Vishnu Purana

“ The influence of Vishnu does not extend beyond Sutala, and nothing can save those that transgress the limits of this nether plane. For in Vitala the destructive Purusha reigns and a passage to that plane is only a door to utter extinction. And in Atala there is not a trace of spirituality, the work of destruction is already done, and mother Nature dissolves the material elements for some better use in future. ”

“ The Prachetas brothers entered the waters of the deep and there prayed to Vishnu for a thousand years. Vishnu appeared and asked them to chose a boon and without waiting for a reply addressed them thus: — "You are dutiful sons and shall ever be known as such. You shall have a son in no way inferior to Brahmâ. All the three Lokas shall be filled with his progeny. Indra had sent Pramlochâ to decoy Kandu Rishi in his penances and the Apsarâ succeeded in winning the heart of the Rishi. ”

“ I. Hiranyâksha and Hiranyakasipu. Jaya and Vijaya are the outer aspects of Vishnu. Vishnu preserves the universe, and He preserves all beings. Existence, consciousness and bliss all proceed from Vishnu, and it is these essential attributes that bring about the involution and evolution of all beings. In minerals, there is existence, but it is Tâmasic. Consciousness and bliss are completely eclipsed by the Tâmasic opacity of gross matter.
In the vegetables, there is existence and something more — the bare dawning of perceptive consciousness. There is predominating Tamas in the vegetables also. ”

“ The Asuras used all the weapons of tempting Mâyâ and conquered the Devas, Vishnu then came to their rescue and they became victorious (The details of the fight might be interesting from an occult point of view, for which the reader must refer to the original.)
Śiva heard that Vishnu had assumed an enchanting female form. To satisfy his curiosity he went to Him with Bhâvanî. Vishnu assumed that form again to satisfy Śiva. The Astral Lord became passionate and ran after that female form and embraced her. The female Vishnu got out of the embrace and re-assumed His own form. ”

“ Kratu said,—"Nothing is difficult to attain if Janārddana is pleased, who is the soul of sacrifice in sacrifices and supreme spirit in abstract contemplation". Pulaha said,—"Do thou adore, O pious boy, that Vishnu, the lord of sacrifice, and Universe, worshipping whom Indra obtained the dignity of a king of the celestials". Vasishtha observed:—"Anything, that a man desires, may be obtained in this world by adoring Vishnu what of that exalted position". ”

“ O god, thou art not my son: thou comprisest the whole universe from Brahmā to a tree. Therefore, O great soul, why dost thou beguile me? Blinded by illusion I considered thee, as my son and hence I was afraid of Kansa. And therefore I did carry thee to Gokula where thou hast grown up; but I no longer consider thee as mine own son. Thou Vishnu the supreme lord of all, whose actions Rudra, the Maruts, the Aswins, Indra and the celestials cannot equal although they behold them; thou, who hast descended amongst us for the behoof of the universe, art recognized, and delusion is no more". ”

“ The father said,—"There is no doubt that people shall meet with an accomplishment of all their desires, if they worship Vishnu, the conferrer of boons. There is no other alternative. What future can I tell you? If you wish to succeed, do you adore Govinda who is Hari, the lord of all beings, in order to bring about the increase of mankind. The excellent Purusha, without beginning, should be worshipped by him who wishes for virtue, wealth, enjoyment or liberation. Adore him, who is imperishable and propitiating whom the great Patriarch Brahmā succeeded in creating the universe". ”

“ As creator, Vishnu createth himself, and, as sustainer, he sustaineth himself, and, finally, becoming the destroyer, the Lord himself destroyeth everything. And as earth, water, light, air and ether, all the organs of sense and the heart go by the name Purusha, (Vishnu as being the Primal male, is the author of all these.) And, as he is the lord of all beings, and, as, knowing no decay, he hath the universe for his form, even he is the creator of all, and his also are the ends attained by beings". ”

“ On hearing this, the king was glad at heart, and somehow lived through the day, which seemed a hundred years. When night came, the king and queen stood hidden in the window niche and waited, their gaze fixed on the sky. Presently the king descried one descending from heaven, mounted on Garuda, grasping the conch-shell, discus, mace, marked with the familiar symbols. And feeling as if drenched by a shower of nectar, he said to the queen: "There is none other on earth so blest as you and I, whose child blessèd Vishnu seeks with love. All the desires nearest our hearts are granted. ”

“ The great parent of all, Brahmā, with the celestials and the descendants of Angiras (the fires) and with all things, animate or inanimate, came there and performed the ceremony of consecrating the lord of people—the son of king of Vena. And beholding in his right hand the mark of the discus of Vishnu and recognising a portion of that deity in Prithu the great parent attained to an excess of delight. For all those who become the sovereign kings of the earth, have always the mark of the discus of Vishnu in their hands. ”

“ He searched everywhere, but he could find no trace of his deity; the gods were gone from the earth for ever.
He still flies about in his fruitless search, calling for his god and carrying the clothes round his neck, as any Hindu can see who looks at the bird. His melancholy distressed cry for Vishnu will never cease. If he found the god he would not recognise him, for in the awful birth of the kali-yuga Vishnu himself was changed from white to black. ”

“ By the mercy of that imperishable being I am the agent of creation—Rudra is the agent of destruction and Vishnu is the agent of preservation. He, assuming my form creates the universe; in his own essence he provides for its duration; in the form of Rudra he devours all things; and with the body of Ananta he upholds them, In the person of Indra and other celestials he protects mankind and as the sun and moon he dispels darkness. Assuming the nature of fire he bestows warmth and maturity, and in that of earth he nourishes all beings. ”

“ Being desirous of relieving the world of the burden, the divine Vishnu, the source of the vast universe, beyond the understanding of all gods, demons sages, and men, past, present or future, worshipped of Brahmā and all the celestials, who is without beginning, middle or end, descended into the womb of Devaki and was born as her son Vasudeva. Yaganidrā, always proud to satisfy his orders, removed the embryo to Yasodā the wife of Nanda, the cow-herd. At this birth the earth was relieved of all sins; the sun, moon and planets shone with unclouded brilliance ”

“ But why dost thou say that she was begot by Bhrigu on Khyati?"
Thereat Parāçara said;—"That mother of the Universe—Vishuu's energy—is enduring and undeteriorating, O foremost of the twice-born ones, even as Vishnu is omnipresent, so this one also. Vishnu is the sense and she is the word; she is morality, Vishnu is justice; Vishnu is perception, and she the power thereof; he is merit, and she the act of piety.—Vishnu is the creator, and she the creation; Sri is earth,—and Hari, the supporter thereof. The reverend one is contentment, and, O Maitreya, Lakshmi is permanent peace ”

“ The sages chant his glories, the Gandharvas sing and the nymphs dance before him; the Rākshasas follow his steps, the serpents harness his steeds and the Yakshas trim his reins and the Bālakhilyas are seated around him. The seven beings in the sun's orb rise and set every month, but Vishnu, in the shape of his energy, never rises nor sets and is at once the sevenfold sun and distinct from it. As a man, nearing a mirror kept on a stand, observe in it his own image so the energy of Vishnu is never disjoined but remains month by month in the sun which he there placed. ”

“ And, O exalted one, men come by wives and sons, and houses, and friends, and corn, and wealth through thy kind look. And, O goddess, freedom from bodily ailments, riches, destruction of foes, and felicity, are not difficult of attainment for those people that view thy glances. Thou art the mother of all creatures, as that god of gods—Hari—is their father. And this universe consisting of mobile and immobile, was primævally permeated by thee as well as Vishnu. ”

“ It is to compass his death that accompanied by the ascetics, we have come hither: it is for this that the Siddhas and the Gandharbas and the Yakshas have taken refuge in Thee! Thou O God, art the prime way of us all, O repressor of foes! Do thou, for bringing destruction unto the enemies of the gods, turn thy thoughts to being born as man." Thus besought that foremost of gods and chief of celestials, Vishnu, worshipped of all creatures, addressed the assembled deities, following Duty, with the Grand-sire at their head, saying,— "Do ye renounce fear! ”

“ Embraced the princess sweet.
While the very gods were thus pondering with tense interest, the weaver hurled his discus at Valor. This discus, after cutting the king in twain, returned to his hand. At the sight, all the kings without exception leaped from their vehicles, and with hands, feet, and head drooping in limp obeisance, they implored him who bore the form of Vishnu: "O Lord,
An army, leaderless, is slain. ”

“ For the behoof of the universe he assumes various forms, that of the celestial, birds and men—but he is never born being influenced by his pristine actions; he is all-comprehending and irresistible. This universal form of his is to be meditated upon by the sage for the purpose of purification for it washes away all sins. As the fire, combined with wind, consumes twigs with its increased flame, so this form of Vishnu, when meditated upon by the sage in his heart, destroys all sins. ”

“ Even the most accomplished ascetic is degraded by worldly attachments what to speak of those whose observances are incomplete. Though my intellect has been possessed by the desire of married life still I shall exert myself for the salvation of my soul so that freed from human infirmities I may be released from human sufferings. For that purpose by austere penances I shall propitiate Vishnu, the creator of the universe whose form cannot be ascertained, who is smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest, the source of darkness and light—the king of gods. ”

“ He who offers sacrifices, sacrifices to him; he who recites prayers, prays to him; he who injures living beings injures him; for Hari is identical with all living beings. Therefore, he who observes duly the duties of his caste, is said to worship the glorious Janārddana. O lord of earth, the Brahman, the Kshatriya, the Vaiçya, the Sudra by attending to the duties prescribed by his caste, best worships Vishnu. He, who does not vilify another either in his presence, or in his absence, who does not speak untruth, does not injure others, pleases Keshava the best. ”

“ He ridiculed the idea of Mahapralaya, or the great destruction, for as the world had no beginning, so it will have no end. He objected to absorption, facetiously observing with the sage Jamadagni, that it was pleasant to eat sweetmeats, but that for his part he did not wish to become the sweetmeat itself. He would not believe that Vishnu had formed the universe out of the wax in his ears. He positively asserted that trees are not bodies in which the consequences of merit and demerit are received. Nor would he conclude that to men were attached rewards and punishments from all eternity. ”

“ Thou art the enjoyer of the fruits of all actions and the means for effecting them. Thou, Vishnu, who art all, art the fruit of all acts of piety. Thou art in me, in others and spread all over the vast universe. Thy universal manifestation indicates might and goodness. O lord. The ascetics meditate upon thee, the priests offer sacrifice to thee. Thou, identical with progenitors and celestials, receivest burnt-offerings and oblations. The universe is a huge manifestation of thine; the world is lesser than that, O lord ”

“ They are read a great deal by women. Some are very ancient, or at least contain fragments of more ancient Puranas. The very word signifies "antiquity." Most of them are devoted to the worship of Vischnu. According to the Bhagavat Purana,89 the only reasonable object of life is to meditate on Vischnu. Brahma, who is called in one place "the cause of causes," proclaims Vischnu to be the only pure absolute essence, of which the universe is the manifestation. In the Vischnu Purana, Brahma, at the head of the gods, adores Vischnu as the Supreme Being whom he himself cannot understand. ”

“ Vaishnava, Vishnuite Sect.—The name given to Hindus whose special deity is the god Vishnu, and to a number of sects which have adopted various special doctrines based on the worship of Vishnu or of one of his two great incarnations, Rāma and Krishna. Vishnu was a personification of the sun, though in ancient literature the sun is more often referred to under another name, as Savitri, Surya and Aditya. It may perhaps be the case that when the original sun-god develops into a supreme deity with the whole heavens as his sphere, the sun itself comes to be regarded as a separate and minor deity. ”

“ Narada then represented the whole story about Matali and his choice.’
“Kanwa continued, ‘Hearing all that Narada said, Vishnu directed Purandara, the Lord of the universe, saying, “Let Amrita be given to this youth, and let him be made immortal like gods themselves. Let Matali, and Narada, and Sumukha, O Vasava, all attain their cherished wish through thy grace.” Purandara, however, reflecting on the prowess of Vinata’s son, said unto Vishnu, “Let Amrita be given unto him by thee.” Thus addressed, Vishnu said, “Thou art the Lord of all mobile and immobile creatures. ”