Sri Garga Samhita
BY: SUN STAFF
Jan 23, CANADA (SUN) —
Canto One, Volume Four
Chapter Thirteen
Seshopakhyana-varnana
The Story of Sesha
Text 1
sri-vaideha uvaca
yad-rajo durlabham loke
yoginam bahu-janmabhih
tat-padabjam hareh sakshad
babhau kaliya-murdhasu
Sri Bahulasva said: After many births even the great yogis
in this world cannot attain the dust of the Lord's feet. Still,
Lord Krishna placed His lotus feet directly on Kaliya's heads.
Text 2
ko 'yam purvam kusala-krit
kaliyo phaninam varah
enam veditum icchami
bruhi devarshi-sattama
What pious deeds did Kaliya, the best of snakes, do in his
previous birth? This I wish to know. Please tell me this, O best
of divine sages.
Text 3
sri-narada uvaca
svayambhuvantare purvam
namna vedasira munih
vindhyacale tapo 'karshid
bhrigu-vamsa-samudbhavah
Sri Narada said: In ancient times, during the Svayambhuva-
manvantara, a sage named Vedasira Muni, who was a descendent of
Bhrigu Muni, performed austerities in the Vindhya Hills.
Text 4
tad-asrame tapah kartum
prapto hy asvasira munih
tam vikshya rakta-nayanah
praha vedasira rusha
Then, one day a sage named Asvasira Muni came to perform
austerities at this sage's asrama. With red eyes staring at his
guest, Vedasira Muni angrily spoke.
Text 5
sri-vedasira uvaca
mamasrame tapo vipra
ma kuryah sukhadam na hi
anyatra te tapo-yogya
bhumir nasti tapo-dhana
Sri Vedasira said: O brahmana, don't perform austerities in
my asrama. O sage whose wealth is austerity, is there no other
place where you can happily perform austerities?
Text 6
sri-narada uvaca
srutvatha vedasiraso
vakyam hy asvasira munih
krodha-yukto rakta-netrah
praha tam muni-pungavam
Sri Narada said: When he heard Vedasira's words, Asvasira
Muni became angry. With red eyes he spoke to the best of sages.
Text 7
sri-asvasira uvaca
maha-vishnor iyam bhumir
na te me muni-sattama
katibhir munibhis catra
na kritam tapa uttamam
Sri Asvasira said: O best of sages, this place belongs to
Lord Maha-Vishnu. It does not belong to you or me. Have not many
sages already performed great austerities here?
Text 8
svasan sarpa iva tvam bho
vritha krodham karoshi hi
tada sarpo bhava tvam hi
bhuyat te garudad bhayam
You are angry for no reason. You hiss as if you were a
snake. Become a snake! You will be terrified of Garuda.
Text 9
sri-vedasira uvaca
tvam maha-durabhiprayo
laghu-drohe mahodyamah
karyarthi kaka iva kau
tvam kako bhava durmate
Sri Vedasira said: Fool, for a slight offense you plot a
great revenge! On this earth you are like a crow. Fool, become a
crow!
Text 10
sri-narada uvaca
avirasit tato vishnur
ittham ca sapatos tayoh
sva-sva-sapad duhkhitayoh
santvayam asa tau gira
Sri Narada said: Then Lord Vishnu appeared and consoled the
two sages, who were now unhappy with their curses.
Texts 11-14
sri-bhagavan uvaca
yuvam tu me samau bhaktau
bhujav iva tanau muni
sva-vakyam tu mrisha kartum
samartho 'ham munisvarau
bhakta-vakyam mrisha kartum
necchami sapatho mama
te murdhni he vedasiras
caranau me bhavishyatah
tada te garuda-bhitir
na bhavishyati karhicit
srinu me 'svasiro vakyam
socam ma kuru ma kuru
kaka-rupo 'pi su-jnanam
te bhavishyati niscitam
param trailokikam jnanam
samyutam yoga-siddhibhih
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: You are both
equally devoted to Me. O sages, you are like the two arms of My
body. O kings of the sages, I can make My own words false, but I
do not wish to allow the words of my devotees to become false.
That is My vow. O Vedasira, I will place My footprints on your
head. Because of them you will never fear Garuda. O Asvasira,
hear My words. Don't lament. Please don't lament. You will have
the form of a crow, but you will have transcendental knowledge.
You will have yoga-siddhis and the highest knowledge in the three
worlds.
Text 15
sri-narada uvaca
ity uktvatha gate vishnau
munir asvasira nripa
sakshat kaka-bhushundo 'bhud
yogindro nila-parvate
Sri Narada said: After speaking these words, Lord Vishnu
departed. O king, then the sage Asvasira became the crow Bhushunda
on Mount Nila.
Text 16
rama-bhakto maha-tejah
sarva-sastrartha-dipakah
ramayanam jagau yo vai
garudaya mahatmane
He was devoted to Lord Ramacandra. He was very powerful. He
was a lamp shining on the meanings of all the scriptures. To
Garuda he recited the Ramayana.
Text 17
cakshushe hy antare prapte
dakshah pracetaso nripa
kasyapaya dadau kanya
ekadasa manoharah
O king, during the Cakshusha-manvantara Prajapati Daksha gave
his eleven beautiful daughters in marriage to Kasyapa Muni.
Text 18
tasam kadrus ca ya sreshtha
sadyaiva rohini smrita
vasudeva-priya yasyam
baladevo 'bhavat sutah
Kadru was the best of them. Today Kadru is Rohini. She is
dear to Maharaja Vasudeva. Lord Balarama was born as her son.
Texts 19 and 20
sa kadrus ca maha-sarpan
janayam asa kotisah
mahodbhatan visha-balan
ugran panca-satananan
maha-mani-dharan kamscid
duhsahams ca satananan
tesham vedasira nama
kaliyo 'bhud maha-phani
Kadru gave birth to many millions of great, powerful,
invincible jewel-decorated, and very poisonous snakes, some
having five-hundred heads, and others having a hundred heads.
Among them Vedasira became the great snake Kaliya.
Text 21
tesham adau phanindro 'bhuc
chesho 'nantah parat parah
so 'dyaiva baladevo 'sti
ramo 'nanto 'cyutagrajah
Ananta Sesha, the king of snakes, who is greater than the
greatest, was the first of them. Today Ananta is Balarama, the
elder brother of the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Text 22
ekada sri-harih sakshad
bhagavan prakriteh parah
sesham praha prasannatma
megha-gambhiraya gira
One day Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who
is beyond the worlkd of matter and is always happy at heart, with
words like the rumbling of clouds, spoke to Ananta Sesha.
Text 23
sri-bhagavan uvaca
bhu-mandalam samadhatum
samarthyam kasyacin na hi
tasmad enam mahi-golam
murdhni tvam hi samuddhara
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: No one else has the
power to hold up the planets of Bhu-mandala. You please carry
these planets on Your head.
Text 24
ananta-vikramas tvam vai
yato 'nanta iti smritah
idam karyam prakartavyam
jana-kalyana-hetave
Your power is endless, and therefore You are known as Ananta
(the endless). Please accept this duty for the welfare of the
people.
Text 25
sri-sesha uvaca
avadhim kuru yavat tvam
dharoddharasya me prabho
bhu-bharam dharayishyami
tavat te vacanad iha
Sri Sesha said: O Lord, please put some limit on how long I
must hold the world. Then, according Your word, I will hold up
Bhu-mandala.
Text 26
sri-bhagavan uvaca
nityam sahasra-vadanair
uccaram ca prithak prithak
mad-guna-sphuratam namnam
kuru sarpendra sarvatah
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O king of snakes,
with Your thousand mouths always chant My names, names that
reveal My transcendental qualities.
Text 27
man-namani ca divyani
yada yanty avasanatam
tada bhu-bharam uttarya
phanis tvam su-sukhi bhava
When You come to the end of all My transcendental names You
can put down the burden of Bhu-mandala and relax.
Text 28
sri-sesha uvaca
adharo 'yam bhavishyami
mad-adharas ca ko bhavet
niradharah katham toye
tishthami kathaya prabho
Sri Sesha said: I will hold up Bhu-mandala. But who will hold Me up? Without support how can I stand in the water? O Lord,
please tell Me.
Text 29
sri-bhagavan uvaca
aham ca kamatho bhutva
dharayishyami te tanum
maha-bhara-mayim dirgham
ma socam kuru mat-sakhe
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: I will become a
turtle and then I will hold You up. O My friend, don't be unhappy
to hold such a great burden for such a long time.
Text 30
sri-narada uvaca
tada seshah samutthaya
natva sri-garuda-dhvajam
jagama nripa patalad
adho vai laksha-yojanam
Sri Narada said: O king, then Lord Sesha rose, bowed down
before Lord Krishna who holds the flag of Garuda, and went eight
hundred thousand miles below Patalaloka
Text 31
grihitva sva-karenedam
garishtham bhumi-mandalam
dadhara sva-pane sesho
'py ekasmims canda-vikramah
Then very powerful Ananta Sesha picked up Bhu-mandala and
held it in one hand.
Text 32
sankarshane 'tha patale
gate 'nante parat pare
anye phanindras tam anu
vivisur brahmanoditah
When Sankarshana Ananta went to Patalaloka, by Brahma's order
the other great snakes followed Him.
Text 33
atale vitale kecit
sutale ca mahatale
talatale tatha kecit
sampraptas te rasatale
Some went to Atalaloka and others to Sutalaloka,
Mahatalaloka, Talatalaloka, and Rasatalaloka.
Text 34
tebhyas tu brahmana dattam
dvipam ramanakam bhuvi
kaliya-pramukhas tasmin
avasan sukha-samvritah
Many snakes headed by Kaliya happily lived in Ramanaka-
dvipa, the home Brahma gave to them.
Text 35
iti te kathitam rajan
kaliyasya kathanakam
bhuktidam muktidam saram
kim bhuyah srotum icchasi
O king, thus I have told you Kaliya's story, which grants
both happiness in this world and also liberation. What more do
you wish to hear?
