sinless one.

 

(24) By that penance I create, surely by that penance I withdraw and again I, by that penance, maintain the cosmos; My power is found in strict penance'.

 

 

(25) Brahmâ said: 'Supreme Lord of all living beings, You are the director seated in the heart who unobstructed, by Your superior intelligence, knows of all endeavours.

 

(26) Despite of that I ask you, o Lord, please enlighten me in my desire to know about Your being beyond and descending in Your form as we may know it, although You are yourself formless.

 

(27) And How do You by your Own potency, from your own Self, combine and permutate the different forces in matters of annihilation, generation, acceptance and maintenance?.

 

(28) O Mâdhava [master of all energies], please let me know in proper terms of all those [forms] You infallibly enact with determination like a spider does in covering [its own web].

 

(29) As the Supreme Lord teaching it me by Your acts I may by your mercy thus never factually be entrapped in matter, although certainly acting as your instrument making the lives of the beings.

 

 (30) O Lord, like a friend does with a friend you have accepted me for making the different lives of the living entities; o my Lord, may all those who are born unperturbed in the service of You never give rise to me being mad with imagination about it, o unborn One.'

 

 

(31) The Supreme Lord said: 'The knowledge acquired about Me is very confidential and is realized in combination with devotional service and its necessary paraphernalia; just try to take it up as I explain it to you.

 

(32) Let that factual realization be there by the causeless mercy of Me, as seen in the transcendental existence of My eternal form with its diverse appearances and qualities.

 

(33) I indeed existed before [your creation of these lives] and nothing else but the Supreme would be the cause of the effect of all that is seen, while it is also I that is all that remains of these created; that is what I am.

 

(34) That which appears to be of value, is not what it seems without relating to Me - know that illusory energy of Mine as a reflection, as darkness.

 

(35) Just like the elements of the universe that appear in the minute as well as in the gigantic before being engaged as well as after that, I, also am, as well in them as not in them Myself.

 

(36) The student of the soul surely will have to research up to this on the Principial Reality, in a direct as well as indirect manner in whatever time, space or circumstances.

 

(37) If your concentration of mind remains fixed on this conclusion about the Supreme you have no complacency to fear, nor in temporary loss nor at the end of your time."

 

 

(38) S'uka said: "After thus giving full instruction, the Unborn One, Lord Hari as He was seen in His transcendental form of the Absolute by the leader of the living entities [Brahmâ], disappeared.

 

 (39) On the disappearance Brahmaji, with folded hands unto the Lord; the objective of all senses, began to shape the lives of all living beings that fill the universe, exactly as he did before.

 

 (40) Thus once upon a time he, the father of all living beings and religious life, situated himself with vow and respect for the sake of the welfare of the living beings, desiring it in the interest of their own good qualities.

 

(41) It is unto Him that Nârada, the very dear of the inheriting sons, is very obedient and ready to serve by the good behavior of his meekness and sense-control.

 

(42) With his desire to know about Vishnu; the Lord of all energies, the great sage and first-class devotee, o King, very much pleased his Father [Lord Brahmâ].

 

(43) After seeing the satisfaction of the great grandfather of the whole universe, Nârada Muni questioned him the same way you are questioning me.

 

 (44) Thereupon this story of the Fortunate One [summarized in the four verses 33-36] was with its ten characteristics [see next chapter], explained by the Supreme Lord who told it the son, the creator of the universe, with great satisfaction.

 

(45) Nârada instructed this Supreme of the Spirit, to the great sage, the meditative Vyâsadeva with his immense capacity, on the bank of the Sarasvatî, o King.

 

(46) All the things you have been asking me about concerning the world of the Universal Form of the Original Person and other matters, I shall now explain to you in great detail."