The Vishnu Purana(毘濕奴往世書)-Book I(第一冊)- Chapter XIV - Descendants of Prithu(第十四章—普里圖的後裔)

Descendants of Prithu. Legend of the Pracetasas: they are desired by their father to multiply mankind, by worshipping Viṣṇu: they plunge into the sea, and meditate on and praise him: he appears, and grants their wishes.

Prithu(普里圖)的後裔；普拉切塔薩斯 (Pracetasas)的傳說：他們的父親希望他們透過崇拜毘濕奴 (Viṣṇu)來繁衍人類：他們跳入大海，冥想並讚美他：祂出現並滿足了他們的願望。

PRITHU had two valiant sons, Antarddhi and Pālī[1]. The son of Antarddhāna, by his wife Sikhaṇḍiṇī, was Havirdhāna, to whom Dhiṣaṇā, a princess of the race of Agni, bore six sons, Prācīnaverhis, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, Vraja, and Ajina[2]. The first of these was a mighty prince and patriarch, by whom mankind was multiplied after the death of Havirdhāna. He was called Prācīnaverhis from his placing upon the earth the sacred grass, pointing to the east. At the termination of a rigid penance the married Savarṇā, the daughter of the ocean, who had been previously betrothed to him, and who had by the king ten sons, who were all styled Pracetasas, and were skilled in military science: they all observed the same duties, practised religious austerities, and remained immersed in the bed of the sea for ten thousand years.

Prithu(普里圖) 有兩個勇敢的兒子 Antarddhi 和 Pālī(帕林)。安塔達那 (Antarddhāna) 和他的妻子西卡迪尼 (Sikhaṇḍiṇini) 的兒子是哈維爾達那(Havirdhāna)。阿耆尼 (Agni)族的公主迪沙娜 (Dhiṣaṇā)為哈維爾達那生了六個兒子，分別是普拉齊納維希斯 (Prācīnaverhis)、蘇克拉 ( Śukra )、伽耶 ( Gaya)、奎師那 (KṛṣṣṒa)、烏拉賈(Vaya)、阿吉傑其中第一位是一位強大的王子和國王，在哈維爾丹納 (Havirdhāna) 死後，他增進了人類的繁衍。他因在地上放置了一棵指向東方的聖草而被稱為普拉奇納維希斯。在完成嚴格的苦行後，他娶了海洋之女薩瓦納 (Savarṇā)，她之前曾與他訂婚，國王與她生了十個兒子，這些兒子都被稱為普拉切塔薩 (Pracetasas)，精通軍事科學：他們都遵守同樣的義務，實行宗教苦行，並沉浸在海底一萬年。

Maitreya said:—

You can inform me, great sage, why the magnanimous Pracetasas engaged in penance in the waters of the sea.

彌勒說：

「偉大的聖人，您可以告訴我，為什麼寬宏大量的帕切塔薩斯要在海水中苦修。」

Parāśara said:—

The sons of Prācīnaverhis were originally informed by their father, who had been appointed as a patriarch, and whose mind was intent on multiplying mankind, that the had been respectfully enjoined by Brahmā, the god of gods, to labour to this end, and that he had promised obedience: “now therefore,” continued he, “do you, my sons, to oblige me, diligently promote the increase of the people, for the orders of the father of all creatures are entitled to respect.” The sons of the king, having heard their father's words, replied, “So be it;” but they then inquired of him, as he could best explain it, by what means they might accomplish the augmentation of mankind. He said to them; “Whoever worships Viṣṇu, the bestower of good, attains undoubtedly the object of his desires: there is no other mode. What further can I tell you? Adore therefore Govinda, who is Hari, the lord of all beings, in order to effect the increase of the human race, if you wish to succeed.

波羅奢羅說：

「普拉齊納維希斯 (Prācīnaverhis)的兒子們，最初是從他們的父親那裡得知的，他們的父親已被任命為國王，一心想繁衍人類，眾神之神梵天恭敬地命令他們為此而努力，並且他已承諾服從：

『因此，』

他繼續說道：

『我的兒子們，你們現在應該遵從我的命令，努力促進人口的增加，因為萬物之父的命令是值得尊重的。』

國王的兒子們聽了父親的話，回答說：

『就這樣吧。』

但隨後他們向他詢問，他能最好地解釋這一點，他們可以用什麼方法來實現人類的繁衍。他對他們說；

『凡崇拜賜福者維施努的人，必將實現其願望：別無他法。我還能告訴你什麼？因此，如果你想成功，就崇拜哈瑞（Hari），眾生之主戈文達（Govinda），以促進人類的繁衍。』 

The eternal Puruṣottama is to be propitiated by him who wishes for virtue, wealth, enjoyment, or liberation. Adore him, the imperishable, by whom, when propitiated, the world was first created, and mankind will assuredly be multiplied.”

「永恆的Puruṣottama(無上真人)會受到那些渴望獲得美德、財富、享受或解脫的人的安撫。崇拜他，永恆不朽，當他被安撫時，世界首先被創造出來，人類必將繁衍。

Thus instructed by their father, the ten Pracetasas plunged into the depths of the ocean, and with minds wholly devoted to Nārāyaṇa, the sovereign of the universe, who is beyond all worlds, were engrossed by religious austerity for ten thousand years: remaining there, they with fixed thoughts praised Hari, who, when propitiated, confers on those who praise him all that they desire.

「十位普拉切塔薩 (Pracetasas)在父親的教導下潛入海底，一心一意地崇拜宇宙主宰者、超越一切世界的那羅延那，苦行了一萬年。他們在那裡一心一意地讚頌著哈里，當哈里受到撫慰時，他會滿足那些讚頌他的人的一切願望

Maitreya said:—

The excellent praises that the Pracetasas addressed to Viṣṇu, whilst they stood in the deep, you, oh best of Munis, are qualified to repeat to me.

彌勒說：

「當普拉切塔薩 (Pracetasas)站在深處時，他們對維施努給予了極好的讚美。你..最優秀的牟尼，最能夠重複這些讚美給我聽。」

Parāśara said:—

Hear, Maitreya, the hymn which the Pracetasas, as they stood in the waters of the sea, sang of old to Govinda, their nature being identified with him:—

波羅奢羅說：

「彌勒，聽聽這首讚美詩，這是帕切塔薩人站在海水中，向戈文達唱的，他們的本性與戈文達相符：

“We bow to him whose glory is the perpetual theme of every speech; him first, him last; the supreme lord of the boundless world; who is primeval light; who is without his like; indivisible and infinite; the origin of all existent things, movable or stationary. To that supreme being who is one with time, whose first forms, though he be without form, are day and evening and night, be adoration. Glory to him, the life of all living things, who is the same with the moon, the receptacle of ambrosia, drunk daily by the gods and progenitors: to him who is one with the sun, the cause of heat and cold and rain, who dissipates the gloom, and illuminates the sky with his radiance: to him who is one with earth, all-pervading, and the asylum of smell and other objects of sense, supporting the whole world by its solidity. We adore that form of the deity Hari which is water, the womb of the world, the seed of all living beings. Glory to the mouth of the gods, the eater of the Havya; to the eater of the Kavya, the mouth of the progenitors; to Viṣṇu, who is identical with fire; to him who is one with air, the origin of ether, existing as the five vital airs in the body, causing constant vital action; to him who is identical with the atmosphere, pure, illimitable, shapeless, separating all creatures. Glory to Kṛṣṇa, who is Brahmā in the form of sensible objects, who is ever the direction of the faculties of sense. We offer salutation to that supreme Hari who is one with the senses, both subtle and substantial, the recipient of all impressions, the root of all knowledge: to the universal soul, who, as internal intellect, delivers the impressions received by the senses to soul: to him who has the properties of Prakriti; in whom, without end, rest all things; from whom all things proceed; and who is that into which all things resolve. We worship that Puruṣottoma, the god who is pure spirit, and who, without qualities, is ignorantly considered as endowed with qualities. We adore that supreme Brahma, the ultimate condition of Viṣṇu, unproductive, unborn, pure, void of qualities, and free from accidents; who is neither high nor low, neither bulky nor minute, has neither shape, nor colour, nor shadow, nor substance, nor affection, nor body; who is neither etherial nor susceptible of contact, smell, or taste; who has neither eyes, nor ears, nor motion, nor speech, nor breath, nor mind, nor name, nor race, nor enjoyment, nor splendour; who is without cause, without fear, without error, without fault, undecaying, immortal, free from passion, without sound, imperceptible, inactive, independent of place or time, detached from all investing properties; but (illusively) exercising irresistible might, and identified with all beings, dependent upon none. Glory to that nature of Viṣṇu which tongue can not tell, nor has eye beheld.”

「我們向祂致敬，祂的榮耀是每一次講說的永恆主題；

祂是最初，祂也是最後後；

無邊世界的至高主宰；

祂是原始之光；

祂是無與倫比的；

無形而無限；

所有現存事物的起源，無論是可移動的還是靜止的。對那位與時間合一的至高無上的存在，儘管他沒有形式，但他的最初形式是白天、傍晚和夜晚，值得崇拜。榮耀歸於他，所有生物的生命，他與月亮相同，是甘露的容器，每日被眾神和祖先飲用；

他與太陽合一，是熱、冷和雨的源頭，他驅散陰霾，用他的光芒照亮天空；

他與大地合一，無所不在，是嗅覺和其他感官對象的庇護所，以其堅固性支撐著整個世界。我們崇拜神哈里的化身，它是水、世界的子宮、所有生物的種子。榮耀歸於眾神的嘴，哈維亞的食者；

對於 Kavya 的食用者來說，這是祖先的嘴；

毘濕奴，與火相同；

對於與空氣合一的人來說，空氣是氣的起源，存在於身體的五種生命之氣中，引起持續的生命活動；

他與大氣完全相同，純粹、無限、無形，將所有生物分開。

榮耀歸於奎師那，祂是以可感知物體形式出現的梵天，祂永遠是感官能力的指引者。

我們向至高無上的哈利致敬，他與微妙和實質性的感官合一，是所有印象的接受者，是所有知識的根源；

向宇宙靈魂致敬，他作為內在的智慧，將感官接收到的印象傳遞給靈魂；

向具有 Prakriti 特性的人致敬；

萬物都在其中永無止境地安息；

萬物都源於他；

萬物皆歸於他；

萬物皆歸於他；

我們崇拜 Puruṣottoma，他是純粹的精神之神，他沒有任何品質，卻被無知地認為具有品質。我們崇拜至高無上的梵天，即毘濕奴的終極狀態，不生不滅，純潔無瑕，沒有任何品質，不受任何意外事故的影響；

無高無低，無大無小，無形無色，無影無體，無情無形，無身無體。既不是以太的，也不是可接觸、可嗅、可嚐的；沒有眼睛，沒有耳朵，沒有動作，沒有言語，沒有呼吸，沒有思想，沒有名字，沒有種族，沒有享受，沒有輝煌；無因、無畏、無謬論、無過失、不朽、不朽、無激情、無聲、不可察覺、不活動、無畏、無謬誤、無過失、不朽、不朽、無激情、無聲、不可察覺、不活動、獨立於地點或時間、不依賴所有的生物屬性；

榮耀歸於毘濕奴的本性，這是無法用言語形容，也無法用眼睛看見的。

Thus glorifying Viṣṇu, and intent in meditation on him, the Pracetasas passed ten thousand years of austerity in the vast ocean; on which Hari, being pleased with them, appeared to them amidst the waters, of the complexion of the full-blown lotus leaf. Beholding him mounted on the king of birds, Garuḍa, the Pracetasas bowed down their heads in devout homage; when Viṣṇu said to them, “Receive the boon you have desired; for I, the giver of good, am content with you, and am present.” The Pracetasas replied to him with reverence, and told him that the cause of their devotions was the command of their father to effect the multiplication of mankind. The god, having accordingly granted to them the object of their prayers, disappeared, and they came up from the water.

「就這樣，普拉切塔薩 (Pracetasas)們讚美毘濕奴，專心冥想祂，在浩瀚的海洋裏中度過了一萬年的苦行；哈里對他們很滿意，便在水中向他們顯現，其顏色如同盛開的蓮花葉。看到他騎在鳥王迦樓羅(金翅鳥)上，普拉切塔薩 (Pracetasas)們虔誠地低下頭表示敬意；毘濕奴對他們說：

『接受你們所渴望的恩惠吧；因為我——施恩者——對你們感到滿意，並且就在你們身邊。』

普拉切塔薩兄弟恭敬地回答了他，並告訴他，他們虔誠的原因是他們的父親命令人類繁衍。神應允了他們的祈求後就消失了，他們則從水中浮出水面。」