rule



 
 

Canto 7

Pañca Tattva

 
 

Chapter 3: Hiranyakas'ipu's Plan to Become Immortal

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'Hiranyakas'ipu, oh King, wished to become unconquerable, free from old age and immortal, the one and only king with no rivals or opponents. (2) In a valley near Mandara Hill he performed a most difficult austerity in which he, staring into the sky, raised his arms upwards and stood on the ground with the big toes of his feet. (3) Emanating from the hair on his head there was a light as bright as a supernova that by its beams made all the gods doing penance turn back to their home bases. (4) The fire that, generated by his severe penance, together with smoke spread sidewards, upwards and downwards, heated all the worlds. (5) The rivers and oceans were in turmoil, the islands, the mountains and the earth shook and the stars with their planets fell, while the ten directions were ablaze. (6) Scorched by it the demigods gave up their residences and went to Lord Brahmâ's place to tell their leader: 'Oh Master of the Universe, we are all afflicted by the penance of the daitya king and no longer capable of keeping our position in heaven. (7) Please, can you do something about it and put an end to this, oh Lord of the entire world, before everyone, who offers you worship, oh chief of all, is lost. (8) Just consider what he [Hiranyakas'ipu] has in mind, performing that most difficult penance. You of course know everything about it - but we nevertheless would like to submit it to you. (9-10) [This is what he considers:] 'Lord Brahmâ, who, by his austerity absorbed in yoga, created the moving and unmoving living beings [see 3.8], has his throne in all the worlds high and low. I, by dint of an even more severe penance [than his] being absorbed in yoga, will, from the eternality of time and the soul, achieve the same for myself. (11) By my strength I will turn this world upside down and handle everything that is not right different from before. What is the use of all other practices? At the end of a day of creation, time will vanquish all the worlds of Vishnu anyway!' (12) We discovered that he in his severe penance is of this resolve. Can you please, according to your own judgement, take the necessary measures, oh master of the three worlds? (13) It belongs to your position as the supreme master of the universe, to improve the welfare, happiness, opulence and victory of the twice-born souls and the cows.'

(14) Thus  being informed by the godly souls, the most powerful person, he who was born on the lotus, oh King, accompanied by Bhrigu, Daksha and others, went to the place of penance of the daitya lord. (15-16) Being covered by an anthill, grass and bamboo and with his fat, skin, flesh and blood eaten away by the ants, he could not be spotted any longer. But he who rides the swan smiled with wonder when he saw how he, like a sun covered by clouds, heated all the worlds by his penance. (17) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'Please appear, show yourself, oh son of Kas'yapa! All good fortune to you who are so perfectly of penance. I, the granter of boons have arrived. Let your wish be my blessing for you. (18) I have personally witnessed your great power of endurance and how wonderful it is that someone, whose body is eaten away by worms and ants, can manage to keep his life air confined to his bones. (19) No sage before you ever did this, nor will any other do so hereafter. Who can sustain his life-air for a hundred celestial years [36.000 years] without taking a drop of water? (20) Oh son of Diti, by your resolve to be of this penance, that even for the greatest saints is very hard to perform, you have won me. (21)  I will grant therefore all your wishes, oh best of the Asuras. When someone who is destined to die meets an immortal person like me, that will certainly not be fruitless.'

(22) S'rî Nârada said: 'Having said this, the original godhead and first living being of the universe sprinkled divine, all-potent water from his kamandalu [waterpot] over the body that was eaten by the ants. (23)  He therewith was fully restored to the complete capacity of his mind, senses and strength. Like fire springing from fire wood, he arose from his anthill grown with bamboos with a fully endowed young body as strong as a thunderbolt that had a luster of molten gold. (24) When he saw the god right in front of him in the sky upon his swan carrier he, very pleased about that encounter, with his head on the ground offered his obeisances [compare B.G. 9: 23-24 and 2.3: 10]. (25) Rising to his feet before his own eyes seeing the Almighty One he, overwhelmed by jubilation, with tears in his eyes and his hair standing on end, with folded hands and a faltering voice, humbly began to pray. (26-27) S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'At the end of a day of creation, when he [Lord Brahmâ] under the influence of time is covered by the dense darkness of ignorance, this cosmic creation manifests [again] by the light of the rays emanating from his body. This world, endowed with the three basic qualities of rajas, sattva and tamas [passion, goodness and ignorance], is by him created, maintained and annihilated. That transcendental and supreme Lord I offer my respectful obeisances. (28) The original living being, the seed of creation, knowledge and wisdom, him, the deity of the life force, the senses, the mind and the intelligence who realized this manifestation by his passion, I offer my reverential homage. (29) Operating through the life force, you constitute the factual control of the moving and immobile creatures. You are the origin of all activities and the mastermind and source of insight of all living beings. You are the great Lord of the knowing and acting senses, the controller of the material elements, their qualities and the mind thereabout [compare B.G. 7: 7]. (30) By means of your body in the form of the three Vedas you promote the seven kinds of rituals [beginning from the agnishthoma-yajña] of the four kinds of priests [known as hotâ, adhvaryu, brahma and udgâtâ] and the knowledge required. You are the one soul without a beginning and an end of all living entities, the supreme inspirator and the True Self within. (31) Not affected by anything, you are [the personification of] the ever vigilant Time that, by each of its segments in the form of days, hours and minutes and such, reduces the duration of life of all beings. You are the cause of life of this material world, the Great Self and Supreme Controller who was never born. (32) Nothing exists separate from you, whether it is higher evolved or just lower, moves around or does not move. [Vedic] knowledge in all its divisions makes up the diversity of your body. You are the one golden principle of life [called hiranya-garbha] who, transcendental to the three modes, are greater than the greatest. (33) Oh Almighty One, you, as the one soul and oldest person invisibly situated in your supreme abode, manifested the externality of this cosmic manifestation by which you enjoy the senses, life air, mind and qualities [that you gave us]. (34) I offer my obeisances to you, that Supreme Lord who, endowed with spiritual ànd material potency, expanded to the unlimited, unimaginable form of this totality.

(35) If you are willing to grant the boon that I desire, oh my Lord, oh best of all benefactors, then make it so that I will not die because of any of the living beings created by you. (36) Neither at home nor outside, neither during the day nor at night, neither from any known weapon nor by any other thing, neither on the ground or in the sky, nor by any human being or animal I may die. (37-38) Neither lifeless things nor living entities, neither demigod or demon nor the great serpents may kill me. I must have no rivals, have the supremacy in battle and the rule over all embodied souls including the deities of all planets. My glory must equal yours and never may the powers I acquired by yogic penance be defeated.'

 

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Third revised edition, loaded January 9, 2019.
 
 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

S'rî Nârada said: 'Hiranyakas'ipu, oh King, wished to become unconquerable, free from old age and immortal, the one and only king with no rivals or opponents.
S'rî Nârada said: 'Hiranyakas'ipu, o King, desired to become unconquerable, free from old age and immortal himself, the only king with no rivals or opponents.(Vedabase)

 

Text 2

In a valley near Mandara Hill he performed a most difficult austerity in which he, staring into the sky, raised his arms upwards and stood on the ground with the big toes of his feet.

In a valley at Mandara Hill he performed a most difficult austerity raising his arms upwards staring into the sky, standing with the big toes of his feet on the ground.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 3

Emanating from the hair on his head there was a light as bright as a supernova that by its beams made all the gods doing penance turn back to their home bases.

Emanating from the hair on his head there was a light bright as a supernova and by the beams were all the gods in their practices of penance driven back to their own places. (Vedabase)

 

Text 4

The fire that, generated by his severe penance, together with smoke spread sidewards, upwards and downwards, heated all the worlds.

Generated by his severe penance with smoke spreading sidewards, upwards and downwards everywhere, heated it all the worlds. (Vedabase)

 

Text 5

The rivers and oceans were in turmoil, the islands, the mountains and the earth shook and the stars with their planets fell, while the ten directions were ablaze.

The rivers and oceans were in turmoil, the islands and mountains and the earth shook and the stars with their planets fell with all the ten directions ablaze. (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

Scorched by it the demigods gave up their residences and went to Lord Brahmâ's place to tell their leader: 'Oh Master of the Universe, we are all afflicted by the penance of the daitya king and no longer capable of keeping our position in heaven.

Scorched therefrom gave the demigods their residences up and went they to Lord Brahmâ's place to submit to their leader: 'O Master of the Universe from the penance of the daitya king are we all afflicted and no longer capable of keeping our positions in heaven. (Vedabase)

 

Text 7

Please, can you do something about it and put an end to this, oh Lord of the entire world, before everyone, who offers you worship, oh chief of all, is lost.

Please, if you think it's right, we would like to see the end of this, o Great One, before all obedient to the worship of you o Chief of All are lost. (Vedabase)

 

Text 8

Just consider what he [Hiranyakas'ipu] has in mind, performing that most difficult penance. You of course know everything about it - but we nevertheless would like to submit it to you.

Take notice of this intention of him executing the so very difficult austerity; what wouldn't be known to you - but nevertheless we would like to submit this: (Vedabase)

 

Text 9-10

[This is what he considers:] 'Lord Brahmâ, who, by his austerity absorbed in yoga, created the moving and unmoving living beings [see 3.8], has his throne in all the worlds high and low. I, by dint of an even more severe penance [than his] being absorbed in yoga, will, from the eternality of time and the soul, achieve the same for myself.

'Lord Brahmâ, who by austerity absorbed in yoga created the moving and unmoving [see 3.8], has his throne in all the worlds high and low and thus will I by dint of an even more severe penance absorbed in yoga, from the eternality of time and the soul, achieve just as much for myself.(Vedabase)

 

Text 11

By my strength I will turn this world upside down and handle everything that is not right different from before. What is the use of all other practices? At the end of a day of creation, time will vanquish all the worlds of Vishnu anyway!'

I shall by my strength turn this world upside down reinstating what is now called inappropriate; what is the use of all those other practices of the followers of Vishnu, in the end they'll all be vanquished.' (Vedabase)

 

Text 12

We discovered that he, in his severe penance, is of this resolve. Can you please, according to your own judgement, take the necessary measures, oh master of the three worlds?

This way so we learned was his determination from within his excessive penance; please take for your own sake as soon as possible the necessary steps, o master of the three worlds. (Vedabase)

 

Text 13

It belongs to your position as the supreme master of the universe, to improve the welfare, happiness, opulence and victory of the twice-born souls and the cows.'

It is your position to be the supreme master in the universe for the better and exalted of the twice born and the cows, the salvation and opulence, the welfare and the victory.(Vedabase)

 

Text 14

Thus being informed by the godly souls, the most powerful person, he who was born on the lotus, oh King, accompanied by Bhrigu, Daksha and others, went to the place of penance of the daitya lord.

Thus informed by the godly went the most powerful one born from the lotus, o King, in the company of Bhrigu, Daksha and others to the place of penance of the daitya lord. (Vedabase)

 

Text 15-16

Being covered by an anthill, grass and bamboo and with his fat, skin, flesh and blood eaten away by the ants, he could not be spotted any longer. But he who rides the swan smiled with wonder when he saw how he, like a sun covered by clouds, heated all the worlds by his penance.

Covered by an anthill, grass and bamboo, with his fat, skin, flesh and blood eaten away by the ants, could he not be spotted, but he who rides the swan smiled with wonder when he saw how by his penance the heating of all the worlds was being covered like the sun is by clouds.(Vedabase)

  

Text 17

S'rî Brahmâ said: 'Please appear, show yourself, oh son of Kas'yapa! All good fortune to you who are so perfectly of penance. I, the granter of boons have arrived. Let your wish be my blessing for you.

S'rî Brahmâ said: 'Please come forward, come forward, o son of Kas'yapa, all good fortune to you so perfect in your penance, I, the granter of boons have come, let what you desire from me be my blessing. (Vedabase)

 

Text 18

I have personally witnessed the great power you are carrying and how wonderful it is that someone whose body is eaten away by worms and ants can manage to keep his life air confined to his bones.

I've personally seen how great your power of endurance is and how wonderful it is that someone whose body is eaten away by worms and ants has managed to keep his life-air within his bones. (Vedabase)

 

Text 19

No sage before you ever did this, nor will any other do so hereafter. Who can sustain his life-air for a hundred celestial years [36.000 years] without taking a drop of water?

There was nothing like it performed by the sages before you, nor will anyone else do so hereafter; who indeed without taking water can sustain his life-air for a hundred celestial years [36.000 years]? (Vedabase)

 

Text 20

Oh son of Diti, by your resolve to be of this penance, that even for the greatest saints is very hard to perform, you have won me.

O son of Diti, by your resolve to perform a penance that is even for the greatest of saints very hard, have I been conquered by you.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 21

Therefore I will grant all your wishes oh best of the Asuras. When someone who is destined to die meets an immortal person like me, that will certainly not be fruitless.'

For this I shall give you all benedictions, o best of the Asuras, the audience of someone destined to die like you with an immortal like me will not be fruitless.' (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

S'rî Nârada said: 'Having said this, the original godhead and first living being of the universe sprinkled divine, all-potent water from his kamandalu [waterpot] over the body that was eaten by the ants.

S'rî Nârada said: 'Thus speaking did the original godhead and first living being of the universe sprinkle divine, allpotent and infallible water from his kamandalu [waterpot] over the by the ants eaten body. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

He therewith was fully restored to the compete capacity of his mind, senses and strength. Like fire springing from fire wood, he arose from his anthill grown with bamboos with a fully endowed young body as strong as a thunderbolt that had a luster of molten gold.

From that was he, from his anthill and bamboos, fully restored to mind, senses and strength in all his limbs; he arose, like fire springing from fire wood, with a young body as strong as a thunderbolt that had a luster of molten gold.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 24

When he saw the god right in front of him in the sky upon his swan carrier he, very pleased about that encounter, with his head on de ground offered his obeisances [compare B.G. 9: 23-24 en 2.3: 10].

When he saw the god right before him in the sky on his swan carrier offered he, very pleased to meet Lord Brahmâ, with his head to the ground his obeisances [compare B.G. 9: 23-24 and 2.3: 10].  (Vedabase)

 

Text 25

Rising to his feet before his own eyes seeing the Almighty One he, overwhelmed by jubilation, with tears in his eyes and his hair standing on end, with folded hands and a faltering voice, humbly began to pray.

Rising to his feet with his own eyes seeing the Almighty began he, overwhelmed by jubilation, with tears in his eyes and his hair standing on end with folded hands and a faltering voice humbly to pray. (Vedabase)

 

Text 26-27

S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'At the end of a day of creation, when he [Lord Brahmâ] under the influence of time is covered by the dense darkness of ignorance, this cosmic creation manifests [again] by the light of the rays emanating from his body. This world, endowed with the three basic qualities of rajas, sattva and tamas [passion, goodness and ignorance], is by him created, maintained and annihilated. That transcendental and supreme Lord I offer my respectful obeisances.

S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'At the end of his day when he under the influence of time is covered by the dense darkness of ignorance, is by the self-effulgence of the rays of his body this cosmic creation manifested. This world is by himself and conducted by the three modes of rajas, sattva and tamas [passion, goodness and ignorance], created, maintained and annihilated. My respectful obeisances unto that transcendental and Supreme Lord. (Vedabase)

 

Text 28

The original living being, the seed of creation, knowledge and wisdom, him, the deity of the life force, the senses, the mind and the intelligence who realized this manifestation by his passion, I offer my reverential homage.

My reverential homage unto the original living being, the seed of creation, knowledge and wisdom; unto the deity of the life force, the senses, the mind and the intelligence, who through his works realized the manifestation. (Vedabase)
 
Text 29

Operating through the life force,
you constitute the factual control of the moving and immobile creatures. You are the origin of all activities and the mastermind and source of insight of all living beings. You are the great Lord of the knowing and acting senses, the controller of the material elements, their qualities and the mind thereabout [compare B.G. 7: 7].
You are the factual control of the moving beings and the immobile entities; by the life force are you the source of all activities and the master mind and source of insight of all alive; the great master of the knowing and acting senses you are, the controller of all desire, the material elements and their qualities [compare B.G. 7.7]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 30

By means of your body in the form of the three Vedas you promote the seven kinds of rituals [beginning from the agnishthoma-yajña] of the four kinds of priests [known as hotâ, adhvaryu, brahma and udgâtâ] and the knowledge required. You are the one soul without a beginning and an end of all living entities, the supreme inspirator and the True Self within.

By your body of the three Vedas you spread the seven kinds of rituals [beginning from the agnishthoma-yajña] of the four kinds of priests [known as hotâ, adhvaryu, brahma and udgâtâ] and the knowledge required; you are the one soul of all living entities without a beginning and an end; the supreme inspirator and the True Self within.  (Vedabase)

  

Text 31

Not affected by anything, you are [the personification of] the ever vigilant Time that, by each of its segments in the form of days, hours and minutes and such, reduces the duration of life of all beings. You are the cause of life of this material world, the Great Self and Supreme Controller who was never born.

Without being affected by it yourself are you verily the Time ever wakeful, that reduces the duration of life of all beings with each of its segments; of this material world are you the Great Self and Supreme Controller unborn as well as the essential cause of life. (Vedabase)


Text 32

Nothing exists separate from you, whether it is higher evolved or just lower, moves around or does not move. [Vedic] knowledge in all its divisions makes up the diversity of your body. You are the one golden principle of life [called hiranya-garbha] who, transcendental to the three modes, are greater than the greatest.

Nothing exists separate from you, whether it is higher evolved or even lower, moving or not-moving, while the knowledge in all its divisions makes up the different features of your body; you are the one greater than the greatest, transcendental to the three modes, who keeps the universe in his abdomen. (Vedabase)

 

Text 33

Oh Almighty One, you, as the one soul and oldest person invisibly situated in your supreme abode, manifested the externality of this cosmic manifestation by which you enjoy the senses, life air, mind and qualities [that you gave us].

Situated in your abode unseen you enjoy, as the Supreme One, the Soul and oldest person the manifested, o Almighty, this cosmic manifestation that is the external of you from which we have the senses the life-air, the mind and the qualities. (Vedabase)

 

Text 34

I offer my obeisances to you, that Supreme Lord who, endowed with spiritual ànd material potency, expanded to the unlimited, unimaginable form of this totality.

By this unlimited, unimaginable form of you there is this total aggregate expanded with its material and spiritual potency; unto him thus endowed, unto him that Supreme Master of God, I offer my obeisances. (Vedabase)

 

Text 35

If you are willing to grant the boon that I desire, oh my Lord, oh best of all benefactors, then make it so that I will not die because of any of the living beings created by you.

If you are willing to give me the boon of my desire, o granter of all benedictions, then, o my Lord, let it be so that from none of the beings created by you I will meet death. (Vedabase)

 

Text 36

Neither at home nor outside, neither during the day nor at night, neither from any known weapon nor by any other thing, neither on the ground or in the sky, nor by any human being or animal I may die.

Not at home nor outside, not during the day nor at night, nor from any other god even or by any known weapon, nor on the ground nor in the sky may I die, nor from any human or animal. (Vedabase)

 

Text 37-38

Neither lifeless things nor living entities, neither demigod or demon nor the great serpents may kill me. I must have no rivals, have the supremacy in battle and the rule over all embodied souls including the deities of all planets. My glory must equal yours and never may the powers I acquired by yogic penance be defeated.'

Lifeless things nor living entities, demigod nor demon and the great serpents either may kill me; I must have no rivals, have the supremacy in battle and the rule over all embodied including the deities of all planets; mine must be the glory equal to yours and never may the powers acquired by yogîc penance be defeated.' (Vedabase)

 

 

 

 

Creative Commons
                License
The text and audio are offered under the conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
The drawing is titled: "Satan before the Throne of God".
It is from 'Illustrations to the book of Job' (Linnell set, obj. 2).
It is of William Blake 1821. Source:
William Blake Archive.
Production:
Filognostic Association of The Order of Time


  

 

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