Section Three (तृतीयः खण्डः)
brahma ha devebhyaḥ vijigye. tasya ha brahmaṇo vijaye devā amahīyanta ॥1॥
The Brahman indeed ('ha') triumphed over the gods. In that victory of the Brahman, the gods rejoiced.
ta aikṣanta asmākam eva ayaṁ vijayaḥ asmākam eva ayaṁ mahimā iti. tad ha eṣām vijajñau ॥2॥
They saw it as , “This victory is ours alone; this glory is ours alone.” But He (the Brahman) indeed ('ha') understood them well.
tebhyaḥ ha prādurbabhūva. tan na vyajānata kim idam yakṣam iti ॥3॥
It (the Brahman) indeed ('ha') appeared before them. They did not recognize what this wondrous being was.
te agnim abruvan - jātaveda etad vijānīhi kim etad yakṣam iti. tathā iti tat abhyadravat. tam abhyavadat ko asi iti ॥4॥
They said to Agni: “O Jātaveda, find out what this wondrous being is.” He said, “So be it,” and approached it. It (the wondrous being) asked him, “Who are you?”
agnir vā aham asmi iti abravīt jātaveda vā aham asmi iti. tasmin tvayi kiṁ vīryam iti api ॥5॥
He said, “I am Agni; I am Jātaveda indeed (vā).” It (the wondrous being) then asked, “What power is there in you?”
idaṁ sarvaṁ daheyaṁ yad idaṁ pṛthivyām iti. tasmai tṛṇaṁ nidadhāva etat daheti ॥6॥
He said, “I can burn all this that is on the earth.” Then it (the wondrous being) placed a blade of grass before him and said, “Burn this.”
tad upapreyāya sarva-javena. tan na śaśāka dagdhum. sa tata eva nivavṛte. na etad aśakaṁ vijñātum yad etad yakṣam iti ॥7॥
He approached it with all speed but was not able to burn it. He then returned from there, unable to know what that wondrous being was.
atha vāyum abruvan - vāyav etad vijānīhi kim etad yakṣam iti. tathā iti tat abhyadravat. tam abhyavadat ko asi iti ॥8॥
Then they said to Vāyu: “O Vāyu, find out what this wondrous being is.” He said, “So be it,” and approached it. It (the wondrous being) asked him, “Who are you?”
vāyuḥ vā aham asmi iti abravīn ātariśvā vā aham asmi iti. tasmin tvayi kiṁ vīryam iti api ॥9॥
Vāyu said, “I am Vāyu; I am Ātariśvā indeed ('vā').” It then asked him, “What power is there in you?”
idaṁ sarvam ādadīyaṁ yad idaṁ pṛthivyām iti. tasmai tṛṇaṁ nidadhau etat ādatsva iti ॥10॥
He said, “I can carry away all this that is on the earth.” Then it (the wondrous being) placed a blade of grass before him and said, “Take this up.”
tad upapreyāya sarva-javena. tan na śaśāka ādātum. sa tata eva nivavṛte. na etad aśakaṁ vijñātum yad etad yakṣam iti ॥11॥
He approached it with all speed but was not able to take it up. He then returned from there, unable to know what that wondrous being was.
atha indram abruvan - maghavan etad vijānīhi kim etad yakṣam iti. tathā iti tat abhyadravat. tasmāt tirodadhē ॥12॥
Then they said to Indra: “O Maghavan, find out what this wondrous being is.” He said, “So be it,” and approached it — but it disappeared from him.
sa tasmin eva ākāśe striyam ājagāma bahuśobhamānām umām haimavatīm. tām hovāca - kim etad yakṣam iti ॥13॥
He was then approached in that very space by a woman, exceedingly radiant — Umā, the daughter of Himavat. To her he asked, “What was this wondrous being?”
Section Three Bhāshya
...ity atrā'khyāyikāṁ vacmi śṛṇu tāṁ tvaṁ maheśvara. sthitvā deveṣu tad brahma vyajayad daitya-dānavān॥
...Thus (to illustrate it is impossible to comprahend the Brahman completely), here I shall narrate a tale — listen to it, O Maheśvara. That Supreme Brahman, having taken form among the gods, conquered the Daityas and Dānavas.
devebhyo’rthāya vijayaṁ te devā menire svakam. āviṣṭā asuraiḥ teṣāṁ prabodhāya janārdanaḥ॥
The gods considered the victory achieved for their wellbeing as their own; but when they were overpowered by the demons, lord Janārdana (Viṣṇu) came to enlighten them.
yakṣa-rūpaḥ prādurabhūd umā-śiva-samanvitaḥ. brahmaṇā ca api sahita etebhyaḥ api paraḥ hi aham॥
He appeared in the form of a Yakṣa, the wondrous being, accompanied by Umā and Śiva, and even with Brahmā — saying, “I am indeed beyond even these (gods).”
ete’pi me bhṛtya-bhūtāḥ parivārya vyavasthitāḥ. iti jñāpayituṁ viṣṇuḥ saha taiḥ api upāgataḥ॥
Even these have become my servants and stand around Me. To make this known, Viṣṇu arrived along with them.
yūyam etān api jñātum aśaktāḥ kimu mām iti. tat-jñānārthaṁ hutāśaḥ ca nāsikyaḥ vāyuḥ eva ca॥
You are unable to comprehend even these (Umā and Śiva, and Brahmā) — what then of Me? Thus, to realize this truth, Fire (Agni), Nāsikya, and Vāyu approached Him.
indraś ca kramaśo jagmus taṁ jñātuṁ naiva ca aśakan। tatra indraḥ adhika-buddhitvāt pṛcchati iti janārdanaḥ॥ mattaḥ śivāt brahmaṇaś ca śrotuṁ na eva api śaktimān। iti jñāpayituṁ tatra na adṛśyata sa keśavaḥ॥ eṣa eva jñāna-dāne te yogyaḥ me iti vyadarśayat॥ ...
Indra too went in turn to know Him, but none were able to. Keśava disappeared from that place to make known, not even Śiva or Brahmā are capable of comprehending Me. There, Indra, due to his superior intellect asked. Then thinking “This one alone is worthy of receiving knowledge”, Janārdana revealed the truth (through Uma). ...
[]...ityādi brahmasāre॥]
[-stated thus in the testimonial brahma-sāra.]
॥ iti tṛtīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ॥
Thus ends the third section.
