37. Chapter 37

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । इति संचिन्तयन्नेव प्रह्लादः परवीरहा । निर्विकल्पपरानन्दसमाधिं समुपाययौ ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca | iti saṃcintayanneva prahlādaḥ paravīrahā | nirvikalpaparānandasamādhiṃ samupāyayau || 1 ||

Vasishtha said:—Prahlada the defeater of inimical hosts, was sitting in the said manner in divine meditation, and was absorbed in his entranced rapture, and undisturbed anaesthesia or insensibility for a long time.

निर्विकल्पसमाधिस्थश्चित्रार्पित इवाचलः । शैलादिव समुत्कीर्णो बभौ स्वपदमास्थितः ॥ २ ॥

nirvikalpasamādhisthaścitrārpita ivācalaḥ | śailādiva samutkīrṇo babhau svapadamāsthitaḥ || 2 ||

The soul reposing in its original state of unalterable ecstatis, made his body as immovable as a rock in painting or a figure carved on a stone.

तथानुतिष्ठतस्तस्य कालो बहुतरो ययौ । स्वगृहे भुवनस्थस्य मेरोरिव सुरद्विषः ॥ ३ ॥

tathānutiṣṭhatastasya kālo bahutaro yayau | svagṛhe bhuvanasthasya meroriva suradviṣaḥ || 3 ||

In this manner a long time passed upon his hybernation, when he was sitting in his house in a posture as unshaken as the firm Meru is fixed upon the earth.

बोधितोऽप्यसुराधीशैर्नाबुध्यत महामतिः । अकाले बहुसेकोऽपि बीजकोशादिवाङ्कुरः ॥ ४ ॥

bodhito'pyasurādhīśairnābudhyata mahāmatiḥ | akāle bahuseko'pi bījakośādivāṅkuraḥ || 4 ||

He was tried to be roused in vain, by the great Asuras of his palace;because his deadened mind remained deaf to their calls like a solid rock, and was as impassive as a perched grain to the showers of rain.

एवं वर्षसहस्राणि पीनात्माऽतिष्ठदेकदृक् । शान्त एवासुरपुरे मार्तण्ड इव चोपले ॥ ५ ॥

evaṃ varṣasahasrāṇi pīnātmā'tiṣṭhadekadṛk | śānta evāsurapure mārtaṇḍa iva copale || 5 ||

Thus he remained intent upon his God, with his fixed and firm gaze for thousands of years; and continued as unmoved, as the carved sun upon a stone.

परानन्ददशैकान्तपरिणामितया तया । निरानन्दं पराभासमिवाभासपदं गतः ॥ ६ ॥

parānandadaśaikāntapariṇāmitayā tayā | nirānandaṃ parābhāsamivābhāsapadaṃ gataḥ || 6 ||

Having thus attained to the state of supreme bliss, the sight of infelicity disappeared from his view, as it is unknown to the supremely felicitous being.

एतावताथ कालेन तद्रसातलमण्डलम् । बभूवाराजकं तीक्ष्णं मात्स्यन्यायकदर्थितम् ॥ ७ ॥

etāvatātha kālena tadrasātalamaṇḍalam | babhūvārājakaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ mātsyanyāyakadarthitam || 7 ||

During this time the whole circuit of his realm, was overspread by anarchy and oppression; as it reigns over the poor fishes.[20]

हिरण्यकशिपौ क्षीणे समाधौ तत्सुते स्थिते । न बभूवापरः कश्चिद्राजा दनुसुतालये ॥ ८ ॥

hiraṇyakaśipau kṣīṇe samādhau tatsute sthite | na babhūvāparaḥ kaścidrājā danusutālaye || 8 ||

For after Hiranyakasipu was killed and his son had betaken himself to asceticism, there was no body left to rule over the realms of the Asura race.

असुरेशार्थिनां तेषां दानवानां समाधितः । परेणापि प्रयत्नेन प्रह्लादो न व्यबुध्यत ॥ ९ ॥

asureśārthināṃ teṣāṃ dānavānāṃ samādhitaḥ | pareṇāpi prayatnena prahlādo na vyabudhyata || 9 ||

And as Prahlada was not to be roused from his slumber, by the solicitations of the Daitya chiefs, or the cries of his oppressed people:—

न प्रापुर्विकसद्रूपं पतिं तममरारयः । लसत्पत्रलताजालं निशि पद्ममिवालयः ॥ १० ॥

na prāpurvikasadrūpaṃ patiṃ tamamarārayaḥ | lasatpatralatājālaṃ niśi padmamivālayaḥ || 10 ||

They said:—the enemies of the gods, were as sorry not to have their graceful lord among them; as the bees are aggrieved for want of the blooming lotus at night.

संविद्वादो न तस्यान्तरबोध्यत विचेतसः । भुवश्चेष्टाक्रम इव पौरुषो गतभास्वतः ॥ ११ ॥

saṃvidvādo na tasyāntarabodhyata vicetasaḥ | bhuvaśceṣṭākrama iva pauruṣo gatabhāsvataḥ || 11 ||

They found him as absorbed in his meditation, as when the world is drowned in deep sleep, after departure of the sun below the horizon.

अथोद्विग्नेषु दैत्येषु गतेष्वभिमतां दिशम् । विचरत्सु यथाकाममराजनि पुरे पुरा ॥ १२ ॥

athodvigneṣu daityeṣu gateṣvabhimatāṃ diśam | vicaratsu yathākāmamarājani pure purā || 12 ||

The sorrowful Daityas departed from his presence, and went away wherever they liked;they roved about at random, as they do in an ungoverned state.

चिराय पातालमभूदभूपालतया तया । मात्स्यन्यायविपर्यस्तमस्तंगतगुणक्रमम् ॥ १३ ॥

cirāya pātālamabhūdabhūpālatayā tayā | mātsyanyāyaviparyastamastaṃgataguṇakramam || 13 ||

The infernal regions became in time the seat of anarchy and oppression; and the good and honest dealers bade adieu to it all at once.

बलिमुक्ताबलपुरं मर्यादाक्रमवर्जितम् । सर्वार्ताशेषवनितं परस्परहृताम्बरम् ॥ १४ ॥

balimuktābalapuraṃ maryādākramavarjitam | sarvārtāśeṣavanitaṃ parasparahṛtāmbaram || 14 ||

The houses of the weak were robbed by the strong, and the restraints of laws were set at naught;the people oppressed one another and robbed the women of their robes.

प्रलापाक्रन्दपुरुषं विसंस्थानपुरान्तरम् । लुठदुद्याननगरं व्यर्थानर्थकदर्थितम् ॥ १५ ॥

pralāpākrandapuruṣaṃ visaṃsthānapurāntaram | luṭhadudyānanagaraṃ vyarthānarthakadarthitam || 15 ||

There were crying and wailing of the people on all sides, and the houses were pulled down in the city; the houses and gardens were robbed and spoiled, and outlawry and rapacity spread all over the land.

चिन्तापरासुरगणं निरन्नफलबान्धवम् । अकाण्डोत्पातविवशं ध्वस्ताशामुखमण्डलम् ॥ १६ ॥

cintāparāsuragaṇaṃ nirannaphalabāndhavam | akāṇḍotpātavivaśaṃ dhvastāśāmukhamaṇḍalam || 16 ||

The Asuras were in deep sorrow, and their families were starving without food or fruits; there were disturbance and riot rising every where, and the face of the sky was darkened on all sides.

सुरार्भकपराभूतं भूतैराक्रान्तमन्त्यजैः । भूतरिक्तमलक्ष्मीकमुच्छिन्नप्रायकोटरम् ॥ १७ ॥

surārbhakaparābhūtaṃ bhūtairākrāntamantyajaiḥ | bhūtariktamalakṣmīkamucchinnaprāyakoṭaram || 17 ||

They were derided by the younglings of the gods, and invaded by vile robbers and envious animals; the houses were robbed of their properties, and were laid waste and void.

अनियतवनितार्थमन्त्रयुद्धं हृतधनदारविरावितं समन्तात् । कलियुगसमयोद्भटोत्कटाभं तदसुरमण्डलमाकुलं बभूव ॥ १८ ॥

aniyatavanitārthamantrayuddhaṃ hṛtadhanadāravirāvitaṃ samantāt | kaliyugasamayodbhaṭotkaṭābhaṃ tadasuramaṇḍalamākulaṃ babhūva || 18 ||

The Asura realm became a scene of horror, by lawless fighting for the wives and properties of others; and the wailings of those that were robbed of their wealth and wives, it made the scene seem as the reign of the dark Kali age, when the atrocious marauders are let loose to spread devastation all over the earth.