Chapter 17

“Vasudeva said, ‘Concentrating his mind, O Yudhishthira. the regenerateRishi Upamanyu, with hands joined together in reverence uttered thisabstract of names (applying to Mahadeva), commencing from the beginning.’

“Upamanyu said, ‘I shall adore that great Deity who deserves theadorations of all creatures, by uttering those names that are celebratedover all the worlds,–names some of which were uttered by the GrandsireBrahma, some by the Rishis, and some of which occur in the Vedas and theVedangas. Those names have been applied (unto the great Deity) by personsthat are eminent. Those names of him that are, again, true and fraughtwith success and are capable of accomplishing all the purposes which theutterer may have in view, have been applied unto Mahadeva by Tandi aftercalling them from the Vedic lore with the aid of his devotion. Indeed,with those names that have been uttered by many well-known persons ofrighteousness and by ascetics conversant with all the spiritualprinciples. I shall adore him who is the foremost, who is the first, wholeads to heaven, who is ready to confer benefits upon all creatures, andwho is auspicious. Those names have been heard everywhere in theuniverse, having spread from the region of Brahma (where they wereoriginally invented). All of them are fraught with the element of Truth.With those names I shall adore him who is Supreme Brahman, who has beendeclared (unto the universe) by the Vedas, and who is Eternal. I shallnow tell thee, O chief of Yacht’s race those names. Do thou hear themwith rapt attention. Thou art a devoted worshipper of the Supreme Deity.Do thou worship the illustrious Bhava, distinguishing him above all thedeities. And because thou art devoted to him, I shall therefore, recitethose names in thy hearing. Mahadeva is Eternal Brahman. Persons enduedwith Yoga; Yoga’s achievements are unable to know in even a hundredyears, the glory and puissance of the great Deity in their entirety.Verily, the beginning, middle or end of Mahadeva cannot be apprehended bythe very deities. Indeed, when the case is such, who is there O Madhava,that can recite the attributes of Mahadeva in their entirety? For allthat, I shall through the grace of that illustrious and supreme Deity ofperfect wisdom, extended to me for my devotion to him, recite hisattributes as embodied in an abstract of few words and letters. TheSupreme Lord is incapable of being adored by any one if he does not granthis permission to the adorer. As regards myself, it is only when I becomefortunate enough to receive his permission that I succeed in adoring him.I shall indicate only a few names of that great Deity who is withoutbirth and without destruction, who is the original cause of the universe,who is endued with the highest Soul, and whose origin is unmanifest.Hear, O Krishna, a few names, that were uttered by Brahma himself, ofthat giver of boons, that adorable deity, that puissant one who has theuniverse for his form, and who is possessed of supreme wisdom. Thesenames that I shall recite are extracted from the ten thousand names thatthe great Grandsire had uttered in days of yore, as ghee is extractedfrom curds. As gold represents the essence of rocky mountains, as honeyrepresents the essence of flowers, as Manda represents the extract fromghee, even so have these names been extracted from and represent theessence of those ten thousand names that were uttered by GrandsireBrahma. This abstract of names is capable of cleansing every sin, howeverheinous. It possesses the same merit that is attached to the four Vedas.It should be comprehended with attention by spiritual aspirants andengraved on the memory. These names fraught with auspiciousness, leadingto advancement, destructive of Rakshasas,[88] and great cleansers shouldbe imparted to only him that is devoted to the great Lord, to him thathas faith, to him that believes. Unto him that has no faith, him that isan unbeliever, him that has not subjugated his soul, it should never becommunicated. That creature, O Krishna, who cherishes malice towards theillustrious Mahadeva who is the original cause of everything, who is theSupreme Soul, and who is the great Lord, has certainly to go to hell withall his ancestors before and all his children after him. This abstract ofnames that I shall recite to thee is looked upon as Yoga.[89] This islooked upon as the highest object of meditation. This is that which oneshould constantly recite as Japya. This is equivalent to Knowledge. Thisis the highest Mystery. If one, even during his last moments, recites itor hears it recited unto him, one succeeds in attaining to the highestend. This is holy. This is auspicious, this is fraught with every kind ofbenefit. This is the best of all things. Brahma, the Grandsire of all theuniverse, having in days of old composed it, assigned to it the foremostplace among all excellent hymns. From that time, this hymn to thegreatness and glory of the high-souled Mahadeva, which is held in thehighest esteem by all the deities, has come to be regarded as the king ofall hymns. This king of all hymns was first conveyed from the region ofBrahman to heaven, the region of the celestials. Tandi then obtained itfrom heaven. Hence is it known as the hymn composed by Tandi. From heavenTandi brought it down on Earth. It is the most auspicious of allauspicious things, and is capable of cleansing the heart from all sinshowever heinous. O thou of mighty arms, I shall recite to thee that bestof all hymns. This hymn relates to him who is the Veda of the Vedas, andthe most ancient of all ancient objects, to him who is the energy of allenergies, and the penance of all penances; to him who is the mosttranquil of all creatures endued with tranquillity, and who is thesplendour of all splendours; to him who is looked upon as the mostrestrained of all creatures that are restrained, and him who is theintelligence of all creatures endued with intelligence; to him who islooked upon as the deity of all deities, and the Rishi of all Rishis; tohim who is regarded as the sacrifice of all sacrifices and the mostauspicious of all things fraught with auspiciousness; to him who is theRudra of all Rudras and the effulgence of all things endued witheffulgence; to him who is the Yogin of all Yogins, and the cause of allcauses; to him from whom all the worlds start into existence, and untowhom all the worlds return when they cease to exist; to him who is theSoul of all existent creatures, and who is called Hara of immeasurableenergy. Hear me recite those thousand and eight names of the great Sarva.Hearing those names, O foremost of all men, thou shalt be crowned withfruition in respect of all thy wishes,–Om! thou art Immobile, thou artFixed, thou art Puissant, thou art Terrible, thou art Foremost, thou artboon-giving, and thou art Superior.[90] Thou art the Soul of allcreatures, thou art celebrated over all creatures, thou art all things,thou art the Creator of all, and thou art Bhava.”[91] Thou art the bearerof matted locks on thy head. Thou wearest animal skins for thy vestments.Thou wearest a crest of matted hair on thy head like the peacock. Thouart he who has the whole universe for thy limbs.[92] Thou art the Creatorof all things. Thou art Hara in consequence of thy being the destroyer ofall things. Thou art he that has eyes resembling those of the gazelle.Thou art the destroyer of all creatures. Thou art the supreme enjoyer ofall things. Thou art that Pravritti whence all actions flow. Thou artthat Nivritti or abstention from acts. Thou art observant of fasts andvows, thou art Eternal, thou art Unchangeable. Thou art he that residestin crematoria, thou art the possessor of the six well-known attributes ofLordship and the rest, thou residest in the heart of every creature, thouart he that enjoys all things with the senses, thou art the grinder ofall sinful creatures.[93] Thou art he that deserves the salutations ofall, thou art of great feats, thou art he that has penances for hiswealth, thou createst all the elements at thy will, thou concealest thyreal nature by putting on the guise of a lunatic. Thou art the Master ofall the worlds and of all living creatures. Thou art of immeasurableform, thou art of vast body, thou art of the form of Righteousness, thouart of great fame, thou art of high Soul, thou art the Soul of allcreatures, thou hast the universe for thy form.[94] Thou art of vast jaws(for thou swallowest the universe when the time comes for the dissolutionof all things). Thou art the protector of all the lokas (the worlds).Thou art the soul residing in the inner heart and as such devoid ofahamkara originating from ignorance[95] and is one and undivided; Thouart anandam (gladness). Thou art he whose car is borne by mules. Thou arthe that protects Jiva from the thunderbolt of rebirth. Thou art adorable.Thou art obtained by purity and self-restraint and vows. Thou art againthe refuge of all kinds of vows and observances including purity andself-restraint.[96] Thou art the celestial artificer that is conversantwith every art. Thou art Self-create (for no one has created thee). Thouart the beginning of all creatures and things. Thou art Hiranyagarbha,the Creator of all things. Thou art inexhaustible puissance andfelicity.[97] Thou hast a hundred eyes, thou hast eyes of vast power.Thou art Soma.[98] Thou art he that causest all righteous creaturesassume shapes of glory for shining in the firmament. Thou art Chandramas,thou art Surya, thou art the planet Saturn, thou art the descending node(of the moon), thou art the ascending node, thou art Mangala (Mars), andthou art Vrihaspati (Jupiter) and Sukra (Venus), thou art Vudha (Mercury)thou art the worshipper of Atri’s wife, thou art he who shot his shaft inwrath at Sacrifice when Sacrifice fled away from him in the form of adeer. Thou art sinless.[99] Thou art possessed of penances that haveconferred upon thee the power of creating the universe. Thou artpossessed of penances that have rendered thee capable of destroying theuniverse. Thou art high minded (in consequence of thy great liberalitytowards thy devotees). Thou fulfillest the wishes of all who resignthemselves to thee. Thou art the maker of the year (for it is thou whosettest the wheel of Time revolving, by assuming the form of the sun andthe planets). Thou art Mantra (in the form of Pranava and other sacredwords and syllables). Thou art the authority for all acts (in the form ofthe Vedas and the scriptures). Thou art the highest Penance. Thou artdevoted to Yoga. Thou art he who merges himself in Brahman (byYoga-abstraction). Thou art the great seed (being the cause of causes).Thou art the displayer of what is unmanifest in the manifest form inwhich the universe exists. Thou art possessed of infinite might. Thou arthe whose seed is gold.[100] Thou art omniscient, (being as thou art allthings and the great knower). Thou art the cause of all things. Thou arthe that has the seed of action (viz., ignorance and desire) for the meansof sojourning from this world to the other and the other to this.[101]Thou hast ten arms. Thou hast winkless eyes (for thou seest at alltimes). Thou hast a blue throat (in consequence of thy bearing in thythroat the poison that arose upon churning the ocean and which, if not soborne, was capable of destroying the universe). Thou art the Lord of Uma.Thou art the origin of all the infinite forms that occur in the universe.Thou art he whose superiority is due to thyself. Thou art a hero in might(in consequence of thy having achieved such grand feats as the quickdestruction of the triple city of the Asuras). Thou art inert matter(which cannot move unless co-existing with the Soul). Thou art all thetattwas (subjects of enquiry as counted by the Sankhyas). Thou art theordainer and ruler of the tattwas. Thou art the chief of those beingsthat wait upon thee and are called Ganas.[102] Thou coverest infinitespace.[103] Thou art Kama, the God of Desire. Thou art conversant withMantras (in the sense of knowledge being thy penance).[104] Thou art thehighest Mantra for thou art that philosophy which consists in theascertainment of the nature and attributes of the soul (and itsdifferences from the Non-soul). Thou art the cause of the universe (sinceall that exists has sprung from thy Soul). Thou art universal destroyer(for all that ceases to exist becomes merged unto thee who art as theunmanifest Brahman). Thou bearest in one of thy hands the calabash, andin another thou holdest the bow; in another hand thou bearest shafts andin another thou bearest a skull. Thou bearest the thunder-bolt. Thou artarmed with the hundred-killer.[105] Thou art armed with the sword. Thouwieldest the battle-axe. Thou art armed with the Sula (trident). Thou artadorable. Thou host the sacrificial ladle in one of thy hands. Thou artof beautiful form. Thou art endued with abundant energy. Thou givest inthe most liberal measure all that tends to adorn those that are devotedto thee. Thou wearest a turban on thy head. Thou art of beautiful face.Thou art he who swells with splendour and puissance. Thou art he that ishumble and modest. Thou art exceedingly tall. Thou art he who has thesenses for thy rays.[106] Thou art the greatest of preceptors. Thou artSupreme Brahman (being a state of pure felicitous existence).[107] Thouart he that took the shape of a jackal (for consoling the Brahmana who,when insulted by a wealthy Vaisya, had resolved to commit suicide). Thouart he whose object are all crowned with fruition, of themselves andwithout waiting for the puissance (derivable from penances). Thou art onewho bears a bald head (as the sign of the mendicant order). Thou art onewho does good to all creatures. Thou art unborn. Thou hast innumerableforms. Thou bearest all kinds of fragrance on thy person. The mattedlocks on thy head had sucked up the river Ganga when it first fell fromheaven (although they again gave out the waters at the earnestsolicitations of king Bhagiratha). Thou art the giver of sovereignty andlordship.[108] Thou art a Brahmacharin without having ever fallen awayfrom the rigid vow of continence. Thou art distinguished for thy sexualcontinence. Thou always liest on thy back. Thou hast thy abode inPuissance.[109] Thou hast three matted locks on thy head. Thou art hethat is clad in rags. Thou art Rudra (in consequence of thy fierceness).Thou art the celestial generalissimo, and thou art all pervading. Thouart he that moves about during the day. Thou art he that moves about inthe night.[110] Thou art of fierce wrath. Thou art possessed of dazzlingeffulgence (born of Vedic study and penances). Thou art the slayer of themighty Asura who had come in the form of an infuriate elephant fordestroying thy sacred city of Varanasi. Thou art the slayer of suchDaityas as become the oppressors of the universe. Thou art Kala or Timewhich is the universal destroyer. Thou art the supreme ordainer of theuniverse. Thou art a mine of excellent accomplishments. Thou art of theform of the lion and the tiger. Thou art he that is clad in the skin ofan elephant. Thou art the Yogin who deceives Time by transcending itsirresistible influence. Thou art the original sound.[111] Thou art thefruition of all desires. Thou art he that is adored in four ways.[112]Thou art a night-wanderer (like Vetala and others). Thou art he thatwanders in the company of spirits. Thou art he that wanders in thecompany of ghostly beings. Thou art the Supreme Lord of even Indra andthe other celestials. Thou art he that hast multiplied himself infinitelyin the form of all existent and non-existent things. Thou art theupholder of both Mahat and all the innumerable combinations of the fiveprimal elements. Thou art the primeval Ignorance or Tamas that is knownby the name of Rahu. Thou art without measure and hence infinite. Thouart the supreme End that is attained by the Emancipate. Thou art fond ofdancing. Thou art he that is always engaged in dancing. Thou art he thatcauses others to dance. Thou art the friend of the universe. Thou art hewhose aspect is calm and mild. Thou art endued with penances puissantenough to create and destroy the universe. Thou art he who binds allcreatures with the bonds of thy illusion. Thou art he that transcendsdestruction. Thou art he who dwells on the mount Kailasa. Thoutranscendest all bonds and art unattached in respect of all things, likeSpace. Thou art possessed of a thousand arms. Thou art victory. Thou artthat perseverance which is the cause of success or victory. Thou artwithout idleness or procrastination that interferes with perseveringactivity. Thou art dauntless. Thou art fear, Thou art he who put a stopto Vali’s sacrifice.[113] Thou fulfillest the desires of all thydevotees. Thou art the destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice. Thou art amiable.Thou art slightly amiable. Thou art exceedingly fierce and robbest allcreatures of their energy. Thou art the slayer of the Asura Vala. Thouart always cheerful. Thou art of the form of wealth which is coveted byall. Thou hast never been vanquished.[114] There is none more adorablethan thou. Thou art he who utters deep roars (in the form of Ocean). Thouart that which is so deep that no one can measure it (because thou art ofthe form of space). Thou art he whose puissance and the might of whosecompanions and of the bull have never been measured by anybody. Thou artthe tree of the world (whose roots extend upwards and branches hangdownwards). Thou art the banian.[115] Thou art he that sleeps on a humanleaf when the universe, after dissolution, becomes one infinite expanseof water. Thou art he that shows compassion to all worshippers assumingas thou listest, the form of Hari or Hara or Ganesa or Arka or Agni orWind, etc. Thou art possessed of teeth that are exceedingly sharp (sincethou art competent to chew innumerable worlds even as one munches nutsand swallows them speedily). Thou art of vast dimensions in respect ofthy forms. Thou art possessed of a mouth that is hast enough to swallowthe universe at once. Thou art he whose troops are adoredeverywhere.[116] Thou art he who dispelled all the fears of the deitieswhen the prince of elephants had to be captured. Thou art the seed of theuniverse. Thou art he who has for his vehicle the same bull that formsagain the device on his banner in battle. Thou hast Agni for thy soul.Thou art Surya who has green steeds yoked unto his car. Thou art thefriend of Jiva. Thou art he that is conversant with the proper time forthe accomplishment of all religious acts. Thou art he unto whom Vishnupaid his adorations (for obtaining his celebrated discus). Thou art thesacrifice being in the form of Vishnu. Thou art the ocean. Thou art theBarabanala Mare’s head that ranges within the ocean, ceaselesslyvomitting fire and drinking the saline waters as if they were sacrificialbutter. Thou art Wind, the friend of Agni. Thou art of tranquil soul likethe ocean when at rest and unstirred by the mildest breeze. Thou art Agnithat drinks the libations of clarified butter poured in sacrifices withthe aid of Mantras. Thou art he whom it is difficult to approach. Thouart he whose effulgence spreads over the infinite universe. Thou art everskilful in battle. Thou art well conversant with the time when one shouldengage in battle so that victory may be achieved. Thou art that sciencewhich treats of the motions of heavenly bodies.[117] Thou art of the formof success or victory. Thou art he whose body is Time (for thy body isnever subject to destruction). Thou art a householder for thou wearest atuft of hair on thy head Thou art a Sanyasin for thy head is bald. Thouwearest matted locks on thy head (being, as thou art, aVanaprastha).[118] Thou art distinguished for thy fiery rays (for theeffulgent path by which the righteous proceed is identical with thee).Thou art he that appears in the firmament in the heart encased in thebody of every creature.[119] Thou art he who enters into the cranium(brain) of every creature. Thou bearest the wrinkles of age. Thou bearestthe bamboo flute. Thou hast also the tabour. Thou bearest the musicalinstrument called Tali. Thou hast the wooden vessel used for huskinggrain. Thou art he who covers that illusion which covers Yama.[120] Thouart an astrologer inasmuch as thy understanding is always directedtowards the motion of the wheel of time which is made up of theluminaries in the firmament. Thou art Jiva whose understanding isdirected to things that are the result of the attributes of Sattwa,Rajas, and Tamas. Thou art that in which all things merge whendissolution overtakes them. Thou art stable and fixed, there beingnothing in thee that is subject to change or mutation of any kind. Thouart the Lord of all creatures. Thy arms extend all over the vastuniverse. Thou art displayed in innumerable forms that are but fractionsof thyself. Thou pervadest all things.[121] Thou art he that has no mouth(for thou enjoyest not the objects of thy own creation). Thou art he whofrees thy creatures from the bonds of the world. Thou art easilyattainable.[122] Thou art he that manifested himself with a goldenmail.[123] Thou art he that appears in the phallic emblem. ‘Thou art hethat wanders in the forests in quest of fowls and animals. Thou art hethat wanders over the Earth. Thou art, he that is omnipresent. Thou artthe blare that is produced by all the trumpets blown in the three worlds.Thou art he that has all creatures for his relatives.[124] Thou art ofthe form of a snake (for thou art identical with the mighty Naga namedSesha). Thou art he that lives in mountain caves (like Jaigishavya), orany other Yogin. Thou art identical with Guha (the celestialgeneralissimo). Thou wearest garlands of flowers. Thou art he who enjoysthe happiness that springs from the possession of worldly objects.[125]Thou art he from whom all creatures have derived their three states ofbirth, existence, and destruction. Thou art he that upholds all thingsthat exist or occur in the three stages of time viz., the Past, thePresent, and the Future. Thou art he that frees creatures from theeffects of all acts belonging to previous lives as well as thoseaccomplished in the present life and from all the bonds due to Ignoranceand Desire. Thou art he who is the binder or Asura chiefs. Thou art hewho is the slayer of foes in battle.[126] Thou art that which isattainable by knowledge alone. Thou art Durvasas. Thou art he who iswaited upon and adored by all the righteous. Thou art he who causes thefall of even Brahma and the others. Thou art he that gives unto allcreatures the just share of joy and grief that each deserves according tohis own acts. Thou art he that is incomparable. Thou art well conversantwith the shares that are given and appropriated in sacrifices.[127] Thouresidest in every place. Thou wanderest everywhere. Thou art he that hasmean vestments.[128] Thou art Vasava. Thou art immortal. Thou artidentical with the Himavat mountains. Thou art the maker of pure gold.Thou art without acts. Thou upholdest in thyself the fruits of all acts.Thou art the foremost of all creatures that are regarded asupholders.[129] Thou art he that has bloody eyes. Thou art he that haseyes whose vision extends over the infinite universe. Thou art he thathas a car whose wheels are ever victorious. Thou art he that is possessedof vast learning. Thou art he that accepts thy devotees for thy servants.Thou art he that restrains and subjugates thy senses. Thou art he thatacts. Thou wearest clothes whose warp and woof are made of snakes. Thouart Supreme. Thou art he who is the lowest of the celestials.[130] Thouart he that is well-grown. Thou ownest the musical instrument calledKahala. Thou art the giver of every wish. Thou art the embodiment ofgrace in all the three stages of Time, viz., the Past, the Present, andthe Future. Thou art possessed of might that is always well spent. Thouart he who had assumed the form of Valarama (the elder brother ofKrishna). Thou art the foremost of all colleted things, beingEmancipation or the highest of all ends to which creatures attain. Thouart the giver of all things. Thy face is turned towards all directions,Thou art he from whom diverse creatures have sprung even as all formshave sprung from space or are modifications or that primal element. Thouart he who falls into the pit called body.[131] Thou art he that ishelpless (for, falling into the pit constituted by the body, thou canstnot transcend the sorrow that is thy portion). Thou residest in thefirmament of the heart. Thou art exceedingly fierce in form. Thou art theDeity called Ansu. Thou art the companion of Ansu and art called Aditya.Thou art possessed of innumerable rays. Thou art endued with dazzlingeffulgence. Thou hast the speed of the Wind.[132] Thou art possessed ofspeed that is greater than that of the Wind. Thou art possessed of thespeed of the mind. Thou art Nishachara as thou enjoyest all things, beinginvested with Ignorance.[133] Thou dwellest in every body. Thou dwellestwith Prosperity as thy companion. Thou art he that imparts knowledge andinstruction. Thou art he who imparts instruction in utter silence. Thouart he that observes the vow of taciturnity (for thou instructest insilence). Thou art he who passes out of the body, looking at thesoul.[134] Thou art he that is well adored. Thou art the giver ofthousands (since the lord of all the treasures derived those treasures ofhis from thee). Thou art the prince of birds, (being Garuda the son ofVinata and Kasyapa). Thou art the friend that renders aid. Thou artpossessed of exceeding effulgence (for thy splendour is like that of amillion suns risen together). Thou art the Master of all created beings.Thou art he who provokes the appetites. Thou art the deity of Desire.Thou art of the form of lovely women that are coveted by all. Thou artthe tree of the world. Thou art the Lord of Treasures. Thou art the giverof fame. Thou art the Deity that distributes unto all creatures thefruits (in the form of joys and griefs) of their acts. Thou art thyselfthose fruits which thou distributest. Thou art the most ancient (havingexisted from a time when there was no other existent thing). Thou artcompetent to cover with a single footstep of thine all the three worlds.Thou art Vamana (the dwarf) who deceived the Asura chief Vali (anddepriving him of his sovereignty restored it unto Indra). Thou art theYogin crowned with success (like Sanatkumara and others). Thou art agreat Rishi (like Vasishtha and others). Thou art one whose objects arealways crowned with success (like Rishava or Dattatreya). Thou art aSanyasin (like Yajnavalkya and others). Thou art he that is adorned withthe marks of the mendicant order. Thou art he that is without suchmarks.[135] Thou art he that transcends the usages of the mendicantorder. Thou art he that assures all creatures from every sort of fear.Thou art without any passions thyself (so that glory and humiliation arealike to thee). Thou art he that is called the celestial generalissimo.Thou art that Visakha who took his rise from the body of the celestialgeneralissimo when Indra hurled his thunder-bolt at him. Thou artconversant with the sixty tattwas or heads of enquiry in the universe.Thou art the Lord of the senses (for these achieve their respectivefunctions guided by thee). Thou art he that is armed with thethunder-bolt (and that rives the mountains). Thou art infinite. Thou artthe stupefier of Daitya ranks in the field of battle. Thou art he thatmoves his car in circles among his own ranks and that makes similarcircles among the ranks of his foes and who conies back safe and soundafter devastating then. Thou art he that is conversant with the lowestdepth of the world’s ocean (in consequence of thy knowledge of Brahman).Thou art he called Madhu (who has founded the race in which Krishna hastaken his birth). Thou hast eyes whose colour resembles that of honey.Thou art he that has taken birth after Vrihaspati.[136] Thou art he thatdoes the acts which Adhyaryus have to do in sacrifices. Thou art he whois always adored by persons whatever their modes of life. Thou artdevoted to Brahman. Thou wanderest amongst the habitations of men in theworld (in consequence of thy being a mendicant). Thou art he thatpervadest all beings. Thou art he that is conversant with truth. Thouknowest and guidest every heart. Thou art he that overspreads the wholeuniverse. Thou art he that collects or stores the good and bad acts ofall creatures in order to award them the fruits thereof Thou art he thatlives during even the night that follows the universal dissolution. Thouart the protector wielding the bow called Pinaka. Thou residest in eventhe Daityas that are the marks at which shootest thy arrows. Thou art theauthor of prosperity. Thou art the mighty ape Hanuman that aided Vishnuin the incarnation of Rama in his expedition against Ravana. Thou art thelord of those Ganas that are thy associates, Thou art each member ofthose diverse Ganas. Thou art he that gladdens all creatures. Thou artthe enhancer of the joys of all.[137] Thou takest away the sovereigntyand prosperity of even such high beings as Indra and others. Thou art theuniversal slayer in the form of Death. Thou art he that resides in thefour and sixty Kalas. Thou art very great. Thou art the Grandsire (beingthe sire of the great sire of all). Thou art the supreme phallic emblemthat is adored by both deities and Asuras. Thou art of agreeable andbeautiful features. Thou art he who presides over the variety ofevidences and tendencies for action and non-action. Thou art the lord ofvision. Thou art the Lord of Yoga (in consequence of thy withdrawing allthe senses into the heart and combining them together in that place).Thou art he that upholds the Krita and the other ages (by causing them torun ceaselessly). Thou art the Lord of seeds (in consequence of thy beingthe giver of the fruits of all acts good and bad). Thou art the originalcause of such seeds. Thou actest in the ways that have been pointed outin the scriptures beginning with those that treat of the Soul. Thou arthe in whom reside might and the other attributes. Thou art theMahabharata and other histories of the kind. Thou art the treatisescalled Mimansa. Thou art Gautama (the founder of the science ofdialectics). Thou art the author of the great treatise on Grammar thathas been named after the Moon. Thou art he who chastises his foes. Thouart he whom none can chastise. Thou art he who is sincere in respect ofall his religious acts and observances. Thou art he that becomes obedientto those that are devoted to thee. Thou art he that is capable ofreducing others to subjection. Thou art he who foments quarrels among thedeities and the Asuras. Thou art he who has created the four and tenworlds (beginning with Bhu). Thou art the protector and cherisher of allBeings commencing from Brahma and ending with the lowest forms ofvegetable life (like grass and straw). Thou art the Creator of even thefive original elements. Thou art he that never enjoys anything (for thouart always unattached). Thou art free from deterioration. Thou art thehighest form of felicity. Thou art a deity proud of his might. Thou artSakra. Thou art the chastisement that is spoken of in treatises onmorality and is inflicted on offenders. Thou art of the form of thattyranny which prevails over the world. Thou art of pure Soul. Thou artstainless (being above faults of every kind). Thou art worthy ofadoration. Thou art the world that appears and disappears ceaselessly.Thou art he whose grace is of the largest measure. Thou art he that hasgood dreams. Thou art a mirror in which the universe is reflected. Thouart he that has subjugated all internal and external foes. Thou art themaker of the Vedas. Thou art the maker of those declarations that arecontained in the Tantras and the Puranas and that are embodied inlanguage that is human.[138] Thou art possessed of great learning. Thouart the grinder of foes in battle. Thou art he that resides in the awfulclouds that appear at the time of the universal dissolution. Thou artmost terrible (in consequence of the dissolution of the universe thatthou bringest about). Thou art he who succeeds in bringing all personsand all things into thy subjection. Thou art the great Destroyer. Thouart he that has fire for his energy. Thou art he whose energy is mightierthan fire. Thou art the Yuga-fire that consumes all things. Thou art hethat is capable of being gratified by means of sacrificial libations.Thou art water and other liquids that are poured in sacrifices with theaid of Mantras. Thou art in the form of the Deity of Righteousness, thedistributor of the fruits that attach to acts good and bad. Thou art thegiver of felicity. Thou art always endued with effulgence. Thou art ofthe form of fire. Thou art of the complexion of the emerald. Thou artalways present in the phallic emblem. Thou art the source of blessedness.Thou art incapable of being baffled by anything in the prosecution ofyour objects. Thou art the giver of blessings. Thou art of the form ofblessedness. Thou art he unto whom is given a share of sacrificialofferings. Thou art he who distributes unto each his share of that isoffered in sacrifices. Thou art endued with great speed. Thou art he thatis dissociated from all things. Thou art he that is possessed of themightiest limb. Thou art he that is employed in the act of generation.Thou art of a dark complexion, (being of the form of Vishnu). Thou art ofa white complexion (being of the form of Samva, the son of Krishna). Thouart the senses of all embodied creatures. Thou art possessed of vastfeet. Thou hast vast hands. Thou art of vast body. Thou art endued withwide extending fame. Thou hast a vast head.[139] Thou art of vastmeasurements. Thou art of vast vision. Thou art the home of the darknessof ignorance. Thou art the Destroyer of the Destroyer. Thou art possessedof vast years. Thou hast vast lips. Thou art he that has vast cheeks.Thou hast a vast nose. Thou art of a vast throat. Thou hast a vast neck.Thou art he that tears the bond of body.[140] Thou hast a vast chest.Thou hast a vast bosom. Thou art the inner soul which resides in allcreatures. Thou hast a deer on thy lap. Thou art he from whom innumerableworlds hang down like fruits hanging down from a tree. Thou art he whostretches his lips at the time of the universal dissolution forswallowing the universe. Thou art the ocean of milk. Thou hast vastteeth. Thou hast vast jaws. Thou hast a vast bristle.[141] Thou hast hairof infinite length. Thou hast a vast stomach. Thou hast matted locks ofvast length. Thou art ever cheerful. Thou art of the form of grace. Thouart of the form of belief. Thou art he that has mountains for his bow (orweapons in battle). Thou art he that is full of affection to allcreatures like a parent towards his offspring. Thou art he that has noaffection. Thou art unvanquished. Thou art exceedingly devoted to (Yoga)contemplation.[142] Thou art of the form of the tree of the world.[143]Thou art he that is indicated by the tree of the world.[144] Thou artnever satiated when eating (because of thy being of the form of fire, forof all elements, fire is never satiated with the quantity offered it forconsumption). Thou art he that has the Wind for thy vehicle for goingfrom place to place (in consequence of thy identity with fire). Thou arthe that rangest over hills and little eminences. Thou art he that has hisresidence on the mountains of Meru. Thou art the chief of the celestials.Thou hast the Atharvans for thy head. Thou hast the Samans for thy mouth.Thou hast the thousand Richs for thy immeasurable eyes. Thou hast theYajushes for thy feet and hands.[145] Thou art the Upanishads. Thou artthe entire body of rituals (occurring in the scriptures). Thou art allthat is mobile. Thou art he whose solicitations are never unfulfilled.Thou art he who is always inclined to grace. Thou art he that is ofbeautiful form. Thou art of the form of the good that one does toanother. Thou art that which is dear. Thou art he that always advancestowards thy devotees (in proportion as these advance for meeting thee).Thou art gold and other precious metals that are held dear by all. Thyeffulgence is like that of burnished gold. Thou art the navel (of theuniverse). Thou art he that makes the fruits of sacrifices grow (for thebenefit of those that perform sacrifices to thy glory). Thou art of theform of that faith and devotion which the righteous have in respect ofsacrifices. Thou art the artificer of the universe. Thou art all that isimmobile (in the form of mountains and other inert objects). Thou art thetwo and ten stages of life through which a person passes.[146] Thou arthe that causes fright (by assuming the intermediate states between theten enumerated). Thou art the beginning of all things. Thou art he thatunites Jiva with Supreme Brahman through Yoga. Thou art identifiable withthat Yoga which causes such a union between Jiva and Supreme Brahman.Thou art unmanifest (being the deepest stupefaction). Thou art thepresiding deity of the fourth age (in consequence of thy identity withlust and wrath and cupidity and other evil passions that flow from thatdeity).[147] Thou art eternal Time (because of thy being of the form ofthat ceaseless succession of birth and death that goes on in theuniverse). Thou art of the form of the Tortoise.[148] Thou art worshippedby the Destroyer himself. Thou livest in the midst of associates. Thouadmittest thy devotees as members of thy Gana. Thou hast Brahma himselffor the driver of thy car. Thou sleepest on ashes.[149] Thou protectestthe universe with ashes.[150] Thou art he whose body is made ofashes.[151] Thou art the tree that grants the fruition of all wishes.Thou art of the form of those that constitute thy Gana. Thou art theprotector of the four and ten regions. Thou transcendent all the regions.Thou art full, (there being no deficiency). Thou art adored by allcreatures. Thou art white (being pure and stainless). Thou art he thathas his body, speech and mind perfectly stainless. Thou art he who hasattained to that purity of existence which is called Emancipation. Thouart he who is incapable of being stained by impurity of any kind. Thouart he who has been attained to by the great preceptors of old. Thouresidest in the form of Righteousness or duly in the four modes of life.Thou art that Righteousness which is of the form of rites and sacrifices.Thou art of the form of that skill which is possessed by the celestialartificer of the universe. Thou art he who is adored as the primeval formof the universe. Thou art of vast arms. Thy lips are of a coppery hue.Thou art of the form of the vast waters that are contained in the Ocean.Thou art exceedingly stable and fixed (being of the form of mountains andhills). Thou art Kapila. Thou art brown. Thou art all the hues whosemixture produces white. Thou art the period of life. Thou art ancient.Thou art recent. Thou art a Gandharva. Thou art the mother of thecelestials in the form of Aditi (or the mother of all things, in the formof Earth). Thou art Garuda, the prince of birds, born of Vinata byKasyapa, otherwise called Tarkshya. Thou art capable of beingcomprehended with ease. Thou art of excellent and agreeable speech. Thouart he that is armed with the battle-axe. Thou art he that is desirous ofvictory. Thou art he that assists others in the accomplishment of theirdesigns.[152] Thou art an excellent friend.[153] Thou art he that bears aVina made of two hollow gourds. Thou art of terrible wrath (which thoudisplayest at the time of the universal dissolution). Thou ownest for thyoffspring, beings higher than men and deities (viz., Brahma and Vishnu).Thou art of the form of that Vishnu who floats on the waters after theuniversal dissolution. Thou devourest all things with great ferocity.Thou art he that procreates offspring. Thou art family and race,continuing from generation to generation. Thou art the blare that abamboo flute gives out. Thou art faultless. Thou art he every limb ofwhose body is beautiful. Thou art full of illusion. Thou dost good toothers without expecting any return. Thou art Wind. Thou art Fire. Thouart the bonds of the worlds which bind Jiva. Thou art the creator ofthose bonds. Thou art the tearer of such bonds. Thou art he that dwellswith even the Daityas (who are the foes of all sacrifices). Thou dwellestwith those that are the foes of all acts (and that have abandoned allacts). Thou art of large teeth, and thou art of mighty weapons. Thou arthe that has been greatly censured. Thou art he that stupefied the Rishisdwelling in the Daruka forest. Thou art he that did good unto even thydetractors, viz., those Rishis residing in the Daruka forest. Thou art hewho dispels all fears and who dispelling all the fears of those Rishisgave them Emancipation. Thou art he that has no wealth (in consequence ofhis inability to procure even his necessary wearing apparel). Thou artthe lord of the celestials. Thou art the greatest of the gods (inconsequence of thy being adored by even Indra and others that areregarded as the highest of the celestials). Thou art an object ofadoration with even Vishnu. Thou art the slayer of those that are thefoes of the deities. Thou art he that resides (in the form of the snakeSesha) in the nethermost region.[154] Thou art invisible but capable ofbeing comprehended, even as the wind which though invisible is perceivedby every body. Thou art he whose knowledge extends to the roots ofeverything and unto whom all things, even in their inner nature, areknown. Thou art the object that is enjoyed by him that enjoys it. Thouart he among the eleven Rudras who is called Ajaikapat. Thou art thesovereign of the entire universe. Thou art of the form of all Jivas inthe universe (in consequence of thy being covered by the three well-knownattributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). Thou art he that is not subjectto those three attributes. Thou art he that transcends all attributes andis a state of pure existence which is incapable of being described withthe aid of any adjective that language can yield. Thou art the prince ofphysicians called Dhanwantari. Thou art a comet (in consequence of thecalamities that flow from thee unto the sinful). Thou art the celestialgeneralissimo called Skanda. Thou art the king of the Yakshas, calledKuvera, who is thy inseparable associate and who is the Lord of alltreasures in the world. Thou art Dhatri. Thou art Sakra. Thou art Vishnu.Thou art Mitra. Thou art Tashtri (the celestial artificer). Thou art thePole Star. Thou art he that upholds all things. Thou art he calledPrabhava amongst the Vasus. Thou art the wind which is capable of goingeverywhere (being the Sutra-atma that connects all things in the universewith a thread). Thou art Aryaman. Thou art Savitri. Thou art Ravi. Thouart that ancient king of great celebrity known by the name of Ushangu.Thou art he who protects all creatures in diverse ways. Thou artMandhatri (because of thy competence to gratify all creatures). Thou arthe from whom all creatures start into life. Thou art he who exists indiverse form. Thou art he who causes the diverse hues to exist in theuniverse. Thou art he who upholds all desires and all attributes (becauseof these flowing from thee). Thou art he who has the lotus on thynavel.[155] Thou art he within whose womb are innumerable mightycreatures. Thou art of face as beautiful as the moon. Thou art wind. Thouart fire. Thou art possessed of exceeding might. Thou art endued withtranquillity of soul. Thou art old. Thou art he that is known with theaid of Righteousness.[156] Thou art Lakshmi. Thou art the maker of thefield of those actions (by which persons adore the supreme Deity). Thouart he who lives in the field of action. Thou art the soul of the fieldof action. Thou art the medicine or provoker of the attributes ofsovereignty and the others.[157] All things lie in thee (for, as theSrutis declare, all things becomes one in thee, thyself being of thenature of that unconsciousness which exhibits itself in dreamlessslumber). Thou art the lord of all creatures endued with life-breaths.Thou art the god of the gods. Thou art he who is attached to felicity.Thou art Sat (in the form of cause). Thou art Asat (in the form ofeffect). Thou art he who possesses the best of all things. Thou art hewho resides on the mountains of Kailasa. Thou art he who repairs to themountains of Himavat. Thou washest away all things besides thee like amighty current washing away trees and other objects standing on itsbanks. Thou art the maker of Pushkara and other large lakes and pieces ofnatural water. Thou art possessed of knowledge of infinite kinds. Thouart the giver of infinite blessings. Thou art a merchant (who conveys thegoods of this country to that country and brings the goods of thatcountry to this for the convenience of human beings). Thou art acarpenter. Thou art the tree (of the world that supplies the timber forthy axe). Thou art the tree called Vakula (Mimusops Elengi, Linn.) Thouart the sandal-wood tree (Santalum album, Linn.). Thou art the treecalled Chcchada (Alstonia Scholaris, syn Echitis, Scholaris, Roxb.). Thouart he whose neck is very strong. Thou art he whose shoulder joint isvast. Thou art not restless (but endued with steadiness in all thy actsand in respect of all thy faculties). Thou art the principal herbs andplants with their produce (in the form of rice and wheat and the othervarieties of grain). Thou art he that grants success upon others inrespect of the objects upon which they bestow their heart. Thou art allthe correct conclusions in respect of both the Vedas and Grammar.[158]Thou art he who utters leonine roars. Thou art endued with leonine fangs.Thou ridest on the back of a lion for performing thy journeys. Thouownest a car that is drawn by a lion. Thou art he called the truth oftruth.[159] Thou art he whose dish or plate is constituted by theDestroyer of the universe.[160] Thou art always engaged in seeking thegood of the worlds. Thou art he who rescues all creatures from distress(and leads them to the felicity of Emancipation). Thou art the birdcalled Saranga. Thou art a new (Young) swan. Thou art he who is displayedin beauty in consequence of the crest thou bearest on thy head (like thecock or the peacock). Thou art he who protects the place where assembliesof the wise sit for dispensing justice. Thou art the abode of allcreatures. Thou art the cherisher of all creatures. Thou art Day andNight (which are the constituent elements of Eternity). Thou art he thatis without fault and therefore, never censured. Thou art the upholder ofall creatures. Thou art the refuge of all creatures. Thou art withoutbirth. Thou art existent. Thou art ever fruitful. Thou art endued withDharana and Dhyana and Samadhi. Thou art the steed Uchchaisravas. Thouart the giver of food. Thou art he who upholds the life-breaths of livingcreatures. Thou art endued with patience. Thou art possessed ofintelligence. Thou art endued with exertion and cleverness. Thou arthonoured by all. Thou art the giver of the fruits of Righteousness andsin. Thou art the cherisher of the senses (for the senses succeed inperforming their respective functions in consequence of thee thatpresidest over them). Thou art the lord of all the luminaries. Thou artall collections of objects. Thou art he whose vestments are made ofcowhides. Thou art he who dispels the grief of his devotees. Thou hast agolden arm. Thou art he who protects the bodies of Yogins who seek toenter their own selves. Thou art he who has reduced to nothingness allhis foes.[161] Thou art he the measure of whose gladness is very great.Thou art he who achieved victory over the deity of desire that isirresistible. Thou art he who has subjugated his senses. Thou art thenote called Gandhara in the musical octave. Thou art he who has anexcellent and beautiful home (in consequence of its being placed upon thedelightful mountains of Kailasa). Thou art he who is ever attached topenances. Thou art of the form of cheerfulness and contentment. Thou arthe called vast or infinite.[162] Thou art he in whose honour the foremostof hymns has been composed. Thou art he whose dancing is characterised byvast strides and large leaps. Thou art he who is adored with reverence bythe diverse tribes of Apsaras. Thou art he who owns a vast standard(bearing the device of the bull). Thou art the mountains of Meru. Thouart he who roves among all the summits of that great mountain. Thou artso mobile that it is very difficult to seize thee. Thou art capable ofbeing explained by preceptors to disciples, although thou art incapableof being described in words. Thou art of the form of that instructionwhich preceptors impart to disciples. Thou art he that can perceive allagreeable scents simultaneously or at the same instant of time. Thou artof the form of the porched gates of cities and palaces. Thou art of theform of the moats and ditches that surround fortified towns and give thevictory to the besieged garrison. Thou art the Wind. Thou art of the formof fortified cities and towns encompassed by walls and moats. Thou artthe prince of all winged creatures, (being, as thou art, of the form ofGaruda). Thou art he who multiplies the creation by union with theopposite sexes. Thou art the first of all in respect of virtues andknowledge. Thou art superior to even him who is the first of all invirtues and knowledge. Thou transcendest all the virtue and knowledge.Thou art eternal and immutable as also dependent on thyself. Thou art themaster and protector of the deities and Asuras. Thou art the master andprotector of all creatures. Thou art he who wears a coat of mail. Thouart he whose arms are competent to grind all foes. Thou art an object ofadoration with even him who is called Suparvan in heaven.[163] Thou arthe who grants the power of bearing or upholding all things.[164] Thou artthyself capable of bearing all things. Thou art fixed and steady (withoutbeing at all unstable). Thou art white or pure (being, as thou art,without any stain or blot). Thou bearest the trident that is competent todestroy (all things).[165] Thou art the grantor of bodies or physicalforms unto those that constantly revolve in the universe of birth anddeath. Thou art more valuable than wealth. Thou art the conduct or way ofthe righteous (in the form of goodness and courtesy). Thou art he who hadtorn the head of Brahma after due deliberation (and not impelled by merewrath). Thou art he who is marked with all those auspicious marks thatare spoken of in the sciences of palmistry and phrenology and otherbranches of knowledge treating of the physical frame as the indicator ofmental peculiarities. Thou art that wooden bar which is called the Akshaof a car and, therefore, art thou he who is attached to the carrepresented by the body. Thou art attached to all things (in consequenceof thy pervading all things as their soul). Thou art endued with verygreat might, being as thou art a hero of heroes. Thou art the Veda. Thouart the Smritis, the Itihasas, the Puranas, and other scriptures. Thouart the illustrious deity of every sacred shrine. Thou art he who has theEarth for his car. Thou art the inert elements that enter into thecomposition of every creature. Thou art he who imparts life into everycombination of those inert element. Thou art the Pranava and other sacredMantras that instil life into dead matter. Thou art he that caststranquil glances. Thou art exceedingly harsh (in consequence of thy beingthe destroyer of all things). Thou art he in whom are innumerableprecious attributes and possessions. Thou hast a body that is red. Thouart he who has all the vast oceans as so many ponds filled for thydrinking.[166] Thou art the root of the tree of the world. Thou artexceedingly beautiful and shinest with surpassing grandeur. Thou art ofthe form of ambrosia or nectar. Thou art both cause and effect. Thou artan ocean of penances (being as thou art a great Yogin). Thou art he thatdesirous of ascending to the highest state of existence. Thou art he thathas already attained to that state. Thou art he who is distinguished forthe purity of his conduct and acts and observances. Thou art he whopossessed of great fame (in consequence of the Righteousness of hisbehaviour). Thou art the ornament of armies (being as thou art of theform of prowess and courage), Thou art he who is adorned with celestialornaments. Thou art Yoga. Thou art he from whom flow eternal timemeasured by Yugas and Kalpas. Thou art he who conveys all creatures fromplace.[167] Thou art of the form of Righteousness and sin and theirintermixture (such as are displayed in the successive Yugas). Thou artgreat and formless. Thou art he who slew the mighty Asura that hadapproached against the sacred city of Varanasi in the form of aninfuriate elephant of vast proportions. Thou art of the form of death.Thou givest to all creatures such fruition of their wishes as accordswith their merits. Thou art approachable. Thou art conversant with allthings that are beyond the ken of the senses. Thou art conversant withthe Tattwas (and therefore, thoroughly fixed). Thou art he whoincessantly shines in beauty. Thou wearest garlands that stretch downfrom thy neck to the feet. Thou art that Hara who has the Moon for hisbeautiful eye. Thou art the salt ocean of vast expanse. Thou art thefirst three Yugas (viz., Krita, Treta, and Dwapara). Thou art he whoseappearance is always fraught with advantage to others. Thou art he whohas three eyes (in the form of the scriptures, the preceptor, andmeditation). Thou art he whose forms are exceedingly subtile (being asthou art the subtile forms of the primal elements). Thou art he whoseears are bored for wearing jewelled Kundalas. Thou art the bearer ofmatted locks. Thou art the point (in the alphabet) which indicates thenasal sound. Thou art the two dots i.e., Visarga (in the Sanskritalphabet which indicate the sound of the aspirated H). Thou art possessedof an excellent face. Thou art the shaft that is shot by the warrior forencompassing the destruction of his foe. Thou art all the weapons thatare used by warriors. Thou art endued with patience capable of bearingall things. Thou art he whose knowledge has arisen from the cessation ofall physical and mental functions.[168] Thou art he who has becomedisplayed as Truth in consequence of the cessation of all otherfaculties. Thou art that note which, arising from the region calledGandhara, is exceedingly sweet to the ear. Thou art he who is armed withthe mighty bow (called Pinaka). Thou art he who is the understanding andthe desires that exist in all creatures, besides being the supremeupholder of all beings. Thou art he from whom all acts flow. Thou artthat wind which rises at the time of the universal dissolution and whichis capable of churning the entire universe even as the staff in the handsof the dairy-maid churns the milk in the milkpot. Thou art he that isfull. Thou art he that sees all things. Thou art the sound that arisesfrom slapping one palm against another. Thou art he the palm of whosehand serves as the dish or plate whence to take his food. Thou art he whois possessed of an adamantine body. Thou art exceedingly great. Thou artof the form of an umbrella. Thou art he who has an excellent umbrella.Thou art well-known to be identical with all creatures. Thou art he whohaving put forth three feet covered all the universe with two and wantedspace for the remaining one. Thou art he whose head is bald. Thou art hewhose form is exceedingly ugly and fierce. Thou art he who has undergoneinfinite modifications and become all things in the universe. Thou art hewho bears the well-known badge of Sanyasa, viz., the stick. Thou art hewho has a Kunda. Thou art he who is incapable of being attained to bymeans of acts. Thou art he who is identical with the green-eyed king ofbeasts (viz., the lion). Thou art of the form of all the points of thecompass. Thou art he who is armed with the thunder. Thou art he who has ahundred tongues. Thou art he who has a thousand feet and thousandheads.[169] Thou art the lord and chief of the celestials. Thou art hethat is made up of all the gods. Thou art the great Master or preceptor.Thou art he who has a thousand arms. Thou art he who is competent toobtain the fruition of every wish. Thou art he whose protection is soughtby every one. Thou art he who is the creator of all the worlds. Thou arthe who is the great cleanser of all from every kind of sin, in the formof shrines and sacred waters. Thou art he who has three highMantras.[170] Thou art the youngest son of Aditi and Kasyapa, (being inthe form of the dwarf who is otherwise known by the name of Upendra andwho beguiled the Asura Vali of his lordship of the three worlds andrestored it to the chief of the celestials). Thou art both black andtawny (being of the form which is known as Hari-Hara). Thou art the makerof the Brahmana’s rod.[171] Thou art armed with the hundred-killer, thenoose, and the dart. Thou art he that took his birth within the primevallotus.

Thou art he who is endued with a vast womb. Thou art he who has the Vedasin his womb. Thou art he who takes his rise from that infinite waste ofwaters which succeeds the dissolution of the universe. Thou art he who isendued with rays of effulgent light. Thou art the creator of the Vedas.Thou art he who studies the Vedas. Thou art he who is conversant with themeaning of the Vedas. Thou art devoted to Brahman. Thou art the refuge ofall persons devoted to Brahman. Thou art of infinite forms. Thou art thebearer of innumerable bodies. Thou art endued with irresistibleprowess.[172] Thou art the soul or nature that transcends the threeuniversal attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). Thou art the lord ofall Jivas. Thou art endued with the speed of the wind. Thou art possessedof the fleetness of the mind. Thou art always smeared with sandal-paste.Thou art the end of the stalk of the primeval lotus.[173] Thou art he whobrought the celestial cow Surabhi down from a superior station to aninferior one by denouncing a curse upon her.[174] Thou art that Brahmawho was unable to see thy end. Thou art adorned with a large wreath ofKarnikara flowers. Thou art adorned with a diadem of blue gems. Thou artthe wielder of the bow called Pinaka. Thou art the master of thatknowledge which treats of Brahman.[175] Thou art he who has subjugatedhis senses by the aid of thy knowledge of Brahman. Thou art he whobearest Ganga on thy head.[176] Thou art the husband of Uma, the daughterof Himavat. Thou art mighty (in consequence of thy having assumed theform of the vast Boar for raising the submerged Earth). Thou art he whoprotects the universe by assuming diverse incarnations. Thou art worthyof adoration. Thou art that primeval Being with the equine head whorecited the Vedas with a thundering voice. Thou art he whose grace isvery great. Thou art the great subjugator. Thou art he who has slain allhis foes (in the form of passions). Thou art both white and tawny (beingas thou art half male and half female).[177] Thou art possessed of a bodywhose complexion is like that of gold.[178] Thou art he that is of theform of pure joy, (being, as thou art, above the five sheathes which theJiva consists of, viz., the Anna-maya, the Prana-maya, the Mano-maya, theVijnana-maya, and the Ananda-maya ones). Thou art of a restrained soul.Thou art the foundation upon which rests that Ignorance which is calledPradhana and which, consisting of the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas,and Tamas is the cause whence the universe has sprung. Thou art he whosefaces are turned to every direction.[179] Thou art he who has three eyes(in the forms of the Sun, the Moon, and Fire). Thou art he who issuperior to all creatures (in consequence of thy righteousness whosemeasure is the greatest). Thou art the soul of all mobile beings. Thouart of the form of the subtile soul (which is incapable of beingperceived). Thou art the giver of immortality in the form of Emancipationas the fruit of all acts of righteousness achieved by creatures withoutthe desire of fruits.[180] Thou art the preceptor of even those that arethe gods of the gods. Thou art Vasu, the son of Aditi. Thou art he who isendued with innumerable rays of light, who brings forth the universe, andwho is of the form of that Soma which is drunk in sacrifices. Thou artVyasa, the author of the Puranas and other sacred histories. Thou art thecreations of Vyasa’s brain (because of thy being identical with thePuranas and other sacred histories) both abridged and unabridged. Thouart the sum total of Jivas. Thou art the Season. Thou art the Year. Thouart the Month. Thou art the Fortnight. Thou art those sacred Days thatend or conclude these periods. Thou art the Kalas. Thou art the Kashthas.Thou art the Lavas. Thou art the Matras. Thou art the Muhurtas and Daysand Nights. Thou art the Kshanas.[181] Thou art the soil upon which thetree of the universe stands. Thou art the seed of all creatures [being ofthe form of that Unmanifest Chaitanya (consciousness) endued with Maya orillusion whence all creatures spring]. Thou art Mahattatwa. Thou art thesprout of Jiva, (being of the form of Consciousness which springs upafter Mahattatwa). Thou art Sat or Effect. Thou art Asat or Cause. Thouart Manifest (being seizable by the senses). Thou art the Father. Thouart the Mother. Thou art the Grandfather. Thou art the door to Heaven(because of thy identity with Penances). Thou art the door of thegeneration of all creatures (because of thy identity with desire). Thouart the door of Emancipation (because of thy identity with the absence ofDesire which alone can lead to the merging into Brahman). Thou art thoseacts of righteousness which lead to the felicity of heaven. Thou artNirvana (or that cessation of individual or separate existence which isEmancipation). Thou art the gladdener (who gives all kinds of joy toevery creature). Thou art that region of Truth (to which they that areforemost in righteousness attain). Thou art superior to even that regionof Truth which is attainable by the righteous. Thou art he who is thecreator of both the deities and the Asuras. Thou art he who is the refugeof both the deities and the Asuras. Thou art the preceptor of both thedeities and the Asuras (being as thou art of the form of both Vrihaspatiand Sukra). Thou art he who is ever victorious. Thou art he who is everworshipped by the deities and the Asuras. Thou art he who guides thedeities and the Asuras even as the Mahamatra guides the elephant. Thouart the refuge of all the deities and the Asuras. Thou art he who is thechief of both the deities and the Asuras (being as thou art of the formof both India and Virochana). Thou art he who is the leader in battle ofboth the deities and the Asuras (being as thou art of the form ofKarttikeya and Kesi, the leaders of the celestial and the Daitya armies).Thou art he who transcends the senses and shines by himself. Thou art ofthe form of the celestial Rishis like Narada and others. Thou art thegrantor of boons unto the deities and Asuras (in the form of Brahman andRudra). Thou art he who rules the hearts of the deities and the Asuras.Thou art he into whom the universe enters (when it is dissolved). Thusart the refuge of even him who is the ruler of the hearts of both thedeities and the Asuras. Thou art he whose body is made up of all thedeities.[182] Thou art he who has no Being superior to thee of whom tothink. Thou art he who is the inner soul of the deities. Thou art he whohas sprung from his own self. Thou art of the form of immobile things.Thou art he who covers the three worlds with three steps of his. Thou artpossessed of great learning. Thou art stainless. Thou art he who is freedfrom the quality of Rajas. Thou art he who transcends destruction. Thouart he in whose honour hymns should be sung. Thou art the master of theirresistible elephant represented by Time. Thou art of the form of thatlord of Tigers who is worshipped in the country of the Kalingas.[183]Thou art he who is called the lion among the deities (in consequence ofthe pre-eminence of thy prowess). Thou art he who is the foremost of men.Thou art endued with great wisdom. Thou art he who first takes a share ofthe offerings in sacrifice. Thou art imperceptible. Thou art thesum-total of all the deities. Thou art he in whom penances predominate.Thou art always in excellent Yoga. Thou art auspicious. Thou art armedwith the thunder-bolt. Thou art the source whence the weapons calledPrasas have taken their origin. Thou art he whom thy devotees attain toin diverse ways. Thou art Guha (the celestial generalissimo). Thou artthe supreme limit of felicity.[184] Thou art identical with thy creation.Thou art he who rescues thy creatures from death (by granting themEmancipation). Thou art the cleanser of all including Brahma himself.Thou art of the form of bulls and other horned animals. Thou art he whois fond of mountain summits. Thou art the planet Saturn. Thou art Kuvera,the chief of the Yakshas. Thou art complete faultlessness. Thou art hewho inspires gladness. Thou art all the celestials united together. Thouart the cessation of all things. Thou art all the duties that appertainto all the modes of life. Thou art he who has an eye on his forehead.Thou art he who sports with the universe as his marble ball. Thou art ofthe form of deer. Thou art endued with the energy that is of the form ofknowledge and penance. Thou art the lord of all immobile things (in theform of Himavat and Meru). Thou art he who has subjugated his senses byvarious regulations and vows. Thou art he whose objects have all beenfulfilled. Thou art identical with Emancipation. Thou art different fromhim whom we worship. Thou hast truth for thy penances. Thou art of a pureheart. Thou art he who presides over all vows and fasts (in consequenceof thy being the giver of their fruits). Thou art the highest (being ofthe form of Turiya). Thou art Brahman. Thou art the highest refuge of thedevotees. Thou art he who transcends all bonds (being Emancipate). Thouart freed from the linga body. Thou art endued with every kind ofprosperity. Thou art he who enhances the prosperity of thy devotees. Thouart that which is incessantly undergoing changes.’

“I have thus, ‘O Krishna, hymned the praises of the illustrious Deity byreciting his names in the order of their importance. Who is there thatcan hymn the praises of the lord of the universe, that great Lord of allwho deserves our adorations and worship and reverence, whom the very godswith Brahma at their head are unable to praise and whom the Rishis alsofail to sing? Aided, however, by my devotion to him, and having receivedhis permission, I have praised that Lord of sacrifices, that Deity ofsupreme puissance, that foremost of all creatures endued withintelligence. By praising with these names that enhance one’sauspiciousness of the great lord of blessedness, a worshipper of devotedsoul and pure heart succeeds in attaining to his own self. These namesconstitute a hymn that furnishes the best means of attaining to Brahman.With the aid of this hymn one is sure to succeed in attaining toEmancipation. Rishis and the deities all praise the highest deity byuttering this hymn. Hymned by persons of restrained soul Mahadeva becomesgratified with those that hymn his praises so. The illustrious deity isalways full of compassion towards his devotees. Endued with omnipotence,he it is that gives Emancipation to those that worship him. So also, theyamong men that are foremost, that are possessed of faith and devotionhear and recite for others and utter with reverence the praises of thathighest and eternal Lord viz. Isana, in all their successive lives andadore him in thought, word, and deed, and adoring him thus at all times,viz. when they are lying or seated or walking or awake or opening theeyelids or shutting them, and thinking of him repeatedly, become objectsof reverence with all their fellowmen and derive great gratification andexceeding joy. When a creature becomes cleansed of all his sins in courseof millions of births in diverse orders of being, it is then thatdevotion springs up in his heart for Mahadeva. It is through good luckalone that undivided devotion to Bhava who is the original cause (of theuniverse) fully springs up in the heart of one that is conversant withevery mode of worshipping that great Deity.[185] Such stainless and puredevotion to Rudra, that has singleness of purpose and that is simplyirresistible in its course, is seldom to be found among even the deities,and never among men. It is through the grace of Rudra that such devotionarises in the hearts of human beings. In consequence of such devotion,men, identifying themselves wholly with Mahadeva, succeed in attaining tothe highest success. The illustrious Deity who is always inclined toextend his grace towards them that seek him with humility, and throwthemselves with their whole soul upon him rescues them from the world.Except the great Deity who frees creatures from rebirth, all other godsconstantly nullify the penances of men, for men have no other source ofpuissance that is as great as these.[186] It was even thus Tandi oftranquil soul, resembling Indra himself in splendour, praised theillustrious Lord of all existent and non-existent things,–that greatDeity clad in animal skins. Indeed, Brahma had sung this hymn in thepresence of Sankara. Thou art a Brahmana (being conversant with Brahmanand devoted to those that are conversant with Brahman). Thou shalt,therefore, comprehend it well. This is cleansing, and washes away allsins. This confers Yoga and Emancipation and heaven and contentment. Hewho recites this hymn with undivided devotion to Sankara succeeds inattaining to that high end which is theirs that are devoted to thedoctrines of the Sankhya philosophy. That worshipper who recites thishymn daily for one year with singleness of devotion succeeds in obtainingthe end that he desires. This hymn is a great mystery. It formerlyresided in the breast of Brahma the Creator. Brahma imparted it untoSakra. Sakra imparted unto Mrityu. Mrityu imparted it unto the Rudras.From the Rudras Tandi got it. Indeed Tandi acquired it in the region ofBrahman as the reward of his severe austerities. Tandi communicated it toSukra, and Sukra of Bhrigu’s race communicated it to Gautama. Gautama inhis turn, O descendant of Madhu, communicated it to Vaivaswata-Manu. Manucommunicated it unto Narayana of great intelligence, numbered among theSadhyas and held exceedingly dear by him. The illustrious Narayana,numbered among the Sadhyas and possessed of glory that knows nodiminution, communicated it to Yama. Vaivaswat Yama communicated it toNachiketa. Nachiketa, O thou of Vrishni’s race, communicated toMarkandeya. From Markandeya, O Janarddana, I obtained it as the reward ofmy vows and fasts. To thee, O slayer of foes, I communicate that hymnunheard by others. This hymn leads to heaven. It dispels disease andbestows long life. This is worthy of the highest praise, and isconsistent with the Vedas.’

“Krishna continued, ‘That person, O Partha, who recites this hymn with apure heart observing the vow of Brahmacharyya, and with his senses undercontrol, regularly for one whole year, succeeds in obtaining the fruitsof a horse-sacrifice. Danavas and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Pisachas andYatudhanas and Guhyakas and snakes can do no injury to him.'”