See for the online version with illustrations, music and links to the previous translation: http://bhagavata.org/
S'RÎMAD BHÂGAVATAM
"The story of the fortunate one"
CANTO 5:
The Creative Impetus
Chapter 1 The Activities of Mahârâja Priyavrata
Chapter 2 The Activities of Mahârâja Âgnîdhra
Chapter 3 Rishabhadeva's Appearance in the Womb of Merudevî, the Wife of King Nâbhi.
Chapter 4 The Characteristics of Rishabhadeva
Chapter 5 Lord Rishabhadeva's Teachings to His Sons
Chapter 6 Lord Rishabhadeva's Activities
Chapter 7 The Activities of King Bharata
Chapter 8 The Rebirth of Bharata Mahârâja
Chapter 9 The Supreme Character of Jada Bharata
Chapter 10 Jada Bharata meets Mahârâja Rahûgana
Chapter 11 Jada Bharata Instructs King Rahûgana
Chapter 12 The Conversation Between Mahârâja Rahûgana and Jada Bharata
Chapter 13 Further talks Between Mahârâja Rahûgana and Jada Bharata
Chapter 14 The Material World as the Great Forest of Enjoyment
Chapter 15 The Glories of the Descendants of King Priyavrata
Chapter 16 How the Lord can be Comprehended as a Matter of Fact.
Chapter 17 The Descent of the River Ganges
Chapter 18 Prayers to the different Avatâras
Chapter 19 The Prayers of Hanumân and Nârada and the Glories of Bhârata-varsha
Chapter 20 The structure of the Different Dvîpas and the Prayers by their Different Peoples
Chapter 21 The Reality of the Sungod Sûrya
Chapter 22 The movement of the Planets and their Considered Effects
Chapter 23 Description of the Stars of S'is'umâra, our Coiling Galaxy
Chapter 24 The Nether Worlds
Chapter 25 The Glories of Lord Ananta
Chapter 26 The Hellish Worlds or the Karmic Rebound
This book relates the story of the Lord and His Incarnations since the earliest records of the vedic history. It is verily the Krishna-Bible of the Hindu-universe. The Bhâgavad Gîtâ compares to it like the sermon on the mountain by Lord Jesus to the full Bible. It has 18.000 verses and consists of 12 books also called cantos. These books tell the complete history of the vedic culture with the essence of all its classical stories called purânas and includes the cream of the vedic knowledge compiled from all the literatures as well as the story of the life of Lord Krishna in full (canto 10). It tells about His birth, His youth, all His wonderful proofs of His divine nature and the superhuman feats of defeating all kinds of demons up to the great Mahâbhârat war at Kurukshetra. It is a brilliant story that has been brought to the West by Swami Bhaktivedânta Prabhupâda, a Caitanya Vaishnava, a bhakti (devotional) monk of Lord Vishnu [the name for the transcendental form of Lord Krishna] who undertook the daring task of enlightening the materialist westerners as well as the advanced philosophers and theologians, in order to help them to overcome the perils and loneliness of impersonalism and the philosophy of emptiness.
For the translation the author of this internet-version has used the translation of Swami Prabhupâda. As an âcârya [guru teaching by example] from the age-old indian vaishnava tradition he represents the reformation of the devotion for God the way it was practiced in India since the 16th century. This reformation contends that the false authority of the caste-system and single dry bookwisdom is to be rejected. Lord Krishna-Caitanya, the avatâra [an incarnation of the Lord] who heralded this reform, restored the original purpose of developing devotion for God and endeavored especially for the sacred scripture expounding on the devotion relating to Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This scripture is this bhâgavata purâna from which all the vaishnava-âcâryas derived their wisdom for the purpose of instruction and the shaping of their devotion. The word for word translations as well as the full text and commentaries of this book were studied within and without the Hare Krishna temples of learning in as well India, Europe as in America. The purpose of the translation is first of all to make this glorious text available for a wider audience over the Internet. Since the Bible, the Koran and numerous other Holy texts are readily available, the author meant that this book could not stay behind on the shelf of his own bookcase as a token of material possessiveness. Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost, and certainly this type of knowledge which stresses the yoga of non-possessiveness and devotion as one of its main values could not be left out. The version of Prabhupâda Swami is very extensive covering some 2400 pages of plain fine printed text including his commentaries. And that was only the first ten cantos. The remaining two cantos were posthumously published by his pupils in the full of his spirit. Thus the author was faced with two daring challenges: one was to make a readable running narrative of the book - that had been dissected to the single word - and second to put it into a language that would befit the 21th century with all its modern and postmodern experience and digital progress to the world order without losing anything of its original verses. Thus another verse to verse as-it-is translation came about in which Prabupâda's words were retranslated and set to the understanding and realization I myself acquired. This realization came directly from the disciplic line of succession of the Vaishnava line of âcâryas (teachers) as well as from a realization of the total field of indian philosophy of enlightenment and yoga discipline as was brought to the West by also non-vaishnava guru's and maintained by their pupils. Therefore the author has to express his gratitude to all these great heroes who dared to face the adamantine of western philosophy with all its doubts, concreticism and skepticism. Especially the pupils of Prabhupâda, members of the renounced order (sannyâsîs) who instructed the author in the independence and maturity of the philosophy of the bhakti-yogis of Lord Caitanya need to be mentioned. The author was already initiated in India by a non-vaishnav guru and been given the name of Swami Anand Aadhar ("teacher of the foundation of happiness"). That name the Krishna community converted into Anand Aadhar Prabhu (master of the foundation of happiness) without further ceremonies of vaishnav' initiation (apart from a basic training). Anand Aadhar is a withdrawn devotee, a so-called vânaprashta, who does his devotional service independently in the silence and modesty of his own local adaptations of the philosophy.
The spelling of Sanskrit names has here and there been adapted because of the absence of the suitable Sanskrit signs on the keyboard so that e.g. where normally a flat stripe was placed above the letters a ^accent is placed. It means that one has to choose for two letters where one is written, or that one has to pause pronunciating the word at that place. Also the name Krishna has been spelled this way as Krishna and rsi (=wise) as rishi. Normally the word for word translations of Prabhupâda have been taken as they were given in the translations of Prabhupâda, be it that here and there some words, because of their multiple meanings have lead to slightly different translations. E.g. the word loka means as well planet as place as world. Between square brackets [] sometimes a little comment and extra info is given to accommodate the reader when the original text is drawing from a more experienced approach. The original running text of Prabhupâda is linked up at each verse so that it is possible to retrace what the author has done with the text. This is according the scientific tradition of the Vaishnava-community. For the tenth Canto more verse-to-verse loyal translations of a former pupil of Prabhupâda (S'rî Hayesvar das) and Prabhupâda's godbrothers/pupils have been used [including their word for word translation] next to the translation of Prabhupâda, as for this volume [but not the eleventh canto] the word-for-word translations had been omitted and replaced by a more elaborate description of the text. The twelfth canto was drawn in reference to the work of only the ISKCON pupils of Prabhupâda who completed his work. Further was throughout the concatenation process of this version the so called Shastri-version of the Bhâgavatam (from the Gîtâ Press, Gorakpur) as extant with the common Himdu in India itself used as a reference and second opinion.
For the copyright on this translation is settled for the so-called ShareAlike copyright. This means that one is free to copy and alter the text on the condition of attribution (name of Anand aadhar and link to this website bhagavata.org) and that one is free from commercial use. For all other usage one will have to contact the author.
With love and devotion, Anand Aadhar Prabhu, Enschede, The Netherlands, 02-10-2009.
The Activities of Mahârâja Priyavrata
(1) The King said: 'Why, o sage, was Priyavrata, the great devotee of contentment with the soul, so happy to stay at home, that place which is the root cause of bondage in karma and the betrayal of transcendence? (2) Such a thing as indulgence in family-affairs, o wisest of the twice-born, is for sure not possible with persons who are free from attachments. (3) It suffers no doubt that the consciousness of great souls that is satiated by the shade of the feet of the Lord praised in the verses, is there never in attachment to kith and kin. (4) This I greatly doubt, o brahmin: how can on account of the forces of wife, home, children and so on, perfection and an unfailing determination unto Krishna come about?'
(5) S'rî S'uka said: 'What you said about the nectarean honey of the glorification of the lotuslike feet of the Lord of the scriptures, the pleasing in which the hearts of liberated persons and the devotees are absorbed, is correct; even though they're sometimes checked by impediments, do they as good as never give up their most exalted position. (6) Because, indeed, o King, prince Priyavrata was a supreme devotee became he, in service of Nârada's feet, quickly aware of the complete truth of the transcendental subject matter, continuously discussing the spiritual in dedicated zeal without deviating from the sum total of the highest qualities as directed in the scriptures. He was asked by his father to rule over the surface of the earth, but because of having such a love for the with all his senses and actions in yoga being absorbed in the all-pervading of the Supreme Lord, did he not welcome it, although that post for no reason could be refused by him as surely deterioration could be foreseen if he would deal any other way with the untrue. (7) So it happened that the Lord and first among the demigods [Brahmâ] surrounded by all his personal associates and the Vedas, descended from his abode; he who is always thinking of the welfare of the whole of this universal creation of the three modes and of whom one knows the ultimate purpose of the Universe as being the Supreme Soul from which he himself found his existence. (8) When he reached the vicinity of the Gandhamâdana Mountains [where Priyavrata was meditating] was he, under the cover of the sky, alike the moon illumined by the stars, left and right flanked by the leaders of the demigods, who from their heavenly carriers worshiped him all the way, as also one after the other in groups did the perfect ones, the inhabitants of heaven, the refined, the singers and the sages [respectively the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, the Câranas, the Sâdhyas and the Munis]. (9) There rose the devarishi [Nârada], recognizing the swan-carrier of his almighty father Lord Hiranyagarbha [Brahmâ], together with Priyavrata and his father immediately to their feet to worship him with respect with their hands folded and with all the paraphernalia. (10) O son of Bhârata, as the Lord was confronted with all the articles of worship according the customs and as his qualities were praised in high language in gratitude for the glory of his descendent, addressed he, the original person of the universe, Priyavrata, with a compassionate smile looking at him.
(11) The great Lord said: 'Pay attention to the true I'm telling you, you should not be jealous with the Godhead who is beyond our powers of control; we, Lord S'iva, your father and this great Rishi [Nârada], all, not being able to deviate, carry out His orders. (12) No living entity in acceptance of a material body can escape His order; not by austerity, nor by education, not by yoga, nor by one's strength or intelligence and for sure never either by one's opulence, the virtue of one's duty, by an external power or by any personal endeavor. (13) Directed by the unseen, do the living entities accept it with a material body to be bound to birth, death, sadness, illusion, constant fear, happiness and distress and to whatever they should do according their karma. (14) In our being tied to the modes and the fruitive labor so difficult to avoid [within the varnâs'rama system], my son, are we, like the four-legged ones [like bulls] by the nose bound to the two-legged [driver], tied to the long rope of vedic instruction and all engaged in carrying out the orders meant to please the Controller. (15) Like blind men led by someone with eyes do we, my dearest, inevitably have to accept the distress or happiness associated with the qualities and the work that belong to the condition we are situated in with the body that our Protector gave us. (16) Even a liberated person must for the time of his life maintain his body that was obtained as a result of the past, accepting unmistaken that what he went through as one who has awakened from sleep; but for another material body [a repeated birth] he would never give in to the material qualities. (17) When even residing in the forest there must be the fear of being bewildered because of living with the six co-wives [of the mind and the five senses], what harm indeed could household life then do to such a self-satisfied, learned one who has conquered the senses? (18) Anyone who has entered a householder's life must first of all eagerly try to conquer the six adversaries so that, as soon as - as from a fortified place - he has decreased the very strong enemies of the lusty desires, he as a man of experience can go wherever he likes. (19) You then, having taken to the shelter of the stronghold of the cavity of the lotusfeet of Him whose navel is alike a lotus, and having conquered the six enemies, enjoy in this world everything there is to be enjoyed, finding yours in being liberated from attachments in your position, through these special orders of the Original Person.'
(20) S'rî S'uka said: 'The great devotee of the mighty Lord who is the spiritual master of the three worlds, thus fully instructed, as a subordinate soul bowed his head down upon his order and said: 'Yes sir, so will it, with all respect, be carried out'. (21) The great Lord, also by Manu duly respected as he deserves, with Priyavrata and Nârada in peace taking notice, then returned to his abode, departing for the place above all places which is indescribable and unfatomable. (22) Manu thus, also with his support, executed what he had in mind and with the permission of Nârada by his son establishing the maintenance of the protection of all worlds in the entire universe, found he personally relief from the desires of the so very dangerous, poisonous ocean of material affairs. (23) So indeed as ordered by the Controller, was he [Manu's son, Priyavrata], fully engaged in material affairs as the emperor of the universe, by constant meditation on the two lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the Original Person of whom the influence of transcendence destroys all bondage, fully engaged in material affairs as the emperor of the universe completely pure with all dirt washed out of his heart and ruled he the material world just to honor the great ones. (24) He afterwards also married the daughter Barhishmatî of Vis'vakarmâ, one of the founding fathers and begot in her gloriously a daughter who as the youngest of all carried the name Ûrjasvatî, as well as ten sons, whose magnanimity was exactly alike his in character, qualities, course of action, beauty and prowess. (25) The sons all got the names of Agni, the god of fire: Âgnîdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabâhu, Mahâvîra, Hiranyaretâ, Ghritaprishthha, Savana, Medhâtithi, Vîtihotra and Kavi. (26) Three of them, Kavi, Mahâvîra and Savana were celibates from the inner drive who, living in transcendental knowledge right from the beginning of their childhood, were well conversant with the highest spiritual perfection, of wich they free from doubts kept the order [the paramahamsa-âs'rama]. (27) In that so confidently kept renounced order of life (*) resides the sum total of all great sages who are there for the individual souls who, anxious about their material existence, take to the lotusfeet of the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva who is the only shelter. In constant remembrance perceived they, by virtue of the supreme of the yoga of devotion, free from contaminations purified, within their hearts the Supreme Lord of all beings as situated within themselves, thereby directly realizing their souls as being qualitatively equal, as being non-different from the Supersoul. (28) It was in another wife that he also begot three sons named Uttama, Tâmasa and Raivata who so became rulers of the Manu period [that is 71 mahâyugas long]. (29) Endowed with powerful arms of prowess and strength who together pulled the bowstring loudly defeating all who opposed the righteous rule, became they, all his well qualified sons, masters of the universe and thus was there without interruption for a 110 million years the expansion of Priyavrata's rule as a great soul, a soul who of his wife Barhishmatî her amiability, femininity, shyness, coy, laughs and glances and exchanges of love [in his repeated births] enjoyed a life of pleasure; but in his true knowledge was he defeated by it like a less intelligent one. (30) Not appreciating that the sun-god, as long as he circumambulated Mount Meru, lit up one side of the earth and left the other half in the dark, said he who in his worship of the Fortunate One was of a superhuman power: 'I'll make the night as brilliant as the day', and to that he followed in a chariot the orbit of the sun, which he, like a second sun, performed ecactly seven times and with the same speed. (31) His proceeding that way with the wheels of his chariot was, making trenches with the rims, responsible for bringing about the seven oceans which divided the heavenly sphere around the earth [Bhû-mandala] in the seven islands [the cosmic planetary realms]. (32) Known as Jambû, Plaksha, S'âlmali, Kus'a, Krauñca, S'âka and Pushkara measures each of them twice the size of the preceding one and was there, all around outside of them, that what they produced. (33) The seven oceans that like trenches to the seven islands inside of them were filled with salt water, sugercane-juice, liquor, fluid butter, milk, fluid yogurt and sweet water, were of an equal proportion to the islands they enclosed at the outside, the separate islands that one after the other to the number of seven were situated in a row all around. To each of the islands installed the husband of Barhishmatî as their rulers one of his faithful sons of which there were also seven: Âgnîdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabâhu, Hiranyaretâ, Ghritaprishthha, Medhâtithi and Vîtihotra.
(34) What he also did was to give the daughter named Ûrjasvatî to the great sage Us'anâ [S'ukrâcârya] unto whom was born a daughter named Devayânî. (35) Of no surprise is to the devotees the personal influence of the One of the Great Steps [Urukrama, see 1.3: 20] by the lotusfeet of which the sixfold material whip [of hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death] is conquered, when a fifth-class person [an outcaste] only once uttering His holy name immediately gives up his material bondage. (36) He [Priyavrata] thus unparalleled in strength and influence, who once surrendered himself to the feet of the devarishi [Nârada] but thereafter fell down because of his concerns with the modes of matter not finding satisfaction [compare 1-5: 17], then, thinking about himself, in a spirit of renunciation said this: (37) 'Alas, I did wrong for I was completely absorbed by the nescience of a sensual life; the dark well of material pleasure made me guilty of a lot of distress making me look like a dancing monkey, insignificant and of no importance, in the hands of my wife; doomed and damned I am indeed!', thus he criticized himself. (38) By the self-realization obtained through the mercy of the God Beyond, handing over the earth to his sons who followed him exactly, dividing the inheritance he enjoyed in so many ways, with the queen and the great opulence giving up the deadness of his body and with himself in his heart in perfect surrender taking to the renunciation, he with that attitude was sure to again put himself on the right track in combination with the stories of the Lord at the feet of that greatest of saints Nârada. (39) To him apply all these verses: 'What was done by Priyavrata no one could have done except for the Supreme Controller', 'By the impressions of the rims of the wheels of his chariot he dissipated the darkness, creating the seven seas'. (40) 'To stop the fighting of the different nations on the various continents was it he who created the situation in the world of the separation by means of rivers, mountain ranges and forests [compare 4.14: 45-46] and such.' (41) 'He was the one most dear on the path after the Original Person; he was the one to whom all opulence of the lower worlds, the heavens or the earth, as acquired by fruitive action and the power of yoga, was just like hell.'
*: There are four stages in accepting the renounced order: 1) Kuthîcaka: one stays outside one's village in a cottage, and one's necessities, especially one's food, are supplied from home, 2) Bahûdaka: one no longer accepts anything from home: instead, one, mâdhukarî, with the "profession of the bumblebees", collects one's necessities, especially one's food, from many places 3) Parivrâjakâcârya: one travels all over the world to preach the glories of Lord Vâsudeva collecting one's necessities, especially one's food, from many places, and 4) Paramahamsa: he finishes his preaching work and sits down in one place, strictly for the sake of advancing in spiritual life.
The Activities of Mahârâja Âgnîdhra
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When thus his father took to the path of liberation and Âgnîdhra according his order took his place, protected he, strictly observing the principles, the citizens, the inhabitants of Jambûdvîpa, as if they were his children. (2) Once, desiring a woman from the realm of the godly, became he at the foot of the mountains, to his forefathers having gathered all the necessities for the service, immersed in the mind of the repentant, engaged in austerities and was he of worship for the master, the highest power of creation in the universe [Lord Brahmâ].
(3) Understanding that sent the almighty Lord, the first person of the universe, down from his abode the celestial girl, the Apsara Pûrvacitti. (4) Strolling around in the woods could she thus be found in that place of meditation, which was very beautiful with its dense variety of trees with masses of high reaching, golden creepers attached to the branches. In the clear waters of the lotus-filled lake there, sang she along with the vibrations of the pleasant sounds of the communicating pairs of the land birds and water birds like ducks, swans and such. (5) The son of the god of men then, in the ecstasy of his yoga, heard the pleasant sounds of her ankle bells that tinkled with every step of her so very attractive way of moving playfully around and, with his half open lotusbud-shaped eyes looking up, he spotted her. (6) Nearby, like a honeybee indeed smelling the beautiful flowers, did she by the pleasure derived from her playful movements, shy glances and humility, her sweet voice and her limbs, to the eyes and mind of as well normal men as the men of heaven, pave the way for the flower-bearing god of love. The goddess was stunning with the pleasure of hearing the sweet nectar pouring out of her smiling and talking mouth, the sight of the hasty, stylish, little movements of her feet to the intoxicated bees surrounding her, the movements of her jug-like breasts, the weight of her hips, the braids of her hair and the belt around her waist. By the mere sight of the goddess brought fully under the control of the almighty Cupid, seized he the opportunity of addressing her.
(7) 'Who are you and what are you up to on this hill, o choice of the munis; are you some illusory appearance of the Supreme Lord, our God in the beyond, with your two bows without strings [her eyebrows] that you are carrying with you; is it for your own sake or for a friend that you are here, or are you trying to hunt down the mad animals in this forest? (8) These two arrows [these eyes] of you o magical one, that have feathers like lotus petals, have no shaft and are peaceful and very beautiful; who is it in this forest that you, loitering around, want to pierce with their sharp points; may your prowess be there for the welfare of all of us who, dull-headed, fail to understand! (9) These followers around you [the bees] o worshipable one, are, enjoying the resort of your tresses of hair and the lots of flowers falling from them, incessantly singing all reciting unto the Lord the Sâmaveda and the Upanishad, as if they're sages of respect for the branches of the Veda. (10) From the resounding vibration alone of your ankle bells I can very distinctly hear the tittiri birds, o one of Brahmâ, without seeing their form; did you dress at all, the way I see your beautiful round hips with the lovely color of kadamba flowers and around them a belt red as burning cinders. (11) What is it that fills the two horns, o heavenly appearance of beauty, that you carry to your slim waist? What do they contain that is so attractive to my eyes? And what is that fragrant red powder on the two of them with which you, o fortunate one, are perfuming my spiritual resort? (12) Please show me where you live, o dearest friend; where was a person like you with such wonderful limbs born? For a person like me are the many wonders of your lovely words and inviting gestures, that are as sweet as nectar to the mouth, something very arousing. (13) And what do you live on, chewing the betel of the sacrifices [a red palatable nut], my best? You must have originated as a part of Vishnu, with your two wide open brilliant sharks of eyes and your ears with their restless fish-shaped earrings, the rows of your beautiful teeth and your face alike a lake amidst the swarm of the bees around you. (14) My eyes are restlessly moving in all directions, distracted by the ball struck by your lotus palm. Don't you care about your curls of hair hanging loose? Is that lower garment of you not giving you trouble taken up by the wind like a man does interested in a woman? (15) O beauty, treasure of the sages, by what austerity managed you to unsettle so unfailing this way indeed the penance of all who retired? You should practice the forsaking with me, o friend, for maybe are you, with the creator of the created [Brahmâ] being pleased with me, there meant for me. (16) I won't give up on you, upon whom, being given by the god of spiritual rebirth, I have fixed my mind and eyes; I won't leave you and will keep you close to me, o beauty of the breasts; lead me as you wish, as I am your follower, wherever that your finest of friends might be following you.
(17) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus very expert in winning over women catered he, with the intelligence of the gods, with flattery to the heavenly girl her appetite and gained he her favor. (18) She in her mind attracted to also the intelligence, manners, beauty, youth, opulence and magnanimity of him, that master among the heroes, enjoyed for an endless, countless number of years all earthly and heavenly pleasures, spending time with him being the king of Jambûdvîpa. (19) In her managed he, Âgnîdhra, the best of kings, to beget nine sons named Nâbhi, Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilâvrita, Ramyaka, Hiranmaya, Kuru, Bhadras'va and Ketumâla. (20) After she year after year had given birth to her sons, left Pûrvacitti home to be sure that she would turn back to the god unborn. (21) By virtue of their mother obtained the sons of Âgnîdhra strong, well-built bodies and divided the father, to each his name, properly the different parts of Jambûdvîpa [probably the Eurasian continent] to be ruled by them. (22) Âgnîdhra, the king, not quite satisfied in his desires and thinking every day more and more about her, got by the Vedas promoted to that place of her, where the forefathers are living in delight. (23) After the departure of their father married the nine brothers the nine daughters of Meru named Merudevî, Pratirûpâ, Ugradamshthrî, Latâ, Ramyâ, S'yâmâ, Nârî, Bhadra and Devavîti.
Rishabhadeva's Appearance in the Womb of Merudevî, the Wife of King Nâbhi.
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Nâbhi, the son of Âgnîdhra, desiring to have sons with Merudevî who was childless, with great attention offered prayers in worship of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices. (2) When he assuredly with great faith and devotion and a pure mind was worshiping, manifested the Supreme Lord out of His love to fulfill the desires of His devotees, Himself in His most beautiful, unconquerable form that is pleasing to the mind and eyes with its captivating beautiful limbs, although that could not be achieved with the introductory pravargya ceremony as was initiated, and the ingredients, the right place and time, the hymns, the priests, the gifts to the priests and by means of the regulative principles themselves. (3) After He manifested Himself most obviously in His four-handed form very bright, as the topmost of all living beings, with a yellow silk garment and the beauty of the S'rîvatsa mark He has on His chest, His conchshell, lotus flower, disc, flower garland, the Kaustubha-jewel and His club and such as are characteristic for Him, and radiating brilliantly with the helmet, earrings, bracelets, girdle, necklace, armlets, ankle bells etc. that ornamented His body, felt king Nâbhi, the priests and the others themselves like poor people having obtained a great treasure and with great regards and everything of worship they reverentially bent their heads. (4-5) The priests said: 'Please accept again and again, o most exalted one, the offering in worship of our respects, the obeisances of us, Your servants. Thus we are able to act thus far being instructed by the exalted ones; what man, whose mind not in the least capable is absorbed in the transformations of material nature, is capable of ascertaining, of the Supreme Controller above the influence of the material world, all the names, forms and qualities belonging to His position here! By most auspiciously speaking of the excellence of Your transcendental qualities, which wipe out all the sinful actions of mankind, we may know You but partially. (6) It is by the worship indeed of Your servants, who in great ecstasy with faltering voices do their prayers, performing with water, fresh twigs of green, tulasî leaves and sprouts of grass, that You become satisfied. (7) Everything else of all the concern here about the things of use required in this, we acknowledge, is because of Your greatness not even needed. (8) All the spiritual virtues - Your actual identity - self-sufficiently, undoubtedly at every moment, directly and without ever stopping do increase endlessly; but, o Lord, the always desiring of us in this for the blessings of material pleasure, may only exist for the purpose of obtaining Your grace. (9) Although You, personally, by the abundance of Your causeless mercy and glory desiring to lay open the spiritual path [called apavarga], have come here and are presently seen like one can see any ordinary person, do we fall short in our worship for You for we, o Lord of lords, are as fools ignorant about that ultimate welfare of You. (10) This then, because of in this sacrifice of the saintly king Nâbhi having become, o Lordship, o best of the benefactors, the object of the vision of us Your devotees, is no doubt the greatest benediction indeed, o most worshipable One. (11) You are to them, of whom the endless impurity, having attained Your qualities, has been removed by the strength of detachment and the fire of knowledge, You are to those sages who self-satisfied, incessantly recounted all the good of You in telling Your stories, the supreme bliss produced. (12) Still we somehow or other stumble along, hungrily fall down and yawn because of feeling misplaced and so on, and also are we of ourselves unable to remember You in the fever of our deathstruggle; may it be possible that we utter Your names and speak of Your activities and attributes, for they have the potency to drive away all our sins. (13) Moreover aspires this pious king to be blessed by You with offspring, a son that he hopes to be exactly like You: a supreme controller of the benedictions of heaven and the path leading there; even though this king with You, the great love of the worship, with his idea of children as the ultimate goal of life, behaves like a poor man who asks a person of wealth and charity for a little grain. (14) Who, without respect for the feet of the great ones, is within this world of Yours not conquered by the unconquerable illusory energy of which one cannot find the path; who is in his intelligence not bewildered by the material enjoyment that is like poison; who is in his nature not checked by that stream? (15) Because of indeed Your again being invited in this arena of sacrifice as the performer of many wonders - please tolerate out of Your sameness to all and everything therefore us, the ignorant ones, who, not very intelligent of disrespect for the divinity of You as the God of Gods, are aspiring a material outcome.'
(16) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Supreme Lord, the lead of the wise, thus extolled by the unbound recitation performed by them to whose feet even the emperor of Bhâratavarsha [India] bowed down, then spoke. (17) The Supreme Lord said: 'Alas, pleased as I am by you o sages whose words are all true, is that benediction you have been asking for - that there may be a son of Nâbhi that is like Me -, a thing most difficult to achieve; being One without a second am I the only one equal to Me, but nevertheless, with the brahminical of what you said not being false, ought that of Me to come true, for it was voiced by the divinity of the class of the twice-born. (18) Since there's no one equal to Me to be found, shall I therefore by personal expansion into a plenary portion of Myself, advent in the wife of Âgnîdhra's son.'
(19) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus having spoken to the husband in the presence of Merudevî, disappeared the Supreme Lord. (20) O grace of Vishnu [Parîkchit], in order to please King Nâbhi did the Supreme Lord, this way being propitiated by the best of the wise, appear in the original form of pure goodness of an avatâra in his wife Merudevî, in a desire to show the great of the renounced, the withdrawn and the studious order [the sannyâsîs, the vânaprasthas and the brahmacârîs] the ways of the principles of dharma [righteousness, the religion, the true nature].
The Characteristics of Rishabhadeva
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'From the beginning of His appearance distinguished He Himself [as the son of king Nâbhi, see previous chapter and 2.7: 10] in having all the characteristics of the Supreme Lord as being equalminded to all, being of perfect peace and renunciation and having all power and the great attributes, therewith day after day increasing in His effect in a great desire to rule over ministers, citizens, the brahmins, the godly and the whole surface of the earth. (2) Thus for certain most exalted in as well his bodily features as in having all the qualities as described by the poets, did the father thus give Him because of His prowess, strength, beauty, fame, influence and heroism, the name Rishabha, the best one. (3) King Indra who turned out to be very envious with His greatness did not permit any rain to fall down on the land below the Himâlaya's; the Supreme Lord Rishabhadeva who knew that, smiled over it as the master of yoga and made, by the power of His spiritual self, the waters fall down on His place that was called Ajanâbha. (4) By His independent will had He, the Supreme Lordship and oldest, Original Person through His deluding power bewildered the mind of King Nâbhi who to his desire no doubt had gotten the most beautiful son, and that made him, overwhelmed by an excess of great jubilation, from his ecstasy with a faltering voice with great affection say: 'my dear son, my darling', as he achieved transcendental bliss in raising Him. (5) Knowing well of the popularity of His serving the citizens and the state, enthroned King Nâbhi, in his desire to protect the people strictly to the principle, his son, entrusting him to the brahmins. With Merudevî performed he in Badarikâs'rama with great satisfaction and skill austerities, fully absorbed in yoga worshiping Nara-Nârâyana, the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva by which he in the course of time reached His glorious abode.
(6) O son of Pându [Parîkchit, see family tree], of him in fact are two verses recited: 'What man following the example of the pious king Nâbhi can do what he did and by the pure of his actions receive the Supreme Personality of God for his son?' and (7) 'Is there besides Nâbhi any other devotee of the brahmins who in worship satisfying them in the sacrificial arena, by dint of their devotional service was granted the presence of the Supreme Enjoyer of all sacrifices?'.
(8) The Supreme Lord Rishabha then, accepting His kingdom as His field of work, set an example in living with the spiritual master, giving gifts upon achieving and, as was demanded by the guru, took upon Him the duties of a householder. Thus, being married to Jayantî who had been offered to Him by Indra, He taught by example performing both the types of work as mentioned in the scriptures [of defending the religion and fighting injustice], begetting a hundred sons [with her and with co-wives or via his sons with daughters in law] that were exactly like Him. (9) Of them was indeed the eldest, Bharata, a great practitioner of yoga; he had the best qualities and it was he of whom this land was called Bhârata-varsha by the people. (10) After him followed Kus'âvarta, Ilâvarta, Brahmâvarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprik, Vidarbha and Kîkatha who were the elder ones of the ninety-nine other sons. (11-12) Of the latter were Kavi, Havi, Antariksha, Prabuddha, Pippalâyana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhâjana nine highly advanced devotees who defended the truth of this Bhâgavatam; of their good characters evincing the glories of the Lord, I will later on [in Canto 11] give a colorful account in relating the conversation between Vâsudeva and Nârada which brings the mind the fullest satisfaction. (13) The eighty-one younger sons of Jayantî were, following the order of their father, well cultured with a great command of the scriptural truths and had a great expertise in the performance of sacrifices; very pure in their actions, they became great brahmins.
(14) The Supreme Lord named Rishabha was indeed a completely independent Controller full of transcendental bliss who personally was always free from the unwanted; by executing strict to the tradition, did He, teaching the ignorant of whom in the course of time just the opposite in neglect of the religion is found, equipoised and unperturbed, friendly and merciful, for the people in general regulate the eternal of righteousness and economy so that they could achieve reputation, offspring and pleasure in household life [compare B.G. 4: 13]. (15) Whatever is done by leading personalities is followed by the people in general [see also B.G 3: 21]. (16) Although He knew of the confidential purport of the different vedic duties on the path of the brahmins, ruled He [as a kshatriya] over the people by means of controlled senses, a controlled mind and by tolerance. (17) Along with the necessities according the place and the time ascertained He, aided by the good [tender] age and faith of the priests worshipping the different gods for different purposes, as is prescribed, Himself a hundred times of all kinds of ceremonial sacrifices. (18) Being protected by the Supreme Lordship of Rishabha fostered no one on this planet, not even the most common man, the smallest desire for whatever, whenever, nor for himself nor from anyone else, just as one would never think of something that doesn't exist; all one cared about was an innerly ever increasing, great affection for the one pulling the weight. (19) When He, the Supreme Lord, once toured around and reached the holy land of Brahmâvarta [between the rivers the Sarasvatî and Drishadvatî to the N. W. of Hastinâpura] did he, overheard by the citizens in a meeting of the best of the brahmins, say the following to his attentive and well-behaved sons, lecturing to them despite of the fact that they excelled in self-control and devotion.
Lord Rishabhadeva's Teachings to His Sons
(1) Lord Rishabha said: 'My dear sons: This body, carried by all within this material world, does not deserve the troublesome of the sense gratification of dogs and hogs, but is worth the trouble of the austerities and penances for the sake of the divine from which the heart finds its purification and then an unending spiritual happiness is achieved. (2) Serving the great ones, one says, is the way of liberation and to seek the association of the ones who are attached to women is the way of the dungeon, of darkness; the highly advanced are people who in the spiritual have an equal regard for all, they are situated in peace, do not feel offended, wish all the best and know how to behave. (3) Those who in relating to Me, their Lord, are eager to develop love* , and who to people, who interested in the maintenance of their body are fond of their home, wife, children, wealth or friends, are not so attached, they collect from and take to the world only as far as is needed. (4) Indeed, I think that the madly being engaged with the performance of unwanted deeds for the satisfaction of the senses, which, despite of the misery it gives, made this temporary existence of the body possible, does not befit the soul. (5) As long as there is the defeat resulting from ignorance, as long as one is not inquiring about the reality of the soul, as long as one's mind is absorbed in fruitive activities, is one factually caught in one's karma from which there is the bondage to this material body. (6) When the soul is thus covered by ignorance, acts the mind to the reign of fruitive activities for as long as unto Me, Vâsudeva, there is no love; as long as that is the case is one not delivered from one's being united with a physical frame. (7) Even when one as a man of learning does not see how useless the endeavor to satisfy the senses is, will one very soon get mad being forgetful in one's self-interest and become a fool finding nothing but material miseries in a life at home that is based on sexual intercourse. (8) Of the sexual attraction between man and woman are both their hearts tied to one another and thereafter do they call for a home, privacy, children, wealth and relatives; this is the illusion of the living being known as 'I' and 'mine'. (9) When the mind, the strong knot in the heart of such a person bound by the results of his deeds in the past, is slackened; turns at that time the conditioned one away from his misconception of "I", and does he, giving it up, liberated go to the transcendental world that is the original cause. (10-13) By following a spiritually advanced person, a guru; in devotional service unto Me, by not desiring, in being of tolerance with the dual world and as well by inquiring and by realizing the truth of the miseries of the living being everywhere; by practicing austerities and penances and giving up on sensual pleasures; by working for Me, listening to stories about Me as also by always keeping company with the devoted; by singing about My qualities; by being without enmity, by being equal to all, by subduing one's emotions, o sons; by desiring to give up on the identification with one's home and body, by studying the yoga literatures; by living solitary, by fully controlling the breath, the senses and the mind; by developing faith, by always observing celibacy, by being ever vigilant, by restraint of speech; by thinking of Me, seeing Me everywhere; by developing knowledge, wisdom and by being illumined by the practice of yoga; by patience, enthusiasm and endowed with goodness and benevolence, one can give up the false identification with the material world, the cause of material bondage. (14) Becoming completely free from desiring the profit, should one by this practice of yoga as I have told you taking care of the knot of bondage in the heart brought about by ignorance, [further] desist from the means of liberation. (15) The king or guru to his sons or disciples who, desiring My abode, thinks that reaching Me is the goal of life, should in this manner, free from anger, give instruction; when one misses the spiritual knowledge one should not engage for fruitive actions - for what can a man simply piously or impiously working for the profit achieve? In fact he will cause the ones whose vision is clouded, to fall down in the pit [compare B.G. 3: 26]. (16) People who personally have lost sight of the path of auspiciousness and who are obsessed in their desiring the goods, run envious of one another for the sake of temporary happiness into unlimited sufferings and have foolish enough no clue [see also B.G. 7: 25]. (17) What man of learning, who is personally well versed in the spiritual knowledge, would in his mercy engage someone else in looking for that again, after which that person, living in ignorance like a blind man addicted to material cunning, is following the wrong path? (18) Such a person may not be a relative, a father, a mother, a spouse, nor may he be the reality, the spiritual master, the deity of worship or the one who delivers from the repetition of birth and death. (19) It is in this embodiment of Mine, which, inconceivably, is of the eternal, that indeed My heart is set to the dharma, the devotional, and My back is turned away to the adharma, the non-devotional; therefore call the civilized Me truly the Best One, Rishabha. (20) Therefore must you all, born from My heart, try with a pure intelligence to be of service to the one most exalted, that brother Bharata of yours ruling over the people.
(21-22) Of the living and nonliving, are far superior to the plants those beings who move around; of them are those who developed intelligence better and better than them are the human beings of whom the ones of the spirit, the meditators of S'iva, are superior. Better than them are the singers of heaven [the Gandharvas] and superior to them are the perfected ones [the Siddhas], above whom are found the superhuman beings [the Kinnaras]. The godly ones are better than the unenlightened and of the direct sons of Brahmâ, like Daksha, led by Indra, is Lord S'iva the best; above him do we find him who originated from Lord Brahmâ, My devotee, [the brahmin], to whose divinity of being twice-born, I am the Lord. (23) No other entity compares to the brahmin nor do I see, o learned ones, anyone superior to him. Of him I eat with satisfaction from the food that by the people with faith and love in proper ceremony was offered [to the mouth of Me and those belonging to Me], not so much from the food which thus was offered in [the mouth of] the fire. (24) Of the [vedic] body, fed by the eternal of My spirit, that is free from material contamination, has one in this world the [eight brahminical qualities of the] mode of supreme goodness [sattva], the purification [pavitra], the control over the mind [s'ama] and the senses [dama], the truthfulness [satya], the mercy [anugraha], the penance [tapasya] and the tolerance [titikshâ], wherein the realization of God is found. (25) Oh, of what need could you [My sons] be for anyone else but for those who, without desires and possessions in devotional service unto Me, are able to bestow heaven, liberation and enjoyment from Me and even the unlimited of a strength and opulence higher than the highest? (26) My dear sons, with you having the clear vision that I reside in all of them, should you at all times be of respect for each and everything, knowing that with respecting them you indirectly are of respect for Me. (27) Engage all mind, words and sight of your active and receptive senses directly in My worship, because otherwise a person will never be able to free himself from the great illusion which is Yama's deathtrap.'
(28) S'rî S'uka said: 'After for the sake of the people personally instructing this way His sons in spite of their being highly cultured, did the great personality, the well-wisher and Supreme Lord of all who was celebrated as the Best One, Rishabha, place Bharata, the eldest of His hundred sons and topmost devotee and follower of the divine order, on the throne for ruling over the planet. Of the great wise, the best of human beings free from desire who no longer work for the profit and who are characterized by devotional service, spiritual knowledge and detachment, is this the instruction of the duties. Although He remained with what He was at home, accepted He, only physically, like a madman with his hair unkempt, the sky for His dress and roamed He, keeping the vedic fire within, far and wide from Brahmâvarta. (29) Even though He, idle, blind, deaf, dumb and like a ghost and a madman, to the people appeared like someone unconcerned about the world [an avadhûta], did He with the vow of silence keep Himself from speaking. (30) Here and there passing through cities, villages, mines, lands, gardens, valley-communities, military encampments, cowsheds, farms, resting places for pilgrims, hills and forests, hermitages and so on, was He surrounded by bad people and flies and was He, like an elephant appearing from the forest, beaten away and threatened, urinated and spit upon, thrown into the dust, with the stones and the stool, farted at and given bad names; but He didn't care about that because He, from His understanding how the body relates to the soul, knew that this dwelling place of a body that is called real, was not a dwelling fit for a gentleman; instead He remained situated in His personal glory in negation of the 'I' and 'mine' and wandered unperturbed alone all over the earth. (31) With His very delicate hands, feet, chest, long arms, shoulders, neck and face etc.; with the lovely nature of His well-proportioned limbs, His natural smile, beautiful lotus petal-like graceful mouth, the marvel of His reddish widespread eyes and the great beauty of His forehead, ears, neckline, nose and expressive lip, of which His face was like a festival to all household women in arousing all around Cupid in the heart, appeared He, with His great abundance of curly brown hair which was matted, dirty and neglected, in the body as someone haunted by a ghost. (32) When He, the Supreme Lord saw that the people in general were explicitly against his yoga practice, took He, to counteract that karma, to the behavior of a python in lying down, to which He, chewing His food and accepting His drinks, passing stool and urinating, smeared His body rolling in the excrement. (33) His smell of stool was of such a good fragrance indeed that the air of the countryside for ten yojanas around received a pleasant aroma. (34) Thus by His activities moving, standing, sitting and lying down with the cows, the crows and the deer, was He, exactly like the cows, crows and deer do, eating, drinking and passing urine. (35) Thus practicing the various ways of mystic yoga enjoyed the Supreme Lord, the Master of Enlightenment, Rishabha, incessantly the Supreme in great bliss. By His fundamental indifference He achieved in the Supreme Self, the complete perfection of the unlimited of the whole of the opulence and symptoms of loving emotions unto the Supreme Personality of Vâsudeva situated in the heart of all living beings; the full of the mystic powers like traveling through the air, moving with lightening speed, the ability to stay unseen, the ability to enter the bodies of others, the power to see without difficulty things from afar and other perfections [siddhis, see also 2.2: 22; 2.9: 17; 3.15: 45; 3.25: 37] thus achieved, o King Parîkchit, He in His heart never directly accepted.
* The five main loving relationships or rasas in which with the Lord's all higher human emotions are experienced are the neutral one (santa), the servant-master relation (dâsya), the relation of frienship (sakhya), the parent-child relation (vâtsalya) and the amorous relation (sringâra).
Lord Rishabhadeva's Activities
(1) The king said: 'O Supreme One, by those self-satisfied souls of whom the seed of fruitive action is burned by the spiritual knowledge that was won by the practice of yoga, are mystic powers automatically achieved; how can they possibly be of any future hindrance? '
(2) The sage said: 'You're quite right, but in this world does one, just like a cunning hunter, not directly put faith in the mind that [like game] always runs off. (3) And so, one says, one should at no time make friends with the so very restless mind; from the practice of for a long time placing too much faith in it was the austerity of even the greatest ones [like Lord S'iva or sage Saubhari] disturbed. (4) Like a husband with a wife charmed by competitors, will aspirants of yoga when they rely on the mind that is always open to the lust motive, be paving the way for the enemies following in its wake. (5) So, which man having learned his lesson, would indeed confide in the [undirected] mind that is the breeding ground for the lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear that all together bind one to one's karma? (6) Although He [Rishabha] was the head of all kings and rulers of this universe, acted He in terms of this logic in the dress, language and character of an avadhûta [5.5: 29] as if He was dumb, concealing the Supreme of His Lordship in teaching the yogic forsaking by His own personal vehicle of time; as if He was a normal mortal who tries to give up on the physical, kept He to Himself to the Supreme command of the Soul, unhindered by the illusory of matter, always the vision from within the love above all vice and ended He His royal pastimes. (7) Of Him we thus saw the apparent physical presence, the driven appearance in this illusory world, of the body of Him as the Supreme Lord Rishabhadeva who Himself was free from any vital interest. He on His own traveled the lands of South India: Konka, Venka and Kuthaka in the province of Karnâta, and reached a forest nearby Kuthakâcala. There with a handful of stones in His mouth, He just like a madman wandered around naked and with scatted hair. (8) With a fierce forest fire blazing all around that was caused by the friction of bamboos tossed by the force of the wind, was His body then in that forest burned to ashes. (9) Hearing of His pastimes of being free from all ritual and custom, took the king of Konka, Venka and Kuthaka who carried the name Arhat [the Jain, the venerable] to an imitation of them; bewildered by an increase of irreligious life forboding the arrival of the Kali-yuga Age of Quarrel he gave up on the safe path of the religion that would ward of all fear and adopted a wrong heretic view in defiance of the vedic injunctions introducing most foolishly a concoction of His own. (10) By such practices will the most pitiable among men in the age of Kali, bewildered by the external energy of God, void of character, cleanliness and the rules and regulations of the personal duty, sworn to impiety and in neglect of the divinity be holding on to their desires, with imaginary principles of austerity like staying unclean, not washing their mouth and plucking out their hair. From the Kali-age abundance of godlessness will they, whose pure consciousness is destroyed, become almost entirely blasphemous towards the strict brahmin and his vedic culture, the ceremonies of sacrifice and the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees. (11) Those who are certain in deviating from the eternal principles of the religion with a practice based on their own speculations, feel themselves encouraged by blinded predecessors and are sure to fall down in the darkness of ignorance being blinded themselves [compare B.G. 16: 16, 16: 23]. (12) This descend of the Lord was there to teach the ones overwhelmed by passion the cause of enlightenment. (13) Of Him do the ones who are after liberation chant the following verses: 'O, of this earth with its seven seas and many lands on its continents, is this land [of Bhârata-varsha, India] the most meritorious; their people sing of the all-auspicious qualities of Murâri [Krishna as the enemy of the foolish one, Mura] in His many incarnations.' (14) 'O what to say about the dynasty of king Priyavrata wherein the Original Person, the Supreme Personality descended as an incarnation; He, the Unparalleled One executed the religious duty that leads to the end of profit-minded labor.' (15) 'What other yogi can be found who, but in the mind, is able to follow the example of Him, the unborn One, and who, as being insubstantial, renounced all desires for the perfections of yoga which by mystic yogis, so eager to serve, are aspired.'
(16) Thus I have expounded on the pure activities of the Supreme Lord named Rishabha, the highest spiritual teacher for the people in general, the godly, the brahmins and the cows; he who following the footsteps of the great, with a growing faith and devotion attentively listens to or speaks to others about this foremost and greatest shelter of auspiciousness who destroys all sins of every living being, will no doubt unto Him, the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva, factually with both the modes of listening and speaking have made a beginning with an unflinching devotion. (17) In that devotion does the soul of advancement incessantly bathe itself in order to constantly be freed from suffering the troublesome conditions in material existence; although on itself that so surely by happiness obtained uninterrupted liberation, that greatest of all achievements, certainly is not what one is after, because in relating to the Supreme Lord one is complete in all one has striven for. (18) Dear King, He, the worshipable deity of the Yadus, is no doubt, your dearest friend and master of the lineage; to be sure, He sometimes even acted as your servant and thus my best I ask you: isn't He indeed the Supreme Lord Mukunda of the yoga of devotion who at all times delivers by liberating all the ones engaged in the service? (19) Always after His real identity and complete in Himself with no further desires, was by His mercy of expanding His activities in the material field, the true meaning of a life of fearlessness with the real self communicated to the intelligence of man that had been asleep for so long; all respect unto Him, that Supreme Lord Rishabhadeva.
The Activities of King Bharata
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When Bharata ['the one maintained'], being a most exalted devotee, on instigation of his father had made his mind up to rule over the surface of the globe, did he, as he took over the throne, marry the daughter of Vis'varûpa, Pañcajanî. (2) Indeed, like one, identified with the body does find the five objects of the senses, did he in her beget five sons, Sumati, Râshthrabhrita, Sudars'ana, Âvarana and Dhûmraketu, who were entirely alike himself. (3) This part of the world called Ajanâbha [referring to king Nâbhi, see 5: 3] was from the beginning of his rule by them thus celebrated as Bhârata-varsha [the land of Bharata, now India]. (4) He, being very advanced in knowledge, was, governing with a caring heart, as great a ruler as his father and grandfather were, keeping the citizens and himself to each his respective duty. (5) He also worshiped the Supreme Lord by great and small sacrifices with and without animals; with faith were in full or partially performed agni-hotra-, dars'a-, pûrnamâsa-, câturmâsya-, pas'u- and soma-rasa-yajña's, that according the regulative principles practically always stood under the direction of four priests (*). (6) Always thinking of Vâsudeva, the Supreme Lord, did he, when the expert priests with all supplementary rites began to perform the various sacrifices, by the vedic hymns in that mind freed from lust and anger, consider all the different demigods, the recipients of the results, the ingredients of the offering and himself as the sacrificer, as all being part of the Original Person, who is their Controller, Doer and Origin; and that irrespective what on the long term would be the result of such sacrifices that in the name of the religion were brought unto the Supreme Spirit in the beyond, the Enjoyer of all sacrifices who is responsible for all the divinities. (7) Thus in the purest of service was he of the purest of goodness unto the Supersoul within the heart of the body, unto the impersonal spirit of Brahman and unto Bhagavân, the Supreme Lord, Vâsudeva, the Supreme Person whose form is recognized by the S'rîvatsa mark on the chest, the Kaustubha gem, the flowergarland, the disc, the conchshell, the club and other symbols. On the highest level known by His shining personal form is He, once having appeared as an indelible image in the heart of the devotee, as powerful as to increase the devotion day after day. (8) Thus for a countless number of millennia was the wealth enjoyed that he, having it received from his forefathers, at the end of his rule according the laws of Manu had ascertained for his sons; having personally divided the diversity of the opulence among them, he left that abode of the ancestral home and went to the Pulaha-âs'rama in Hardwar. (9) It is there that even today one can be certain that the Supreme Lord Hari residing in that place, by His transcendental affection for His own devotees, becomes visible as is desired from one's devotion. (10) At that place are all hermitages everywhere sanctified by the river named the Cakra-nadî (the Gandakî) from which one sees the concentric circles that like a navel can be observed on top and below [of the black oval pebbles that serve as objects of worship, the so-called S'âlagrâma-s'ilâs]. (11) All alone in the fields of that meditation resort did he, by offerings of roots, bulbs and fruits with water, twigs, tulasî-leaves and all kinds of flowers, perform worship unto the Supreme Lord and was he freed from all desire for material enjoyment with a steady increase of the transcendental tranquility and satisfaction that he obtained. (12) By that constant practice of service to the original personality of the Supreme Lord melted the laxity of his heart by the load of the incessantly increasing attachment to Him; through the force of the transcendental bliss stood the hairs on his body on end and sprang of the intense longing tears of love to his eyes that blurred his vision. Thus meditating the reddish lotus feet of the Lord was there by dint of his bhakti-yoga, an increase spreading everywhere of the highest and deepest spiritual enrapture in the heart, the lake wherein immersed - although his intelligence was working for the Lord - he could no longer remember the regulated service. (13) In this way vowed to the Supreme Lord, did he, dressed in a deerskin and with his mass of brown, curly matted hair, wet of bathing three times a day, so beautiful in worship of the sun-god (**), honor the Original Personality, by paying homage at sunrise reciting the following: (14) 'Minding this created universe, beyond passion, illumining the entire world there is the self-effulgence, the grace of the divinity that fulfills the desires of all the devoted; time and again entering [as the sun, as the avatâra] is the living entity supervised that hankers after material pleasure - all this [my respects] to the intelligence that moves all!'
*: Such sacrifices are impossible in this age due to the scarcity of expert brahmins or ritvijah who are able to take the responsibility. In the absence of these, is the sankîrtana-yajña singing of the holy names recommended.
**: The deity of the sun is by the common Hindu nowadays worshiped by means of the Gâyatrî mantra, one of the most important mantras of purification and liberation kindred to the one expressed in this chapter by Bharata Mahârâj: om bhûr bhuvah svah, tat savitur varenyam, bhargo devasya dhîmahi, dhyo yonah prachodayat -, a prayer meaning:
The original form of the body,
the lifeforce and the supreme abode;
that source of life most excellent,
that divine luster we meditate -
may this light illumine our intellect.
The Rebirth of Bharata Mahârâja
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Once upon a time having taken a bath in the great Gandakî, having done his daily duties and chanted his mantras, sat he [Bharata] for a few minutes down at the bank of the river. (2) O King, there he saw a single doe that of its thirst was driven to the river. (3) Exactly at the time it to its great satisfaction drank of the water, arose from very nearby the tumultuous roar of the king of the jungle that is so fearful to all living beings. (4) Hearing that great noise was the she-deer, always fearful of her life looking about, very afraid of the intrusion of the lion, and upset with restless eyes without having quenched her thirst properly, took she terrified all of a sudden a leap over the river. (5) Of being pregnant slipped, of its out of fear forcefully jumping up, her baby out of her womb and fell it down in the flowing water. (6) From the miscarriage of jumping and being afraid, fell the black doe, separated from the flock and plagued by exhaustion, down in some cave, because of which it died. (7) Seeing that deer calf then, separated from its kind, helplessly floating away in the waves, took the wise King Bharata considering it orphaned, it as a friend to his âs'rama. (8) To this deer he grew greatly attached in accepting it as his own kid, every day feeding it, protecting it, raising it and petting it. Within a couple of days was indeed, giving up on his personal care for himself, his duties and worship of the Original Person, the complete of his practice of detachment lost. (9) 'Alas! [he thought to himself], is by the Controller turning the wheel of time, this one deprived of its kin, friends and relatives and has it, in finding me for its shelter, only me as its father, mother, brother and equal belonging to the herd. Surely having no one else it puts great faith in the person of me to rely on and is it fully dependent on me for its learning, sustenance, love and protection; I shouldn't look away but instead know what the fault is of neglecting someone who has taken shelter and thus also act accordingly. (10) Indeed is it surely of great importance that the civilized, the saintly, even though complete in their renunciation, as friends of the helpless are committed to the principles, even at the cost of their own self-interest.'
(11) Thus grown attached he sat, lied down, walked, bathed, ate etc. with the young animâl and became he in his heart captivated by affection. (12) When entering the forest for flowers, firewood, kus'a-grass, leaves, fruits and roots and going to collect water, took he, doubtful of wolves, dogs and other animals of prey, always the deer with him. (13) On his way carried he, with a mind and heart full of love, it on his shoulder here and there, and kept he, fond as he was of the young, it fondling it on his lap or on his chest when he slept, thus deriving great pleasure. (14) In worship, would he at times get up although not finished, just to look after the deer calf and to that derived the master of the domain great satisfaction from wishing it all his blessings saying: 'O my dear calf let there be unto you all the best'. (15) At times he was so concerned that he got upset like a piteous, miserly man who has lost his riches; with great anxiety in his heart, agitated from being separated from the deer-calf, had he no other thoughts anymore but these and was thus certain of running into the greatest illusion with considerations as: (16) 'Oh, alas! my dear child, that orphan of a deer, must be very distressed; it'll turn up again to put faith in me as being a perfectly gentle person and as one of its own kind - it will forget about me as being such an ill-behaved cheater, such a barbarian with a mind not good at all. (17) Will I be seeing it again unafraid walking around my âs'rama nibbling the grass under divine protection? (18) Or would the poor creature have met with one of the many wolves or dogs, or a group of hogs or a wandering tiger? (19) Alas, the Supreme Lord of the whole Universe, the vedic threefold to the prosperity of all, is [in the form of the sun] already setting; and still has this baby that the mother entrusted to me not returned! (20) Would that princely deer of mine really return and please me who gave up on the pious exercise; it was so cute to behold - pleasing it in a way befitting its kind drove away all unhappiness! (21) Playing with me when I with closed eyes feigned meditation, it would angry out of love, trembling and timidly approach to touch my body with the tips of its horns soft as waterdrops. (22) When I grumbled at it for polluting the things placed on kus'a grass for sacrifice, it immediately in great fear stopped its play, just like the son of a saint sitting in complete restraint of its senses. (23) Oh, what practice of penance by the most austere on this planet can bring the earth the wealth of the sweet, small, beautiful and most auspicious soft imprints of the hooves of this most unhappy creature in pain of being lost! For me they indicate the way to achieve the wealth of her lands that, on all sides adorned by them, are turned into places of sacrifice to the gods and the brahmins desirous on the path to heaven! (24) Could it be that the moon so very powerful and kind to the unhappy, out of compassion for the young its fear for the great beast of prey, is now protecting this motherless deer-child which strayed from its protective refuge? (25) Or, may it, by its rays, so peaceful and cool, out of love, be splashing nectarine water from its mouth, giving my heart, that red lotus flower unto which the deer was so submissive, comfort, for the heat of the separation is burning with the flames of a forest fire.'
(26) In this way was he, whose heart was aggrieved with a mind deriving from bad karma, carried away by the impossibility of a son that looked like a deer and had he fallen down from the exercises of yoga, the penance of yoga and the devotional service towards the Supreme Lord. What possible way could he, so attached to the body of a different species, a deer calf, directly achieve the goal of life with that kind of a hindrance - he who previously had given up his sons born from his heart, even though that was a thing difficult to do. Because of that obstacle of his thus being obstructed in the execution of his yoga, was King Bharata, thus absorbed in maintaining, pleasing, protecting and fondling a baby deer, neglecting his own soul and saw he that very rashly the inevitable of his time had come like a snake entering the hole of a mouse. (27) At that time giving up this world he indeed saw at his side lamenting like his own son the deer that occupied his mind; with his body dying with the deer present at his side, he thereafter got the body of a deer, but unlike with other births, was the remembrance of what had happened before at his death not destroyed. (28) In that birth, as a consequence of his past devotional activities, constantly remembering what the cause was of having gotten the body of a deer, he repenting said: (29) 'Oh what a misery! I have fallen from the way of life of the self-realized, although I had given up my sons and home, lived solitary in a sacred forest as one perfect to the soul who takes shelter of the Supersoul of all beings and although I was constantly listening to and thinking about Him, the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva, with chanting, worshiping and remembering being absorbed, filling all my hours; by time does a mind fixed in such a practice turn into a mind fully established to the eternal, but again, fallen in affection for a deer-young, I am a great fool far from that! '
(30) Thus being this way silent to itself did [he as] the deer unmotivated give up its mother and turned it from the Kâlañjara mountain where it was born, back again to the place, to the âs'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha in the village called S'âlagrâma, where he before had worshiped the Supreme Lord so dear to the great saints living there in complete detachment. (31) In that place, eating fallen leaves and herbs, he awaited his time in the eternal company of the Supersoul, and existed he, constantly alert to bad association, only in consideration of the end of the cause of his deer body, the body that he, bathing it in the water of that holy place, ultimately gave up.
The Supreme Character of Jada Bharata
(1-2) S'rî S'uka said: 'After having given up his life in the body of a deer obtained Bharata, the most exalted devotee and most honored of all saintly kings, his last body as a brahmin so is said. As the male child of a twin brother and sister was he born from the second wife of some brahmin of the line of saint Angirâ who was endowed with the qualities of a perfect control over the mind and the senses, of penance, vedic study and recitation, of renunciation, satisfaction, tolerance, kindness, knowledge, of no envy, and of spiritual happiness in the wisdom of the soul; with his first wife he had nine sons all equal to him in education, character, behavior, beauty and magnanimity. (3) Also in that birth by the special mercy of the Lord remembering his previous lives, was he, being greatly apprehensive not to fall down again, in association with his own kind always afraid of being obstructed on the path of devotional service and kept he his mind close to his soul by always thinking of the two lotusfeet of the Supreme Lord, hearing and remembering the descriptions of the qualities which vanquish the bondage to fruitive labor; but to the local people he showed himself as being of a mad, dull and blind character [of which he is called Jada]. (4) His brahmin father who for sure affectionately felt obliged to his son, thought that he, as a father to a son, should teach him, even though against his will, that indeed the regulative principles should be followed, so that, until the end of his student life, he again, as one of the sacred thread, would practice the duties of cleanliness of the purification process as prescribed by the s'âstras. (5) But also before his father he acted as if he couldn't understand a thing of what was instructed. For four months during the summer wishing to teach him the vedic mantras including the Gâyatrî preceded by Omkâra, did he, despite of the full study of them, not succeed in having him completely mastering them. (6) Thus thinking that his son, although he didn't like it, by himself should be fully instructed in all the cleanliness, vedic study, vows, principles, sacrifice and service to the guru that belongs to the celibate state [the brahmacarya-âs'rama], was the brahmin, in that considering his son to be his life and soul, himself heavily attached to his home indeed so that, in the course of the in its turn not so forgetful time, he had to take leave of the world as a man frustrated by the unfit obstinacy of his son. (7) After that did the youngest wife, of whose womb the twins were born, entrust the care for them to the first wife and followed she her husband to where he resided in his afterlife [Patiloka].
(8) After the death of the father did Jada Bharata's stepbrothers, who of the three Vedas were well settled in finding their ways with the rituals and with their dulled minds did not understand how high he stood, stop the endeavor to teach their brother. (9-10) When he was addressed as being mad, dull, deaf and dumb by the two-legged, animâl-like materialists, he used to use likewise words in reply as well. He did the things that he by force was summoned to do. He used to eat whatever small or large quantity of palatable or tasteless food that he got by begging, by wages or that came on its own accord. He never lived to please his senses as he had forever stopped to live for the material cause. By himself he had accomplished the transcendental blissful vision as one in knowledge of the true self who with the dual causes of happiness and distress, summer and winter, wind and rain, did not identify himself with the body. Firm of limbs did he, strong like a bull, never cover his body. Not bathing he was dirty from lying on the ground and he never massaged his body. With his loins covered by dirty cloth and with a of dirt darkened sacred thread, was he like a hidden gem in his spiritual splendor. He wandered around disrespected with ignorant folk calling him, as a brahmin of birth, a mere friend of them ['brahma-bandu']. (11) As he only looked for work to get in exchange food from others, did even his stepbrothers engage him in agricultural work in the fields - a job in which he had no idea of what should be leveled or be uneven or where he had to pile things up. Usually only eating broken rice, oil cakes, chaff, worm-eaten grains, or burned rice that stuck to the pot, was it nevertheless all nectar to him.
(12) Following, after a certain period of time, there came some plundering leader of the working class who was looking for a human son no better than an animâl to begin a sacrifice to the goddess Bhadra Kâlî. (13) The animâl-type he had, had by chance escaped and his followers on their way to find it could, in the midst of the night in the middle of the darkness, not catch the animâlistic one. As arranged by providence they stumbled upon the brahmin son from the line of Angirâ, who from an elevated position was guarding the fields against deer, wild pigs and such. (14) Finding out he had the right character did they next, with bright and shining faces understanding that they could help in the completion of their master's work, take him to the temple of the goddess, bound tightly with ropes. (15) Then did the followers of the dacoit, according their own customs bathe him, put him in new clothes, cover his body with ornaments, smear him with sandalwood pulp and garland him in making him, as the animâl-like man, ready for the sacrifice. Vibrating songs, prayers, drums and bugles, they seated him before the goddess Kâlî, fully dressed up and properly fed, with incense, lamps, strings of flowers, parched grains, twigs and sprouts, fruits and other articles of worship. (16) Next did the priest of that dacoit leader in preparation for offering a flow of blood from the animâl-man to the deity of Bhadra Kâlî, take up a fearful razor-sharp sword, consecrating it with the appropriate mantras. (17) Thus was by those contemptible types, who, of a passionate and ignorant nature, materialistically bewildered were driven by minds full of imagination, the heroic association of the Supreme Lord, the brahmins, disrespected, in following a wrong course having taken their own way. Proceeding with a lust for violence against others they acted cruelly directly against a born brahmin, a son of spiritual wisdom who had no enemies and was a well-wisher to all. At the last minute though indeed, did the goddess Bhadra Kâlî, seeing what was about to happen in defiance of the law and against the will of the Lord, break out of her statue with a burning physical appearance of an overly bright, unbearable, spiritual effulgence. (18) Infuriated in utter intolerance she displayed her features of raised eyebrows, crooked teeth, bloodshot eyes, an agitated fearful face as if she wanted to destroy the whole universe and a frightening laugh. Of the great anger released, severed she, coming forth from the altar, with the same blade as they wanted to use, the heads from the bodies of all the sinful offenders and drank she together with her associates, the blood oozing from the necks as a very hot intoxicating beverage. Overwhelmed by all the intoxicating drinking played she, with her following loudly singing and dancing, then ball, using the heads for a sport.
(19) When one this way in envy indeed is in offense with the great, will one consequently for oneself get this as a result. (20) Oh, Vishnudatta ['protected by Vishnu'; Parîkchit], this is not a great wonder to the ones not perplexed who, of no enmity and of goodness to all, by the Supreme Lord of the invincible time who carries the best of all weapons [the Sudars'ana disc], directly are fully liberated from the very strong and tight knot in the heart of a false bodily concept of life. Even though threatened by decapitation, have those liberated souls and devotees who are of full surrender and who are protected at His lotus feet, nothing to fear and are they never upset by these kinds of moods of the Divinity.
Jada Bharata meets Mahârâja Rahûgana
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'So it became that Rahûgana ['he who outshines the sun'], the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvîra, while he was on his way, on the bank of the river Ikshumatî needed another palanquin carrier and had sent out their chief to look for a suitable person. His search led by chance to the twice-born son Jada Bharata who, being such a stout young man who with his firm limbs was as strong as an ass, he chose deeming him capable of carrying the load. Although he was not fit for the job, carried he, the great soul, the palanquin, being forced to it as was the wont. (2) When doing this was the twice-born son, constantly looking three feet ahead [not to step on ants], all the time out of pace with the others and was thus the palanquin shaking. Rahûgana, realizing this then said to the men carrying: 'Oh carriers, please walk in pace! For what reason is this palanquin carried so uneven?'
(3) They, hearing their master speak with reproach, informed him apprehensively that that was due to the fourth carrier: (4) 'Oh, it is not, o god of man, that we, always obedient to your orders, are in neglect. We certainly do the best we can, but it is this new man that recently has been contracted to work with us with whom we aren't able to do our work of carrying: he is rather slow!'
(5) Although from the intimations certain that the problem had risen because of a fault of one of them, did king Rahûgana, hearing the fearful words of the servants, in spite of his political experience, from his kshatriya nature slightly give in to the violence of anger. To him whose spiritual effulgence, as a vedic fire covered by ashes, could not be clearly distinguished, he said in a mind full of passion: (6) 'What a trouble it is alas my brother! All alone on such a long journey you certainly must have gotten very tired. Nor is your cooperative, firm body very strong; you must be troubled by old age yourself my friend! For sure are these other coworkers of no avail to you'.
Thus he sarcastically criticized him severely, but no false belief of 'I' and 'mine' interposed with him carrying on in silence the palanquin as before; as someone on the spiritual platform was he of that particular disposition in physical matters as having a specific self-spirited body that is produced from a mix of the qualities and workload of ignorant matter. (7) Thereupon again being shaken of the uneven carrying of his palanquin said Rahûgana getting very angry: 'O fool, what nonsense is this! You, living corpse, ignore me overriding my reproach! Are you out of your mind? Like Yamarâja with the common man, I will teach you a lesson so that you'll know what your position is out here!'
(8) Though having poured over him such a load of nonsense by the out of passion and ignorance rebuking one who thought he could rule as a god of man, a dearmost votary of the Lord and a learned scholar, did that selfrealized brahmin who was the friend of all living beings with the poise of a master of yoga, slightly smile like being relieved of a burden and spoke he to the not so wise ruler as follows. (9) The brahmin said: 'What you so clearly stated, o great hero, is of no contradiction if I could say mine to that body and to that carrier of the load; if it would be that what one is supposed to obtain in being strong and stout to the path, then I must tell you that that, to the person of self-realization residing within the body, is no subject matter of discussion. (10) Being strong and stout, skinny or weak, in physical or mental pain, of hunger, thirsty, of fear, of quarrel, desire, old age and of sensual motivation; to be of anger, falsehood, illusion and lamentation are with this body things of the one born, but for what I am they are certainly not the reality. (11) To be a living soul bound to death [to be a 'living corpse'] is something settled by nature o King, everything has a beginning and an end; but, respected one, if one sees the unchangeable within the things of transformation - of which we see servants and masters - then one speaks of doing the right thing in yoga. (12) Discriminating to the person is a narrow vision and, apart from the convention, I do not see what other use it would have; who is that master and who is the one to be controlled? Nevertheless, o King, what may I do for you? (13) Of me being myself, o King, you gathered that I was a disheveled, mad ignoramus; of what use would it then be to receive punishment from you; how can one correct a crazy, stupid person - it is like grinding flour!'
(14) S'rî S'uka said: 'Consequently responding to all the words that had fallen, arrested the great sage so calm and peaceful his case - to the cause of matters strange to the soul he accepted that things happened as a consequence of what he had enjoyed before, and so again, to put the acquired karma to an end, carried he as he did the king his palanquin. (15) O best of the Pându-dynasty, he, the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvîra, was factually also of great faith concerning the matters of control in relation to the Absolute Truth; thus being qualified hearing what the twice-born one said of that which eradicates the falsehood in the heart and which is approved by all of yoga and its culture, he hastily got down and fell head-on flat on the ground at the lotus feet to be excused for his offense. Thus giving up his false claim of being the king to be respected he said: (16) 'Who of all the twice-born are you, moving around in this world under cover? I see you wear a sacred thread. Of which forsaker of the world are you the disciple? From where and for what purpose have you come here? Are you, as one of pure goodness, here for our benefit or maybe not? (17) I am not afraid of Indra's thunderbolt nor do I fear S'iva's trident or punishment from Yamarâja, nor do I fear the heat of the sun's rays, the moon, the wind or the weapons of Kuvera; what I fear most is offending the brahmin class. (18) Could you therefore, as someone fully detached concealing the power of wisdom, as someone moving around abiding in the beyond, please speak to us, because none of us, o saint, is able to comprehend to any extend the words of yogic meaning you uttered. (19) I thereto indeed ask you, master of yoga, o best preceptor of the saintly scholars of the reality of the soul, about that which in this world is the best engagement, the most secure shelter, o direct incarnation of the Lord of spiritual knowledge [see Kapila 3.25]. (20) As being Him indeed is your goodness traveling around on this globe, looking into the motives of the people here and that without showing your real identity; may I know how we, being bound to family affairs missing the intelligence, nevertheless can take to the goal of the masters of yoga? (21) One knows of fatigue acting a certain way to the soul indeed, like the way you move carrying the palanquin; I guess that, following in respect of the phenomenal, it is as much proof of something non-material, as having a container for water when there is no water at all. (22) Because of the heat under a cooking pot, becomes the milk put in it hot and because of the heated milk is the hard kernel of the rice in it cooked; so too is from being connected to the senses the experience there of fatigue and such by the soul complying with the matter. (23) The governor doing good to his subjects is, as a human ruler over the citizens, someone who indeed carries out orders; not grinding what is already ground, is one in one's own occupational duty of worship for the Infallible One, for whom performing one is released from all kinds of sin. (24) Therefore from your good self true in penance, unto me, this maddened and proud god of man, kindly show your causeless mercy as a friend, a friend of the distressed, so that I can find relief from the sin of being in contempt with a such great personality like you. (25) You, friend of the Friend of All, are, as someone removed from the bodily concept of life, not put off balance; but even though one is as powerful as Lord S'iva [S'ûlapâni], will a person like me, with my practice of being haughty with the great, certainly soon be destroyed.'
Jada Bharata Instructs King Rahûgana
(1) The brahmin [Jada Bharata] said: 'Lacking in experience do you, using the terms of the experienced ones, not speak of the most important; these matters of mundane and social behavior one should in fact discuss with the intelligent who do have such a refined sense of truth. (2) Because of this, o King, is indeed among those, who notably by the Vedas [veda-vâdî] take interest in the endlessly increasing concern with the rituals of a material household, as good as never the actual spiritual science [tattva-vâda] found that manifests itself so clearly with the advanced of purity. (3) Although sufficiently known with the words, is the very exalted vision of the real purpose of the Veda not directly theirs, because the happiness of a worldly life compares to a dream of which one naturally later on realizes that it is unreal. (4) As long as the mind of someone is under the control of the mode of passion, of goodness or of darkness, are actions, auspicious or otherwise, by the power of the senses of action and perception, automatically the result, just like it is with an elephant that is roaming unchecked. (5) That mind endowed with many a desire is, driven by the modes of nature, attached to material happiness; as the chief of the sixteen elements of a material existence [the physical, the active and the perceptual ones plus the mind] does the mind, estranged, wander around in names [in upâdhis - representations] and does it manifest with bodies of a higher or lower quality in different forms [compare B.G. 3: 27]. (6) With the unhappiness, happiness and severe immoderation obtained in the course of time as a consequence, creates the indwelling mind, by which the original living being embraces the created nature, for itself the vicious circle of material actions and reactions. (7) For that reason speak the learned ones of the mind as the cause of, the in higher or lower conditions of life, being absorbed in the natural modes to which one then misses the and of that are the for that time manifested outer symptoms of the living entity - of being fat or skinny e.g. - the proof. (8) The attraction to the modes makes for the conditionings to the material world, but when the mind of the living entity is there for the ultimate good of transcending them is it as a lamp; a wick enjoying clarified butter burning improperly no doubt leads to a flame with smoke, but doing so properly in bondage to the fuel of karma is the flaming, wayward mind to the contrary evidence of the clear reality.
(9) For sure there are the eleven of the mind of the five senses of action, the five senses of knowing and the insidiousness [or the falsehood of the ego, the identification with them]; of the different actions, the different objects of the senses and the places in town where they occur - of those eleven functions say the learned, o hero, that they are the fields of action [see B.G. 13: 1-4]. (10) Smell, form, touch, taste and hearing [the knowing senses]; evacuation, sexual intercourse, movement, speech and manual control [the senses of action] with the eleventh element of accepting the idea of 'mine', thus gives the 'I' to this body of which some have said that it is the twelfth element. (11) By the elements, by nature itself, by the culture, by the karma and by time are all these eleven of the mind modified into the hundreds, thousands and millions who do not follow from one another nor from themselves, but from the knower of the field. (12) The knower of the field purified sees all these different activities of the mind of the unpurified individual entity in action, that from time immemorial are created by the external energy; sometimes manifest [as in waking] and sometimes not manifested [as in dreams]. (13-14) The knower of the field is [then] the all-pervading, omnipresent, authentic person; the original one, who is seen and heard of as existing by His own light; He who is never born, who is the transcendental one, the One Nârâyana wherein all beings rest, the Supreme Lord, the One Vâsudeva harbour of consciousness; He who by His own potency in the soul exists as the controller, of just as well the air as the nonmoving and moving entities; He is the Supersoul of expansion that entered and thus controls as the One of Fortune in the beyond who is the shelter and knower of everyone in every field; He, the vital itself that appeared in this material world [see also B.G 9: 10 & 15: 15].
(15) As long as the embodied one, o King, is not free from this influence of the material world, by means of the, in freedom from attachments, being awakened to the order of knowing the spiritual truth and conquering the six enemies [the mind and the senses of perception], will he till that time wander around in this material world. (16) For as long as one has this mind, which, as the symptom of the soul its fixation, for the living entity is the breeding ground for all the worldy miseries of lamentation, illusion, disease, attachment, greed and enmity, has one the consequence of egotism. (17) This mind, that formidable enemy, is very powerful, growing so from neglect; he, who free from illusion, applies the weapon of worshiping the lotusfeet of the spiritual teacher and the Lord, will conquer the falsified personal that has covered the soul.'
The Conversation Between Mahârâja Rahûgana and Jada Bharata
(1) Rahûgana said: 'My respectful obeisances unto you as someone emanated from the embodiment [of Rishabhadeva, see 5.4] of the Original Cause, as someone who by his true self despises all the separateness; my respects for you who as a forsaker of the world, in the form of a friend of the twice-born, has hidden his realization of the eternal. (2) You are alike the antidote for someone feverishly distressed by disease, you are alike cool water for someone scorched by the sun, for someone like me, whose vision in this gross body has been bitten by the serpent of pride, are you the elixir of nectar. (3) Now, please explain to me, who's burning of curiosity, it again in simple words, so that I may clearly understand the yoga of self-realization; personal matters not clear in that I will submit to you later. (4) That which you've said, o Master of Yoga, concerning that what clearly can be distinguished as a result of fruitive action [the 'fatigue', see 5.10: 21], is in truth inherent to one's performing; it is factually not enough at all for an inquiry into the ultimate reality - your goodness explaining has bewildered my mind in this.'
(5-6) The brahmin said: 'This person, one thinks of as moving around on the earth and who himself is a transformation of that earth, o earthly one - for what reason would your Lordship, with these feet and above them these ankles, calves, knees, thighs, waist, neck, shoulders and upon those shoulders the wooden palanquin upon which the one sits who is thus known as the King of Sauvîra, impose this haughty insistence of 'I, the King of Sindhu' and thus be a captive of falsehood? (7) How lamentable are all these poor and suffering people who you by force seized without showing any mercy; boasting 'I am the protector' you make a bad presence in the society of the learned, simply being rude! (8) Because no doubt differently embodied as moving or unmoving entities, we know of annihilation, appearance and the regular of nature, as we simply move in different names; let us, from the stance of factually dealing with it, make sure what causes the material activities. (9) From that point of view is by the words for races and nations our existence falsely described; what one in one's mind imagines of the dissolution, aggregate and particulars of all that is composed of atomic particles, covers but a lesser intelligence of that existence. (10) Thus being meager, fat, tiny or big, existing as individual entities, inanimâte matter or whatever natural phenomenon else might be of concern, is all impermanence in the name of a certain disposition, time and activity, an impermanence which you should understand to be inherent to the operation of nature's duality. (11) The known in its pure existence constitutes the ultimate goal as the Oneness without an inside or an outside, as the Absolute Truth of the Supreme [Brahman], the inner peace that in a higher sense is known as Bhagavân, the Supreme Lord, who by the scholars is called Vâsudeva [the Soul of God within, Vishnu, or Lord Krishna as the son of Vasudeva].
(12) Dear King Rahûgana, by penance, by deity worship or by rounding up one's material activities; by one's household life, by celibacy and study or by keeping oneself in austerity to the water or the fire, is this not revealed - it is not realized without smearing the dust of the lotus feet of the great all over one's body! (13) There where one presents the qualities of the One praised in the scriptures, are worldly concerns put to an end; day after day seriously attending to the ones who are after liberation, is the meditation simply and pure turned to Vâsudeva. (14) In a previous birth I was known as a king named Bharata who found liberation through personal insight and association in worship of the Supreme Lord; thus always performing, I became a deer because I, intimately associated with one, had neglected my duties. (15) Despite of being a deer, o great hero, did the memory of my activities of worship unto Krishna [the Lord as the One known by His dark skin] not leave me; for that reason do I out of fear keep myself far from associating with ordinary folk and do I move about unseen. (16) Therefrom can every person, by means of the sword of knowledge detaching and associating with good company, even in this world, cut with the illusion; by listening and singing to the stories of the activities about the Lord is the lost consciousness regained and attains one the ultimate end of the superior abode.'
Further talks Between Mahârâja Rahûgana and Jada Bharata
(1) The brahmin said: 'Trying to get ahead in life, which is difficult being captivated by illusion, is the eager one, divided in looking after the workload of his passion, ignorance and goodness, wandering around in his worldly existence and is he, bent upon the profit, not able to find happiness. (2) O god of men, there do these six plunderers [of seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing and minding] ransack the conditioned souls that are chasing the false; by force they in that position like foxes seize the maddened zealous one his heart, just like tigers seizing lambs. (3) In the bowers of many creepers, grasses and thickets he is cruelly disturbed by biting mosquitos, sometimes imagining himself to be with the Gandharvas and sometimes as fast as a meteor getting possessed. (4) Running here and there for their home, water and wealth, o King, they consider that their one and all, and sometimes, blinded by their infatuation, have they lost their way [in life] because of the smoky dust [of lust] raised by a whirlwind [of some outer attraction]. (5) By the noises of invisible crickets disturbed in his ear, by the vibrations of owls upset in his mind and heart, and suffering from hunger taking shelter of fruitless trees, he at times runs after the waters of a mirage. (6) One time going for rivers that ran dry and asking food from others who themselves ran out of stock, suffer they some other time from the forest fire of their material existence and worry they about what became of the cherished wealth seized by the rogues ruling the state. (7) Sometimes do they all, seeing themselves taxed by their ruling superiors, experience grief in their hearts and get they, wining, bewildered in losing their minds; and now and then, for a short while, they dream of having entered heavenly abodes where one enjoys like being happy. (8) Sometimes wandering are the feet of someone who wants to climb the hills hurt by thorns and small stones and is such a one depressed with each step he makes; and sometimes gets a family person, agitated with a hungry stomach, angry with his own family members. (9) Sometimes left to his own devices in the [material] forest [of life] is the conditioned soul swallowed by the python doesn't he understand a thing; attacked by poisonous snakes and bitten, he sometimes, fallen into an unseen well, then lies down blind in utter darkness. (10) Sometimes searching for some little sexual pleasure is he by the disquieted beehive of the family of the woman insulted; or, concerning these matters with much difficulty spending money to find his comfort, is thereafter by force the object of desire by someone else stolen away from him. (11) Sometimes also not able to fight the cold, the heat, the wind or the rains, he is put off; and sometimes selling along with others whatever little bit, he lands in mutual enmity so one says, because of cheating for the profit. (12) Now and then being destitute is he in that without bedding, a place to sit, a house and family comforts, and does he bereft beg from others; not getting what he needs he is after the property of others and then finds dishonor. (13) Because of financial transactions with one another there is a rise of enmity, and married to each other trying to progress materially is that resulting in great difficulties, because one, for want of money following the wrong course, will be completely embarrassed.
(14) All who are thus variously embarrassed, have at times to give up on the beings close to them and are then after newly born lives; being after one's own interest one wanders around here in this world and up to the present day is none of the ones in that position, o hero, able to reach the ultimate end of yoga [to devotional service]. (15) They who without much of a mind managed to conquer giants of other heroes, are all caught in this world in the concept of 'mine' and lay down their lives in battle with the enmity created - but they do not reach the reality of the staff of renunciation which, when one is free from enmity, does lead to the perfection. (16) More and more attached sometimes do they who enjoy in the arms of their wives, their creeper, sing an odd tune in desiring to hear the song of another bird; and sometimes hearing somewhere the roar of the lion he seeks friendship with cranes, herons and vultures. (17) Cheated by them but not finding satisfaction in contact with the devoted, approach they in their behavior the monkeys with whom associated they are quite at ease with their senses, and staring at each other's faces approach they forgetful their death. (18) Enjoying up their tree are they, attached to wife and children and poor of heart, unable to detach bound to the consequences of their own actions, and fall they at times, beset by fear for the elephant of death, into a cave in the mountains thus getting trapped there. (19) Somehow or other getting out of this danger they again, o killer of the enemies, take up the same life, that path of enjoyment travelled by the conditioned soul under the influence of mâyâ, in which he up to his death fails to understand a thing. (20) King Rahûgana, you, surely also walking this path of material existence, will, once you've given up the stick of chastising and are acting friendly towards all beings, by means of service to the Lord be someone who in his mind is no longer drawn to the untrue; taking up the sharpened sword of knowledge now cross over to the supreme of the other side!'
(21) The king said: 'Alas, o best one among the born, of what use is it, being born into the human form, to be but of a higher birth? Indeed there is nothing superior to it if we, in a new life, can't enjoy the abundance of associating with the truly great ones whose hearts are purified in the glory of Hrisîkes'a [the Lord and master of the senses]. (22) Isn't it wonderful indeed to be completely liberated by the dust of your lotusfeet of love and devotion unto Adhokshaja [the Lord in the Beyond], by the association of whom one in a moment is freed from all material contamination and as well the root of nondiscrimination of false arguing is completely vanquished? (23) Let there be my reverential homage unto the great personalities, whether they appear as boys, as young men or as total forsakers; let there, from all those selfrealized souls of transcendence who walk this earth under different guises, be the good of fortune over all the dynasties!'
(24) S'rî S'uka said: 'This way, o son of Uttarâ [Parîkchit], did he, that son of brahmin wisdom, though being insulted, from the quality of his kindness and the supreme of his spiritual realization, before the ruler of Sindhu expound on the actual reality of the soul; with Rahûgana so piteous, was he whose lotus feet were worshiped, of a heart in which, like in a full ocean, all the waves of the sensory were completely silenced as he continued to roam this earth [compare 3.25: 21]. (25) The king of Sauvîra sure of an elevated position, came to a full understanding of the truth of the oversoul; within himself he managed to completely give up on the conception of a bodily self that he erroneously in nescience had attributed to his person and thus, o King, followed he faithfully the path of disciplic succession since the Lord. '
(26) The king [Parîkchit] said: 'That which you described here so knowledgeable, o greatest of devotion, in figures of speech about the individual soul its path in material existence, is set in words comprehensible to the minds of the educated, not so much directly to locals of a lesser experience; therefore, for the sake of a full understanding of this matter so hard to grasp, could you please describe it telling us the exact meaning? '
The Material World as the Great Forest of Enjoyment
(1) The wise [S'ukadeva] said: 'Those who think the body to be the real self, depart, in particular reasoning to the modes of goodness and such, from the wrong basis; sometimes they obtain the favorable, sometimes the unfavorable and sometimes they have a mixture of both. On the basis of the six gateways of their senses and the mind, they are faced with a never ending process of transmigration that is characterized by the over and over giving up of one body and the again accepting of a new one. On that difficult path traversing the dense forest of material life it so happens that of Vishnu, the Supreme Lord who is the controller, the soul bound acting under the control of mâyâ, the illusory of matter, in this exactly is like a merchant with an object of desire who is after the money. With his body acting on behalf of the fruits, he experiences the material world he has landed in as if it were a burial place, since he up to that moment was of no success and of all kinds of trouble out here in not gaining on the road of following the devoted, the bumblebees, to the lotusfeet of the Lord and His representatives that would pacify the misery experienced. (2) By the certain activities of the senses it suffers no doubt that these, with whatever little wealth that a person so dutifully earned after so much hard labor, could be called his plunderers. They merciless plunder the desirous soul who is out of control and on the wrong path, the way he by his private home directly concludes to sense gratification in his determination to see, touch, hear, taste and smell all the acquired good; a matter to which the wise declare that it, religiously following the practice of the principles, only would serve a better life in the hereafter when one, with sacrifices, is faithfull in the worship of the Lord. (3) In this do also his family members, starting with his wife and children, act like tigers and jackals as surely, in the midst of the family that he above all tries to protect, he miserably trying not to waste his wealth, feels like a lamb that is seized by force. (4) As sure as a field that is every year plowed will still keep the seeds of the bushes, grasses and creepers that again, like in any garden, pop up with the plants sown, will this certainly also take place in the field of activities of family life, if one is not sure that all karma has been overcome; therefore is this world called the storehouse of fruitive desire. (5) Lost in that life, sometimes on this material path of existence wandering in the spheres of wealth, is he [the follower of falsehood] disturbed by low-class characters, that equal gadflies and mosquitos, and by thieves that are like rats, locusts and birds of prey. Because of a lusty mind ignorant in its fruitive motives, does he look at this human world, in which one never reaches one's goal, with a wrong vision: he sees castles in the air. (6) There [in that human world] is he also, sometimes like being after a fata morgana in his eagerness to drink and eat and to have sex and such, a debauchee addicted to his senses. (7) Sometimes, as someone obsessed by that particular type of yellowish rubbish that is also an unlimited source of faults, tries he to get hold of gold, just like someone who looking for fire follows a phosphorescent fathom light. (8) This way is a person in this material forest at times fully absorbed in running hither and thither for the various items of a dwelling place, water and wealth, that are deemed necessary for sustenance. (9) Sometimes does he also, in the dark of night, driven by a momentary whirlwind of passion, mount an alluring woman; in total neglect of the higher vision does he then, blinded by the strength of that passion, notwithstanding the divinities of sun and moon, lose all notion in being overcome by a mind full of lust. (10) Occasionally for an instant he wakes up to the meaninglessness of the bodily conception of his self that destroyed his remembrance and of which he surely to the objects of his senses was running like after the water of a mirage. (11) At times, exactly like with the penetrating, repeated, typical sounds of owls and crickets, is there directly or indirectly the agitation caused by enemies and state officials, who by their punitive actions bring grief to the ear and heart. (12) When the conditioned soul has exhausted [the merit of] his good deeds in his previous life(s) and at that time approaches the wealthy ones with their dead souls, is he then himself just as dead within, because they are like the kâraskara, kâkatunda and such [fruitless trees]; they are just as fouled wells, incapable of making one happy ever. (13) Once he, in defiance of the authority, is after the association with the untrue, acts he like someone jumping into shallow waters and does he, from whatever side he leaps, approach the atheistic path, even though it brings distress. (14) When he, in spite of other plans destitute, blind to himself can't get his share from his father or his sons, will he then surely trouble his kith and kin about things as insignificant as a blade of grass. (15) Sometimes experiencing the life at home as a forest fire that brings no good but only more and more sadness, does he, burnt by the flames of grief, land in the deepest disappointment. (16) Sometimes is, by a carnivorous government that grew corrupt over time, the wealth held dear plundered and remains he, bereft of all his good life, like a corpse with the life air expired. (17) It also happens that he imagines the no longer existing of his deceased father, grandfather or others to exist again, so that following that mind the one running after matter finds the happiness of pipe dreams. (18) Sometimes, as a householder following the codes of fruitive conduct, he wants to climb the steepest mountain and does he, with his mind in hot material pursuit, lament like having entered a field full of thorns and sharp stones. (19) Occasionally unable to bear the fire of hunger and thirst, he runs out of patience and gets angry with his family members. (20) The one who thus for sure repeatedly is devoured by the python of sleep is, absorbed by the ignorance in the deep of darkness, wasted like a corpse which, left behind in the forest lying there, doesn't know a thing any more. (21) So now and then with his teeth broken on the envy of his serpentlike enemies, he suffers from insomnia and then falls down in the blind well of illusion with a consciousness gradually deteriorating of a debilitating rumination. (22) And then it happens that, searching after the sweet drops of desire of another woman or another man's riches, he appropriates them, so that he severely is chastised by the government or the relatives involved and thus ends up in an incomparably hellish life.
(23) It is now for this reason that the vedic authority says that it suffers no doubt that the fruitive activity of a living entity is the reason for being stuck in this material ocean. (24) Liberated from that, if he managed to escape the punishment, does a trader such ['Devadatta'] take his money away and does on his turn take another friend of Vishnu so ['Vishnumitra'] on his turn take from him, and thus do the riches pass from one person to another. (25) It also happens that from the various causes of nature, like heat and cold, of other beings and of one's own body and mind [resp. adhidaivika, adhibhautika, adhyâtmika kles'as, see also 2.10: 8] one is unable to counter the conditions producing the misery, so that one remains severely troubled by anxieties and depressions. (26) Sometimes, trading with one another, does, for whatever little bit of money or farthing appropriated, however insignificant, there rise enmity because of cheating. (27) On that path of material existence finds one all these endless difficulties which one has with happiness, unhappiness, attachment, hate, fear, false prestige, illusion, madness, lamentation, bewilderment, greed, envy, enmity, insult, hunger, thirst, tribulations, disease, birth, old age, death, and so on. (28) Somewhere, under the influence of the illusory energy, mâyâ, is he, firmly embraced by the creepers of the arms of a female companion, deeply embarrassed in finding himself at a loss void of all intelligence and wisdom; in the wish to please her and find her a suitable place to live, gets his heart engrossed of that concern and is his consciousness seized by the talks and nice looks offered by the sons and daughters under the care of the wife. Having lost the command over himself is he hurled into the endless darkness of a life in ignorance.
(29) It so happens that of the Controller, the Supreme Lord Vishnu His cakra or disc of Time, stretching from the first expansion of atoms to the duration of the complete life of Brahmâ, one has to suffer the symptoms of its cycling, to which in due course, swiftly before one's eyes, without a blink, all lives of the entities, from Brahmâ to the simplest blade of grass, are spent. Directly of Him, the Controller whose personal weapon is the disc of Time, is one surely afraid at heart ['the lion']. Not caring for the Supreme Lord, the Original Person of Sacrifice, accepts he what misses any foundation as something worshipable, preoccupied as he is with his self-made gods who are denied by the scriptures of civilization and who are are like buzzards, vultures, herons and crows. (30) When the conditioned soul by the atheists who themselves are cheated is cheated even more, takes he to the school of the brahmins, but with them as difficult people not finding satisfaction in the good character of engaging with the sacred thread to principle and scripture, nor finding that in the certain culture of performing the duties in worship of the Supreme Lord and Original Person of Sacrifice, turns he to the association of employees who are not purified in behaving according the vedic injunctions, and of them in a materialistic sexlife maintaining the family finds he himself in the company of those who think they evolved from monkeys. (31) In that condition to their own judgment free from hesitation enjoying like dull-witted apes, forget they how short life is in their, only for the good looks of one another, hankering for gratification and material results. (32) Delighted in their houses in which they like in trees, exactly like monkeys aspire greater comfort, spend they their time caring about and frolicking with their wife and children. (33) Thus is the conditioned soul confined on the sensual path and abides he out of fear for the elephant of death in a darkness as deep as that of a mountain cave. (34-35) Sometimes is he [as said] from his inability to counteract the insurmountable of the many miseries of the heat and cold of nature, other beings and his own existence, caught in sadness because of the sense gratification - irrespective the in transactions, sometimes by cheating acquired, little bit of wealth. (36) Now and then running out of money and bereft of accommodations for sleeping, sitting and eating, must he, as long as he is unsuccessful, by what he in his determination by unfair means obtained, in his desire, accept the insults and punishments from the people as a consequence of that. (37) Even though one, because of financially determined relations, more and more relates in enmity, engages one nevertheless in marriages which, based on these false notions, consequently end in divorces. (38) On this path through the ocean of matter is one plagued by the miseries of existence, to which the conditioned soul himself or someone else sometimes thinks to have won and sometimes thinks to have lost, in giving up relatives and accepting newly born ones. In that is a lot of sorrow, illusion and fearing found to which one loudly cries at times and sometimes is singing in glee. Save for the saintly souls returns this entire world of self-interested human beings never even to the present day to the one [place of God] from where this material course came into being and of which the defenders of the peace declare that it is also the end. (39) Not following the instructions of yoga nor this path is [by them] this abode not obtained, which by the wise, who meek abiding by peace are in control of their mind and senses, is easily attained. (40) However victorious in all fields, however expert they were in sacrifices; all who verily where the wisest kings were but of the earth in laying down their own lives, giving them up in being killed indeed because of the created hostility with others and in considering things to be 'mine' [compare 1.2: 13]. (41) Taking to the shelter of the embrace of fruitive action does one, with that risky position somehow or other being freed from a hellish life, that way existing on the path of material interests, again land in the world of human self-interest, despite of having been promoted to the higher life.
(42) There is not a single king able to follow the path of this what is sung here of that great soul Jada Bharata who is the son of Rishabhadeva, the great saintly king; just as much as a fly can't follow Garuda, the carrier of Vishnu. (43) It was he who gave up the wealth of a family, friends and well-wishers and the royal realm; fond of Uttamas'loka, the Lord praised, he, only in his prime years, renounced, like it was stool, that what is in the center of the heart. (44) To those whose minds are attracted by the loving service unto the killer of Madhu [Krishna] performed by the greatest souls, is everything that is so difficult to give up, the earth, the children, relatives, riches and a wife, all that is desirable of the goddess of fortune and the best of the demigods their glances of mercy, of no significance; and that befitted him as a king. (45) 'Unto the Enjoyer of all sacrifices, the Propounder of the Religion, He who teaches by the regulative principles [the vidhi see 1.17: 24], the yoga in person, the teacher of analysis [sânkhya, see Kapila: 3.25], the Controller of the creation, Nârâyana the shelter of all living beings, unto Lord Hari, I offer my obeisances!', was what he prayed aloud with a smile , even when he resided in the body of a deer. (46) He who listens to or describes to others this, by the great devotees highly appreciated, all auspicious narration about the wise king Bharata, so pure in his qualities and actions, will live longer, be more fortunate, become reputed, reach the higher worlds or find the path of liberation; glorifying the character of the devotee and the Lord for sure will bring one all blessings possible, leaving nothing left to desire from others.
The Glories of the Descendants of King Priyavrata
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The son of Bharata, carrying the name Sumati, will, by some heretics who follow the path of Rishabha and are lacking in civilization, in this age of Kali, to a self-made sinful idea contrary to the Veda, be thought of as a godhead [see also 5.6: 9]. (2) From Sumati was from the womb of his wife Vriddhasenâ born a son named Devatâjit. (3) Thereafter was from Âsurî a son of Devatâjit born called Devadyumna. From him was there from Dhenumatî the son Parameshthhî of whom from Suvarcalâ the son Pratîha appeared. (4) He, in his lifetime instructing many on the science of self-realization, was personally very advanced in a perfect understanding of the great Original Personality. (5) From Pratîha his wife Suvarcalâ came the three sons, Pratihartâ, Prastotâ and Udgâtâ into being, who were all expert in the vedic ritual, and from Pratihartâ brought Stutî the two sons Aja and Bhûmâ into existence. (6) From Bhûmâ his wife Rishikulyâ there was Udgîtha, from him was from Devakulyâ Prastâva born, and in Prastâva his wife Niyutsâ was begotten the son Vibhu. From Vibhu his wife Ratî was also Prithushena born from whom Nakta was born out of Âkûti. From Nakta there was a son of Druti: Gaya. He was a most exalted wise king famous for his piety since he was born directly from the Supreme Lord Vishnu for the purpose of protecting the whole world. He, conceived in pure goodness was recognized as an integral part [kalâ] of the Supreme Soul and achieved to be the leading personality [the mahâpurusha] in society. (7) He, truthful in his duties, protected his subjects maintaining them [poshana]; he made them happy in all respects [prînana] treating them as his children [upalâlana], sometimes chastising them as a king [anus'âsana]. He performed all the prescribed religious ceremonies for the Supreme Lord, the great Personality and source of all beings, the Supreme Brahman, in every respect. Of his surrender, the many of his spiritual qualities, by his service to the lotusfeet of the self-realized, did he achieve devotional service unto the Supreme Lord because he, also in the purest consciousness being continuously saturated within himself, personally had realized the cessation of all identification with his material self. Despite of his awareness of his exalted spiritual position he remained without any false prestige in ruling this way the whole world strictly to the vedic principles.'
(8) 'O son of Pându, for the eulogy of Gaya are it these poetic verses that are sung by the ones versed in the puranic truth: (9) 'It was king Gaya who by his performance of the rituals lead the way back to all the sacrifices; respected the world all over for the full of his vedic awareness is he, as the protector of the righteousness with all kinds of opulence, the dean of the assembly of the truthful, and is he, apart from being an integral part of the Supreme Lord, the servant of the devotees and all alike. (10) All women chaste and devoted bathed him, with sanctified water, with great satisfaction as the true one deserving the blessings of the daughters of Daksha; like the cow of mother earth spontaneously dripping milk, fulfilled he selflessly all desires of the people on this planet. (11) Without desire being in respect of every part of the Vedas yielded him all that was desired and all the royalty pleased by his stand in defense of the principles thus paid tribute to him, just as did all the brahmins in their dedicating one sixth of their blessings to his afterlife. (12) Of him got, by his exploits in favor of the Supreme Lord, the soul of sacrifice, king Indra greatly intoxicated in drinking all the soma; the result of his offering in worship was [by Vishnu] personally accepted for his purity in devotion and steadiness in devotional service. (13) The way he, as the maintainer of all, in his delighting in the sacrificial arena, beginning with Lord Brahmâ instantly satisfied all the gods and lower creatures, the whole of human society and the plants and the grasses, derived He indeed, even though He in person is satisfied by nature, great satisfaction from Gaya.
(14-15) From his wife Gayantî were three sons Citraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana born, from Citraratha his wife Ûrnâ was born Samrâth and from him there was from Utkalâ Marîci. From Marîci's wife Bindumatî there was a child named Bindu and from Bindu's wife Saraghâ there was a child with the name of Madhu, whereupon from Madhu his wife Sumanâ there came a son called Vîravrata. From Vîravrata's wife Bhojâ were born two sons named Manthu and Pramanthu and from Manthu his wife Satyâ there was Bhauvana. From him was from Dûshanâ one son named Tvashthâ born, and from Tvashthâ his wife Virocanâ there was a son named Viraja. Of Viraja his wife Vishûcî took birth a hundred sons headed by S'atajit as well as one daughter.
(16) From this dynasty stemming from Priyavrata [see 5.1] there is the following verse: 'In his repute is Viraja, who had a hundred sons, as great an emblem as Lord Vishnu is to the demigods.'
How the Lord can be Comprehended as a Matter of Fact
(1) The king [Parîkchit] said: 'You spoke already [in 5.1: 31-33] of the sphere of the seven places of refuge [Bhû-mandala]: that it stretches as far as the heat of the sun reaches and as far as the moon and myriad of stars can be seen. (2) Because of Priyavrata's circumambulating in his chariot [in 5.1: 30-31] were by the seven ditches the oceans created which separated the seven islands; this was all clearly by you described o great one and concerning this subject of study I certainly would like to know everything concerning the measurement and characteristics in question. (3) To the material qualities of the Supreme Lord in His assuming the gross form [of the universe] do we, notwithstanding indeed the mind over it, within the heart [as the paramâtmâ] find His smaller form as the light within the soul, as the supreme spiritual entity; o dear teacher, please tell me how He, known as the Great Lord Vâsudeva, thus as a matter of fact can be comprehended.
(4) The rishi said: 'O great King, there is no end to the transformations of the material qualities of the Supreme Lord; though not even a person living as long as Brahmâ is capable to put it into words or either fully understand, shall I nevertheless try to explain what in particular of the original source of the material universe its places of existence in one [Bhûloka] can be said in terms of names, forms and proportions. (5) Whatever [one could say to the size] of this separated area ['island' or dvîpa], this inner whorl of the lotusflower unfolding at night which is as round as a lotus leaf, would be of a terrible number of yojanas [measures of distance, lightyears we say these days in relation to the galaxy]. (6) Therein are nine subdivisions ['years' or 'lands separated by mountains'; varshas] found of nine times thousand yojanas neatly separated by eight boundaries of rock ['mountain-ranges', 'spiral arms' or giri]. (7) Among these there is one division in the middle navel named Ilâvrita that is entirely golden and is known as the most renown of all mountains, Mount Meru, that stretches up as far as it, as an area, is wide and which of this lotuslike unfolded universe is the pericarp that measuring a thirty two thousand yojanas at its base reaches a sixteen thousand yojanas to its top and below [according modern astronomy is our galaxy about seven thousand lightyears thick]. (8) More and more stretching north of Ilâvrita [projected on the globe of the earth] there are the three ranges found of Nîla, S'veta and S'ringavân, which each by one tenth are flatter in their marking the varshas of Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Kuru who, each [in proportion] two thousand yojanas wide, have to their east and west extending the Kshâroda ocean [the 'salty one']. (9) The same way are there to the south of Ilâvrita the Nishadha, Hemakûtha and Himâlaya ranges that stretch out with a body of thousands of yojanas to the east dividing a same number of varshas which are called Hari, Kimpurusha and Bhârata. (10) Even so are there to the west of Ilâvrita as well as on the eastern side the demarcations of the western Mâlyavân and eastern Gandhamâdana ranges that for a [proportionate] two thousand yojanas stretch out to the north up to the Nîla mountain, and to the south up to the Nishadha mountain, in which they establish the borders of the varshas named Ketumâla and Bhadras'va. (11) The mountains named Mandara, Merumandara, Supârs'va and Kumuda at four sides form a belt around Mount Meru massively spreading out for countless yojanas.
(12) On these four mountains standing like flagstaffs one finds, spread over as much as a thousand yojanas, four kinds of the very best of trees: the mango, the rose apple, the kadamba and the banyan, who with their branches cover hundreds of yojanas. (13-14) There are four lakes of the purest water, milk, honey and sugarcane juice as also the four gardens Nandâna, Caitraratha, Vaibhrâjaka and Sarvatobhadra - the godlike attending there in enjoying these all, have a natural command of yoga, o best of the Bharata dynasty. (15) In them do the enchanted and enchanting wives of the best of them, of the husbands indeed who are glorified in songs of praise by the lesser gods, enjoy themselves in their pastimes. (16) On the slopes of the Mandara do, at eleven-hundred [virtual] yojanas from the top, fall from the mango tree named Devacûta the fruits down sweet as nectar that are as big as mountain peaks. (17) Of all the mangoes broken open flows in large quantities the reddish juice that is very sweet and fragrant being mixed as it is with other aromas; it flows down east from the top of Mandara mountain in a river named Arunodâ. (18) Of Bhavânî [the wife of S'iva], her maid servants and the chaste wives of the Yakshas [S'iva's followers] using this water, does the wind in contact with their limbs become fragrant for ten yojanas around. (19) Similarly do the rose apple fruits that with their tiny seeds are broken to pieces of falling to the ground from a height of a ten-thousand yojanas from the top of Merumandara, flow down with their juice in a river named the Jambû-nadî through the whole southern region of Ilâvrita itself. (20-21) The mud of both the banks entirely soaked with that juice does, dried under the influence of air and sun, continually deliver a kind of gold named Jâmbû-nada, which used by the denizens of heaven indeed provides the demigods, together with their ever youthful wives, the possession of all kinds of ornaments in the form of belts, helmets, bangles and so on. (22) But from the mahâkadamba standing on the side of the Supârs'va mountain flow from its hollows five streams of honey tens of feet wide [five vyâmas of about five to six feet each] that from the top of that mountain flow down to saturate the whole of the western side of Ilâvrita with their fragrance. (23) That stream indeed does, by the breath of the mouths of those who drank therefrom, perfume the air sweet for a hundred yojanas wide. (24) Similarly do from the top of Kumuda Mountain, on which the banyan tree grows that with its thick stems is named S'atavals'a ['a hundred trunks'], flow big rivers to the northern side of Ilâvrita, giving happiness in fulfilling all desires carrying in its wake an abundance of milk, yogurt, honey, clarified butter, molasses, food grains and so on, as well as a sure wealth of clothing, bedding, sitting places, ornaments and more of that all. (25) Of these benefits do the inhabitants, in the full use of them, for sure never ever get wrinkles, gray hair, fatigue, bad smelling perspiration, old of age, diseased, premature death, cold or heat, a waning luster or whatever variety of troubles and sufferings; for as long as they live they are of an unlimited happiness only.
(26) Like the filaments of the whorl of a lotus are all around the base of Mount Meru arranged twenty or more peaks carrying names as the Kuranga, Kurara, Kusumbha, Vaikanka, Trikûtha, S'is'ira, Patanga, Rucaka, Nishadha, Sinîvâsa, Kapila, S'ankha, Vaidûrya, Jârudhi, Hamsa, Rishabha, Nâga, Kâlañjara and the Nârada. (27) The Mountain of Meru with its golden brilliance like fire, is surrounded by eight mountains of which the two in the east are called Jathhara and Devakûtha, the two in the west Pavana and Pâriyâtra, the two in the south Kailâsa and Karavîra and the two in the north Tris'ringa and Makara. Each covering an eighteen thousand square yojanas, they stretch out for two thousand yojanas. (28) On top of Mount Meru is in the middle the dwellingplace, the city of the most powerful self-born one [Lord Brahmâ] found, stretching to all sides for many thousands of yojanas [our galaxy does so for twenty-six-thousand lightyears to its pericarp and 40 to 60 thousand lights years in diameter, compare verse 7] and of which the sages say that it is entirely golden. (29) Around that center are to each direction the eight cities of the rulers over the planetary systems found (*) which four times as small are of a likewise form.
*: The place of Brahmâ is called Manovatî, and those of his assistants such as Indra and Agni are known as Âmarâvatî, Tejovatî, Samyamanî, Krishnânganâ, S'raddhâvatî, Gandhavatî, Mahodayâ and Yas'ovatî.
The Descent of the River Ganges
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'At the time the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is directly the enjoyer of all sacrifices, took His second step [as Lord Vâmana, see 2.7: 17], pierced He with the nail of the big toe of His left leg the upper covering of the universe. The flow of water, that from the outside entered through the hole, does, having turned pink in washing away the red powder of His lotusfeet, vanquish the sins of all the world getting in touch with it; as emanating directly from the Supreme Lord His feet it is described as completely pure and is thus given that name [the Ganges as the Vishnupadî] after it, after a long time, from the sky descended on the head of that which they call the refuge of Vishnu. (2) There, at that point, indeed does our most exalted, firmly determined devotee, the famous son [Dhruva, see 4: 8] of Uttânapâda, bathe himself in the water of the lotus feet of the family deity, with the pair of his flowerlike eyes slightly opened showing tears as a symptom of the ecstasy in his body. Having the great anxiety in his heart a good deal softened and his spontaneous devotional service to the Lord constantly increased, does he with the uncontaminated water emanating, even now bear it on his own head with great reverence. (3) Thereafter do as well the seven wise [of Marîci, Vasishthha, Atri and so on, see 3.12: 22], well known with the blessing, even at the present moment carry it on their matted hair with great honor; they indeed consider it of all austerities the ultimate perfection to be this much of continuous devotional service in bhakti-yoga with the Supreme Lord, the all-pervading Vâsudeva. Simply by achieving this platform they sure were of neglect for any other means of attaining the perfection, like a [nirvis'esha-vâdi or impersonal] liberation, or for that what by persons is attained by other means of seeking salvation [like economic development, sense gratification, or religion]. (4) Thereafter does it fall down to the abode of Brahmâ, in its descent inundating the sphere of the moon so congested by the thousands and millions of types of divine palaces [vimânas, also called: 'airplanes'] of the gods in their high conduct. (5) There it is divided into four branches each profusely flowing in the four directions towards their great reservoir the ocean, entering there with the names of Sîtâ and Alakanandâ, Cakshu and Bhadra. (6) The Sîtâ originating from the city of Brahmâ, flows downwards from the tops of the Kesarâcala and of other great mountains. Fallen on the top of the Gandhamâdana Mountain does it within the province of Bhadras'va going in the western direction enter into the salty ocean. (7) This way too falling down from the top of Mâlyavân Mountain flows the water thereafter uninterrupted in the western direction through the land of Ketumâla to enter the ocean there. (8) The Bhadrâ, from Mount Meru falling from the top of the Kumuda Mountain, in the north passes the mountains Nîla and S'ringavân to flow from those peaks northways through the entire area of Kuru to enter the ocean in the north. (9) Similarly does the Alakanandâ from Brahmâpuri by the southern side pass over many mountain tops and flows the Ganges with a greater, fiercer force, from the Hemakûtha and Himakûtha to cut through Bhârata-varsha from all sides, heading there southways for the ocean. For the one who entered it for bathing is so the result of great sacrifices like the As'vamedha and the Râjasûya at every step not difficult to obtain. (10) Many kinds of other rivers and streams run through each tract of land, and the hundreds of them should all be considered as being daughters of Mount Meru.
(11) Of all these varshas is the land known as Bhârata-varsha understood as [India] the field for working at one's karma, while the remaining other eight varshas for the meritorious ones of good deeds are designated to be the heavenly places on earth to enjoy the pleasures of life. (12) There do all for thousands of years enjoy their lives; they who, just like gods, are as strong as a thousand elephants with bodies like thunderbolts. Youthful and in excitement about a great deal of sexual pleasure do they bond as men and women, conceiving a child at the end of their term of mating; they have times there of harmonious living, that are like one had existing in Tretâ-Yuga [the period mankind lived in piety]. (13) In each of those lands do the godlike leaders to their own conduct of service never run short of valuables and have they in all seasons lots of flowers as well as fruits of which the branches heavily bend down. The gardens to their many divine refuges are full of beautiful trees and creepers with many lakes of crystal clear water in the valleys of the mountain ranges that demarcate their lands. In those lakes one finds all kinds of fragrant fresh lilies with humming bumblebees, enthused great swans, ducks, cranes and other aquatic birds. They enjoy all kinds of water sports there, lusty courting the attractive godlike women who, smiling with their playful glances, entertain themselves freely with great joy, an eager look and a charmed mind. (14) Certainly proves the Supreme Lord Narâyâna, the great personality, His mercy for His devotees in all these nine varshas by personally inciting the reality of the soul [through his quadruple forms of Vâsudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha see 4.24: 35-36]; to the present day He thus stays near his devotees to accept their service (*).
(15) In Ilâvrita-varsha is certainly Lord S'iva the only overlord; for sure will any other man besides Him, with force entering there, come to know what leads to the curse of Bhavânî [His wife], and turn into a woman; on that I shall dilate later [see 9.1]. (16) In the company of Bhavânî there are ten billion women by whom the into four expanded Supreme Lord is always being served. The fourth expansion of the Supreme Personality, known as Sankarshana, is to the form of Himself in the mode of darkness the source; he, Lord S'iva, in trance meditating on Him, brings Him close as he in worship clearly chants the following. (17) The powerful Lordship says: 'I bow for You o Supreme Lord, o greatest Original Personality and reservoir of all transcendental qualities; You are the unlimited and unmanifested One within this world whom I revere. (18) O worshipable one whose feet ward off all danger; You of whom we have all the different opulences, are the best, the ultimate shelter invaluable to the devotees to whose satisfaction You manifest Yourself in different forms; I sing the glory of You who puts an end to the repetition of birth and death, You, the Supreme Controller, who art the origin of the creation. (19) Who of us not in control of the force of anger, but aspiring to conquer the senses, willing to control, would not be of worship unto You, whose vision glancing over, is never, not even in the slightest degree, affected by the restless mind to the qualities of mâyâ? (20) For someone with an eye for the untrue do You appear with copper-red eyes, as if You'd be inebriated under the influence of mâyâ, having drunken honeysweet liquor; but it was not because of their bashfulness that the ones espoused to the serpent demon were unable to proceed in touching Your feet - it was because their senses were agitated. (21) By You, so say all the sages, is the world maintained, created and annihilated, while You Yourself are without these three; as the unlimited One, You do not feel the universes situated on the hundreds and thousands of Your hoods, as weighing more than a mustard seed. (22-23) From You, from whom there is the most powerful Lord Brahmâ, the beginning, the total energy of the incarnation of the material qualities, was I born, endowed with the threefold, who from my material prowess could settle for all the senses, the godlike and the material elements. Of You, that greater reality, of whom all this and we, the great personalities, are under control in a position like that of a vulture bound to a rope, do I and the liberated, all of us, by Your mercy, proclaim the order over the matter and the senses in this material world. (24) By the illusory energy, brought about by You, that at any given time ties the knots of karma, does a person, bewildered by the qualities of the creation, not know how to escape from being caught in it; unto that Supreme [without whom we thus can't live], unto You in whom everything finds its end and beginning, my respectful homage.'
*: In some of the sâtvata-tantras, there is a description of the nine varshas and the predominating Deity worshiped in each: (1) Vâsudeva, (2) Sankarshana, (3) Pradyumna, (4) Aniruddha, (5) Narâyâna, (6) Nrisimha, (7) Hayagrîva, (8) Mahâvarâha, and (9) Brahmâ.
Prayers to the different Avatâras
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The same way worships [like Lord S'iva] the son of Dharmarâja, known as Bhadras'ravâ, and along with him the leading nobles and all the people of the land of Bhadras'va-varsha, directly the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva, in his most dear form as the director of the religion, the incarnation of Hayagrîva [or Hayas'îrsha]. Approaching Him chant they, fixed on the highest, this. (2) Bhadrasravâ, the ruler, pronounces: 'My obeisances unto the Supreme Lord who is the source of all religious principles and who purifies us from all material contamination; unto Him thus our reverential homage. (3) Alas! How wondrous are the ways of the Lord. Sure to be faced with death does a person nevertheless not see this and thinks he about material happiness; how unjust it is that he so desires to enjoy a life for himself, while he's cremating his father or his sons! (4) The great sages from their point of view maintain that the entirety of the creation is certainly perishable and so say the philosophers and the scholars; still they become illusioned, o unborn One, by Your outer energy, Your miraculous ways; unto You, You as that unborn One, my respects. (5) Accepted in the Vedas as verily being aloof to Your activities of the creation, the maintenance and the arrest of the whole universe, are You, though untouched by them, not astounding to us, for we are connected in You, the original cause of all causes and the original substance separate in all respects. (6) At the end of the Yuga were the four Vedas stolen by the personification of ignorance and from the lowest worlds were they by You, assuming the form of half a horse, half a man, returned to the supreme poet [Brahmâ] the moment he asked for them; unto Him, You whose resolve never fails, my obeisances.'
(7) In Hari-varsha, is there also the Supreme Personality of the Lord as God in a human form [as Nrisimhadeva]. The reason why He assumed that form most satisfying to the great personality of all good qualities, I shall explain later to you [see seventh canto]. Prahlâda, that topmost devotee of whose exalted character and qualities all the Daityas in his family were delivered, is, together with the people of that varsha, of an uninterrupted, unflinching devotional service and they worship Him chanting this: (8) 'O Supreme Lord Nrisimha, I bow for You, my obeisances to the power of all power that You are; please manifest Yourself fully - o You whose nails and teeth are like thunderbolts, please take away the desire to enjoy the untrue, be so good to drive away, o Lord, the ignorance in the material world; may, with my oblations, there be freedom from all fear, I beg You o Lord, source of my prayer, to appear before my mind's eye. (9) Let there be good fortune for the entire universe, let all the earthbound be pacified, let all living beings find consciousness in a reciprocating mindfulness and the mind be calm - let it experience the Lord in the beyond, let our intelligence be absorbed without another motive. (10) Let there not be the attachment to the house, the wife, the children, a bank balance and friends and relatives; let us be with persons to whom the Lord is dear, people satisfied with the bare necessities of life who - as opposed to those to whom the senses are dear - in living by the soul, are quickly of success. (11) Of having achieved the repeated association with those whose influence is uncommon and of coming in touch with the holy places, are certainly the impurities of the mind overcome; the unborn one who entered the core of the heart through the ears would indeed not be of service to things impure - such is the way of Mukunda [the Lord of liberation]. (12) In those who, with all the good qualities, are of an unalloyed devotional service with the Fortunate One, there reside all the demigods in respect of the Lord - but where are the good qualities of a person not devoted, who in his mental speculations is bent upon the temporary of the world? (13) As necessary as water is to aquatics is the Lord, the Supreme One, the life and soul to all the embodied beings; if one gives up on a personality as great as He is, will one stay attached to the household life which then, with an older couple, is a form of haughtiness. (14) Household life is the root cause of fear and depression, passion, attachment, disappointment, anger, the desire for prestige and the cycle of repeated birth and death, and must for these reasons be given up by means of the worship of the feet of Lord Nrisimhadev, the shelter to be free from fear in this world.'
(15) In the form of Kâmadeva [or also Pradyumna, see 4.24: 35] resides the Supreme Lord in Ketumâla according His wish to satisfy the Goddess of Fortune, as well as the sons [the days] and the daughters [the nights] of the founding father [Samvatsara, the deity of the year] who rule the land - and of whom there are as many as there are days and nights in a human lifetime. The fetuses of these daughters, whose minds are upset by the radiation of the mighty weapon [the cakra] of the Supreme Personality, land, driven out, at the end of a year expelled [from the womb], therefrom in the worldly misfortune. (16) So very beautifully in His movements and pastimes manifested, pleases He with His mild smiles, playful glances and slightly raised attractive eyebrows; auspicious with His lotuslike face is He a pleasure to the Goddess of Fortune and all the senses. (17) To that highest form of the Supreme Lord so affectionate to all, recites the goddess of splendor, in the absorption of yoga the following, in her all year through, during the nights with the daughters of the Prajâpati, and during the days with the husbands, being of worship for Him: (18) 'O Lord, o sages' song sung, my reverence to You as the Supreme Lord of the senses, You in respect with all Your qualities and all Your variety, You as the soul of all and master of action, knowing, function and relation, the one known as the sixteenfold (of the working, the knowing senses, the elements and mind); unto You as the Enjoyer of all rituals, the Maintainer and Sustainer of all, He who awards eternal life, the All-pervading One of Power, the strength of the body and the senses, the Supreme Husband fulfilling all desires, my respectful obeisances - may there always be Your good fortune! (19) For all women of Your accord to the vow, are You the Controller of the senses whom they ask for a husband to care for in this world. As someone else to them are those husbands indeed not able to protect the so very dear of their children, wealth and life span, because they are dependent themselves. (20) You indeed would be the husband fearless and self-sufficient who fully shelters the fearful person. Therefore, because You otherwise would be of the fear for one another, are You the one and only; no other thing is to be held greater than indeed the attainment of You. (21) A woman who, with that notion of You in mind, is full of desire in the worship of Your lotus feet, is by You, despite of all the desires she entertained, rewarded in that wish only; looking for another favor will she, o my Lord, break and be pained in such a kind of worship with ulterior motives. (22) The unborn one [Brahmâ], the controller [S'iva] and the other gods, as well as the unenlightened, undergo severe penances to win my favor; but because I have my heart always in You, may no one with a mind set to the senses obtain me, unless he wholly and solely is of service at Your feet, o Unconquerable One. (23) I pray that You, o Infallible one, place the worshiped lotus hand that You placed on the heads of the devotees also on my head; You keep my mark on Your chest o worshipable one, but that is misleading - who would by reason and argument be able to understand what You as the Supreme Controller all want from us?'
(24) In Ramyaka was before by [Vaivasvata] Manu [at the end of the Câkshusha-manvantara] the Supreme Lord worshiped as the foremost in the form of Matsya, the fish-incarnation; he, the ruler of that land is even now through his devotional service of worship in this, as he chants the following: (25) 'My obeisances unto the Supreme Lord appearing in his first incarnation; my devoted respects for the pure of goodness, the origin of life, the source of all sense, the origin of all mental power and bodily strength; unto Him as the great fish my reverential homage. (26) Being within as well as without are You around, unseen by the leaders of all the different worlds; by the magnanimity of Your sounds is man, so differently named, brought under Your control like he was a wooden doll, o Supreme Controller. (27) The world leaders in politics suffer the fever of envy, they, endeavoring apart from You, whether separately or combined, are also trying to be protective, but they are not successful in that respect, protecting whatever two-legged, four-legged, crawling or non-moving creatures one sees in this world. (28) O Lordship, when this earth, the storehouse of all kinds of medicinal herbs, was in the stormy waves of the water of devastation at the end of the Yuga, was she as well as me kept by You who with all Your power vigorously roamed, o Unborn One; I offer You, the ultimate source of life of the entire universe, my respectful obeisances.'
(29) In Hiranmaya indeed does the Supreme Lord manifest the body of a tortoise [Kurma]. Of Him, that dearmost embodiment, is Aryamâ, the leader of the forefathers, together with the people of that realm, in worship singing the following hymn: (30) 'My Lord, our respects for You, as the Supreme Lord in the form of a tortoise, You are the transcendental good of all; unto You whose position cannot be discerned, our homage. You, although the oldest, are unaffected by time; my reverence for You as the great One reaching everywhere; again and again I bow for the shelter of all - our respectful obeisances are for You! (31) This form of You of the visible cosmic complete which You manifested through Your own potency and is known by so many divine appearances, is beyond measure; and from trying to measure it as something perceptible, we arrive at the falsehood - unto You, whose real form cannot be discerned, I bow down. (32) What is born from a womb, born from humidity, born from an egg, born from the earth; what is moving or unmoving, a god, a sage or forefather; that what exists as the material elements, the senses, the higher worlds, the sky, the earthly worlds, the hills and mountains; the rivers, the oceans, the islands, the stars and the planets are thus, in all their variety, to be known as one. (33) In You, who art innumerable in the particular of names, forms, and different bodily features, have the learned ones this idea of numbers, the truth of which they extract through observation; unto Him, You who thus discloses Himself in analysis, my obeisances [see also Kapila 3 - 28 to33].
(34) Also, in the northern territory called Kuru is the Supreme Lord, the Original Person of Sacrifice, eternally existing in his boar form [Varâha, see 3.13], time and again worshiped by the goddess and this planet earth together with the inhabitants of [Uttarâ-]Kuru, unrelenting in devotional service unto Him. To this worship is this Upanishad verse repeated: (35) 'Our respects unto the Supreme Lord whose limbs and functions in truth are understood by the different mantras, by the offerings, by the rituals and the great sacrifices; unto that great personality, that purifier of the karma, my homage; unto Him, known throughout the three preceding Yugas ['tri-yuga'], my obeisances. (36) To the great scholars of learning is the material nature with its modes Your form; just like with fire that manifests in wood by spinning a stick, do the inquisitive by the mind find the hidden of You in their going for the cause; unto that manifesting Soul my respects. (37) From the mâyâ to Your form raised by the objects of the senses, the controlling deities over the senses, the body, the predominating time, by false ego and the modes of nature observed as a fact, are those whose intelligence found its stability the careful consideration of all the different limbs of the yoga system, completely freed; unto that Supreme Soul my reverential homage. (38) Unto You, who in the train of maintaining, winding up and creating the universe does not entertain any desire, unto You of whose glancing over the desired, the modes and the illusory of matter move as does iron placed near a magnetic stone, my obeisances; unto You as the witness to the actions and reactions. (39) For Him who, playful like an elephant, after killing the most formidable daitya opponent in the fight, came out of the water of the Garbhodaka ocean keeping me, the earth, on top of His tusks [Hiranyâksha see 3.19] - for that Almighty One, I bow myself down.'
The Prayers of Hanumân and Nârada and the Glories of Bhârata-varsha
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'In the land of Kimpurusha is the Supreme Lord, the Original Personality, the elder brother of Lakshmana, Râmacandra, who is so pleasing to Sîtâ; he who with the people of Kimpurusha in the devotion of worship is always engaged in service at His feet is the supreme and greatest devotee Hanumân. (2) With Ârshthishena [the leader of Kimpurusha] attentively listening to the glory of his most auspicious master and Lordship being chanted by a company of Gandharvas, does he [Hanumân] himself chant this: (3) 'O my Lord, my obeisances unto You as the Sweet Lord celebrated in the scriptures, all my respects are for You who possesses all the good qualities one finds with the advanced, my reverence unto You as the One who has His senses under control, He who is always remembered and worshiped by the people of all places, my salutations unto You as the touchstone of quality for any seeker of truth, I bow for You, the great personality and godhead of the brahmins; unto the King of Kings my homage. (4) Let me worship Him, that transcendentally pure, supreme truth, who is experienced as the one body of spiritual potency by which the influence of the modes of nature is vanquished; He, not visible but by transcendence, undisturbed of nature and free from ego beyond name and form, can be achieved by pure [natural, Krishna-]consciousness. (5) Incarnated as a human being was He for sure not only there as the Almighty One to kill the demon Râvana, but also for instructing the mortals of this material world; for what other reason but to serve the satisfaction of Him as the spiritual soul in person, would there have been all the misery of Sîtâ's being separated from Him, the Controller? (6) In truth is He, the Supreme Soul and best friend of the selfrealized, never attached to whatever in the three worlds; He is the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva who in fact never suffered from being separated from His wife Sîtâ - nor would ever Lakshmana, who is certainly also of such a capacity to forsake. (7) Nor of one's birth is one of the pleasure of the Greatest, nor because of one's fortune, one's eloquence, one's wit, or one's physique; despite of the fact that we're alas but inhabitants of the forest who all miss these qualities, accepted Lakshmana's elder brother us in friendship. (8) Therefore, enlightened or not, beast or human being, anyone who lives to the soul should worship Râma, the foremost one so easy to please, the Lord who appeared as a human being and who thus brought the inhabitants of Kosala [Ayodhyâ], northern India, back to Godhead.'
(9) Also in the land of Bhârata is the Supreme Lord up to the end of the millennium known as Nara-Nârâyana; He, whose glories are inconceivable, shows His causeless mercy to the candidates of self-realization who practice austerities conducive to the religion, the spiritual knowledge, the detachment, the yogic mastery, the control over the senses and the freedom from false ego. (10) The practice of analytic yoga on how one should realize God, as formulated by the Lord [Kapila, see 3.28 & 29], was instructed to Sâvarni Manu by the most powerful Nârada, who together with the followers of the system of status-orientations [the varnâs'rama system, see B.G. 4: 13] living in the land of Bhârata [India], with great ecstatic love serves the Lord chanting this: (11) 'My respectful obeisances unto You o Lord, master of the senses and freedom from attachment in person, my respects unto You who art the only asset of the man of poverty. You, Nara-Nârâyana, are the most exalted of all the wise, the supreme spiritual master of all the paramahamsas [the swanlike realized masters] and the original one of the selfrealized; again and again I offer You thus my reverential homage.' (12) And he sings thereto: 'You are the executor overseeing this cosmic creation; the One who is not attached to being the master, nor do You, although You appear as a human being, suffer from hunger, thirst and fatigue; nor is the vision of You, who art the seer of everything, ever polluted by the material qualities; unto You as the unattached and pure witness above all emotion, my respects. (13) O Lord of Yoga, of this, what was discussed by the almighty Lord Brahmâ in respect of how to follow perfectly to the principles of yoga, we know that the one who has given it up to identify with the body, at the time of his death, with a devotional attitude, should place his mind in You as the transcendence. (14) A person driven by desire in fear thinks about his children, wife and wealth; but any person who knows of the trivial of his timebound body, considers, because of the fact that the body is lost in the end, those endeavors as a waste of time only. (15) Therefore, o master of us, o Transcendence over the senses, I pray that we, with the illusory of You, very soon may forsake this fixed idea of 'I' and 'mine', which to the banality of our material vehicle is so difficult to overcome; please grant us the yogic unto You so that we may find our nature.'
(16) Also in this land of Bhârata there are many rivers and mountains like the Malaya, Mangala-prastha, Mainâka, Trikûtha, Rishabha, Kûthaka, Kollaka, Sahya, Devagiri, Rishyamûka, S'rî-s'aila, Venkatha, Mahendra, Vâridhâra, Vindhya, S'uktimân, Rikshagiri, Pâriyâtra, Drona, Citrakûtha, Govardhana, Raivataka, Kakubha, Nîla, Gokâmukha, Indrakîla and Kâmagiri as well as hundreds and thousands of other peaks; and the big and small rivers born on their slopes are innumerable. (17-18) Of all these waters of Bhârata find the residents purification of mind by their name only as also by touching them. The big rivers are the Candravasâ, Tâmraparnî, Avathodâ, Kritamâlâ, Vaihâyasî, Kâverî, Venî, Payasvinî, S'arkarâvartâ, Tungabhadra, Krishnâvenyâ, Bhîmarathî, Godâvarî, Nirvindhyâ, Payoshnî, Tâpî, Revâ, Surasâ, Narmadâ, Carmanvatî, Sindhu [the present Indus], the two main rivers the Andha and the Sona, the Mahânadî, Vedasmriti, Rishikulyâ, Trisâmâ, Kaus'ikî, Mandâkinî, Yamunâ, Sarasvatî, Drishadvatî, Gomatî, Sarayû, Rodhasvatî, Saptavatî, Sushomâ, S'atadrû, Candrabhâgâ, Marudvridhâ, Vitastâ, Asiknî and the Vis'vâ. (19) In this tract of land are the people, who from goodness, from redness [passion] and from darkness are born there in a class according their own acquired karma, leading lives which are divine, human or hellish; and so too, according to what one did in the past, are there, delimited in terms of different castes, to the path of liberation many goals possible with each soul. (20) Unto the Supreme Lord, the soul its sameness in all beings, the independent one, the Supersoul Vâsudeva of freedom above mind and speech, may anyone in this, with the help of the different ways and goals of bhakti-yoga, cut with the cause of being bound in ignorance. For with these ways and goals is indeed an intimate relationship found between the person and the Supreme Personality, next to whom in reality no other cause can be found.'
(21) The next is for certain what all the demigods chant: 'One says it is because of all the pious deeds performed by these people that the Lord Himself was pleased with them and that they obtained the society of the land of Bhârata-varsha. It is that Lord Mukunda who is indeed our aspiration; by Him we attain to service. (22) Of what value are our difficult exploits of rituals, austerities, vows and charities performed or a heavenly kingdom; it is all of no importance when there, due to excess in the sensual, is not the remembrance of the lotusfeet of Lord Nârâyana. (23) Of greater value than achieving a position of a life that lasts endlessly and is liable to repetition [like that of Brahmâ], is it to be born in the land of Bhârata for only a hundred years of living, for, in such a short life of being a mortal, the work is done by those who actually know to value life itself; in full detachment, do they, freed from fear, achieve the Lord His abode. (24) Where there is not the sweet stream of talks about Vaikunthha, nor the devotees who, always engaged in His service, take to His shelter, nor the performance of those sacrifices for the Lord that are true festivals, must one say that, even though it could be a place inhabited by the denizens of heaven, it is a place certainly not to be frequented. (25) If they who obtained a human birth here, and also if those among the [elsewhere] living who are fully equipped with all knowledge and action, despite of these achievements do not endeavor for the eternal position, will such persons again, just like birds on the loose, go into bondage. (26) By their faith are they in their performance of the rituals divided; with the oblations offered to the ruling deity reciting mantras according the proper method, is the One God separately addressed with different names. He, complete in Himself, accepts it most happily because He is the bestower of all benedictions in person. (27) Though He in truth grants the very same thing that was prayed for by man, is He not the bestower of benedictions one asks for time and again; He personally, even unasked, gives to those engaged in His service all things desirable that continually sprout from His lotusfeet. (28) If there from us remains any merit of our perfect sacrifice, diligent study and good deeds, let that then lead to a birth in the land of Bhârata which inspires us to remember the Lord of that place from where of the devoted all good fortune expands.'
(29-30) S'rî S'uka continued: 'To the continent known as Jambûdvîpa [the eurasian continent, see 5.1: 32], o King, are also, as some learned scholars describe it, eight subordinate divisions of land ['islands' in the sense of provinces] which were formed by the digging all around of the sons of Mahârâja Sagara [the indian part or Bhârata-varsha], who tried to retrieve the lost horse of sacrifice [see 9.8]. They have the following names: Svarnaprastha, Candras'ukla, Âvartana, Ramanaka, Mandara-harina, Pâñcajanya, Simhala and Lankâ. (31) I thus have explained to you the divisions of the lands of Jambûdvîpa, o best of the decendants of Bharata, the way they have been instructed to me.
The structure of the Different Dvîpas and the Prayers by their Different Peoples
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Next I shall describe the subsections, dimensions, characteristics and form of the dvîpa ['separated area' like continent and island or also belt] named Plaksha and the others [see 5.1: 32]. (2) Like Mount Meru is surrounded by the dvîpa of Jambû is it itself [seen from the inside] surrounded by a salty ocean that is just as wide. Beyond that is it, like a moat outside a park, surrounded by the dvîpa of Plaksha that, named after a plaksha tree as tall as a jambû, is stretching twice as wide. At that tree, rising magnificently splendorous, there is a fire found counting seven flames. The master of that dvîpa is the son of Priyavrata named Idhmajihva, who divided his own dvîpa into seven varshas [lands] whom he named after his seven sons when he himself retired for the yoga of self-realization. (3-4) S'iva, Yavasa, Subhadra, S'ânta, Kshema, Amrita and Abhaya, are thus the varshas to the different rivers and mountains. The seven mountain ranges marking the varshas are known as Manikûtha, Vajrakûtha, Indrasena, Jyotishmân, Suparna, Hiranyashthhîva and Meghamâla. The Arunâ, Nrimnâ, Ângirasî, Sâvitrî, Suptabhâtâ, Ritambharâ and the Satyambharâ are likewise the main rivers. Touching their water washes away the passion and darkness of the four types of men there called the Hamsas, Patangas, Ûrdhvâyanas and Satyângas [the swanlike, the rulers, the ambitious, and the faithful; other names for the varnas or vocations]. For a thousand years they live there like gods with most beautiful bodies, having children and performing vedic rituals at the gate to heaven, glorifying the Supreme Lord as the Supersoul of the sun-god by hymn, sacrifice and song: (5) 'Let us seek shelter with Lord Vishnu, the Soul of all souls who is the most authentic form of the Absolute Truth, of the religion, of Brahman, of the nectar [of eternal life] and of death, as well as of Sûrya, the God of the Sun.'
(6) From Plaksha on are on the five dvîpas the people existing there without exception born with the perfections of a long life, good sense, bodily and mental fortitude, physical power, intelligence and bravery. (7) Surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice measuring as wide, is there beyond Plakshadvîpa another dvîpa known as S'âlmala, that, being equally wide, is twice as big and is surrounded by an ocean of liquor [or wine; surâ, see footnote]. (8) That dvîpa has its name from a S'âlmali-tree as big as the Plaksha-tree and in it has, so one says, Garuda the carrier bird of vedic prayers unto Lord Vishnu, his residence. (9) The master of that dvîpa is the son of Priyavrata called Yajñabâhu. He divided it into seven varshas according the seven names of his sons: Surocana, Saumanasya, Ramanaka, Deva-varsha, Pâribhadra, Âpyâyana and Avijñâta. (10) The seven mountains and main-rivers there are known to be the Svarasa, S'ata-s'ringa, Vâmadeva, Kunda, Mukunda, Pushpa-varsha and the Sahasra-s'ruti mountains, and the river Anumati, Sinîvâlî, Sarasvatî, Kuhû, Rajanî, Nandâ and Râkâ. (11) The people living in those varshas are known as the S'rutadharas, Vîryadharas, Vasundharas and Ishandharas [another description of the varnas meaning those who are of listening, of the heroic, of wealth, and of obedience]; fully conversant with the vedic worship they the Supreme Lord as Soma-âtmâ ['the true self of the sacrificial beverage' or the moon-god]: (12) 'By His own effulgence divides He the time into the light and dark period of the month [s'ukla and krishna]; may He, that divinity of the moon as well as of the grain to be distributed to the forefathers and the gods, that King of All People, remain favorable towards us.'
(13) Following outside of that ocean of liquor is there equally wide and twice as big, a sea of ghee that, like with the dvîpa before, surrounds Kus'advîpa, of which the kus'a-grass created by God gave that dvîpa its name; like another kind of fire are by the effulgence of the young sprouting grass all directions illumined. (14) The master of that island, Hiranyaretâ, the son of Mahârâja Priyavrata, o King, divided his dvîpa in seven and gave them, when he withdrew himself for his penance, according to his sons, the names of Vasu,Vasudâna, Dridharuci, Nâbhigupta, Stutyavrata, Vivikta and Vâmadeva. (15) The seven mountain ranges and seven rivers of them are the Cakra, Catuh-s'ringa, Kapila, Citrakûtha, Devânîka, Ûrdhvaromâ and Dravina mountains and the rivers Ramakulyâ, Madhukulyâ, Mitravindâ, Srutavindâ, Devagarbhâ, Ghritacyutâ and Mantramâlâ. (16) By those waters do the inhabitants of Kus'advîpa called the Kus'alas, Kovidas, Abhiyuktas and Kulakas [or the grass-sitters, the experienced, the competitors and the artisans], proficient in the rituals, worship the Supreme Lord in the form of the God of Fire called Jâtaveda ['he who awards the wages']: (17) 'Of all the demigods of the Supreme Brahman who are the limbs of the Original Person are You the Granter of Wages, who is directly carrying the offerings of ghee and grains; please carry therefore the offerings by our sacrifices unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.'
(18) So is, just as Kus'advîpa is surrounded, also Krauñcadvîpa all around, outside of the ocean of ghee, surrounded by an ocean of milk [or plant-juice], evenly wide and twice as big, in which the king of the mountains named Krauñca is found that gave that dvîpa its name. (19) Although its vegetation was ruffed by the weapons of the son of S'iva [Kârttikeya], has it become fearless from always bathing in the ocean of milk and from the protection by the mighty Varuna [the demigod of the seas]. (20) Ghritaprishthha, the son of Mahârâja Priyavrata, ruler on that dvîpa gave the divisions of his own land in seven varshas the names of his sons, who were all as powerful as he was, and appointed each of them as the master of the varsha. Next took he himself shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Hari, the soul of all souls whose glories are so auspicious. (21) Âma, Madhuruha, Meghaprishthha, Sudhâmâ, Bhrâjishthha, Lohitârna and Vanaspati were the sons of Ghritaprishthha and the seven mountain ranges and seven rivers were celebrated as the S'ukla and Vardhamâna, Bhojana, Upabarhina, Nanda, Nandana and Sarvatobhadra mountains and the river the Abhayâ, Amritaughâ, Âryakâ, Tîrthavatî, Rûpavatî, Pavitravatî and the S'uklâ. (22) Sanctified by using the pellucid waters of all those rivers do the inhabitants of those varshas called the Purushas, the Rishabas, the Dravinas and the Devakas [or the authentic, the superior, the wealthy, and the sporting ones], worship with folded palms full of water, God in the form of water: (23) 'O water, might of the Original Personality, you sanctify the earth, its life, its paradise; may our touching of that what by its nature destroys the spirit of evil, purify our bodies.'
(24) Consequently is, situated beyond the ocean of milk, found the dvîpa of S'âka measuring a 3.2 million yojanas as long as it is wide; it is surrounded by an ocean of whey and it owes its name to an indeed very fragrant fig tree which makes the whole dvîpa smell aromatic. (25) The ruler there, another son of Priyavrata named Medhâtithi also divided the dvîpa in seven varshas to the names of his seven sons Purojava, Manojava, Pavamâna, Dhûmrânîka, Citrarepha, Bahurûpa and Vis'vadhâra, who he appointed there to be their rulers. After doing so entered he the forest of penance, with his mind absorbed in the unlimited of the Supreme Lord. (26) The mountains and rivers forming the borders of the varshas are the Îs'âna, Urus'ringa, Balabhadra, S'atakesara, Sahasra-srota, Devapâla and Mahânasa mountains and the rivers the Anaghâ, Âyurdâ, Ubhayasprishthi, Aparâjitâ, Pañcapadî, Sahasra-s'ruti and the Nijadhriti. (27) The people of those varshas, the Ritavratas, the Satyavratas, the Dânavratas and the Anuvratas [the varnas of the godfearing and the ones vowed to the truth, to providing, and to following] have themselves cleansed of their passions and ignorance by the practice of regulating the breath that is ruled by the demigod Vâyu, whom they worship in transcendental absorption: (28) 'Entering all living beings are You the one Supersoul within, the Controller directly, who maintains by the functions of the inner air; please direct us, for You control the entire cosmos.'
(29) Even so is there beyond that ocean of whey another dvîpa named Pushkara that is twice as big as the one before and is outside surrounded by an ocean of sweet water in which a very big lotusflower is found with a 100 million leaves of pure gold that are like the flames of a blazing fire; that lotus is considered to be the sittingplace of the all-powerful Lord of the Lotus [Brahmâ]. (30) Within that dvîpa there is the one [mountain range] named Mânasottara marking indeed the inner and outer side of the lands there; it has, being as great as 10.000 yojanas high and wide, in its four directions the cities of the local rulers, the demigods headed by Indra. On its highest point circumambulating Mount Meru moves around the chariot of the sun in an orbit that by the days and nights of the demigods consists of one whole year [a samvatsara]. (31) The ruler of that dvîpa, also a son of Priyavrata with the name Vîtihotra, appointed as their rulers and named the two varshas of it to his two sons Ramanaka and Dhâtaki, when he himself like his other brothers, factually remained in activities to satisfy the Supreme Lord. (32) The people of those lands, to their duty of ritual, worship the Supreme Lord in the form of Lord Brahmâ for the fulfillment of their desires and pray this: (33) 'The form revealing the Supreme Brahman, which is achieved by consciously dealing with the illusion [by vedic ritual] must be worshiped by a person who, full of faith, is undivided, unwavering and of peace unto Him, the Most Powerful One we thus respect.'
(34) Beyond that there is a mountain named Lokâloka which all around exists as the boundary between the places material and immaterial. (35) The earth of the land, found all between Meru and the Mânasottara range, is golden, and the rest outside is as smooth as a mirror; anything dropped there can no way be retrieved and therefore is the place shunned by all living entities. (36) By the mountain Lokâloka that is the outer shell are this way established the designations of the worlds where material beings live and the worlds where no such beings exist. (37) That end of the three worlds, created all around of them by the Controller, extends that excessively that for the rays of all the luminaries from the sun up to the goal of liberation of Dhruva [the universal center, see 4.12: 12], there is no possibility to reach beyond. (38) The scholars investigating calculated that the locations of the planets, to the sizes of their appearances as well as to their stellar situations, cover as much as half a billion yojanas, of which this tangible world of light constitutes but one quarter [of the complete of all matter in existence; the rest being 'dark matter' one says these days].
(39) On top of that are in the four directions by the master of the universe [Brahmâ], which is the cradle of the soul, established the best of all elephants called Rishabha, Pushkaracûda, Vâmana and Aparâjita, that so take care of the stability of the different planets in the universe. (40) Of all his locally ruling, personal divinities and all the types of heroes thriving on Him, is He the Supreme Lord, the foremost and greatest personality, the great master of all grace, the Soul in the beyond, the True Self of the purest goodness characterized by religion, spiritual knowledge, detachment, all opulence and the eight great perfections [see 3.15: 45]; surrounded by expansions like Vishvaksena and decorated with His different weapons held up by His own stout arms, manifests He, for the benefit of all worlds, on that greatest of all mountains His form existing all around. (41) For the time of His creation has the Supreme Lord by His own spiritual potency thus accepted this perfected appearance, just for the purpose of maintaining that way the manifold of the various worlds of living. (42) The uninhabited nonmaterial varsha extends as far outside Lokâloka as the width found within, and that beyond is the path of the Lord of Yoga that is said to be the purest.
(43) In the center of the universe are the stars found in between heaven and earth; that globe in the middle consists of a quarter of a billion suns. (44) From having entered into the fixed of this globe at its time of creation, is he [Brahmâ] known as Mârtanda [the God of the Suns]; the designation known as Hiranyagarbha ['the gold inside' or Brahmâ] came into existence that way because that [golden luminosity] is where he received his body from. (45) From the sun-god we indeed have the divisions of the directions of the sky, the planets above and the worlds below, and also all other divisions of heavenly abodes, abodes of liberation as also of hellish places such as Atala. (46) The sun-god is the controller of all sorts of living beings, he is the life, soul and vision of the godly, the lower animals, the human beings and everything crawling and creeping, the life, soul and vision.
*: According some modern interpretation do these seas refer to the bodily fluids, with the dvîpas as sections in the virâth-rûpa universal body of the Lord: Lavana or salt sea (urine), cane juice sea (perspiration), Surâ or sea of wine (senses), Sarpi or sea of ghee (semen) Dadhi or buttermilk sea [yogurt, whey] (mucus), the sea of milk (saliva), and the sea of pure water (tears).
The Reality of the Sungod Sûrya
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus far I managed to tell you about the estimates of the measurement and the characteristics of the arrangement of the whole universe. (2) The experts are able to estimate and instruct on the form of the globe of the sky above, that, just as with the two halves of a grain of wheat, is divided in the two adjoining parts of the outer space on both sides. (3) In the middle is situated the most powerful master of all the heavenly bodies governing, the burning sun, that by its heat heats the three worlds and lights them by its rays. That sunglobe passing through the north, through the south or crossing the equator, is known differently depending on its slowness, swiftness or equality of movement. In its rising and setting or staying up in different positions, is it, while it as ordained moves through the different signs of the zodiac, making long days, short days or days of equal length. (4) When the sun is in the first sign and the sign counterbalancing [Mesha and Tulâ, or at the equinoxes], are at that time the days and nights of an equal length, and when it moves through the five first ones headed by Taurus and Gemini do the days [at first] certainly increase and do the nights decrease by half an hour every month [depending on the latitude]. (5) The time he stays in the five of Scorpio are the days and nights of the opposite. (6) Until the sun passes through the south are the days longer and until he passes through the north are the nights longer. (7) Thus encircling with an orbit to the Mânasottara mountains of ninety-five million one hundred thousand yojanas long, so the scholars teach [see footnote], is on the east of Meru found Devadhânî, the city of King Indra, south of it the one named Samyamanî of Yamarâja, in the west the one named Nimlocanî of Varuna, and in the north the one of the moon named Vibhâvarî. At all of these four sides of Meru thus making for the sunrise, the sunset, the noon and the midst of night, causes he the particular times of the living beings to be active or to cease their activity. (8-9) The ones living there are, positioned to the middle of the day, by the sun always heated; to the left of the immovable [the mountain] and to the right is where he moves from the point of rising to that position diametrically opposite where he is sure to set. There where one sees the sun no longer because he has set does it cause the people to sleep while diametrically opposite to that place he is sure to make the people sweat heating them. (10) When the sun in fifteen ghathikâs [six hours] moves from the residence of Indra to that of Yamarâja covers it a distance of 23.775.000 yojanas [a quarter of the circumference]. (11) From there goes it this way from where Varuna resides to the realm of the moon and then again to the place of Indra with which also the other planets and stars headed by the moon are seen rising and setting in the celestial sky. (12) So does the vehicle of the sun-god, known by the three of heaven, earth and the vital sphere, in 3.400.800 yojanas in a muhûrta [modern science: 39.163 million km/hr] move through the four residences. (13) It has only one wheel [a solar year] with twelve spokes [the months], six segments [the seasons] and three pieces to its hub [the four month-periods], which in its entirety is known as a tropical year [samvatsara]; its axle is fixed on the top of Meru with Mânasottara at the other end. The wheel of the chariot of the sun is fixed there rotating on the mountain range of Mânasottara like a wheel of an oil-pressing machine. (14) To that axle with its fixed base there is a second one which, like with the axle of an oilpressing machine, measures one quarter of it. By its upper portion it is fixed to Dhruvaloka [the center of the stars]
(15) The inside of the vehicle measuring 3.6 million yojanas long is but a quarter of it as wide, it is pulled by seven horses named to the vedic meters [Gâyatrî, Brihati, Ushnik, Jagatî, Trishthup, Anushthup and Pankti] that are hooked up by Arunadeva to a yoke as wide as the vehicle, in order to carry the god of the sun [the actual diameter of the sun itself is 1.392 million kilometers]. (16) Although Aruna, sure to keep to the job of being the charioteer, sits in front of the sun-god, does he look backward. (17) There, in front of the sun-god, are the sixty thousand thumbsized great sages named the Vâlikhilyas, engaged in offering their prayers, expressed eloquently [see also 4.1:39]. (18) So too do, with a variety of names, fourteen others knowing the saints, the Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nâgas, Yakshas, Râkshasas and the demigods, thus one by one in seven groups of two, every month worship the most powerful sun-god Sûrya, who is the life of the universe and who carries different names depending on the different ceremonies (**). (19) Thus does the sun-god traverse the 95.1 million yojanas of the circumference of the earthly sphere with a speed of two thousand and half a yojana in about a kshana [± 1,6 sec; see also verse 12].
*: To modern measurements encircles the earth the sun at an average distance of 92,960.000 miles or 149,591,000 km. The circumference of its orbit is about 940 million km. Considering that would this calculation of the apparent geocentric path of the sun to an earthly Mânasottara range result in a yojana of about 9.8 km in this context.
** The Vishnu Purâna states: 'Worshiping the most powerful demigod Sûrya, the Gandharvas sing in front of him, the Apsaras dance before the chariot, the Nis'âcaras follow the chariot, the Pannagas decorate the chariot, the Yakshas guard the chariot, and the saints called the Vâlikhilyas surround the sun-god and offer prayers. The seven groups of fourteen associates arrange the proper times for regular snow, heat and rain throughout the universe'.
The movement of the Planets and their Considered Effects
(1) The king said: 'Your lordship described how the most powerful god of the sun leaves Mount Meru and Dhruvaloka to its right moving through the different signs and as well going around facing them forwards leaves them at his left side; how must we according reason accept that?
(2) To that he [S'uka] clearly stated: 'Just like one, with the movements of small ants spinning around on a potters wheel, may be sure that, due to their changing locations, there is a different experience, may one also be sure of such a difference in moving relative to Meru and Dhruvaloka [the central heap of stars and the galaxy center]: with the stars, that go around with the great wheel of time, they are located at the right, but of the individual motions by the planets lead by the sun upon that spinning wheel of time, is the movement to the stars and signs for sure observed differently.
(3) That cause, this supremely powerful original person directly seen as Nârâyana the Supersoul of the three Vedas, who is there for the benefit and karmic purification of all the worlds, is the cause after which all the saintly and vedic knowing inquires; He arranges for the twelve divisions of the year as well as, according to what was enjoyed before, for the different qualities to the sixfold of the seasons beginning with spring. (4) All people down here who, of the threefold of vedic knowledge and the higher or more earthly doings of the statusoriëntations, follow this of Him, attain without difficulty the ultimate benefit of life, as they according their karma worship and to their faith grow in yoga. (5) Therefore is He this living force of all the three worlds that between the upper and lower of the universe are positioned in outer space on the wheel of time; in twelve months passing through signs that accordingly divide the solar year, is there a month with two fortnights, that are like the day and night, and indeed that portion of the year that is remembered as a season covering one sixth of the orbit or two and a quarter constellation by stellar calculation [thus one speaks of twelve or more constellations, see also 3-21: 18]. (6) So too is the period of time the sun moves through half of the outer space called an ayana. (7) Now also for the time that it takes the sun, thus speeding slow, fast or moderate, to move entirely through the spheres above and below, is indeed with its passage, to the descriptions of the scholars, spoken of a samvatsara [tropical year], a parivatsara [full year], an idâvatsara [the current year] an anuvatsara [a repeated year] and a vatsara [single year].
(8) By the sunlit moon, that is situated a hundred thousand yojanas [astronomy: ± 385.000 km] above [the earth] and is moving much faster [than the sun], is so the passage of one year of the sun covered by the passage of two fortnights, is in two and a quarter of a day one solar month [or one twelfth of the sky] passed and is in only one day [the portion of] a fortnight of solar days passed. (9) So too does the moon, in changing its phases, wax to the part of the moon that is of the demigods and does it wane to the part of the moon that is of the forefathers. Thus it distributes the days and nights of the sum total of all living entities and is it considered the Jîva or essence of their life by one after another in [about] thirty muhûrtas [a full day] passing through a constellation. (10) This moon in all its aspects is by the scholars described as the Supreme Person, the predominating deity of the mind, the source of potency for all food and all delight of living and certainly the refreshing, all-pervading life-air of all the gods, the ancestors, all human beings and all living entities like the mammals, the birds, the reptiles and the plants.
(11) [More than] two hundred thousand yojanas behind [the moon], leaving Meru to the right are there, together with the many stars that by the Controller were attached to the wheel of time, the twenty-eight stars headed by Abhijit.
(12) Two hundred thousand yojanas there about [about the star center or the sun, astronomy: at a distance of 107 million km] is there Venus, experienced as indeed going in front, behind and going along with the sun, in its movements just like the sun rotating fast, slow or with a moderate speed. Of all the planets is it seen as constantly offering indeed as good as always favorable conditions in causing rainfall the way it wanders around and in its nullifying the influence of the planets that form an obstacle to the rainfall.
(13) Another two hundred thousand yojanas behind Venus [astronomy: 57.9 million miles from the sun], so is explained, is situated Mercury, the son of the moon; it is as good as always working auspiciously, but at the time it stands apart from the sun is there almost always an increase of fearful conditions like draughts, a closed sky, and stormy conditions.
(14) Two hundred thousands yojanas outside of our orbit there is also Mars [astronomy: at about 228 million km from the sun]; in three by three fortnights does it, if it doesn't make a curve, one after another pass through the twelve signs; in its approach it is as good as always an unfavorable planet causing trouble.
(15) Two hundred thousand yojanas outside of Mars [astronomy: 778.3 million km from the sun] is there the most powerful planet Jupiter which, if it doesn't run a curve, takes a year [parivatsara] to move through a single sign; to the brahmins in the universe it almost always turns out to be very favorable.
(16) Two hundred thousand yojanas behind him is situated Saturn [astronomy: 1.43 billion km from the sun], which takes a period of thirty months to travel through each single sign and is as slow as taking an equal number of years [anuvatsaras] to pass through all of them; it means almost always a lot of trouble to all.
(17) A 1.1 million yojanas beyond that one are situated all the great sages who are always thinking of the good fortune of the inhabitants of all the worlds; leaving it to the right do they circumambulate the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord Vishnu [the center of the stars].
Description of the Stars of S'is'umâra, our Coiling Galaxy.
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Beyond them [the sages] one finds 1.3 million yojanas further up [astronomy: at 26 thousand lightyears from the earth] that supreme abode, praised in the Rig veda mantras, which is of Vishnu, the source of life of all entities that live from now up to the end of creation. There indeed remains the great devotee Dhruva, the son of Uttânapâda whose greatness of following devoted I already described; and around it, keeping it to the right do Agni, the fire-god, Indra the king of heaven, the founding father the Prajâpati and Kas'yapa as well as Dharmarâja, in their concern of time always full of respect keep to their image [see 4.9]. (2) To all the restless luminaries such as the planets and the stars is that place indeed there as the, by the Controller established, incandescent radiating pivot of which the inconceivable, all-powerful force by the factor of time is known as the cause of their revolving. (3) Like three bulls that for threshing rice are yoked to a central pole, do the luminaries keep their proper places moving in their orbits fixed on inner and outer circles of the wheel of time, the same way as the planets around the sun keep their positions. Holding on to Dhruvaloka till the end of creation, they revolve as driven by the wind in the sky, just like heavy clouds and big birds that controlled by the air move their bodies around according their previous positions. So do the luminaries which, by the combined effort of material nature and the Original Person, consequential act to their previous existence, never collide with the earth.
(4) Some imagine this great wheel of planets and stars to be a s'is'umâra [a dolphin] and do, concentrated in yoga, describe it as [the visible of] the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva [see also a picture of the celestial sky as factually seen in a telescope]. (5) With, situated at the end of its tail, Dhruvaloka and with its head bend downwards, it has its body coiled up. The Prajâpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma are found on the tail with also Dhâtâ and Vidhâtâ at its base; the seven sages are situated on its hip; coiling to the right there are as its separate parts the constellations of the fourteen stars [from Abhijit to Punarvasu] that mark the northern course and to the left in the north there are the same number of them [from Pushyâ to Uttarâshâdhâ], that for sure make it on both sides appear like the coiled body of a dolphin. On its back are of course seen the first three stars [Mûlâ, Pûrvasâdhâ and Uttarâshâdhâ] and on the belly one sees the celestial Ganges [the band of stars of the complete body of the S'is'umâra star cluster we know as our Milky Way]. (6) Punarvasu and Pushyâ make up for the loins right and left, Ârdrâ and As'leshâ also to the right and left are his flippers, Abhijit and Uttarâshâdhâ are the left and right nostril with next in order of following S'ravanâ and Pûrvâshâdhâ for the eyes left and right; Dhanishthhâ and Mûlâ make up for the right and left ear and the eight stars such as Maghâ marking the southern course are to be seen as the left ribs while the same number of stars like Mrigas'îrshâ that mark the northern course are there as the ribs positioned in reverse order to the right. S'atabhishâ and Jyeshthhâ should be seen in the position of the right and left shoulder. (7) On the upper chin there is Agasti and on the lower one there is Yamarâja. To the mouth there is Mars, to the genitals there is Saturn, Jupiter is there to the back of the neck, the sun is there for the chest, within the heart is Lord Nârâyana found and in the mind the moon. On the navel there is Venus, on the two sides of the breast reside the As'vins, Mercury is there to the in- and outward breath, Râhu is the neck and the comets are found all over its body with the numerous stars as the pores.
(8) This [form of S'is'umâra] indeed is for sure the form of the Supreme Lord, of Lord Vishnu who consists of all the demigods; observing it each morning, noon and evening one should in worship meditate controlling one's words as follows: 'Our obeisances unto this resting place of all the luminous worlds, unto the master of the demigods, the great Personality in the form of Time, upon whom we meditate' [namo jyotih-lokâya kâlâyanâya animishâm pataye mahâ-purushâya abhidhîmahîti, see also 2.2: 24] (9) Those who, of that leader of the demigods consisting of all the planets and stars, that destroyer of sin, do the mantra above, three times offering their respects and three times meditating, will very quickly find all the sins annihilated they are into at the time.
N.B: See also the pages on galactic time further explaining on this subject.
The Nether Worlds
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'There is the one [the moon] eclipsing the sun [and then is called 'Râhu'] that just like the sun comes around and of which some learned ones say that it, countless yojanas ['ten-thousand'] below the sun, for the lifetime of the demigods occupies a position as a leading planet. About the birth and activities of the lowest of the ignorant, the son of Simhikâ, who personally won the grace of the Supreme Lord, but who indeed is not qualified for the position [of being the ruler over this 'planet'], I shall explain later. (2) They estimate that the sun has a width of ten thousand yojanas, that the moon is twenty thousand yojanas wide and that Râhu is thirty thousand yojanas large [compare 5.21: 15] and that it on occasion, with inimical intentions overruling the sun- and moon-god their influence, obstructs the distribution of the moon- and sunshine. (3) The Supreme Lord around for the protection of both operates by the supreme presence of the wheel of time [the Sudars'ana Cakra] which is deemed the dearmost devoted and most favorite weapon that by its power and unbearable heat makes Râhu, with its fearful mind and frightened heart, flee away from that position of being around for almost an hour and of which the people thus speak of a solar eclipse.
(4) To an equal measure of distance are there beneath it [compare 5.22: 8] the residential places of the perfected ones, the venerable ones of the Veda and the ones founded in knowledge [the Siddhas, Câranas and Vidyâdharas]. (5) Nether from them there are the places of sense gratification of the mad, the possessed, the demoniac and alike [the Yakshas, Râkshasas and Pis'âcas], that stretch out as far as the wind blows the clouds one can see in the sky. (6) Beneath that atmosphere that is a hundred yojanas thick and thus is as high as swans, vultures, eagles and other birds of size can fly, there is this earth [according modern measurements does the regular, uniform atmosphere reach up to 80 km above the earth].
(7) As stated before [see 2.1: 26-27] is there to the planet earth, according the arrangement of its different places, a nether region of seven other spheres of its width and length, that are positioned one after another with intervals of countless [more metaphorical] yojanas. (8) In these worlds that for sure are hollow to the heavenly ones, is there even a greater lust experience and enrapture in opulence; under the influence of the things of wealth offer the houses and gardens they have a better opportunity to the demons, ghosts and snakes of sense gratification. Always overjoyed in their attachment to the wives, children, family, friends and followers, are the leaders of the households, living in an illusory heaven, even better than the ones of control, the godly, capable of an unimpeded fulfillment of desires. (9) There, my dear King, are by Maya [the asura architect of the Daityas] with faithless trickery and a plethora of rich ornamentation, constructed cities surrounded by walls with gates, which have excellently built wonderful houses, offices, halls, schools and public facilities. The landowning leaders to that hollow sham there occupy the best of houses that shine bright of decoration and are crowded by snakelike, godless people and couples of pigeons, parrots and mynas. (10) The gardens and parks are of a great appeal to the mind and senses, giving pleasure with their masses of flowers and fruits of which the by creepers embraced branches of the trees nicely bent low in attraction. By the magnificence of the variety of birds in pairs frequenting the ponds filled with sparkling clear water agitated of jumping fish, by the lotusflowers in those waters, the lilies, the kuvalaya and kahlâra flowers, the blue and red lotuses and the greatest of them with thousands of petals, and by the uninterrupted joy of the varieties of all the sweetly vibrating birds who built their nests in the forests is, surpassing the beauty of the residential places of the godly, the sense enjoyment invoked. (11) For certain is one there unconcerned about the divisions of time to the operation of night and day. (12) All darkness there is driven away by indeed the best of the gems on the hoods of the great serpent. (13) Nor are the ones residing there, eating, drinking and bathing in a heaven of herbs, juices and elixirs, worried about diseases, mental troubles, being of age, having wrinkles, gray hair, etc. or about the miseries of losing one's strength with a fading luster, bad smelling perspiration, fatigue or a lack of energy. (14) No way is any of the virtuous ones or even death itself capable of influencing them, except of course the weapon of the Lord: His powerful wheel of time. (15) It is practically always out of fear for the Lord his cakra-order that the wives of the godless lose their fetuses in miscarriage.
(16) Now then, in the world of Atala resides Bala the godless son of Maya and by him indeed are there propagated the ninety-six types of illusion of which some characters handy with the illusory even today make use. Also were of his yawning mouth generated the svairinî [class-loyal], kâminî [lusty class-disloyal] and pums'calî [promiscuous] women who, thus so sure initiated into the nether worlds, for their personal enjoyment with glances, smiles, talks and embraces, prepare men for indulging in sexual pleasure to their own liking by means of a herb called hâthaka [cannabis indica]. It is said that a man under the influence of it thinks of himself full of pride and conceited as 'I am the ruler' and 'I am as strong as a thousand elephants'.
(17) Beneath it on Vitala, surrounded by his ghostly associates, remains the master of gold, Lord S'iva with his wife Bhavânî in sexual union in order to increase the population of the founding father his creation. From that world thus emanates from the fluids of that union the great river named Hâthakî of which the firegod, by the wind being brightly inflamed with great strength, drinking of it, hissing spits out the gold called Hâthaka for the ornaments that are worn by the men and women of the homes of the great asuras.
(18) Beneath that world is there on Sutala the greatly celebrated, very pious and spiritually advanced son of Virocana, Bali Mahârâja. Desiring to settle the welfare of King Indra, did the Supreme Lord from Aditi assume a body, appearing in the form of a vâmana, a dwarf. It was by the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord who wrested away from him the three worlds, that even today he, certain in worshiping by his own religious duty, remains fearless unto the most venerable Supreme Personality; he was blessed with the good fortune of regaining an even to the gods of Indra's heaven unparalleled opulence. (19) This truly was not the direct result of donating lands; that which was given with great respect, an attentive mind and with faith, in approaching the topmost one, the Supreme Lord who is the most worthy recipient and best sacrificial ground, the life and soul and supreme regulator Lord Vâsudeva of the scores of beings, was directly the gate which liberated to the opulence of the nether imitation of heaven. (20) He, of whom a person, being helpless starved, falling down or stumbling and such, but once practices the holy name, washes one the bondage of karma away, that otherwise for persons trying to find liberation for sure is such an inevitable great stumbling block. (21) Of all the great devotees and the selfrealized of the true self who give themselves without reservation, is He that Supreme Soul, the Paramâtmâ. (22) It is in truth not because of the material opulence which thus is certain to follow that the Supreme Personality showed His favor to especially him again, for being robbed of the remembrance of the soul is an attribute of the being illusioned with matter, mâyâ. (23) To that which was done by the Supreme Lord who by no other means can be perceived, namely the taking away of the three worlds by means of the trick of begging [three steps of land] so that nothing remained but his own body - which was then completely bound by the ropes of Varuna and detained in a mountain cave - he thus said: (24) 'How regrettable it is indeed that I myself, this very learned and to his self-interest very experienced Indra of heaven, who chose as his prime minister and one preceptor Brihaspati, personally ignoring the Lord in the form of Upendra [Lord Vâmana], with neglect for the certainty of the very blessings of serving the Reality of Him that lasts for ever, for himself requested the three worlds of which the value will change after the time of a manvantara [an age of Manu]! (25) Certainly was the service of Him by our grandfather [Prahlâda] readily accepted, but not the offer of his paternal property [the kingdom of Hiranyakas'ipu]; it was none other than the Supreme Personality he thus wanted, when that sure shelter of freedom from fear was offered to him after his father was killed by the Supreme Lord [Lord Nrisimhadev]. (26) In other words: what, to the desire to follow, is a materially contaminated person, who like us is deprived of the Lord His mercy, compared to that great follower on the path of devotion?' (27) Later on in the narration about him [see canto eight] I will explain how the Supreme Lord [Vâmanadeva] as the master of the three worlds, Nârâyana in person, with an always graceful heart towards His devotees standing at the gate with the club in His hand, by the big toe of His foot did put the ten headed demon [known as Râvana] who wanted to conquer over him, at the farthest distance of countless yojanas.
(28) Below Sutala in the world of Talâtala rules the dânava [demon] king named Maya; by the most powerful Tripurâri [S'iva], the Lord of the three cities, were, desiring the good fortune of the three worlds, his cities burnt; but by the grace of mercy obtained he a kingdom as the master of all sorcery and thus being protected by Mahâdeva [the great god that is S'iva], he thinks he has nothing to fear from the Sudars'ana Cakra [the acute presence of the Lord in the form of Time] that is worshiped.
(29) Beneath that world there is the world of Mahâtala which is of the descendants of Kadrû who have a name as a bunch of ever angry, many hooded, cruel snaketypes, as there are the notorious Kuhaka, Takshaka, Kâlya, and Sushena. Greatly sensual they are constantly afraid of the king of all birds [Garuda], the carrier of the Original Personality, who sometimes infuriates them when they are sporting being together with their wives, children, friends and relatives.
(30) Situated below that world there is Rasâtala that is of the daityas and dânavas [the evil minded sons of Diti and Danu] named the Panis, the Nivâta-kavacas, the Kâleyas and the Hiranya-puravâsîs; they are from birth so said the very cruel and greatly powerful enemies of the demigods and are inevitably defeated by the might of the Supreme Lord Hari so favorable to all the worlds. Living like the snakes are they in truth afraid of the King of Heaven through the words of a mantra of Saramayâ, a female votary of Indra.
(31) Below that world there is Pâtâla, the world of the master snakes; headed by Vâsuki are there S'ankha, Kulika, Mahâs'ankha, S'veta, Dhanañjaya, Dhritarâshthra, S'ankhacûda, Kambala, As'vatara and Devadatta and so on. With the shortest temper do they all live very enslaved to material happiness and have they verily indeed five, seven, ten, a hundred or a thousand hoods, with on their crests fixed the most valuable gems of which the effulgence disperses the vast darkness of the caves of Pâtâla.
The Glories of Lord Ananta
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'At a distance of thirty-eight thousand yojanas beneath the base of Pâtâla [see footnote *] remains He who is indeed the part of the Supreme Lord that relates to darkness and is called Ananta [the eternal one]; the truthful of vision and understanding derive the idea of the self-concept of having an I, an ego, as a symptom [of that darkness] thus, from Him, Sankarshana, so the learned declare [see also 3.26: 25 and 4.24: 35]. (2) This universe is, as seen sustained on only one of the thousands of hoods of the Supreme Lord in the form of Anantadeva, just like a white mustard seed [like a single galaxy among many others in deep space]. (3) Of His desire to, in due course of time, by anger destroy this so very beautiful spinning world, is indeed from between His eyebrows a Rudra [an incarnation of Lord S'iva] named Sânkarshana [born from Sankarshana] formed from which eleven three-eyed expansions upholding pointed tridents arose. (4) On the round surfaces of the brilliant pink gemlike toenails of His lotusfeet do the leaders of the snakelike, who with the best of the devotees in unalloyed devotion offer their prayers, see, to the effulgence of the glittering earrings decorating their cheeks, their own faces beautifully reflected and are their minds truly refreshed. (5) The marriageable princesses of the serpent kings hoping for the blessings of Him indeed, smear with an ointment of saffron, aloe, and sandalwood paste the gleaming roundings of His auspicious, beautiful, white, spotless arms that are like columns of silver; by the contact are due to the entrance of Cupid their hearts beating faster and see they, bashfully as lotusflowers, His appreciative, very attractive delicate, beautiful smiles that intoxicate them mad with delight about his rolling, pink and kindly glancing eyes and face. (6) That Ananta is for certain the Supreme Lord, the reservoir of all transcendental qualities and the original Godhead who in restraint of the force of His intolerance and wrath remains for the welfare of the humans of all worlds. (7) Being constantly meditated upon by the scores of the enlightened and unenlightened, the semi-divine snakelike, the perfected, the heavenly singers and the ones founded in knowledge and the wise, does he, delighted under the influence roll His eyes to and fro. By the nectar of a fine choice of words and sweet song are His associates, the leaders of the different groups of intelligence, pleasing Him whose luster never fades, who is ever fresh with the fragrance of the tulsî blossoms that with their honey madden the bees about His thus even more beautiful Vaijayantî flowergarland. Clad in blue with only one earring and the beauty of His auspicious hands placed on the handle of His plow is He, wearing a golden belt and as invincible as Indra's elephant, engaged in transcendental pastimes being the Supreme Lord in person. (8) Those after liberation who by mouth of the tradition hear about the glories of this one Lord, find the knot that since time immemorial of the illusory energy, consisting of passion, goodness and slowness, in the unconscious of fruitive action was tied in the core of their hearts, very soon cut.
The greatly powerful son of Brahmâ, Nârada, along with his instrument the Tumburu, describes Him in the brahman assembly in selected verses: (9) 'By whose form unlimited and beginningless and by whose glance, with goodness leading, the modes of material nature were enabled to act as the primal causes for creation, maintenance and destruction; He who is one of Soul and diverse in manifestation, how can His path with certainty be understood? (10) Out of His mercy for us He exhibited His existence in different forms as being completely transcendental to this manifestation of cause and effect; He who in His pastimes, to the minds of His devotees, shines as the most liberal and powerful master of all beings, taught us to conquer free from material concerns. (11) Any person in distress who accidentally heard of, or whatever fallen soul who just for fun could chant or repeat His name, will instantly see the endless sinful of human association vanquished; with whom else but Lord Ananta S'esha should any seeker of salvation take shelter? (12) This universe with its mountains, trees, oceans and beings is like an atom fixed on the crest of Ananta, the thousand headed one; whomever, however many his tongues, is, due to His inscrutable power, able to enumerate His potencies? (13) Existing completely self-sufficient at the base of the nether worlds is Ananta the so very powerful Supreme Lord of insurmountable prowess and the great one of all transcendental qualities and glory, who playfully for its maintenance keeps the earth from falling.'
(14) All the destinations that those desiring after material enjoyment, according their karma, in this thereof fashioned universe can achieve, have thus for true, as it was received, been described. (15) As you inquired, have I shown you, o King, what, to the people their inclinations and nature, are the inevitably resultant different higher and lower kinds of destinations; what more should I tell you about?'
* : The mentioning of distance in connection with the transcendental reality of Ananta suggests a physical correlate in the universe that compares to the darkness of the intergalactic space that as an organic existence of eternity, purity and divinity or void of self envelops all the galaxies in the cosmos, giving each his own 'snake'-foundation in the darkness of an awareness of 'I'. The actual shortest distance between the center of our stellar system and the outerspace of darkness below it is about 3500 lightyears.
The Hellish Worlds or the Karmic Rebound
(1) The king said: 'O great saint, from where rose the variegated forms of living in the different worlds?'
(2) The sage said: 'Because of the varying degrees of belief of the ones engaged with the three modes of material nature, became so the complete of the resulting diversity of destinations possible. (3) Now, of the impiety of what we know as forbidden actions will there accordingly no doubt, depending the difference of faith of the performer, be a different consequence to the karmic action; let me explain to you about the extend of the thousands of hellish conditions typical for the ones of desire who from time immemorial out of ignorance indeed in so many different ways were out for their advantage.'
(4) The king said: 'What one calls hell out here, my lord, is that a particular place on earth or is that outside of the worlds we know, or somewhere in between?'
(5) The rishi said: 'It is found between the three worlds towards the lower region, beneath the earth; somewhere above the causal waters live they, the forefathers headed by Agnishvâttâ, who, in the directing of their own families, with great absorption in the truth are longing for the blessings. (6) It is there that their ruler, the son of the Sungod [Yamarâja] has his kingdom; the dead brought there by his people are according the weight of their karmic faults subjected to punishments that are executed by him who with his followers is never in transgression with the Supreme Lord. (7) Some are sure to count there twenty-one hells, o King, of which the names, forms and characteristics, I thus, one after another outlining them, will recount to you. There are: Tâmisra, Andhatâmisra, Raurava, Mahâraurava, Kumbhîpâka, Kâlasûtra, Asipatrâvana, Sûkaramukha, Andhakûpa, Krimibhojana, Sandams'a, Taptasûrmi, Vajrakanthaka-s'âlmalî, Vaitaranî, Pûyoda, Prânarodha, Vis'asana, Lâlâbhaksha, Sârameyâdana, Avîci, Ayahpâna, and some more like Kshârakardama, Rakshogana-bhojana, S'ûlaprota, Dandas'ûka, Avatha-nirodhana, Paryâvartana and Sûcîmukha. These twenty-eight hells are the different places of requital.
(8) There is the person who, but having taken the money, the wife or another man's children away, is sure, by the most terrible men of death, to be bound with the ropes of time and by force to be thrown into the hell of Tâmisra ['the darkness'] where he has to starve, crave for water, is beaten up with sticks and is scolded at; the living entity by the severe punishments received there loses at times his consciousness having landed in that most dark condition. (9) Sure so too is there Andhatâmisra where he, who but cheats another man to enjoy his wife and children, by his life forcibly is thrown into; by suffering always the utmost misery has he, being lost in losing his sense and sight, become much like a tree cut down by the roots, the reason for which one speaks of Andhatâmisra [the 'blind of darkness']. (10) The one who in his life here considers his body either to be his self or his own and who so, envious of others selfish, day after day labors to support his own family only, such a person will, giving up on this world, for sure of that sin see himself fall down in Raurava. (11) The beings who in this life were harmed by him, who in the afterlife is being subjected to the miseries of restraint, turn into savage creatures indeed that to the same extend hurt him; because of these savage creatures [called rurus], that are more vicious than snakes, do the scholars thus speak of the name Raurava [which also refers to the fearful, the unsteady and the dishonest]. (12) So is there the certainty of Mahâraurava [ the 'great beast'] wherein a person, who is only intent upon maintaining his body, is thrown to be killed and eaten by the ruru animals named kravyâda. (13) But a person who in this life is either very cruel towards animals or cooks them alive is, condemned by even the most cruel hearted man-eaters, in his next life by the servants of Yamaraj thrown in Kumbhîpâka ['the hell of the cooking pot'] to be cooked in boiling oil himself. (14) But anyone out here who kills a brahmin, such a person will be forced into a hell named Kâlasûtra ['the long course of time'] that with a circumference of ten-thousand yojanas and a surface of copper is heated by the sun and by fire from above and below. Internally plagued by hunger and thirst and externally being scorched does his body at times stay down, at times move its limbs; at times standing and at times running hither and thither, for the duration of as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of an animâl. (15) And anyone who in his life for no reason deviates from the path laid out for him in the Vedas by resorting to a system of his own making, is forced into Asi-patravana ['the razor-sharp forest']. There he is beaten with a whip to make him, with that in mind, run in all directions having his body on both sides cut by the razor sharp edges of palm trees; he who killed his own religious principles will thus suffer the result of following an atheistic path and fall down at every step, to which he, having lost his bearings, in the greatest pain then thinks: 'Oh how lost I am!' (16) But anyone who in this life as a king or servant of the king inflicts punishment upon an innocent man or beats a brahmin's body, that most sinful one will in his afterlife fall down in the hell of Sûkaramukha ['hog's mouth']. There will the different parts of his body by the strong assistants be crushed as if it concerned sugarcane; just like someone innocently arrested to be punished, will he then, pitiably crying out loud, fully illusioned, at times be fainting. (17) Anyone though who in this life, like some creatures designed by the Creator which parasite unaware of the pain caused to others, himself causes pain in his survival while he very well knows what he does to others of God, will land in his afterlife in Andhakûpa ['the overgrown well']. Therein will that person indeed fall down according the evil he did to them, the respective entities, the animals, wild beasts, birds, snakes, mosquitos, lice, worms and flies and whatever others; just as the ones with their inferior body will he in the darkness be persecuted, hurt and disturbed by them everywhere and wander around not being able to find a place to rest. (18) Or anyone who in his life, without dividing it among others, eats whatever he obtained by the grace of God in neglect of the five forms of sacrifice [to the gods, the wise, the ancestors, the needy and the animals], is considered to be alike a crow; such a person will in his afterlife fall down into the most abominable hell of Krimibhojana ['to feed on worms'] where, landing in a hundred thousand yojanas wide lake full of worms, he as a worm himself may feed on and on his turn be eaten by the other worms for as many years as that lake is wide. Such is the pain that he, who without atonement eats food not shared and offered, gives himself. (19) Anyone indeed who without apparent reason in this life is of theft or violence, stealing gold, gems and so on from a brahmin or from others, that person, o King, will in his afterlife by the men of Yamarâja with red-hot iron balls and tongs have his skin torn to pieces [because of the tongs is that hell called Sandams'a]. (20) Or any person, both man or woman, who in this life approaches an unsuitable desirous one for sexual intercourse, will in his afterlife be beaten by whips and forced to embrace a very hot iron image to the form of a man being a woman or the form of a woman being a man [: Taptasûrmi, the hell of 'the red hot iron statue']. (21) Anyone who in this life indiscriminately has sexual intercourse, will in his afterlife be in the hell of Vajrakanthaka-s'âlmalî ['thunderbolt-thorn cotton tree'] where hung [on the thorns] he will be pulled down. (22) Or persons who in this life were truly of royalty or of the government, but despite of a high birth transgressed the boundaries of dharma, they having died fall down in Vaitaranî ['the river of impetuous passion']; having broken with the principles of rule do they suffer in that moat around hell being eating by ferocious animals in the stream here and there. Unable to relinquish the body and carried by the vitality of their sin are they then reminded of their bad deeds pained in the river of stool, urine, pus, blood, hair, nails, bones, marrow, flesh and fat. (23) But persons who in this life indeed as husbands to low class women lost their cleanliness, good behavior and regulated life, in shamelessly behaving like animals, they too will, having died, fall in an ocean full of pus, excrement, urine, mucus and saliva, only eating all that which is so extremely disgusting [: the Pûyoda hell of 'fetid waters']. (24) Those though affiliated to the brahminical, who in this life either keeping dogs or asses, take pleasure in hunting with them to kill animals in defiance of the rules, will after their death themselves become the targets of Yamarâja's men who will pierce them with arrows [the hell of Prânarodha, 'the suppression of breath']. (25) And people who in this life being so very proud of their wealth and position for their prestige in sacrifices kill animals, they will in the next world fall into the hell of Vis'asana ['the sleeplessness'], where the helpers of Yamarâja will make them suffer and will kill them. (26) But he who in this life as a high class person, deluded by his lusts causes the wife of the same caste to drink his semen, will of that sin in his next life be thrown into a river of semen and be forced to drink it himself [this is the hell of Lâlâbhaksha, 'to have semen for food']. (27) And persons who out here as real thieves of arson and poison plundered villages, as well as those of the mercantile class, the royalty and the government who as such belong to them, will for certain after they died, be devoured by the voracious sevenhundred-twenty mighty toothed dogs of the Yamadûtas [: the hell of Sârameyâdana 'the dogs meal']. (28) He who also in this life speaks a lie or bears false witness in exchange for goods, in giving charity or in some other way, will after his death, head first, free fall been thrown into the hell of Avîcimat ['having no water'] from the top of a hundred yojana high mountain. There is the arid land of stone waves where he, with the body broken in pieces, does not die but is raised to the top to fall down again. (29) Or if a brahmin or his wife, or anyone under a vow, out of illusion in this life, drinks liquor, or when a learned one, a ruler or a trader drinks intoxicating beverages [soma-rasa], will they all, being brought to hell, by foot be stepped on their chest and have red-hot molten iron poured into their mouths [: the hell of Ayahpâna, 'iron-drink'].
(30) Furthermore, anyone also who in this life but by false pride proved himself degraded before a more honorable one of good birth, austerity, knowledge, good behavior and loyalty to the principles, in not showing much of respect, is a dead man alive who after dying head down is thrown into the hell of Kshârakardama [the 'pool of acrid mud'] to suffer there the most painful conditions. (31) And persons who in this life as men and women sacrificed other people in worship [of Kâlî] to eat them afterwards, those killers will like animals be slain in the abode of Yamarâja by punishing râkshasas just like them who cut them with swords to pieces, drink their blood and dance and sing thereto in delight just like they as man-eaters themselves did in the world [the hell called Rakshogana-bhojana, 'to be the food of the devil']. (32) Persons though who out here allured innocent creatures seeking shelter in the forest or the village, making them believe to be safe, but instead gave them pain fixing them like a plaything on a lance or a leash, those people are certain after their death to have their own bodies be fixed likewise and, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst and such, to be tortured by sharp beaked birds like herons and vultures, so that they may remember the sins they committed [the hell of S'ûlaprota, 'pierced on the lance']. (33) Those men of an angry nature, who in this life actually caused unnecessary pain to others, they too will after their death fall down in a hell called Dandas'ûka ['the cudgel in return'] where, o King, five- and seven hooded serpents raise to eat them just like mice. (34) Or, people who in this life either in a blind well, in granaries or in caves, confine living beings, will likewise in the next life for sure be forced to enter the same places to be confined there with poisonous fumes, fire and smoke [the hell called Avatha-nirodhana, 'to be thrown in the dark']. (35) But a person who this life as a householder repeatedly receiving guests or visitors, gave them a sinful look of anger as if to burn them with his eyes, he for sure lands in the hell of those with a sinful vision where one's eyes violently by the powerful beaks of herons, vultures and crows are plucked out [the hell of Paryâvartana, 'the eyes plucked']. (36) The egotistical ones whose vision is crooked, who are full of suspicion towards all and whose heart and face by the thought of expenditure and loss have dried up, and who like ghosts protecting the wealth never find happiness, they too, after death will of the sinful acts to protect those riches and their increase of income, fall down in a hell called Sûcîmukha ['the pin-first'], where indeed the commanders of Yamarâja like expert weavers with thread and needle stitch the limbs of the body of the money grabbing ghost and great sinner.
(37) For all lacking in dharma as I mentioned and also for those I did not mention, are there, according the degree of sinfulness, all these sorts of hells to fall into. There are many hundreds and thousands of them in the realm of Yamarâja, o King; similarly are there elsewhere in this world for the ones of principle and piety new births to enter when the results of their piety or vice are exhausted [compare B.G. 4: 9]. (38) The path of liberation I described to you In the beginning [cantos two and three]; there I showed how the Supreme Lord Nârâyana in the purâna sure could be as much as the universe that is like an egg divided in fourteen parts; I described the gross form of Him, consisting of His own energy and qualities, as directly the Great Person [the virâth-rûpa]. That person who venerating hears and reads or explains about that song of the Supreme Personality of the Supersoul will, although it is difficult to understand, by faith and devotion have his intelligence purified so that he may comprehend. (39) Hearing about the gross as well as the subtle form of the Supreme Lord, should the adept of transcendence lead the mind which is captivated by the gross form, thus in contemplation step by step to the subtle, the spiritual form. (40) Of this planet earth, have the different realms and regions, the rivers, the mountains, the sky, the oceans and the direction and situations of the lower worlds, the hellish worlds and the higher worlds above by me been described to you, o King; how wonderful this gross body of the Supreme Controller is where the whole mass of living entities reposes!'
Thus ends the fifth Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam named 'The Creative Impetus'.
Translation: Anand Aadhar Prabhu, http://bhagavata.org/c/8/AnandAadhar.html
Production: the Filognostic Association of The Order of Time, with special thanks to Sakhya Devi Dasi for proofreading and correcting the manuscript. http://theorderoftime.com/info/guests-friends.html
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