Scriptures

Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam

BOOK 4 • CHAPTER 16
Ch 16 Verse 1-2 Verse
Sanskrit Text
४.१६ षोडशोऽध्यायः । हरेर्नानावतारवर्णनम् । जनमेजय उवाच । भृगुशापान्मुनिश्रेष्ठ हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः । अवताराः कथं जाताः कस्मिन्मन्वन्तरे विभो ॥ १ ॥ विस्तराद्वद धर्मज्ञ अवतारकथा हरेः । पापनाशकरीं ब्रह्मञ्छ्रुतां सर्वसुखावहाम् ॥ २ ॥
English Translation
Janamejaya spoke :-- O best of Munis! How did Viṣṇu, of wonderful deeds, get his incarnation owing to the curse, cast on Him by Bhṛgu? what were His different incarnations in different Manvantaras respectively? O Thou, well versed in religion! O Brāhmaṇa! Kindly narrate those sin-destroying deeds of Hari in His several incarnations, that are the source of happiness, peace and welfare to all humanity.
Ch 16 Verse 3 Verse
Sanskrit Text
व्यास उवाच । शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि अवतारान् हरेर्यथा । यस्मिन्मन्वन्तरे जाता युगे यस्मिन्नराधिप ॥ ३ ॥
English Translation
Vyāsa said :-- O king! Hear, I am narrating to you the incarnations of Śrī Bhagavān Hari which He had in the several Manvantaras and in the several Yugas respectively.
Ch 16 Verse 4 Verse
Sanskrit Text
येन रूपेण यत्कार्यं कृतं नारायणेन वै । तत्सर्वं नृप वक्ष्यामि सङ्क्षेपेण तवाधुना ॥ ४ ॥
English Translation
I will tell you now, in brief, what forms He took and what deeds He did in the various incarnations.
Ch 16 Verse 5 Verse
Sanskrit Text
धर्मस्यैवावतारोऽभूच्चाक्षुषे मनुसम्भवे । नरनारायणौ धर्मपुत्रौ ख्यातौ महीतले ॥ ५ ॥
English Translation
In the Cākṣusa Manvantara, the Bhagavān Hari took the incarnation of Dharma; and the two sons of Dharma, Nara Nārāyaṇa, were widely celebrated in this world.
Ch 16 Verse 6 Verse
Sanskrit Text
अथ वैवस्वताख्येऽस्मिन्द्वितीये तु युगे पुनः । दत्तात्रेयावतारोऽत्रेः पुत्रत्वमगमद्धरिः ॥ ६ ॥
English Translation
Then, in the present Vaīvasvata Manvantara, under the reign of Vaīvasvata Manu in the second Yuga, Bhagavān Hari incarnated as Dattātreya, in the shape of the son of Atrī Ṛṣi.
Ch 16 Verse 7 Verse
Sanskrit Text
ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रस्त्रयोऽमी देवसत्तमाः । पुत्रत्वमगमन्देवास्तस्यात्रेर्भार्यया वृताः ॥ ७ ॥
English Translation
Anasūyā the wife of Atrī, was desirous to have, as her sons, the three Devas Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra; and in fulfilment of her desires, the Devas took their births in her womb.
Ch 16 Verse 8 Verse
Sanskrit Text
अनसूयात्रिपत्नी च सतीनामुत्तमा सती । यया सम्प्रार्थिता देवाः पुत्रत्वमगमंस्त्रयः ॥ ८ ॥
English Translation
Anasūyā, was foremost amongst the chaste and virtuous women and on her praying, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra the Trinity at once agreed to become her sons.
Ch 16 Verse 9 Verse
Sanskrit Text
ब्रह्माभूत्सोमरूपस्तु दत्तात्रेयो हरिः स्वयम् । दुर्वासा रुद्ररूपोऽसौ पुत्रत्वं ते प्रपेदिरे ॥ ९ ॥
English Translation
Brahmā was born as Soma, Hari was born as Dattātreya and Rudra was born as Durvāsā.
Ch 16 Verse 10 Verse
Sanskrit Text
नृसिंहस्यावतारस्तु देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये । चतुर्थे तु युगे जातो द्विधारूपो मनोहरः ॥ १० ॥
English Translation
In the fourth Yuga, the Bhagavān assumed the beautiful double form in one, the upper part resembling a lion and the lower part a human being to accomplish the noble purpose of the Devas.
Ch 16 Verse 11 Verse
Sanskrit Text
हिरण्यकशिपोः सम्यग्वधाय भगवान् हरिः । चक्रे रूपं नारसिंहं देवानां विस्मयप्रदम् ॥ ११ ॥
English Translation
It was to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu that the Bhagavān Hari assumed this appearance, wonderful even to the Devas.
Ch 16 Verse 12 Verse
Sanskrit Text
बलेर्नियमनार्थाय श्रेष्ठे त्रेतायुगे तथा । चकार रूपं भगवान् वामनं कश्यपान्मुनेः ॥ १२ ॥
English Translation
In the Tretā Yuga, the superior and the best of all the Yugas, the Bhagavān incarnated as Vāmana ( the Dwarf), the son of Maharṣi Kaśyapa, to curb the power of Bali.
Ch 16 Verse 13 Verse
Sanskrit Text
छलयित्वा मखे भूपं राज्यं तस्य जहार ह । पाताले स्थापयामास बलिं वामनरूपधृक् ॥ १३ ॥
English Translation
The Dwarf Hari took away by pretext, the kingdom of Bali, while he was performing a sacrifice and sent him down into the Pātāla (the lower regions).
Ch 16 Verse 14 Verse
Sanskrit Text
युगे चैकोनविंशेऽथ त्रेताख्ये भगवान् हरिः । जमदग्निसुतो जातो रामो नाम महाबलः ॥ १४ ॥
English Translation
Afterwards, in the nineteenth Yuga, known as the Tretā Yuga, Śrī Bhagavān Hari incarnated as Paraśurāma, very powerful and the son of Jamadagnī Ṛṣi.
Ch 16 Verse 15 Verse
Sanskrit Text
क्षत्रियान्तकरः श्रीमान्सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । दत्तवान्मेदिनीं कृत्स्नां कश्यपाय महात्मने ॥ १५ ॥
English Translation
He was very beautiful and graceful in his body, truthful and the conqueror of his senses. He extirpated the Kṣattriya race and gave the whole world over to the high minded Ṛṣi Kaśyapa.
Ch 16 Verse 16 Verse
Sanskrit Text
यो वै परशुरामाख्यो हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः । अवतारस्तु राजेन्द्र कथितः पापनाशनः ॥ १६ ॥
English Translation
O king! He is the Paraśurāma, the sin-destroyer, the incarnation of Hari, and the doer of wonderful deeds.
Ch 16 Verse 17-20 Verse
Sanskrit Text
त्रेतायुगे रघोर्वंशे रामो दशरथात्मजः । नरनारायणांशौ द्वौ जातौ भुवि महाबलौ ॥ १७ ॥ अष्टाविंशे युगे शस्तौ द्वापरेऽर्जुनशौरिणौ । धराभारावतारार्थं जातौ कृष्णार्जुनौ भुवि ॥ १८ ॥ कृतवन्तौ महायुद्धं कुरुक्षेत्रेऽतिदारुणम् । एवं युगे युगे राजन्नवतारा हरेः किल ॥ १९ ॥ भवन्ति बहवः कामं प्रकृतेरनुरूपतः । प्रकृतेरखिलं सर्वं वशमेतज्जगत्त्रयम् ॥ २० ॥
English Translation
After that the Bhagavān Hari incarnated as Rāma, the son of Daśaratha. Next in the twenty-eighth Dvāpara Yuga, He incarnated as the very powerful Arjuṇa and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Aṃśas of Nara Nārāyaṇa. To remove the load of the earth, these two were born; and they fought deadly battles in the battlefield of Kurukṣettra. O king! Thus the several incarnations of Hari arose, according to the requirements of Prakriti. O King! These three worlds are under the control of Prakriti.
Ch 16 Verse 21 Verse
Sanskrit Text
यथेच्छति तथैवेयं भ्रामयत्यनिशं जगत् । पुरुषस्य प्रियार्थं सा रचयत्यखिलं जगत् ॥ २१ ॥
English Translation
Whatever the Prakriti wishes at any time, She can fashion the world in that way. And She does this incessantly in accordance with the Word Divine, the Highest Śakti, to please the Puruṣa, without any cessation.
Ch 16 Verse 22-23 Verse
Sanskrit Text
सृष्ट्वा पुरा हि भगवाञ्जगदेतच्चराचरम् । सर्वादिः सर्वगश्चासौ दुर्ज्ञेयः परमोऽव्ययः ॥ २२ ॥ निरालम्बो निराकारो निःस्पृहश्च परात्परः । उपाधितस्त्रिधा भाति यस्याः सा प्रकृतिः परा ॥ २३ ॥
English Translation
In days of yore, the most ancient Bhagavān, the Highest, above all the qualities of Māyā, formless, all pervading, difficult to be conceived, without any decay, self-supporting, without any want, created these worlds, moving and unmoving and He manifested Himself as the Trinity, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa in the shape of the three qualities Sāttva, Rājas and Tāmas, and which is called the Highest Prakriti.
Ch 16 Verse 24 Verse
Sanskrit Text
उत्पत्तिकालयोगात्सा भिन्ना भाति शिवा तदा । सा विश्वं कुरुते कामं सा पालयति कामदा ॥ २४ ॥
English Translation
This all auspicious Prakriti shines differently according to the differences in time and circumstances. This threefold Prakriti, the Great Enchantress of the world is creating, preserving the worlds and is destroying them at the end of the Kalpas.
Ch 16 Verse 25 Verse
Sanskrit Text
कल्पान्ते संहरत्येव त्रिरूपा विश्वमोहिनी । तया युक्तोऽसृज द्ब्रह्मा विष्णुः पाति तयान्वितः ॥ २५ ॥
English Translation
O King! Whenever there takes place the union with this Prakriti, Brahmā creates, Viṣṇu preserves, and the all-auspicious God Śaṅkara destroys the worlds.
Ch 16 Verse 26 Verse
Sanskrit Text
रुद्रः संहरते कामं तया सम्मिलितः शिवः । सा चैवोत्पाद्य काकुत्स्थं पुरा वै नृपसत्तमम् ॥ २६ ॥
English Translation
It was She That gave birth to Kākutstha, the best of the kings; and to conquer the Dānavas, She placed him at a certain place.
Ch 16 Verse 27 Verse
Sanskrit Text
कुत्रचित्स्थापयामास दानवानां जयाय च । एवमस्मिंश्च संसारे सुखदुःखान्विताः किल ॥ २७ ॥
English Translation
O king! Thus all men controlled by the Great Law in this world, enjoy sometimes the pleasures, enjoy sometimes pains and thus exist in the world. Here ends the Sixteenth Chapter in the Fourth Book of Śrī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam, the Mahāpurāṇam of 18,000 verses, by Maharṣi Veda Vyāsa, on the Birth of the several Avatāras of Viṣṇu and their deeds.