01 sṛṣṭi-krama-kathana-adhyāyaḥ

.. oṃ ..

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ ..

atha bṛhatpārāśarahorāśāstram ..

gajānanaṃ bhūtagaṇādisevitaṃ kapitthajambūphalasārabhakṣaṇam .
umāsutaṃ śokavināśakāraṇaṃ namāmi vighneśvarapādapaṃkajam ..

Sharma: 

I prostrate before the lotus feet of Lord Vighneshwara, the offspring of Uma, the cause of destruction of sorrow, who is served by Bhutaganas (the five Cardinal elements of the Universe) etc; who has the face of tusker and who consumes the essence of Kapiththa and Jambu fruits.

sṛṣṭikramakathanādhyāyaḥ .. 1..

sṛṣṭi = creation
krama = process, order, system
kathana = story, the “telling” 

adhyāyaḥ = chapter, literally “study” (from adhi purvaka ing dhatu literally meaning “to go to” or “to arrive at”

 

athaikadā muniśreṣṭhaṃ trikalajñaṃ parāśaram .
papracchopetya maitreyaḥ praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ .. 1..

haikadā (ind.) = once upon a time 
muniśreṣṭhaṃ (adj. 2.1 – describing Parāśara) = to the most distinguished among the sages
trikalajñaṃ (adj. 2.1 – describing Parāśara) = the one who knows the three times i.e., past, present, and future
parāśaram (noun 2.1= Parāśara
papraccha (verb – lit lākara third person singular) = questioned 
upetya (gerund – upa purvaka eti) = having approached/gone near
maitreyaḥ (noun 1.1 subject) = Maitreya
praṇipatya (gerund – from pra and ni pūrvaka pat dhātu) – having thrown oneself down and prostrated before

kṛtāñjaliḥ (adj. 1.1 – describing Maitreya) = one whose hands are folded together in the mudrā of respect/one who stands in revarant posture. kṛta means respect and añjali means the hands. Synonymous with namaskārāñjaliḥ.

 

Freedom:
Now the distinguished sage Parāśara who could see the past, present and future was approached by Maitreya, fully giving obeisance with folded hands.

Eliott Hocker:
Once upon a time Maitreya, having approached the most distinguished among the sages, Parāśara, the one who knows the three times, having thrown himself down and prostrated, stood with folded hands in reverence and questioned thus:

Sharma:
Once upon a time , offering his obeisance to all knowing sage Parasara and with folded hands, Maitreya asked him…

 

bhagavan paramaṃ puṇyaṃ guhyaṃ vedāṅgamuttamam .
triskandhaṃ jyautiṣaṃ horā gaṇitaṃ saṃhiteti ca .. 2..

Freedom:
Oh great, virtous, mystic sage, Jyotiṣa is the best limb of the Vedas
having three branches of Horā, Gaṇita, and Saṁhita.

Sharma:
O Venerable, astrology, the supreme limb of the vedas has three divisions viz. Hora, Ganita and Samhita.

 

eteṣvapi triṣu śreṣṭhā horeti śrūyate mune .
tvattastāṃ śrotumicchāmi kṛpayā vada me prabho .. 3..

Freedom:
Among these three, the sages say Horā is superior, I want to hear about this from you,
and if you are inclined, please tell me about the origination.

Sharma:
Even amongst the said three divisions, Hora is still far excellent. I desire toknow of its glorious aspects from you. Kindly tell them to me.

kathaṃ sṛṣṭiriyaṃ jātā jagataśca layaḥ katham .
khasthānāṃ bhūsthatānāṃ ca sambandhaṃ vada vistarāt .. 4..

Freedom:
From where has the world come to be, and how does it end,
Please speak elaborately about the relationship between
the heavenly bodies and living beings.

Sharma:
How was this universe created? How will it come to an end? Kindly tell me in detail the relationship between those born on this earth and those existing in the skies.

sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vipra lokānugrahakārinā .
athāhaṃ paramaṃ brahma tacchaktiṃ bhāratīṃ punaḥ .. 5..

sūrya natvā grahapatiṃ jagadutpattikāraṇm .
vakṣyāmi vedanayanaṃ yathā brahmamukhācchrutam .. 6..

Freedom:
You have an honorable question for the welfare of the world,
Now, bowing to the Parabrahma, his power the Word, and
The Sun, lord of the grahas, who causes the universe to produce it effects,
I will speak about the Eye of the Vedas (vedanayana) as heard from the mouth of Brahmā.

Sharma:
Parasara said, O Brahmin, your query has an auspicious purpose in it for the welfare of the world and has been rightly made. Having offered my obeisance to Lord Brahma, his power Sri Saraswati Devi, and the Sun god, the chief of the planets and the cause of creation, I shall relate to you the science of Astrology as it was heard by me from Brahma.

śāntāya gurubhaktāya sarvadā satyavādine .
āstikāya pradatavyaṃ tataḥ śreyo hyavāpsyati .. 7..

Freedom:
You will certainly get good results to teach this to one who is peaceful,
Respects their teacher, speaks the truth at all times,
And believes in a higher power (āstika).

Sharma:
The teachings of this science of Astrology is to be given only to the students who are good and peacefully disposed, who honour the preceptors and elders, who speak only truth and who are God-fearing.

na deyaṃ paraśiṣyāya nāstikāya śaṭhaya vā .
datte pratidinaṃ duḥkhaṃ jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ .. 8..

Freedom:
There is no doubt, it will cause an increase in suffering to impart this science to
an unfit student, who has no faith (nāstika), and is deceitful.

Sharma:
It is only in this way that good will follow. The teachings of this science, again, should not be given to an unwilling student, to an atheist and to a crafty person.

eko’vyaktātmako viṣṇuranādiḥ prabhurīśvaraḥ .
śuddhasatvo jagatsvāmī nirguṇastriguṇānvitaḥ .. 9..
saṃsārakārakaḥ śrīmānnimittātmā pratāpavān .10a.

Freedom:
That One, Unmanifest, Eternal, All-pervasive powerful lord,
The pure essence, and master of the universe (jagatsvāmī),
Is both the formless [Absolute] (nirgua), And endowed with form (tri-gua). ||9||
The maker of saṁsāra,The efficient cause accompanied by Śrī, Splendorous,

Sharma:
Lord Vishnu who is one undescribable, who has no beginning and end, who is the Lord of all matters, who has undefiled spirit, who is the Lord of the creation, who is endowed with three gunas, although he transcends the grip of the Gunas (i.e. he is Gunatita), who is the Creator of the universe, who has glory, who is the cause and who is endowed with valour,

ekāṃśena jagatsarva sṛjatyavati līlayā .. 10b..
tripādaṃ tasya devatya hyamṛtaṃ tattvadarśinaḥ .

vidanti tatpramāṇaṃ ca sapradhānaṃ tathaikapāt .. 11..

Freedom:
From one quarter of himself he creates the whole universe playfully.
The other three quarters of him are unchanging (amta) and known by the seers of reality by proper perception of the root matter (Pradhāna) of the one part.

Sharma:
creates the universe and administers it playfully with a quarter of his power. The other three feet (three quarters) of him filled with nectar are knowable to only the philosophers of maturity knowing the essence of things.

vyaktāvyaktātmako viṣṇurvāsudevastu gīyate .
yadavyaktātmako viṣṇuḥ śktitadvayasamanvitaḥ .. 12..
vyaktātmakastribhiryuktaḥ kathyate’nantaśaktimān .13a.

Freedom:
The All-pervasive one who is both manifest and unmanifest is called Vāsudeva.
The unmanifest nature possesses two powers.
The manifest nature is united with three powers,
And is said to possess unlimited power (ananta-śaktimān).

Sharma:
The Principal Evolver who is both perceptible and imperceptible is Lord Vasu Deva. The imperceptible part of Lord Vishnu is endowed with dual powers while the perceptible with triple powers. The perceptible Lord is endowed with three powers and is called the Almighty.

sattvapradhānā śrīśaktirbhūśktiśca rajoguṇā .. 13b..
śaktistṛtīyā yā prāktā nīlākhyā dhvāntarūpiṇī .14a.

Freedom:
Śrī Śakti relates to the primal guṇa of Sattva,
Bhū Śakti relates to Rajas guṇa.
Nīla Śakti, who is called the form of the dark-goddess, relates to Tamas guṇa.

Sharma:
The three powers are Shri Shakti (Mother Lakshmi), with Sattvaguna, Bhoo Shakti (Mother Earth) with Rajoguna and Neela Shakti with Tamoguna.

vāsudevaścaturtho’bhūcchrīśaktyā prerito yadā .. 14b..
saṃkarṣaṇaśca pradyumno’niruddha iti mūrtidhṛk .
tamaḥśktyā’nvitā viṣṇurdevaḥ saṃkarṣaṇābhidhaḥ .. 15..
pradyumno rajasā śaktyā’nirudhhaḥ sattvayā yutaḥ .16a.

Freedom:
When the fourth quarter [called] Vāsudeva becomes directed by Śrī Śakti,
It takes the form of Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.
The All-pervasive lord accompanied by Tamas Śakti is called Saṅkarṣaṇa.
Pradyumna is accompanied by Rajas Śakti,
And Aniruddha is accompanied by Sattva Śakti.

Sharma:
Apart from these three. the Fourth Kind of Vishnu who is moved or inspired by Shri Shakti and Bhoo Shakti assumes the form of ‘ShankarShana’ with Tamoguna, of Pradyumna with Rajoguna and of Aniruddha with Sattvaguna. Pradyumna is endowed with Rajas Shakti, and Aniruddha with Sattva Shakti.

mahān saṃkarṣaṇājjātaḥ pradyumnādyadahaṃakṛtiḥ .. 16b..
aniruddhāt svayaṃ jāto brahmāhaṃkākamūrtidhṛk .
sarvaṣu sarvaśaktiśca svaśaktyā’dhikayā yutaḥ .. 17..

Freedom:
Saṅkarṣaṇa propelled the birth of the individual soul,
Pradyumna is the cause of the present mind.
Aniruddha is the supporting manifestation of ahaṅkara (sense of I), the creator.
Each has all the powers of accomplishing (śakti) but
acts according to the predominant śakti.

Sharma: Maha-tattva, Ahamkara and Ahamkara Murthi Brahma are born from ‘Shankarshana,’ Pradyumna and Aniruddha respectively. All these three forms are endowed with all the three Gunas, but have predominance of their own Guna due to their origin.

ahaṃkārastridha bhūtvā sarvametadvistarāt .
sāttviko rājasaścaiva tāmasaścedahaṃkṛtiḥ .. 18..

Freedom:
The ahaṅkāra (I-sense) has three aspects from which all things become,
these are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas ahaṅkāra.

Sharma:
Ahamkara is of three kinds, that is with Sattwika, Rajsika, and Tamsika dispositions and it pervades them all.

devā vaikārikājjātāstaijasādindriyāṇi .
tāmasaccaivabhū tāni khādīni svasvaśaktibhiḥ .. 19..

Freedom:
From the sattva-ahaṅkāra (vaikārika) the devas arise,
From the rajas-ahaṅkāra (taijasa) the sense organs (indriya) arise,
From the tamas-ahaṅkāra (tāmasa) the earth, etc are produced,
each with their respective powers.

Sharma: From Sattwika are born the divine class (Devta), from Rajas the Sensory organs and from Tamas the five primordial compounds. (air, earth, water, fire, and ether). These are endowed with their respective powers.

śrīśaktyā sahito viṣṇuḥ sadā pāti jagattrayam .
bhūśaktyā sṛjate brahmā nīlaśaktyā śivo’tti hi .. 20..

Freedom:
The All-pervasive lord (Viṣṇu) conjoined Śrī-śakti becomes lord of the three worlds,
Conjoined Bhū-śakti he is Brahmā, the creator, Conjoined Nīla-śakti he is Śiva.

Sharma: Lord Vishnu, coupled with Shri Shakti sustains and rules the three worlds, coupled with Bhoo Shakti, he is Brahma causing or Creating the Universe, Coupled with Neela Shakti, he is Shiva, destroying the Universe

sarveṣu caiva jīveṣu paramātmā virājate .
sarvaṃ hi tadidaṃ brahman sthitaṃ hi paramātmani .. 21..

sarveṣu caiva jīveṣu sthitaṃhyaṃśadvayaṃ kvacit .
jīvāṃśo hyadhikastadvat paramātmāṃśakaḥ kila .. 22..

sūryādayo grahāḥ sarve brahmakāmadviṣādayaḥ .
ete cānye ca bahavaḥ paramātmāṃśakādhikāḥ .. 23..

śaktayaśca tathaiteṣamadhikāṃśāḥ śriyādayaḥ .
svasvaśaktiṣu cānyāsu jñeyā jīvāṃśakādhikāḥ .. 24..

Sharma:
“O Brahmin, the Lord is in all beings and the entire universe is in Him. The Jeevatma and the Paramatma amsha is there in all beings. Some have the predominance of the Jeevatma amsha while others have the predominance of the Paramatma amsha. Thus there is the predominance of Paramatma amsha in the planets (or grahas) like the Sun etc. and Brahma, Rudra (Shiva) etc. and in many other incarnations. Their powers or consorts like Shri Shakti etc. have also the predominance of the Paramatma amsha. Other divine beings and other powers have more of the Jeevatma amsha.”