विष्णुपुराणम् — प्रथमांशे द्वितीयोऽध्यायः | viṣṇupurāṇam

श्रीपराशर उवाच ।

अविकाराय शुद्धाय नित्याय परमात्मने ।
सदैकरूपरूपाय विष्णवे सर्वजिष्णवे ॥

Summary AI Salutations to Viṣṇu, who is changeless, pure, eternal, and the Supreme Soul. He always possesses a single form and is the conqueror of all.

१.२.२

नमो हिरण्यगर्भाय हरये शङ्कराय च ।
वासुदेवाय ताराय सर्वस्थित्यन्तकारिणे ॥

Summary AI Salutations to him who exists as Hiraṇyagarbha, Hari, and Śaṅkara. He is Vāsudeva, the deliverer, and the cause of the preservation and destruction of the entire universe.

१.२.३

एकानेकस्वरूपाय स्थूलसूक्ष्मात्मने नमः ।
अव्यक्तव्यक्तरूपाय विष्णवे मुक्तिहेतवे ॥

Summary AI Salutations to Viṣṇu, who possesses both single and manifold forms, whose nature is both gross and subtle, who is both unmanifest and manifest, and who is the cause of liberation.

१.२.४

सर्गस्थितिविनाशानां जगतो यो जगन्मयः ।
मूलभूतो नसम्तस्मै विष्णवे परमात्मने ॥

Summary AI Salutations to that Supreme Soul, Viṣṇu, who is the embodiment of the universe and the fundamental cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the world.

१.२.५

आधारभूतं विश्वस्याप्यणीयांसमणीयसाम् ।
प्रणम्य सर्वभूतस्थमच्युतं पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥

Summary AI Having bowed to Acyuta, the Supreme Person (Puruṣottama), who is the foundation of the universe, subtler than the subtlest, and dwells within all beings.

१.२.६

ज्ञानस्वरूपमत्यन्तनिर्मलं परमार्थतः ।
तमेवार्थस्वरूपेण भ्रन्तिदर्शनतः स्थितम् ॥

Summary AI Having bowed to him who is truly the form of pure knowledge and extremely stainless, yet appears in the form of material objects through illusory perception.

१.२.७

विष्णु ग्रसिष्णुं विश्वस्य स्थितौ सर्गे तथा प्रभुम् ।
प्रणम्य जगतामीशमजमक्षयमव्ययम् ॥

Summary AI Having bowed to Viṣṇu, the lord of the worlds, who is unborn, imperishable, and immutable. He is the master of creation and preservation, and the devourer of the universe.

१.२.८

कथयामि यथापूर्वं दक्षाद्यैर्मुनिसत्तमैः ।
पृष्टः प्रोवाच भगवानब्जयोनिः पितामहः ॥

Summary AI I shall narrate this history even as the lotus-born Lord Brahmā, the Grandfather, formerly related it when questioned by the great sages like Dakṣa.

१.२.९

तैश्चोक्तं पुरुकुत्साय भूभुजे नर्मदातटे ।
सारस्वताय तेनापि मह्यं सारस्वतेन च ॥

Summary AI By those sages, it was told to King Purukutsa on the banks of the Narmadā; by him it was told to Sārasvata, and by Sārasvata it was told to me.

१.२.१०

परः पराणां परमः परमात्मात्मसंस्थितः ।
रूपवर्णादिनिर्देशविशेषणविवर्जितः ॥

Summary AI He is the supreme among the supreme, the Supreme Soul established in himself, devoid of descriptions or attributes such as form, color, and the like.

१.२.११

अपक्षयविनाशाभ्यां परिणामर्द्धिजन्मभिः ।
वर्जितः शक्यते वक्तुं यः सदास्तीति केवलम् ॥

Summary AI He is free from decay, destruction, change, growth, and birth. He can only be described by the simple statement that "He always exists."

१.२.१२

सर्वत्रासौ समस्तं च वसत्यत्रेति वै यतः ।
ततः स वासुदेवेति विद्वद्भिः परिपठ्यते ॥

Summary AI Since he dwells everywhere and everything dwells in him, he is called Vāsudeva by the wise.

१.२.१३

तद्ब्रह्म परमं नित्यमजमक्षयमव्ययम् ।
एकस्वरूपं तु सदा हेयाभावाच्च निर्मलम् ॥

Summary AI That Supreme Brahman is eternal, unborn, imperishable, and immutable. It always possesses a single nature and is pure because it lacks any discardable defects.

१.२.१४

तदेव सर्वमेवैतद्व्यक्ताव्यक्तस्वरूपवत् ।
तथा पुरुषरूपेण कालरूपेण च स्थितम् ॥

Summary AI That very Brahman exists as this entire universe, possessing manifest and unmanifest forms, as well as existing in the forms of Puruṣa (Spirit) and Kāla (Time).

१.२.१५

परस्य ब्रह्मणो रूपं पुरूषः प्रथमं द्विज ।
व्यक्ताव्यक्ते तथैवान्ये रूपे कालस्तथापरम् ॥

Summary AI O twice-born one, the primary form of the Supreme Brahman is Puruṣa. Its other forms are the Manifest (Vyakta) and the Unmanifest (Avyakta), and the last is Time (Kāla).

१.२.१६

प्रधानपूरुषव्यक्तकालानां परमं हि यत् ।
पश्यन्ति सूरयः शुद्धं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥

Summary AI The wise perceive that pure and supreme state of Viṣṇu which is superior to Pradhāna (Nature), Puruṣa (Spirit), Vyakta (Manifest), and Kāla (Time).

१.२.१७

प्रधानपूरुषव्यक्तकालास्तु प्रविभागशः ।
रूपाणि स्थितिसर्गान्तव्यक्तिसद्भावहेतवः ॥

Summary AI Pradhāna, Puruṣa, Vyakta, and Kāla are distinct forms of the Divine that serve as the causes for the preservation, creation, destruction, manifestation, and existence of the world.

१.२.१८

व्यक्तं विष्णुस्तथव्यक्तं पुरूषः काल एव च ।
क्रीडतो बालकस्येव चेष्टां तस्य निशामय ॥

Summary AI The Manifest, the Unmanifest, the Spirit, and Time are all Viṣṇu. Observe his activities, which are like the effortless play of a child.

१.२.१९

अव्यक्तं कारणं यत्तत्प्रधानमृषिसत्तमैः ।
प्रोच्यते प्रकृतिः सीक्ष्मा नित्यं सदसदात्मकम् ॥

Summary AI That unmanifest cause which is called Pradhāna by the best of sages is subtle Nature (Prakṛti), eternal, and consists of both existence and non-existence (cause and effect).

१.२.२०

अक्षय्यं नान्यदाधारममेयमजरं ध्रुवम् ।
शब्दस्पर्शविहीनं तद्रूपादिभिरसंहितम् ॥

Summary AI It is imperishable, has no other support, is immeasurable, ageless, and stable. It is devoid of sound and touch and is not combined with color or other qualities.

१.२.२१

त्रिगुणं तज्जगद्योनिरनादिप्रभवाप्ययम् ।
तेनाग्रे सर्वमेवासीव्द्याप्तं वै प्रलयादनु ॥

Summary AI That material cause of the world is characterized by the three qualities (guṇas), having neither beginning, origin, nor end. By that, all was indeed pervaded after the dissolution and before the creation.

१.२.२२

वेदवादविदो विद्वन्नियता ब्रह्मवादिनः ।
पठन्ति चैतमेवार्थं प्रधानप्रतिपादकम् ॥

Summary AI O learned one, those disciplined scholars who know the Vedic doctrines and the discourse of Brahman recite this very meaning which establishes the nature of Pradhāna.

१.२.२३

नाहो न रात्रिर्न नभो न भूमि-
र्नासीत्तमोज्योतिरभूच्च नान्यत् ।
श्रोत्रादिबुद्ध्यानुपलभ्यमेकं
प्राधानिकं ब्रह्म पुमांस्तदासीत् ॥

Summary AI At that time, there was neither day nor night, neither sky nor earth; there was no darkness, no light, nor anything else. There existed only the One, imperceptible to the ear and other senses or the intellect—the Brahman associated with Pradhāna and the Puruṣa.

१.२.२४

विष्णोः स्वरूपात्परतोदिते द्वे
रूपे प्रधानं पुरूषश्च विप्र ।
तस्यैव ते ऽन्येन धृते वियुक्ते
रूपातरं तद्द्विज कालसंज्ञम् ॥

Summary AI O brāhmaṇa, Pradhāna and Puruṣa are two forms that arose from the supreme nature of Viṣṇu. O twice-born, that which connects or separates them is His other form known as Kāla (Time).

१.२.२५

प्रकृतौ संस्थितं व्यक्तमतीतप्रलये तु यत् ।
तस्मात्प्राकृतसंज्ञोयमुच्यते प्रतिसंचरः ॥

Summary AI Since the manifested world remains dissolved in Prakṛti during the past dissolution, this re-absorption is termed the Prākṛta (elementary) dissolution.

१.२.२६

अनादिर्भगवान्कालो नान्तोस्त द्विज विद्यते ।
अव्युच्छिन्नस्ततस्त्वेते सर्गस्थित्यन्तसंयमाः ॥

Summary AI O twice-born, the Lord in the form of Time is beginningless, and His end is not known. Therefore, the processes of creation, preservation, destruction, and withdrawal are continuous and uninterrupted.

१.२.२७

गुणसाम्ये ततस्तस्मिन्पृथक्पुंसि व्यवस्थिते ।
कालस्वरूपं तद्विष्णोर्मैत्रेय परिवर्तते ॥

Summary AI O Maitreya, when the equilibrium of the guṇas exists and the Puruṣa stands distinct, then that form of Viṣṇu known as Time begins to operate.

१.२.२८

ततस्तु तत्परं ब्रह्म परमात्मा जगन्मयः ।
सर्वगः सर्वभूतेशः सर्वात्मा परमेश्वरः ॥

Summary AI Then, that Supreme Brahman, the Paramātman, who is identical with the universe, all-pervading, the Lord of all beings, the Soul of all, and the Supreme Ishvara, acts.

१.२.२९

प्रधानपुरूषौ चापि प्रविश्यात्मेच्छया हरिः ।
क्षोभयामास संप्राप्ते सर्गकाले व्ययाव्ययौ ॥

Summary AI When the time of creation arrived, Hari, by His own will, entered into both the mutable Pradhāna and the immutable Puruṣa, and agitated them.

१.२.३०

यथा सन्निधिमात्रेण गन्धः क्षोभाय जायते ।
मनसो नोपकर्तृत्वात्तथासौ परमेश्वरः ॥

Summary AI Just as fragrance agitates the mind by its mere proximity without any active effort, so does the Supreme Lord agitate Pradhāna and Puruṣa by His mere presence.

१.२.३१

स एव क्षोभको ब्रह्मन्क्षोभ्यश्च पुरूषोत्तमः ।
स संकोचविकासाभ्यां प्रधानत्वेपि च स्थितः ॥

Summary AI O Brahman, that Puruṣottama is both the agitator and the agitated. He exists within Pradhāna through the processes of contraction and expansion.

१.२.३२

विकासाणुस्वरूपैश्च ब्रह्मरूपादिभिस्तथा ।
व्यक्तस्वरूपश्च तथा विष्णुः सर्वेश्वरेश्वरः ॥

Summary AI Viṣṇu, the Lord of all lords, exists in the form of the expanded universe, in atomic forms, in the form of Brahmā and others, and as the manifested world.

१.२.३३

गुणसाम्यात्ततस्तस्मात्क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितान्मुने ।
गुणव्यञ्जनसंभूतिः सर्गकाले द्विजोत्तम ॥

Summary AI O sage, O best of the twice-born, at the time of creation, from that equilibrium of guṇas presided over by the Kṣetrajña (Knower of the field), the manifestation of the qualities occurs.

१.२.३४

प्रधानतत्त्वमुद्भूतं महान्तं तत्समावृणोत् ।
सात्त्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च त्रिधा महान् ॥

Summary AI From the principle of Pradhāna arose the Mahat (Great Principle), which was then enveloped by Pradhāna. This Mahat is of three types: Sāttvika, Rājasa, and Tāmasa.

१.२.३५

प्रधानतत्त्वेन समं त्वचा बीज मिवावृतम् ।
वैकारेकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चैव तामसः ॥

Summary AI Just as a seed is covered by its skin, Mahat is enveloped by the principle of Pradhāna. From Mahat arose the threefold Ahaṃkāra: Vaikārika (Sāttvika), Taijasa (Rājasa), and Bhūtādi (Tāmasa).

१.२.३६

त्रिविधोयमहङ्कारो महत्तत्त्वादजायत ।
भीतेन्द्रियाणां हेतुःस त्रिगुणत्वान्महामुने ।
यथा प्रधानेन महान्महता स तथा वृतः ॥

Summary AI O great sage, this threefold Ahaṃkāra was born from the Mahat principle. Being endowed with the three guṇas, it is the cause of the elements and senses. Just as Pradhāna envelopes Mahat, so Mahat envelopes Ahaṃkāra.

१.२.३७

भूतादिस्तु विकुर्वाणः शब्दतन्मात्रकं ततः ।
ससर्ज शब्दतन्मात्रादाकाशं शब्दलक्षणम् ॥

Summary AI The Bhūtādi (the Tāmasa Ahaṃkāra), undergoing transformation, produced the rudiment of sound (Śabda-tanmātra). From that rudiment of sound, space (Ākāśa), characterized by sound, was produced.

१.२.३८

शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं भूतादिः स समावृणोत् ।
अकाशस्तु विकुर्वाणः स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह ॥

Summary AI Then, the Bhūtādi enveloped the Ākāśa, which is characterized by sound. The Ākāśa, undergoing transformation, produced the rudiment of touch (Sparśa-tanmātra).

१.२.३९

बलवानभवद्वायुस्तस्य स्पर्शो मुणो मतः ।
आकाशं शब्दमात्रं तु स्वर्शमात्रं समावृणोत् ॥

Summary AI Thus arose the powerful Air (Vāyu), of which touch is the characteristic quality. Then the Ākāśa, characterized by sound, enveloped the rudiment of touch.

१.२.४०

ततो वायुर्विकुर्वाणो रूपमात्रं ससर्ज ह ।
ज्योतिरुत्पद्यते वायोस्तद्रूपगुणमुच्यते ॥

Summary AI Then the Air, undergoing transformation, produced the rudiment of form (Rūpa-tanmātra). From Air, light (Jyotis) was produced, and it is said to have form as its characteristic quality.

१.२.४१

स्पर्शमात्रं तु वै वायू रूपमात्रं समावृणोत् ।
ज्योतिश्चापि विकुर्वाणं रसमात्रं ससर्ज ह ॥

Summary AI The element of air, characterized by touch, enveloped the element of form. Then, the light, undergoing transformation, produced the subtle element of taste.

१.२.४२

सम्भवन्ति तत्ॐभांसि रसाधाराणि तानि च ।
रसमात्राणि चाम्भांसि रूपमात्रं समावृणोत् ॥

Summary AI From that, the waters, which are the reservoirs of taste, came into being. Those waters, characterized by the subtle element of taste, were enveloped by the subtle element of form.

१.२.४३

विकुर्वाणानि चाम्भांसि गन्धमात्रं सस र्जिरे ।
संघातो जायते तस्मात्तस्य गन्धो गुणो मतः ॥

Summary AI As the waters underwent transformation, they produced the subtle element of smell. From that, the solid mass of earth was born, and smell is considered its specific quality.

१.२.४४

तस्मिंस्तस्मिंस्तु तन्मात्रं ।
तेन तन्मात्रता स्मृता ॥

Summary AI Because the subtle essence resides in each respective element, they are known as the tanmātras (subtle elements).

१.२.४५

तन्मात्रण्यविशेषाणि ।
अविशेषास्ततो हि ते ॥

Summary AI These tanmātras are devoid of specific distinctions; therefore, they are called the non-distinguished or subtle states of matter.

१.२.४६

न शान्ता नापि धोरास्ते न मूढाश्चाविशेषिणः ।
भूततन्मात्रसर्गोयमहङ्कारात्तु तामसात् ॥

Summary AI These subtle elements are neither peaceful, nor terrible, nor dull, as they lack specific qualities. This creation of elements and tanmātras arises from the tāmasa aspect of ahaṃkāra (ego).

१.२.४७

तेजसानीन्द्रियाण्याहुर्देवा वैकारिका दश ।
एकादशं मनश्चात्र देवा वैकारिकाः स्मृताः ॥

Summary AI The ten organs are said to be taijasa (active), while the presiding deities are vaikārika (pure). Mind is the eleventh, and the deities associated with it are also known as vaikārika.

१.२.४८

त्वक्चक्षुर्नासिका जिह्वा श्रोत्रमत्र च पञ्च मम् ।
शब्दादीनामवाप्त्यर्थं बुद्धियुक्तानि वै द्विज ॥

Summary AI O twice-born, the skin, eyes, nose, tongue, and the fifth, the ears, are the organs of perception, joined with intelligence for the purpose of perceiving sound and other objects.

१.२.४९

पायूपस्थौ करौ पादौ वाक्च मैत्रेय पञ्चमी ।
विसर्गशिल्पगत्युक्ति कर्म तेषां च कथ्यते ॥

Summary AI O Maitreya, the anus, genitals, hands, feet, and the fifth, speech, are the organs of action. Their functions are excretion, procreation, manual skill, locomotion, and speaking.

Other texts to read

श्रीमद्भागवतम्

ऋतुसंहारम् कालिदासः

About

Resources

Connect