Mokshadharma Parva — The practices of men who are devoted to Narayana

Janamejaya said The illustrious Hari becomes favourite to them who are whole-mindedly devoted to him. He accepts also all adoration that is offered to Him according to the ordinance.

Of those persons who have freed themselves from desire, and that are shorn of both merit and demerit, you have spoken of the Knowledge they attain, as handed down from preceptor to preceptor, as the end they acquire.

Such persons always acquire that end which is the fourth, viz., the essence of the foremost of Purushas or Vasudeva,-through the three others. Those persons, however, who are devoted to Narayana with their whole minds at once acquire the highest end.

Forsooth, the Religion of Devotion is superior (to that of Knowledge) and is very dear to Narayana. These, without passing through the three successive stages at once attain to the immutable Hari.

The end that is attained by Brahmanas, who, practising due observances, study the Vedas with the Upanishads according to the rules laid down for such study, and by those who follow the Religion of Yatis, is inferior, I think, to that attained by persons devoted whole-mindedly to Hari, Who first promulgated this Religion of Devotion? Was it some god or some Rishi who declared it.

What are the practices of those practices begin? I have doubts on those subjects. Do you dispell them. Great is my curiosity to her you explain the several points.

Vaishampayana said, "When the diverse detachments of the Pandava and the Kuru armies were drawn up in battle array and when Arjuna became dispirited, the holy one himself explained the question of what is the end and what is not the end attained by persons of different characters. I have before this recited to you the words of the holy one. It is difficult to understand the religion preached by the holy one on that occasion. Men of impure souls cannot apprehend it at all.

Having created this religion in days of yore, viz., in the golden age, in perfect accordance with the Samans, it is borne, O king, by the Supreme Lord, viz., Narayana, himself.

This very subject was ushered by the highly blessed Partha to Narada in the midst of the Rishis and in the presence of Krishna and Bhishma.

My preceptor, viz., the Island-born Krishna heard what Narada said. Receiving it from the celestial Rishis, O best of kings, my preceptor gave it to me in exactly the same way in which he had got it from the celestial Rishi. I shall now recount it to you, O king, in the same way as it has been received from Naradas. Listen, therefore, to me.

In that cycle when the Creator Brahman, O king, took his birth in the mind of Narayana and came out from the latter's mouth, Narayana himself, performed, O Bharata, his divine and ancestral rites in accordance with this religion. Those Rishis who live upon the froth of water then got it from Narayana.

From the froth-eating Rishis, this religion was gained by the Rishis, named Vaikhanasas. From the Vaikhanasas Soma got it. Afterwards, it disappeared from the universe.

After the second birth of Brahman, viz., when he originated from the eyes of Narayana, O king, the Grandfather (that is, Brahman) then received this religion from Soma.

Having received it thus, Brahman gave this religion, which has Narayana for its soul, to Rudra. In the golden age of that ancient Kalpa, Rudra, devoted to Yoga, 0 king, communicated it to all those Rishis called Valkhilyas. Through the illusion of Narayana, it once more disappeared from the universe.

In the third birth of Brahman which was from the speech of Narayana, this religion once more sprang up, O king, from Narayana himself.

Then a Rishi named Suparna acquired it from that foremost of Beings.

The Rishi Suparna used to recite this excellent religion, three times during the day. Therefore it passed by the name of Trisauparna in the world.

This religion has been referred to in the Rigveda. The duties it enjoins are extremely difficult of observance. From the Rishi Suparna, this eternal religion was acquired, O foremost of men, by the wind god, that sustainer of the lives of all creatures in the universe. The god of wind communicated it to such Rishis as live upon the remnants of sacrificial offerings after feeding guests and others.

From those Rishis this excellent religion was acquired by the great Ocean. It once more disappeared from the universe and became merged into Narayana.

In the next birth of the great Brahman when he originated from the ear of Narayana, listen, O king, to what took place in that aeon.

The illustrious Narayana, otherwise called Hari, when he was bent upon Creation, thought of a Being who would be powerful enough to create the universe.

While thinking of this, a Being originated from his ears capable to create the universe. The Lord of all called him by the name of Brahman..

Addressing Brahman, the Supreme Narayana said,—Do you, O son, create all kinds of creatures from your mouth and feet. O you of excellent vows, I shall do what will be good for you, for I shall impart to you both energy and strength sufficient to make you competent for this work.

Do you receive also from me this excellent religion known by the name of Satvata. Helped by that religion do you create the golden age and ordain it duly.

Thus addressed, Brahman bowed his head to the illustrious Harimedhas and received from him that foremost of all religions with all its mysteries and abstract of details, together with the Aranyakas,-the religion which originated from the mouth of Narayana. Narayana then instructed Brahman of incomparable energy in that religion, and addressing him, said,-You are the creator of the duties that are to be observed in the respective cycles! Having said. this to Brahman, Narayana disappeared and went to that place which is beyond the reach of Ignorance, where the unmanifest resides, and which is known by the name of acts without desire of fruits.

After this, the boon-giving Brahman, the Grandfather of the worlds, created the different worlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures.

The age that first began was highly auspicious and came to be called by the name of Krita. In that age, the religion of Sattva existed, in the entire universe.

With the help of that primeval religion of virtue, Brahman, the Creator of all the worlds, adored the Lord of all the gods, viz., the powerful Narayana otherwise called Hari.

For the propagation then of that religion and desirous of benefiting the worlds, Brahman then instructed that Manu who is known by the name of Swarochish in that religion.

Svarochish-Manu, that Lord of all the worlds, that foremost of all persons gifted with power, then cheerfully gave the knowledge of that religion to his own son, O king, who was known by the name of Shankhapada.

The son of Manu, viz., Shankhapada, imparted the knowledge of that religion to his own son Suvarnabha who was the Regent of the cardinal and subsidiary points. When, upon the expiration of the Krita Yoga, the Treta came, that religion once more disappeared from the world.

In a subsequent birth of Brahman, O best of kings, viz., that which was derived from the nose of Narayana, O Bharata, the illustrious and powerful Narayana or Hari having eyes like lotus petals, himself sang this religion in the presence of Brahman. Then the son of Brahman, created by his will, viz., Sanatkumara, studied this religion.

From Santakumara, the Prajapati Virana, in the beginning of the Krita age, O foremost of Kurus, obtained this religion.

Having studied it in this way, Virana taught it to the ascetic Raivya. Raivya, in his turn, gave it to his son of pure soul, good vows, and great intelligence viz., Kukshi, that righteous Regent to the cardinal and subsidiary points. After this, that religion born of the mouth of Narayana, once more disappeared from the world.

In the next birth of Brahman, viz., that which he derived from an egg which originated from Hari, this religion once more issued from the mouth of Narayana.

It was received by Brahman, O king, and practised duly in all its details by him. Brahman then gave it, O king, to those Rishis who are known by the name of Varhishada.

From the Barhishadas it was acquired by a Brahmana well-versed in the Sama-Veda, and known by the name of Jeshthya. And because he was well-versed in the Samans, therefore was he known also by the name of Jeshthyasamavrata-Hari.

From the Brahmana known by the name of Jeshthya, this religion was obtained by a king of the name of Avikampana. After this, that religion, derived from the powerful Hari, once more disappeared from the world.

During the seventh birth of Brahman from the lotus, O king, that sprang from the navel of Narayana, this religion was once more preached by Narayana himself, to the Grandsire of pure soul, the Creator of all the worlds, in the beginning of this Kalpa. The Grandfather gave it in days of yore to Daksha.

Daksha, in his turn, gave it to the eldest of all the sons of his daughters, O monarch, viz., Aditya, who is senior in age to Savitri. From Aditya, Vivasvat got it.

In the beginning of the Treta Yuga, Vivasvat gave the knowledge of this religion to Manu. Manu, for the protection and support of all the worlds, then gave it to his son Ikshvaku.

Promulgated by Ikshvaku, that religion overspreads the whole world. When the universal destruction sets in, it will once more return to Narayana and be merged in Him.

The religion which is followed and practised by the Yatis, has, O best of kings, been described to you before this in the Harigita, with all its ordinances in brief.

The celestial Rishi Narada got it from that Lord of universe, viz., Narayana himself, O king, with all its mysteries and abstract of details.

Thus, O king, this foremost of religions is primeval and eternal. Incapable of being understood easily and highly difficult of being pervaded by the quality of godness.

It is by means of acts that are wellperformed and done with a perfect knowledge of duties,-acts, that is, in which there is nothing of injury to any creature,-that Hari the Supreme Lord became pleased.

Some persons worship Narayana as endued with only one form, viz., that O Aniruddha. Some worship Him as endued with two forms, viz., that of Aniruddha and Pradyumna. Some adore Him as having three forms, viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Sankarshana. A fourth section adore him as having four forms, viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Shankarshana, and Vasudeva.

Hari is Himself the Kshetrajna (Soul). He is without parts. He is the Individual Soul in all creatures, getting over the five primal elements.

He is the Mind, O king, that directs and governs the five senses. Gifted with the highest intelligence, He is the Ordainer of the universe, and the Creator thereof.

He is both active and inactive. He is both Cause and Effect. He is the one immutable Soul, who sports as He likes, O king.

Thus have I recounted to you the Religion of Devotion, O best of kings, which cannot be comprehended by persons of impure souls but which I acquired through the favour of my preceptor.

Persons are very rare, O king, who are devoted whole-mindedly to Narayana. If, O son of Kuru's race, the world has been full of such persons, who are full of universal mercy, who are possessed of the knowledge of the soul, and who are always busy with doing good to others, then the Krita age would have begun and all men would have undertaken works without desire of fruit.

It was even thus, O king, that foremost of twice-born ones, viz., the illustrious Vyasa, my preceptor, well-versed in all duties, described to king Yudhishthira the just this religion of Devotion, in the presence of many Rishis and in the hearing of Krishna and Bhishma. He had got it from the celestial Rishi Narada having penances for wealth.

Those persons who are whole-mindedly devoted to Narayana in the end, that greatest of gods, identical with Brahma, pure in complexion, effulgent like the moon, and immutable.

I see that those twice-born ones whose souls have been awakened, pactise various kinds of duties. Why it is that other Brahmanas do not practise those duties but observe other kinds of vows and rites?

Three kinds of disposition, O king, have been created about all embodied creatures, viz., that which appertains to the quality of goodness, that which appertains to the quality of Darkness, and lastly that which appertains to the quality of Ignorance, O Bharata.

As regards embodied creatures, perpetuator of Kuru's race, that person is the foremost who follows the quality of Goodness, for, O foremost of men, it is certain that he will acquire Liberation.

It is with the help of this very quality of Goodness that one endued therewith succeeds in understanding the person who is conversant with Brahma. As regards Liberation, it is entirely dependent upon Narayana. Hence it is that Liberation is considered as made up of the quality of Goodness.

By thinking of the foremost of Beings, the man who is devoted whole-mindedly to Narayana, gains great wisdom.

Those persons who are possessed of wisdom, who follow the practices of Yatis and the Religion of Liberation,-those persons whose thirst has been satisfied_always find that Hari favours them with the fruition of their desire.

That man subject to birth (and death) upon whom Hari casts a kind eye should be known as gifted with the quality of Goodness and devoted to the acquisition of Liberation.

The religion followed by a person who is devoted whole-mindely to to Narayana is considered as similar or equal in merit to the system of the Sankhyas.

By following that religion one acquires the highest end by attaining to Liberation which has Narayana for its soul. That person upon whom Narayana looks with mercy succeeds in becoming awakened.

No one, O king, can become awakened through his own wishes. That nature which partakes of both Darkness and Ignorance is said to be mixed.

Hari never casts a kind eye upon the person subject to birth who has such a mixed nature and who has, on that account the principle of action in him.

Only Brahman, the Grandfather of the worlds, cares for the person who is subject to me birth the death because of his mind being overwhelmed with the two inferior qualities of Darkness and Ignorance.

Forsooth, the gods and the Rishis are endued with the qualities of Goodness, best of kings! But then they who are divested of that quality in its subtile form are always considered to be of mutable nature.

Janamejaya said, How can one who is subject to change succeed in attaining to that foremost of Being? Do tell me all this, which is, no doubt, know to you! Do you describe to also of Renunciation in due order.

Vaishampayana sajd— When it becomes able to abstain entirely from acts, the twenty-fifth, i.e., the Individual Soul, succeeds in attaining to the foremost of Beings which is highly subtile, which is invested with the quality of Goodness, and which is highly of Goodness, and which is fraught with the essence symbolised by the three letters of the alphabet (viz., A. U. and M.)

The Sankhya system, the Aranyaka-Veda, and the Pancharatra scriptures, are all identical and form parts of one whole. This is the religion of those who are devoted whole. mindedly to Narayana—the religion that has Narayana for its Soul.

As waves of the ocean, rising from the ocean, rush away from it only to return to it in the long run so various sorts of knowledge, originating from Narayana, return to Narayana in the end.

I have thus explained to you, O son of Kuru's race, what the religion of Goodness is. If you be qualified for it, O Bharata, do you practise that religion duly.

Thus did the highly-blessed Narada explain to my preceptor.-the Island-born Krishna-the eternal and immutable course called Ekanta, followed by the Whites as also by Yatis.

Pleased with Dharma's son Yudhisthira, Vyasa imparted this religion to king Yudhisthira the just who was endued with great intelligence. Derived from my preceptor I have also communicated it to you.

O best of kings, this religion is, for these reasons, highly difficult of practice. Others, hearing it, become as much stupefied as you have allowed yourself to be.

It is Krishna who is the protector of the universe and its beguiler. It is He who is the destroyer and the cause, O king.