Srimad Bhagavatam – day 297
Goddess Lakshmi continued, “Seeking shelter under living beings puts people at risk of danger from others in society. Mahatmas always emphatically declare that obtaining Self-realization through Supreme Knowledge is the ultimate purpose of life and that there is no puruśārtha (goal) greater than this!
You fulfill all desires of that woman who worships You with absolutely no desire. Contrary to this, You fulfill only that particular desire of the woman who worships You seeking its fulfillment. When the desire is fulfilled she completely soaks in it and enjoys. However due to this enjoyment her balance of punya (merit) depletes and in the end she grieves a lot.
Lords Brahma, Shiva and other Devatas, demons and other living entities who are totally inclined towards sensory pleasures undertake intense austerities coupled with stringent disciplines in order to obtain me. However I can be obtained only by that devotee who considers reaching Lord Srihari as the ultimate goal of his life. This is because O Lord, I retain You alone in my heart.
O Achyuta, You retain Your venerable lotus hand upon the head of ardent devotees and thus bless them. Please be kind to place that lotus hand upon my head and thus bless me. Through Your illusory power You are retaining my symbol upon Your chest. Who in the creation has the ability to understand your intentions? Who can understand Your illusionary plays?” prays Lakshmi.
In the land called Ramyaka varṣa the Lord became visible to Shrāddhadeva Manu in the Matsya (fish) form. From then till now this Manu reverentially and devotedly worships this fish form of the Lord. He chants this mantra:
Oṁ namo bhagavate mukhyatamāya namaḥ sattvāya prāṇāya- ojase sahase balāya mahā-matsyāya namah.
“The Supreme Lord manifests as the energy that exists in the world i.e. He is the primordial energy of this world. He is an embodiment of goodness (sattva guna). He blesses the energy that exists within our mind, senses and body. I offer plentiful obeisances to that Lord who incarnated as a gigantic fish.
You, the Supreme Lord, possess divine vibrations known as Vedic chants. You are the energy that moves about in the form of life-force within the entity and as wind outside of him. Even though You are in close proximity the loka-pālakās (guardian deities) are unable to understand or see You.
You retain this world filled with innumerable forms within Your grip and control it just as a puppeteer controls his puppets. The world is full of many varied living entities such as immobile animals, two-legged animals, four-legged animals, insects and other crawling worms. Due to the affliction called envy, the leaders cannot protect these living entities either collectively or individually, even though they put in efforts towards it. Only You, who remain as their life-force, can protect them all.
O birthless one! At the time of dissolution, when the ocean swelled with gigantic cyclonic waves You swam at rapid speeds trying to save me and this earth which was submerging into the oceans. This earth is the shelter for plants and creepers of every kind. You are the all-powerful Self that exists within all living entities in the creation. I offer obeisance to You” prayed Manu.
In the land called Hiraṇmaya varṣa, the Supreme Lord incarnates as a tortoise (Kurma). With great devotion Aryamā, who is the leader for all fore-fathers, along with all the inhabitants of this land reverentially worships this Lord and prays to him as follows,
“Oṁ namo bhagavate akūpārāya sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāyānu-palakṣita-sthānāya namo varṣmaṇe namo bhūmne namo namo ’vasthānāya namaste.
O primordial Lord! O ādi kūrma (tortoise)! You are an embodiment of goodness (sattva guna). O Lord, since You constantly swim in the waters of the ocean You remain invisible. You who are beyond time are all pervading. You are the primary support for every existence. Again and again I offer obeisance to You.
This world which is filled with innumerable objects illumines in varied different forms. Yet it illumines purely on the strength of Your illusory energy. On deliberate analysis it is evident that this world is unreal and has no real existence. Hence it is improper to perceive the differences and dualities within it. To You, who manifest in the form of indescribable world I offer plentiful obeisances.
Living beings that are born through womb, those that are born from sweat, birds and other living entities that hatch from an egg, trees and plants that arise from earth, all movable and immovable living entities, Devatas, Maharishis, fore-fathers, the 5 gross elements, the 10 senses, heaven, space, earth, mountains, rivers, oceans, islands, planets and stars are nothing but Your manifestations.
You manifest in the form of this huge world which consists of uncountable forms, colours, shapes and sizes. Kapila and other philosophists have propagated the Sankhya philosophy which explains your non-dual existence. When Your real existence is understood all differences and dualities vanish. O Lord, You are the Sānkhya philosophy. To such Lord I offer obeisance”. In this way Aryamā prays.
Padmanābhāya namah