Mokshadharma Parva — Narayana appears before Narada and tells him that those who have implicit faith in Narayana become liberated. His various incarnations are also described

Bhishma said Thus sung with names that were not known to others, the Divine Narayana having the universe for his form appeared before the ascetic Narada.

His form was some what purer than the moon and differed from the moon in some particulars. He somewhat resembled a burning fire in complexion. The powerful Lord was somewhat of the form of Vishti,

He looked in some respects like the feathers of the parrot, and in some a collection of pure crystal. He resembled in some respects a hill of antimony and in some a mass of pure gold.

His complexion somewhat resembled the coral when first formed, and was somewhat white. That complexion resembled in some respects the colour of gold and in some that of the lapis lazulus.

It resembled in some respects the colour of the blue lapis lazulus and in some that of sapphire. It resembled in some respects of colour of the peacock's neck, and in some that of a string of pearls.

Bearing these various sorts of hues on his body the eternal Deity appeared before Narada. He had a thousand eyes and was endued with great beauty. He had a hundred heads and a hundred feet.

He had a thousand stomachs and a thousand arms. He seemed to be still inconceivable to the mind. With one of his mouths he uttered the syllable OM and then the Gayatri following OM.

With mind under complete mastery, the great God, called by the names of Hari and Narayana, by his other mouths, many in nụmber, uttered many Mantras from the four Vedas which are known by the name of Aranyaka.

The Lord of all the gods, the great God who is worshipped in sacrifices, held in his hands a sacrificial altar, a Kamandalu, a few white gems, a pair of shoes, a bundle of Kusha blades, a deer-skin, a tooth-stick, and a little burning fire.

With a cheerful heart, that foremost of twice-born one viz., Narada, controlling speech, bowed to the great God and worshipped Him.

The first of all the gods, who is free from decay, said the following words to him whose head was still bent low in veneration.

The Holy One said The great Rishis, Ekata, Dvita, and Trita, came to this country from desire of seeing me.

Their wishes, however, were not fulfilled. Excepting those who are devoted to with wholly and solely, no else can see me. As regards you, you are verily the foremost of all persons devoted to me with all their souls.

These are my bodies, the best ones that I assume. These were born, O twice-born one, in the house of Dharma. Do you worship them always, and do you perform those rites that are laid down in the ordinances in connexion with that worship.

O Brahmana, do you ask of me the boons you wish! I am pleased with you to-day and I appear to you now in my universal form as freed from decay and deterioration!

Narada said Since, O holy one, I have to-day succeeded in seeing you, I think that I have acquired forthwith the fruits of my penances, O God, of my self-restraint, and of all the vows and observances that I have practised.

This, indeed, is the highest boon you have granted me for you have appeared before me to-day, O Eternal Lord! You, O holy one, have the universe for your eye! You are the Lion. Your form is identifiable with everything! Possessed of power you, O Lord, are vast and infinite.

Bhishma said Having thus appeared before Narada the son of Parameshthi, the great God addressed that ascetic and said,-Go hence, O Narada, and do not delay!

These worshippers of mine, having moonlike complexions, are divested of all senses and do not live upon any kind of food. They are, again, all Liberated! With minds wholly concentrated upon me, people should think of me. Such worshippers will never meet with any obstacles.

These men have all acquired ascetic success and are highly blessed. In day of yore they became entirely devoted to me. They have becn freed from the qualities of Darkness and Ignorance. Forsooth, they are competent to enter me and become merged into my Self.

He who cannot be seen with the eye, touched with the sense of touch, smelt with the sense of scent, and who is beyond the sense of taste, He whom the three qualities of goodness. Darkness, and Ignorance do not touch, who permeates all things and is the one Witness of the universe, and who is described as the Soul of the entire universe, He who is not destroyed upon the destruction of the bodies of all created things, who is unborn and unchangeable and eternal, who is freed from all qualities, who is indivisible and entire, He who is above the twenty-four topics of enquiry and is considered the Twenty-fifth, who is called by the name of Twenty-fifth, who is called by the name of Purusha, who is inactive, and who is said to be apprehended by Knowledge alone, He into whom the foremost of twice-born ones enter and become liberated, He is the eternal Supreme Soul and is known by the name of Vasudeva.

See, O Narada, the greatness and power of that God! He is never affected by good or bad deeds.

Satvata, Rajas, and Tamas, are said to be the three (original) qualities. These live and act in the bodies of all creatures.

The Individual Soul, called Kshetrajna, enjoys and suffers the action of these three qualities. He, however, is above them and they cannot touch Him. Freed from these qualities, He is again their enjoyer and sufferer. Having created them Himself, He is above them all.

O celestial Rishi, the Earth, which is the refuge of the universe, disappears into water. Water disappears into Fire and Fire into Wind. Wind disappears into Ether, and Ether into Mind. Mind is a great creature, and it disappears into Unmanifest Nature.

Unmanifest Nature, 0 Brahmana, disappears into Inactive Purusha (Soul). There is nothing higher than Purusha (Soul) which is Eternal.

There is nothing among mobile and immobile things in the universe which is immutable, except Vasudeva, the eternal Purusha.

Endued with great power, Vasudeva is the Soul of all creatures. Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, and Fire forming fifth, are primal clephants of great power. Mingling together they form the body. Possessed of subtile prowess and invisible to all eyes, O Brahmana, the powerful Vasudeva then enter that combination of the five principal elements called body. Such entrance is called his birth, and taking birth He makes the body move about and act. Without a combination of the five principal elements, 110 body can ever be formed.

Without, again, the entrance of Individual Soul into the body, the mind living within it cannot cause it move and act. He that enters the body is possessed of great power and is called Individual. He is known also by other names, viz., Shesha and Sankarshana.

He who takes his his rise, from that Sankarshana, by his own acts, Sanatkumara, and in whom all creatures merge when the universal dissolution sets in, is the Mind of all creatures and is called by the name of Praddyumna.

From Him originates. He who is the Creator, and who is both Cause and Effect. From this last, everything, viz., the mobile and immobile universe, originates. This one is called Aniruddha. He is otherwise called Ishana and He is manifest in all deeds.

That illustrious one, viz., Vasudeva, who is called Kshetrajna, (Soul) and who is freed from qualities, should, O king of kings, be known as the powerful Sankarshana, when He takes birth as (Individual Soul).

From Sankarshana originates Praddyumna who is called “Mind-begotten." From Praddymuna is He who is Aniruddha. He is Consciousness, He is Ishvara (Supreme Lord).

It is from me that the entire mobile and immobile universe originates. It is from me, O Narada, that the indestructible and the destructible, the existent and the non-existent, originates.

They who are devoted to me enter into me and become liberated. I am known as Purusha. Without acts, I am the Twenty-fifth.

Getting over qualities, I am entire and indivisible. I am above all pairs of opposite and shorn of all attachments. This, O Narada, you will fail to understand. You see me as having a form. If I wish, I can dissolve this form in a moment. I am the Supreme Lord and the Preceptor of the universe.

What you see of me, ONarada, is merely an illusion of mine. I now appear to be possessed of the attributes of all created things. You are not competent to know me. I have shown to you duly my fourfold form. I am, O Narada, the doer, I am Cause, and I am Effect.

I am the sum-total of all living creatures. All living creatures have their refuge in me, Do not think that you have seen the Individual Soul.

I pervade all things, O Brahmana, and am the inner Soul of all creatures. When the bodies of all creatures, however, are destroyed, I am not destroyed.

Those highly blessed men who, having acquired ascetic success, become entirely devoted to me, become freed from the qualities of both Darkness and Ignorance and succeed, therefore, in entering me, O great ascetic.

He called Hiranyagarbha, who is the beginning of the world, who has four faces, who cannot be understood with the help of the Nirukta, who is otherwise called Brahman, who is an eternal god, is engaged in loO king after many of my works.

The god Rudra, born of my anger, originated from my forehead. See, the eleven Rudras are increasing on the right side of my person.

The twelve Adityas are on the left side of my person. See the eight Vasus, those foremnost of gods, are in my front, and see, Nasatya and Dasra, those two celestial physicians, are in the rear. See also in my body all the Prajapatis and see the seven Rishis Also.

See also the Vedas, all the Sacrifices numbering by hundreds, the Amrita (nectar), and all the (medicinal) herbs and plants, and Penances, and vows and observances of various sorts.

See also in me the eight attributes of power, viz., those particularly called the Lordly powers, living all together in my body in their united and embodied form. See also Shree and Lakshmi, and Kirti, and the Earth with her hump.

See the goddess Sarasvati, that mother of the Vedas, living in me! See, O Narada, Dhruva, that foremost of luminaries ranging in the sky.

See also all the Oceans, those receptacles of water, and lakes, and rivers. See, also, O best of men, the four foremost ones amongst the Pitris in their embodied forms. See also, living in me, the three qualities (of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) which are formless.

The acts done in honour of the departed mane are superior to those done in honour of the gods. I am the Pitri of the both the gods and the Pitris, and am existing from the beginning.

Becoming the Equine-head I pass through the Western and the Northern ocean and drink sacrificial libations duly poured with Mantras and solid sacrificial food offered with respect and devotion.

In ancient times I created Brahman who himself worshipped me in sacrifices. Pleased with him on that account I granted him many excellent boons.

I said to him that in the beginning of the cycle he would be born to me as my son, and the sovereignty of all the worlds would he enjoy, and various names will be given to diverse objects on account of the Ahankara, i. e., egoism, coming into existence.

I also told him that none would ever violate the limits and boundaries he would lay down, and, further that he would be the giver of boons to persons who would solicit him for the same.

I further assured him that he would be an object of worship with all the gods and Asuras, all the Rishis and Pitris, and the various creatures forming the creation.

I also gave him to understand that I would always appear for performing the business of the gods and for that I would allow myself to be commanded by him even as a son by his father.

Granting these and other highly agreeable boons to Brahman of great energy on account of my being propitiated with him I adopted the course dictated by Renunciation.

The highest Renunciation is the annihilation of all duties and acts. Hence, by adopting Renunciation one should act in complete happiness.

Learned preceptors, with settled conclusions deducted from the truths of the Sankhya philosophy, have spoken of me as Kapila endued with the power of knowledge, living within the effulgence of the Sun, and concentrated in Yoga.

In the Vedas I have been repeatedly hymned as the illustrious Hiranyagarbha. In the Yoga-Shastras, O Brahmana, I have been spoken of as one who find pleasure in Yoga.

I am eternal. Assuming a form that is manifest, I live at present, in the sky. At the end of a thousand cycles, I shall once more withdraw the universe into myself.

Having withdrawn all creatures, mobile and immobile, into myself, I shall exist all alone with Knowledge only as my companion.

After the lapse of ages I shall again create the universe, with the help of that Knowledge. My fourth form creates the indestructible Shesha.

That Shesha is called by the name of Sankarshana. Sankarshana creates Praddyumna. From Praddyumna I take birth myself as Aniruddha. I Aniruddha. I create (myself) repeatedly.

From Aniruddha originates Brahman. The latter is born from Aniruddha's navel. From Brahman originate all mobile and immobile creatures.

Know that Creation originates in this way repeatedly at the beginning of every cycle. Creation and destruction succeed each other like sunrise and sunset in this world.

Then, again, as Time, gifted with great energy, forcibly brings back the Sun after his disappearance, similarly I shall, assuming the form of a boar and displaying my strength, bring back the Earth with her belt of seas to her own position for the behoof of all creatures when she becomes submerged in water. I shall then kill the son of Diti, named Hiranyagarbha, elated with pride of strength.

Assuming the form then of a Manlion, I shall, for doing good to the gods, kill Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti, who will be a great destroyer of sacrifices.

Virochana will have a powerful son named Vali. The entire universe consisting of gods, Asuras, and Rakshasas will not be able to kill that great Asura. He will hurl Shakra from the sovereignty of the universe.

When after defeating the Lord of Shachi, that Asura will possess the sovereignty of the three worlds, I shall take birth in Aditi's womb, by Kashyapa, as the twelfth Aditya.

I shall restore it to Indra of immeasurable splendour, and replace the gods, O Narada, in their respective stations,

As regards Vali, that foremost of Danavas, who is to be unslayable by all the gods, I shall cause him to live in the nether regions.

In the Treta age I shall take birth as Rama in the race of Bhrigu, and root out the Kshatriyas who will become proud of their strength and riches.

Towards the end of Treta and the beginning of Dvapara, I shall take birth as Rama the son of Dasharatha in Ikshvaku's race.

At that time, the two Rishis, viz., the two sons of Prajapati, called by the names of Ekata and Dvita, will on account of the injury done by them to their brother Trita, have to take birth as monkeys, losing the beauty of the human forin.

Those monkeys that shall take birth in the race of Ekata and Dvita, shall become endued with great power and mighty energy and will equal Shakra himself in power. All those monkeys, O twice-born one, will become my allies for performing the work of the gods.

I shall then kill the dreadful king of the Rakshasas, that wretch of Pulastya's race, viz., the fierce Ravana, that thorn of all worlds, together with all his children and followers.

At the junction the Dvapara and the Kali ages, I shall again appear in the world taking birth in city of Mathura for the purpose of killing Kansa.

There, after killing numberless Danavas that will be as thorns in the side of the gods, I shali take up my residence in Kushasthali at the city of Dwaraka.

While living in that city I shall kill the Asura Naraka the chief of the Earth,-him, that is, who will do an injury to Aditi, as also some other Danavas of the names of Muru and Pitha.

Killing also another foremost of Danavas, viz., the kill of Pragjyotisha, I shall transplant that delightful city furnished with various kinds of wealth into Dwaraka.

I shall then defeat the two gods adored of all the deities, viz., Maheshvara and Mahasena, who will become fond of the Danava Vana and do him various good offices and who will try their best for that worshipper of theirs.

Defeating next the son of the Danava Vali, viz., Bana, who will be possessed a thousandarms, I shall next destroy all the inhabitants of the Danava city called Saubha.

I shall next, O foremost of Brahmanas, bring about the death of Kalayavana, a Danava who will be endued with great power on account of his being equipt with the energy of Gargya.

A proud Asura will appear as a king at Girivraja, of the name of Jarasandha, who will fall out with all the other kings of the world. His death will be brought about by me through some one else guided by my intelligence.

I shall next kill Shisupala in the sacrifice of king Yudhishthira the son of Dharma, into which sacrifice all the kings of the world will bring tribute. In some of these works, only Arjuna, the son of Vasava, will become my assistant.

I shall place Yudhishthira with all his brothers in his ancestral kingdom. People will call me and Arjuna as Narayana and Nara, when, endued with power, we two, putting forth our strength, shall kill a large number of Kshatriyas, for doing good to the world. Having lightened the load of the Earth according to our pleasure, I shall merge all the principal Satvatas, as also Dwaraka, my favourite city, into my own self, recollecting my all-einbracing Knowledge.

Having four forms, I shall, in this way, perform many feats of great prowess, and attain at last to those regions of happiness created by me and honoured by all the Brahmanas.

Appearing in the forms of a swan, a tortoise, a fish, O foremost of twice-born ones, I shall then appear as a boar, then as a manlion, then as a dwarf, then as Rama of Bhrigu's race, then as Rama the son of Dasharatha, then as Krishna the scion of the Satvata race, and lastly as Kalki.

When the Vedas disappeared from the world, I brought them back. The Vedas, were re-created by me in the Krita age.

They have once more disappeared or may only be partially heard here and there in the Puranas. Many of my best incarnations also in the world have become facts of the past.

Having secured the good of the worlds in those forms in which I appeared, they have reentered into my own Nature. Brahman (the Creator) himself never saw me in this form of mine, which you, O Narada, have seen to-day on account of your entire devotion to me. I have now said to you, who are devoted to me wholly, everything, O Brahmana. . I have described to you my ancient appearances and future ones also, O best of inen, together with ail their mysteries.

Bhishma said ‘The holy and illustrious god, of universal and immutable form, having said these words to Narada, disappeared there and then.

Having won the high favour that he had solicited, Narada also, gifted with great energy, then proceeded in all haste to the retreat called Vadari, for seeing Nara and Narayana.

This great Upanishad quite of a piece with the four Vedas, and the Sankhya-Yoga, and called by him by the name of the Pancharatra Scriptures and recited by Narayana himself with his own mouth, was repeated by Narada before a large audience in the residence of Brahman (his sire) in exactly the same way in which Narayana had recited it and in which he had heard it from his own lips."

Yudhishthira said “Was not Brahman. the Creator of all things, acquainted with this wonderful discourse of the glory of Narayana gifted with intelligence that he heard it from the lips of Narada?

Is the illustrious Grandfather of all the worlds any way different from or inferior to the great Narayana? How then it is that he was unacquainted with the power of Narayana of great energy?"

Bhishma continued "Hundreds and thousands of great cycles, hundreds and thousands of Creations and Dissolutions, O king of kings, have been over and become events of the past.

In the beginning of every Creation, Brahman, endued with great power and who creates all things, is remembered by Narayana). Brahman knows well, O king, that Narayana, that foremost of all gods is very much superior to him.

He knows that Narayana is the Supreme Soul, that He is the Supreme Lord, that He is Creator of Brahman himself. Narada recited this very ancient narrative which is perfectly consistent with the Vedas, to that assembly of Rishis crowned with ascetic success that came to the abode of Brahman. The gods Surya, having heard that narrative from those Rishis crowned with ascetic success, repeated it to the sixty-six thousands of Rishis, O king, of purified souls, that follow in his train.

And the Sun, the deity that imparts heat to all the worlds, repeated that narrative to those Beings also, of purified souls, that have been created (by Brahman) for always travelling in the van of the Sun.

The great Rishis who follow in the Sun's train, O son, repeated that excellent narrative to the deities assembled on the breast of Meru.

The best of ascetics, viz., the regener: Asita, then, having heard the narrative from the gods, repeated it to the Pitris, O king of kings.

I heard it from my father Shantanu, O son, who recited it to me formerly. Myself having heard it from my father, I have repeated it to you, O Bharata.

Gods and ascetics, they who have heard this excellent old narrative which is a Purana, all worship the Supreme Soul.

This discourse, belonging to the Rishis and thus handed down from one to another, should not, O king, be communicated by you to any one who is not a worshipper of Vasudeva.

This narrative, O king, is really the cream of the hundreds of other discourses that you have heard from me.

In days of yore, O king, the gods and the Asuras, in a body, churned the Ocean and raised the Ambrosia. Similarly the Brahmanas, in a body in days of yore, churned all the scriptures and raised this narrative, which resembles nectar.

He who frequently reads this narrative, and he who frequently listens to it with rapt attention, in a secluded spot, and filled with devotion, succeeds, being possessed of lunar complexion, in living in the spacious insular continent known by the name of White Island. Forsooth, such a man succeeds in entering into Narayana of a thousand rays.

By listening to this narrative from the beginning, a sick person becomes freed from his disease. The man who simply desires to read or listen to this discourse, gets the fruition of all his wishes. By reading or listening to it. The devoted worshipper acquires the high end reserved for devoted worshippers.

You also, O king, should always adore and worship that foremost of all Beings. He is the father and the mother of all creatures, and He is an object of reverence to the entire universe.

Let the illustrious and Eternal God of the Brahmanas, Viz., Janarddana of great intelligence, be pleased with you, O Yudhisthira of mighty arms.

Vaishampayana said Having listened to this best of discourses, O Janamejaya, king Yudhisthira the just, and all his brothers became devoted to Narayana.

And all of them, O Bharata, silently meditating upon Narayana (from that day), uttered these words for His glorification, viz., Victory to that holy and illustrious Being.

He, again, who is our best of preceptors, viz., the Island-born Krishna, devoted to penances, sung, uttering the word Narayana, that great Mantra which is worthy of being silently.

Passing through the sky to the Ocean of milk, which is always the abode of nectar, and adoring the great God there, be returned to his own hermitage.

Bhishma continued I have now recounted to you the discourse that was recited by Narada. That narrative has come down from person to person from very ancient times. I heard it from my father who formerly recounted it to me.

Suta said I have now told you all that Vaishampayana recounted to Janamejaya. Having listened to Vaishampayana's narration, king Janamejaya severe duly satisfied all his duties according to the scriptural ordinances.

You have have all practised very penances and observed many high and excellent vows. Living in this sacred forest of Naimisha, you are foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas.

You foremost of twice-born ones, you all have come to this great sacrifice of Shaunaka. Do you all worship that Eternal and Supreme Lord of the universe in excellent sacrifices, properly pouring libations of clarified butter to the fire with the help of Mantras and dedicating the same to Narayana. As for myself, I heard this excellent discourse which has come down from generation to generation, from my father who recited it to me formerly.