॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Sunday, 12 February 2023 - Srimad Bhagavatam VIII.12- The divine Leela of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu and Lord Shiva when even Shiva is overwhelmed by passion on seeing Mohini. I have reproduced the entire chapter and its translation (based on Bhaktivedanta).
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ द्वादशोऽध्यायः - १२ ॥
श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच
वृषध्वजो निशम्येदं योषिद्रूपेण दानवान् । मोहयित्वा सुरगणान् हरिः सोममपाययत् ॥ १॥
वृषमारुह्य गिरिशः सर्वभूतगणैर्वृतः । सह देव्या ययौ द्रष्टुं यत्रास्ते मधुसूदनः ॥ २॥
सभाजितो भगवता सादरं सोमया भवः । सूपविष्ट उवाचेदं प्रतिपूज्य स्मयन् हरिम् ॥ ३॥
श्रीमहादेव उवाच
देवदेव जगद्व्यापिन् जगदीश जगन्मय । सर्वेषामपि भावानां त्वमात्मा हेतुरीश्वरः ॥ ४॥
आद्यन्तावस्य यन्मध्यमिदमन्यदहं बहिः । यतोऽव्ययस्य नैतानि तत्सत्यं ब्रह्म चिद्भवान् ॥ ५॥
तवैव चरणाम्भोजं श्रेयस्कामा निराशिषः । विसृज्योभयतः सङ्गं मुनयः समुपासते ॥ ६॥
त्वं ब्रह्म पूर्णममृतं विगुणं विशोकमानन्दमात्रमविकारमनन्यदन्यत् ।
विश्वस्य हेतुरुदयस्थितिसंयमानामात्मेश्वरश्च तदपेक्षतयानपेक्षः ॥ ७॥
एकस्त्वमेव सदसद्द्वयमद्वयं च स्वर्णं कृताकृतमिवेह न वस्तुभेदः ।
अज्ञानतस्त्वयि जनैर्विहितो विकल्पो यस्माद्गुणव्यतिकरो निरुपाधिकस्य ॥ ८॥
त्वां ब्रह्म केचिदवयन्त्युत धर्ममेके एके परं सदसतोः पुरुषं परेशम् ।
अन्येऽवयन्ति नवशक्तियुतं परं त्वां केचिन्महापुरुषमव्ययमात्मतन्त्रम् ॥ ९॥
नाहं परायुरृषयो न मरीचिमुख्या जानन्ति यद्विरचितं खलु सत्त्वसर्गाः ।
यन्मायया मुषितचेतस ईश दैत्यमर्त्यादयः किमुत शश्वदभद्रवृत्ताः ॥ १०॥
स त्वं समीहितमदः स्थितिजन्मनाशं भूतेहितं च जगतो भवबन्धमोक्षौ ।
वायुर्यथा विशति खं च चराचराख्यं सर्वं तदात्मकतयावगमोऽवरुन्त्से ॥ ११॥
अवतारा मया दृष्टा रममाणस्य ते गुणैः । सोऽहं तद्द्रष्टुमिच्छामि यत्ते योषिद्वपुर्धृतम् ॥ १२॥
येन सम्मोहिता दैत्याः पायिताश्चामृतं सुराः । तद्दिदृक्षव आयाताः परं कौतूहलं हि नः ॥ १३॥
Translation:
1-2: Sage Shuka said: Bhagavan Sri Hari, in the form of a woman, captivated the Asuras and enabled the Devas to drink the Amrutha. After hearing of these pastimes, Lord Shiva, Who travels on a bull, Nandi, went to the place where Madhusudana (Sri Hari) resides. Accompanied by his wife, Uma, and surrounded by his Ganas, Lord Shiva went there to see the Lord’s form as a woman.
3: Bhagavan welcomed Lord Shiva and Uma with great respect, and after being seated comfortably, Lord Shiva duly worshipped the Lord and smilingly spoke as follows.
4: Lord Mahadeva said: O chief among the Devas, O all-pervading Lord, master of the universe, by Your energy You are transformed into the creation. You are the root and efficient cause of everything. You are not material. Indeed, You are the Paramatma or supreme living force of everything. Therefore, You are Parameshwara, the supreme controller of all controllers.
5: The manifest, the unmanifest, false ego and the beginning, maintenance and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation all come from You, Bhagavan. But because You are the Absolute Truth, the supreme absolute Paramatma, the Supreme Brahman, such changes as birth, death and sustenance do not exist in You.
6: Pure devotees or great saintly persons who desire to achieve the highest goal in life and who are completely free from all material desires for sense-gratification engage constantly in the transcendental service of Your lotus feet.
7: My Lord, You are the Supreme Brahman, complete in everything. Being entirely spiritual, You are eternal, free from the material modes of nature, and full of transcendental bliss. Indeed, for You, there is no question of lamentation. Since You are the supreme cause, the cause of all causes, nothing can exist without You. Yet we are different from You in a relationship of cause and effect, for in one sense the cause and effect are different. You are the original cause of creation, manifestation and annihilation, and You bestow benedictions upon all living entities. Everyone depends upon You for the results of his activities, but You are always independent.
8: My dear Lord, Your Lordship alone is the cause and the effect. Therefore, although You appear to be two, You are the absolute one. As there is no difference between the gold of a golden ornament and the gold in a mine, there is no difference between cause and effect; both of them are the same. Only because of ignorance do people concoct differences and dualities. You are free from material contamination, and since the entire cosmos is caused by You and cannot exist without You, it is an effect of Your transcendental qualities. Thus the conception that Brahman is true and the world false cannot be maintained.
9: Those known as the Nirguna worshippers regard You as the impersonal Brahman. Mimansakas regard You as Dharma. The Sankhya philosophers regard You as the transcendental person who is beyond Prakriti and Purusha and who is the controller of even the Devas. The followers of Bhakti Marga regard You as being endowed with nine different potencies. And the Yoga philosophers, the followers of Patanjali Muni, regard You as the supreme independent Ishwara, who has no equal or superior.
10: O my Lord, I, who am considered to be the best of the Devas, and Lord Brahma and the great Rishis, headed by Marichi, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are bewildered by Your illusory energy and cannot understand what this creation is. Aside from us, what is to be said of others, like the Asuras and human beings, who are in the base modes of material nature Rajo-guna and Tamo-guna? How will they know You?
11: My Lord, You are the supreme knowledge personified. You know everything about this creation and its beginning, maintenance and annihilation, and You know all the endeavours made by the living entities, by which they are either implicated in this material world or liberated from it. As the air enters the vast sky and also enters the bodies of all moving and non-moving entities, You are present everywhere, and therefore You are the knower of all.
12: My Lord, I have seen all kinds of incarnations You have exhibited by Your transcendental qualities, and now that You have appeared as a beautiful young woman, I wish to see that form of Your Lordship.
13: My Lord, we have come here desiring to see that form of Your Lordship which You showed to the Asuras to captivate them completely and in this way enable the Devas to drink nectar. I am very eager to see that form.
श्रीशुक उवाच
एवमभ्यर्थितो विष्णुर्भगवान् शूलपाणिना । प्रहस्य भावगम्भीरं गिरिशं प्रत्यभाषत ॥ १४॥
श्रीभगवानुवाच
कौतूहलाय दैत्यानां योषिद्वेषो मया कृतः । पश्यता सुरकार्याणि गते पीयूषभाजने ॥ १५॥
तत्तेऽहं दर्शयिष्यामि दिदृक्षोः सुरसत्तम । कामिनां बहु मन्तव्यं सङ्कल्पप्रभवोदयम् ॥ १६॥
श्रीशुक उवाच
इति ब्रुवाणो भगवांस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । सर्वतश्चारयंश्चक्षुर्भव आस्ते सहोमया ॥ १७॥
ततो ददर्शोपवने वरस्त्रियंविचित्रपुष्पारुणपल्लवद्रुमे ।
विक्रीडतीं कन्दुकलीलया लसद्दुकूलपर्यस्तनितम्बमेखलाम् ॥ १८॥
आवर्तनोद्वर्तनकम्पितस्तनप्रकृष्टहारोरुभरैः पदे पदे ।
प्रभज्यमानामिव मध्यतश्चलत्पदप्रवालं नयतीं ततस्ततः ॥ १९॥
दिक्षु भ्रमत्कन्दुकचापलैर्भृशं प्रोद्विग्नतारायतलोललोचनाम् । स्वकर्णविभ्राजितकुण्डलोल्लसत्कपोलनीलालकमण्डिताननाम् ॥ २०॥
श्लथद्दुकूलं कबरीं च विच्युतां सन्नह्यतीं वामकरेण वल्गुना ।
विनिघ्नतीमन्यकरेण कन्दुकं विमोहयन्तीं जगदात्ममायया ॥ २१॥
तां वीक्ष्य देव इति कन्दुकलीलयेषद्व्रीडास्फुटस्मितविसृष्टकटाक्षमुष्टः ।
स्त्रीप्रेक्षणप्रतिसमीक्षणविह्वलात्मा नात्मानमन्तिक उमां स्वगणांश्च वेद ॥ २२॥
तस्याः कराग्रात्स तु कन्दुको यदा गतो विदूरं तमनुव्रजत्स्त्रियाः ।
वासः ससूत्रं लघु मारुतोऽहरद्भवस्य देवस्य किलानुपश्यतः ॥ २३॥
एवं तां रुचिरापाङ्गीं दर्शनीयां मनोरमाम् । दृष्ट्वा तस्यां मनश्चक्रे विषज्जन्त्यां भवः किल ॥ २४॥
तयापहृतविज्ञानस्तत्कृतस्मरविह्वलः । भवान्या अपि पश्यन्त्या गतह्रीस्तत्पदं ययौ ॥ २५॥
सा तमायान्तमालोक्य विवस्त्रा व्रीडिता भृशम् । निलीयमाना वृक्षेषु हसन्ती नान्वतिष्ठत ॥ २६॥
तामन्वगच्छद्भगवान् भवः प्रमुषितेन्द्रियः । कामस्य च वशं नीतः करेणुमिव यूथपः ॥ २७॥
सोऽनुव्रज्यातिवेगेन गृहीत्वानिच्छतीं स्त्रियम् । केशबन्ध उपानीय बाहुभ्यां परिषस्वजे ॥ २८॥
सोपगूढा भगवता करिणा करिणी यथा । इतस्ततः प्रसर्पन्ती विप्रकीर्णशिरोरुहा ॥ २९॥
आत्मानं मोचयित्वाङ्ग सुरर्षभभुजान्तरात् । प्राद्रवत्सा पृथुश्रोणी माया देवविनिर्मिता ॥ ३०॥
तस्यासौ पदवीं रुद्रो विष्णोरद्भुतकर्मणः । प्रत्यपद्यत कामेन वैरिणेव विनिर्जितः ॥ ३१॥
तस्यानुधावतो रेतश्चस्कन्दामोघरेतसः । शुष्मिणो यूथपस्येव वासितामनुधावतः ॥ ३२॥
यत्र यत्रापतन्मह्यां रेतस्तस्य महात्मनः । तानि रूप्यस्य हेम्नश्च क्षेत्राण्यासन् महीपते ॥ ३३॥
सरित्सरःसु शैलेषु वनेषूपवनेषु च । यत्र क्व चासन्नृषयस्तत्र सन्निहितो हरः ॥ ३४॥
स्कन्ने रेतसि सोऽपश्यदात्मानं देवमायया । जडीकृतं नृपश्रेष्ठ सन्न्यवर्तत कश्मलात् ॥ ३५॥
अथावगतमाहात्म्य आत्मनो जगदात्मनः । अपरिज्ञेयवीर्यस्य न मेने तदु हाद्भुतम् ॥ ३६॥
तमविक्लवमव्रीडमालक्ष्य मधुसूदनः । उवाच परमप्रीतो बिभ्रत्स्वां पौरुषीं तनुम् ॥ ३७॥
14: Sage Shuka said: When Lord Vishnu was thus requested by Lord Shiva, who carries a trident in his hand, He smiled with seriousness and replied to Lord Shiva as follows.
15: Bhagavan said: When the Asuras took away the jug of Amrutha, I assumed the form of a beautiful woman to bewilder them by directly cheating them and thus to act in the interest of the Devas.
16: O best of the Devas , I shall now show you My form that is very much appreciated by those who are lusty. Since you want to see that form, I shall reveal it in your presence.
17: Sage Shuka continued: After speaking in this way, Bhagavan, Vishnu, immediately disappeared, and Lord Shiva remained there with Uma, looking for Him all around with moving eyes.
18: Thereafter, in a nice forest nearby, full of trees with reddish-pink leaves and varieties of flowers, Lord Shiva saw a beautiful woman playing with a ball. Her hips were covered with a shining sari and ornamented with a belt.
19: Because the ball was falling down and bouncing up, as She played with it, Her breasts trembled, and because of the weight of those breasts and Her heavy flower garlands, Her waist appeared to be all but breaking at every step, as Her two soft feet, which were reddish like coral, moved here and there.
20: The woman’s face was decorated by broad, beautiful, restless eyes, which moved as the ball bounced here and there from Her hand. The two brilliant earrings on Her ears decorated Her shining cheeks like bluish reflections, and the hair scattered on Her face made Her even more beautiful to see.
21: As She played with the ball, the sari covering Her body became loose, and Her hair scattered. She tried to bind Her hair with Her beautiful left hand, and at the same time She played with the ball by striking it with Her right hand. This was so attractive that the Supreme Lord, by His internal potency, in this way captivated everyone.
22: While Lord Shiva observed the beautiful woman playing with the ball, She sometimes glanced at him and slightly smiled in bashfulness. As he looked at the beautiful woman and She watched him, he forgot both himself and Uma, his most beautiful wife, as well as his associates nearby.
23: When the ball leaped from Her hand and fell at a distance, the woman began to follow it, but as Lord Shiva observed these activities, a breeze suddenly blew away the fine dress and belt that covered her.
24: Thus Lord Shiva saw the woman, every part of whose body was beautifully formed, and the beautiful woman also looked at him. Therefore, thinking that She was attracted to him, Lord Shiva became very much attracted to Her.
25: Lord Shiva , his good sense taken away by the woman because of lusty desires to enjoy Her company, became so mad for Her that even in the presence of Bhavani (Parvati) he did not hesitate to approach Her.
26: The beautiful woman was already naked, and when She saw Lord Shiva coming toward Her, She became extremely bashful. Thus, She kept smiling, but She hid Herself among the trees and did not stand in one place.
27: His senses being agitated, Lord Shiva, victimized by lusty desires, began to follow Her, just as a lusty elephant follows a she-elephant.
28: After following Her with great speed, Lord Shiva caught Her by the braid of Her hair and dragged Her near him. Although She was unwilling, he embraced Her with his arms.
29-30: Being embraced by Lord Shiva like a female elephant embraced by a male, the woman, whose hair was scattered, swirled like a snake. O King, this woman, who had large, high hips, was a woman of Yoga-Maya presented by Bhagavan. She released Herself somehow or other from the fond embrace of Lord Shiva’s arms and ran away.
31: As if harassed by an enemy in the form of lusty desires, Lord Shiva followed the path of Lord Vishnu, who acts very wonderfully and who had taken the form of Mohini.
32: Just as a maddened bull elephant follows a female elephant who is in heat, Lord Shiva followed the beautiful woman and discharged semen, even though his discharge of semen never goes in vain.
33: O King, where-so-ever on the surface of the globe fell the semen of the great personality of Lord Shiva, mines of gold and silver later appeared.
34: Following Mohini, Lord Shiva went everywhere — near the shores of the rivers and lakes, near the mountains, near the forests, near the gardens, and wherever there lived great sages.
35: O King Parikshit, the best of kings! when Lord Shiva had fully discharged semen, he could see how he himself had been victimized by the illusion created by Bhagavan. Thus, he restrained himself from any further Maya.
36: Thus, Lord Shiva could understand his position and that of Bhagavan, who has unlimited potencies. Having reached this understanding, he was not at all surprised by the wonderful way Lord Vishnu had acted upon him.
37: Seeing Lord Shiva unagitated and unashamed, Lord Vishnu [Madhusudana] was very pleased. Thus. He resumed His original form and spoke as follows.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
दिष्ट्या त्वं विबुधश्रेष्ठ स्वां निष्ठामात्मना स्थितः । यन्मे स्त्रीरूपया स्वैरं मोहितोऽप्यङ्ग मायया ॥ ३८॥
को नु मेऽतितरेन्मायां विषक्तस्त्वदृते पुमान् । तांस्तान् विसृजतीं भावान् दुस्तरामकृतात्मभिः ॥ ३९॥
सेयं गुणमयी माया न त्वामभिभविष्यति । मया समेता कालेन कालरूपेण भागशः ॥ ४०॥
श्रीशुक उवाच
एवं भगवता राजन् श्रीवत्साङ्केन सत्कृतः । आमन्त्र्य तं परिक्रम्य सगणः स्वालयं ययौ ॥ ४१॥
आत्मांशभूतां तां मायां भवानीं भगवान् भवः । शंसतामृषिमुख्यानां प्रीत्याऽऽचष्टाथ भारत ॥ ४२॥
अपि व्यपश्यस्त्वमजस्य मायां परस्य पुंसः परदेवतायाः ।
अहं कलानामृषभो विमुह्ये ययावशोऽन्ये किमुतास्वतन्त्राः ॥ ४३॥
यं मामपृच्छस्त्वमुपेत्य योगात् समासहस्रान्त उपारतं वै ।
स एष साक्षात्पुरुषः पुराणो न यत्र कालो विशते न वेदः ॥ ४४॥
श्रीशुक उवाच
इति तेऽभिहितस्तात विक्रमः शार्ङ्गधन्वनः । सिन्धोर्निर्मथने येन धृतः पृष्ठे महाचलः ॥ ४५॥
एतन्मुहुः कीर्तयतोऽनुशृण्वतो न रिष्यते जातु समुद्यमः क्वचित् ।
यदुत्तमश्लोकगुणानुवर्णनं समस्तसंसारपरिश्रमापहम् ॥ ४६॥
असदविषयमङ्घ्रिं भावगम्यं प्रपन्नानमृतममरवर्यानाशयत्सिन्धुमथ्यम् ।
कपटयुवतिवेषो मोहयन् यः सुरारीन् तमहमुपसृतानां कामपूरं नतोऽस्मि ॥ ४७॥
38: Bhagavan said: O best of the Devas, although you have been amply harassed because of My potency in assuming the form of a woman, you are established in your position. Therefore, may all good fortune be upon you.
39: My dear Lord Shambhu, who within this material world but you can surpass My illusory energy? People are generally attached to sense-enjoyments and are enslaved. Indeed, the influence of material nature is very difficult for them to surmount.
40: The material, external energy [Maya], who cooperates with Me in the creation and who is manifested in the three modes of nature, will not be able to bewilder you any longer.
41: Sage Shuka said: O King, having thus been praised by the Supreme Personality, who bears the mark of Srivatsa on His chest, Lord Shiva circumambulated Him. Then, after taking permission from Him, Lord Shiva returned to his abode, Kailasa, along with his associates.
42: O descendant of Bharata! Lord Shiva, in jubilation, then addressed his wife, Bhavani, who is accepted by all authorities as the potency of Lord Vishnu.
43: Lord Shiva said: O Goddess, you have now seen the illusory energy of Bhagavan, who is the unborn master of everyone. Although I am one of the principal expansions of His Lordship, even I was subject to the illusion of His energy. What then is to be said of others, who are fully dependent on Maya?
44: When I finished performing mystic yoga for one thousand years, you asked me upon whom I was meditating. Now, here is that Purushottama in whom Time has no entrance and whom the Vedas cannot understand.
45: Sage Shuka said: My dear King, the person who bore the great mountain on His back for the churning of the Ocean of Milk is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as the wielder of the Sharnga bow. I have now described to you His prowess.
46: The endeavour of one who constantly hears or describes this narration of the churning of the Ocean of Milk will never be fruitless. Indeed, chanting the glories of Bhagavan is the only means to annihilate all sufferings in this material world.
47: Assuming the form of a young woman and thus bewildering the Asuras, Bhagavan distributed to His devotees, the Devas, the Amrutha produced from the churning of the Ocean of Milk. Unto that Bhagavan, who always fulfils the desires of His devotees, I offer my respectful obeisances.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
