CHAPTER VII
(THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD)
Janamejaya said:—"O thou the lord of those conversant with Yoga, do thou describe to me at length the power of the lotus-navelled deity lying asleep in the water of the ocean and how the gods with Rishis were born in the universe. I am not satiated with listening to an account of his glories (1-2). How long did that Purrusottama lie there? Being himself the cause of the origin of time why did he sleep at that time (3)? How long after did the divine king of the celestials awake? And after being aroused why did he create this universe? Who were the Patriarchs before, O great Muni? Why did the Eternal Purusha create the worlds? O Muni, formerly when the mobile and immobile creatures, gods, Asuras, serpents, Rākshasas, air, fire, sky and earth were destroyed how did the highly powerful Lord and Preceptor of the celestials, the king of great elements, lie asleep in that all-expanding one ocean in which all the elements were immersed (4–8). I have sought refuge with thee, O Brahman, thou shouldst forsooth describe the glories of Nārāyana (9). O reverend sir, it behoveth thee to describe unto me the past and future incarnations of the Great Deity that should be adored by persons having reverential faith (10)".
Vaishampāyana said:—O sinless scion of the Kuru race, it is indeed worthy of thy family that thou art anxious to listen to the glorious deeds of Nārāyana (11). O king, hear as we had learnt from the Brāhmanas about the power of the Lotus-navelled Deity who had learnt it from the prime and ancient gods as recorded in the Srutis (12). O Bharata, through mental concentration Parāsara's son, the beautiful preceptor Dwaipayana, powerful like unto Vrihaspati, witnessed the power of the Lotus-navelled Deity and described it. I shall describe it to you as I had heard before. But although I am a Rishi I have not been able to learn it completely (13-14). O king, who can try to know the Great Purusha Nārāyana whom even the creator, the originator of the universe, could not know fully (15)? I have heard truly what is held as a great secret by the creator of the universe, identical with all and the origin of principles and by the great Rishis and gods, O sinless-one. Him alone, persons conversant with spiritual knowledge meditate on. He is the efficient cause of Karma, the prime deity of the celestials and is unseen by all. He is without beginning and end: He is the eternal truth which the great Rishis strive to know: He is Jnāna or knowledge of the celestials and is perceived by persons, well read in the Vedas as the Absolute Intelligence. He is the creator of the objects of senses and creates the elements as Hiranyagarbha. He is intellect, mind, Kshetrajna, the principle of greatness, Purusha and the Great Soul. He is identical with time the witness of all and is independent. He is identical with five vital breaths, the cause of their action, is real and undecaying. He is the cause of our actions and the ordainer of what we should do and should not. He should be sought for by us, by every means, should be spoken of and heard of. He is heaven, emancipation, the various changes, the mysterious world and our protector. I will describe this Narāyana unto you. O king, all that exists in the three worlds, untruth, cause and action, past and future, mobile, immobile and eternal has emanated from the Lotus-navelled Lord, the Great Purusha (15-25).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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