125. The history of the Pārijata tree. The colloguy between Krishna and Narada
VAISHAMPAYANA said:—The almighty Vishnu, that possessor of immeasurable powers then finding that the sage Nārada was desirous of departing, spoke to him thus (1):
“O sinless and mighty sage, conversant with the truth of all religions, having repaired to heaven and there interviewed the courtiers of that intelligent slayer of Tripura (2),
remind Pakasasana of all our ancient brotherly love that thou knowest—inform him not as my command but as my request, (3)
that the Pārijāta tree which the illustrious and virtuous Kasyapa that foremost of sages created in days gone by for the sake of Aditi's happiness, (4)
that most excellent of all trees that bestows religious merit, and unbounded prosperity (that tree that was given to thee away as a gift by the very virtuous goddesses in fulfilment of their vows for the furtherance of their religious merits—
inform him that my wives also hearing of the presentation of that tree, desire to give it away, O lord, for earning virtue and religious merit consequent on munificent deeds and also, for my gratification.
Ask him therefore to send down to Dwarvati that best of all trees the Pārijāta; and it shall be restored to heaven after the ceremony of presentation is over. The almighty God the slayer of Vala should thus be spoken to by thee (5-8).
O foremost of sages thou shalt also so put forth thy endeavours that the lord of the immortals be persuaded to give over the excellent Pārijata tree (9).
O possessor of ascetic wealth, this will also bring into prominence what ambassadorial abilities thou dost possess; I know that it is possible for all thine acts to be attended with success” (10).
Thus spoken to by Nārāyaṇa, the almighty sage Narada that great possessor of ascetic merit smiled and spoke these words to the slayer of Kesin (11):—
“Very well,—I shall thus speak to the lord of the gods, O foremost of Yadus, but I am sure he will never part with the Pārijata tree (12).
The Danavas and the gods obtained this Pārijata tree by throwing the Mandara mountain into the waters of the ocean1 (13).
O Janārddana, at that time the creator of the worlds, desired to take away the Pārijata tree together with that best of mountains, the Mandara (14).
Thereupon Sakra personally going to Sankara told him :-This is Sachi's sporting tree, and may be allowed to remain in her gardens. Thus did he entreat Sankara (15).
Mahadeva granted him the boon saying “let it be so then” and O sinless one, he did not also bring the Pārijata tree to the beautiful cave-decked Mandara mountain (16).
O mighty armed one, thus in days past, under the pretext that the Pārijata is Sachi's tree of sport, did Indra save it from the clutches of Mahadeva (17).
Afterwards Hara, in order to please his wife Umā, created on the dales of the Mandara mountain a forest of the Pārijata trees extending over full four miles (18).
In that best of forests, O Krishna, neither the rays of the sun, nor the cool beams of the moon, nor even the breaths of the wind can penetrate (19).
Through the powers of Mahadeva that forest is self-luminous, and heat and cold reign there at the pleasure of the mountain's daughter (Durga) (20).
Excepting the mighty god and goddess and their followers and myself, O delighter of the Yadus, nobody under no circumstances, can enter that charming wood (21).
O descendant of the Vrishnis, there the Pārijātas shower all kinds of best gems and jewels on all sides, even as soon as they are merely thought of in the mind (22).
O Keshava, with the permission of that godhead, that protector of the worlds, troops of the illustrious attendants of Siva, also enjoy that beautiful forest (23).
This forest of Pārijāta trees, their fruits, their brightness and their qualities exceed by far those of the Pārijātas of the heaven (24).
When, O Keshava, that God, whose emblem is the sacred bull, repairs with Uma and his attendants, among them, these trees approach him in worship assuming human shapes (25).
Those trees on the Mandara infused with the energy of Rudra, free from all adverse influences and attended with all prosperity, are very dear to the daughter of the mountain (26).
Once upon a time a mighty and dreadful Daitya of cruel motives by name Andhaka, who was puffed up with arrogance through the virtues of a boon obtained by him ventured to trangtess into that forest (27).
He was slain by that slayer of foes that foremost of gods Hara, although he was ten times as powerful as Vritra and incapable of being slain by any created being (28).
O lotus-eyes God! I tell thee truly, that the thousand eyed god Indra will never give thee, the Parijāta tree obtained with great difficulty (29).
That best of trees always bestows on the goddess Sachi all her desires, as well as, O Krishna, it fulfils the wishes of the highly powerful Indra” (30).
THE AUSPICIOUS GOD said:-O sage! that the mighty and intelligent Mahadeva did not take away the Parijāta tree out of consideration for Sachi, was quite worthy of him (31).
I think that it was quite in keeping with the high estimation in which that infallible being, that origin of the worlds, that supreme and most ancient creator is held (32).
But, O illustrious sage, O most pious one, I am younger than that slayer of Vala, and ought to be cherished by him like (his son) Jayanta (33).
O thou of ascetic wealth, it is thy duty to preserve between us (me and Indra) amicable relations by all means; and I ask thee to do so, because I know thee to be able to do so (34).
I have promised, O sage, that for the accomplishment of Satyabhāma's Punyaka vow, I shall, O lord, bring down the Pārijata tree from heaven (35).
How can I be able now, O sage, to break that promise of mine, O sinless one, as I have never before O twice-born one, spoken falsehood (36)?
If I were to break my promise, the worlds will then meet with their ends2, for, O foremost of the sages, it is my duty to protect the virtue and the good qualities of the people. He on whom every one depends, how can he speak untruth (37)?
Neither gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Rakshasas, nor the Asuras nor Jakshas, nor Pannagas, shall be able to frustrate my promise; this I tell thee truly, and may fortune attend thee, O sage (38)!
If that lord of the immortals do not give the Pārijata tree at thy request, I shall then hurl my mace at his breast besmeared by Sachi with fragrant ointments (39).
He is also to be informed by thee that if he refuses to part with the Pārijata tree when requested in this conciliatory manner, let him rest assured about a visit from me there, and let him prepare for it (40).
126. The colloquy between Narada and Indra regarding the transplantation of the Pārijata
VAISHAMPAYANA said:—The sage Narada then repaired to the residence of Mahendra; and there he passed the night in witnessing the festivities (held in honor of Siva) (1).
The illustrious Adityas, the best of gods, the Vasus, the learned Rajarshis who had attained to paradise through their meritorious deeds (2),
the Nagas, the Yakshas, the Siddhas, the Charanas, the sages of ascetic austerities, Brahmharsis by thousands, Devarshis and Moonies (3),
the high-souled Saparnas, the highly powerful Marutas, and hundreds of other divine creatures were assembled there (4).
The god Maheswara of immeasurable energy, accompanied by Uma and surrounded by his attendants sat at the head of them all (5).
That protector of all creatures was surrounded also by those foremost of the Devarshis who suffer no decay even at the end of thousands of Kalpas,
(6) who are worshipped by gods equal to Indra, are possessed of self-knowledge, free from pride and who ever tread the path of rectitude (7).
The Rudras the progeny of Kasyapa, Skanda, the god of fire, that best of rivers Ganga, Archisman, Tamburu, Bharisa, that foremost of eloquent speakers,
those possessed of the ascetic merit, and such other leaders of the divine host, then O Bharata, adored that supreme god Siva (8–9).
O ruler of men, other gods devoted to religious ways and austerities and followers of the path of the pious,—followed their above-named leaders (i.e., offered homages to Siva), (10).
O king, those men who desirous of good, worship the gods on earth, those men are in their turned worshipped in heaven by the immortals desirous of securing good (11).
O descendant of the Kouravas, those men versed in the Vedas, who live according to the ordinances of the Sastras and who adore the gods in the performance of their religious ceremonies for the benefit of their ancestral manes, those are held in high estimation in the next world by the gods (12).
O ruler of men, there the illustrious Chitraratha, the king of the Gandharvas together with his son, delightfully played upon the heavenly musical instruments (13).
Urnayu, Chitrasena, Hahahuhu, Dumbara, Tamvura and other Gandharvas sang the six different harmonies (14).
Urvasi, Viprachiti, Hemā, Rambhā, Hemadantā Ghritāchi, and Sahajanyā and other damsels then performed numerous kinds of dances there (15).
The self-possessed illustrious Siva accepted these homages with pleasure, and that lord of the world pleased with these worshipful acts of Sakra, went back to his own residence (16).
On the departure of that lord of the created beings, the kings (assembled there) returned to the places whence they came; the gods also honored by Mahendra repaired to their respective abodes (17).
When everybody had gone away and Purandara was seated comfortably with his own courtiers, the sage Narada approached him (18).
Rising from his seat, Indra received that sage of ascetic wealth, and offered him a seat made of Kusa grass equal to that of his own (19).
Thereafter the highly powerful Narada said these words to Mahendra:—“O foremost of immortals, know me now to be the messenger from Vishnu of matchless might (20).
I have been despatched here by that illustrious one of immense powers on a mission that will remove one of his causes of pain” (21).
Thereupon greeting the sage with sweet and agreeable words, the illustrious Pākasasana said with delight (22):—
“O sage, tell me without delay what has that foremost of men said; it is after a long time that the high-souled Krishna has remembered us (23).
NARADA said:-O Mahendra, on some business of mine, I went to Dwarka to see your younger brother Upendra that enhancer of the glory of the Kasyapas (24).
I found that subduer of his foes, that hero seated on the Raivataka, mountain in company with his wife Rukmini and offering eulogies to the God having the bull for his emblem (25).
I gave him then the flower of the Pārijata tree, O sinless ruler of the gods, in order that he may astonish his wives there with (26).
At the sight of that flower, the production of the best of trees that bestows all desires, the wives of Kesava were greatly astonished (27).
O bestower of honor, I related to them the qualities of that flower and the creation of the Pārijata tree by the high-souled Kasyapa (28).
(I related to them) how the self-controlled Kasyapa bound by the neck with a garland of flowers was given away to me by Aditi for the sake of her Punyaka vow (29);
how you were given away; by Sachi, and how similarly other gods were given away and O lord of the gods, how Kasyapa and other mighty sages obtained their release, by having paid their ransom (30).
On hearing these from me, one very dear wife of your younger brother, named Satyabhāmā, made up her mind to perform the Punyaka vow (31).
O lord of the immortals, O bestower of honor, that queen then entreated her husband to help her in the performance of that vow, and your younger brother had pledged himself to that effect (32).
O chief of the gods! now hear attentively as I speak, all that Vishnu that foremost of powerful beings, said to me then to convey to you (33).
With due deference, your younger brother, Achyuta who deverves all indulgence at your hands has said to you:—“O foremost of the gods! it behoves thee to give me that first and excellent of trees, Parijāta (34).
Let, O slayer of the Asuras, the desire of thy sister-in-law be fulfilled; specially O foremost of the gods, as she is bent on a religious deed (35).
O lord of ?created beings, the people of heaven have had the privilege of looking upon that blessed tree; now let the human beings of the earth be blessed with a sight of it through my instrumentality (36).”
VAISHAMPAYANA said:—O delighter of your race! having heard the words of Vasudeva's son, Mahendra said these words to Narada that foremost of eloquent speakers (37):
“O foremost of the twice-born ones: take thy seat; thou hast spoken aright and properly; I shall entrust thee with a return message for Vishnu of matchless powers (38).
On Narada resuming his seat, Sakra also, with the former's permission seated himself down on a seat similar to that of Narada (39).
Thus seated, the lord of the gods that slayer of Virtra, cast a glance on his own magnifience1 and filled with delight thus addressed the sage Narada (40).
INDRA said:—Mighty and pious sage! after the usual enquiry regarding his health and welfare, Janārddana, that source of happiness to all creatures should be informed of these words of mine by thyself (41):—
“There is not the shadow of a doubt that leaving me, thou art the lord of the. worlds. O infallible one, the Parijāta and all other precious possessions of heaven are thine own (42).
O divine one, thou hast sojourned to the earth only for relieving her of her burden, and thou art behaving thyself in the human way only for the sake of the success of thy mission (43).
When after the fulfilment of thy earthly mission thou shalt return to heaven, I shall fulfill, O Adhokshaja, all the cherished desires of thy (beloved) wife (44).
O Kesava, it is not at all proper to take the precious things of heaven down to earth merely for the sake of a trifle, and this has been the long-standing practice (45).
If, O mighty lord, I trangress this long-standing rule obtaining in heaven, what shall the Prajāpatis themselves say (46)?
The high-souled Brahman with his sons and grandsons hath established permanent rules regarding all actions in the worlds (47).
If I venture to walk beyond the path thus laid down by Prajāpati Brahman, surely that intelligent lord when apprised of my transgressions will hurl down curses on me (48).
If we ourselves break through these bindings of the standing customs then the Daityas and their partisans, as well as others will violate it without the slightest hesitation (49).
If for the sake of thy wife thou takest the excellent Pārijāta down to earth, then, O bestower of honor, the inhabitants of heaven will be much depressed” (50).
O sage, let my brother, seeing the course of the times, be satisfied with those luxuries only which the uncreate Brahman has ordained for the enjoyment of the human kind (51).
O sire, whatever possessions I have got in heaven, Krishna is at liberty to enjoy them when he remains here (52).
Janārddana is filled with the arrogance that attends those who eat rich dishes of meat, and therefore it is that he is following the course of sin, leaving virtue aside (53).
Born as a man in the human world, the conduct of Krishna towards me his elder brother,- this conduct which he offers me under the influence of his wife—would surely, O Nārada, in my opinion redound much to his discredit (54–55).
This seizure of the precious possessions of heaven will be a direct insult to me; and insult offered by the relatives is all the more disgraceful.(56).
Let the slayer of Madhu enjoy in succession, virtue, wealth and desire, those possessions of the pious ordained by the lotus-born Brahman (57).
If I were to allow this Pārijāta tree to be taken down to earth, who will, even commencing with the daughter of Puloma, pay me the slightest regard (58)?
Moreover, seeing and touching the Pārijāta tree on the face of the earth, men will no longer endeavour for the attainment of Heaven, as they will then enjoy the blessings of heaven on earth itself (59).
O Nārada, if the mortals enjoy the blessings of the Pārijāta tree, what difference - there will be then between themselves and the gods (60)?
The acts which men do on earth, they enjoy those acts here; now if they be blessed with the possession of the Pārijāta, they will no longer exert themselves for attaining heaven (61).
O sage! Pārijāta is the best of all the precious possessions of heaven, and it is the glory of heaven; this glory removed, the earth with its mortals will be as good as heaven with its immortals (62).
Obtaining as they will, the blessings of heaven on the face of the earth, men will not celebrate sacrifices, nor will they perform acts of pious liberality, having been easily raised to the status of the immortals (63).
Now, O sage, mortals, out of a desire for attaining heaven, gratify ourselves by reverentially performing sacrifices, Japas and Anhikas everyday (64).
Possessed of the blessings of the Pārijāta, they will not think of adhering to these observances; and if they are neglected, we shall also dwindle away in our strength being deprived of their benefit2 (65).
We rear the corn on which men on earth live, by showering on them sufficient rain from here; and they also in their turn gratify ourselves by the celebration of sacrifices and acts of pious liberality (66).
If when possessed of the blessings of Pārijāta, hunger, thirst, disease, decrepitude, death, dissatisfaction, stinking smells and other dreadful visitations of Providonce do not afflict men any longer, why should they strive for the attainment Heaven (67–68)?
For these reasons, it is not at all advisable to take down the Pārijāta tree there. Thus, O twice-born sage, should Vishnu that performer of sinless deeds, be addressed by thee (69).
If thou wishest to please me, O sage, thou shalt also do, after mature judgment, all that would go to gratify my brother Kesava (70).
Let Kesava if he desires it, take down to Dwarka, garlands, gems, jewels, the Agura sandal, and beautiful garments and such other things which the mortals are entitled to, for the enjoyment of his wife. But it behoves him not to plunder heaven now (71–72).
I shall give whatever gems he may desire to have, I shall give beautiful ornaments of all sorts, but I will never give him, O sage, the Pārijāta tree that most beloved possession of the inhabitants of heaven (73).
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