15 - Sage Gauramukha’s Liberation after Uttering the Hymn of Ten Incarnations of Vishnu

Earth asked:

1. After hearing the rules for Shräddha ceremonies from Märkandeya, what did sage Gauramukha do?

Varäha replied:

2. After hearing this science pertaining to the manes, Gauramukha was reminded of a hundred births by the intelligent Märkandeya.

Earth asked:

3. Who is this Gauramukha? Who was he in the previous births? How did he remember all this? What did he do recollecting this?

Varäha replied:

4. He was Bhrgu himself in the other birth of Brahma.  This great sage Märkandeya was also born in his race.

5. Brahmä told him before: “Taught by your sons you will attain supreme bliss.” Therefore, he was taught by Märkandeya.

6. He recollected his previous births. I shall tell you briefly, O lovely girl, what he did after remembering all that.

7. He saw his manes after performing Šhräddha for twelve years and then, O Earth, he began to utter a hymn.

8. Near Prabhäsa, the sacred lake famous in the three worlds, Gauramukha stood to extol the God, who destroyed demons.

Gauramukha said:

9. “I extol lord Hari who is Mahendra, Shiva, the dispeller of haughtiness of enemies, Näräyana, the best among the knowers of the spiritual wisdom, the ancient being who permeates the sun, moon, Ašhvins and destroys demons.

10. I extol him, destroyer of the enemies of gods who took the form of the primordial fish when the Vedas were lost— the fish that bore the Earth on its body and whose fin was like fire.

11. May the Lord of gods and the destroyer of demons protect me, who being the primordial Man took the form of tortoise on his own accord and uplifted the mount Mandara in churning ocean.

12. May the destroyer of demons, who is called yajñäñga (with sacrifice as limbs)) by the multitude of gods and Siddhas and who entered the Talätala (one of the nether worlds) taking the form of a boar, protect me.

13. May the great destroyer of demons the great yogin who took the form of the fierce Man-lion (Nrusimha) with a frightful face and golden hue, protect us.

14. May the short Brahmachàrin with staff and deer-skin who changed into a measureless huge body with yogic power, transcended the earth and made the sacrifice of Bali ineffective, purify us.

15. May Hiranyagarbha, the destroyer of demons, who as the son of Jamadagni and the protector of Brahmins, conquered the whole world twenty-one times and gave it to Käšhyapa, protect me.

16. May the destroyer of demons protect us, whose primordial Hiranyagarbha-form attained a fourfold division into Räma and others (Lakshmana, Bharata and Šhatrughna).

17. (May the God protect me) who in each yuga took the wonderful form of Väsudeva (Sri Krishna- son of Vasudeva) to look after gods who were frightened by the haughty demons like Chänüra and Kamsa.

18-19. May the great God, the supreme soul, who takes the form of Kalki in every yuga to uphold the caste system whose form cannot be known by the gods, demons and Siddhas without the spiritual knowledge and who is worshipped in his assumed form like the fish, protect us.

20. Obeisance to the exalted Man; Obeisance to you again and again. Kindly lead me to the state of liberation. I bow to you.”

21. Extolled thus by the sage with great devotion, the God appeared before him holding the disc and mace.

22. Seeing Him, the soul in the form of steady knowledge (Vijñäna) issued out of his body and got merged in the eternal and attained the state called apunarbhava (without rebirth).