Parva 3 Chapter 89: mahādevena kṛṣṇasvarūpavarṇanam - the description of kṛṣṇa's own form by mahādeva

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) After speaking thus to the lord of gods (kṛṣṇa, viṣṇu), shiva again told the sages: O the devote brāhmins who have come here to see (witness our meeting)! etadeva paraṁ vastu naitasmātparamasti vaḥ | etadeva vijānīdhvametadvaḥ paramaṁ tapaḥ ||3-89-2 viṣṇu is most important for you. No one more important than viṣṇu exists. Know that viṣṇu is the object of the highest penance. etadeva sadā viprā dhyeyaṁ satatamānasaiḥ | etadvaḥ paramaṁ śreya etadvaḥ paramaṁ dhanam ||3-89-3 O brāhmins! viṣṇu is the one who is always to be meditated in your mind. This is most prosperous for you. This is the most superior wealth. etadvo janmanaḥ kṛtyametadvastapasaḥ phalam | eṣa vaḥ puṇyanilaya eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||3-89-4 This is what is to be accomplished with your birth. This is the result of your penance. viṣṇu is the residence of merit. Worshipping viṣṇu is the eternal dharma. eṣa vo mokṣadātā ca eṣa mārga udāhṛtaḥ | eṣa puṇyapradaḥ sākṣādetadvaḥ karmaṇāṁ phalam ||3-89-5 viṣṇu is the one who provides liberation. That is the modular path to be followed. This will provide real merit. This is the ultimate result of your work. etadeva praśaṁsanti vidvāṁso brahmavādinaḥ | eṣa tryayīgatirviprāḥ prārthyo brahmavidāṁ sadā ||3-89-6 This is praised by the wise men who follow brahma. O brāhmins! This is what is to be accomplished by karmakāṇḍa (see nīlakaṇṭha commentary). Those who are knowledgeable on brahma always pray to reach Him. etadeva praśaṁsanti sāṅkhyayogasamāśritāḥ | eṣa brahmavidāṁ mārgaḥ kathito vedavādibhiḥ ||3-89-7 Those who follow the yoking of sāṅkhya praise the same. Also those who follow vedas say that this is the path of those who are knowledgeable on brahma. evameṣa vijāṇīta nātra kāryā vicāraṇā | harirekaḥ sadā dhyeyo bhavadbhiḥ sattvamāsthitaiḥ ||3-89-8 Know that worship of viṣṇu is the path to be followed. There is nothing else to be thought on this. hari is the only one to be always meditated by you, who are fixed in good. nānyo jagati devo'sti viṣṇornārāyatṇāparaḥ | omityevaṁ sadā viprā paṭhata dhyāta keshavam ||3-89-9 No other god in the universe exists who is above viṣṇu, nārāyaṇa. O the twice born! Always pronounce oṁ. Recite the name of keshava (kṛṣṇa) and meditate on him. tato niḥśreyasaprāptirbhaviśyati na saṁśayaḥ | evam dhyāto hariḥ sākṣātprasanno vo bhavishyati ||3-89-10 Then you will definitely achieve ultimate bliss. There is no doubt in this. Hari (viṣṇu) who is meditated upon will become pleased on you. bhavanāśamayaṁ devaḥ karishyati dṛḍhaṁ hariḥ | sadā dhyāta hariṁ viprā yadīchcā prāptumachyutam ||3-89-11 Lord hari (viṣṇu) will firmly destroy the difficulties of worldly existence. If you wish to achieve achyuta (viṣṇu) who does not suffer any decline, then O brāhmins! Always meditate upon hari. eṣa saṁsāravibhavaṁ vināśayati vo guruḥ | smaradhvaṁ satataṁ viṣṇuṁ paṭhadhvaṁ triśarīriṇam ||3-89-12 viṣṇu (kṛṣṇa) is the preceptor who will destroy the difficulties of worldly existence. Always remember viṣṇu and understand the one with three bodies (brahma, vishnu, shiva - see nīlakaṇṭha commentary). manaḥsaṁyamanaṁ viprāḥ kurudhvaṁ yatnataḥ sadā | śuddhe'ntaḥkaraṇe viṣṇuḥ prasīdati tapodhanāḥ ||3-89-13 O brāhmins! Always make effort to control your minds. O those having the wealth of penance! If your inner mind becomes pure, viṣṇu becomes pleased. dhyātvā māṁ sarvayatnena tato jānīta keshavam | upāsyo'haṁ sadā viprā upāsyo'sminharau smṛtaḥ ||3-89-14 Meditate on me with all your efforts and then obtain the knowledge on keshava (kṛṣṇa). O brāhmins! I am considered as worshipped always in the worship of hari (kṛṣṇa ). upāyo'yaṁ mayā prokto nātra saṁdeha ityapi | ayaṁ māyī sadā viprā yatadhvamaghanāśane ||3-89-15 A method was spoken by me. Now there is no doubt on this. O brāhmins! He is the lord of illusion. Always make efforts to attain hari, the destroyer of sin. yathā vo buddhirakhilā śuddhā bhavati yatnataḥ | tathā kuruta viprendrā yathā devaḥ prasīdati ||3-89-16 O kings (indras) of brāhmins! Make efforts in such a way that your entire intellect becomes pure and the lord viṣṇu is pleased. vaiśampāyana uvāca evamuktāstataḥ sarve munayaḥ puṇyaśīlinaḥ | yathāvadupagṛhṇānā nirasansamśayaṁ nṛpa ||3-89-17 vaiśampāyana said: O king! (janamejaya!) All those sages who practice merit who were told thus by lord shiva understood his advice in the true sense and removed the doubts from their minds. evameveti taṁ viprāḥ prāhuḥ prāṣjalayo haram| cinno naḥ saṁśayaḥ sarve gṛhīto'rthaḥ sa tādṛśaḥ ||3-89-18 The brāhmins with folded hands, bowed to hara (shiva) and said: Let it be so. All our doubts are destroyed. We have understood all the meanings. etadarthaṁ samāyātā vayamadya tavālayam | saṅgamādyuvayoḥ sarvo naṣṭo moho mahāniha ||3-89-19 Now we came to your residence (kaulāsa) to understand the truth. We saw both of you. All our great confusions are destroyed here. yathā vadasi devesha tathā naḥ śreyase param | yathā''ha bhagavānrudro yatāmaḥ satataṁ harau | O the lord of gods! Our highest prosperity is to follow what you said. We shall make our efforts (to meditate on viṣṇu) always as directed by lord rudra (shiva). iti te munayaḥ prītāḥ praṇemuḥ keśavaṁ harim ||3-89-20 (vaiśampāyana continued: O janamejaya!) Saying thus, the sages who became pleased, bowed to keshava (kṛṣṇa), hari (viṣṇu). iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi kailāsayātrāyāṁ ṛṣyupadeśe navāśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the eighty-ninth chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahabhārata, in kalāsayātra, the description of kṛṣṇa's own form by mahādeva nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-89-1 ityuktveti · 3-89-2 etadityaṅgulyā kṛṣṇaṁ darshayati | tapaḥ tapaḥphalam · 3-89-3 satatamānasaiḥ aviccinnachittavṛttibhiḥ · 3-89-4 phalam aikāgryam · 3-89-6 trayīgatiḥ karmakāṇḍaprāpyaḥ · 3-89-12 saṁsārasya vibhavaḥ nānārūpeṇa bhavanaṁ yasyāḥ sākāśāt sā mūlāvidyā tāṁ triśarīriṇaṁ brahmāditrayadeham · 3-89-14 dhyātveti | svasya saguṇabrahmabhāvaṁ jānīteti keshavasya nirguṇabrahmabhāvanaṁ ca sūchayati | upāsyaḥ cintanīyaḥ | upāsya upagatya prāpyaḥ · · 3-89-17 nirasan nirastavantaḥ iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ navāśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ || 89 ||