,this file was produced from page images at the ,internet ,archive4 ,transcriber's ,note ,the original book was very badly proofread and was filled with errors1 inconsistent accents1 improper punctuation1 etc4 ,also the typesetters were unable to properly accent the book4 ,as an example1 the letter a is represented as ,a when capitalized4 ,the author probably wanted to use a macron instead of a circumflex or an accent to indicate a long syllable and was forced to settle for this mixture of circumflexes and accents instead4 ,this etext will use the circumflex throughout and will attempt to accent words as consistently as possible4 ,in the original book some family tree tables were turned sideways4 ,for reading as an e-book1 these trees have been modified to read left to right rather than top-down4 ,all family trees have been done as ,,ascii art4 ,i have included the original page images containing the family trees as well4 ,the family tree tables in the book put female names in italics1 but not consistently4 ,where possible ,i have followed this practice in the ,,ascii art version1 but in many cases ,i have omitted the italics because it would throw off the alignment of the trees in the text version of the book4 ,when in doubt consult the page images in the ,,html version4 ,a ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,purana ,,or ,,esoteric ,,hinduism ,,by ,,purnendu ,,narayana ,,sinha1 ,m4 ,a41 ,b4 ,l4 ,,benares3 ,,printed ,,by ,,freeman ,co41 ,,ltd41 ,,at ,,the ,,tara ,,printing ,,works4 #aija4 ,to 99,,annie ,,besant99 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,of ,,bhagavatas ,,these ,,pages ,,are ,,respectfully ,,dedicated ,,by ,,her ,,most ,,devoted ,,brother4 ,let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth3 for thy love is better than wine4 ,because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth1 therefore do the virgins love thee4 ,tell me1 ,o thou whom my soul loveth1 where thou feedest1 where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon2 for why should ,i be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions8 ,if thou know not1 ,o thou fairest among women1 go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock1 and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents4 ,,the ,,song ,,of ,,solomon4 ,,preface4 ,the ,bhagavata is the most popular of all ,puranas and it is held in the highest esteem by ,vaishnavas in all parts of ,india4 ,it was the most authoritative book with such religious teachers as ,shri ,chaitanya4 ,several commentaries have been written on this great work4 ,it is however strange that there has been so much discussion about the authoritative character of the work4 ,the readers are all familiar with that discussion and ,i need not refer to it further than to say that the discussion does not in any way affect the intrinsic merit of the book1 and the verdict of the public is so certain in this respect that the book will continue to be the most popular of all ,puranas1 despite any thing that may be said as to its authorship or the period of its appearance4 ,the ,padma ,purana devotes a chapter to the worship of this ,purana and calls it the most exalted of all the ,puranas and the book is actually worshipped in many ,hindu houses4 ,the ,purana is recited all over ,india by learned ,pandits and ,sadhus and its subject matter is familiar to every ,hindu4 ,,professor ,,wilson ,,says3 -- ,bhagavata is a work of great celebrity in ,india and exercises a more direct and powerful influence upon the opinions and feelings of the people than perhaps any other of the ,puranas4 ,it is placed fifth in all the lists but the ,padma ,purana ranks it as the eighteenth1 as the extracted substance of all the rest4 ,according to the usual specification it consists of eighteen thousand slokas1 distributed amongst three hundred and thirty-two chapters divided into twelve ,skandhas or books4 ,it is named ,bhagavata from its being dedicated to the glorification of ,bhagavat or ,vishnu4 ,referring to the ,tenth ,skandha1 ,professor ,wilson says ,the tenth book is the characteristic part of the ,purana1 and the portion upon which its popularity is founded4 ,it has been translated into1 perhaps1 all the languages in ,india1 and is a favourite work with all descriptions of people4 ,much as the book commands the respect of the ,hindus1 it has brought upon itself the ridicule and sarcasm of those that attack ,hinduism4 ,it is the ,tenth ,skandha which has given the greatest handle to all adverse criticism and it is the one ,skandha in the whole book which is so little understood by foreigners1 unacquainted with the genius of the ,hindu religion1 particularly with its love aspect which is the peculium of all real devotees in every great religion4 ,but the modern professors of great religions1 being lost in their material surroundings1 have entirely lost sight of that aspect4 ,the songs of ,solomon will stand out in all ages as an expression of enthusiastic and rapturous love of the human soul for the ,divine ,lord1 whether the ,christians of the modern day understand them or not4 ,the ,divvans and ,sufis bore the highest love to their divine ,lover1 whether or not the ,mohammedans of the present day follow the outpourings of their heart4 ,love in religion is a ,science4 ,it is the natural outcome of the human soul1 when it is freed from impurities and cured of distractions4 ,all religions speak of the purity of the mind1 and they speak also of devotion to ,god or ,ishvara4 ,but no religion other than ,hinduism treats of the gradual development of the mind as a ,science1 treats of its purification and then of its natural attraction for ,ishvara and the final assimilation of human life to ,isvaric life as the law of the ,universe4 ,and no book in ,hinduism deals with the subject so systematically specially with reference to the history of the ,universe1 as the ,bhagavata ,purana does4 ,i have tried to understand the book myself as an earnest student1 with the light afforded by the book itself4 ,i have been greatly helped in the understanding of of the book by the commentary of ,sridhara ,svami which is by common consent the most authoritative of all the commentaries on the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,once a ,pandita prided himself before ,sri ,chaitanya on his having put an interpretation upon a certain sloka of the ,purana different from that of ,sridhara ,svami4 ,now ,svami is the designation of a learned ,sanyassi1 such as ,sridhara ,svami was and it also means a husband4 ,sri ,chaitanya remarked one that does not follow the ,svami is unchaste4 ,such was the high opinion which the great ,teacher held regarding ,sridhara's commentary4 ,i have purposely avoided making any reference to the commentaries made by the followers of ,sri ,chaitanya as ,i intend to study them separately along with the teachings of his school4 ,the method of treatment followed in this study will speak for itself4 ,i have separated the text from my own observations except in the introductory chapter and in the reference to ,sukadeva in the chapter on ,virat ,purusha1 and one can follow the text itself1 without accepting any of my own views4 ,i believe ,i have faithfully reproduced the text in its essential features1 ,i have omitted unimportant details1 poetical descriptions1 prayers and adorations some of them most beautiful and sublime -- and ,i have also omitted the introduction by ,suta and his concluding words4 ,suta related the ,purana to ,rishi ,sounaka and others as he heard it from ,sukadeva4 ,the proofs have passed through different hands and the transliteration of ,sanskrit words has been differently made4 ,for instance ,sanskrit ,letter has been rendered as s1 s1 s and sh4 ,though ,i would prefer s1 the dash has been generally omitted1 for the convenience of the printer4 ,there have been also several mistakes in names4 ,my best thanks are due to the several gentlemen1 who have gone through the proofs and specially to my friend ,mr4 ,bertram ,keightley ,m1 ,a41 who has gone through nearly the whole of the manuscripts4 ,table of ,contents ,,preface4 ,,skandha ,i4 ,,the ,,ideal ,,of ,,bhagavata ,,purana3 ,a ,,discourse ,,between ,,vyasa ,,and ,,narada4 ,,account ,,of ,,narada4 ,,virat ,,purusha4 ,,skandha ,,ii4 ,,the ,,purusha ,,in ,,all ,,hearts4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,yogi ,,and ,,after4 ,,what ,,men ,,are ,,to ,,do ,,and ,,what ,,they ,,are ,,not ,,to ,,do4 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,purana ,,as ,,related ,,by ,,brahma ,,to ,,narada4 ,i4 ,,the ,,creation4 ,,ii4 ,,preservation ,,by ,,lila ,,avataras4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,purana ,,and ,,its ,,parts4 ,,skandha ,,iii4 ,,bhagavata ,,as ,,related ,,by ,,maitreya ,,to ,,vidura4 ,i4--,,the ,,creation ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above ,,ii4 -- ,,vasudeva ,,and ,,sankarshana4 ,,iii4 -- ,,the ,,creation ,,by ,,brahma4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,iv4 ,,divisions ,,of ,,kala4 ,v4-,,the ,,creation ,,by ,,brahma 7,continued7 ,,iii4 #ab4 ,,pre-,,manvantaric ,,creation4 ,,the ,,first ,,or ,,the ,,svayambhuva ,,manvantara4 ,,vi4 ,,bhur ,,and ,,varaha ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,hiranyaksha4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,hiranyaksha4 ,,viii4 ,,deva ,,and ,,deva-,,yoni ,,creation4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,kardama4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,kardama4 ,x4 ,,kapila',s ,,instruction ,,to ,,his ,,mother ,,devahuti4 ,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,the ,,genealogy ,,of ,,manu ,,and ,,the ,,rishis4 ,,general ,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,tables4 ,,table ,a4 ,,table ,b4 ,,table ,c4 ,,table ,d4 ,,table ,e4 ,,table ,f4 ,,table ,g4 ,,table ,h4 ,,table ,i4 ,,table ,j4 ,,table ,k4 ,,table ,l4 ,,the ,,quarrel ,,between ,,siva ,,and ,,daksha4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,table ,m4 ,,table ,n4 ,i4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,dhruva4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,prithu4 ,,thought ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,prachina ,,barhis ,,or ,,barhishad4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,allegory ,,of ,,puranjana4 ,v4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,prachetas ,,brothers4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,skandha ,v4 ,,table ,v4 ,,priyavrata4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,line ,,of ,,priya ,,vrata4 ,,the ,,earth ,,chain1 ,,bhuvana ,,kosha4 ,,ilavrita ,,is ,,the ,,central ,,varsha4 ,,the ,,ganges4 ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,the ,,varshas4 ,,the ,,dvipas4 ,,svar ,,and ,,bhuvar4 ,,the ,,sun4 ,,the ,,planets ,,and ,,stars4 ,,the ,,patalas ,,ananta4 ,,the ,,narakas4 ,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,ajamila ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,daksha4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,dharma4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,bhuta4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,angirasa4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,krisasva4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,tarksha4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,kasyapa ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,vivsvarupa4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,vritru4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,chitraketu4 ,,the ,,daityas4 ,,the ,,maruts4 ,,skandha ,,vii4 ,,the ,,mysteries ,,about ,,the ,,suras ,,and ,,the ,,asuras4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,i4 ,hiranyaksha and ,hiranyakasipu4 ,,ii4 ,ravana and ,kumbhakarna4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,hiranyakasipu4 ,,hiranyakasipu ,,and ,,prahlada4 ,,the ,,prayer ,,of ,,prahlada ,,varna ,,and ,,ashrama4 ,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,yajna4 ,,the ,,second ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,third ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,elephant ,,king4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,churning ,,of ,,the ,,ocean4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,eighth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,ninth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,tenth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,eleventh ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,twelfth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,thirteenth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,fourteenth ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,administration ,,of ,a ,,manvantara ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,bali4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,the ,,matsya ,,avatara4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,the ,,vaivasvata ,,manvantara4 ,,sudyumna4 ,,ikshvaku ,,brothers4 ,,the ,,lunar ,,dynasty4 ,,the ,,lunar ,,dynasty 7,continued74 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,vaivasvata ,,manvantara4 ,,the ,,tenth ,,skandha4 ,,vrindavana ,,lila ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,sri ,,krishna4 ,,counsel ,,with ,,the ,,daityas4 ,,nanda ,,and ,,vasudeva4 ,,putana ,,the ,,upturning ,,of ,,the ,,cart4 ,,trinavarta ,,or ,,the ,,whirlwind4 ,,the ,,names ,,krishna ,,and ,,rama4 ,,pranks ,,of ,,the ,,boy4 ,,the ,,tying4 ,,the ,,arjuna ,,trees4 ,,the ,,fruit ,,seller4 ,,vrindavana4 ,,vatsa ,,or ,,the ,,calf4 ,,baka ,,or ,,the ,,crane4 ,,agha ,,or ,,the ,,serpent4 ,,brahma ,,and ,,krishna4 ,,dhenuka4 ,,the ,,kaliya ,,serpent ,,and ,,the ,,fire4 ,,pralamba4 ,,the ,,forest ,,conflagration4 ,,the ,,rainy ,,season4 ,,the ,,autumn4 ,,sri ,,krishna ,,and ,,the ,,gopis4 ,,the ,,stealing ,,of ,,clothes4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,vedic ,,yajna 7,,summer ,,again47 ,,indra ,,and ,,the ,,raising ,,of ,,go-,,vardhana4 ,,the ,,installation4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,varuna1 ,,krishna ,,and ,,the ,,gopas4 ,,the ,,five ,,chapters ,,on ,,rasa ,,the ,,rasa4 ,,sudarsana4 ,,sankha ,,chuda4 ,,the ,,separation ,,song ,,of ,,the ,,gopis4 ,,arishta4 ,,narada ,,and ,,kansa4 ,,kesi4 ,,vyoma4 ,,akrura4 ,,mathura4 ,,the ,,wrestling4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,kansa4 ,,the ,,thread ,,ceremony ,,and ,,brahmacharya4 ,,uddhava ,,and ,,vraja4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,vrindavana ,,lila4 ,,the ,,rasa4 ,,mathura ,,lila ,,the ,,hunch-,,backed ,,girl ,,and ,,the ,,pandavas4 ,,jara ,,sandha1 ,,yavana ,,and ,,dvaraka4 ,,muchukunda ,,dvaraka ,,lila4 ,,rukmini4 ,,pradyumna4 ,,the ,,jewel ,,syamantaka1 ,,jambavati ,,and ,,satyabhama4 ,,syamantaka1 ,,akrura1 ,,kritavarman ,,and ,,sata ,,dhanu3 ,,the ,,other ,,wives ,,of ,,sri ,,krishna4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,rukmini4 ,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,krishna4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,rukmin4 ,,bana4 ,,nriga4 ,,balarama ,,and ,,the ,,drawing ,,of ,,the ,,yamuna4 ,,poundraka ,,and ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,kasi 7,,benares74 ,,dvi-,,vid 7,,monkey74 ,,samba1 ,,lakshana ,,and ,,balarama4 ,,narada ,,and ,,the ,,wives ,,of ,,sri ,,krishna4 ,,the ,,raja ,,suya ,,and ,,jarasandha4 ,,sisupala4 ,,the ,,slight ,,of ,,duryodhana4 ,,salva4 ,,danta ,,vakra ,,and ,,viduratha4 ,,balarama ,,and ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,romaharshana4 ,,sridaman4 ,,the ,,meeting ,,at ,,kurukshetra4 ,,vasudeva1 ,,devaki1 ,,and ,,their ,,dead ,,sons4 ,,arjuna ,,and ,,subhadra ,,srutadeva ,,and ,,bahulasva4 ,,the ,,prayer ,,to ,,brahman ,,by ,,the ,,srutis4 ,,the ,,restoration ,,of ,,brahman ,,boys ,,to ,,life4 ,,the ,,line ,,of ,,krishna4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,mathura ,,lila4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,dvaraka ,,the ,,wives4 ,,the ,,eleventh ,,skandha ,,the ,,mushala4 ,,xi4 ,i4 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,path4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,uddhava4 ,,self-,,instruction4 ,,atma ,a ,,refutation ,,of ,,the ,,school ,,of ,,jaimini4 ,,bondage ,,and ,,liberation4 ,,sadhu ,,and ,,bhakti4 ,,why ,,give ,,up ,,all ,,karma ,,the ,,gunas4 ,,how ,,to ,,withdraw ,,from ,,the ,,objects ,,of ,,the ,,senses4 ,,bhakti ,,yoga4 ,,meditation4 ,,the ,,siddhis ,,the ,,vibhutis ,,or ,,powers ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 ,,varna ,,and ,,asrama ,,rules4 ,,what ,,one ,,is ,,to ,,do ,,for ,,moksha4 ,,the ,,sadhanas ,,or ,,expedients4 ,,the ,,three ,,paths3 ,,karma1 ,,jnana ,,and ,,bhakti4 ,,guna ,,and ,,dosha ,,or ,,right ,,and ,,wrong ,,the ,,tatvas4 ,,prakriti ,,and ,,purusha4 ,,re-,,incarnation4 ,,forbearance4 ,,sankhya4 ,,satva ,,rajas ,,and ,,tamas4 ,,company4 ,,kriya ,,yoga ,,and ,,idol ,,worship4 ,,jnana ,,yoga4 ,,bhakti ,,yoga4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,the ,,twelfth ,,skandha4 ,,pralaya4 ,,skandha ,i4 ,,the ,,ideal ,,of ,,bhagavata ,,purana3 ,a ,,discourse ,,between ,,vyasa ,,and ,,narada4 ,i have duly respected the ,vedas1 the teachers and the sacrificial fire1 ,i have put the sense of all the ,vedas into the ,mahabharata and have made their sacred lore accessible to all classes of men4 ,i have done all this1 nay1 much more4 ,still ,i think my work is not fully done4 ,so thought ,veda ,vyasa1 the adept author of the ,kali ,yuga1 while meditating on the sacred banks of the ,sarasvati1 and his heart became heavy with something1 he knew not what4 ,at this time ,narada appeared before him -- ,narada1 who knew all that transpired in the ,triloki and who could enter into the hearts of all beings4 ,thou hast fully known1 said ,narada1 all that is knowable1 for thou hast written the excellent ,mahabharata1 which leaves nothing unsaid4 ,how is it then thou feelest dispirited as if thy object were not gained8 ,what could ,vyasa say in reply2 he only inquired from the seer ,narada the cause of his uneasiness4 ,narada entered into a free criticism of the ,bhagavat ,gita1 the philosophical portion of the ,mahabharata1 pointed out its shortcomings and suggested to ,vyasa what next to do4 ,a few remarks will be necessary to understand all this4 ,there are seven planes ,bhur1 ,bhuvar1 ,svar1 ,mahar1 ,jana1 ,tapas and ,satya4 ,bhur is the terrestrial plane4 ,bhuvar is the astral plane4 ,svar is the plane of ,kama and desires4 ,these three planes1 collectively known as ,triloki1 are the planes of personality4 ,kama is the guiding principle of existence in ,triloki1 and a recurrence of births and re-births its main characteristic4 ,with every ,night of ,brahma1 this triple plane comes to an end1 transferring its energies to the next higher plane1 and is re-born with every ,day of ,brahma4 ,mahar is intermediate between ,triloki and the three higher ,lokas of ,universality4 ,the ,vedic school laid great stress on communion with the ,devas of ,svar ,loka or ,svarga or ,indra ,loka1 and this was pre-eminently known as ,vedic ,yajna4 ,the performance of ,vedic ,yajna led only to a prolonged gratification of kama in ,svar ,loka4 ,but however long the period might be1 it was limited by the magnitude of the force 7,apurva7 which buoyed up the individuality in the ,svar ,loka4 ,as the ,gita says1 when the merits are exhausted the observer of ,vedic ,dharma enters again into the transitory plane4 ,the course of births and re-births is then set up anew1 with constant transformations and with all the miseries of existence conditioned by personality4 ,this was not ,mukti or liberation4 ,the followers of the post-vedic or ,upanishad school contended that liberation lay in crossing the triple plane of individuality to the higher cosmic planes of universality4 ,when an individual reaches the higher planes1 he does not again become subject to transformations1 and to the constant recurrence of births and re-births4 ,there is one continued life1 one continued existence in the higher planes1 till the end of cosmos or the ,life of ,brahma4 ,this life is not measured by personalities but is the cosmical life1 and the individuality becomes a cosmical entity4 ,further there is life also beyond the cosmos1 in the highest plane1 the abode of the ,supreme4 ,the ,gita only incidentally describes the highest plane in the following sloka3 ,that is my supreme abode1 by reaching which 7,jivas7 do not recur 7to fresh births74 ,not the ,sun1 not the ,moon1 not even fire illumines that4 -- ,,xv4 #f4 ,krishna also refers to that plane in ,,viii4 #bj and ,,xv4 #d4 #e4 ,the ,gita lays down ,nishkama ,karma1 or the unselfish performance of the duties of life 7,sva-dharma7 as the first step towards reaching the higher planes4 ,the sense of separateness is killed by ,nishkama ,karma4 ,then the ,gita takes the disciple to ,upasana or communion with the ,purusha of the highest plane1 but scarcely a glimpse is given of that plane and its surroundings4 ,the ,mahabharata does not throw any light on the dwellers of the higher planes1 nor does it give any details of those planes4 ,without any distinct prospect of trans-,triloki life1 one is asked to adhere to the duties appertaining to one's own sphere of life 7,sva-dharma7 and to perform those duties unselfishly4 ,however transitory the things of ,triloki may be1 there are attractions enough for the frail sons of ,manu1 abounding in passions and desires4 ,what can then bind a man to the higher planes and the highest ,purusha of those planes or ,bhagavan8 ,it is only a description of the grandeur and the glory of those planes and of ,bhagavan4 ,such description begets ,bhakti or holy attachment1 and it is this ,bhakti which sets up a real communion with ,bhagavan4 ,frail as man is1 the mere performance of duties makes him attached to them1 unless he is bound to the higher planes by the tie of holy attachment4 ,the ,gita is however silent as to the attractions of the higher planes and of ,bhagavan4 ,this was the defect pointed out by ,narada4 ,o thou great ,muni1 as thou hast treated of ,dharma and of other things1 so thou hast not recited the glory of ,vasudeva4 -- ,i4 #e4 #i4 ,this universe is also an aspect of ,bhagavan1 for its creation1 preservation and end proceed from ,him4 ,thou knowest all this thyself4 ,but thou hast shown to others only a portion of this truth4 -- ,i4 #e4 #bj4 ,salutations to ,thee1 ,bhagavan1 let me meditate on ,vasudeva4 ,salutations to ,pradyumna1 ,aniruddha and to ,sankarshana4 ,he who1 by naming these murtis in the murtiless1 whose only murti is mantra1 makes offerings to ,yajna ,purusha1 is the complete seer4 -- ,i4 #e4 #cg-ch4 ,a mystery lies veiled in this ,sloka4 ,but who is this ,narada8 ,why should we accept his authority8 ,narada was therefore careful to give his own account1 elaborated by the enquiries of ,vyasa4 ,all students of occultism will do well to read carefully this account which forms a fitting preliminary to the ,bhagavata4 ,,account ,,of ,,narada4 99,,skandha ,i4 ,,chap4 #e #f499 ,in the previous ,kalpa1 in my former birth1 ,i was born of a certain maid-servant of ,vedic ,rishis4 ,certain ,yogis had collected at a place to pass the rainy season and ,i was engaged as a boy to serve them4 ,seeing me void of all fickleness as a boy and self-controlled1 the ,munis1 who looked on all with equal eyes1 were kind to me1 especially as ,i gave up play1 followed them1 served them and talked little4 ,with the permission of the regenerated ,i at one time partook of the remnants of their meal and the impurities of my mind were all removed4 ,when thus my mind became pure1 my inclination grew towards their ,dharma4 ,by their favor ,i heard them sing the beautiful stories of ,krishna4 ,hearing those stories every day with faith1 ,i gained holy love for ,krishna4 ,through that love my mind became fixed in ,him and ,i came to perceive my ,sthula and ,sukshma bodies as only false reflections of the real ,self or ,brahma4 ,the ,bhakti that grew up in me destroyed my ,rajas and ,tamas4 ,then when the kind ,rishis were about to leave the place1 they imparted to me the most occult knowledge which had been given to them by ,bhagavan himself4 ,through that knowledge ,i have known the ,maya of ,bhagavan4 ,it is by that knowledge that one reaches the plane of ,bhagavan4 ,as ,i cultivated this occult knowledge1 ,bhagavan appeared ,himself and gave me knowledge and powers direct4 ,sridhara ,svami1 the commentator of ,bhagavata ,purana notes the following points in the above story 7#a7 ,seva1 i4e41 service of and attendance on ,mahatmas1 7#b7 their kripa or favor1 7#c7 trust in their ,dharma1 7#d7 hearing the stories of ,bhagavan1 7#e7 attachment to ,bhagavan1 7#f7 knowledge of ,self by the discrimination of the ,sthula and the ,sukshma body1 7#g7 firm ,bhakti1 7#h7 knowledge of the reality of ,bhagavan1 7#i7 at the last the appearance of omniscience and other powers through the favor of ,bhagavan4 ,what followed then1 inquired ,vyasa8 ,narada continued3 ,sometime after my teachers1 the ,bhikshus1 had gone away1 my mother died of snake-bite4 ,i deemed that an act of ,god and went towards the ,north4 ,after crossing several forests1 rivers and mountains1 ,i at last reached a solitary forest and there sat under a pipal tree4 ,as directed by my teachers1 ,i meditated on self in self through self4 ,my mind had been completely conquered by ,bhakti4 ,as ,i was devotedly meditating on the lotus feet of ,bhagavan with tear-drops in my eyes1 ,hari gradually appeared in my heart4 ,o ,muni1 the hairs of my body stood on end through exuberance of holy love1 ,i was completely lost in joy and knew not either self or any other4 ,the indescribable ,ishvara spoke thus in solemn words3 ,o thou that dost not deserve to see me in this life1 ,i am difficult to be seen by imperfect ,yogis1 whose likes and dislikes have not been completely burnt up4 ,i have shown myself to thee that thy ,kama may all be centred in me4 ,when ,i am the object of ,kama1 the ,sadhu gives up all other desires4 ,by prolonged service of ,mahatmas1 thy mind is firmly fixed in me4 ,therefore shalt thou give up this faulty body and acquire my companionship4 ,the mind fixed in me is never destroyed in creation or in pralaya1 nor does the memory fail4' ,so saying ,ishvara disappeared4 ,in time1 when ,i was drawn towards the pure body with which ,i was favored by ,bhagavan1 the body of my five ,bhutas fell down on the extinction of my ,prarabdha ,karma4 ,when the ,kalpa came to an end my new body was indrawn by the breath of ,brahma who was going to sleep4 ,after one thousand ,yuga ,cycles1 when ,brahma awoke and desired to create1 ,i1 ,marichi1 and other ,rishis came out4 ,since then ,i have invariably observed ,brahmacharya and through the favor of ,vishnu have been travelling all over ,triloki1 both inside and outside1 my passage being wholly unobstructed4 ,the ,devas gave me this ,vina which is adorned with ,svara-,brahma4 ,by playing upon this ,vina ,i send forth songs of ,hari all round4 ,these songs are the only means of crossing the ocean of recurring lives4 ,this is the mystery of ,narada as related in the ,puranas4 ,narada is the repository of occult knowledge from the previous ,kalpa4 ,the first and foremost adept of this ,kalpa1 his mission is to spread occult knowledge1 by unceasingly playing on the seven musical notes4 ,he is ever watchful and always bides his time in all cyclic changes4 ,he is the only ,rishi of whom the ,vina is a constant accompaniment1 as it is of the goddess ,sarasvati4 ,his sphere of action is ,triloki1 and the dwellers of ,bhur1 ,bhuvar1 and ,svar alike respect him4 ,he is the universal counsellor1 even of the highest ,devas and of the highest ,rishis4 ,his constant mission is the good of the ,universe4 ,one thing is said of him1 that he sometimes serves his purpose by setting one against another and amongst the ignorant his name is a bye-word for quarrel4 ,however that be1 the greatest good of the ,universe in this ,kalpa has been always done by him4 ,it is under his inspiration1 that ,valmiki and ,vyasa wrote their most occult works1 and his benign influence is observed in all universal changes for good4 ,the ,bhagavata recites his constant endeavours to do good and we shall consider them in detail hereafter4 ,,virat ,,purusha4 99,,sk4 ,i4 ,,ch4 #ah ,,sk4 ,,ii4 ,,ch4 ,i499 ,vyasa drew upon his inspiration and wrote the ,bhagavata4 ,he taught this ,purana to his son1 the wonderful ,suka4 ,suka did not marry1 as ,rishis in his time did4 ,he left his home and roamed about the world at large1 stark naked4 ,the separation was painful to ,vyasa and he went out in search of his son4 ,while he passed near a tank1 the ,apsarasas1 who were freely indulging in play1 hastily drew up their clothes1 feeling ashamed4 ,strange6 exclaimed ,vyasa1 ,i am old and covered4 ,but when my young son1 wholly uncovered1 went this way1 you remained unmoved4 ,and the ,deva-ladies replied1 ,thy son knows not man and woman1 but thou knowest4 ,this exalted ,suka was the worthy propounder of the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,raja ,parikshit1 son of ,abhimanyu and grandson of ,arjuna1 the successor of ,raja ,yudisthira on the throne of ,hastinapura1 forgot himself in a fit of anger and placed a dead serpent round the neck of a ,rishi4 ,for this he was cursed by the ,rishi's son to meet with untimely death at the end of a week4 ,the ,raja became penitent and deemed the curse an act of ,god4 ,he prepared himself for death and took up his abode on the sacred banks of the ,ganges in company with all the ,rishis4 ,the ,raja asked what a man on the point of death should do4 ,the ,rishis present could not give any satisfactory answer4 ,at this time ,suka appeared1 followed by a host of boys1 who took him to be a mad man4 ,suka was then only sixteen with long flowing hairs and well-built body1 blooming with nature's beauty4 ,all rose up as they saw the very young ,rishi1 and gave him the first seat4 ,he related the ,bhagavata ,purana to ,parikshit in seven days4 ,the ,raja repeated his question to ,suka -- ,what is a dying man1 specially one who desires to attain ,moksha1 to do8 ,what are the duties of men and what are they not to do8 ,suka replied3 -- ,a man on the approach of death is to give up all fear of death and is to cut off all likes and dislikes by dispassion4 ,he is to leave his house1 bathe in pure water and duly make his asana in some solitary place4 ,he is then to meditate on the three lettered ,pranava with mind concentrated by ,dharana and ,dhyana till he attains samadhi4 ,if1 however1 his mind gets distracted by ,rajas and ,tamas1 he is again and again to practise ,dharana4 ,what ,dharana is it that speedily brings on concentration and purity of mind8 was the next question4 ,suka replied3 -- ,dharana of the ,sthula aspect of ,bhagavana1 by a fully controlled mind4 ,he then went on dilating on the ,sthula or ,universe aspect1 called ,virat ,purusha or ,mahapurusha4 ,the present1 the past1 the future is manifest in that aspect4 ,the ,virata ,purusha is the soul of an ,egg-like body with a seven-fold cover of earth1 water1 fire1 air1 akasa1 ,ahankara1 and ,mahat1 respectively4 ,patala is ,his feet1 ,rasatala ,his heels1 ,mahatala ,his ankles1 ,talatala ,his legs1 ,sutala ,his knees1 ,vitala the lower portion of ,his thighs1 and ,atala the upper portion4 ,bhur ,loka is ,his loins1 ,bhuvar ,loka ,his navel1 ,svar ,loka ,his breast1 ,mahar ,loka ,his throat1 ,jana ,loka ,his mouth1 ,tapas ,loka ,his forehead1 and ,satya ,loka is the head of the thousand-headed ,virat ,purusha4 ,indra and other ,usra ,devas 7the world ,usra meaning1 literally1 a ray of light7 are his hands4 ,the ,dik or space gods are his ears4 ,the twin gods ,asvini ,kumara are his nose4 ,agni is ,his mouth4 ,the firmament is ,his eyes and the ,sun-god ,his sight4 ,day and night are ,his eye-lashes4 ,the graceful movement of ,his eye-brows is the abode of the ,supreme4 ,water is ,his palate1 taste ,his tongue4 ,the ,vedas are known as ,his ,brahma-randhra4 ,yama is ,his tusk4 ,the objects of affection are ,his teeth4 ,his enchanting smile is ,maya4 ,the endless creation is ,his side-glance4 ,his lower lip is shame1 and the upper greed4 ,dharma is ,his breast4 ,adharma ,his back4 ,prajapati is ,his generative organ4 ,the ,mitra-,varuna gods are ,his sense of taste4 ,the seas are ,his belly1 the mountains ,his bony system and the rivers ,his veins and arteries4 ,the trees are the hairs of the ,universe-bodied4 ,the powerful wind-god is ,his breath4 ,time is ,his movement4 ,his play is the flow of ,gunas4 ,the clouds are ,his hairs4 ,twilight is ,his clothing4 ,prakriti is ,his heart4 ,his manas is the moon1 which is the source of all transformations4 ,mahat is ,his ,chitta4 ,rudra is ,his ,ahankara4 ,horses1 mules1 camels and elephants are ,his nails4 ,all the other animals are ,his loins4 ,the birds are ,his wonderful art4 ,he is the abode of ,manu1 ,buddhi and ,man4 ,gandharva1 ,vidyadhara1 ,charana and ,apsaras are ,his musical notes4 ,the ,asuras are ,his strength4 ,the ,brahmana is ,his mouth1 the ,kshatriya ,his hands1 the ,vaisya ,his thighs1 and the black ,sudra ,his feet4 ,the ,devas severally and collectively are ,his havis or sacrificial ghee1 and yajna is ,his karma4 ,this is ,virat ,purusha4 ,this is how the ,universe-aspect of ,purusha is realised in meditation1 more as a means of concentration1 than as the end4 ,when the mind is sufficiently fixed by ,dharana or contemplation of ,virat ,purusha1 it has next to meditate on the ,purusha in the heart4 ,,skandha ,,ii4 ,,the ,,purusha ,,in ,,all ,,hearts4 99,,skandha ,,ii41 ,,chap4 #b499 ,some meditate within their own body on the ,purusha of the size of pradesa 7the space of the thumb and forefinger7 in the space covered by the heart1 who dwells there4 ,he has four hands containing ,sankha 7conch71 chakra 7a sharp circular missile71 ,gada 7club7 and ,padma 7lotus74 ,his face is smiling1 ,his eyes are as wide as lotus petals1 and ,his cloth is yellow as the filament of the ,kadamba flower4 ,his armlets glitter with gems and gold4 ,his crown and earrings sparkle with brilliant stones4 ,adepts in ,yoga place ,his feet on the pericarp of the full blown lotus in the heart4 ,with ,him is ,sri 7,lakshmi74 ,the ,kaustubha gem is on ,his neck4 ,he is adorned with a garland of ever blooming wild flowers4 ,his hair is curling and deep blue4 ,his very look is full of kindness to all4 ,as long as the mind is not fixed by ,dharana1 meditate on this form of ,ishvara1 with the help of thy imagination4 ,concentrate your mind on one limb after another1 beginning with the feet of ,vishnu and ending with ,his smiling face4 ,try to grasp every limb in thought and then proceed to the next-higher4 ,but as long as ,bhakti or ,devotion is not developed1 do not fail to contemplate also on the ,universe aspect of ,purusha4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,yogi ,,and ,,after4 99,,skandha ,,ii41 ,,chap4 #b499 ,when all desires are controlled by meditation1 and the ,yogi is lost in the contemplation of ,vishnu1 he sits in proper posture1 pressing his feet against the anus and perseveringly draws the vital air upwards to the six centres4 ,he draws the air in the navel centre 7,manipur7 to the cardiac plexus1 thence to the plexus beneath the throat 7,visuddha71 thence gradually by intuition to the root of the palate4 7,sridhara ,svami calls this last the higher part of ,visuddha chakra1 and remarks that the vital air is not displaced from that position4 ,this may be called the pharyngeal plexus47 ,thence he takes the vital air to ,ajna chakra1 which is situated between the two eye-brows4 ,then he controls the seven holes 7the ears1 the eyes1 the nostrils and the mouth74 ,he then looks steadily for half a ,muhurta1 and if he has not a trace of desire left in him gives up the body and the ,indriyas1 passes out through the ,brahma-randhra and attains the state of ,vishnu4 ,it will be noticed above that six plexuses are mentioned other than the ,sacral and the prostatic4 ,in the death of the desireless ,yogi1 there is no record of thereafter1 for nothing is known beyond our cosmos4 ,but1 ,o king1 said ,suka1 if the ,yogi seeks for the highest cosmic state or for the roamings of aerial ,siddhas over the whole of cosmos1 in full control of the eight ,siddhis1 he will then take his ,manas and ,indriyas with him4 ,it is said that these ,masters of ,yoga can move both inside and outside ,triloki1 for their ,linga ,sarira consists of the atoms of air4 ,the state attained by those that acquire ,samadhi by ,upasana1 ,tapas and ,yoga cannot be reached by ,vedic ,karma4 ,in space when the ,yogi moves towards the ,brahma ,loka or ,satya ,loka1 he first goes by means of his ,sushumna ,nadi to ,vaisvanara or the fire-god for the ,sushumna by its light extends beyond the body4 ,his impurities being all washed away1 he goes upwards to the ,sisumara ,chakra of ,hari 7i4e41 up to the highest point of ,triloki1 as will be explained afterwards74 ,then crossing that ,chakra of ,vishnu1 which is the navel of the ,universe1 he reaches the ,mahar ,loka with his pure ,linga ,sarira4 ,there the dwellers of ,svarga cannot go4 ,mahar ,loka is the abode of ,brahmavids1 where ,bhrigu and other adepts who live for a whole ,kalpa dwell4 ,the ,yogi remains in ,mahar ,loka till the end of the ,kalpa1 when1 seeing the ,triloki burnt up by fire from the mouth of ,ananta or ,sankarshana1 the fires reaching even ,mahar ,loka's he moves towards the abode of ,paramesthi 7,satya ,loka or ,brahma ,loka74 ,this highest ,loka lasts for two ,pararddhas and is adorned by the chariots of the kings of ,siddhas4 ,there is no sorrow in ,brahma ,loka1 no infirmity1 no death1 no misery1 no fear of any kind4 ,but the ,yogi suffers from mental pain caused by sympathy with those that suffer for their ignorance of the supreme state in the recurrence of births with their endless miseries4 ,there are three courses for those that go to ,brahma ,loka4 ,some by the excellence of their merits get responsible cosmical positions at the next ,kalpa4 ,others remain in the ,brahma ,loka till the end of the cosmos or ,brahmanda4 ,the ,upasakas of ,bhagavan however may at their will pierce through the cosmos or ,brahmanda and reach the trans-cosmic plane of ,vishnu4 ,the text goes on to say how this is done4 ,the cosmos consists of seven ,patalas and seven ,lokas1 together forming the fourteen-fold ,bhuvana1 which extends over #ej ,krores of ,yojanas 7#a ,yojana #h miles74 ,surrounding this is a covering of the earthy principle1 such as was not used up in the formation of the cosmos1 extending over one krore of yojanas4 7,according to some this covering extends over #ej krores of yojanas47 ,the second cover is of water1 extending over ten times as much space as earth1 the third of fire1 the fourth of air1 the fifth of akasa1 the sixth of ,ahankara1 the seventh of ,mahat1 each covering ten times as much space as the one preceding4 ,the eighth cover is ,prakriti1 which is all pervading4 ,the ,linga ,sarira of the ,yogi in passing through the earthy cover1 becomes earthy1 through water becomes watery1 and through fire1 fiery4 ,with the fiery body he goes to the air cover and with the airy cover to the akasa cover4 ,he passes also through the ,tanmatras and senses them4 ,he passes through ,prana itself and becomes all action4 ,having thus crossed the ,sthula and ,sukshma coverings1 the ,yogi reaches the sixth covering that of the ,transformable or ,ahankara ,tatva1 which is the absorber of the ,tanmatras and of the ,indriyas4 ,thence he goes to ,mahat ,tatva and thence to ,pradhana1 where all the ,gunas find their resting place4 ,then becoming all ,pradhana himself full of bliss1 he attains with the exhaustion of all upadhis the trans-cosmic ,atma1 which is ,peace and ,bliss4 ,these are the two ways to ,mukti1 the one prompt and the other deferred as sung in the ,vedas4 ,the following ,diagram may be of some help in understanding the above3 -- ,illustration3 ,a diagram of concentric circles with ,p at the center and ,m' the outermost1 with the ,key below working inwards4 ,,key ,,to ,,the ,,circle4 ,m' ,mahat cover #a1jjj1jjj ,krores or #ej1jjj1jjj ,krores ,yojanas4 ,a ,ahankara cover #ajj1jjj or #e1jjj1jjj ,krores ,yojanas4 ,a' ,akas cover #aj1jjj or #ejj1jjj ,krores ,yojanas4 ,v ,vayu cover #ajjj or #ej4jjj ,krores ,yojanas4 ,t' ,tejas cover #ajj or #ejjj ,krores ,yojanas4 ,a ,apas cover #aj or #ejj ,krores ,yojanas4 ,e ,earth cover #a or #ej ,krores ,yojanas4 ,s' ,satya ,loka ,t ,tapas ,loka ,j ,jana ,loka ,m ,mahar ,loka ,s ,svar ,loka ,b' ,bhuvar ,loka ,b ,bhur ,loka ,p ,seven ,patalas ,s' to ,p #ej ,krores ,yojanas4 ,a' to ,e ,includes ,tanmatras1 ,indriyas and ,prana4 ,prakriti surrounds the whole circle4 ,,what ,,men ,,are ,,to ,,do ,,and ,,what ,,they ,,are ,,not ,,to ,,do4 99,,skandha ,,ii4 ,,chap4 #c499 ,this was the second part of ,parikshit's question1 and to this general question1 the answer is also general4 ,those that want divine glory worship ,brahma4 ,those that want their ,indriyas to be powerful worship ,indra and so on4 ,but those that are desirous of ,moksha must practise ,bhakti ,yoga towards the supreme ,purusha4 ,of all ,upasakas1 this is the only means of attaining supreme bliss1 unswerving ,bhakti or devotion to ,bhagavan and the company of ,bhagavatas4 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,purana ,,as ,,related ,,by ,,brahma ,,to ,,narada4 99,,skandha ,,ii4 ,,chap4 #d-f499 ,i4 ,,the ,,creation4 ,parikshit next asked ,how did ,bhagavan create this ,universe1 how does ,he preserve it1 how will ,he draw it in8 ,what are the ,saktis by which ,he manifests ,himself directly and indirectly8 ,what are ,his actions8 ,suka replied1 these were the very questions asked by ,narada of his father ,brahma4 ,brahma replied3 -- ,wishing to become manifold1 the ,lord of ,maya1 influenced ,kala1 ,karma and ,svabhava1 by his own ,maya4 7,kala is the flow of ,time and is1 according to the ,bhagavata ,purana1 the ,sakti of ,purusha4 ,karma is the adrishta of ,jiva or the ,jiva record of the previous ,kalpa4 ,svabhava is the essence of ,prakriti74 ,under the influence of ,purusha1 the first disturbance in the equilibrium of the ,gunas follows from ,kala1 transformation follows from ,svabhava and the development of ,mahat ,tatva follows from ,karma4 ,when ,rajas and ,tamas manifest themselves in ,mahat ,tatva1 it is transformed into ,ahankara ,tatva1 with predominant ,tamas4 ,ahankara ,tatva by transformation becomes threefold4 -- ,satvika1 ,rajasika and ,tamasika1 i4e41 ,jnana ,sakti 7potency to produce the ,devas71 ,kriya ,sakti 7potency to produce the ,indriyas71 and ,dravya ,sakti 7potency to produce the ,bhutas71 respectively4 ,tamasa ,ahankara was first transformed into ,akasa1 ,akasa into ,vayu1 ,vayu into ,agni1 ,agni into ,apas1 and ,apas into ,prithivi1 ,satvika ,ahankara was transformed into ,manas and the ten ,vaikarika ,devas4 ,the ,vaikarika ,devas are the ,adhidevas or the ,energy-giving gods of the ten ,indriyas4 ,sensing is in ,man or ,adhi-,atma1 it is of the object or ,adhi-bhuta and is caused by ,vaikarika ,deva or ,adhi-,deva4 ,thus the object seen is ,adhi-bhuta1 the sight is ,adhyatma and the manifesting ,energy of sight is ,adhideva4 ,the ,vaikarika ,devas are -- ,dik for ,hearing2 ,vayu for ,touch2 ,sun for ,sight2 ,varuna for ,taste2 ,asvini ,kumaras for ,smell2 ,agni for ,speech2 ,indra for ,pani or action of the hand2 ,upendra or ,vishnu for ,pada or action of the foot2 ,mitra or ,yama for ,payu or excretion2 and ,prajapati for ,upastha or generation4 ,rajasika ,ahankara was transformed into the ten ,indriyas4 ,the foregoing can be shown in the following table3 -- ,illustration3 ,there is a pendulum-like drawing between the word ,purusha and the phrase starting with ,kala which is the pendulum swinging left and ,karma which is the pendulum swinging right4 ,,purusha4 ,kala causing disturbance in the equilibrium of ,karma ,gunas4 ,svabhava4 ,transformation ,details of transformation from ,mahat downwards4 ,mahat4 ,ahankara4 --------------------------------------- ,satvika or ,rajasika ,tamasika ,vaikarika1 ,kriya ,sakti4 ,dravya ,sakti4 ,jnana ,sakti ,the #aj ,indriyas ,akasa ,vayu 7air74 -------- ,agni 7fire74 ,manas ,the #aj ,vaikarika ,devas or ,adhidevas ,apas 7water74 ,prithivi 7earth74 ,this is the ,karana creation or the creation of the materials of the ,individual creation4 ,they could not1 however1 unite and proceed further with the work of creation4 ,the ,sakti of ,bhagavan then permeated them and the cosmic ,egg or ,brahmanda was formed4 ,the ,egg remained for a thousand years unconsciously submerged in the primal waters4 ,purusha then influenced ,kala1 ,karma and ,svabhava to send forth vitality into it4 ,it is this ,purusha that emerged from the ,egg with thousands of heads and thousands of limbs and is known as ,virat ,purusha4 ,the seven ,lokas and the seven ,patalas are parts of ,his body4 ,this is the first ,avatara1 the ,adi ,purusha that creates1 preserves and destroys4 ,all the objects of creation are ,his ,avataras1 or ,saktis or ,vibhutis4 ,the ,lila ,avatars of ,virat ,purusha or special ,incarnations for the preservation of the ,universe are detailed below4 ,,ii4 ,,preservation ,,by ,,lila ,,avataras4 99,,skandha ,,ii4 ,,chap4 #g499 #a4 ,varaha -- ,in order to raise the ,earth from the waters1 the ,purusha adopted the body of ,varaha or ,boar and killed with ,his tusks the first ,daitya ,hiranyaksha4 #b4 ,yajna -- was born of ,ruchi and ,akuti4 ,the ,suyama ,devas were born of ,yajna4 ,he dispelled the fears of ,triloki4 #c4 ,kapila -- was born of ,kardama ,prajapati and his wife ,devahuti4 ,he taught ,brahma ,vidya to his mother4 #d4 ,dattatreya -- ,he preached ,yoga to his disciples1 who acquired powers and became liberated4 #e4 ,the ,kumaras4 -- ,sanat ,kumara1 ,sanaka1 ,sanandana and ,sanatana4 ,they completely promulgated the ,atma ,vidya1 which had been lost in ,pralaya4 #f4 ,nara ,narayana4 -- ,they were born of ,dharma and his wife ,murti1 daughter of ,daksha4 ,their ,tapas was so great that the ,deva ladies could not shake it4 #g4 ,dhruva4 -- ,though a boy1 he could not bear the words of his step-mother4 ,he went into the forests and made ,tapas4 ,he was rewarded with ascent to ,dhruva ,loka or the region of the polar star4 #h4 ,prithu4 -- ,he milked out riches and edibles from the earth4 #i4 ,rishabha4 -- ,rishabha was the son of ,nabhi by ,sudevi or ,meru ,devi4 ,he roamed about as ,parama ,hansa4 #aj4 ,hayagriva4 -- ,this horse-headed ,avatara appeared in the ,vedic ,yajna and promulgated the ,vedas4 #aa4 ,matsya4 -- ,vaivasvata ,mann found out this ,avatara at the end of a cycle of ,yugas4 ,he preserved all beings and the ,vedas from the waters of the ,deluge4 #ab4 ,kurma4 -- ,at the great churning of the ,ocean1 the ,tortoise ,avatara supported the ,mandara mountain4 #ac4 ,nrisinha4 -- ,the ,man-,lion ,avatara killed ,hiranyakasipu4 #ad4 ,hari -- saved the ,elephant ,king of the famous story of ,gajendra ,moksha4 #ae4 ,vamana -- measured the ,triloki by ,his two steps4 #af4 ,hansa -- related ,bhakti ,yoga1 ,gnana and ,bhagavata ,purana to ,narada4 #ag4 ,the presiding deity of each ,manvantara4 #ah4 ,dhanvantari -- promulgated the science of medicine4 #ai4 ,parasu ,rama -- suppressed the ,kshatriyas who became disregardful of the ,brahmanas and the ,sastras4 #bj4 ,rama -- destroyed ,lanka and killed ,ravana4 #ba4 ,rama and ,krishna4 -- ,the tenth ,canto of ,bhagavata is entirely devoted to their deeds4 #bb4 ,vyasa4 -- ,he divided the trunk of the ,veda tree into several branches4 #bc4 ,buddha4 -- ,when the ,asuras came to know the ,vedic mysteries and to oppress people1 ,buddha incarnated ,himself in order to confound them by preaching a variety of by-religions4 #bd4 ,kalki -- will appear before the end of ,kali ,yuga1 to set things right4 ,besides these ,lila ,avataras1 there are ,maya ,guna ,avataras and ,vibhutis or ,saktis4 ,in creation these are3 ,tapas1 ,brahma1 the ,rishis1 and the ,nine ,prajapatis4 ,in preservation they are3 ,dharma1 ,vishnu1 ,manu1 ,devas and ,kings4 ,in ,pralaya they are3 ,adharma1 ,siva1 ,serpents and ,asuras4 ,o ,narada1 this is1 in brief1 the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,you relate it to others in a much more expanded form1 so that people may have ,bhakti or ,divine attachment to ,bhagavan4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,the above account of creation relates to ,triloki and to the dwellers of ,triloki4 ,after creation1 some come down from the higher planes and hold responsible positions as we have already seen4 ,the ,vaikarika ,devas1 who may be identified with the ,vedic ,devas1 are created or rather manifested in the ,triloki before the ,individual creation4 ,they appertain to what the ,purana calls ,karana or causal ,creation4 ,the ,vaikritika ,devas and ,deva ,yonis1 known as ,elemental in ,theosophical language1 are created according to their ,karma in the previous ,kalpa and are subject to gradual evolution during the ,kalpa4 ,the ,vaikarika ,devas1 however1 remain as they are during the whole of the ,kalpa4 ,similarly the ,devas of the higher planes1 e4 g41 ,kumudas1 ,ribhus1 ,pratardanas1 ,anjanabhas and ,pratitabhas of ,mahar ,loka1 ,brahma ,purohitas1 ,brahma ,kayikas1 ,brahma ,maha ,kayikas and ,amaras of ,jana ,loka1 ,abhasvaras1 ,mahabhasvaras1 and ,satya ,mahabhasvaras of ,tapas ,loka and ,achyutas1 ,suddha ,nibasas1 ,satyabhas and ,sanjna ,sanjnins of ,satya ,loka these are not affected by creation in ,triloki4 ,the dwellers of those ,lokas other than ,devas are also similarly not affected4 ,the story of creation is a simple one4 ,as the ,linga ,purana says1 when ,earth is scorched up in the summer season1 it becomes fallow and the roots of vegetation remain underground4 ,they1 however1 wait for the rainy season to germinate again and grow in all the varieties of the previous vegetation4 ,similarly when the previous creation is burnt up by the fires of ,pralaya1 the roots remain imbedded in ,prakriti1 which becomes fallow4 ,the fallowness is removed on the approach of the creative period or ,kala4 ,kala1 according to ,bhagavata1 is a ,sakti of ,purush or the ,unmanifested ,logos4 ,then transformation follows in ,prakriti according to ,svabhava or the inherent nature of ,prakriti and ,karma1 or the root-record of the previous ,kalpa gives shape to the transformation4 ,sridhara ,svami quotes a sloka1 which says that there are three ,purusha manifestations4 ,the first ,purusha is the creator of ,mahat and other elemental principles 7,tatvas74 ,the ,second ,purusha is the dweller of the ,cosmic ,egg4 ,the ,third ,purusha is the pervader of all beings4 ,creation is divided into two stages4 ,first the creation of the principles themselves or ,tatvas1 which unite to form globes and individuals4 ,this is called ,karana creation4 ,secondly the creation of individuals and of globes4 ,this is called ,karya or resultant creation4 ,following the law of periodicity1 the ,first ,purusha energises the latent ,karma or ,jiva-record of the previous ,kalpa1 and prepares the ground for the development of that ,karma1 by setting ,prakriti into active transformation4 ,this is the ,first ,life ,wave which caused the principles to appear by themselves4 ,the ,first ,purusha permeated these principles as pure ,atma4 ,but the principles could not unite to make the forms1 and to make individuals and globes4 ,purusha1 as pure ,atma could not guide them further1 as the gulf between ,purusha and ,prakriti was too wide4 ,so ,purusha had to limit ,himself further1 by uniting with ,mula ,prakriti1 as one undivided whole1 and so becoming the guiding principle of all individual workings in our universe1 the pervader of all individuals and globes as ,atma-,buddhi4 ,the ,universe as a whole is represented as an ,egg1 and the ,second ,purusha or ,virat ,purusha is the soul of that ,egg4 ,individuals and globes appear as germs in that ,egg1 and are all brought into manifestation in time by the ,third ,purusha ,brahma4 ,the ,second ,purusha is called the ,first ,avatara and the seed and resting place of all other ,avataras4 ,an ,avatara is a highly evolved ,jiva1 that has attained the ,logoic state and that comes down from his exalted position1 to serve the universe4 ,why is the second ,purusha called an ,avatara8 ,the ,brihad ,aranyaka ,upanishad raises the veil a little on this point4 ,this was before ,atma1 bearing the shape of man 7the first born from the ,egg1 the embodied soul1 the ,virat with heads and other members of the body7 ,looking round1 he beheld nothing1 but himself4 ,he said first3 ',this am ,i'4 ,hence the name of ,i was produced4 ,and because he1 as the first of all of them consumed by fire all the sins1 therefore he is called ,purusha4 ,he verily consumes him1 who strives to obtain the state of ,prajapati1 prior to him4 ,sankaracharya explains the under-lined portion as follows3 -- ,and because he1 ,prajapati in a former birth1 which is the cause1 as the first of those who were desirous to obtain the state of ,prajapati by the exercise of reflection on works and knowledge1 viz1 as the first of all of them1 of all those desirous of obtaining the state of ,prajapati1 consumed by the perfect exercise of reflection in works and knowledge all the sins of contact1 which are obstacles to the acquirement of the state 'of ,prajapati' because such was the case1 therefore he is called ,purusha1 because1 he1 pur 7first7 7did7 ush 7burn7 ,therefore by the words3 ,he consumes him1 it is meant1 that the perfect performer obtains the highest state of ,prajapati1 he1 who is less perfect1 does not obtain it1 and by no means1 that the less perfect performer is actually consumed by the perfect4 ,here the word ,prajapati refers to the ,second ,purusha4 ,the state of the ,second ,purusha is the highest achievement of ,jiva4 ,it is the meeting ground of ,jiva and the ,supreme ,purusha4 ,the ,second ,purusha may be different for each ,kalpa1 it may be for each ,brahmanda4 ,he is the ,ishvara1 the ,lord of our ,universe4 ,he holds the whole creation unto ,his bosom1 and is the sustaining force of all4 ,in the three aspects of ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva1 he guides the creation1 the preservation and the dissolution of the ,universe4 ,those that could not attain ,his state1 though they strove for it equally as eminent as the ,second ,purusha1 that are to become the ,second ,purusha in perhaps another ,kalpa or ,brahmanda1 are the ,lila ,avataras4 ,they remain merged in the ,second ,purusha or ,ishvara and they manifest themselves in the ,universe1 only when a necessity arises for their manifestation4 ,the ,bhagavata contends that of all ,lila ,avataras1 only ,krishna is ,purusha ,himself the others being only partial manifestations of ,purusha4 ,these are the parts and aspects of ,purusha4 ,krishna is ,bhagavan ,himself4 -- ,i-#c-bh4 ,tamas is dark1 opaque and heavy on the physical plane1 indolent and ignorant on the mental plane1 non-perceptive on the spiritual plane4 ,rajas is translucent1 and constantly moving on the physical plane2 distracted constantly1 acquiring likes and dislikes1 and exercising intellection on the mental plane2 and partially perceptive on the spiritual plane4 ,satva is light and transparent on the physical plane1 cheerful and buoyant on the mental plane1 and fully perceptive on the spiritual plane4 ,true perception and real knowledge follow from ,satva4 ,by partial understanding and semblance of knowledge1 the results of ,rajas1 people become distracted and led astray4 ,tamas keeps down all beings and enchains them to materiality in the course of evolution1 and there is a point in the downfall of beings as well as of globes1 beyond which there is a complete break-down4 ,satva counter-acts ,tamas and the preservation and improvement of the ,universe1 rather of ,triloki1 there fore mean the infusion of ,satva4 ,vishnu represents ,satva and so ,vishnu is the ,preservative aspect of ,virata ,purusha4 ,when ,rajas and ,tamas predominate in ,triloki1 when the lowest plane ,bhur becomes heavy with ,tamas1 the ,lila ,avataras appear and infuse ,satva into the ,lokas4 99,,skandha ,i41 ,,chap4 #b-cd499 ,this ,preserver of ,lokas preserves the ,lokas by means of ,satva1 by incarnating in ,deva1 ,animal1 ,human and other kingdoms as ,lila ,avataras4 ,the ,third ,purusha is ,brahma in ,creation1 ,vishnu in ,preservation and ,siva in dissolution4 ,vishnu as the ,atma in each being manifests ,himself in action consciousness and will4 ,brahma is the propelling power in the ,involution of beings1 which gives them their physical body4 ,vishnu is the propelling force in the evolution of beings through physiological action 7,prana71 sensation1 intellect1 and lastly the development of the spiritual faculties4 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,purana ,,and ,,its ,,parts4 99,,skandha ,,ii41 ,,chap4 #aj499 ,the next question of ,raja ,parikshit was most comprehensive4 ,it related to all knowledge of the ,universe in all details4 ,in answering the question1 ,suka related the whole of the ,purana1 from beginning to end4 ,in doing so1 the ,muni gave a short introduction as to the history of the ,purana4 ,when ,brahma regained his drowsy consciousness at the dawn of the present ,kalpa1 he knew not how to bring back the former state of things4 ,he practised ,tapas4 ,then ,bhagavan appeared and related to him the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,brahma taught the ,purana to his son ,narada4 ,narada gave it to ,vyasa1 and ,vyasa to his son ,suka4 ,the ,purana has ten parts3 -- #a4 ,sarga -- the creation of the ,bhutas1 ,tanmatras1 ,indriyas1 ,ahankara and ,mahat1 or of the materials that form individuals1 and the appearance of ,virat ,purusha4 #b4 ,visarga -- the ,individual creation by ,brahma or the creation of the individual life forms4 #c4 ,sthana -- the preservation of the created beings in their own states by ,bhagavan4 #d4 ,poshana -- the divine favor to those that properly remain in their own states4 #e4 ,manvantara -- the duties of the ,rulers of ,manvantaras4 #f4 ,uti -- desires that bind one to ,triloki4 #g4 ,isanukatha -- stories of the ,avataras and of the followers of ,hari4 #h4 ,nirodha -- the sleep of ,hari and of all individual souls a ,pralaya4 #i4 ,mukti -- the continued perception of the identity of self and of ,brahma4 #aj4 ,asraya -- ,the ,final ,resort1 ,para ,brahma or ,paramatma from whom ,creation and ,dissolution both proceed4 ,this brings us to the end of the ,second ,skandha4 ,,skandha ,,iii4 ,,bhagavata ,,as ,,related ,,by ,,maitreya ,,to ,,vidura4 ,the ,third and ,fourth ,branches of the ,bhagavata are related by ,maitreya to ,vidura4 ,maitreya was the disciple of ,parasara1 father of ,vyasa4 ,parasara learned the ,purana from ,sankhyayana1 ,sankhyayana from ,sanat ,kumara and ,sanat ,kumara from ,atlanta ,deva4 ,i4--,,the ,,creation 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #e-f499 ,at ,pralaya1 the ,sakti of ,bhagavan was asleep4 ,that ,sakti is ,maya1 which is ,sat-asat or ,existing-nonexisting ,existing eternally as root1 and not so existing as forms4 ,following the law of ,periodicity 7,kala71 ,purusha fecundated ,maya4 ,mahat and other principles appeared by transformation4 ,all these principles were ,devas1 having in them germs of consciousness1 action and transformation4 ,they could not unite to form the ,universe1 being divergent in character4 ,they prayed to ,ishvara for power to unite4 ,taking ,prakriti as a part 7,sakti7 of ,him1 ,ishvara entered into the #bc ,tatvas or root principles4 ,he awakened the ,karma that remained latent in them4 ,by ,kriya ,sakti1 ,he then united then4 ,the #bc ,tatvas1 acting under ,divine ,energy and the impulse of ,karma that had remained latent in them1 formed the ,virat body1 each bearing its own share in the work4 ,the ,purusha within this body -- ,virat ,purusha or ,hiranya ,purusha -- with all beings and globes included in ,him1 dwelt for one thousand years in the waters 7like the embryo in the waters of the uterus47 ,this ,embryonic ,purusha divided self by self1 onefold by ,daiva ,sakti1 tenfold by ,kriya ,sakti and threefold by ,atma ,sakti4 ,the onefold division is in the ,heart4 ,the tenfold division is in the ,pranas 7,prana1 ,apana1 ,samana1 ,udana1 ,vyana1 ,naga1 ,kurma1 ,krikara1 ,devadatta and ,dhananjaya17 for the ,pranas are not ,tatvas or principles1 but they form an aspect of ,purusha4 ,the threefold division is ,atma in every being which is triune with its three sides -- ,adhyatma1 ,adhibhuta and ,adhidaiva4 ,the ,purusha infused ,his ,sakti into the ,virat body1 for the development of powers in the ,tatvas4 ,the ,adhyatma mouth appeared with its ,adhibhuta speech and ,adhidaiva ,agni4 ,similarly the following appeared3 -- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,adhyatma4 ,adhibhuta4 ,adhidaiva4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,tongue ,rasa 7taste7 ,varuna4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,nose ,gandha7smell7 ,asvini ,kumaras4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,eye ,rupa7sight7 ,aditya4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,skin ,sparsa 7touch7 ,vayu4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,ear ,sabda 7sound7 ,dik4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,epidermis ,sting ,gods of vegetation ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,upastha ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- 7generative organ7 ,generation ,prajapati4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,payu ,secretion ,mitra ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,hand ,actions of hand ,indra4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,pada 7foot7 ,movements of foot ,vishnu4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,buddhi ,bodh 7deliberation7 ,brahma4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,manas ,sankalpa and ,vikalpa ,moon4 7true and false perception7 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,ahankara ,aham perception ,rudra4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,chitta ,thought ,brahma ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,the ,triloki also appeared1 ,svar from the head1 ,bhuvar from the navel and ,bhur from the feet4 ,with these ,lokas appeared the ,devas and other beings1 who are the transformations of the ,gunas4 ,from the predominance of ,satva1 the ,devas went to ,svar ,loka4 ,men and the lower ,kingdoms entered ,bhur ,loka from the predominance of ,rajas in them4 ,by the predominance of ,tamas1 the different classes of ,bhutas remained in ,bhuvar ,loka4 ,the ,brahmana appeared from the mouth1 the ,kshatriya from the hands1 the ,vaisya from the thighs and the ,sudra from the feet4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above ,we have considered the manifested ,logos in the ,universe4 ,we shall now consider ,his manifestation in ,man1 the microcosm4 ,the teachings are all collected from the ,upanishads4 7i47 -- ,the manifestation in the heart4 -- ,a detailed knowledge of this manifestation is called ,dahara ,vidya in ,chandogya4 ,the ,upanishads speaks of ,atma in the cavity of the heart4 ,guhahitam ,gahvarestham ,puranam is a well-known passage from the ,upanishads4 ,the ,purusha in the heart is also called ,pradesa or the span-sized ,purusha and is the favourite object of meditation in ,pauranika ,upasana4 ,the ,upanishads call ,him thumb-sized and there is an interesting discussion as to the size in ,sariraka ,sutras ,i-#c-bd to #bf and the ,bhashya thereupon4 7ii47 -- ,the ,manifestation in the ,pranas4 -- ,the ,upanishads say3 -- ,it is this ,prana that is consciousness itself1 ,bliss1 without infirmities and death4 ,they are these five ,brahma ,purushas4 ,again -- ,brahma ,purusha in the openings of the heart4 ,the heart is called the abode of ,brahma4 ,there are five openings of this abode of ,brahma and there are five gate-keepers4 ,these gate-keepers or dvara-palas are the five ,pranas4 ,they are called ,brahma ,purushas as they pertain to ,brahma4 ,as long as the king is in the heart1 the doorkeepers remain in the body4 ,these door-keepers being inevitable accompaniments of ,brahma in the heart1 are also themselves the outer aspects of ,brahma4 7iii47 -- ,the manifestation as ,atma which is triune4 ,what is a man but a bundle of experiences on the planes of ,jagrat1 ,svapna and ,sushupti4 ,each of these experiences has a threefold aspect or in ,vedantic expression is a ,triputi4 ,these aspects are3 #a7 the object experienced or ,adhibhuta1 #b7 the experience itself or ,adhyatma1 #c7 and the ,deva which gives the consciousness of that experience or ,adhidaiva4 ,in material expression1 the object outside is ,adhibhuta4 ,the reception of its image is ,adhyatma4 ,the light that shews the image to be what it is1 is ,adhidaiva4 ,as we have said1 each experience is a three-sided triangle4 ,all the triangles in the ,jagrat state1 analysed by the ,vedantins into fourteen1 are represented by the first letter a in ,pranava4 ,all the triangles or ,triputis in the dream state are represented by the second letter u4 ,in ,taraka ,brahma ,yoga1 a is merged in contemplation into u1 and u is merged into ma4 ,in ma there is only one triangle1 which is the primary triangle to which all other triangles in a and u may be reduced4 ,the ,adhibhuta side of this triangle is ananda by the vritti of ,avidya4 ,the ,adhyatma side is the vritti of ,avidya4 ,the ,adhidaiva side is ,ishvara4 ,life in ,triloki is conditioned by this triangle4 ,the object of ,taraka ,brahma ,yoga is to cross the ,triptiti1 to cross the three letters of ,pranava4 ,it is only in the fourth pada of ,pranava that he finds his resting place1 that pada being situated beyond the ,triloki4 ,the three manifestations of the ,third ,purusha in ,jivas or individuals1 may be said to relate to their different stages of evolution4 ,thus ,prana manifests itself only in the lower life kingdoms1 the minerals and vegetables4 ,the ,prana or life process is more elaborate in the vegetables than in the minerals4 ,purusha then manifests itself in the senses and emotions in the ,animal kingdom and in intellect in the lower human kingdom the manifestation being three fold4 ,the last manifestation of ,purusha1 the one-fold manifestation in the heart1 is in higher man4 ,,ii4 -- ,,vasudeva ,,and ,,sankarshana4 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #h499 ,when this universe remained submerged in the waters of ,pralaya1 the eyes of ,vasudeva remained closed in sleep4 ,he opened ,his eyes1 lying down on the ,serpent ,king ,ananta or ,sankarshana4 ,he indulged in self and was without action4 ,inside ,his body was ,bhuta-,sukshma or all beings in a subtle state of latency4 ,only ,kala-,sakti manifested itself and ,he dwelt in those waters in self1 as fire remains in wood1 with powers controlled4 ,having slept for one thousand ,yuga cycles in the waters1 with only ,kala-,sakti manifesting ,his work1 ,he found the lotuses of the ,lokas in ,his body4 ,he then looked at the ,sukshma1 that was within ,him4 ,that ,sukshma became pierced with ,kala -- propelled ,rajas1 and small as it was1 it came out of his navel region4 ,by the action of ,kala1 which awakens ,karma1 it suddenly grew up into a lotus bud4 ,vishnu entered this ,loka ,padma or the ,lotus of ,lokas4 ,brahma then appeared in that ,lotus4 ,he looked on all sides and became four-faced1 but he could not find out the ,lokas4 ,though he was in the ,lotus himself1 confused as he was1 he knew not the whole ,lotus4 ,whence am ,i8 ,whence is this ,lotus8 ,so thought ,brahma4 ,and he searched below to feel the lotus-stalk4 ,the search was vain for one hundred years4 ,for another hundred years he meditated within self1 and lo6 there appeared within his heart one ,purusha lying down on the body of ,sesha 7the serpent king74 7,the description of the ,purusha is much the same as we have read of the ,pradesa ,purusha4 ,so it is not given here47 ,brahma prayed to that ,purusha and was told to practise ,tapas for acquiring the power of creation4 ,,iii4 -- ,,the ,,creation ,,by ,,brahma4 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #aj499 ,when ,bhagavan disappeared1 ,brahma1 as directed1 practised meditation for one hundred ,deva-years4 ,he found his lotus abode moved by air4 ,with all the power acquired by ,atma ,vidya and ,tapas1 he drank up all the waters and the air4 ,he found the ,lokas attached to the overspreading ,lotus and he had only to divide them4 ,he entered into the ,lotus bud and divided it into three parts -- the ,triloki4 ,this is the creation of the ,triloki4 ,the higher ,lokas 7,mahar1 ,jana1 ,tapas and ,satya7 are the transformations of ,nishkama ,karma or unselfish action4 ,so they are not destroyed in each ,kalpa1 but they last for two ,parardhas4 ,what is ,kala1 asked ,vidura1 that has been described as a ,sakti of ,hari8 ,kala is the disturber of ,gunas1 replied ,maitreya1 causing transformations4 ,in itself it is without any particularity and is without beginning or end4 ,with ,kala as the ,nimitta or efficient cause1 ,bhagavan only manifested ,himself4 ,the ,universe has no separate existence from that of ,brahma4 ,it is only ,kala that makes the ,universe manifest4 ,the ,creation of ,brahma is ninefold1 ,prakrita and ,vaikrita1 ,prakrita-,vaikrita being the tenth4 ,the ,pralaya is of three kinds3 #a7 ,by ,kala or ,nitya4 ,flow of time is the only cause of this ,pralaya4 #b7 ,by ,dravya or ,naimittika4 ,dravya is the fire from the mouth of ,sankarshana1 at the end of one ,kalpa4 #c7 ,by ,guna or ,prakritika1 the ,gunas devouring their own actions4 ,the forms of ,pralaya will be considered in the study of the ,twelfth ,branch4 ,a4 -- ,prakrita ,creation1 99i4e4 the ,creation of ,principles or ,tatvas499 ,i4 ,mahat -- ,which is the out-come of the first disturbance of the equilibrium of the ,gunas4 ,,ii4 ,ahankara -- ,dravya ,jnana ,kriya4 ,,iii4 ,tanmatra -- ,result of ,dravya ,sakti4 ,,iv4 ,indriyas -- ,result of ,jnana and ,kriya ,sakti4 ,v4 ,vaikarika -- ,devas and ,manas4 ,,vi4 ,the five-fold ,tamasika creation4 ,b4 -- ,vaikrita or ,individual ,creation4 ,,vii4 ,urdha ,srotas -- or with upward current of the food taken1 the ,sthavara or ,immobile kingdom with six divisions4 #a7 ,vanaspati -- ,plants that fructify without flowers4 #b7 ,oshadhi -- ,creepers that last till the ripening of fruits4 #c7 ,lata -- ,ascending creepers4 #d7 ,tvaksara -- ,those of which the growth is not in the centre1 but in the dermal regions1 as bamboos4 #e7 ,virudh -- ,non-ascending woody creepers4 #f7 ,druma -- ,flowering plants4 ,the consciousness of all the six classes is almost obscured by ,tamas4 ,they are sensitive only to internal touch4 ,they have many peculiarities4 ,,viii4 ,tiryak-,srotas4 -- ,with slanting food current4 ,the position of the animal stomach as regards the animal mouth is such that food is not taken in vertically1 but either horizontally or slantingly4 ,the animal kingdom has #bh divisions4 ,the animals are ignorant1 with predominating ,tamas1 with the sense of smell largely developed in them so much that they mostly perceive by that sense1 and with the faculties of the heart entirely undeveloped4 ,the #bh classes are3 #a4 ,living on the ground4 i4 -- ,the cloven-footed4 7#a7 ,cow1 7#b7 goat1 7#c7 buffalo 7#d7 krishnasara1 the spotted antelope1 7#e7 hog1 7#f7 gavaya1 a species of ox1 7#g7 ruru1 a kind of deer1 7#h7 sheep1 7#i7 camel4 ii4 -- ,the whole hoofed4 7#aj7 ,ass1 7n7 horse1 7#ab7 mule1 7#ac7 goura1 a kind of deer1 7#ad7 sarabha1 a kind of deer1 7#ae7 chamari1 a kind of deer4 iii4 -- ,the five-nailed4 7#af7 ,dog1 7#ag7 jackal1 7#ah7 wolf1 7#ai7 tiger1 7#bj7 cat1 7#ba7 hare1 rabbit1 7#bb7 porcupine1 7#bc7 lion1 7#bd7 monkey1 7#be7 elephant1 7#bf7 tortoise1 7#bg7 alligator4 #b4 7#bh7 ,aquatic animals and birds4 ,,ix4 ,arvak-,srotas or with downward food current1 the ,human kingdom with predominant ,rajas1 given to ,karma1 mistaking misery for happiness4 ,c4 -- ,prakrita- ,vaikrita4 ,x4 ,the ,kumaras4 ,the ,kumara creation is partly ,prakrita and partly ,vaikrita4 ,besides these1 there is ,d4 -- ,vaikrita ,dev ,creation4 ,there are eight divisions of ,vaikrita ,devas3 #a7 ,vivudha1 #b7 ,pitri1 #c7 ,asura1 #d7 ,gandharva and ,apsara1 #e7 ,siddha1 ,charana and ,vidyadhara1 #f7 ,yaksha and ,raksha1 #g7 ,bhuta1 ,preta and ,pisacha1 #h7 ,kinnara1 ,kimpurusha1 ,asvamukha and others4 ,the ,vaikarika and ,vaikrita ,devas form one class4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,prakrita creation is that which gives rise to and is connected with all individuals4 ,excepting the ,tamasic or ,avidya creation1 which we shall consider later on1 the other divisions of this creation were caused by the first life impulse1 given by the ,first ,purusha4 ,the ,tamasic creation was brought into manifestation by the ,third ,purusha ,brahma4 ,the division of the life-kingdoms according to the movements of the food taken is peculiar to the ,pauranic system4 ,it will be interesting to know from the physiological stand-point whether it is necessary for the development of the brain that the spinal column should be erect1 whether it is necessary for the formation of the spinal column1 that the stomach should retain a certain position1 and to know also how far the fixture of the plants is an impediment to the development of any nervous system in them4 ,it is remarkable that the mineral kingdom is not mentioned as a distinct life-kingdom4 ,the reason appears to be that the creative process is divided into two periods4 ,in the first period formless ,jivas take form after form1 till the lowest material form is reached4 ,this is elemental creation or the creation of ,devas1 as described in detail in ,ch4 ,,xxi4 ,sk4 ,,iv4 ,the ,purana goes on to say3 -- ,then ,brahma created the ,manus4 ,,iii4-#bd-di4 ,the ,manu creation shews1 how mind was gradually developed through ,vegetable1 ,animal and ,human creations1 out of the ,mineral ,kingdom1 represented by the ,mountain ,chief ,himalaya4 ,the giving up by ,sati1 of the body acquired from ,daksha and her rebirth as the daughter of the ,mountain ,king show how the elemental creation gave way to a fresh creative process1 which took its start from the ,mineral ,kingdom4 ,the ,kumaras form a peculiar creation4 ,they are ,prakrita in as much as they partake of the character of ,devas and they are ,vaikrita1 as they partake of the character of men4 ,sridhara4 -- ,the great commentator also says3 -- ,sanaka and other ,kumaras are not created in every kalpa4 ,the account of their creation is only given in the first ,kalpa1 called ,brahma4 ,in reality1 the ,vegetable and other life kingdoms are created in every ,kalpa4 ,sanaka and others being created in ,brahma ,kalpa only follow the creations in other ,kalpas4 ,upon death1 men go to ,bhuvar ,loka1 where they become ,bhutas1 ,pretas and ,pisachas4 ,then they go to ,svar ,loka1 where they become ,devas1 not the ,devas of ,deva creations but only temporary ,devas4 ,when their merits are exhausted1 they come down upon earth1 to begin life as men again4 ,but if by unselfish ,karma and devotion1 men pass across the limits of the triple plane1 they go first to ,mahar ,loka4 ,here they are called ,prajapatis4 ,bhrigu and other ,prajapatis who are the ordinary dwellers of ,mahar ,loka1 are described in one sloka of ,bhagavata1 as bearing the life period of one ,kalpa4 7,,ii4 #b4 #be74 ,in the next sloka it is said that the ,yogins who go to ,mahar ,loka1 remain there till the end of the ,kalpa1 when at last they go to ,satya ,loka4 ,but in another sloka1 the ,purana says3 -- ,when the night of ,pralaya follows1 the three ,lokas1 ,bhur1 ,bhuvar and ,svar1 are burnt by the fire from the mouth of ,sankarshana4 ,troubled by the excessive heat of that fire1 ,bhrigu and others proceed from ,mahar ,loka to ,jana ,loka4 ,,iii-#aa-cj4 ,this shews that the dwellers of ,mahar ,loka live for the life time of ,brahma or two ,parardhas4 ,this is also made clear by the following commentary of ,sridhara on ,,iii-#aj-i3 -- ,why did ,brahma make the three ,lokas into one division8 ,this ,triloki consisting of ,bhur1 ,bhuvar and ,svar -- is the place that is to be made in every ,kalpa or day of ,brahma for the enjoyment of ,jivas 7or individuals74 ,but ,jivas dwell in the higher ,lokas as well4 ,why are not those ,lokas created then in every ,kalpa8 ,this is because they are the transformations of unselfish 7,nishkama7 action or ,dharma -- the ,lokas themselves and the dwellers thereof4 ,the ,triloki and the dwellers thereof are the transformations of selfish 7,kamya7 action4 ,therefore they have birth and death in every ,kalpa4 ,but ,mahar and other ,lokas are begotten by unselfish action heightened by ,upasana 7or devotion71 and they last for two ,parardhas1 which is the life time of ,brahma4 ,and the dwellers of those ,lokas generally attain mukti 7or liberation7 after that period4 ,the ordinary dwellers of ,jana ,loka are the ,kumaras4 ,when men in course of evolution reach ,jana ,loka1 they become ,kumaras4 ,we have already seen that the essence of life in the higher ,lokas is unselfishness4 ,it is for this reason that the ,gita speaks of unselfish action in the first instance as an essential requisite of spiritual life4 ,but it is not unselfish action alone which enables us to get rid of our personal desires and to assimilate ourselves with that one life which pervades all4 ,devotional love is another equally essential requisite4 ,it is impossible for us to realise the different experiences in the four higher ,lokas4 ,the famous ,brahma ,sukta has the following line3 -- ,the three feet of ,isvara1 bearing eternal happiness in the higher ,lokas4 ,the eighteenth ,sloka in ,chapter ,,vi4 of the ,second ,skandha is an exposition of this line4 ,sridhara has the following commentary on that line3 ,happiness in ,triloki is fleeting and temporary4 ,though ,mahar ,loka is on the path of liberation1 the dwellers of that ,loka have to leave it at the end of every ,kalpa4 ,the happiness there is therefore not ever-lasting4 ,in ,jana ,loka1 the happiness is ever-lasting1 as long as the dwellers do not leave the place4 ,but they have to witness the miseries of the dwellers of ,mahar ,loka1 when they come to ,jana ,loka1 at the end of the ,kalpa4 ,in ,tapas1 there is absolute want of evil4 ,in ,satya1 there is freedom from fear or liberation4 ,we have left the ,devas 7not the elementals that pass through the life kingdoms of this earth7 out of consideration4 ,their evolution is worked out in all the seven ,lokas4 ,their names and characteristics in each ,loka are given by ,vyasa in his commentaries on ,patanjali's ,sutras4 ,those who are ordinarily known as ,devas are the dwellers of ,svar ,loka4 ,the ,deva ,yonis or lower ,devas are dwellers of ,bhuvar ,loka and ,bhur ,loka4 ,men have nothing to do with the ,devas of the higher ,lokas4 ,the ,devas of ,triloki are indifferent1 friendly or inimical to men4 ,left alone1 they do not interfere with men4 ,but when men try to gain superiority over them1 by the acquisition of ,brahma ,vidya1 they try to throw obstacles in their way4 ,the ,brihad ,aranyak ,upanishad says3 -- ,even the gods verily are not able to prevent him from the possession of the state of all4 ,i4-#d-aj ,again1 ,as verily many beasts maintain a man1 so every man maintains the gods4 ,it is not pleasant1 even if one beast is taken away1 how then1 if many8 ,therefore it is not pleasant to them1 that men should know this i4e4 the truth of the nature of ,brahma4 ,commenting on this1 ,sankaracharyya quotes a ,sloka from ,anugrta3 ,the world of the gods is surrounded by performers of works4 ,but the gods do not wish that mortals should abide above4 ,sankaracharyya goes on to say3 -- ,therefore the gods try to exclude1 like cattle from tigers1 men from the knowledge of ,brahma1 as it is their desire1 that they should not be elevated above the sphere of their use4 ,whom they wish to liberate1 to him they impart belief c41 and unbelief to him whom they wish not to liberate4 ,ananda ,giri1 the commentator of ,sankaracharyya1 quotes the following ,sloka3 -- ,devas do not protect men1 rod in hand1 like cattle-keepers4 ,when they wish to protect a man1 they impart the necessary intelligence to him4 ,nothing is said in the ,puranas1 as to ,devas of the higher ,lokas4 ,the ,prakrita ,devas are intimately connected with our senses and intellect4 ,it is through their direct help1 that we are able to perceive and to conceive4 ,hence they are called ,adhi-devas or ,vaikaric ,devas4 ,they are not individuals and the remarks made above as to ,devas1 do not apply to them4 ,,iv4 ,,divisions ,,of ,,kala4 99,,skandha ,,iii4 ,,chap4 #aa499 ,the unit of ,kala at the ,sukshma pole is ,paramanu1 which is the minutest part of the created thing1 not united to form a body4 ,at the ,sthula pole is the whole ,sthula creation known in its entirety as ,parama ,mahan4 ,the time during which the ,sun crosses in his orbit one paramanu is the ,kala unit paramanu4 ,the time during which he crosses the whole system in his orbit1 i4e41 crosses all the twelve signs of the ,zodiac1 is ,parama ,mahan or one ,samvatsara4 ,the units of time and space are thus the same4 #a ,dvyanuka #b ,paramanus4 #a ,trasarenu #c ,paramanus4 #a ,truti #c ,trasarenus4 #a ,vedha #ajj ,trutis4 #a ,lava #c ,vedhas4 #a ,nimesha or wink #c ,lavas4 #a ,kshana #c ,nimesha4 #a ,kastha #e ,kshanas4 #a ,laghu #ae ,kasthas4 #a ,nadika #ae ,laghus4 #a ,muhurta #b ,nadikas4 #a ,yama or ,prahara #f or #g ,nadikas4 #a ,ahoratra 7of the ,mortals7 #h ,yamas4 #a ,paksha 7,sukla or ,krishna7 #ae ,ahoratras4 #a ,masa 7,month7 #a ,sukla #a ,krishna ,paksha4 #a ,ritu #b ,masas4 #a ,ayana #f ,masas 7,uttara or ,dakshina47 #a ,vatsara #b ,ayanas4 #a ,vatsara #ab ,masas #a ,vatsara #a ,ahoratra of ,devas4 #a ,samvatsara #a year of ,solar months4 #a ,parivatsara #a year of ,jupiter months4 #a ,idavatsara #a year of ,savana months4 #a ,svanuvatsara #a year of ,lunar months4 #a ,vatsara #a year of ,stellar months4 ,one hundred ,samvatsaras is the maximum age of men4 ,satya1 ,treta1 ,dvapara and ,kali a cycle of these #d ,yugas and their ,sandhyas and ,sandhyansas consist of #ab thousand divine years4 ,the beginning of a ,yuga is its ,sandhya4 ,tho end of a ,yuga is its ,sandhyansa4 ,sandhya and ,sandhyansa are not included in a ,yuga and ,yuga ,dharma is not to be performed while they last4 ,sandhya of ,satya ,yuga #djj ,deva years4 ,satya ,yuga #d1jjj ,sandhyansa of ,satya ,yuga #djj ,sandhya of ,treta ,yuga #cjj ,treta ,yuga #c1jjj ,sandhyansa of ,treta ,yuga #cjj ,sandhya of ,dvapara ,yuga #bjj ,dvapara ,yuga #b1jjj ,sandhyansa of ,dvapara ,yuga #bjj ,sandhya of ,kali ,yuga #ajj ,kali ,yuga #a1jjj ,sandhyansa of ,kali ,yuga #ajj ------- #ab1jjj ,deva years4 ,dharma is enjoined for the period between ,sandhya and ,sandhyansa1 which is called ,yuga4 ,dharma has all the #d padas or feet in ,satya1 only #c padas in ,treta1 only #b padas in ,dvapara1 only #a pada in ,kali4 #a1jjj ,yuga cycles is one ,day of ,brahma or one ,kalpa1 99i4e4991 #a ,day of ,brahma #a1jjj x #ab1jjj ,deva years1 #a1bj1jj1jjj ,deva years4 ,an equal period of time is also reckoned as one ,night of ,brahma4 #ad ,manus reign during the ,day of ,brahma1 each ,manu reigning for3 #a1jjj -------- #ga #c_/d #ad i4e41 a little over #ga ,yuga ,cycles4 ,converted into ,deva years3 -- #a ,manvantara #ab1jjj x #a1jjj -------------- #h1eg1adb #f_/g ,deva years4 #ad #a ,deva year #cfj ,lunar years4 #ab1jjj1jjj x #cfj #a ,manvantara ---------------- #c1cg1adb1feg #a_/b ,lunar years4 #ad ,the ,manvantaras have their ,manus1 successors of ,manus1 ,rishis and ,devas4 ,the ,rishis1 ,indras1 and ,devas appear together4 ,in the daily creation of ,brahma1 ,animals1 ,men1 ,pitris and ,devas are born according to their own ,karma4 ,during the ,manvantara1 ,bhagavan preserves this universe by ,his own ,satva1 directly as ,manvantara ,avataras and indirectly as ,manus and others4 ,when ,pralaya approaches1 ,bhagavan withdraws ,his ,saktis 7or powers74 ,triloki is then burnt up by fires from the mouth of ,sankarshana4 ,bhrigu and other dwellers of ,mahar ,loka proceed to ,jana ,loka4 ,the waters of ,pralaya sweep away everything before them4 ,in that watery expanse1 ,hari remains seated upon the coils of ,ananta1 with ,his eyes closed4 ,with every ,day and ,night1 the age of ,brahma declines4 ,he lives for one hundred years only4 ,half of ,brahma's age is called ,pararddha4 ,the first ,pararddha has expired1 the second has commenced with our ,kalpa4 ,every day of ,brahma is called one ,kalpa4 ,at the beginning of the first ,pararddha was ,brahma ,kalpa1 when ,brahma or the present ,kosmos was born4 ,at the end of the first ,pararddha was ,padma ,kalpa1 when the ,loka-,padma 7the lotus of ,lokas7 appeared at the navel of ,hari4 ,the first ,kalpa of the second ,pararddha1 which is the present ,kalpa1 is called ,varaha ,kalpa4 ,hari incarnated as ,varaha or ,boar during this ,kalpa4 ,the two ,pararddhas are but a wink of ,bhagavan4 ,kala cannot measure him4 #a ,day of ,brahma #ab1jjj1jjj ,deva years1 #a ,night of ,brahma #ab1jjj1jjj ,do4 ------------- #bd1jjj1jjj ,do4 ,multiplying by #cfj --------------- #a year of ,brahma #h1fdj1jjj1jjj ,deva years4 ,multiplying by #ajj ------------------ ,age of ,brahma #hfd1jjj1jjj1jjj ,deva years4 ,multiplying by #cfj ----------------------- #ca1aj1dj1jj1jj1jj1jjj ,lunar years4 #a ,kali ,yuga1 including ,twilight 7,sandhya and ,sandhyansa7 #a1bjj ,x #cfj #d1cb1jjj ,lunar years4 ,varaha ,kalpa #ej ,x #cfj #a #ahjjjast ,kalpa4 ,the present is the seventh ,manvantara of that ,kalpa4 ,the present ,kali ,yuga is the #bhth ,yuga of that ,manvantara and #d1iid years of that ,yuga have expired in the present year of ,christ #ahid4 ,,theosophical ,,correspondences4 ,the words ,kalpa and ,manvantara are carelessly used in ,theosophical literature4 ,but ,i shall use those terms1 specially with reference to page #cji of the second volume of the ,secret ,doctrine 7first edition47 #a ,kalpa #g ,rounds4 #a ,round #b ,manvantaras4 ,the ,pralaya at the end of seven ,rounds therefore means the ,pralaya of ,triloki4 ,the last ,globe ,chain of which the ,moon formed a living planet belonged to ,padma ,kalpa4 ,our ,globe ,d is the #ahjjast since the birth of the ,kosmos4 ,there will be #agiii more such ,globes1 one after each ,pralaya of ,globe ,chains4 ,there will be #ahjjj more ,pralayas of the ,globe ,chain4 ,then there will be a general dissolution or ,prakritika ,pralaya1 not only of the ,globe ,chain1 but of the whole ,kosmic system4 ,v4-,,the ,,creation ,,by ,,brahma 7,continued7 ,,iii4 #ab4 ,the first creation of ,brahma was the five-fold ,avidya1 viz3 -- #a7 ,tamas or ignorance of ,self 7,avidya in ,patanjali47 #b7 ,moha or egoism 7,asmita47 #c7 ,maha ,moha or desire for enjoyment 7,raga74 #d7 ,tamisra or mental disturbance on the non-fulfilment of desires 7,dvesha74 #e7 ,andha ,tamisra or false perception of death 7,abhinivesa74 ,brahma was not pleased with this dark creation4 ,he purified his soul by meditation on ,bhagavan and created ,sanaka1 ,sananda1 ,sanatana and ,sanatkumara4 ,these ,munis had no performances 7for their own evolution74 ,they were ,urdha-retas4 ,brahma1 addressing them1 said -- ,sons1 go and multiply yourselves4 ,but they sought ,moksha1 and heeded him not4 ,brahma got enraged at the disobedience of his sons1 and1 though he tried to put down his anger1 it burst forth from between his eye-brows and appeared as ,kumara ,nila-,lohita or ,blue-,red4 ,the boy1 the first born of ,devas1 wept and cried out to ,brahma -- ,give me names and give me abodes4 ,that shall be done1 replied ,brahma1 and1 as thou wept like a boy1 thou shalt be called ,rudra or the ,weeper4 ,the heart1 the ,indriyas1 ,prana1 ,akasa1 ,vayu1 ,agni1 ,apas1 ,prithvi1 the ,sun1 the ,moon and ,tapas are your abodes4 ,manyu1 ,manu1 ,mahinasa1 ,mahan1 ,siva1 ,ritadhvaja1 ,ugra-retas1 ,bhava1 ,kala1 ,bamadeva and ,dhrita-vrata these are thy eleven names2 ,dhi1 ,dhriti1 ,rasaloma1 ,nijut1 ,sarpi1 ,ila1 ,ambika1 ,iravati1 ,svadha1 ,diksha and ,rudrani1 these are thy wives4 ,beget sons1 as thou art ,prajapati4 ,thus ordered1 ,nila-,lohita begot sons like unto himself in might1 form and habits4 ,the ,rudras became numerous1 and they spread all round the ,universe ready almost to devour it4 ,brahma became afraid of his creation1 and1 addressing himself to ,rudra1 said -- ,o ,chief of ,devas1 desist from such creation4 ,thy progeny with their fiery eyes are consuming all and even consuming me4 ,take to ,tapas for the joy of all beings4 ,by ,tapas thou shalt create the ,universe as it was of yore4 ,by ,tapas thou shalt gain that ,bhagavan who dwells in all hearts4 ,amen1 said ,rudra1 and he went into the forests to make ,tapas4 ,brahma then begot ten sons3 -- ,marichi1 ,atri1 ,angirasa1 ,pulastya1 ,pulaha1 ,kratu1 ,bhrigu1 ,vasishtha1 ,daksha and ,narada4 ,narada came from ,brahma's bosom1 ,daksha from his thumb1 ,vasishtha from his ,prana1 ,bhrigu from his skin1 ,kratu from his hands1 ,pulaha from his navel1 ,pulastya from his ears1 ,angirasa from his mouth1 ,atri from his eyes and ,marichi from his ,manas4 ,dharma came from ,brahma's right breast1 where ,narayana himself dwells4 ,adharma1 the parent of ,mrityu 7or ,death7 came from his back4 ,kama came from his heart1 ,anger from his eye-brows1 ,greed from the lower lip4 ,vak or speech came from his mouth1 the ,seas from his generative organ and ,death from his anus4 ,kardama1 the husband of ,devahuti1 was born of ,brahma's ,chhaya or shadow4 ,so there was creation out of the body and the mind of ,brahma4 ,brahma took a fancy to his daughter ,vak 7or speech74 ,marichi and his other sons dissuaded him from the incestuous connection4 ,and the ,creator in shame gave up his body which was taken up by ,space and which is known as dewy darkness4 ,how shall ,i bring back all the previous ,creation8 ,so thought ,brahma at one time1 and the four ,vedas appeared from his four mouths4 ,the ,yajnas1 the ,upavedas1 the ,philosophies1 the four parts of ,dharma1 and the duties of ,asramas also appeared4 ,brahma had another body void of incestuous impulses and he thought of enlarging the ,creation4 ,but he found himself and the ,rishis1 powerful though they were1 unsuccessful in this respect4 ,he thought there was some unforeseen impediment1 so he divided his body into two4 ,a pair was formed by that division4 ,the male was ,svayambhuva ,manu and the female was his wife ,satarupa4 ,since then creation multiplied by sexual intercourse4 ,svayambhuva ,manu begot five children in ,satarapa -- two sons1 ,priyavrata and ,uttanapada1 and three daughters1 ,akuti1 ,devahuti and ,prasuti4 ,he gave ,akuti in marriage to ,ruchi1 ,devahuti to ,kardama and ,prasuti to ,daksha4 ,this changing universe is filled with their progeny4 ,,pre-,,manvantaric ,,creation4 ,the descent of ,spirit into ,matter is indicated by the overshadowing ,tamas creation1 ,the individuals reach the spiritual plane at the time of ,pralaya and lose all sense of ,i-ness4 ,their memory becomes perfectly dead to all previous connections and experiences and even as to self as a distinct unit4 ,the child starts with a body of his own1 and faculties limited to that body4 ,the ,jiva children that came into existence at the beginning of the ,universe had however nothing peculiar to themselves1 and they had even to acquire the sense of ,i-ness4 ,first1 the ,jiva identifies himself with his body and mind1 his own phenomenal basis4 ,for1 if he identifies himself with the universal spirit1 there is no action for him1 no working out of his own ,karma4 ,though from the standpoint of the highest wisdom individuality is a delusion1 for the one unchangeable ever-lasting element in ,jiva is ,atma1 and at the final stage of development man has to separate himself from his phenomenal basis and to identify himself with ,atma1 which is the real self1 still the sense of separateness is necessary for the process of creation and for the gaining of experiences4 ,this sense is two-fold1-- #a7 ,the non-perception of ,atma as ,self1 called ,avidya by ,patanjali and ,tamas in the ,puranas1 and #b7 ,the perception of the upadhi as self1 called ,asmita by ,patanjali and ,moha in the ,puranas4 ,attachment and aversion1 likes and dislikes1 are equally necessary for continued individual action4 ,the ,jiva eats what he likes and does not eat what he dislikes4 ,he associates himself with certain objects1 ideas and thoughts and shuns others4 ,his likes and dislikes form the guiding principle of his actions4 ,these affinities are called ,raga and ,dvesha by ,patanjali and ,maha ,moha and ,tamisra in the ,puranas4 ,the tenacious desire to live in the present body is called ,abhinivesha by ,patanjali4 ,this desire becomes an instinct in the ,jiva1 so necessary is it for his preservation4 ,the ,puranas call it ,andha-,tamisra4 ,sridhara explains it as the shock we receive from a separation from all our present enjoyments4 ,for1 according to him1 the idea of death is nothing but a sense of separation from our present enjoyments4 ,these forms of ,avidya were called into being that the forms of the previous ,kalpa might be brought into existence1 or that the work of creation might be undertaken4 ,these faculties are the very essence of life manifestation4 ,but the process has now been reversed4 ,the work of creation is over4 ,we have acquired the experiences of earth-life1 and we are now destined to take a journey back to our home1 the bosom of ,ishvara1 from which we all came4 ,we have now to undo our sense of separateness4 ,the five forms of ,avidya are therefore called miseries 7klesha7 by ,patanjali and he lays down rules for getting rid of them4 ,after invoking ,avidya1 ,brahma created the ,kumaras1 who were the most spiritual of the beings to be created4 ,they were so spiritual1 that they could not take any part in the work of creation4 ,they had to bide their time1 till there was spiritual ascent in the ,universe4 ,the ,rudras1 called the ,blue-,red ,kumaras1 come next4 ,though highly spiritual themselves they did not object to take part in the work of creation4 ,but as real factors in the work of dissolution1 they were entirely out of place in the work of creation4 ,we owe our idea of separateness or individuality to the ,rudras4 ,in the scale of universal life the agencies of dissolution carve out individual lives and their mission ends there4 ,the ten ,rishis form the next ,creation4 ,further descent of life in the ,universe brought forth ten distinct types of ,intelligence4 ,we shall consider these types later on4 ,then comes the story of ,brahma's incest4 ,brahma could not directly take part in the ,creation4 ,his task was simply to bring back the former state of things through a graduated series of intermediaries4 ,first appeared those that had to hold cosmic positions of responsibility1 some throughout the ,kalpa and others throughout the ,manvantara4 ,with the powers invoked1 the temptation to evolve an independent ,creation with the help of ,vach1 the potency of ,mantras had to be got over4 ,this done1 ,brahma thought of the ,monads of the previous ,kalpa1 and the first ,manu appeared with his wife ,sata-rupa or ,hundred-formed4 ,all forms of ,creation existed in ,idea before further manifestation1 and ,sata-rupa was the collective aspect of all such ,ideas4 ,,the ,,first ,,or ,,the ,,svayambhuva ,,manvantara4 ,,vi4 ,,bhur ,,and ,,varaha 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,said ,manu to ,brahma -- ,i shall do thy behests1 ,o ,lord4 ,but tell me where my ,praja 7progeny7 and myself are to be located4 ,the ,bhur of the previous ,kalpa where all beings found shelter is lost in the great ocean of ,pralaya4 ,bestir thyself and raise it up1 ,o ,deva4 ,brahma thought within ,himself what was to be done1 when lo6 out from ,his nostril came a ,boar1 no bigger than a thumb4 ,in a moment the ,boar assumed gigantic proportions and all space resounded with his roar4 ,the dwellers of the ,jana1 ,tapas and ,satya ,lokas worshipped ,him by chanting the ,mantras of the three ,vedas4 ,he roared once more for the good of the ,devas and instantly plunged into the waters4 ,though an incarnation of ,yajna1 ,he tried to discover the ,bhur by smelling like an ordinary animal4 ,he dived down as far as ,rasatala and there found the ,bhur ,loka4 ,he then raised it up on ,his tusks4 ,the ,daitya ,king ,hiranyaksha resisted and in rage the ,boar killed him4 ,the ,rishis then worshipped ,him knowing ,his true form to be ,yajna4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,bhur is the main system of ,triloki4 ,the ,varaha ,avatara restored the system after the ,kalpa ,pralaya4 ,bhur being the lowest of the ,seven ,lokas corresponds to ,prithvi ,tatva and hence to the sense of smell4 ,the boar is pre-eminently the animal of smell4 ,the materialisation of the ,prithvi principle for the purpose of globe formation was an effort of the energy of the ,logos and the smelling out of ,bhur by the ,varaha is suggestive4 ,the ,globe evolution is preparatory to ,monadic evolution4 ,the pent up ,karma of the previous ,kalpa develops itself on the ,globes4 ,all beings are mutually interdependent for their evolution4 ,they help one another in the work of evolution1 and one makes sacrifices that the others may grow4 ,some have to wait1 till others come forward4 ,then they become united in the further race for progress4 ,this great cosmic process1 this mutual sacrifice is ,yajna itself1 which is typified in the ,boar ,incarnation4 ,the ,vedic ,yajna gives prominence to the ,communion of men with ,devas1 as at the early stages this is an all important fact of evolution4 ,the ,varaha is called the first ,yajna ,avatara and all the parts of ,his body are named with reference to ,vedic ,yajna1 as ,he by raising ,bhur prepared the field for ,karma4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,hiranyaksha4 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #ad499 ,diti1 the daughter of ,daksha1 approached one evening her husband ,kasyapa1 son of ,marichi4 ,she was overpowered with the passion of love and became importunate4 ,kasyapa asked her to wait4 ,rudra was presiding over sunset4 ,his astral attendants1 the ,bhutas and ,pishachas1 were roaming over the ,universe4 ,with ,his three eyes representing the ,sun1 ,moon and fire he could see every thing4 ,his hesitation to yield to ,diti was of no avail1 and the ,muni had to yield4 ,there ,diti became ashamed of her weakness4 ,she was afraid she had offended ,rudra and she helplessly prostrated herself at the feet of ,kasyapa praying for his forgiveness4 ,thou hast disobeyed me1 said ,kasyapa1 and hast shown disrespect to the companions of ,rudra1 thy mind is impure and so is the time of ,evening 7,sandhya74 ,these four evils will cause the birth of two wicked sons from thee4 ,they will oppress the ,triloki and the ,lokapalas 7,preservers of the three ,lokas74 ,when their inequities exceed all bounds1 ,vishnu will ,himself incarnate to kill them4 ,for one hundred years ,diti conceived her twin sons4 ,even from within the womb they shed lustre all round1 which even overpowered the ,lokapalas4 ,the ,devas went to ,brahma to ascertain the cause of this disaster4 ,he related to them the following story4 ,my ,manasa-putras1 ,sanaka and others were once in ,vaikuntha1 the abode of ,bhagavan4 ,impatient to see ,bhagavan the ,kumaras hurriedly passed through the six portals 7,kaksha74 ,at the seventh portal1 they found two doorkeepers of equal age with clubs in their hands1 richly adorned with golden crowns and other ornaments4 ,they had four hands and looked beautiful in their blue colour4 ,the ,kumaras heeded them not1 but opened the gate with their own hands as they had opened the other gates4 ,the door keepers stopped them with their clubs4 ,the ,kumaras were put out by this unforeseen obstruction and addressing the doorkeepers gave vent to their feelings thus3 -- ',what mean you by making this distinction8 ,in ,him the ,lord of ,vaikuntha1 there is no difference whatsoever4 ,the whole of this ,universe is in ,him4 ,do you dread any danger to ,him1 as to a common being1 and why will you admit some and not others8 ,but you are ,his servants4 ,so we do not intend to be very hard on you4 ,but you must descend from this elevated plane and take your birth where passion1 anger and greed prevail'4 ,the door-keepers became terrified at this curse and fell at the feet of the ,kumaras4 ,all that they prayed for was that while passing through the lowest births1 they might not have ,moha1 beclouding their recollection of ,bhagavan4 ,bhagavan knew what had transpired outside4 ,he hastened on foot with ,lakshmi by ,his side to where the ,munis stood4 ,the ,kumaras prostrated themselves before ,him ,whom they had so long meditated upon in their hearts4 ,with intent eyes they looked steadily on ,him and longed to see ,him again and again4 ,the ,kumaras lauded ,him with words full of import4 ,bhagavan addressing them said3 -- ',these my door-keepers are by name ,jaya and ,vijaya4 ,they have slighted you1 and it is right that you have cursed them4 ,i sanction that curse4 ,for they are my servants1 and ,i am indirectly responsible for their deeds4 ,i always respect ,brahmanas1 as my glory is derived from them4 ,these door-keepers did not know my regard for you1 and they therefore unintentionally slighted you4 ,but they shall instantly reap the fruit of their evil deeds and come back to ,me when their punishment is over4 ,please therefore decide where they are to go4' ,the ,kumaras knew not what to say4 ,they thought they had not done right and they asked to be excused4 ',it is all right for ,thee to extol the ,brahmanas in this way1 for ,thou art the ,preserver of ,dharma and ,thou teachest others what to do4 ,but if1 really1 we have done wrong1 let us be punished and let not our curse visit these innocent door-keepers4' ,bhagavan replied3 -- ',it is ,i who have uttered the curse through your mouths4 ,my will shall be done4 ,these door-keepers shall be born as ,asuras1 but they shall come back to ,me speedily4' ,these two door-keepers1 ,o ,devas1 have now appeared in ,diti's womb4 ,i have no power to overcome them4 ,but when the time comes for the prevalence of ,satva1 ,bhagavan ,himself will do what is needed4 ,the ,devas went away and waited for events4 ,the two ,daityas ,hiranyaksha and ,hiranyakasipu were born of ,diti1 after a conception of one hundred years4 ,hiranyaksha though elder by birth was younger by conception4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,hiranyaksha4 ,diti is literally ',cutting1' ',splitting1' or 'dividing4' ,jaya and ,vijaya mean victory4 ,hiranya is gold4 ,hiranyaksha means gold-eyed4 ,hiranyakasipu means gold-bedded4 ,the key to the mystery lies in the fact that ,jaya and ,vijaya were the door-keepers of ,vishnu and their external form was that of ,vishnu4 ,the ,purusha in the ,heart is the ,counterpart in microcosm of the ,purusha in the ,universe4 ,and we have found above that the five or ten door-keepers or ,brahma-,purushas in the ,heart are the five or ten ,pranas in man4 ,by analogy1 therefore1 which is a potent factor in the solution of mysteries1 we find that ,jaya and ,vijaya are the two-fold manifestations of ,prana in ,vaikuntha1 the in-going and out-going energies of ,purusha4 ,the life principle is an aspect of ,bhagavan and stands at ,his very gate4 ,it is this outer aspect of ,purusha that is the mainspring of all material activities1 of all life-manifestations and of the material development of the universe4 ,the duality represents ,tamasic inaction and ,rajasic activity4 ,hiranyaksha would have no life-manifestation1 no appearance of globes1 he would continue a state of things verging on ,pralayic sleep4 ,hiranyakasipu was the very ideal of material greatness and material grandeur4 ,kumbhakarna slept and ,ravana worked4 ,the brothers ,jaya and ,vijaya passed through the dividing energy of ,diti1 to cause the material manifoldness of the ,universe4 ,the ,varaha as representing the awakened ,jivic ,karma fought with the ,asura that opposed the development of that ,karma1 which could only fructify on the ,bhur system4 ,,viii4 ,,deva ,,and ,,deva-,,yoni ,,creation4 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #bj499 ,vidura asked ,maitreya3 ,how did ,marichi and other ,rishis and also ,svayambhuva ,manu carry out ,brahma's orders to create4 ,maitreya continued the story of ,creation in reply to ,vidura4 ,we have heard of the primal dark creation of ,brahma1 consisting of five-fold ,avidya4 ,referring to that1 ,maitreya said1 it was a creation of shadows4 ,brahma was not pleased with this shadowy creation4 ,he gave up the dark body and it became night1 ,at that time ,yakshas and ,rakshasas were born and they took it up4 ,the body was not only dark1 but it was the seat of hunger and thirst4 ,the new-born therefore in their hunger and thirst ran after ,brahma to devour ,him4 ,some of them said3 ,have no mercy on ,him as father4 ,others said ,devour him4 ,brahma became afraid of them and said -- ,save me4 ,you are my sons4 ,you should not devour me4 ,those that said ,devour are ,yakshas and those that said ,do not save him are ,rakshasas4 ,brahma then created the ,devas1 with ,his radiant ,satvika body4 ,this body when given up became day and the playing ,devas took it up4 ,brahma then created the ,asuras out of ,his thigh4 ,they became extremely passionate and ran after ,brahma void of all shame4 ,in great distress ,brahma prayed to ,vishnu and the ,creator was told to give up ,his body of passion4 ,the body was given up and it became ,sandhya1 or evening4 ,the ,asuras accepted ,sandhya as their wife4 ,evening is the time for lust and passion4 ,brahma then created the ,gandharvas and ,apsaras with ,his body of beauty1 which when given up became ,moon-light4 ,with his indolence1 ,brahma created the ,bhutas and ,pisachas4 ,they were stark naked and had long loose hair4 ,brahma closed his eyes on seeing them4 ,after a time he gave up his yawning body and the ,bhutas and ,pishachas took it up4 ,the body that causes secretion is called ,sleep4 ,that which causes delusion is ,madness4 ,indolence1 yawning1 sleep and madness all these four were taken up by ,bhutas and ,pisachas for their body4 ,brahma knew ,his powers and ,he created with ,his invisible body the ,sadhyas and ,pitris4 ,by ,his power of becoming invisible1 ,he created ,siddhas and ,vidhyadharas and gave them ,his body with that power4 ,by ,his reflected image ,he created the ,kinnaras and ,kimpurushas1 who took up that image for their body4 ,at dawn1 they sing in pairs the praise of ,brahma4 ,brahma did not find any progress in creation with all these ,bhoga 7expansive7 bodies4 ,he threw away ,his body and from ,his hair the elemental serpents or ,nagas were born4 ,after all1 ,brahma created the ,manus and ,rishis4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,kardama4 99,,skandha ,,iii4 ,,chap4 #ba-bd499 ,kardama ,rishi was ordered by ,brahma to create4 ,this led him to pray to ,vishnu on the sacred banks of the ,sarasvati1 near ,vindu ,sarovara4 ,vishnu appeared before him with ,lakshmi by ,his side4 ,he revealed to ,kardama a happy future4 ,the ,rishi was to marry ,manu's daughter1 to have by her nine daughters and one son1 an ,incarnation of ,vishnu ,himself1 who was to promulgate the ,tatva ,vidya4 ,shortly after1 ,svayambhuva ,manu came to ,kardama's hermitage1 with his wife ,sata-rupa and offered to the ,rishi his daughter ,devahuti in marriage4 ,kardama accepted her as his wife4 ,he had by her nine daughters and the ,avatara ,kapila4 ,brahma with his sons the ,rishis came to ,kardama and congratulated him and his wife ,devahuti upon having ,bhagavan ,vishnu for their son4 ,he then asked ,kardama to give his daughters in marriage to the ,rishis4 ,kardama followed his father's behests and gave his daughters duly in marriage to the ,rishis4 ,kala1 he gave to ,marichi1 ,anasuya to ,atri1 ,sraddha to ,angirasa1 ,havirbhu to ,pulastya1 ,gati to ,pulaha1 ,kriya to ,kratu1 ,khyati to ,bhrigu1 ,arundhati to ,vasishtha and ,santi to ,atharvan4 ,the ,rishi then went to the forest for yoga and left his wife in charge of ,kapila4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,kardama4 ,devahuti means offering to ,devas1 which is universal service4 ,she is the progenitor of those forms of life which have a spiritual influence over the whole ,trailokya4 ,kala is part1 a digit of the ,moon4 ,anasuya means absence of envy4 ,from the proverbial chastity of ,atri's wife the word also means the highest type of chastity and wifely devotion4 ,sraddha means faith4 ,havirbhu means born of sacrificial oblation4 ,gati means course1 path4 ,kriya means performance 7of ,yajna7 and action4 ,khyati means fame1 praise and also proper discrimination4 ,arundhati would perhaps mean one that does not stop or hinder4 ,probably the word means a wife who helps her husband in the performance of duties and does not stop or prevent him4 ,it is for this reason that the ,star ,arundhati is pointed out to the bride at the nuptial ceremony4 ,santi is peace1 the well known invocation of the ,vedas at the end of a ,mantra4 ,kardama means clay4 ,he was born of ,brahma's ,chhaya or shadow4 ,devahuti1 being wedded to the materialised shadow of the whole ,universe1 gave rise to certain female types which in their turn on being wedded to the ,rishis1 the highest ,planetary ,intelligences1 became the progenitors of all the life forms of the ,universe4 ,kapila was one of the earliest ,rishis4 ,the word -- ,kapila means tawny or brown coloured4 ,x4 ,,kapila',s ,,instruction ,,to ,,his ,,mother ,,devahuti4 99,,skandha ,,iii41 ,,chap4 #be-cc499 ,we now come to an important part of the ,bhagavata ,purana1 the teachings of ,kapila to his mother in the ,yoga philosophy of the ,bhagavat ,purana4 ,they adapt the ,sankhya and the ,yoga systems to ,bhakti or devotion4 ,for a full knowledge of the teachings ,i refer my readers to the ,purana itself1 ,i shall only give the salient points and avoid details as much as possible1 without breaking the continuity of the discourses4 ,yoga directed towards ,atma brings about ,mukti4 ,chitta attached to the transformations of ,gunas causes ,bondage2 attached to ,purusha1 it causes ,mukti4 ,when the mind is pure and free from distractions1 man perceives ,atma in himself1 by ,wisdom1 ,dispassion and ,devotion4 ,there is no path so friendly to the ,yogins as constant devotion to ,bhagavan4 ,company of ,sadhus opens wide the door to ,mukti4 ,they are ,sadhus who have forbearance and compassion1 who are friendly to all beings1 who have no enemies1 who are free from passions1 and above all who have firm and undivided ,bhakti in ,me4 ,they give up all for ,my sake and they hear and speak no words that do not relate to ,me4 ,their company removes the impurities of worldliness4 ,men first hear about ,me from the ,sadhus4 ,by faith their heart is drawn towards ,me1 and they have devotion for ,me4 ,devotion causes ,dispassion and makes easy the path of ,yoga4 ,by indifference to the ,guna transformations of ,prakriti1 by wisdom fostered by ,dispassion1 by ,yoga and by ,bhakti 7devotion7 offered to ,me1 the ,jiva attains ,me even while in this body4 ,when the ,indriyas 7the senses and the mind71 that manifest the objects of external and internal perception1 become trained by the performance of ,vedic ,karma1 their spontaneous ,vritti 7or function7 in a man of concentrated mind is in ,satva which is the same as ,vishnu4 ,this ,vritti which is void of all selfishness is ,bhakti in ,bhagavan4 ,it is superior to ,mukti4 ,it instantly destroys the ,kosha 7,astral body7 as the digestive fire consumes food4 ,the devoted have no yearning for that ,mukti 7,sayujya or ,nirvana7 which makes the ,jiva one with ,me4 ,but they prefer ever to talk with each other about ,me1 to exert themselves for ,my sake and ever to meditate on ,me4 ,mukti comes to them unasked4 ,my ,vibhutis1 the eight ,siddhis 7anima c47 and all the glory of the highest ,lokas are theirs1 though they want them not4 ,i am their ,teacher1 their ,friend1 their ,companion1 their all4 ,so even ,kala cannot destroy them4 ,purusha is ,atma4 ,he is eternal1 void of ,gunas1 beyond ,prakriti1 all pervading1 self luminous and all manifestating4 ,prakriti is ,pradhana1 one in itself1 but is also the source of all differences 7visesha71 possessed of three ,gunas1 unmanifested 7avyakta7 and eternal4 ,the twenty four transformations of ,prakriti called ,pradhanika or ,saguna ,brahma are3 -- #e ,maha ,bhutas -- ,earth1 ,water1 ,fire1 ,air and ,akasa4 #e ,tanmatras -- ,smell1 ,taste1 ,rupa1 ,touch and ,sound4 #aj ,indriyas -- ,ear1 ,skin1 ,eye1 ,tongue1 ,nose1 ,speech1 ,hand1 ,foot1 ,upastha and ,payu4 #d ,divisions of ,antahkarana -- ,manas1 ,buddhi1 ,chitta and ,ahankara4 ,kala is the twenty-fifth4 ,but according to some1 ,kala is ,prabhava or ,sakti of ,purusha4 ,those who identify themselves with ,prakriti are afraid of ,kala4 ,kala as the outer aspect of ,purusha disturbs the equilibrium of ,gunas in ,prakriti4 ,purusha energised ,prakriti and the ,gunas led to transformations following the action of ,daiva or ,karma1 7,jivic record of the previous ,kalpa74 ,prakriti brought forth the refulgent ,mahat ,tatva4 ,the seed of the ,universe was in the bosom of ,mahat1 and it manifested the ,universe and destroyed the darkness of ,pralaya by its own light4 ,chitta which is ,vasudeva and ,mahat1 is ,satva1 transparent and pure1 and the perception of ,bhagavan is achieved by this division of ,antahkarana4 ,transparence 7fitness for the full reflection of ,brahma7 immutability and tranquility are the characteristics of ,chitta1 as of water in its primal state4 ,mahat ,tatva was transformed into ,ahankara ,tatva1 with its ,kriya ,sakti4 ,ahankara became three-fold -- ,satvika 7,manas71 ,rajasika 7,indriyas7 and ,tamasika 7,bhutas7 i4e4 ,kartri or ,cause1 ,karana or ,instrument and ,karyya or effect4 ,sankarshana is the ,purusha of ,ahankara4 ,he is the ,thousand-,headed and ,ananta 7endless47 ,manas is ,sankalpa and ,vikalpa4 ,it is the generator of ,kama 7or desire47 ,so ,aniruddha1 the king of ,indriyas1 blue as the blue-lotus of autumn1 the ,purusha of ,manas1 has with patience to be got over by yogins4 ,buddhi is ,rajasa transformation of ,ahankara4 ,the perception of objects1 dependence on the ,indriyas1 doubt1 wrong-knowledge1 right-knowledge1 memory and sleep these are the functions of ,buddhi4 7,pradyumna is the ,purusha of ,buddhi47 ,the terminology here adopted will appear strange to the ,vedantin scholar4 ,the divisions of ,antahkarana are here adopted to the sacred ,tetractys or ,chatur-vyuha1 consisting of ,vasudeva1 ,sankarshana1 ,aniruddha and ,pradyumna4 ,in ,devotional practice1 ,antahkarana should be made the channel for higher communion and its divisions are the divisions of spiritual perception4 ,chitta is the highest aspect of ,antahkarana corresponding to ,mahat ,tatva in the ,universe1 with the ,purusha always reflected in it4 ,this aspect corresponds to ,vasudeva1 the highest ,purusha in the ,tetraktys4 ,ahankara is the bare individuality1 transformable into peculiarities1 but not so transformed4 ,sankarshana is the corresponding ,purusha4 ,manas is ,kama or desire brought on by likes and dislikes4 ,it consists of the mental tendencies of attachment1 repulsion and indifference4 ,aniruddha is the corresponding ,purusha4 ,buddhi is in one word the ,chitta of ,patanjali1 -- that which functions through the physical brain4 ,pradyumna is the corresponding ,purusha4 ,the ,indriyas are also the ,rajasika transformations of ,ahankara4 ,prana through its ,kriya ,sakti gave rise to the ,karma ,indriyas4 ,buddhi through its ,jnana ,sakti gave rise to the ,jnana ,indriyas4 ,the ,tanmatras and the ,maha ,bhutas then came out in order of transformation4 ,all these principles could not1 however1 unite to bring forth the creation4 ,purusha then permeated them1 and the ,cosmic ,egg with its covers was formed4 ,details are given as to how the ,indriyas and ,antahkarana with their ,adhyatma1 ,adhibhuta and ,adhidaiva appearing in the ,virata ,purusha1 rose up from sleep as it were only when ,chitta finally appeared4 ,kapila then dilated on the relations between ,purusha and ,prakriti1 using the illustration of the sun reflected on water and re-reflected on the wall4 ,he showed how ,mukti could be attained by discrimination of ,prakriti and ,purusha -- the seer and the seen4 ,devahuti asked how ,mukti was possible when ,prakriti and ,purusha were eternally co-existent1 and inter-dependent in manifestation4 ,a man might for a time realize that the ,purusha was free from the fears of relativity1 but his ,karma had connected him with the ,gunas and the fears would recur as the ultimate cause could not be removed4 ,kapila replied1 ,by unselfish performance of duties1 by purification of mind1 by intense ,bhakti in ,bhagavan fostered by the recital of ,his glory1 by wisdom based on the knowledge of the ,tatvas1 by strong dispassion1 by austere yoga1 by intense concentration on ,atma1 ,prakriti becomes daily subdued and it is finally consumed1 even as the wood is consumed by its own fire1 caused by constant friction4 ,given up as already enjoyed and constantly found fault with1 ,prakriti does no harm to the ,purusha centred in ,self4 ,dreams do harm in sleep4 ,but when a man wakes up1 they lose all power to injure1 as they are then found to be dreams only4 ,kapila then explained the ,ashtanga ,yoga of ,patanjali1 as adapted to ,bhakti and gave a graphic description of ,vishnu as the object of meditation4 ,he then explained ,bhakti ,yoga4 ,bhakti ,yoga is either ,saguna or ,nirguna4 ,as ,saguna it is either ,satvika1 ,rajasika or ,tamasika4 ,nirguna ,bhakti ,yoga is that in which the mind runs towards ,bhagavan1 even as the ,ganges runs towards the ,sea1 with a constant spontaneous flow4 ,the ,devoted spurn ,salokya1 ,sarshti1 ,samipya1 ,sarupya and ,sayujya union#a even when offered to them and they prefer to serve ,bhagavan ever and ever4 ,compassion and friendliness to all beings are the essential qualifications of the ,devoted4 ,they must be humble1 respectful and self controlled4 ,they must pass their days in hearing and reciting the glory of ,bhagavan4 ,kapila then described in vivid terms the life and death of a man of the world and his passage after death to ,yama ,loka4 ,he described the rebirth and went through every detail of foetal existence4 ,the foetus acquires consciousness in the seventh month and gets a recollection of previous births4 ,this recollection is lost on being born4 ,those who selfishly perform their ,dharma and worship ,devas and ,pitris go to ,soma ,loka1 and after partaking of ,soma1 they are again re-born4 ,and even their ,lokas are destroyed with the daily ,pralaya of ,brahma4 ,those who unselfishly perform their duties and give themselves up entirely to the ,supreme ,purusha go through ,surya 7,sun7 to the transcosmic ,loka of ,parama ,purusha4 ,the worshippers of ,hiranyagarbha 7,brahma7 reach ,brahma ,loka or ,satya ,loka and there wait for two ,pararddhas i4e4 for the life time of ,brahma and upon the final dissolution of the ,brahmanda go to the trans-cosmic plane of ,parama ,purusha4 ,brahma1 ,marichi and other ,rishis1 the ,kumaras and ,siddhas do their assigned work unselfishly1 but their ,upasana admits of distinction4 ,so they are absorbed in the ,second or the ,first ,manifested ,purusha at ,pralaya and become re-born at creation4 ,devahuti heard all this from ,kapila4 ,her doubts were all removed and she found the light within herself4 ,she remained fixed in meditation as long as her ,prarabdha was not exhausted4 ,she then attained ,mukti4 ,kapila first went towards the ,north4 ,the sea then gave ,him place1 where ,he still lies in deep ,samadhi1 for the peace of ,triloki4 7,ganga ,sagar or ,saugor is said to be the seat of ,kapila74 #a ,these are the five kinds of ,mukti4 ,salokya is residence in the same ,loka with the ,supreme ,being4 ,sarshti is equality with the ,supreme ,being in all the divine attributes4 ,samipya is assimilation to the deity4 ,saynjya is absorption into the ,supreme ,being4 ,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,the ,,genealogy ,,of ,,manu ,,and ,,the ,,rishis4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,in every ,manvantara1 there are one ,manu1 sons of ,manu1 ,devas1 ,indra or king of the ,devas1 seven ,rishis and one ,avatara of ,vishnu4 ,the ,avataras of ,purusha propel ,manu and others to their work4 ,at the end of every cycle of #d ,yugas1 the ,rishis by their ,tapas find out the lost ,srutis and revive the old ,dharma4 ,the ,manus propound the ,dharma4 ,the sons of ,manu including their descendants and others preserve the ,dharma1 in their respective times1 to the end of the ,manvantara4 ,the ,devas help them in their work4 ,indra preserves the ,triloki and sends down rains ,,viii4 -- #ad4 ,in the ,svayambhuva ,manvantara1 ,svayambhuva was ,manu1 the ,tushita ,devas were the ,devatas1 ,marichi and others were the seven ,rishis1 ,yajna was both ,avatara and ,indra4 ,priyavrata and ,uttanpada were the two sons of ,manu4 ,a number of genealogical tables are given below3 7,n4 ,b4 ,the female names are given in italics7 ,,table ,a4 ,,svayambhuva ,,manu m4 ,,satarupa --------,priyavrata ---,uttanpada ---,akuti m4 ,ruchi --- ,,kapila ---,devahuti m4 ,kardama -------- ,kala m4 ,marichi ---,prasuti m4 ,daksha --- ,anasuya m4 ,atri --- ,sraddha m4 ,angirasa --- ,havirbhu m4 ,pulastya --- ,gati m4 ,pulaha --- ,kriya m4 ,kratu --- ,khyati m4 ,bhrigu --- ,arundhati m4 ,vasistha --- ,sauti m4 ,atharvan ,,table ,b4 ,,ruchi m4 ,,akuti --- ,,yajna -------------- 7married his ----- ,tosha sister7 ,dakshina4 -- --- ,pratosha --- ,santosha --- ,bhadra --- ,sauti --- ,idampati --- ,idhma --- ,kavi --- ,vibhu --- ,svahra --- ,sudiva --- ,rochana ,n4,b4 ,the sons of ,yajna are the ,sushita ,devas of the #ast4 ,manvantara4 ,,table ,c4 ,marichi m4 ,kala -------------------------- ,kasyapa ,purnima ---------------------------------- ,viraja ,visvaga ,devakulya 7,river ,ganges in subsequent incarnation74 ,,table ,d4 ,atri m4 ,anasuyaa ---------------------------------------- -- ,datta ,durvasas ,soma 7,rudra7 7,brahma7 ,,table ,e4 ,angirasa m4 ,sraddha ---------------------------------------- ------------ ,sinivali ,kuhu ,raka ,anumati ,utathya ,vrihaspati ,,table ,f4 ,pulastya m4 ,havirbhu ---------------------------------------- - ,agastya ,visvaras m4 7#a7 ,ilavila m4 7#b7 ,kesini ,kuvera ------------------------- ,ravana ,kumbhakarna ,vibhisana ,,table ,g4 ,pulaha m4 ,gati --------------------------------------- ,karma ,sreshtha ,bariyas ,sahishnu ,,table ,h4 ,kratu m4 ,kriya #fj1jjj ,balakhilya ,rishis ,,table ,i4 ,vasishtha m4 ,aruudhati 7,urja7 ---------------------------------------- ----------------- ,chitraketu1 ,surochi1 ,viraja1 ,mitra1 ,ulvana1 ,vasubhirdyana1 ,duyuman1 ,,table ,j4 ,atharvan m4 ,chitti ,dadhichi 7 ,asvasiras 7 ,,table ,k4 ,bhrigu m4 ,khyati ---------------------------------------- -- ,dhata ,vidhata ,sri ,kavi m4 ,ayati m4 ,niyati ,mrikundu ,vedasiras ,usanas ,markandeya ,,table ,l4 ,daksha m4 ,prasuti ----- m4 ,dharma -- ,sraddha1 --- ,satya -- ,maitri1 --- ,prasada -- ,daya1 --- ,abhaya -- ,santi1 --- ,sama -- ,tushti1 --- ,harsha -- ,pushti1 --- ,garva -- ,kriya1 --- ,yoga -- ,unnati1 --- ,darpa -- ,buddhi1 --- ,artha -- ,medha1 --- ,smriti -- ,titksha1 --- ,kshema -- ,lajja1 --- ,vinaya -- ,murti m4 ,dharma ---- ,nara -- ,narayana -- ,svaha m4 ,agni ----- ,pavaka-- -- ,pavaman--- #de ,fires 7,agni74 -- ,suchi--- -- ,svadha1 m4 ,pitris ---- ,vayuna -- ,dhurini -- ,sati m4 ,siva ,,table ,m4 ,adharma m4 ,mithya --------------------------- ,damba ,married ,maya --------------------------- ,lobha ,married ,sathata --------------------------- ,krodha ,married ,hinsa --------------------------- ,kali ,married ,durukti --------------------------- ,mrityu ,married ,bhiti --------------------------- ,niraya ,yatana ,,table ,n4 ,uttanapada m4 ,suruchi ,uttama 7killed by ,yaksha7 m4 ,suniti ------------------------- ,dhruva m4 ,ila m4 ,bharami ------------- -------------- ,kalpa ,vatsara ,utkala 7,daughter7 m4 ,suvithi m4 ,prabha ---------------------------------------- ,pushparna1 ,tigmaketu1 ,isha1 ,urja1 ,vasu1 ,jaya ----------------- ,pratar ,madhyandina ,sayam m4 ,dosha ---------------------------- ,pradosha1 ,nisitha1 ,vyushta m4 ,pushkarini ,sarvatejas or ,chakshus m4 ,akuti ,manu m4 ,nadvala ---------------------------------------- ---------------------- ,puru1 ,kritasna1 ,rita1 ,vrata1 ,agnishtoma1 ,atiratra1 ,pradyumna1 ,sivi1 ,ulmuka ---------------------------------------- ------ ,anga1 ,sumanas1 ,svati1 ,kratu1 ,angiras1 ,gaya4 ,table ,n4--7,contd47 ,m4 ,sunitha ,vena 7,by ,churning7 ,,prithu ,m4 ,archi ---------------------------------------- ----------- ,vijitasva1 ,haryaksha1 ,dhumrakesha1 ,vrika1 ,dravina4 or ,antardhana ,m4 ,skihandini ,m4 ,nabhasvati -------------------- ------------- ,pavaka1 ,pavaman1 ,suchi ,habirdhana ,m4 ,habirdhani ---------------------------------------- -------- ,barhishad1 ,gaya1 ,sukla1 ,krishna1 ,satya1 ,jitabrata or ,pra-china ,barhi ,m4 ,satadruti 7,daughter of ,ocean ,god7 #aj ,prachetas ,m4 ,the ,vegetable daughter of ,kaudu and ,pramlocha ,daksha 7of ,chakshusha ,manvantara7 ,m4 ,asikni 7,daughter of ,panchajana7 ------------------------------------- #aj1jjj ,haryasva1 #a1jjj ,sabalasva1 #fj ,daughters #aj ,married to ,dharma #b ,bhuta #b ,angiras #b ,krisasva #d ,tarksha #bg ,moon #ac ,kasyapa ------ #fj ,,table ,o4 ,dharma m4 #a4 ,bhanu1 ---- ,devarshava ---- ,indra ,sena m4 #b4 ,lamba1 ---- ,vidyota ---- ,the ,clouds m4 #c4 ,kakua1 ---- ,sankata ---- ,kikata 7,the ,presiding-,gods of earth cavities47 m4 #d4 ,yami1 ---- ,svarga ---- ,nandi m4 #e4 ,visva1 ---- ,the ,visvadevas m4 #f4 ,sadhya1 --- ,the ,sadhyas ---- ,arthasidhi m4 #g4 ,maruvati1 ---- ,marutvat -- ,jayanta or ,upendra m4 #h4 ,muhurta1 --- ,the ,muhurta-,gods m4 #i4 ,sankalpa4 --- ,sankalpa ---- ,kama m4 #aj4 ,vasu ------- ,drona1 m4 ,anumati ------ ,harsha -- ,soka c4 --- ,prana1 m4 ,urjasvati ---- ,saha1 -- ,ayus1 -- ,purojava4 --- ,dhruva m4 ,dharani ----- ,the different ,localities 7,pura74 --- ,arka m4 ,vasana ------ ,tarsha c4 --- ,agni m4 ,dhara ------- ,skanda ---- ,visakhu c4 7,kartikeya7 -- ,dravinaka c4 --- ,dosha m4 ,sarvari ----- ,sisumara --- ,vastu m4 ,angirasi ---- ,visvakarma ---- ,chakshush ,manu -- ,visvadevas -- ,sadhyas --- ,vibhavasu m4 ,usha --------- ,vyustha1 -- ,rochisha1 -- ,atapa ----- ,panchayama ,,table ,p4 ,bhuta m4 #aa4 ,svarupa ------ ,raivata1 -- ,aja1 -- ,bhava1 -- ,bhima1 -- ,bama1 -- ,ugra1 -- ,vrishakapi1 -- ,ajaikpada1 -- ,bahurupa1 -- ,mahanand ,millions of such ,rudras4 #ab4 ,married another wife ------------- ,pretas ,,table ,q4 ,angirasa m4 #ac ,svadha m4 #ad4 ,sati ,pitris ,aharvangiras ,,table ,r4 ,krisasva m4 #ae4 ,archi m4 #af4 ,dhishana --------------------------- ,dhumaketu ,vedasiras ,devala ,vayuna ,manu4 ,,table ,s4 ,tarksha m4 #ag4 ,vinata m4 #ah4 ,kadru m4 #ai4 ,patangi m4 #bj4 ,yamini ---- ,garuda ,aruna ,serpents ,flying birds ,salabha 7,moths and locusts7 ,,table ,t4 ,chandra 7,moon7 m4 #ba to #dg4 ,krittika c 7,stars in the lunar path on the ,ecliptic47 ,,table ,u4 ,kasyapa m4 #dh4 ,timi -------- ,aquatic animals1 m4 #di4 ,sarama ------ ,quadrupeds1 7,tigers c47 m4 #ej4 ,suravi ------ ,cloven footed animals4 m4 #ea4 ,tamra ------ ,syena 7falcon7 -- ,gridhra c4 7vulture7 m4 #eb4 ,muni ------- ,apsarasas m4 #ec4 ,krodhivasa --- ,dvandasuka c4 7serpents7 m4 #ed4 ,ila ---------- ,udvid 7,plants7 m4 #ee4 ,surama ------- ,rakshasas m4 #ef4 ,aristha ------ ,gandharvas m4 #eg4 ,kashtha ------ ,animals other than cloven-footed4 m4 #eh4 ,danu-------- ,dvimurdha1 -- ,samvara1 -- ,aristha1 -- ,hayagriva1 -- ,bibhavasu1 -- ,ayomukha1 -- ,sankusiras1 -- ,svarbhanu1 ---- ,suprabha m4 ,namuchi -- ,kapila1 -- ,puloman1 -- ,vrishaparva1 ---- ,sarmistha m4 ,yayati -- ,ekachakra1 -- ,anutapana1 -- ,dhumrakesha1 -- ,virupaksha1 -- ,biprachitti ------ ,rahu m4 ,sinhaka -- #ajj ,ketus4 -- ,durjaya1 ,kasyapa m4 ,aditi ---- ,vivasvat m4 ,sanjna ------ ,sradhadeva ,manu 7,the present ,vaivasvata ,manu7 -- ,yama -- ,yamuna -- ,ashvini kumaras m4 ,chhaya ------- ,sanaischara1 -- ,savarni1 -- ,tapati m4 ,samvarana -- ,aryaman m4 ,matrika ---- ,charshanis -- ,pushan -- ,tvastri m4 ,rachana ---- ,visvarupa -- ,tvastri m4 ,prisni ----- ,savitri1 -- ,vyahriti1 -- ,trayi1 -- ,agnihotra1 -- ,pasuyaga1 -- ,somayaga1 -- ,chaturmasya1 -- ,panchamahayajna4 -- ,bhaga m4 ,sidhi ------- ,mahiman1 -- ,bibhu1 -- ,prabhu1 -- ,asis -- ,dhatri m4 ,kuhu ------ ,sayam m4 ,sinivati1 --- ,darsa m4 ,raka1 ------- ,pratar m4 ,anumati --- ,purnamasa -- ,vidhatri m4 ,kriya1 ------ ,purishya 7,five ,fires7 -- ,varuna m4 ,charshani ---- ,bhrigu -- ,valmila m4 ,urvasi ------- ,agastya -- ,vasistha -- ,mitra m4 ,revati ------- ,utsarga -- ,aristha -- ,pippala -- ,vishnu m4 ,kirti ----- ,vrihat slocac --- ,soubhaga c4 -- ,hiranyakasipu m4 ,kayadhu ---- ,samhrada1 m4 ,mati -- ,panchajana -- ,anuhrada1 m4 ,surya1---- ,vaskala -- ,mahisha -- ,hlada1 m4 ,dhamani -- ,vatapi -- ,ilvala -- ,prahlada m4 ,drarbi1 ,virochana ,bali m4 ,asana ---------- ,vana #ajj ,sons -- ,hiranyaksha -- #di ,maruts ,,general ,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,tables4 ,these ,tables must not be mistaken for human genealogies4 ,the reader will have to carry himself in imagination to a time when there was a vast sheet of nebulous mass1 when the globes and planets had not been formed1 and the phenomena now known as day1 night1 year1 month and season were still unknown4 ,the process known as ,pralaya had absorbed the life energies of ,triloki1 which remained latent in that intermediate plane between the higher and the lower ,lokas known as ,mahar ,loka4 ,when the creative process set in1 and the ground was prepared for the manifestation of life1 life energies streamed forth from the ,mahar ,loka1 more as types than as individuals4 ,these types are called ,prajapatis or the ,lords of life kingdoms4 ,they carry back to ,triloki all the life energies of the previous ,kalpa4 ,at ,pralaya1 they draw back unto themselves all the life energies of the dying ,triloki1 and take a lasting sleep in the archetypal plane 7 ,mahar ,loka 7 to which they properly belong4 ,the ,prajapatis of the ,first ,manvantara become the ,rishis of other ,manvantaras4 ,as the first ,lords of creation bring back the life energies as well as the lost experiences of the previous ,kalpa1 so the ,rishis bring back the lost knowledge of each ,manvantara4 ,this is fully explained in the fourteenth ,chapter of the ,eighth ,skandha4 ,the ,kumars are not ,prajapatis1 as they come from a plane higher than ,mahar ,loka4 ,in the first ,manvantara1 ,marichi1 ,atri ,angirasa1 ,pulastya1 ,pulaha1 ,kratu1 ,bhrigu1 ,vasistha1 ,daksha1 and ,narada are mentioned as the chief ,prajapatis4 ,of these1 ,narada is not strictly speaking a ,prajapati1 or ,lord of creation1 as he took no part in the work of creation1 though he is called so having proceeded from ,mahar ,loka4 ,kardama1 ,ruchi and ,visvakarma are some of the other ,prajapatis4 ,of the ,prajapatis1 seven form distinct types by themselves4 ,they preside over the seven stars1 which form the constellation of ,great ,bear4 ,they send forth their energies from the plane of the ,seven ,sages1 and guide the course of life evolution that takes place in ,triloki4 ,the sages are relieved every ,manvantara by others who take up their place4 ,the seven sages of our ,manvantara1 are different from the ,prajapatis of the first ,manvantara4 ,it is by great sacrifices and by great efforts that the highest ,rishis of a ,manvantara attain the position of the ,seven ,sages4 ,the ,sages may become ,prajapatis1 and ,prajapatis may become ,kumaras4 ,and men may become sages1 if they follow the true path4 ,the grades that divide men from sages or ,rishis proper are many1 and human evolution proceeds on the line of those grades4 ,energies of another kind proceeded from ,mahar ,loka1 energies known as ,devas and ,asuras4 ,they work out1 or rather they are intimately connected with1 the tendency of life-evolution4 ,there is a tendency in the ,spiritual ,jiva to acquire experience of the lower planes1 through senses which they develop4 ,the ,asuras are connected with this tendency4 ,there is the opposite tendency in the ,jiva to get rid of the material taint and the material restriction earned in the efforts to acquire manifold experiences and to gain back the original state of purity after the acquisition of fresh spiritual treasures though the experiences of matter4 ,the ,devas are connected with this tendency4 ,these are the forms of life which then come into existence and work out their evolution in this ,triloki4 ,life evolution proceeds on two different lines -- that of globes and that of individuals4 ,they are represented by the two sons of ,manu -- ,priyavrata and ,uttanapada4 ,in the line of ,priyavrata we find how the globes were formed in the solar system1 through various cosmic fires originating from ,visvakarma1 how this earth was formed1 its continents and countries4 ,the different divisions of the ,bhur ,loka are presided over by different forms of intelligence1 who are the sons of ,priyavrata4 ,in the line of ,uttanapada we find the different life kingdoms passing through different stages of evolution4 ,first of all1 we find a limit is put to life existence in ,triloki by ,dhruva4 ,dhruva1 son of ,uttanapada1 presides over the ,polar ,star4 ,that ,star forms the farthest limit of ,triloki4 ,matter is so attenuated there that it can last for one ,kalpa4 ,we are speaking of a period when infant souls merged out to commence the race of life in the present ,kalpa4 ,they were spiritual and highly spiritual too4 ,but they were carried away by the general current of creative tendencies4 ,they were to limit themselves by sheath after sheath1 so that they might acquire the experiences of ,svar ,loka1 of ,bhuvar ,loka and of ,bhur ,loka in succession4 ,dhruva1 the infant soul1 a child only five years old1 however1 resisted the common temptation4 ,he would not go down1 for he had an important service to render to the ,universe4 ,who would advise him in this noble mission but ,narada4 ,narada was out of element when the creative process was in full swing1 and it was a necessity of life evolution4 ,but there were instances of exception1 instances of noble souls who would not go in with the general current1 but would like to remain fixed in spiritual life1 and ,narada was always to be found helping them with his advice4 ,dhruva remained fixed in his early spirituality4 ,that was a sacrifice1 for he could not enrich himself with further spiritual experiences1 through the senses1 of the lower planes of life4 ,but he had to keep up an abode which was to be resorted to by evolved souls in later days1 souls that in due course would reach that high spiritual plane4 ,from that ,kalpic plane and the dweller thereof1 we come to lower planes and their dwellers1 to the divisions of time that rule the lives of individuals and of lives adapted to these divisions of time4 ,we come from the elementals of the ,svarga plane1 or the ,devas1 to the elementals of the ,astral or ,bhuvar plane1 the ,pitris1 ,bhutas1 ,pretas and ,pisachas1 till we reach the mineral kingdom1 represented by ,himalya1 the ,mountain king4 ,at this point a turning point was reached in life evolution1 and the goddess of life-evolution became the daughter of the ,mountain king4 ,of this we shall know more hereafter4 ,we know of ,daksha1 first as the son of ,brahma1 the creative ,prajapati when the life-process rapidly worked itself out in ,elemental forms4 ,then there was no sexual procreation4 ,creation meant the materialisation of the ,jiva4 ,sati1 the daughter of ,daksha1 was the guiding energy of life-evolution4 ,she became wedded to ,siva1 the ,lord of ,bhutas1 ,pretas and ,pisachas who by the infusion of their ,tamasic energies could bring down ,jivas from their high spiritual plane4 ,when the process of materialisation was over1 when the ,jivas or ,monads reached the lowest limits of materiality1 the mission of ,daksha came to an end4 ,life evolution had now to pass through mineral1 vegetable and animal stages1 until at last the human stage was reached4 ,sati now appeared as the daughter of the mineral king ,himalaya4 ,she gave the upward bent to life evolution and by the energy she imparted minerals were able to shake off the rigidity and stability of gross matter1 to develop the sense of touch and to become vegetable at last4 ,in like manner vegetable became animal1 and animals at last became men4 ,siva1 the husband of ,bhagavati or ,durga1 as ,sati was now called1 is the ,purusha of ,dissolution4 ,bhagavati is ,his ,energy1 ,who guides the ,monadic or ,jiva ,evolution of the ,kalpa4 ,it is the wear and tear1 the process of destruction1 that counteracts the cohesive strength of the particles forming mineral matter1 which by its action becomes flexible and so receptive of outside influences4 ,cells by division and death become capable of the life process in themselves4 ,vegetables grow by the rejection of cells1 which necessitates a number of physiological processes4 ,death brings on life1 waste1 repair4 ,if animals exist in one and the same body1 progress will be limited1 further evolution will be impossible4 ,it is by death that we evolve4 ,bhagavati works out the evolution of life in different kingdoms till the stage of humanity is reached4 ,at this point ,aryaman1 one of the ,adityas1 comes to the help of humanity4 ,through his influence the sons of humanity become endowed with the power of reasoning1 -- the faculty of discrimination4 ,the sons of ,aryaman are called ,charshanis4 ,the word ,charshani literally means a cultivator4 ,its secondary sense given in the ,vedic lexicon is one endowed with the discriminative faculty4 ,the word ,charshani is used in the ,vedas for man4 ,it is the equivalent of ,arya or ,aryan1 the ploughman4 ,but it is not as ploughmen or cultivators1 that the ,aryans had their high place in humanity1 but as men endowed with the power of discrimination4 ,and this we owe to ,aryaman4 ,this is why1 though an ,aditya1 he is called the chief of ,pitris by ,sri ,krishna4 ,i am ,aryaman of the ,pitris4 -- ,bhagavat ,gita4 ,we have thus the first stage in life evolution1 when the spiritual ,jiva had to descend from the elemental to the mineral form4 ,next we have the second stage1 when minerals passed through higher forms of life till the ,human ,kingdom was reached4 ,then we have the third stage1 when men became endowed with the power of discrimination4 ,in the exercise of the discriminative faculty men were helped by their elder brothers1 the ,rishis and ,mahatmas of every period1 and by ,avataras ,who apeared from time to time4 ,then the ground was prepared for further evolution4 ,the ,sacred ,injunctions or the ,vedas were revealed to men to give them a sense of right and wrong1 of duties and prohibitions4 ,the ,vedas also held out to the developed sense of men the charming prospect of life in ,svarga ,loka with its lasting and alluring enjoyments4 ,this may be called the stage of ,karma ,kanda4 ,in following the stages of human evolution we have come down to ,vaivasvatu ,manvantara4 ,side by side with the efforts made to raise humanity in the scale of evolution1 sin was accumulating in the great ,atlantean continent which spread over the whole of what we now know as the ,bay of ,bengal4 ,the ,atlanteans had acquired a mastery over the five forces of nature1 which they used for selfish objects and against the cause and current of evolution4 ,then there was a great revolution in ,nature4 ,the great ,atlantean ,continent went down with its load of sins4 ,the sons of ,sagar1 the ,atlantean king1 became buried under the great ocean1 which overtook the doomed continent1 and to this day the sea is called in ,india1 ,sagar or relating to ,sagar4 ,there was a corresponding upheaval in the ,himalayas1 and the sacred river ,ganga streamed forth from their sides1 inaugurating the spiritual regeneration of the ,universe4 ,much of what we now know as ,india must have been raised up at the time1 and on its sacred soil appeared the great ,avatara ,rama1 ,who put an end to the disorganising1 chaos-loving sons of ,lanka4 ,the people of ,lanka were called ,rakshasas as they were working towards the destruction of all order1 all progress in the ,universe1 and rendered everything topsy-turvy in ,nature4 ,now it was time for ,sri ,krishna to appear1 the greatest of all ,avataras in our ,kalpa1 ,who gave the last bent to the progress of humanity4 ,he wedded ,himself with all the principles that enter into the constitution of man1 so that man may come up to ,him4 ,he taught the basic unity of all beings1 and laid down the path of ,service and ,devotion4 ,he established the reign of spiritual life1 and ever since ,his lotus feet sanctified the soil of ,india1 the ,scriptures only re-iterate ,his teachings1 and they all sing ,his glory for ever and ever4 ,we shall find in its true place the ,service done by ,lord ,sri ,krishna1 and how by ,his ,avatarship humanity has made one more advance in the scale of human evolution4 ,when the ,lord appeared1 ,bhagavati made her appearance too as the daughter of ,nanda4 ,it is with ,her energy that ,sri ,krishna performed the mission of ,his ,avatarship4 ,this is a bare outline of what the ,tables teach us1 ,we shall consider them each in its own place4 ,we shall find a detailed account as to how the ,universe is preserved4 ,we shall hear of great ,rishis1 of many ,avataras1 of the part played by ,devas and ,asurus4 ,we shall see how the ,monads pass through different stages of evolution1 till the idea of perfect humanity is presented by ,lord ,krishna4 ,the ,tables sometimes speak of life ,kingdoms1 sometimes of human races1 sometimes of types and principles1 and sometimes of individuals4 ,sometimes1 the names used convey a good deal of hidden meaning1 sometimes they are used at random4 ,in the line of ,priyavratra1 we find how globes are formed1 how continents and countries appear4 ,the solidification of earth is indicated by the muteness of ,bharata4 ,bharata ,varsa or ,india is called the first born of all countries1 and other lands are enjoined to follow and to obey their eldest brother4 ,,table ,a4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,the names of the first table have been considered before4 ,,table ,b4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,ruchi and ,akuti both mean ,wish1 ,desire4 ,yajna is sacrifice1 ,dakshina means ordinarily the present made to a ,brahmana for officiating at a ceremony4 ,it is also the present made for the performance of a ,vedic sacrifice4 ,no ,vedic sacrifice is complete without the present of ,dakshina to the officiating priest4 ,dakshina was married to ,yajna1 for they are inseparable4 ,possibly ,yajna has reference to the elemental or ,devic character of life forms in the first ,manvantara4 ,that also explains why there was no ,indra separate from the ,avatara of the ,manvantara4 ,the first ,manvantara was one of ,pravritti or ,descent1 ,spirit could descend into matters only with the help of ,desire4 ,desire is the father of ,kama -- ,kama is the characteristic of ,vedic ,yajna4 ,yajna therefore guided the ,first ,manvantara4 ,he was the ,avatara of ,vishnu as well as the ,indra of the ,devas4 ,the sons of ,yajna were the ,devas of the ,first ,manvantara4 ,the ,bhagavata calls them ,sushita or ,bliss gods4 ,the ,vishnu ,purana calls them ,yama ,devas4 ,the ,manvantara ,devas have for their mission the carrying out of the cyclic work of the ,manvantara4 ,,table ,c4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,marichi means literally a ray of light4 ,the word is frequently applied to the sun's ray4 ,as the sun's ray breaks up into the component colours1 so the line of ,marichi broke up into the life kingdoms4 ,kala means a digit of the moon4 ,kasyapa was the son of ,marichi and ,kala4 ,he married the #ac daughters of ,daksha1 in the line ,uttanapada4 ,by his wives1 ,kasyapa was the father of ,suras and ,asuras1 of elementals1 vegetables1 animals and men4 ,he is directly connected with the ,monads4 ,marichi and ,kala have a special significance in reference to ,jivic evolution4 ,does the pair symbolise the sun's ray reflected on the ,moon or the ,atmic ray reflected on ,buddhi8 ,any how ,marichi and ,kala imply the divine ray in the ,jivas or ,atma-,buddhi4 ,the monads of individuals are limited by the shells or bodies of ,kasyapa's line4 7,the word ,kasyapa means primarily bed1 seat74 ,they come through ,purnima1 daughter of ,marichi4 ,the sons of ,purnima are ,viraja and ,visvaga4 ,viraja is free from ,rajas4 ,visvaga means one who goes all over the ,universe4 ,viraja and ,visvaga are ,universal aspects of ,jivic ,intelligence4 7,viraja is the father of ,vairajas74 ,devakulya is the daughter of ,purnima4 ,she flowed from the washings of the feet of ,vishnu and became the divine river ,ganga4 ,,table ,d4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,atri a 7not 7 tri 7three74 ,not three1 but three in one4 ,anasuya 7not799asuya99 7envy1 intolerance1 jealousy74 ,atri made severe ,tapas for one hundred years for a son like unto the ,lord of the ,universe4 ,the ascetic fire at last broke forth from his head and instantly ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva appeared before him4 ,lords6 said ,atri1 ,i had only one of you in my mind1 but you have all ,three come to me6 ,the ,trinity replied3 -- ,we are three in one4 ,you shall have three sons1 one after each of us4 ,anasuya begot ,soma or the ,moon after ,brahma1 ,datta or ,dattatreya after ,vishnu and ,durvasas after ,siva4 ,the ,moon is thus a sort of ,brahma or creator to the present ,kalpa4 ,atri represents the ,creative1 the ,preservative and the ,destructive ,intelligence in the individual1 all united to carry out the complex process of evolution4 ,the ,brihat ,aranyaka certainly refers to one of his aspects in the following passage3 -- ,speech is ,attri2 for by speech food is consumed2 for ,attri is verily derived from the root ,attih 7to eat1 consume72 he is the consumer of all4 ,,ii-#b-d4 ,,table ,e4 ,where was he1 who thus established us8 ,he ,is within the mouth2 hence is ,ayasya4 ,he is ,angirasa1 because he is the essence of the members4 ,brihat ,aranyaka ,i-#c-h4 ,commenting on this passage ,sankaracharya says3 ,life is also called ,angirasa1 the essence of causes and effects4 ,angirasa is a compound of ,anga and ,rasa -- ,anga meaning members1 causes1 and effects1 and ,rasa essence1 substance2 the whole meaning therefore is the substance1 upon which causes and effects depend -- ,it is the essence of every thing1 because unless it were present1 all would become without effect4 ,he who abides in the mouth is ,angirasa1 for he is the essence 7,rasa7 of the members 7,anga74 ,life is the essence of the members4 ,this is also ,brihaspati4 ,speech is ,brihati4 ,life is the preserver 7pati7 of ,brihati1 therefore it is ,brihaspati4 ,b4,a4 ,i-#c-ai and #bj4 ,brihaspati or the presiding deity of the planet ,jupiter is called ,angirasa i4e4 the son of ,angiras4 ,the wife of ,angiras is1 according to the ,bhagavata1 ,sraddha or ,faith1 and1 according to ,vishnu ,purina1 ,smriti or ,memory4 ,the latter is a more suggestive name4 ,brihaspati or ,jupiter is the essence of all beings and of the ,universe and is connected with the memory of the past4 ,angirasa is the ,rishi of the #eth ,mandala of the ,rig ,veda4 ,the ,mantras of that ,mandala are composed in the ,brihati or big ,metre4 ,this accounts for the name ,brihaspati 7,brihatipati74 ,brihaspati or ,jupiter1 as the guide of the ,devas1 has to play a most important part in bringing about the life evolution of the present ,kalpa according to the records of the past and the essence or ,rasa of all beings4 ,the ,aranyaka therefore calls him life itself4 ,utathya1 another son of ,angiras1 is utathya4 ,u is an interjection1 used as an expletive -- ,tathya means reality1 truth -- ,utathya is said to be an incarnation of ,vishnu4 ,both the brothers are said to have distinguished themselves in the ,second ,manvantara4 ,sinivali is the day preceding that of new moon or that day on which the moon rises with a scarcely visible crescent4 ,kuha is new moon day when the moon is altogether invisible4 ,raka is the full moon day4 ,anumati is the #aeth day of the moon's age on which she rises one digit less than full4 ,the full moon and new moon days have thus a mysterious connection with the essence of all beings4 ,on those days the herbs have their medicinal properties in full and even men have mysterious potencies1 which have formed the subject of occult study4 ,,table ,f4 ,pulastya ,pula ,stya4 ,pula is large1 wide4 ,it also means a thrill of joy or fear4 ,stya is he who collects1 is connected with1 remains in4 ,agastya ,aga ,stya4 ,aga is mountain1 unable to walk1 fixed4 ,according to a ,pauranik legend1 the ,vindhya mountain began to rise higher and higher so as to obstruct the path of the sun and moon4 ,the gods being alarmed sought the aid of ,agastya who was the teacher of ,vindhya4 ,the ,rishi approached the mountain and asked it to bend down and give him an easy passage to the south and to retain the same position till his return4 ,vindhya obeyed the order of his teacher1 but ,agastya never returned from the south and ,vindhya never attained the height of ,meru4 ,according to the ,bhagavata1 ,agastya is the digestive fire of the stomach4 ,visravas ,vi 7signifying intensity7 ,sravas 7ear74 ,kubera is literally deformed4 ,he is the god of riches and ,regent of the ,north4 ,he is the king of the ,yakshas and ,kinnaras and a friend of ,rudra4 ,his abode is ,kailasa4 ,he is represented as having three legs1 only eight teeth and a yellow mark in place of one eye4 ,ravana1 ,kumbhakarna and ,vibhishana are ,rakshasas made famous by the ,ramayana4 ,ravana is one who makes a loud noise4 ,the ,rakshasas reached the height of their power in his time4 ,the ,yakshas1 before his time1 had occupied ,lanka or ,atlantis under ,kubera1 but ,ravana propitiated ,siva by his loud hymns1 and acquired easy mastery over his kindred elementals4 ,he ousted the ,yakshas from ,lanka and made it his own capital4 ,ravana also controlled the higher ,devas of ,triloki4 ,kumbha karna ,kumbha 7pitcher7 ,karna 7ear74 ,this pitcher-eared brother of ,ravana is said to have devoured thousands of beings including sages and heavenly nymphs4 ,he slept for six months at a time4 ,he was ultimately slain by ,rama4 ,vibhisana1 meaning the ,terrible1 left his brother ,ravana and joined ,rama4 ,after the death of ,ravana1 ,rama installed him on the throne of ,lanka4 ,he is said to be still living4 ,the ,rakshasas are said to have possessed ,kama ,rupa i4e4 they could assume any body at will4 ,in the line of ,pulastya we have this strange combination -- the digestive fire of stomach1 ears1 ,yakshas and lastly the ,rakshasas who could change their body at will4 ,altogether we may say1 ,pulastya is ,intelligence which governs animal passions and ,kama4 ,,table ,g4 ,pulaha ,pula ha4 ,ha is one who gives up4 ,gati is motion4 ,karma-,srestha is one most skilled in karma or work4 ,variyas is excellent1 preferable4 ,sahishnu is patient1 enduring4 ,pulaha seems to be the higher aspect of ,kama -- the impulses pure and simple1 apart from their ,kamic generator1 or perhaps ,pulaha may represent ,pranic activity4 ,,table ,h4 ,kratu is a ,vedic sacrifice1 intelligence1 power1 ability4 ,kriya is action4 ,balakhilyas -- are a class of ,rishis #fj1jjj in number1 of the size of the thumb1 and are said to precede the sun's chariot4 ,the word literally implies stunted in growth like infants4 ,these ,rishis are said to burn brightly with the spiritual fire of asceticism4 ,the number #fj1jjj is significant4 ,it indicates a correspondence4 ,perhaps the ,rishis represent the sense perceptions which are guided by the ,adhidevas who have their abode in the heart of the sun4 ,the ,balakhilya ,rishis are therefore said to accompany the sun's chariot4 ,their connection with ,vedic sacrifices is also intelligible1 as they are generally directed to the ,adhidevas4 ,,table ,i4 ,vasistha is the ,controller4 ,he is the spiritual teacher of the ,solar ,race and represents spiritual ,intelligence or ,higher ,manas4 ,he is the controller of the senses and the lower mind4 ,urja is ,energy4 ,she is also called ,arundhati4 ,,table ,j4 ,atharvan -- ,the ,veda called by that name4 ,dadhichi -- ,the name of a ,rishi who accepted death ,in order to serve the ,devas4 ,visvakarman forged the thunderbolt with his bones and ,indra defeated ,vritra1 the ,asura ,king1 with that weapon4 ,the line of ,atharvan represents self sacrifice for universal good as well as magic or occult wisdom4 ,,table ,k4 ,bhrigu -- is the ,dweller of ,mahar ,loka1 or the ,archetypal plane4 ,upon the ,pralaya of ,triloki1 the essence of that triple plane and its ,karma become embedded in ,mahar ,loka4 ,the creative process sets in again in strict conformity to the ,karma of the past4 ,bhrigu is therefore father of3 ,dhata -- or ,universal ,karma ,vidhata -- or ,individual ,karma1 and ,sri or ,lakshmi -- the wife of ,vishnu1 the ,energy of ,preservation4 ,ayati -- or potency is the wife of ,dhata1 ,mrikandu and ,markandeya1 are in this line4 ,niyati -- or fate1 is the wife of ,vidhata4 ,prana and ,vedasiras are in this line4 ,kavi -- is another son of ,bhrigu and ,usanas or ,sukra is ,kavi's son4 ,but according to some authorities ,kavi is the same as ,usanas4 ,it is a matter for reflection how ,sukra or the presiding ,rishi of the planet ,venus is connected with ,mahar ,loka or the trans-personal plane4 ,mahar ,loka is the first approach to universality and therefore may correspond to ,higher ,manas4 ,however that be1 ,venus corresponds to the first plane of universality4 ,the consideration of ,tables ,c to ,k has proved to be an interesting one4 ,but readers are requested to remember that this is a mere study by an inquiring student and they are left to think for themselves4 ,i might have dwelt at some length on this portion of the subject1 but that would be going beyond the scope of the present work4 ,briefly speaking then1 ,marichi -- is ,monadic ray or ,atma-,buddhi1 ,atri -- is the adjustment of the creative1 preservative and destructive tendencies in a ,jiva1 ,angiras -- is the ,essence of ,creation1 the auric repository of the ,jiva1 ,pulastya -- is ,kamic ,intelligence1 ,pulaha -- is higher ,kamic ,intelligence1 or it may be ,pranic also1 ,kratu -- is lower ,manasic ,intelligence1 ,vasishtha -- is ,higher ,manasic ,intelligence4 ,,table ,l4 ,daksha -- is the ,able4 ,prasuti -- is the ,mother1 the ,procreative ,energy4 ,during the ,first ,manvantara ,daksha had nothing to do with sexual procreation4 ,he was the father of #af primal energies4 ,these energies were wedded to ,dharma1 ,agni1 the ,pitris and ,siva -- #ac to ,dharma and one to each of the others4 ,dharma -- is that which binds the creation4 ,man and man1 man and animal1 animal and animal1 all forms of creation are kept together by ,dharma4 ,the binding forces of creation are the wives of ,dharma4 ,sraddha or ,faith is the first wife of ,dharma4 ,her son is ,satya or ,truth4 ,maitri or ,friendliness is the second wife4 ,her son is ,prasada or complacence4 ,daya or compassion is the third wife4 ,her son is ,abhaya or ,freedom from fear4 ,santi or ,peace is the fourth wife4 ,her son is ,sama or ,tranquility4 ,the fifth wife is ,tushti or contentment4 ,her son is ,harsha or joy4 ,the sixth wife is ,pushti or ,fullness4 ,her son is ,garva or ,pride4 ,the seventh wife is ,kriya4 ,her son is ,yoga4 ,the eighth wife is ,unnati or ,advancement4 ,her son is ,darpa or ,vanity4 ,the ninth wife is ,buddhi4 ,her son is ,artha4 ,the tenth wife is ,medha or ,intellect4 ,her son is ,smriti or ,memory4 ,the eleventh wife is ,titiksha or ,forbearance4 ,her son is ,kshema or ,well-being4 ,the twelfth wife is ,lajja or ,shame4 ,her son is ,vinaya or ,modesty4 ,the thirteenth and last wife of ,dharma is ,murti or ,form4 ,her sons are ,nara and ,narayana1 i4e4 ,humanity and ,divinity4 ,the ,human ,form constitute a ,duality4 ,it is in this dual form that ,sri ,krishna incarnated ,himself4 ,from ,dharma we pass to ,agni4 ,agni is used in many senses4 ,it means the channel of communication between different kingdoms in nature1 specially between ,man and ,deva1 as also a vehicle of consciousness1 and sometimes consciousness itself4 ,it also means the ,rupa or form-giving principle in the ,universe4 ,it is frequently used in the ,puranas in the last sense4 ,agni was wedded to ,svaha1 the #adth4 daughter of ,daksha4 ,his three sons are ,pavaka or the ,purifier1 ,pavaman or that which is being purified and ,sachi or ,pure4 ,they have #de sons who with their fathers and grandfather form the ,forty-nine ,fires4 ,they are separately mentioned in the ,vedic ,sacrifices in honour of ,agni4 ,svadha is the #aeth4 daughter of ,daksha4 ,she was married to the ,pitris4 ,agnishvatva1 ,barhishad1 ,somapa and ,ajyapa are the names of the ,pitris4 ,they are with fire 7,sagni7 or without fire 7,niragini74 ,svadha bore two daughters to the ,pitris1 ,vayuna and ,dharini4 ,both of them were well-versed in the ,supreme wisdom4 ,vayana is knowledge1 wisdom1 faculty of perception4 ,dharini means that which bears1 holds1 carries1 supports4 ,sometimes the word is used to mean the earth4 ,this two-fold classification means that some of the ,pitris give the body1 which is the receptacle or carrier1 with its sub-divisions1 and others give knowledge1 wisdom and the faculties of perception4 ,sati is the last daughter of ,daksha4 ,she was wedded to ,siva4 ,we shall specially notice her in the succeeding chapter4 ,,the ,,quarrel ,,between ,,siva ,,and ,,daksha4 99,,skandha ,,iv41 ,,chap4 #b499 ,of old the ,prajapaties performed a ,yajna1 and the ,devas and ,rishis all graced the occasion with their presence4 ,prajapati ,daksha entered the assembly1 when all stood up to receive him1 except ,brahma and ,siva4 ,daksha saluted his father ,brahma and with ,his permission took a seat4 ,but he was so mortified by the conduct of ,siva that he could not contain himself1 and indignantly broke forth thus3 -- ,o you1 ,rishis1 ,devas and ,agni6 ,witness this disgraceful conduct of ,siva my own son-in-law1 rather my disciple4 ,this senseless being would not do so much as rise up and receive me4 ,he has no sense of respect and dis-respect1 of purity and impurity4 ,he is mindless of all injunctions and observances4 ,do you know1 what he does8 ,he roves like a mad man in the crematories1 with his host of ,bhutas1 ,pretas and ,pisachas1 sometimes laughing1 sometimes weeping1 his body covered over with the ashes of dead bodies1 their bones serving for his ornaments4 ,his name is ,siva 7auspicious74 ,but he is really ,a-,siva 7inauspicious74 ,he is fond of intoxication1 and his companions are the impure and senseless ,bhutas4 ,oh6 that ,i have given my daughter ,sati in marriage to him4 ,that was simply to obey the orders of ,brahma4 ,siva remained unmoved4 ,daksha went on abusing ,him and at last he cursed ,siva saying ,this vilest of ,devas shall not participate in the sacrificial offerings to ,indra1 ,upendra and others4 ,he then left the place in a rage4 ,nandisvara1 the chief companion of ,siva1 could not bear the gross and wanton insult done to his master4 ,he retorted in angry tones the unkind words of ,daksha and the approbation of some of the councillors4 ,siva bears malice to none4 ,it is ,daksha who makes differences1 where there are none4 ,ignorant people follow him and blame ,siva4 ,the ,vedas deal with transitory objects4 ,worldly attachments receive an impetus from the ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas and they beget vices and evil deeds4 ,this ,daksha looks upon the body as the soul4 ,he shall be as fond of women as a beast and his face shall he that of an ,aja 7goat74 ,verily he deserves this1 as he looks upon ,avidya as ,tatvavidya4 ,he publicly insults ,siva4 ,the ,brahmanas who follow him shall go through the repeated course of births and deaths and shall resort to the apparently pleasing ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas4 ,these ,brahmanas shall have no scruples to eat anything and they shall make a profession of their learning1 their ,tapas and their austerities 7,vrata74 ,they shall consider their riches1 their body and their ,indriyas to be all in all4 ,they shall beg about from door to door4 ,bhrigu1 the leader of the ,brahmanas1 thus returned the curses of ,nandi on the followers of ,siva3 -- ,those that will follow ,siva1 shall be disregardful of the ,sat 7real7 ,sastras and shall be irreligious4 ,with braids of hair on their head1 and ashes and bones round their body1 they shall frequent places where wine is indulged in4 ,the ,vedas have at all times laid down the approved path4 ,the ,rishis of old followed their injunctions and ,narayana is at their very root4 ,those that forget all this shall only attain the ,tamasic ,siva1 the ,lord of ,bhutas and ,pishachas4 ,siva with his followers then left the place4 ,the ,prajapatis performed the ,yajna for #a1jjj years4 ,sometime after1 ,brahma made ,daksha the head of the ,prajapatis1 and his pride knew no bounds4 ,he commenced a sacrifice called ,vrihaspati ,yajna and to it he invited all except ,siva and his own daughter ,sati4 ,sati heard of the grand preparations made by her father and became impatient to witness the ,yajna herself4 ,siva at last yielded to her expostulations much against ,his own will4 ,she left for ,daksha's house accompanied by the attendants of ,siva4 ,at last she reached her father's house and went to the place of sacrifice4 ,but her father would not receive her4 ,she did not find any offering to ,siva4 ,she could easily make out that ,daksha had disregarded her husband4 ,no attention was also paid to her4 ,she grew furious with rage and addressing her father said3 -- ,with ,siva1 all are equal4 ,he has enmity with none4 ,who else but thee could be envious of his virtues8 ,thou hast attributed evil things to ,siva4 ,but do not the ,devas know all that and knowingly worship ,him8 ,if the devoted wife cannot kill her husband's calumniators1 she must leave the place with ears closed with her hands4 ,but if she is strong enough1 she must in the first place sever the tongue of the calumniator from his body by force and then put an end to herself4 ,thou art the calumniator of ,siva4 ,this my body is from thee1 so ,i shall not keep it any longer4 ,if prohibited food is taken1 the best thing is to throw it out4 ,true1 there are the two ,paths of ,inclination 7,pravritti7 and of ,renunciation 7,nivritti74 ,but one cannot adopt both the ,paths at one and the same time4 ,what action is there for ,siva8 ,he is ,brahma ,himself4 ,thou speakest of ,his ashes and bones4 ,but hast thou any idea of ,his ,yogic powers1 in comparison with which thy powers as a performer of ,vedic sacrifices are nothing8 ,but there is no use wrangling with thee4 ,i am ashamed of this body which has connection with thee4 ,the sooner ,i get rid of it the better4 ,so saying ,sati gave up her body1 and there was great uproar4 ,her attendants made ready for an attack1 when ,bhirgu1 who acted as ,adhvaryu1 invoked the ,ribhus4 ,they appeared and beat the attendants of ,siva1 who ran away on all sides4 ,narada informed ,siva of what had happened4 ,siva bit ,his lips in anger and tore up a ,jata 7matted hairtuft7 from his head4 ,the ,jata glowed with electric fire4 ,he threw it down on the earth and the terrible ,virabhadra sprang from it4 ,his tall body reached the high heavens4 ,he was dark as the clouds4 ,he had one thousand hands1 three eyes burning like the sun1 teeth terrible to look at1 and tufts of hair bright as fire4 ,he had a garland of human skulls round his neck and there were various weapons in his hands4 ,what are thy behests1 ,o ,lord8 exclaimed ,virabhadra4 ,thou art clever in fight1 child1 thou hast nothing to fear from the ,brahmanas1 for verily thou art part of myself4 ,go forth at the head of my army4 ,put an end to ,daksha and his ,yajna4 ,such was the command of ,siva4 ,virabhadra rushed forth with trident in hand1 and the attendants of ,siva followed him with enthusiasm and noise4 ,the priests1 the ,brahmanas and their wives present at ,daksha's sacrifice saw a huge dust storm1 as it were1 coming from the north4 ,can it be the hurricane8 thought they1 but the wind is not strong4 ,can this be the march of robbers8 ,but ,king ,prachinabarhi is still alive4 ,in his reign there is no fear from robbers4 ,no one is driving cattle4 ,what can be the cause of this approaching volume of dust8 ,the attendants of ,siva arrived in no time4 ,some of them were brown coloured1 some yellow4 ,some had their belly1 some their face1 like ,makara4 ,they broke the implements of sacrifice and scattered them around4 ,they pulled down the buildings and put out the fires4 ,they made all sorts of sacrilege1 ran after the ,rishis and ,devas and frightened the women4 ,maniman caught hold of ,bhrigu and tied him up4 ,virabhadra captured ,daksha2 ,chandesa captured ,suryya and ,nandisvara captured ,bhaga4 ,seeing this1 the other ,brahmanas and ,devas took to flight1 but they were grievously hurt by the stones cast at them by the followers of ,siva4 ,virabhadra began to uproot the beard of ,bhrigu1 for while scoffing ,siva he made his beard prominent4 ,nandishvara pulled out the two eye-balls of ,bhaga1 for he had encouraged ,daksha by side glances4 ,virabhadra did not also spare ,pushan1 and pulled out all his teeth4 ,pushan had showed his teeth while smiling in approval of ,daksha's abuse4 ,but the crowning act of ,virabhadra was still to come4 ,he sprang upon ,daksha and made several attempts to cut off his head4 ,but the head resisted all his strokes4 ,wonder-struck1 he took at last the weapons of sacrifice and easily severed the head of ,daksha even as it were the head of a beast of sacrifice4 ,loud were the lamentations at the place of sacrifice when ,virbhadra with his followers left it for ,kailasa4 ,the ,devas after this signal defeat went to ,brahma4 ,brahma and ,vishnu knew what was to happen at ,daksha's sacrifice1 so they had kept themselves aloof4 ,when the ,devas had related their mishap1 ,brahma explained to them that they had done wrong in not allowing ,siva to participate in the ,yajna offering4 ,there was no help now but to appease the ,astral ,lord1 ,who could destroy the ,universe at ,his will4 ,so saying ,brahma himself went with the ,devas to ,kailasa the abode of ,siva4 ,he found there higher beings than men perfected by birth1 herbs1 ,tapas1 ,mantra or ,yoga and ,yakshas1 ,kinnaras1 ,gandharvas and ,apsarasas4 ,the river ,nanda 7,ganga7 traced its course round ,kailasa4 ,high up on the mount was the abode called ,alaka and the garden called ,saugandhika 7sweet-scented74 ,on two sides of ,alaka were the two rivers ,nanda and ,alakananda1 sanctified by the dust of ,vishnu's feet4 ,alaka is the abode of ,kubera1 the ,yaksha king4 ,the ,kinnaras occupied the ,saugandhika garden4 ,near it was a large fig tree 7,vata7 #hjj miles 7#ajj ,yojanas7 high1 the branches spreading over #fjj miles4 ,below that tree1 the ,devas found ,siva in deep meditation for the good of the ,universe4 ,brahma asked ,him to pardon ,daksha and his followers who had slighted ,him by withholding ,yajna offerings4 ,through thy favour let the ,yajna be completed now4 ,let ,daksha get back his life4 ,let the eyes of ,bhagadeva1 the head of ,bhrigu1 the teeth of ,pushan1 be restored4 ,let the ,devas and the sacrificial ,rishis be relieved of all pain in their broken limbs4 ,since now1 the remnants of ,yajna offerings are all ,thine4 ,take ,thy offerings1 and let the sacrifice be completed this day4 ,siva replied with a smile thus3 -- ,daksha is a mere child4 ,i do not even think of him as an offender4 ,but ,i have to set right those that are led astray by ,maya4 ,daksha's head is burnt up4 ,so let him have the head of a goat4 ,bhagadeva shall find his ,yajna offerings through the eyes of ,mitra4 ,pushan shall have pishta 7crushed or ground up things7 for his offerings4 ,in company with other ,devas1 however1 he shall have the use of the sacrificer's teeth4 ,let the broken limbs of the ,devas be rehabilitated4 ,but those that have lost their limbs shall use the arms of ,asvinikumara and the hands of ,pushan4 ,so let it be with the ,rishis too4 ,bhrigu shall have the beard of a goat4 ,the ,devas thanked ,siva for ,his great kindness and invited ,him to the sacrifice4 ,brahma accompanied ,siva4 ,daksha regained life and looked on ,siva with reverence4 ,he acquired wisdom and became purified in mind4 ,the sacrifice was duly performed4 ,daksha sat in meditation and1 lo6 ,vishnu appeared on the back of ,garuda4 ,all rose up and saluted ,him4 ,spontaneous prayers broke forth from one and all4 ,vishnu participated in the ,yajna offerings4 ,addressing ,daksha ,he said3 -- ,only ignorant people see the difference between ,me and ,siva4 ,i1 ,siva and ,brahma are ,three in ,one4 ,for the creation1 preservation and dissolution of the ,universe1 ,we assume three different ,names4 ,we1 as the triune ,atma1 pervade all beings4 ,wise men therefore look upon all others as their own selves4 ,such is the story of ,sati's death4 ,she took birth again as the daughter of ,himalaya and became wedded once more -- the union with ,siva this time was permanent4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva are the three aspects of the ,second ,purusha4 ,brahma brings into manifestation the ,prajapatis1 and the ,prajapatis bring into manifestation the individuals and life forms4 ,the other ,prajapatis mostly represent the principles that enter into the constitution of life-forms1 while ,daksha represents the combination of principles forming a life unit4 ,daksha had sixteen daughters -- thirteen he gave in marriage to ,dharma1 one to ,agni1 one to the ,pitris and one to ,siva4 ,agni or the god of ,fire is the ,rupa or form-giving ,deva4 ,fire is used in sacrifice1 because it changes the form of things offered and makes them acceptable to the gods by change of form4 ,if ,agni represents ,rupa ,devas or ,devas with forms1 ,dharma might represent ,arupa ,devas or ,devas without forms4 ,the ,pitris1 of whom four classes are only mentioned 7,agnishvatvas1 ,barhishads1 ,saumyas and ,ajyapas71 are also divided into two classes1 -- one with fire and one without fire4 ,the attendants of ,siva were dwellers of the astral or ,bhuvar plane4 ,for the sake of convenient reference we shall call the dwellers of ,svarga ,loka ,devas and the dwellers of ,bhuvar ,loka1 ,astrals4 ,the different classes of ,devas and ,astrals are described in the #bjth4 chapter of the #dth4 ,skandha4 ,the ,devas and ,astrals were brought into manifestation by ,daksha1 whose position in creation was next to that of ,brahma4 ,therefore all stood up to receive him at the sacrifice except ,brahma4 ,siva first appeared as ,kumara ,nila ,lohita or ,rudra4 ,and all beings thereafter got the potentiality of dissolution1 phenomenal change1 death and decay4 ,but in the first stage of life process1 phenomenal change1 decay or dissolution was not in requisition1 as ,monads went on in their downward journey1 not by dissolution1 but by evolution4 ,they remained what they were1 and they acquired in addition a more material form4 ,as the material form became prominent the ,deva form and the astral form became suppressed4 ,consciousness in ,deva form manifests itself as mind1 in the astral form as animal desire and sense perception4 ,in the mineral form it can hardly shew itself4 ,siva works out the decay and dissolution of mineral matter1 so that the astral element may once more assert itself and there may be sense perception in the mineral metamorphosed into the vegetable4 ,the process is carried further in the animal kingdom1 and the animals get a constitution in which ,kama or animal desire can manifest itself4 ,the animals evolve themselves by death4 ,death frees them from the trammels of one set of experience1 and carries them onwards till the human body is reached4 ,the work of dissolution proceeds in various ways4 ,our sleep is partial dissolution4 ,it is brought on by the astral attendants of ,siva4 ,dissolution is caused by ,tamas4 ,tamas begets inaction1 and inaction causes death and decay4 ,there is no phenomenal change without dissolution1 death or decay4 ,there are so many material tendencies in us that they require rejection4 ,siva gives us the power of rejection1 as ,vishnu1 the power of preservation -- preservation of all that is good in us4 ,death makes the man1 where moral teachings fail1 ,the ,consort of ,siva is the ,energy through ,whom ,he guides the life process of ,monads or ,jivas4 ,in the first stage of life process ,she is called ,sati or the ,lasting4 ,for the body of the ,jiva was lasting during the period of evolution4 ,but ,her mission was to act on the ,monad itself1 to cause the material tendency in it by means of ,tamas4 ,in the second stage1 ,she is the ,energy of dissolution1 death and phenomenal change4 ,in the third stage1 she is over and above that the ,energy of rejection 7of all that is evil in us47 ,she is the kind mother1 who has been nourishing all ,jivas in their course of evolution4 ,when the ,mineral form was reached by the primal elemental ,jiva1 the creative process had done its work and the process of dissolution was to assert itself4 ,there was to be a revolution in the life process4 ,sati gave up her own nature and became re-born in another character in the ,mineral ,kingdom4 ,the creative process was materially changed4 ,daksha lost his original head1 and he acquired the head of a goat4 ,the goat symbolises sexual connection4 ,all this happened during the reign of ,prachina-,barhis4 ,the ,prachetas brothers were his sons4 ,daksha reappeared as the son of the ,prachetas brothers4 ,the ,adityas or gods of preservation who formed ,daksha were ,pushava and ,bhaga4 ,they were the preserving deities of the first stage of life process4 ,when the next stage came in1 they lost their activity4 ,this explains the breaking of teeth and the uprooting of eyes of two of the ,adityas4 ,the subjoined ,table of correspondences taken from the #aath4 ,chapter of the ,twelfth ,skandha shews that ,pushana and ,bhaga correspond to the months of ,pausha 7,december7 and ,magha 7,january7 when the rays of the sun are the least powerful4 ,these ,adityas preserve ,jivas in their downward course4 ,pushana was a favorite god of the ,aryan shepherd4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ,,no ,,month ,,aditya ,,rishi ,,yaksha ,,rakshas ,,naga ,,gandharva ,,apsaras ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #a4 ,chaitra ,dhatri ,pulastya ,rathravit ,heti4 ,vasuki4 ,tumburu4 ,kritusthali4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #b4 ,baisaka ,aryaman ,pulaha ,athaujas4 ,praheti4 ,kachnira ,narada ,punjikasthali4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #c4 ,jyaistha ,mitra4 ,atri ,rathasvana ,paurusheya ,takshaka ,haha4 ,menaka4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #d4 ,asarha ,varuna4 ,vasistha4 ,chitrasvana ,sahajayna ,sukra4 ,huhu4 ,rambha4 7,sahajanya7 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #e4 ,sravana ,indra4 ,angiras4 ,sroti4 ,varya ,elaptara ,visvavasu ,pramlocha4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #f4 ,bhadra ,vivasvat ,bhrigu4 ,asarana4 ,vyaghra4 ,sankhahala ,ugrasena4 ,anumlocha4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #g4 ,magha ,pushan4 ,gautama4 ,suruchi4 ,vata4 ,dhanjaya4 ,sushena4 ,ghritachi4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #h4 ,falguna ,parjanya ,bharadhvaja ,ritu4 ,vorcha4 ,airavatra ,visva4 ,senajit4 7,savitri7 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #i4 ,agrahayana ,ansu4 ,kasyapa4 ,ritusena4 ,vidyatsatru ,mahasankha ,ritusena4 ,urvasi4 7,vidhatri7 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #aj4 ,pausha4 ,bhaga4 ,kratu4 ,urna4 ,sphurja4 ,karkotaka4 ,arishtanemi ,purvachitti ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #aa4 ,asvina ,tvastri4 ,jamadagni4 ,satajit4 ,brahmapeta4 ,kambala4 ,dhritarashtra ,tilottama4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- #ab4 ,kartika ,vishnu4 ,visvamitra4 ,satyajit4 ,makhapeta4 ,asvatara4 ,suryyavarcha4 ,rambha4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ,,table ,m4 ,there is not much to detain us in this ,table4 ,it will be enough if readers will please note the meanings of the names used4 ,,table ,n4 ,we must divide this ,table into the following heads3 -- ,i4 ,the story of ,dhruva1 ,,ii4 ,the story of ,pirthu1 ,,iii4 ,the story of ,prachina ,barhis1 ,,iv4 ,the allegory of ,puranjana1 and ,v4 ,the story of the ,prachetasas4 ,i4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,dhruva4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #h-ab499 ,uttanapada is one of the sons of the ,first ,manu4 ,uttanapada means with uplifted foot4 ,this perhaps refers to the period when the ,jiva1 having still the spiritual element strong in him1 was not fixed in the course of material descent1 but had one foot towards ,mahar-,loka4 ,uttanapada had two wives ,suruchi 7with good graces7 and ,suniti 7of good morals74 ,uttama or the ,highest was the son of ,suruchi4 ,dhruva or the fixed was the son of ,suniti4 ,once upon a time1 ,dhruva found ,uttama on his father's lap and he wished to be there himself4 ,for fear of ,suruchi1 ,uttanapada did not dare stretch forth his hands towards ,dhruva1 while ,suruchi herself taunted the boy for his impudent aspiration4 ,stung to the quick by the bitter words of his stepmother ,dhruva forthwith left the place and went straight to his mother and related to her his grievances4 ,suniti advised her son who was only five years old to make ,tapas4 ,dhruva did not lose time but left home to make ,tapas as directed by his mother4 ,narada met him on the way4 ,thou art a child ,dhruva said the great ,rishi4 ,how is it possible for thee to find out ,him by ,tapas1 ,who is attainable by intense ,yoga concentration and freedom from passion practised for several births4 ,desist my boy1 for the present4 ,try1 when thou hast enjoyed all the things of the world and hast grown old4 ,but ,dhruva was fixed in resolve and he importuned ,narada to teach him how to meditate4 ,narada initiated ,dhruva into the mysteries of the ,mantra ,om ,namo ,bhagavate ,vasudevaya1 told him how to meditate on ,vasudeva and asked him to make ,tapas at ,mathura where ,bhagavan permanently resides4 ,dhruva passed his days in austere asceticism1 standing on one foot and living on air4 ,the prince at last controlled his breath and with deep concentration saw the ,divine ,light in the heart4 ,bhagavan withdrew that ,light from the heart1 and on the break of ,samadhi1 ,dhruva found the same ,divinity outside1 standing before him4 ,words he had none for a time4 ,bhagavan addressing him said3 -- ,o ,thou ,kshatriya boy6 ,i know thy resolve4 ,do thou ever prosper4 ,i give thee a place which is ever bright and where ,nirvana is constant4 ,the planets and stars are all attached to that place4 ,those that live for a ,kalpa will die1 but that place shall never be destroyed4 ,dharma1 ,agni1 ,kasyapa1 ,indra and the seven ,rishis with all the luminaries of the sky are constantly revolving round the place4 ,thou shalt succeed thy father on the throne and reign for #cf1jjj years4 ,thy brother ,uttama shall disappear in a forest4 ,thy stepmother ,suruchi shall die in pursuit of her son4 ,the place where thou shalt finally go is my own abode1 higher than that of the ,rishis1 and there is no return from it4 ,dhruva returned to his parents and was placed by his father on the throne4 ,he married ,bhrami1 the daughter of ,sisumara1 and had two sons by her1 ,kalpa and ,vatsara4 ,he had another son ,utkala by ,ila4 ,uttama was killed by a powerful ,yaksha while out on a hunt4 ,dhruva went out to the north to take revenge on the ,yakshas for his brother's death4 ,he killed several thousands of innocent ,yakshas1 ,rakshasas and ,kinnaras in battle4 ,manu took pity on them and asked his grandson to desist from fight4 ,dhruva bowed in obedience to ,manu and so ,kubera the king of ,yakshas became much pleased with him and blest him too4 ,after thirty six thousand years1 ,sananda and ,nanda1 two companions of ,vishnu came with a chariot and took ,dhruva to the promised abode4 ,utkala was the eldest son of ,dhruva and he was entitled to succeed his father4 ,but he was a sage and had united himself with ,brahma4 ,he declined the throne4 ,bhrami's son ,vatsara became the king4 ,vatsara married ,subithi and had six sons by her1 -- ,pushparna1 ,tigmaketu1 ,isha1 ,urja1 ,vasu and ,jaya4 ,pushparna had two wives1 -- ,pravha and ,dosha4 ,prabha had three sons1 -- ,pratar1 ,madhyandina and ,sayam1 ,dosha had three sons1 -- ,pradosha1 ,nisitha and ,vyushta4 ,vyushta married ,pushkarini4 ,his ,son was ,sarvatejas1 afterwards called ,chakshus4 ,chakshus had one son1 -- ,nadvala ,manu4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,the line of ,uttanapada1 as ,i have said above1 represents the appearance of individual life-forms4 ,limitation had to be put to the life-periods of individuals4 ,we commence with ,dhruva1 who presides over the polar star1 and lives for one ,kalpa4 ,his sons are ,kalpa and ,vatsara4 ,vatsara means year4 ,the sons of ,vatsara are the six seasons4 ,pushparna is the flower season or spring4 ,tigmaketu means fierce-rayed4 ,the word denotes summer season4 ,isha means full of sat and is the name of the month of ,asvina4 ,but it means here the rainy season4 ,urja is the name of the month of ,kartika4 ,it is indicative of autumn4 ,vasu meaning wealth is the season between autumn and winter1 when paddy becomes ripe4 ,prabha is light4 ,dosha is darkness4 ,pratar1 ,madhyandina and ,sayam are morning1 midday and evening1 respectively4 ,pradosha is first part of the night1 ,nisitha is midnight4 ,vyushta is day break4 ,sarva-tejas is all-fire4 ,he was subsequently called ,chakshus or eye4 ,the names other than ,chakshus indicate different capacities of individual life1 ranging from portions of a day to the whole ,kalpa4 ,when the downward flow of ,jivas was the rule1 ,dhruva had to make great sacrifice to remain fixed on the spiritual plane4 ,hence he worshipped ,vishnu1 as directed by ,narada4 ,sarva-tejas or ,chakshus perhaps indicates the appearance of perceptive faculties4 ,the son of ,chakshus is glorified with the title of ,manu4 ,this is significant4 ,he is called ,nadvala1 or one made of reeds4 ,this marks a new era in the progress of ,monads4 ,as the reed is made up of sheaths over-lapping each other1 so the sons of this ,manu were constituted of overlapping principles4 ,why ,nadvala is called ,manu1 has to be found out in the circumstances that attended the progress of the ,monads from the mineral to the vegetable stage4 ,the son of this ,manu was ,anga or the limbs4 ,and ,anga was wedded to the daughter of the death god4 ,so there was no death up to the ,nadvala form of life1 and no limbs4 ,it was something like the appearance of protoplastic matter1 with all its potentialities of evolving life forms4 ,thus we can understand the importance of ,nadvala as a ,manu4 ,death or decay made the inorganic to develop organs or anga4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,prithu4 99,,skandha4 ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #ac-bc499 ,nadvala had twelve sons2 one of them being ,ulmuka 7fire-brand1 torch74 ,he had six sons1 one of them being ,anga or the members of the body4 ,anga married ,sunitha1 the daughter of ,death4 ,the iniquitous ,vena was the son of ,anga4 ,when he became king1 he issued a proclamation prohibiting all worship and sacrifices4 ,the sages strongly remonstrated with him but when he turned a deaf ear to their words1 they killed him with their incantations4 ,the kingdom was now without a ruler and there was great disorder4 ,the ,rishis then churned the thigh of the dead body1 until a dwarfish1 deep black person came out4 ,the ,rishis told him to 'sit down and wait4' ,hence he was called ,nishada4 ,they then churned the two arms1 and a pair arose4 ,this male is an incarnation of ,vishnu1 said the ,rishis1 and this female is an incarnation of ,lakshmi4 ,they shall marry each other4 ,he shall be called ,prithu and his wife1 ,archis4 ,prithu shall be the ,king and he shall preserve all beings4 ,prithu accepted the duty of preserving the people4 ,he saw there was no vegetation on the earth4 ,his subjects suffered from hunger4 ,he thought that the earth had eaten up the seeds and was not bringing forth the plants4 ,in anger ,prithu took up his bow and aimed at the earth4 ,she assumed the form of a cow and began to run away chased by the ,king4 ,but she at last yielded and requested him to spare her life4 ,thou art ,lord of this ,universe1 exclaimed the earth1 ,thou knowest very well that the forms of vegetable life created by ,brahma could not be used in ,yajna so long4 ,i have therefore preserved them within myself4 ,if ,i had not done so1 they would have been destroyed long ago and no ,yajna could be performed in future4 ,true1 they are now rotting in me4 ,but think about the best means to bring them out4 ,find out a calf1 a milk-pot and a milker4 ,i will secrete all desired objects as my milk4 ,but first of all make my surface flat and level4 ,prithu rejoiced at these words4 ,he made ,svayambhuva ,manu the calf and milked all vegetables into his own hands4 ,others followed him4 ,the ,rishis made ,vrihaspati their calf and drew out the ,vedas into their ,indriyas4 ,the ,devas made ,indra their calf and milked out into their golden pot ,amrita and energy of body1 of mind and of the ,indriyas4 ,the ,daityas and ,danavas made ,prahlada their calf and milked out wine into their iron pot4 ,the ,gandharvas and ,apsaras made ,visvavasu their calf and milked out into their lotus vessel1 fragrance1 beauty and sweet words4 ,the ,pitris made ,aryaman their calf and extracted into their unburnt earth vessel the ,kavya offerings4 ,the ,siddhas made ,kapila their calf and milked out the ,siddhis 7animan c74 7,and so other instances are given74 ,prithu was so glad that he called earth his daughter and hence she is called ,prithivi or the daughter of ,prithu4 ,the ,king also crushed the mountains and made the earth's surface level4 ,prithu then commenced a series of ,asvamedha ,yajnas4 ,during the performance of the hundredth1 ,indra twice stole away the sacrificial horse1 but ,prithu's son restored it on both the occasions4 ,the performer of one hundred ,asvamedha sacrifices becomes an ,indra4 ,this was the cause of ,indra's fear4 ,prithu could not bear the disgraceful conduct of ,indra and he resolved to kill him4 ,the ,rishis dissuaded him and even ,brahma and ,vishnu appeared to soothe the offended ,king and restore his friendship with ,indra4 ,vishnu explained to ,prithu that he had enough to do as a king of the earth and as a preserver of the people and that he should not aspire to become ,indra1 who had his duties as well4 ,sometime after1 the ,sanat ,kumar brothers appeared before the ,king and taught him the way to ,mukti4 ,he made over the kingdom to his son ,vijitasva and retired into the forest4 ,at last he gave up the body and went to ,vaikuntha4 ,,thought ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,we left the ,monad in its protoplasmic state4 ,the protoplasmic mass began to spread out limbs 7,anga74 ,but the development of limbs was not an unmixed blessing1 for ,anga became wedded to the daughter of ,death4 ,there was no death in the protoplasm4 ,the offspring of the first connexion with death was ,vena4 ,the root ven means to move4 ,the first moving protoplasmic mass had too much of unruliness in it1 and it was not therefore fitted for yajna or evolution4 ,it had to be brought under the law and the black element was churned out4 ,that black element of ,tamas had to wait till the time of the great dissolution4 ,vishnu had to incarnate at this stage as ,prithu to suffuse the material mass with satva and thereby make it conscious4 ,the course of evolution received a great impetus4 ,the ,monad had passed through elemental and mineral stages4 ,organic life had already appeared4 ,matter had passed through the grossness and immobility of ,tamas and the irregular1 impulsive and purposeless movements of ,rajas1 till it became permeated with ,satva1 when those movements assumed the regularity of conscious acts4 ,the consciousness of ,satva made the future evolution or yajna teem with big possibilities4 ,earth could no longer keep back the seeds of the vegetable creation in her bosom4 ,her surface became levelled and she looked green with vegetation4 ,she brought forth all her latent life-energies and life-evolution commenced in right earnest under the guidance of the first ,king energised by ,vishnu for the preservation of the universe4 ,but that ,king was not to exceed the proper bounds4 ,he was not to usurp the functions of ,indra4 ,the ,devas are the executive officers of the ,rishis in the cyclic administration of the universe and their work is more on cyclic than on individual lines4 ,the kings however as representing ,manu have to deal directly with ,monads and ,egos and have to guide them according to the light of the ,rishis4 ,prithu was asked by ,vishnu to keep himself within the bounds of kingly duties4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,prachina ,,barhis ,,or ,,barhishad4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap1 #bd499 ,the eldest son of ,prithu was ,vijitasva4 ,he was so called for having restored the sacrificial horse stolen by ,indra4 ,indra taught him the art of becoming invisible4 ,hence he was also called ,antardhana4 ,he had four brothers -- ,havyaksha1 ,dhumrakesha1 ,vrika and ,dravinas4 ,to them he gave the east1 the south1 the west and the north respectively4 ,by his wife ,sikhandini1 ,vijitasva had three sons -- ,pavaka1 ,pavamana1 and ,suchi4 ,these fire-gods descended by the curse of ,vasishtha but the descent was only temporary4 ,antardhana had by his other wife ,nabhasvati one son1 ,havirdhana4 ,havirdhana had six sons -- ,barhishad1 ,gaya1 ,sukla1 ,krishna1 ,satya and ,jitavrata4 ,of these1 ,barhishad was a great votary of ,kriya1 7action7 and he constantly performed ,yajnas4 ,even while he was performing one ,yajna1 the place for another was preparing close by4 ,hence he was called ,prachina-,barhis4 ,king ,prachina-,barhis married ,satadruti1 the daughter of the ,ocean-god4 ,and he had by her ten sons1 all of whom were called ,prachetas4 ,the ,king ordered his sons to enlarge the creation4 ,they went out to make ,tapas for one thousand years4 ,narada came to the ,king and told him that the way to ,mukti was not through ,kriya ,kanda4 ,by4 performing sacrifices he was only acquiring new karma4 ,the only way to attain liberation was to know oneself4 ,the ,rishi illustrated his teachings by the famous allegory of ,puranjana4 ,the ,king heard the story and its explanation from ,narada4 ,he did not wait for the return of his sons4 ,but he called his ministers together and delivered to them his mandate that his sons were to succeed him on the throne4 ,he went to the ,asrama of ,kapila for ,tapas and attained liberation4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,allegory ,,of ,,puranjana4 99,,skandha ,,iv4 ,,chap4 #be-bi499 ,there was a king called ,puranjana4 ,he had a friend1 but the king knew not his name nor his doings4 ,puranjana went in search of a place to live in4 ,he went about on all sides1 but found no suitable abode4 ,at last while roaming south of the ,himalayas1 he found one ,puri 7town7 in ,bharata ,varsha 7,india71 ,the marks were all favourable4 ,there were nine gateways4 ,in one of the gardens he found a most beautiful young lady4 ,she had ten attendants4 ,each of them had hundreds of wives4 ,one five-headed serpent was the warder of the town and he constantly guarded his mistress4 ,the lady was on the look out for one to be her lord4 ,puranjana broke forth into words of love1 and asked who she was4 ,o thou greatest of men6 exclaimed the lady1 ,i know not who ,i am or who thou art4 ,nor do ,i know who made us both4 ,this only ,i know1 that ,i now exist4 ,i do not know even who made this town for me4 ,these are my companions male and female4 ,this serpent guards the town1 even when we are all asleep4 ,luckily hast thou come here4 ,i shall try with all my companions to bring to thee all objects of desire4 ,be thou the lord of this ,puri for one hundred years4 ,and accept all enjoyments brought by me4 ,puranjana entered the ,puri and lived in enjoyment there for one hundred years4 ,of the nine gateways1 seven were upper and two lower -- five on the east 7,purva1 which also means front71 one on the south 7,dakshina71 one on the north 7,uttara7 and two on the west 7,paschima74 ,two of them ,khadyota and ,avirmukhi were close to each other and ,puranjana used them whenever he would go out to see ,vibhrajita in the company of ,dyumat4 ,nalini and ,nalini were also two passages built together4 ,puranjana used them with the help of ,avadhuta in order to repair to ,saurabha4 ,the ,mukhya passage was used for ,apana and ,bahudana4 ,through the southern passage ,pitrihu1 ,puranjana went with ,srutadhara to ,dakshina ,panchala and through the northern passage ,devahu1 to ,uttara ,panchala4 ,through the western passage called ,asuri1 ,puranjana went with ,durmada to ,gramaka4 ,the other western passage was called ,nir-riti1 ,through that passage ,puranjana went with ,lubdhaka to ,vais-asa4 ,there were two blind gates i4e4 without opening1 viz3 -- ,nirvak and ,pesaskrita4 ,puranjana used them for motion and action4 ,he went inside the town with ,vishuchina4 ,there he experienced ,moha 7delusion71 ,prasada 7contentment7 and ,harsha 7joy71 caused by his wife and daughters4 ,puranjana became thus attached to ,karma4 ,he slavishly followed whatever the ,queen did4 ,if she heard1 the ,king heard4 ,if she smelt1 the ,king smelt4 ,if she rejoiced1 the ,king rejoiced4 ,if she wept1 the ,king wept4 ,puranjana merged his self entirely in that of his wife4 ,once upon a time1 the ,king went out hunting into the forest ,panchaprastha1 ,his chariot had five swift going horses1 two poles1 two wheels1 two axles1 three flags1 five chains1 one bridle1 one charioteer1 one seat for the charioteer1 two yoke ends1 seven fenders1 and five courses4 ,he had a golden armour and an endless supply of arrows4 ,brihadbala was the commander of his forces4 ,the ,king forgot his wife for the time being in the chase of deer4 ,but he got tired and returned home4 ,the ,queen would not speak to him in feigned anger4 ,the ,king appeased her with gentle and flattering words of love4 ,so passed the days in utter delusion4 ,the ,king had #aajj sons and #aaj daughters4 ,he gave them in marriage to duly qualified persons4 ,puranjana's sons had #ajj sons each4 ,the kingdom of ,panchala became filled with the progeny of ,puranjana4 ,the ,king performed sacrifices for the welfare of his children and killed animals for the purpose4 ,chandavega1 a ,gandharva king1 had a strong force of #cfj white ,gandharvas4 ,each of them had one black wife4 ,by turns these ,gandharvas robbed the town of ,puranjana4 ,the serpent-warder could not fight long against such odds1 it lost strength day by day4 ,the ,king and all the citizens became extremely anxious4 ,there was a daughter of ,kala who went about the world for a husband4 ,but no one received her for a wife4 ,she went to ,narada and on the refusal of the sage cursed him to become a wanderer for ever4 ,she was referred however by ,narada to ,fear1 the ,king of ,yavanas4 ,king ,fear would not accept her for his wife4 ,but he addressed her as his sister and assured her that she would enjoy all beings on earth1 if only she attacked them unnoticed4 ,his ,yavana troops would always accompany her as well as his brother ,prajvara4 ,the ,yavana troops of ,king ,fear under ,prajvara and the daughter of ,kala attacked the ,puri of ,puranjana4 ,the old serpent gave way4 ,the ,puri was burnt up by ,prajvara4 ,there was wailing all round4 ,the ,serpent left the ,puri4 ,puranjana was dragged out of it4 ,the sufferings he had caused to others in sacrifices or otherwise reacted upon him4 ,long he suffered forgetting even his old friends4 ,his mind had been tainted by the constant company of women and he had thought of his wife till the last moment4 ,so he became a female in the next birth4 ,she was born as the daughter of the ,vidarbha king4 ,malayadhvaja1 ,king of ,pandya1 defeated other princes in the fight for her hand and the princess became his wife4 ,she bore to the ,king one black-eyed daughter and seven sons4 ,the sons became kings of ,dravida and each of them had millions of sons1 ,agastya married the daughter of the ,king1 and had by her a son called ,dridhachyta4 ,his son was ,idhmavaha4 ,king ,malayadhvaja divided the kingdom amongst his sons2 and ascended the hills for devotional meditation4 ,his wife accompanied him4 ,one day the princess found the body of her husband cold in death4 ,with loud lamentations1 she prepared the funeral pyre1 placed the ,king's body upon it and put fire thereon4 ,she then resolved to burn herself on the same pyre4 ,the former friend now appeared4 ,addressing the ,queen he said3 -- ,who art thou8 ,who is he lying on the funeral pyre that thou mournest aloud8 ,dost thou know me1 thy friend1 thy former companion8 ,dost thou remember even so much that thou hadst a friend1 whom thou canst not recognise8 ,thou didst leave me in search of some earthly abode and enjoyment4 ,we were two ,hansas 7swans7 on the ,manasa ,loka and we lived together for one thousand years4 ,desirous of worldly enjoyments thou didst leave me for the earth and there didst find a town with a woman as its mistress4 ,the company of that woman spoiled thy vision and effaced thy memory4 ,hence thou hast attained this state4 ,thou art not the daughter of the ,vidarbha ,king1 nor is this ,king thy husband4 ,nor wast thou the husband of ,puranjana4 ,by my maya thou misconceivest thyself as a man or a woman4 ,but in reality both myself and thyself are ,hansas4 ,wise men find no difference between us4 ,if there is any difference between a man and his image1 that is the difference between me and thyself4 ,the other ,hansa now regained his lost consciousness and was reawakened to his former state4 ,this is the story of ,puranjana4 ,now its explanation by ,narada3 -- ,puranjana is ,purusha -- he who illumines the ,pura with consciousness4 ,the unknown friend is ,ishvara4 ,the ,pura or ,puri or town is the human body4 ,the marks were all favourable -- there were no deformities in the body4 ,the nine gateways are the nine openings of the body4 ,the young lady ,puranjani is ,buddhi4 ,she is the mistress of the body4 ,the ten male attendants are the five jnanendriyas or organs of perception and the five karmendriyas or organs of action4 ,the wives of the attendants are the functions of the ,indriyas4 ,the five-headed serpent is ,prana4 ,the five heads are its five sub-divisions4 ,one hundred years is the full term of man's life4 ,khadyota1 literally glow-worm1 is the left eye1 for1 it has not the illumining capacity of the right eye4 ,avirmukhi or the great illuminator is the right eye4 ,vibhrajita is ,rupa or object of sight4 ,dyumat is the perceiving eye4 ,nalini and ,nalini are the left and right nostrils respectively4 ,avadhuta is ,vayu4 ,in the story1 it means the perceiving nose4 ,saurabha is ,gandha or smell4 ,mukhya is mouth4 ,apana is speech4 ,bahudana is eating4 ,panchala is ,pancha 7five7 ala 7capable7 that which is capable of bringing to light such of the five objects of the senses1 as cannot be otherwise cognised2 ,sastra or spiritual teachings4 ,the right ear is stronger than the left ear4 ,therefore it is more prominent and useful in hearing the ,sastras1 of which the first to be heard is ,karma ,kanda4 ,a man by the observance of ,karma ,kanda is called to the ,pitris1 i4e4 he reaches1 after death1 the path called ,pitriyana4 ,pitrihu is therefore the right ear4 ,devahu is the left ear corresponding to ,devayana4 ,uttara ,panchala is ,pravritti ,sastra or teachings of worldliness4 ,dakshina ,panchal is ,nivritti ,sastra or teachings of renunciation4 ,nirriti is death4 ,the anus is called death1 because ordinarily the ,linga ,sarira goes out through that passage after death4 ,lubdhak is ,payu4 ,vaisasa is excrement4 ,nirvak is foot4 ,pesaskrita is hand4 ,of the ,indriyas1 hand and foot are blind1 as there are no openings in them4 ,vishuchina is mind4 ,moha is the result of ,tamas1 ,prasada of ,satva and ,harsha of ,rajas4 ,the aforesaid names indicate enjoyment in the ,jagrat or waking state4 ,the hunting represents enjoyment in the ,svapna or dream state4 ,the ,chariot is the body in dream consciousness4 ,the five horses are the five organs of perception4 ,the two poles are ,i-ness and ,mine-ness4 ,the two wheels are merit and demerit4 ,the axle is ,pradhana4 ,the three flags are the three ,gunas4 ,the five chains are the five ,pranas4 ,the bridle is ,manas the seat of desires4 ,the charioteer is ,buddhi4 ,the yoke-ends are sorrow and delusion4 ,the seven fenders are the seven ,dhatus or essential ingredients of the body4 ,the five courses are the five organs of action4 ,the gold color of the armour is due to ,rajas4 ,brihadbala is the even perceiving mind4 ,the sons are the transformations of perception4 ,the daughters are the concepts following such transformations4 ,chandavega1 the ,gandharva king1 is the year1 every year of human life4 ,the ,gandharvas are days4 ,their wives are nights4 ,the #cfj ,gandharvas are the #cfj days of the year4 ,with their wives or nights they form the number #gbj4 ,the daughter of ,kala is ,jara or decrepitude4 ,the ,yavanas are diseases or infirmities4 ,fear is the ,king of all diseases and infirmities viz41 ,death4 ,prajvara is destructive fever4 ,as long as ,purusha does not know his real self1 but identifies himself with the ,gunas of ,prakriti1 he becomes subject to births and deaths4 ,the only remedy for this malady is pure devotion to ,guru and to ,bhagavan4 ,by such devotion1 dispassion and wisdom are both acquired4 ,darbha is ,kusa grass1 symbolical of ,yajna4 ,vidarbha is pure land4 ,malaya or the ,deccan is famous for ,vishnu worship4 ,malayadhvaja is therefore a ,vaishnava king4 ,it appears that ,vaishnavism had its rise and growth in the ,south of ,india before it overspread ,northern ,india4 ,this would be natural considering the hold of ,vedic ,brahmanism in ,northern ,india4 ,the daughter of ,malayadhvaja is ,devotion4 ,the seven sons are the seven divisions of ,bhakti1 viz4 -- #a7 ,sravana or hearing the glory of ,vishnu1 #b7 ,kirtana or reciting the glory of ,vishnu1 #c7 ,smarana or constant remembrance of ,vishnu1 #d7 ,padasevana or shewing respect to ,vishnu1 #e7 ,archana or worship of ,vishnu1 #f7 ,bandana or adoration of ,vishnu1 #g7 ,dasya or consecration of one self to the service of ,vishnu4 ,the other two divisions1 ,saukhya or companionship with ,vishnu and ,atma nivedana or complete resignation are not mentioned in this connection as they relate to a highly advanced spiritual state4 ,these modes of ,bhakti worship are prevalent in ,dravida4 ,the millions of sons are sub-divisions of ,sravana1 c4 ,agastya is mind4 ,dridhachyuta is one confirmed in dispassion4 ,idhmavaha is one who goes to ,guru1 fuel in hand1 for instructions4 ,isvara1 the unknown friend1 called ,himself and the ,purusha two ,kansas of the ,manasa ,lake4 ,hansa is one absolutely pure4 ,manasa ,lake is the ,heart4 ,for one thousand years -- ,both ,jiva and ,isvara remained together as friends1 the same in essence and in form1 during the one thousand years of ,maha ,pralaya1 at the end of a ,kaipa4 ,during ,manvantaric ,manifestation1 the ,jiva parts from his ,friend ,isvara and launches into a wild course of enjoyments1 of joys and sorrows4 ,the touch of that fascinating lady ,buddhi destroys all previous remembrances and the ,jiva plays several characters in the drama of life1 in dream and delusion4 ,narada concluded his explanation of the allegory with this eloquent exhortation3 -- ,know thou1 ,o ,king1 the deer1 skipping in the flower-garden1 in company with its sweet-heart1 deeply attached to the sweets of that garden1 devouring with eager ears the humming music of bhramaras1 little caring for the wolves on its way or for the arrows of the huntsman that pierce its back4 ,the flowers are but women who bloom only to droop4 ,the fragrance and honey1 the sweets of the garden1 are the enjoyments brought on by the karma of another birth4 ,the music of bhramaras is the pleasing conversation of women and others4 ,the wolves are the days and nights4 ,the huntsman who stealthily flings arrows at the deer is ,death4 ,the deer is thy own self4 ,consider ,well the efforts of the deer4 ,concentrate chitta into the heart and all perceptions into chitta4 ,give up the company of woman4 ,turn a deaf ear to all idle talks4 ,be devoted to that one true ,friend of ,jivas -- ,isvara4 ,retire1 retire from all others4 ,king ,prachina ,barhis wondered why such beautiful teachings were with held by his teachers4 ,or forsooth1 they knew not themselves4 ,he requested ,narada however to remove two doubts that were still lurking in his mind4 -- ,purusha acquires karma in one body1 but he reaps the fruits of that karma in another body4 ,one body is the doer while another is the enjoyer and sufferer4 ,to one body1 the fruits of its own work are lost4 ,to another body1 there is an acquisition of fruits it did not sow4 ,how can this be8 ,this was the first doubt4 ,what is done is done4 ,nothing apparently remains of our karma4 ,how can then the sequences be accounted for8 ,this was the second doubt4 ,narada replies3 -- ,purusha reaps the fruits in that very body without break in which it acquires karma1 but that body is the ,linga ,sarira1 inclusive of ,manas4 ,as in dream man works out the impressions of the wakeful state without changing the body1 so he enjoys the fruits of karma created in one birth in the ,karma-made body of another birth4 ,and the doer of ,karma is verily the ,manas and not the ,sthula body4 ,these are mine1 ,i am so and so1 only such concepts of the mind produce re-birth1 and not anything in the ,sthula body4 ,so the mind sows and the mind reaps4 ,the body is merely the vehicle of birth producing thoughts4 ,this is in answer to the first question4 ,now to the second4 ,how do you know there is chitta or mind8 ,all the senses are at one and the same time in contact with the objects of all the senses4 ,but still you perceive only one thing at a time4 ,hence you infer the existence of the mind4 ,similarly by marking the tendencies of the mind their connection with a former birth is inferred4 ,otherwise why should there be one mental affection at a time and not another8 ,then1 in this life you never realise a thing which you never heard or saw or felt before4 ,how can the mind then reproduce matters you never experienced before8 ,the mind by its present characteristics gives an insight into the past as well as into the future4 ,it sometimes happens that things are perceived in the mind with strange combinations in time1 space and action1 as in dream4 ,but men are endowed with mind and the mind perceives one after another the objects of the senses in an enormous variety1 and the perceptions are lost again4 ,so 7in the long run7 not one experience is altogether strange4 7,for instance1 a man sees in dream that he is a king4 ,he must have been a king in some birth or other4 ,the present combination in the dream is untrue but not so the kingly experience4 ,the experience is always true with reference to some time1 some space1 some action or other74 ,when the mind is intensely ,satvic 7calm1 pure and transparent7 and becomes constantly devoted to ,bhagavan1 the whole universe is reflected on it4 ,in ,jiva there is never a break in the egoistic experience as long as the ,linga ,sarira continues4 ,there is only a seeming break in sleep1 swoon and-deep distress such as death and fatal illness1 but such break is due to a collapse of the perceiving senses4 ,there is similarly a break in the foetal stage and in extreme childhood4 ,but such break is due to imperfection of the senses2 ,the moon though not visible on the new moon night does still exist4 ,the connection with gross objects does not cease because there is a temporary absence of such objects4 ,for1 are not thoughts about objects potent in their effects in dream8 ,the ,linga ,sarira1 consisting in their essence of the five pure elements 7,tanmatra71 subject to the three ,gunas1 extending over the sixteen transformations 7of the ,sankhya category71 permeated with consciousness1 is called ,jiva4 ,it is with this ,ling ,sarira that ,purusha enters into a body or comes out of it1 and it is with this ,sarira that he experiences joy1 sorrow1 fear1 misery and happiness4 ,as the leech has its hold on the first blade of grass till it connects itself with another1 so the ,jiva identifies itself with one body till it enters another4 ,manas only acquires karma by its contemplation of the objects of the senses4 ,the bondage is thus created by ,avidya4 ,therefore do thou meditate on ,hari to free thyself from all worldly attachments and to be fixed in ,him for ever4 ,v4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,prachetas ,,brothers4 99,,skandha ,,iv1 ,,chap4 #cj-ca499 ,the ,prachetas brothers left home in order to discover by ,tapas the best mode of enlarging the creation4 ,they went west-ward and had not gone far when ,siva rose from beneath a large lake and addressed them thus3 -- ,children1 you are sons of ,barhishad1 ,i know your good resolve4 ,blessings be on you4 ,by the performance of one's duty in life1 one attains the state of ,brahma after many births4 ,my abode is still further1 inaccessible even to the virtuous4 ,but the votary of ,vishnu attains ,his holy state1 only when this life is ended4 ,i and the ,devas shall also attain that state after the final break up of our ,linga ,sarira4 ,learn therefore this prayer to ,vishnu4 7,siva then recited the prayer to ,vishnu1 known as ,rudra ,gita74 ,concentrate your mind on this prayer1 meditate on it and recite it constantly4 ,the ,prachetas brothers entered the waters of the deep and there prayed to ,vishnu for a thousand years4 ,vishnu appeared and asked them to chose a boon and without waiting for a reply addressed them thus3 -- ,you are dutiful sons and shall ever be known as such4 ,you shall have a son in no way inferior to ,brahma4 ,all the three ,lokas shall be filled with his progeny4 ,indra had sent ,pramlocha to decoy ,kandu ,rishi in his penances and the ,apsara succeeded in winning the heart of the ,rishi4 ,she had by him one daughter whom she brought forth from her pores as she brushed against the tops of the trees4 ,she left her child there and ascended to heaven4 ,the moon nourished the child by putting his nectar-bearing forefinger into her mouth4 ,have that daughter of the trees for your wife4 ,you are all alike in your virtues and she is like to you all4 ,so she shall be the wife of all the brothers4 ,the brothers then rose up from the waters4 ,they found the earth overgrown with innumerable plants1 so high that they almost reached the high heavens4 ,the ,prachetas brothers were angry to find such growth in plants and they resolved to destroy them4 ,they emitted fire and air from their mouths1 which caused havoc in the vegetable kingdom4 ,brahma came and pacified the sons of ,barhishad4 ,he advised the surviving plants to give their adopted daughter ,marisha in marriage to the ,prachetas brothers4 ,the offspring of this marriage was ,daksha4 ,he is the same as ,prajapati ,daksha1 son of ,brahma4 ,his degradation was owing to his former disregard of ,siva4 ,the ,chakshusa ,manvantara witnessed his work of creation4 ,the ,prachetas brothers reigned for #ajjj ,deva years4 ,they were succeeded by ,daksha4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,consciousness in organic life had appeared with ,prithu4 ,the table of further evolution may be here reproduced for facility of reference4 ,prithu4 ---------------------------------------- ----- ,vijitasva ,haryyaksha ,dhumraksha ,vrika ,dravinas or ,antardhana4 7,east7 7,south7 7,west7 7,north7 m4 ,sikhandini m4 ,nabhasvati4 ,havirdhana -------------------- ,pavaka ,pavamana ,suchi ---------------------------------------- ------- ,barhishad ,gaya ,sukla ,krishna ,satya ,jitavrata alias ,prachina ,barhis m4 ,satadruti4 #aj ,prachetases m4 ,marisha ,daksha4 ,vijitasva could make himself invisible4 ,this may have reference to the state of the body at that stage of evolution4 ,the fires appeared as it is they that give forms4 ,the object corresponding to elemental fire is ,rupa or form4 ,barhishad1 the name of one class of ,pitris1 was the progenitor of the form-producing ,linga ,sarira with all its potentialities4 ,we find the senses developed in his sons the ,prachetas brothers4 ,pra ,means perfect and ,chetas is the perceiving mind4 ,but the mind perceives through the ,indriyas1 which are ten in number4 ,therefore they are ten brothers all alike2 but they are wedded to one girl ,marisha4 ,there is some occult connection between water and sense perception4 ,barhishad was married to the daughter of the ,ocean-god4 ,the ,prachetas brothers remained submerged for a thousand years in the waters4 ,the protozoa and protophytes must of necessity be aquatic1 as it were1 for the development in them of sense perceptions4 ,it is in ,touch that the sense perceptions find a common basis4 ,touch underlies all other perceptions4 ,it is touch of the object by one sense or other that gives rise to one perception or the other4 ,kandu is primarily scratching or itching1 secondarily touch4 ,marisha was nourished by the moon and brought up by the plants4 ,the period refers to the stage of evolution when the vegetables formed the predominant creation4 ,it corresponds somewhat to the geological period of tree-ferns and lycopods in our ,manvantara4 ,the development of sense perceptions is the result of a communion with ,vishnu1 under the auspices of ,rudra4 ,this means a further infusion of ,satva by ,vishnu1 which was made possible by the ,dissolving influence of ,siva4 ,and the son of the ,prachetas brothers is verily ,daksha1 the ,prajapati of procreation1 reincarnated under better auspices for the purpose of extending the creation4 ,so we find the ,trinity acting as three in one in the creative process4 ,with the appearance of ,daksha ,jiva evolution comes to an end in the first ,manvantara4 ,,table ,v4 ,priyavrata ,by ,bathishmati ,by another wife ---------------------------------------- -------------- #aj sons 7,agnidhra1 ,idhmajihva1 ,uttama ,yajnavahu1 ,mahavira1 ,tamasa1 and ,hiranyaretas1 ,ghritapristha1 ,raivata1 the ,savana1 ,medhatithi1 ,vitihotra1 ,manus4 and ,kavi 7 and one daughter 99,urjasvati99 married to ,sukracharyya4 ,agnidhra m4 ,purvachitti ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,nabhi ,kimpurusha ,harivarsha ,ilavrita ,ramyak m4 ,merudevi m4 ,ptatirupa m4 ,ugradanstri m4 ,lata m4 ,ramya ,hiranmaya ,kuru ,bhadrasva ,ketumat m4 ,syama m4 ,nadi m4 ,bhadra m4 ,devaviti ---------------------------------------- ------------_/ ,,rishabha m4 ,jayanti ---------------------------------------- ------------------ ,bharata ,kusavartu ,ilavrita ,brahmavarta ,malaya ,ketu 7,ajanabhavas ,bhadrasena1 ,indrasprik1 ,vidarbha1 ,kikata1 called after him ,kavi1 ,havis1 ,antariksha1 ,prabuddha1 ,bharatavarsha7 ,pippalayana1 ,avirhotra1 ,dravida1 ,chamasa1 m4 ,panchajani ,karabhojana1 and #ha more sons4 ---------------------------------------- ------_/ ---------------------------------------- ------ ,sumati ,rashtrabhrit ,sudarsana ,abharana ,dhumraketu m4 ,vriddhasena ,devatajit m4 ,asuri ,devadyumna m4 ,dhenumati ,paramesthin m4 ,suvarchala ------------------------------- ,pratihartri ,pratistotri ,udgatri m4 ,stuti ------------------------- ,aja ,bhuman m4 ,rishikulya m4 ,devakula ,udgitha ,prastava m4 ,virutsa ,vibhu m4 ,rati ,prithusena m4 ,akriti ,nakta m4 ,riti ,gaya m4 ,gayanti ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,chitraratha ,sugati ,abhirodhana m4 ,urva ,samrat m4 ,utkala ,marichi m4 ,vindumati ,vindumat m4 ,saragha ,madhu m4 ,sumanas ,viravrata m4 ,bhoja ------------------------------ ,manthu ,pramanthu m4 ,satya ,bhauvava ,tvastri m4 ,vitochana ,viraja m4 ,vishuchi -------------------- #ajj sons #a daughter ,,skandha ,v4 ,,table ,v4 ,,priyavrata4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,priyavrata was1 from the beginning1 under the influence of ,narada4 ,so he declined to take part in the rule of the universe2 till at last ,brahma persuaded him not to shirk his assigned work4 ,king ,priyavrata married ,barhishmati1 the daughter of ,visvakarma4 ,by her he had ten sons ,agnidhra c41 all names of ,agni4 ,of these ten1 ,kavi1 ,mahavira and ,savana were spiritually inclined and they became ,parama ,hansas 7,parama ,hansa is one who gives up the world entirely and becomes fixed in ,brahma74 ,priyavrata had by another wife three sons3 ,uttama1 ,tamasa and ,raivata4 ,they all became ,manus4 ,priyavrata reigned for #djj1jjj1jjj years4 ,the ,sun-god ,aditya moves round the ,sumeru ,mount and sends his rays up to the ,loka-loka range1 illumining half the regions while the other half remains dark4 ,king ,priyavrata in the exuberance of spiritual power determined to illuminate the dark regions and to make it all day and no night4 ,he followed the ,sun-god seven times with a chariot as swift and bright as that of the ,sun-god himself even as though he were a second ,aditya4 ,brahma appeared saying ,desist1 ,o ,son1 this is not thy assigned duty in the universe4 ,the ruts caused by the wheel of ,priyavtata's chariot are the seven oceans1 which gave rise to the seven ,dvipas -- ,jambu1 ,plaksha1 ,salmali1 ,kusa ,krauncha1 ,saka and ,pushkara4 ,of these ,dvipas1 each succeeding one is twice as large as the one preceding it4 ,the seven oceans respectively consist of3 #a7 ,kshara 7,salt71 #b7 ,ikshu 7,sugarcane juice71 #c7 ,sura 7wine71 #d7 ,ghrita 7clarified butter71 #e7 ,kshira 7milk71 #f7 ,dadhi 7curd7 and #g7 ,suddha 7pure water74 ,they are like ditches round the ,dvipas and their dimensions are the same as those of the corresponding ,dvipas4 ,king ,priyavrata divided the seven ,dvipas among his seven sons thus3 -- ,to ,agnidhra1 he gave ,jambu ,dvipa4 ,idhmajihva1 ,plaksha ,dvipa4 ,yajnavahu1 ,salmali ,dvipa4 ,hiranyaretas1 ,kusa ,dvipa4 ,ghritapristha1 ,krauncha ,dvipa4 ,medhatithi1 ,saka ,dvipa4 ,vitihotra4 ,pushkar ,dvipa4 ,he gave his daughter ,urjasvati in marriage to ,sukra4 ,the famous ,devayani was their daughter4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #b499 ,king ,agnidhra presided over ,jambu ,dvipa4 ,he saw the ,apsara ,purva-chitti and became love-stricken1 so much so that he became a jada 7,jada is literally fixed1 materialized hence idiotic1 mad47 ,the ,king had by her nine sons ,nabhi1 ,kimpurusha1 ,harivarsha1 ,ilavrita1 ,ramyak1 ,hiranmaya1 ,kuru1 ,bhadrasva and ,ketumala4 ,each of them presided over the ,varsha of his name4 ,they were respectively wedded to the following nine daughters of ,meru1 -- ,merudevi1 ,pratirupa1 ,ugradanstri1 ,lata1 ,ramya1 ,syama1 ,nari1 ,bhadra and ,devaviti4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #d-f499 ,nabhi had for his son ,,rishabha an ,incarnation of ,vishnu4 ,rishabha knew his ,varsha to be the field of ,karma4 ,he married ,jayanti and had by her one hundred sons4 ,the eldest and most qualified of his sons was ,bharata1 ,bharatavarsha is named after him4 ,the chief amongst the remaining ninety-nine sons were ,kusavarta1 ,ilavarta1 ,brahmavarta1 ,malayaketu1 ,bhadrasena1 ,indrasprik1 ,vidarbha and ,kikata4 ,these nine were the immediate successors of ,bharata and were attached to him4 ,following them were ,kavi1 ,hari1 ,antariksha1 ,prabuddha1 ,pippalayana1 ,abirhotra1 ,dravida1 ,chamasa and ,karabhajana4 ,they were devoted to ,bhagavan4 ,their story will be related in the #aath4 ,branch of this ,purana4 ,the younger eighty one sons were devoted to karma and they were great performers of ,yajna4 ,rishabha called his sons together and gave them proper advice4 ,he taught them ,atma ,vidya and revealed to them his own nature as the all pervading ,purusha1 free from ,avidya4 ,this my body is inconceivable4 ,my heart is pure ,satva4 ,all impurities were cast off by me4 ,therefore good people call me ',rishabha' 7primarily a bull1 secondarily the best74 ,you are all born of my heart and so you all are great2 follow your brother ,bharata willingly4 ,by serving him you will do your duty by your subjects4 ,so saying1 he made over the reins of government to ,bharata and himself became a ,parama ,hansa4 ,he took the vow of silence and never spoke again4 ,he looked blind1 dumb and deaf like one obsessed and mad4 ,he went everywhere in this state1 heedless of what others said4 ,people flocked round him wherever he went4 ,at last he thought the rush of people to be an impediment to yoga and took the vow of ,ajagara life 7,ajagara is a huge python that does not move1 but eats whatever comes within reach of its mouth74 ,he remained fixed at one place4 ,the yoga powers 7,sidhis7 sought him but he spurned them all4 ,when he foresaw the end of his prarabdha karma ,rishabha went about at will and travelled in ,kanka1 ,venkata1 ,kutaka and ,south ,karnataka4 ,while in the forest of ,kutaka he thrust some stones into his mouth4 ,at that time the wind blew high and the bamboo tops caught fire and the body of the ,king was consumed4 ,in ,kali ,vuga1 ,king ,arhat of ,kanka1 ,venkata and ,kutaka will hear of the deeds of ,rishabha and in the name of religion will introduce all sorts of sacrilegious practices as sanctioned by ,rishabha's example4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #g499 ,king ,bharata married ,panchajani1 the daughter of ,visva4 ,he had by her five sons -- ,sumati1 ,rashtrabhrit1 ,sudarsana1 ,abharana and ,dhumraketu4 ,this ,varsha was formerly called ,ajanabha4 ,when ,bharata became king1 it was named after him ,bharata ,varsha4 ,king ,bharata performed the ,vedic ,yajnas and made offerings to the ,devas4 ,but he knew the ,devas as manifestations only of ,vasudeva4 ,his mind became pure and filled with ,satva4 ,he lost himself in devotion to ,vasudeva4 ,at last he divided his kingdom amongst his sons and himself went for ,tapas to the hermitage of ,pulaha in the kshetra of ,hari on the ,sacred ,gandaki4 ,he meditated in his heart on the lotus feet of ,bhagavan and became suffused with ecstasy4 ,bharata invoked the golden ,purusha in the rising sun by a special ,rik 7,vedic ,mantra7 and addressed ,him thus1 ,let us attain the spiritual rays of luminous ,savitri that are beyond ,rajas and that are the generators of ,karmic effects4 ,by ,his ,manas ,he created this universe4 ,he preserves the ,jiva again by permeating this universe4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #h499 ,once upon a time king ,bharata had bathed in the ,gandaka and after performing the daily practices was meditating on ,pranava on the river-side4 ,a deer came to drink water at the time4 ,while the animal was quenching her thirst a lion roared not far off and she in terror jumped into the river4 ,as she happened to be big with child1 she was delivered of it at the time4 ,exhausted1 the deer got back to the river side only to die4 ,the new born fawn was being washed away1 having no one to take care of it4 ,bharata took pity on the little fawn4 ,he took it up and brought it to his hermitage4 ,he brought it up as his own child and became deeply attached to it4 ,he constantly thought of the deer-child1 even so much so that when death approached he could not forget it and became re-born in another birth as a deer4 ,but though born as a deer1 ,bharata did not lose the memory of his former birth4 ,he reflected that the mind that had been trained and controlled in the worship of ,vasudeva went astray only for the sake of one deer-child4 ,he left the ,kalanjara hills where he was born as a deer and sought for ,salagram1 sacred with the ,asramas of ,pulastya and ,pulaha4 ,he waited calmly for the exhaustion of ,karma that had given rise to his deer life4 ,he then gave up his body in the sacred waters of the ,gandaka4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #i499 ,a ,brahmana of the line of ,angiras had nine sons by one wife4 ,they were all well versed in the ,vedas1 ,he had one son by another wife and one daughter4 ,this son was said to be an incarnation of ,bharata4 ,he was afraid of sanga 7company71 so much so that he would not even speak to any one for fear of acquiring new ,karma4 ,people took him for an idiot4 ,his father strove hard to teach him the ,vedas but did not succeed4 ,his parents died and his half brothers had charge of him4 ,their wisdom was that of the ,vedas4 ,they had not learned ,atma ,vidya4 ,so they did not understand the nature of ,bharata and neglected him4 ,they gave him poor meals for the day's work in the fields4 ,at one time a thief wanted to propitiate the goddess ,bhadra ,kali by human sacrifice in order that he might be blessed with a child4 ,the victim that was procured somehow untied himself and fled4 ,the attendants searched for him on all sides in vain4 ,they at last fell upon ,bharata who was watching in the fields in a peculiar way4 ,they found him most suited for sacrifice and tied him up and carried him to the altar of ,kali4 ,he was duly consecrated and the priest took up a sharp instrument to cut off his head4 ,kali could no longer remain unconcerned4 ,she rushed forth in rage from out of her image1 wrested the knives from the hands of the thieves and cut off their heads4 ,once upon a time ,rahugana ,king of ,sindhu and ,saubira was travelling in a palanquin4 ,the chief palanquin bearer on reaching the river ,ikshumati went in search of a bearer and on finding ,bharata deemed him to be a god-send4 ,he found his limbs strong and well-built and thought him capable of bearing the palanquin4 ,he forced ,bharata into the service4 ,bharata though quite unfit for this menial work did his utmost4 ,but he was in the habit of looking forward for the distance of an arrow throw and then taking steps in advance1 so that he might not unwarily kill some animal under his feet4 ,he could not therefore keep pace with the other bearers and the palanquin lost its balance4 ,king ,rahugana became angry and reproached the bearers4 ,they complained against the new recruit4 ,the king taunted ,bharata with these words2 ,oh my friend ,i dare say you are tired -- for have you not carried me long and for a long distance too -- and you appear to be thin indeed and weak4 ,are you suffering from decrepitude8 ,are not these your fellow-mates4 ,bharata kept quiet4 ,for these taunting remarks did not touch him4 ,he was crystallised in wisdom and was no longer troubled with the false perceptions of ,i and mine4 ,the palanquin again lost its balance4 ,the king lost his temper and broke forth thus2 ,what is this8 are you alive or dead8 ,do you thus disregard my orders and think of living8 ,you must be a madman1 like the ,death-god ,i will punish your madness and bring you to your senses4 ,king ,rahugana was proud of his learning and his kingship4 ,he was inflated with ,rajas and ,tames4 ,he had therefore no hesitation in reproaching that lord of ,yoga1 ,bharata4 ,bharata smiled and thus replied3 -- ,thy taunts are true1 ,o king6 ,there is no doubt1 ,i am neither tired nor did ,i travel long4 ,for thy weight does not affect me nor have ,i any distance to travel4 ,nor could ,i be called fat4 ,for the body is fat and not ,i4 ,it is by falsely attributing the bodily attributes to self that one is said to have thickness1 leanness1 disease1 hunger thirst1 fear1 enmity1 desire1 sleep1 attachment1 anger1 egotism1 pride and sorrow4 ,but ,i have no such false perception4 ,thou sayest ,i am dead even when alive4 ,but such is the case with all beings for they are all subject to constant transformations4 ,thou chargest me with disregarding the orders of my ,master4 ,but only if the relationship of ,master and servant does really subsist1 might there be command and obedience4 ,but where is that relationship8 ,if thou sayest1 in the ways of the world1 thou art my king momentary though these ways be1 please tell me thy behests4 ,thou callest me a mad man and dost want to punish me and bring me to my senses4 ,but ,i am not mad1 though ,i may look so1 for ,i am fixed in the meditation of ,brahma4 ,but still if thou thinkest me to be a madman it will be useless to punish or to teach a senseless being4 ,so saying ,bharata continued to carry the king4 ,rahugana came down from the palanquin and fell at ,bharata's feet4 ,he expressed regret for having slighted such a sage in disguise and prayed for a fuller explanation of the philosophy involved in his weighty words4 ,this led to an explanation by ,bharata of the ,advaita philosophy from the stand point of the ,puranas1 a denunciation of ,vedic and ,tantric rites1 and an allegorical description of the worldly life as trading in the forest 7the world being the forest and the traders being men in search of wealth74 ,the allegory was explained by ,suka to ,parikshit4 ,the enquiring student is referred to the original for details 7,v4 #aa-ad47 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #ae499 ,we must hurriedly refer to the line of ,bharata4 ,sumati was the son of ,bharata4 ,ill guided men in the ,kali ,yuga will call him a ,god4 ,in his line ,pratiha was master of ,atma ,vidya4 ,coming lower down by far the most renowned king in the line of ,bharata was ,gaya ,viraja was also well known4 ,of the hundred sons of ,viraja1 the eldest was ,satajit or the ,conqueror of the hundred4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,line ,,of ,,priya ,,vrata4 ,priya ,vrata means literally one of welcome 7,priya7 deeds 7,vrata74 ,priya ,vrata1 was under the influence of ,narada from the beginning and he declined to go along the ,descending path or ,pravritti ,marga4 ,he was wedded to the daughter of ,vishva ,karma4 ,vishva ,karma is the cosmic manufacturer4 ,the work of this ,prajapati extends over the whole of ,triloki and he is the architect of all systems and chains included in the ,triloki -- ,priya ,vrata1 as we shall see later on1 represents the earth chain only or the system known as ,bhur4 ,what we generally call the ,solar system is a misnomer4 ,for the sun stands between ,bhur ,loka and ,svar ,loka and illumines both the ,lokas with its rays4 ,the ,solar ,system is therefore properly speaking the whole of the ,triloki4 ,in speaking of ,priya ,vrata1 therefore1 the ,bhagavata restricts itself to the regions illumined by the sun as well as by the moon 7,v-#ae-;,i47 ,we shall enter into a detailed description of the whole system in the next chapter4 ,let us take here a passing glance of the line of ,priya ,vrata4 ,we take ,priya ,vrata to be the ,earth chain complete in itself or rather the progenitor of the ,earth chain4 ,meru or ,sumeru is the axis of ,bhur ,loka1 its highest point being the highest point of ,bhur ,loka4 ,the sun god revolves round this central axis4 ,the ,earth-god ,priyavrata also revolved round ,meru i4e4 the ,earth rotated round its own axis at a very rapid rate for some time during its infancy4 ,the rotation of the ,earth was followed by the separation of layers4 ,the part most removed from the centre was first affected4 ,in this way seven distinct layers were formed4 ,the layer towards the circumference was the most spiritual4 ,that towards the centre was the most material4 ,the reason of this is to be found in the action of the three ,gunas and ,tamas4 ,satva is3 on the material plane1 light1 transparent1 with upward motion4 ,on the mental plane1 buoyant and cheerful1 with true perception1 spiritual4 ,rajas is3 on the material plane1 constantly moving1 translucent1 with motion on the same plane1 without levity or gravity4 ,on the mental plane1 constantly active1 partly joyful1 partly sorrowful1 with partially true and partially false perception1 intellectual4 ,tamas is3 on the material plane1 heavy1 opaque1 with downward motion4 ,on the mental plane indolent1 melancholy1 nonperceptive or dull4 ,the centripetal force is the action of ,tamas and is connected with materiality4 ,the centrifugal force is the action of ,satva and is connected with spirituality4 ,of the seven ,dvipas1 the central is the ,jambudvipa1 which is the most material4 ,the one farthest from the centre is the ,pushkara ,dvipa4 ,the spaces intervening between the layers or ,dvipas are the seven oceans4 ,they partake of the characteristics of the ,dvipas1 which they respectively surround4 ,thus the salt ocean surrounding the ,jambu ,dvipa is the most material4 ,the materiality is indicated by the word salt1 which implies gross matter4 ,priyavrata1 it is said1 went seven times round ,meru1 and at the time of each rotation1 one ocean and its corresponding ,dvipa were formed4 ,but when the ,dvipas and the oceans were all formed that particular motion of the whole system was lost4 ,since then days and nights are solely caused by the motion of the sun round ,meru along the ,manasottara range4 ,the seven ,dvipas may be the ,globes ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 ,d1 ,e1 ,f1 and ,g of ,theosophical literature4 ,the rulers of these seven ,globes are seven sons of ,priyavrata1 named after ,agni or ,fire4 ,agni is here the form-giving ,energy of each ,globe4 ,of the ten sons of ,priyavrata1 seven only became ,rulers of the ,globes1 but the other three ,kavi1 ,mahavira and ,savana1 had nothing to do with the creative process4 ,they are highly spiritual entities beyond the plane of the seven ,globes4 ,the daughter of ,priyavrata was ,urjasvati4 ,the word means full of ,energy4 ,she was wedded to ,sukra1 the presiding god of the planet ,venus4 ,her daughter is the renowned ,devayani1 who was married to ,king ,yayati4 ,she stands for ,devayana1 the ,radiant ,path of the ,upanishads1 which transcends the ,triloki4 ,of the sons of ,priyavrata1 we of ,jambu ,dvipa or ,globe ,d are directly concerned with ,agnidhra1 who presided over its earliest destinies4 ,the ,bhagavata does not relate the genealogy of the other sons as at present we have nothing to do with the life-evolution on these globes4 ,the process of materialisation is indicated by the ,jada state of ,agnidhra on seeing the ,apsaras ,purvachitti4 ,the sons of ,agnidhra are the nine ,varshas or ,continents4 ,we shall learn the details of these ,varshas subsequently4 ,of these ,varshas again1 we are directly concerned with ,nabhi4 ,the word ,nabhi means navel1 which is at the centre of the body4 ,the ,nabhi ,varsha is the pivot on which the other ,varshas hang4 ,the ,nabhi ,varsha is what we know as our ,earth4 ,the nine ,varshas are also placed layer over layer1 as the ,dvipas are4 ,when ,nabhi underwent further transformation1 ,rishabha became his son4 ,in ,rishabha1 we come to a turning point4 ,he is said to be an ,incarnation of ,vishnu4 ,the word ,rishabha means bull4 ,but that meaning does not give us any help in understanding ,rishabha and his work4 ,priyavrata moved rapidly round ,meru1 till the globes were formed4 ,this is in accordance with the ,nebulous theory of ,laplace4 ,when the globes were formed1 the ,earth became denser4 ,as the density increased1 the movement of the ,earth became irregular1 till at last1 the planet became fixed4 ,this is not the western idea4 ,the ,pauranic idea is that the sun moves round the ,earth1 and the ,earth remains fixed in its position4 ,the story of ,priyavrata's line is based upon this idea4 ,another idea of the ancients was that the planets had speech1 till they became solidified4 ,rishabha took upon himself the vow of silence4 ,his son ,bharata became speechless as a deer4 ,it was necessary to put a limit to the materiality of the ,earth4 ,the hard crust that formed the shell of the planet could not be allowed to affect its heart4 ,the ,earth was not to lose all spirituality4 ,therefore ,vishnu incarnated in ,rishabha so that spirituality might be stored in our planets1 for the evolution of those ,jivas that dwelt over it4 ,look at a ,parama ,hansa2 the ascetic that neither speaks nor moves4 ,judging from outside1 he is no better than a mute animal1 but he is all spirituality within4 ,such is the nature of our mother ,earth4 ,the thrusting of stones into the mouth of ,rishabha is suggestive4 ,the sons of ,rishabha are the countries of our ,earth4 ,of these ,bharata 7,india7 was the first-born4 ,the spiritual character of this holy land is shewn by the story of ,bharata4 ,bharata was obeyed and imitated by nine brothers1 of whom ,brahma-varta is well-known as described by ,manu4 ,malaya is ,malabar4 ,vidarbha is ,berar and ,kikata is ,bihar4 ,the sons of ,rishabha very likely include all the countries of the ,earth4 ,rishabha called his sons and asked them to follow ,bharata4 ,will other lands now follow that advice8 ,,the ,,earth ,,chain1 ,,bhuvana ,,kosha4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #af499 ,said ,parikshit3 -- ,thou hast given the bare outline of these regions of the universe which are lighted by the sun and where the moon and the luminous starry host are also seen4 ,thou hast hereby mentioned the seven oceans and the seven ,dvipas1 but thou hast not given the details thereof4 ,suka replied3 -- ,imagine the ,bhu-mandala or the ,earth chain to be the pericarp of a lotus4 ,imagine there are seven sheaths immersed in it -- the seven ,dvipas4 ,the central sheath is ,jambu ,dvipa4 ,it is ,niyut ,yojanas in area 7,niyut #a1jjj1jjj ,but ,sridhara ,svami here explains ,niyuta as meaning one laksha or #ajj1jjj4 ,so according to ,sridhara the area of ,jambu ,dvipa is #hjj1jjj miles74 ,jambu ,dvipa is round like the lotus leaf4 ,there are nine ,varshas in ,jambu ,dvipa1 each nine thousand ,yojanas in area completely divided by eight mountain ranges4 7,bhadrasva and ,ketumala form exceptions1 for they extend over #cd1jjj ,yojanas4 ,some take nine thousand ,yojanas to be the expanse between the ,nila and ,nishadha ranges4 ,the ,vayu ,purana describes the position thus3 -- ,two ,varshas are situated like two bows north and south4 ,four are placed longways4 ,ilavrita is as it were with four petals4 ,sridhara4 ,this gives #g x #ijjj #cdjjj #igjjj74 ,,ilavrita ,,is ,,the ,,central ,,varsha4 ,sumeru is situated in the navel of this ,varsha4 ,this king of mountains is gold all through4 ,it is a laksha ,yojanas high4 ,if the ,earth chain be taken to be a lotus1 this ,meru is its pericarp4 ,it is #cb1jjj ,yojanas as the top and #af1jjj ,yojanas at the foot and #af1jjj ,yojanas under the ground4 7,by saying #afjjj ,yojanas at the foot1 #hdjjj ,yojanas are left out4 ,thus the ,vishnu ,purana says -- the ,meru is #hdjjj ,yojanas over the ground and #afjjj under the ground1 at the top #cbjjj and at the foot #afjjj4 ,sridhara4 #afjjj #hdjjjajjjjj74 ,on the north of ,ilavrita are the three mountain ranges ,nila1 ,sveta and ,sringavan in order4 ,they are respectively the boundary ranges of ,ramayak1 ,hiranmaya and ,kuru4 ,they spread east and west up to the salt ocean4 ,they are two thousand ,yojanas wide4 ,in length1 each succeeding one is a little over one tenth part shorter than the preceding one4 7,there is no difference in height and in width4 ,sridhara74 ,so on the south of ,ilavrita are the three ranges ,nishadha1 ,hemakuta and ,himalaya spreading east and west like the preceding ones4 ,they are #aj1jjj ,yojanas in height4 ,they are the boundary ranges respectively of ,harivarsha1 ,kinpurusha and ,bharata4 7,this -- #aj1jjj ,yojanas -- is also the height of ,nila1 ,sveta and ,sringavna4 ,the width of these ranges again is that of ,nila1 and others4 ,by ,bharata we are to understand ,nabhi4 ,on the west of ,ilavrita is the ,malyavat range and on the east lies the ,gandha ,madana range1 ,these ranges extend north up to the ,nila range and on the south up to the ,nishadha range4 ,they are two thousand ,yojanas wide4 ,they are the boundary ranges of ,ketumala and ,bhadrasva respectively4 7,east and west there is the ,meru surrounded by ,ilavrita1 then there are the two ranges ,malyavat and ,gandha ,madana1 and the two varshas ,bhadrasva and ,ketumala and nothing besides74 ,north and south1 there is the ,meru then ,ilavrita1 #f mountain ranges and #f ,varshas1 #c on each side and nothing else4 ,where do you then get a laksha of ,yojanas8 ,it is said3 -- ,meru has a diameter of #af1jjj4 ,ilavrita has #ah1jjj4 ,the #f ,varshas have #f x #i1jjj #ed1jjj4 ,the #f mountain ranges have together a width of #f x #b1jjj #ab1jjj4 ,thus north and south1 we have #af1jjj #ah1jjj #ed1jjj #ab1jjj #ajj1jjj4 ,east and west we have #cdjjj 7#ijjj #afjjj #ijjj7 across ,meru and ,ilavrita and the two mountain ranges #b x #bjjj #djjj4 ,the expanse of the two ,varshas up to the ocean side is #fbjjj4 ,this gives us #cdjjj #djjj #fbjjj #ajj1jjj4 ,thus there is no conflict4 ,sridhara4 ,this discussion of ,sridhara throws immense light on the text4 ,we find that the area is measured by the diameter4 ,we find that #afjjj is the diameter of ,meru at the foot4 ,we find that ,ilavrita has #ijjj from ,meru to ,nila and #ijjj from ,meru to ,nishadha4 ,we understand also why ,bhadrasva and ,ketumala were said to be exceptions1 their expanse being #cd1jjj4 ,a diagram will now best illustrate what we say4 ,illustration3 ,a diagram of ,jambu-,dvipa4 ,bharata as a ,varsha must not be mistaken for ,india4 ,for ,bharata here stands for ,nabhi or the whole of our known earth4 ,bharata ,varsha extends from the base of the ,earth opposite the ,himalayas on the side of ,america to the highest point of the ,himalayas4 ,kinpurusha ,varsha1 so called from its dwellers1 extends from the highest point of the ,himalayas as its base to the highest point of ,hemakuta4 ,so with the other ,varshas4 ,it will be seen1 that we have no idea of any of the mountains1 besides the ,himalayas4 ,ilavrita stands on the same level with ,ketumala and ,bhadrasva4 ,if these three be taken as one1 we get the number #g4 ,five other ,dvipas have #g ,varshas only4 ,on the four sides of ,meru are the four mountains -- ,mandara1 ,meru ,mandara1 ,suparsna and ,kumua4 ,they are ten thousand ,yojanas in height and expanse4 7,there are two mountains east and west1 their expanse being north and south4 ,there are other two north and south1 their expanse being east and west4 ,otherwise if these mountains were to encircle ,meru1 ,ilavrita would not be in existence4 ,sridhara74 ,on these four mountains respectively are four big trees of ,mango1 ,jamboland1 ,kadamba and the sacred ,fig4 ,they are the banners as it were of the ,mountains4 ,they are #aajjj ,yojanas high and they also spread over this area4 ,their width is one hundred ,yojanas4 ,there is one lake below each of these trees3 milk1 sugarcane juice and pure water respectively4 ,the use of these fluids gives natural ,yogic powers to the ,upadevas 7lesser devas74 ,there are also four gardens of the ,devas1 viz4 ,nandana1 ,chaitraratha1 ,vaibhrajoka and ,sarvato-bhadra4 ,the ,devas1 adored by the ,upadevas amuse themselves in those gardens4 ,big fruits with nectar-like juice fall from the mango tree on ,mandara4 7,the ,vayu ,purana gives the measure of the fruit4 ,the ,rishis who perceive truths give the measure of the fruits to be #ajh cubits with the fist closed 7aratvi7 and also #fa cubits more4 ,sridhara7 ,when these fruits drop down1 they give out a very sweet1 very fragrant1 profuse reddish juice which collects to form the river called ,arunoda1 having water of the color of ,aruna or the morning ,sun4 ,this river waters the ,eastern part of ,ilavrita4 ,the use of its water gives such a sweet scent to the body of the female attendants of ,durga that the wind carries that scent to ten ,yojanas around4 ,so the ,jambu river is formed by the juice of the fruits that drop down from the ,jambolova tree in ,meru ,mandara4 ,it waters the southern part of ,ilavrita4 ,the land on the banks of these rivers is soaked by their juice and worked on by air and light and is thus converted into gold called ,jambunada1 which gives ornaments to the ,devas4 ,aruna is the morning ,sun1 as well as the color of the morning ,sun4 ,the river with ,aruna water is also gold producing4 ,the ,kadamba tree on ,suparsva has cavities from which flow five streams of honey1 each #e ,vyamas wide 7,vyama the space between the tips of the fingers of either hand when the arms are extended47 ,these streams water the western part of ,ilavrita4 ,the fragrant breath of those that use them spreads over one hundred ,yojanas all round4 ,the fig tree 7,vata7 called ,satavolsa on the summit of ,kumuda has branches which give rise to rivers that bring forth milk1 curd1 honey1 clarified butter1 molasses1 edibles1 carpets1 cloths1 ornaments1 in fact all objects of desire4 ,these rivers fall from ,kumuda and water the northern part of ,ilavrita4 ,those that use the waters of those rivers are free from all ,infirmities1 diseases1 secretions1 old age and death4 ,they live in absolute bliss all their lives4 ,there are twenty more mountains on all sides of ,meru1 at its foot4 ,they are ,kuranga1 ,kurara1 ,kusumbha ,naikovka1 ,trikuta1 ,sisira1 ,patanga4 ,ruchoka1 ,nishadha ,sitivasa1 ,kapila ,sankha1 ,vaidurya1 ,jarudhi1 ,housas1 ,rishabha1 ,naga1 ,kalanjara1 ,nirada and others4 ,two mountains1 ,jatharu and ,devakuta1 are situated on the east of ,meru4 ,they are two thousand ,yojanas in height and in width4 ,to the north they spread over #ah1jjj ,yojanas4 ,so on the west there are the two mountains ,pavana and ,pariyatra4 ,on the south there are ,kailasa and ,karavira1 which expand towards the east4 ,so on the north1 there are ,trisringa and ,makara4 7,if different measures are given in ,vishnu and other ,puranas1 they are with reference to different ,kalpas4 ,sridhara74 ,the sages say that in the central portion of the top of ,sumeru is the abode of ,brahma1 made of gold1 #aj1jjj1jjj ,yojanas in area1 and of four equal sides4 ,surrounding the abode of ,brahma are the eight abodes of the eight ,lokapalas situated respectively in the directions presided over by these ,lokapalas4 ,each of these abodes has the color of its own ,lokapala and each extends over #b #a_/b thousand yojanas4 7,the names of these abodes are given in other ,puranas4 ,thus3 ,manovati is the abode of ,brahma4 ,amaravati ,indra4 ,tejovati ,agni4 ,sanyavati ,yama4 ,krishnangana ,nairita4 ,sradhavati ,varuna4 ,gandhavati ,vayu4 ,mahodaya ,kubera4 ,yasovati ,isa4 ,,the ,,ganges4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #g499 ,the ,avatara ,vamana asked ,bali1 the ,daitya ,king1 for as much space as he could cover in three steps4 ,the first step covered the earth4 ,vamana then raised his foot over the heavens and the stroke of his left toe-nail caused a hole in the cosmic egg4 ,water entered the hole from outside1 water that carried the washings of ,vishnu's feet and that was consequently capable of purifying all the impurities of the world and that was in itself very pure1 water that was then called ,bhagavat pudi4 ,in a thousand yugas the stream reached the highest point of ,svar ,loka1 called ,vishnupada4 ,dhruva carried the stream on his own head with ever increasing devotion4 ,the seven ,rishis 7of the ,great ,bear7 carry the sacred water in their braided tufts of hair1 as something better than ,mukti1 for the stream of devotion flows from ,vishnu direct4 ,thence the stream passes through the path of the ,devas1 studded with thousands and thousands of starry chariots1 till it overflows the lunar regions and fall down on the abode of ,brahma in ,meru4 ,there the stream divides itself into four parts called ,sita1 ,alakananda1 ,vankshu and ,bhadra4 ,the ,sita flows from the abode of ,brahma through the highest mountain ranges1 she comes down to ,gandha ,madana1 thence through ,bhadrasva ,varsha she falls into the salt ocean towards the east4 ,so the ,vankshu flows through the ,malyavat range into ,ketumala ,varsha and falls on the west into the ,salt ocean4 ,the ,bhadra flows north from the ,sumeru peak through several mountain ranges down to ,sringavat range and passes through ,kuru in to the ,salt ocean4 ,the ,alakananda flows south from the abode of ,brahma through several mountain ranges to ,hema ,kuta and thence to ,himalaya till it reaches ,bharata ,varsha 7i4e4 ,nabhi ,varsha7 and at last flows through it into the ,salt ocean4 ,there are a thousand other rivers and a thousand other mountains in each ,varsha4 ,the real source of the ,ganges is not the melting of snow in the ,himalayas4 ,that may be the source of the waters that swell the bed of the ,ganges1 as we see it4 ,but the ,ganges is something more than a volume of waters4 ,there is a spiritual current underlying its waters4 ,that current comes from regions higher than the highest peak of the ,himalayas4 ,hence the great sanctity attached to it4 ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,the ,,varshas4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #ag-ai499 ,of the nine ,varshas1 ,bharata is the field of ,karma 7,i must now once for all remind my readers that ,bharata when mentioned as a ,varsha means ,nabhi ,varsha1 the whole of this visible earth from the highest point of the ,himalayas downwards74 ,the other ,varshas are places of fruition of the merits of those that go to ,svarga4 ,hence they are called terrestrial 7,bhouma7 ,svargas4 7,svarga is of three kinds3 -- a4 ,divya viz4 ,svarga proper or ,swar ,loka4 b4 ,bhouma or terrestrial and c4 ,bila or ,patalic4 ,sridhara47 ,ilavrita4 -- ,the dwellers of this ,varsha live for ten thousand years of human measure4 ,they are like ,devas4 ,they have the vitality of ten thousand elephants4 ,their body is strong like the thunderbolt ,they enjoy with women all their lives and only one year before death do the women bear children4 ,they always live as it were in ,treta ,yuga4 ,narayana -- the ,maha ,purusha pervades all the ,varshas for their good1 in different forms of ,his ,chatur ,vyuha 7,vasudeva1 ,sankarshana1 ,pradyumna and ,anirudha74 ,in ,ilavrita1 ,bhava or ,siva is the only male4 ,other males do not enter that ,varsha1 for they know the curse of ,bhavani 7,durga7 that whoever should enter the ,varsha was to become a female4 ,bhava is adored by millions of women4 ,he meditates on the fourth1 the ,tamasa ,murti of ,mahapurusha viz4 ,shankarshana4 ,he recites the following mantra and runs about3 -- ,om ,namo ,bhagavate ,maha ,purushaya ,sarva-guna ,sankhaynaya ,anantaya ,avyaktaya ,namaha4 ,om1 ,salutations to ,bhagavat ,maha ,purusha1 salutations to the manifester of all ,gunas1 the ,endless1 the ,unmanifested4 ,then follows a prayer to ,sankarshana for which readers are referred to the original ,bhadtasva4 ,bhadrasravas is the lord of ,bhadrasva4 ,he and his followers dwell there1 they meditate on the ,hayasirsha aspect of ,vasudeva1 they recite the following mantra and run about4 ,om ,namo ,bhagavate ,dharmaya ,atma-visodhanaya namah4 ,om salutations to ,bhagavat ,dharma2 salutations to him who purifies the soul4 ,then follows a prayer to ,hayagriva ,harivarsha4 ,the renowned saintly ,daitya ,prahlada with the dwellers of this ,varsha adore ,him and recite the following mantra4 ,om ,namo ,bhagavate ,sri ,nara ,sinhaya ,namastejastejase ,aviravir bhava vajranakha vajra-danstra ,karma-,sayan randhaya randhaya tamo grasa om ,svaha ,abhayam ,abhoyam ,atmani bhuyisthuh om kshroum4 ,om salutations to ,bhagavat ,sri ,hrisinha1 ,salutations to the fire of all fires6 ,manifest ,thyself6 ,manifest thyself ,o thunder-nailed6 ,o thunder-toothed6 ,burn up1 burn up all desires6 devour ,tamas6 ,om ,svaha6 ,freedom from fear1 freedom from fear be in us4 ,om6 ,kohraum6 ,ketumala4 ,pradyumna or ,kamadeva presides over ,ketumala in order to please ,lakshmi ,samvatsara 7one year71 the daughters of ,samvatsara viz3 the nights and ,sons of ,samvatsara viz3 the days4 ,the days and nights are #cf1jjj in number i4e4 as many as are contained in the full term of a man's life 7one hundred years74 ,these days and nights are the lords of ,ketumala ,lakshmi with whom the dwellers of ,ketumala adore ,kamadeva4 7,the mantra and prayer are then given47 ,ramyaka4 ,matsya 7,the ,fish ,incarnation7 presides over ,ramyaka4 ,manu is the ,king4 7,mantra and prayer follow7 ,hiranmaya4 ,kurma 7the ,tortoise ,incarnation7 presides over ,hiranmaya4 ,aryaman the chief of the ,pitris dwells there with others4 7,mantra and prayer follow7 ,kuru4 ,varsha or the ,boar ,incarnation presides over ,kuru4 ,bhur with the dwellers of ,kuru adore him4 7,mantra and prayer follow47 ,kinpurusha4 ,in ,kinpurusha1 ,hanuman with the dwellers of the ,varsha worship the ,adipurusha ,rama1 brother of ,lakshamana and husband of ,sita4 7,mantra and prayer follow47 ,bharat ,varsha4 ,nara ,narayana presides over this ,varsha4 ,there are various 7castes7 and ,asramas in this ,varsha4 ,narada of great devotion leads the people of this ,varsha4 ,his object in so doing is to teach to ,savarni1 the coming ,manu1 the ,sankhya and ,yoga 7as related in the ,bhagavat ,gita7 together with the full realisation of ,bhagavat 7as related in the ,pancharatras74 ,this mission of ,narada is specially noteworthy4 7 ,mantra and prayer follow47 ,in this ,bharata ,varsha there are many mountains and rivers4 ,maloya1 ,mangalaprastha1 ,mainaka1 ,trikuta1 ,rishava1 ,kutaka1 ,konva1 ,sahya1 ,rishyamuka1 ,srisaila1 ,venkata1 ,mahendra1 ,varidhara1 ,vindhya1 ,saktiman1 ,riksha1 ,paripatra1 ,drona1 ,chitrakuta1 ,gobardhana1 ,raivatak1 ,kakubha1 ,nila1 ,gokamukha1 ,indrakila1 ,kamagiri and hundreds and thousands of other mountains are situated in this ,varsha4 ,the following are the principal rivers ,chandvavasa1 ,tamvaparni1 ,avatoda1 ,kritamala1 ,vaihayasi1 ,kaveri1 ,venua1 ,payasvini1 ,sarkaravarta1 ,krishnavenua1 ,bhimrathi1 ,godabari1 ,nirvindhya1 ,payoshni1 ,tapi1 ,reva1 ,surasa1 ,narmada1 ,charmanvati1 ,andha1 ,sona1 ,mahanadi1 ,vedasmriti1 ,rishikulya1 ,trisama1 ,kousiki1 ,mandakini1 ,yamuna1 ,sarasvati1 ,drishadvati1 ,gomati1 ,saraju1 ,aghavati1 ,shasthavati1 ,saptavati1 ,satadru1 ,sushoma1 ,chandrabhaga1 ,maruduridha1 ,vitasta1 ,asikini and ,visva4 ,those that acquire birth in this ,varsha have recourse to ,svarga1 humanity and ,naraka respectively1 according as their ,karma is ,white 7,satvic71 ,red 7,rajasic7 or ,black 7,tamasic74 ,the ,people acquire ,moksha in this ,varsha in accordance with their ,varna 7,caste74 7,this is because ,karma according to caste prevails in this ,varsha1 not that ,moksha is not otherwise attainable4 ,sridhara74 ,and what is moksha in this ,varsha8 ,it is the ,companionship of ,mahatmas 7,mahapurushas7 brought about by the destruction of the bonds of ,avidya caused by various births4 ,and that ,moksha is in reality unceasing1 unselfish devotion to the ,all-pervading1 ,indestructible1 ,causeless ,paramatma ,vasudeva4 ,even the ,devas say3 -- ,how fortunate are these people of ,bharat ,varsha6 ,for ,hari is kind to them1 even without many performances and they are so adapted for communion with ,hari by devotion4 ,we have attained ,svarga by the performance of ,yajna4 ,but we shall have to be born again after the end of the ,kalpa4 ,what good is in this state1 which does not bring us in direct communion with ,vishnu8 ,these people of ,bharat ,varsha even with their short lives acquire the state of ,hari4 ,if there be any ,karma left to us after the enjoyment of ,svarga may we be born as men that we may worship ,hari4 ,some say there are eight upadvipas in ,jambu ,dvipa1 formed by the sons of ,sagara when they dug up this earth in search of the sacrificial horse4 ,they are ,svarna ,prastha1 ,chandra ,sukla1 ,avartana1 ,ramanaka1 ,manda-harina1 ,panchajanya1 ,sinhala and ,louka4 ,,the ,,dvipas4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #bj499 ,plaksha ,dvipa ,jambu ,dvipa is surrounded by the salt ocean on all sides4 ,that ocean extends over ,laksha ,yojanas4 ,that salt ocean is again surrounded on all sides by ,plaksha ,dvipa1 which extends over #b laksha of ,yojanas4 ,there is one golden ,plaksha tree in that ,dvipa as high as the ,jambu tree in ,jambu ,dvipa and the ,dvipa itself takes its name from that tree4 ,there ,fire is seven tongued1 ,idhmajihva son of ,priyavrata ruled over this ,dvipa4 ,he divided the ,dvipa into seven ,varshas and named them after his seven sons each of whom ruled over the ,varsha of his name4 ,siva1 ,vayasa1 ,subhadra1 ,santa1 ,kshema1 ,amrita and ,abhoya are the ,varshas4 ,manikuta1 ,vajrakuta1 ,indrasena1 ,jyotishmat1 ,subarna1 ,hiranyasthiva and ,meghmala are the seven chief mountains4 ,aruna1 ,nrimana1 ,angirasi1 ,savitri1 ,supravata1 ,ritambhara and ,satyambhara are the seven great rivers4 ,hansa1 ,patanga1 ,urdhayana and ,satyanga are the corresponding castes4 ,the dwellers of the ,dvipa live for one thousand years4 ,they look like ,devas and procreate after ,deva fashion4 ,they worship the ,surya 7,sun-god7 of the ,vedas4 7,the ,mantra is given7 ,in ,plaksha1 ,salmali1 ,kusa1 ,krouncha and ,saka1 the inmates have their age1 ,indriyas1 strength1 power and ,budhi by their very birth and not by ,karma4 ,the ,dvipa is surrounded by the ,sugar cane juice ocean which extends over #b laksha of ,yojanas4 ,salmali ,divpa3 -- ,twice as large as ,plaksha ,dvipa4 ,the ocean of wine surrounding it is equally large4 ,tree3 -- ,salmali 7,bombax ,malabaricum7 as high as the ,plaksha tree said to be the seat of ,garuda4 ,king3 ,yajna-vaha son of ,priyavrata4 ,seven ,varshas and seven sons of ,yajnavaha3 -- ,surochana1 ,soumanasya1 ,ramanaka1 ,devvarha1 ,paribhadra1 ,apyayana and ,abhijhata4 ,seven principal mountains3 -- ,surasa1 ,sata ,sringa1 ,vamadeva1 ,kunda1 ,kumuda1 ,pushpa ,varsha and ,sahosra4 ,seven great rivers3 -- ,anumati1 ,sinivati1 ,sarasvati1 ,kuhu1 ,rajani1 ,nanda and ,raka4 ,divisions of people3 -- ,srutidhara1 ,viryadhara1 ,vasundhara1 and ,ishundhara4 ,presiding deity3 -- ,the ,moon4 ,kusa ,dvipa3 -- ,twice as large as ,salmali ,dvipa surrounded by an ocean of clarified butter equally large4 ,tree3 -- ,clusters of ,kusa grass glowing and glittering4 ,king3 -- ,hiranyaretas son of ,priyavrata4 ,seven ,varshas3 -- ,vasu1 ,vasudana1 ,dridharuchi1 ,nabhigupta1 ,satyavrata1 ,bikranama1 and ,devanama4 ,seven mountains3 -- ,babhra1 ,chatur-,sringa1 ,kapila ,chitra ,kuta1 ,devanika1 ,urdharomau and ,dravina4 ,seven ,rivers3 -- ,raaskulya1 ,madhukulya1 ,mitravinda1 ,srutavinda1 ,deva ,garbha1 ,ghutachynta1 and ,mantramala4 ,divisions of ,people3 -- ,kusala1 ,kovida1 ,abhiyukta and ,kulaka4 ,presiding ,deity3 -- ,agni 7,fire-god74 ,krouncha ,dvipa3 -- ,twice as large as ,kusa1 surrounded by an ocean of milk equally large4 ,named after the ,krouncha ,mountain4 ,the ,krouncha ,mountain was attacked by ,kartikeya and injured too4 ,but the ,milk ,ocean and the presiding deity ,varuna saved it4 ,king3 -- ,ghritaprestha son of ,priyavrata4 ,seven ,varshas3 -- ,atma1 ,madhuruha1 ,meghapristha1 ,sudhawan1 ,bhrajistha1 ,lohitarna1 ,vanaspati4 ,seven ,mountains3 -- ,sukla1 ,vardhaman1 ,bhajana1 ,upavarhaha1 ,nauda1 ,nandana and ,sarvato-bhadra4 ,seven ,rivers3 -- ,abhoya1 ,amritougha1 ,aryuka1 ,tirthavati1 ,rupavati1 ,pavitravati and ,sukla4 ,divisions of people3 -- ,purasha1 ,rishabha1 ,dravina and ,devaka4 ,presiding ,deity3 ,apas 7,water-,god47 ,saka ,dvipa3 -- #cb laksha ,yojanas4 ,surrounded by an ocean of curds -- equally extensive4 ,tree3 -- ,saka 7,teak wood tree7 very fragrant4 ,king3 -- ,medhatithi1 son of ,priyavrata4 ,seven ,varshas3 -- ,purojava1 ,manojava1 ,vepamana1 ,dhumranika1 ,chitrarepha1 ,bahurupa and ,visva-dhara4 ,seven ,mountains3 -- ,isana1 ,uru ,sringa1 ,balabhadra1 ,sata ,kesara1 ,sahasra-srotas1 ,devapala and ,mohanasa4 ,seven ,rivers3 -- ,anagha1 ,ayurda1 ,ubhayaspriti1 ,aparajita1 ,punchapadi1 ,sahasra ,sruti and ,nijadhriti4 ,division of people3 -- ,ritavrata1 ,satyavrata1 ,danavrata and ,anuvrata4 ,presiding ,deity3 -- ,vayu 7,wind-god74 ,puskkara ,dvipa3 -- ,twice as large as ,saka ,dvipa surrounded by an ocean of pure water -- equally extensive3 ,there is a big ,pushkara or ,lotus plant with thousands of golden leaves4 ,the ,lotus is known as the seat of ,brahma4 ,standing between two ,varshas1 eastern and western1 is the ,manasattara ,mountain ten thousand ,yojanas high4 ,on the four sides of this ,mountain are four abodes of the ,lokapalas ,indra and others4 ,over these abodes the ,sanvatsava or ,uttarayana ,dakshinayana wheel 7chakra7 of the ,sun's chariot moves in its course round ,meru4 ,vitihotra1 ,son of ,priyavrata1 is the king of this ,varsha4 ,his two sons ,ramanaka and ,dhataka are the lords of two ,varshas named after them4 ,the people of those ,varshas worship ,brahma by ,yajna performances4 ,beyond the ,ocean of pure water is the ,lokaloka 7,loka and ,aloka7 ,mountain1 dividing ,loka1 the regions lighted by the sun1 from ,aloka or the regions not lighted by the sun4 ,as much land as there is between ,manasottara and ,meru1 so much golden land is there on the other side of the pure water ocean4 ,it is like the surface of the mirror4 ,if any thing is thrown on that land1 it is not regained4 ,it is therefore forsaken by all beings4 ,the land between ,manasottara and ,meru is one krore and a half plus seven and a half lakhs4 ,there is as much land on the other side of the ,pure ,water ,ocean4 ,there are living beings in that land4 ,beyond that is the golden land4 ,that land is eight krores and thirty nine laksha yojanas wide4 ,it is thus that the distance between ,meru and ,lokaloka comes to be #ab #a_/b krores as mentioned below4 ,this is also said in the ,siva ,tantra4 ,two krores #ec lakshas and #ej thousand this is the measure of the seven ,dvipas with the ,oceans4 ,beyond that is the golden land which is #aj ,krores of ,yojanas4 ,this is used by the ,devas as their play-ground4 ,beyond that is ,lokaloka4 ,the ten krores include the previously mentioned land1 ,forsaken by all beings -- this is to be understood with the exception of the ,devas1 for it is mentioned as the play-ground of the ,devas4 ,sridhara4 ,in order to understand the commentary of ,sridhara1 let us examine the figures4 ,jambu ,dvipa with ,ocean on one side of ,meru3 444 444 #aej1jjj ,yojanas ,plaksha ,dvipa with ,ocean on one side of ,meru3 444 444 #djj1jjj ,salmali ,do4 444 444 #hjj1jjj ,kusa ,do4 44 444 #a1fjj1jjj ,krouncha ,do4 44 444 #c1bjj1jjj ,saka ,do4 44 444 #f1djj1jjj ,pushkar ,do4 4 444 #ab1hjj1jjj ,deduct ,pure water ,ocean as it is not included between ,meru and ,manasottara3 444 444 #f1djj1jjj ------------ #ah1iej1jjj ,manasottara stands half way in ,pushkara1 as it stands between two ,varshas4 ,deduct distance between ,manasottara and ,pure ,water ,ocean3 444 #c1bjj1jjj ------------ #ae1gej1jjj ,the distance between ,meru and ,manasottara is #a #a_/b ,krores and #g #a_/b lakhs4 ,according to ,sridhara1 there is this much land on the other side of the ,pure ,water ,ocean4 ,beyond that land is the ,golden land which according to ,sridhara is3 444 444 #hcijjjjj ,yojanas ,thus we get ,dvipas and ,oceans 444 #becejjjj ,land beyond ,pure ,water ,oceans 444 #aegejjjj ,the ,golden land 444 444 #hcijjjjj ---------- #abejjjjjj ,thus we get the #ab #a_/b krores of ,sridhara4 ,beyond the ,golden land is the ,lokaloka ,mountain4 ,this will also explain the quotation from ,siva ,tantra4 ,the following ,diagram will partially illustrate the points4 ,lokaloka 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 -------------------------------- ,the ,golden ,land -------------------------------- ,land beyond ,pure ,water ,ocean -------------------------------- ,pure ,water ,ocean -------------------------------- ,p u s h 7 99 99 ,manasottara k a r a ------------------------------- ,milk ,ocean ------------------------------- ,saka ------------------------------- ,sour ,milk ,ocean ------------------------------- ,krouncha ------------------------------- ,clarified ,butter ,ocean ------------------------------- ,kusa ------------------------------- ,wine ,ocean ------------------------------- ,salmali ------------------------------- ,sugarcane ,juice ,ocean ------------------------------- ,plaksha ------------------------------- ,salt ,ocean ------------------------------- 99 ,meru1 ,jambu ------------------------------- ,the ,lokaloka is the boundary of three ,lokas1 ,bhur1 ,bhuvar1 and ,svar4 ,the rays of the numerous bodies from the ,sun up to ,dhruva illuminate the regions on the ,triloka side of ,lokaloka but they can never reach its other side4 ,for such is the height and expanse of ,lokaloka -- 7,it is even higher than ,dhruva4 ,so it is the boundary of ,triloki4 ,sridhara74 ,the ,bhu-,golaka or the ,bhur system measures #ej ,krores4 ,and ,lokaloka is one-fourth of that i4e4 #ab #a_/b ,krores 7on one side of ,meru4 ,sridhara74 ,over this ,lokaloka1 ,brahma placed #d ,elephant ,kings in four different directions viz3 ,rishabha1 ,pushkarachura1 ,vamana and ,aparajita4 ,this is for the preservation of the ,lokas4 ,bhagavan ,maha ,purusha 7,vishnu7 ,himself remains there4 ,he infuses various powers into the ,elephant ,kings and into the ,lokapalas 7preservers of the ,lokas7 ,indra and others who are but ,his manifestations4 ,he pervades all4 ,he manifests ,his pure ,satva4 ,the characteristics of that satva are the eight ,siddhis4 ,dharma1 ,jnana1 ,vairagya1 ,aisvarya c41 ,vishvaksena and ,his other ,companions are with ,him4 ,his own weapons are in his hands4 ,he remains there for the good of all ,lokas4 ,to the end of the ,kalpa1 ,vishnu remains in this way pervading all for the preservation of the ,universe formed by ,his own ,maya4 ,the measure of ,aloka is also #ab #a_/b ,krores 7on one side of ,meru4 ,sridhara74 ,beyond ,aloka is ,visuddha 7very pure region7 where only masters of ,yoga can go4 ,the ,sun stands in the centre of the ,egg4 ,that is also the middle ground between ,svar and ,bhur4 ,between the ,sun and the ,circumference of the ,egg is #be ,krores4 ,the ,sun is called ,martanda 7,mrita and anda7 because in ,mrita or dead matter he infused life as ,vairaja4 ,he is called ,hiranya ,garbha 7,gold wombed7 because he came out of the ,golden ,egg4 ,the sun divided space into ,bhur1 ,bhuvar and ,svar4 ,the ,sun divides the regions of enjoyment and ,moksha4 ,he divides the ,narakas and ,patalas4 ,he is the ,atma of ,devas1 men1 animals1 plants and other ,jivas4 ,he is the manifester of sight4 ,,svar ,,and ,,bhuvar4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #ba499 ,the localisation1 measure and other details of ,bhur have been given above4 7,by expanse #ej ,krores and by height #be ,krores4 ,sridhara74 ,the measure of ,svar is the same as that of ,bhur -- ,just as one cotyledon gives the measure of the other cotyledon in a flower4 ,bhuvar is the connecting link of ,bhur and ,svar4 ,,the ,,sun4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #ba-bb499 ,the ,sun from the ,bhuvar ,loka sends forth his rays to ,triloki4 7,here follow astronomical details which need not be given47 ,when the ,sun is between the ,autumn and spring ,equinoxes it is called ,uttarayana 7or going towards the north47 ,then the ,sun's motion is said to be slow4 ,when the ,sun is between the spring ,equinox and ,autumn ,equinox1 it is ,dakshinayana 7,going towards the south47 ,the ,sun's motion is then said to be ,quick4 ,when the sun is at the ,equinoxes it is ,vishuva4 ,the ,sun's motion is then said to be ,even4 ,when it is ,dakshinayana1 the days increase4 ,when it is ,uttarayana the nights increase4 ,the sages teach #i ,krores and #ea lakhs of ,yojanas as the ,circumference of ,manasottara4 ,on both sides of ,meru up to ,manasottara is #c ,krores and #ae lakhs4 ,the ,measure of the above circle is obtained from this 7diameter74 ,sridhara4 ,a full diagram of the ,bhur system will now have to be given1 to explain the above figures4 ,for the sake of convenience1 the ,dvipa and its ocean are given as one4 ,illustration3 ,a diagram of the ,bhur system4 ,from ,meru to ,lokaloka on one side 444 #ab #a_/b ,krores on both sides 444 #be ,loka loka on both sides 444 #be ,measure of ,bhur system 444 #ej ,distance from ,meru to ,manasottora #ae1gej1jjj ,on both sides 444 #ca1ejj1jjj ,the ,manasottara range is a circle of which the last figure is the diameter4 ,the circle is obtained by multiplying the diameter by a little over #c4 ,the circle is thus given to be -- #i ,krores and #ea ,lakshas4 ,the ,manasottara is the path of revolution of the sun round ,meru4 ,on the ,east side of ,meru in the ,manasottara is the seat of ,indra named ,devadhani4 ,on the ,south side is the seat of ,yama named ,sanyamani4 ,on the ,west is the seat of ,varuna named ,nimlochani4 ,on the ,north is the seat of the ,moon named ,vibhavari4 ,sunrise1 midday1 ,sunset and night on those seats cause action and inaction in beings1 according to the time with reference to the side of ,meru4 7,for those that live to the south of ,meru1 their east c4 commence from the abode of ,indra1 of those that live to the west from the abode of ,yama1 of the northern people1 from the abode of ,varuna1 of the eastern people from the abode of the ,moon4 ,sridhara47 ,those that live on the ,meru have the ,sun always over their heads4 ,the ,sun's chariot makes one round along ,manasottara in one year4 ,the wheel or chakra of the chariot is therefore called ,sanvatsara4 ,the #ab months are the #ab spokes of that wheel4 ,the six seasons form #f arcs4 ,the pole of that chariot extends to the top of ,meru4 ,the other end of the pole is on the ,manasottara4 7,it is either to be thought that the wheel is placed more than #ej1jjj ,yojanas over the ,manasottara in the regions of air or the wheel is to be considered as high as that distance1 otherwise the ,manasottara being #aj1jjj ,yojanas high and ,meru being #hd ,yojanas high1 #af thousand being under ground1 there will be a difference of planes in the ,sun's revolution4 ,sridhara47 ,there is another movement of the ,sun round ,dhruva4 ,the radius of that revolution is one fourth the distance between ,meru and ,manasottara4 7i4e4 #a_/d ,x #ae1gej1jjj #c1icg1ejj74 ,the movement round ,dhruva is caused by the action of air4 ,the seat within the chariot is #cf laksha of ,yojanas wide4 ,the yoke is also of the same measure4 ,the seven horses are the seven ,vedic metres 7,gayatri1 ,ushnik1 ,anustup1 ,vrihati1 ,pankti1 ,tristup and ,jagati74 ,they are driven by ,aruna4 ,the thumb sized ,balikhilya ,rishis stand in front of the chariot and chant hymns in honor of ,aditya4 ,,the ,,planets ,,and ,,stars4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #bb-bc499 ,the moon is one laksha of ,yojanas over the ,sun4 ,the growing ,moon makes the day of the ,devas and the waning ,moon is the life of all ,jivas1 in fact he is ,jiva4 ,he is ,manomaya1 ,annamaya and ,amritamaya4 ,from him therefore proceed the life and advancement of ,devas1 ,pitris1 ,men1 ,animals and ,plants4 ,two laksha of ,yojanas over the ,moon are the #bg ,zodiacal constellations and also the star ,abhijit 7 a mysterious star between ,uttarashadha and ,sravana7 attached to the wheel of time4 ,two laksha of ,yojanas over them is ,sukra or ,venus4 ,his movements are like those of the ,sun4 ,he is ever favourable to men4 ,his progression is generally accompanied by showers of rain4 ,he also subdues those planets that counteract the rains4 ,two laksha of ,yojanas over ,sukra is ,budha or ,mercury4 ,he is much like ,sukra in his movements and is generally favourable to men4 ,but when he transgresses the ,sun1 there is fear of high winds1 rainless clouds and drought4 ,two laksha of ,yojanas over ,budha is ,mangala or ,mars4 ,he moves round the ,zodiac in three fortnights4 ,he is generally unfavourable to men1 causing miseries1 unless he proceeds by retrogression4 ,two laksha of ,yojanas over ,mars is ,brihaspati or ,jupiter4 ,he moves in each sign of the ,zodiac for one ,parivatsara 7year of ,jupiter71 if there is no retrogression4 ,he is generally unfavorable to the ,brahmanas4 ,two laksha of ,yojanas over ,jupiter is ,sanaischara or ,saturn4 ,he loiters in each sign of the ,zodiac for thirty months4 ,he completes his round in thirty ,anuvatsaras4 ,he is generally unfavourable to all and causes unrest4 ,eleven laksha of ,yojanas over ,saturn are the ,rishis4 ,their influence is for the good of all people4 ,they revolve round the ,supreme abode of ,vishnu4 ,thirteen laksha of ,yojanas beyond the ,rishis is ,dhruva1 which is the ,supreme abode of ,vishnu4 ,all luminous bodies attached to the wheel of time move round ,dhruva being propelled by ,vayu while ,dhruva remains fixed4 ,the planets and stars remain fixed in their relative positions1 under the union of ,prakriti and ,purusha by the future made for them by their ,karma4 ,some however say that the luminous bodies become fixed in their relative positions by the ,yoga support of ,vasudeva1 being held together in the shape of ,sisumara 7the ,gangetic porpoise74 ,the ,sisumara has its face downwards and its body is coiled4 ,dhruva is at the end of its tail4 ,prajapati1 ,agni1 ,indra and ,dharma are in the lower part of the tail4 ,dhata and ,vidhata are at the root of the tail4 ,the seven ,rishis are in the middle4 ,on the right side are the fourteen ,stars from ,abhijit to ,punarvasu4 ,on the left side are the #ad stars from ,pushya to ,uttara ,sarha4 ,so on1 all the stars and planets4 7,for details refer to the original74 ,the ,sisumara is the ,universal manifestation of ,maha ,purusha4 ,the following ,geo-centric diagram is given1 as illustrative of the positions of the planets4 ,illustration3 ,positions of the planets4 ,,the ,,patalas 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #bd499 ,ten thousand ,yojanas below the ,sun is ,rahu1 son of ,sinhika4 ,though an ,asura1 by favour of ,bhagavan he became a planet and immortal too like the ,devas4 ,ten thousand ,yojanas below ,rahu is the abode of the ,siddhas1 ,charanas and ,vaidyadharas4 ,below that is the abode of the ,yakshas1 ,rakshasas1 ,pisachas1 ,pretas1 and ,bhutas4 ,this abode extends down to the regions of air and clouds4 ,one hundred ,yojanas below that is the ,earth4 ,the details of the ,earth's surface have been given above4 ,underneath the ,earth are the seven ,patalas3 -- ,atala1 ,vitala1 ,sutala1 ,talatala1 ,mahatala1 ,rasatala and ,patala4 ,they are ten thousand ,yojanas apart from each other4 ,in these nether ,svargas1 ,daityas1 ,danavas and ,nagas dwell4 ,their enjoyments1 power1 joys and luxuries are even greater than those of the ,devas of ,svarga4 ,their houses1 gardens and playgrounds are very rich4 ,they are always joyous4 ,they are attached to their wives1 sons1 friends and attendants4 ,by the grace of ,isvara1 their desires are always gratified4 ,maya1 the ,danava ,magician1 has built wonderful houses1 gardens c4 in these regions with precious stones4 ,there are no divisions of time1 as the ,sun's rays do not enter those regions and no disturbances from such divisions4 ,all darkness is removed by the light of the precious stones on the head of the serpent king4 ,the people of ,patala use divine herbs and medicines1 and consequently they have no infirmities1 diseases1 old age1 languor and offensive secretions4 ,they have no death except by the ,chakra of ,bhagavan 7i4e4 final extinction74 ,atala3 -- ,bala1 the son of ,maya resides in ,atala 7,maya is a masculine form of ,maya the root ,prakriti74 ,he created here #if forms of ,maya4 ,the ,mayavins 7those who practice ,magic7 still have recourse to those forms4 ,when he yawns1 three classes of women spring into existence viz3 #a4 ,svairini 7self willed loose women71 #b4 ,kamini 7passionate women7 and #c4 ,punschali 7unchaste women74 ,if any one enters ,atala these women completely allure him by their ,hataka 7golden7 charm1 and when the man is completely overcome by their allurements1 he says ,i am ,isvara1 ,i am ,siddha4 ,the women are only forms of ,maya because ,maya is personified as an alluring woman4 ,a man in ,atala is completely under the domination of ,maya and becomes estranged from spirit4 ,so ,maya is all in all to him and he knows no other4 ,vitala3 -- ,below ,atala is ,vitala4 ,there ,bhava 7,siva7 the king of ,gold reigns in company with his consort ,bhavani1 attended by ,bhutas4 ,he remains there for the benefit of the ,prajapati creation4 ,the fluid of intercourse with ,bhavani gives rise to a river called ,hataki 7,golden74 ,agni kindled by ,vayu drinks up that river and gives out the gold called ,hataka which is used in ornaments by the ,asuras who dwell there4 7,we have known ,siva as the ,astral ,lord4 ,we find him here engaged in the work of creation4 ,the text speaks of a mysterious connection between him and the gold called ,hataka4 ,the occult varieties of gold such as ,jamvanada and ,hataka form a fit subject of study4 ,hataka refers to the ,prajapati creation4 ,there is duality in ,vitala1 as distinguished from the singleness of ,maya in ,atala74 ,sutala3 -- ,below ,vitala is ,sutala4 ,there the renowned ,bali son of ,virochana still dwells4 ,vamana1 the ,dwarf ,incarnation of ,vishnu1 took away the ,triloki from him and replaced him here4 ,his enjoyments even here are greater than those of ,indra4 ,he performs ,sva-dharma and worships ,vishnu4 ,his sins are all removed4 7,a full account of ,bali will be given below47 ,talatala3 -- ,below ,sutala is ,talatala4 ,maya1 the ,danava king1 rules there4 ,his ,three ,puras 7abodes7 were destroyed by ,siva who is hence called ,tripurari4 ,but ,siva favoured him again and placed him in ,talatala4 ,he is the preceptor of all ,mayavins4 ,he is preserved by ,siva and he has no fear from ,sudarsana 7the chakra weapon of ,vishnu1 which symbolises ,time47 7,bali and ,maya1 ,triloki and ,tripura1 the seizure of one and the destruction of the other1 the restoration of ,bali to ,sutala and of ,maya to ,talatala1 the favour shown to them in those regions1 the correspondences of ,sutala and ,talatala are worth careful consideration4 ,in the case of one1 ,vishnu or the ,preservative aspect of the ,second ,purusha is the actor1 and in the other1 ,siva1 the ,destructive aspect47 ,mahatala3 -- ,below ,talatala is ,mahatala4 ,many headed serpents1 the progeny of ,kadru1 dwell there4 ,the chief amongst them are ,kuhaka1 ,takshaka1 ,kaliya1 ,sushena1 and others4 ,they are always afraid of ,garuda1 the ,vehicle of ,vishnu1 and they are therefore seldom seen to indulge in pleasure-trips outside4 ,rasatala3 -- ,below ,mahatala is ,rasatala2 ,daityas1 ,danavas and ,panis1 named ,nivatakavachas1 ,kalakeyas and ,hiranyapuravasins dwell there4 ,they are the enemies of the ,devas4 ,they are powerful from their very birth4 ,they are subdued by the ,sudarsana of ,vishnu4 ,they are like serpents4 ,they fear even the threats of ,sarama1 the bitch of the gods who is ,indra's messenger to them4 ,they fear ,indra also4 ,patala3 -- ,below ,rasatala is ,patala4 ,the ,nagas dwell there4 ,vasuki is their chief4 ,the other principal ,nagas are -- ,sankha1 ,kulika1 ,maha ,sankha1 ,sveta1 ,dhananjaya1 ,asvatara1 and ,devadatta4 ,their hood is very large and they are very furious4 ,some of them are five headed1 some #g headed1 some #aj headed1 some a thousand headed4 ,the precious stones on their hoods dispel all darkness in ,patala4 ,,ananta4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #be499 ,at the root of ,patala1 thirty thousand ,yojanas beyond1 is the ,tamas aspect of ,bhagavan called ,ananta4 ,those that worship the ,chaturvyuha aspect call him ,sankarshana4 ,he has a thousand heads4 ,the earth held up on one of these heads looks but like a mustard seed4 ,when the time for dissolution comes1 ,ananta assumes ,his ,tamas form and becomes ,rudra -- other wise called ,sankarshana1 a host of eleven1 with three eyes1 three tufts of hair and with tridents on their heads4 ,at other times1 ,ananta withdraws ,his ,tamas and abides for the good of all ,lokas4 ,his eyes roll as it were by intoxication4 ,his garments are blue4 ,he has one ear-ring4 ,he has a plough on his back4 ,,the ,,narakas4 99,,skandha ,v4 ,,chap4 #bf499 ,where are the ,narakas1 ,o ,rishi1 asked ,parikshit8 ,are they particular localities8 ,are they outside the ,triloki or inside8 ,suka replied3 -- ,they are inside the ,triloki on the south side below the earth1 over the waters1 where ,agnishvatta and other ,pitris deeply meditate on the welfare of their respective descendants4 ,there1 ,yama1 the ,death-god1 metes out just punishment to the dead4 ,there are twenty-one ,narakas3 -- #a4 ,tamisra #b4 ,andha ,tamisara #c4 ,rourava #d4 ,maharourava #e4 ,kumbhipaka #f4 ,kala ,sutra #g4 ,asipatravana #h4 ,sukara ,mukha #i4 ,andha ,kupa #aj4 ,krimi bhajana #aa4 ,sandansa #ab4 ,tapta ,surmi #ac4 ,vajra-,kantaka ,salmali #ad4 ,vaitarani #ae4 ,puyoda #af4 ,pranarodha #ag4 ,vaisasana #ah4 ,lalabhaksha #ai4 ,sarameyadana #bj4 ,avichi and #ba4 ,ayahpana4 ,there are seven other ,narakas3 #a4 ,kshara ,kardama #b4 ,rakshogana bhojana #c4 ,sulaprota #d4 ,danda ,suka #e4 ,avata-nirodhana #f4 ,parya vartana and #g4 ,suchi mukha4 7,for details of these ,narakas1 the reader is referred to the original4 ,they are more for the exoteric than for the esoteric reader47 ,there are hundreds and thousands of such ,narakas in the realms of ,yama4 ,the vicious enter them by turns4 ,the meritorious go to ,svarga4 ,but the ,karma of men is not exhausted in ,svarga or ,naraka4 ,for that which remains unexhausted1 they enter life again by re-birth4 7,the mention of ,pitris and ,yama connects the ,narakas with the astral plane47 ,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,ajamila 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #a-c499 ,raja ,parikshit asked how men could avoid ,naraka4 ,,suka replied3 -- ,it is by ,prayaschitta 7expiation7 that men can avoid ,naraka4 ,but it is not ,vedic ,prayaschitta1 not fasting by ,chandrayana and other ,vratas4 ,these ,vedic performances cannot root out vicious tendencies1 for the performer is seen again to indulge in vices4 ,they do not purify the mind4 ,they simply counteract the ,karmic effect of the act for which ,prayaschitta is performed4 ,the real ,prayaschitta is devotion to ,vishnu4 ,ajamila was the son of a ,brahmana4 ,he was dutiful1 virtuous1 modest1 truthful1 and regular in the performance of ,vedic injunctions4 ,one day in obedience to his father he went into the forests and there collected fruits1 flowers1 sacrificial wood and ,kusa -- on returning he saw a ,sudra in company with a slave-girl4 ,he tried much to subdue his passions but did not succeed4 ,he spent the whole of his patrimony to win the love of that girl4 ,he gave up his own wife and kept company with that slave girl4 ,he had by her several sons of whom the youngest was ,narayana4 ,ajamila lost all his good qualities in low company and he forgot his daily practices4 ,to support the woman and her children1 he had recourse to all sorts of vicious and unlawful acts4 ,narayana was the favorite among his sons4 ,he caressed him always4 ,at last his end approached4 ,he thought even then of his youngest son who was playing at a distance4 ,three fierce-looking messengers of ,yama appeared1 with ropes in hand4 ,terrified at the sight ,ajamila cried out ,narayana1 ,narayana4 ,instantly the ,messengers of ,vishnu appeared4 ,at the time when the servants of ,yama were drawing out the ,jiva from the heart of ,ajamila1 the attendants of ,vishnu stopped them with a strong voice4 ,but who are you said they to interfere with the just sway of ,yama4 ,the bright attendants of ,vishnu only smiled and asked3 ,what is ,dharma8 ,does your lord ,yama hold the sceptre of punishment against all who perform ,karma8 ,is there no distinction made8 ,the astral messengers replied3 -- ,the performance of ,vedic ,injunctions is ,dharma and their disregard is ,adharma4 ,this ,ajamila in his earlier days duly respected the ,vedas4 ,but in company with the slave-girl1 he lost his ,brahmanism1 disregarded the ,vedas and did things which a ,brahmana should not do4 ,he justly comes for punishment to ,yama4 ,the attendants of ,vishnu expressed wonder at these words4 ,and you are servants of him1 who is called the king of ,dharma1 and you do not know that there is something above the ,vedas too4 ,this ,ajamila consciously or unconsciously took the name of ,narayana and that saved him from your clutches4 ,it is in the nature of fire to consume fuel and so it is in the nature of ,vishnu's name to destroy all sins4 ,if one unconsciously takes some powerful medicine1 does it not have effect8 ,it matters not whether ,ajamila meant his youngest son or not but still he took the name of ,narayana4 ,so you must retire4 ,wonder-struck the servants of ,yama left their hold over ,ajamila4 ,they went away and complained to their ,master4 ,there must be one law and one dispenser of that law4 ,otherwise some will be punished and others not4 ,why should there be this difference8 ,we know ,thee to be the sole dispenser of the ,law for the vicious4 ,but just now the attendants of ,vishnu came and wrested from our hands a transgressor against the ,vedas4 ,true my sons1 replied ,yama1 there is some one above me and it is ,vishnu4 ,his ways are mysterious4 ,the whole ,universe is in ,him4 ,his attendants always save ,his votaries4 ,only twelve of us know his ,dharma1 which is ,bhagavata and no one else4 ,these twelve are ,brahma1 ,siva1 ,sanat ,kumara1 ,narada1 ,kapila1 ,manu1 ,prahlada1 ,janaka1 ,bhishma1 ,bali1 ,suka and myself4 ,ajamila heard the conversation between the messengers of ,yama and ,vishnu4 ,he became sorely penitent 7the repentance is strongly described74 ,he overcame his attachments1 left the house and went to ,haridvara4 ,there he meditated on ,vishnu with concentrated mind4 ,the former attendants of ,vishnu appeared once more and took him on a chariot to ,vishnu ,loka4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,daksha4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #d-f499 ,we left the line of ,uttanapada with ,daksha1 the son of the ,prachetas brothers4 ,we were told of his work of creation in the ,chakshasha ,manvantara4 ,but we have to take up the line just now1 to introduce the story of ,visva ,rupa4 ,daksha first carried on the work of creation by ,manasic reproduction4 ,but he found this sort of reproduction was not adequate for the enlargement of creation4 ,he went to a place near the ,vindhyas and prayed hard to ,vishnu4 ,vishnu became pleased with his prayers and advised him to marry ,asikni1 the daughter of ,prajapati ,panchajana4 ,take her for your wife and have sexual intercourse with her4 ,by sexual reproduction1 you shall have a large progeny and that form of reproduction shall prevail among your sons too4 ,by ,asikni1 ,daksha had at first #aj thousand sons called ,haryasva4 ,he asked them to take up the work of creation4 ,they went westwards to where the river ,sindhu falls into the ocean4 ,they began to make ,tapas there for their progeny4 ,narada appeared before them and dissuaded them from ,pravritti ,marga4 ,he gave them instructions for obtaining ,moksha and they followed the path of its attainment4 ,daksha heard that his sons were killed by ,narada and he became very sorry4 ,he again had one thousand sons names ,subalasva4 ,they also went out to the very same place and prayed to ,vishnu for progeny4 ,narada again dissuaded them and they never returned to their father4 ,daksha became restless in sorrow and thus cursed ,narada on meeting him4 ,thou shalt roam all over ,triloki and shalt find no resting place4 ,daksha had then #fj daughters4 ,ten he gave to ,dharma1 #ac to ,kasyapa1 #bg to the ,moon1 two each to ,bhuta1 ,angirasa1 and ,krisasva and four to ,tarksha4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,dharma4 7#a7 ,by ,bhanu3 -- ,devar-shabha or the chief ,devas4 7#b7 ,by ,lamba3 -- ,vidyota 7flash of lightning7 ,the clouds4 7#c7 ,by ,kakud3 -- ,sankata ,kikata 7the elementals presiding over earth-cavities74 7#d7 ,by ,yami3 -- ,svarga4 ,nandi4 7#e7 ,by ,visva3 -- ,the ,visvadevas 7,vedic-gods74 7#f7 ,by ,sadhya3 -- ,the ,sadhyas -- attainment of desires4 7#g7 ,by ,mavutvati3 -- ,marutvat and ,jayanta1 otherwise called ,upendra4 7#h7 ,by ,muhurta3 -- ,the ,muhurta ,devas or ,devas presiding over the moments4 7#i7 ,by ,sankalpa3 -- ,sankalpa 7,desire74 7#aj7 ,by ,vasu3 ,the eight ,vasus 7,vedic-gods71 viz 7a7 ,drona ,abhimati ------------------- ,harsha 7,joy7 ,soka 7,sorrow7 c4 7b7 ,prana ,urjasvati ------------------------------ ,saha 7strength7 ,ayus 7age7 ,purojava4 7c7 ,dhruva,dharani ,different towns4 7d7 ,arka ,vasana 7tendency7 ---------------- ,tarsha 7desire7 c4 7e7 ,agni 7,fire7 ,dhara ---------------------------------------- ,skanda ,dravinaka c4 7otherwise known as 7,gold1 wealth7 ,kartikeya1 the son of ,siva by ,krittika7 ,visakha c4 7f7 ,dosha ,sarvari 7night7 ,sisumara 7,gangetic porpoise the symbol of ,triloki74 7g7 ,vastu 7,dwelling place7 ,angirasi ,visvakarma 7,the cosmic manufacturer7 ,chakshusha ,manu -------------------- ,the ,visvadevas ,the ,sadhyas4 7h7 ,vibhavasu ,usha 7,dawn7 ---------------------------------- ,vyushta ,rochisha ,atapa4 7,dawn7 7,bright1 shining7 7,sun shine7 ,panchayama 7#a ,yama #a_/c part of day #c hours4 ,there are #h yamas in day and night4 ,pancha yama #e yamas when men do their work74 ,the #h ,vasus are sub-manifestations of ,brahma or the creative ,purusha4 ,they are energies that help creation in various ways4 ,they find no place in the ,hindu worship now4 ,they are invoked only in marriage ceremonies when their appropriateness is evident4 ,the ,vedic gods can be analysed thus3--3 ,purusha ---------------------------------------- ----------- ,creative or ,brahma ,preservative or ,vishnu ,destructive or ,siva #h ,vasus4 #ab ,adityas4 #aa ,rudras4 ,these are #ca gods4 ,then there are ,prajapati and ,indra1 making the number #cc4 ,the ,brihat ,aranyaka says that the #cc ,krores of ,devas are only sub rays of these primary #cc4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,bhuta4 ,by ,sarupa3 -- ,millions of ,rudras and the chief ,pretas4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,angirasa4 7#a7 ,by ,svadha3 -- ,pitris 7comet74 7#b7 ,by ,sati3 -- ,the ,veda known as ,atharva-,angirasa4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,krisasva4 7#a7 ,by ,archis3 -- ,dhuma ketu 7comet74 7#b7 ,by ,dhishana3 -- ,vedasiras1 ,devala1 ,vayuna and ,manu4 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,tarksha4 7#a7 ,by ,vinata3 -- ,garuda 7the vehicle of ,vishnu7 and ,aruna 7the charioteer of the ,sun47 7#b7 ,by ,patangi3 -- ,birds4 7#c7 ,by ,yamini4 -- ,moths and locusts4 7#d7 ,by ,kadru3 -- the serpents4 ,the ,moon3 ,the ,moon married the #bg stars4 ,but he is consumptive 7i4e4 he is consumed874 ,therefore he has no progeny4 7,what is meant by the consumption of a planetary body like the ,moon87 ,,the ,,progeny ,,of ,,kasyapa 7#a7 ,by ,timi3 -- ,aquatic animals4 7#b7 ,by ,sarama3 -- ,wild beasts1 such as ,tigers4 7#c7 ,by ,surabhi4 -- ,cloven-footed animals4 7#d7 ,by ,tamra3 -- ,the ,vultures4 7#e7 ,by ,muni3 -- ,the ,apsarasas4 7#f7 ,by ,krodhavasa3 -- ,serpents such as ,danda ,suka and others4 7#g7 ,by ,ila3 -- ,plants4 7#h7 ,by ,surama3 -- ,the ,rakshasas4 7#i7 ,by ,aristha3 -- ,the ,gandharvas4 7#aj7 ,by ,kastha3 -- ,beasts other than cloven-hoofed4 7#aa7 ,by ,danu3 -- #fa ,danavas the chief of them being ,dvi ,murdha1 ,sambara1 ,aristha1 ,hayagriva1 ,vibhavasu1 ,ayomukha1 ,sanku ,siras1 ,svarbhanu1 ,kapila1 ,putoma1 ,vrisha ,prava1 ,eka-,chakra1 ,anutapana1 ,dhumra-,kesa1 ,virupaksha1 ,vipra-chitti and ,durjaya4 ,namuchi married ,suprabha1 the daughter of ,svar-bhanu4 ,king ,yayati married ,sarmistha1 the daughter of ,vrisha-parvan4 ,vaisvanara was another son of ,danu4 ,he had four daughters4 ,upadanavi1 ,haya-siras1 ,puloma and ,kalaka4 ,puloma and ,kalaka had #fj1jjj valiant sons named ,poulama and ,kalakeya4 ,arjuna alone killed all of them in ,svarga4 ,bipra ,chitti had by his wife ,sinhika #aja sons4 ,the eldest of them is ,rahu4 ,the other hundred are ,ketus4 ,they all became planets4 7#ab7 ,by ,aditi3 -- ,the #ab ,adityas -- ,vivasvat1 ,aryaman1 ,pushan1 ,tvastri1 ,savitri1 ,bhaga1 ,dhatri1 ,vidhatri1 ,varuna1 ,mitra1 ,indra1 and ,vishnu4 ,vivasvat had by his wife ,sanjna two sons ,sraddhadeva ,manu and ,yama 7the death god71 and one daughter the river ,yamuna4 ,this ,sanjna became also a mare and produced the twin ,asvini ,kumaras4 ,he had also by ,chaya two sons ,sanaischara 7,saturn7 and ,savarni ,manu and one daughter ,tapati4 ,tapati had for her husband ,sanvarana4 ,matrika is the wife of ,aryaman4 ,he had by her sons called ,charshani4 7,for ,charshani vide ,supra47 ,the human race has been moulded after them by ,brahma4 ,pushan is childless1 and broken toothed4 ,he partakes only of powdered food4 ,this has been related in the story of ,daksha4 ,rachana is the wife of ,tvastri4 ,she is the daughter of a ,daitya4 ,prajapati ,tvastri had by her one son ,visvarupa4 ,though connected on the mother's side with the ,asuras1 ,visvarupa was made a ,purohita by the ,devas1 when ,brihaspati 7,jupiter7 their former preceptor left them4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #ah499 ,savitri had1 by his wife ,prisni1 three daughters1 ,savitri 7,gayatri71 ,vyahriti 7,bhur1 ,bhuvar1 ,svar1 ,mahar c47 and the ,trayi2 7,rik1 ,yajur1 and ,saman74 ,his sons were ,agnihotra1 ,pasu ,yaga1 ,soma ,yaga1 ,chaturmasya ,yaga and the #e ,maha ,yajnas4 ,bhaga had1 by his wife ,siddhi1 three sons ,mahimart1 ,vibhu and ,prabhu and one daughter ,asis4 ,dhatri had1 by his wife ,kuhu1 one son ,sayam 7evening71 by his wife ,sinivau1 ,darsa 7the new moon day71 by his wife ,raka1 ,pratar 7morn7 and by his wife ,anumati1 ,purnamasa 7full ,moonday74 ,vidhatri had1 by his wife ,kriya1 five ,agnis called ,purishya4 ,charshani is the wife of ,varuna4 ,bhrigu incarnated as his son4 ,it is said that the great ,rishi ,valmika is also ,varuna's son4 ,mitra and ,varuna once felt love for ,urvasi4 ,agastya and ,vasishtha were then born of that ,apsaras4 ,mitra had1 by ,revati1 ,utsarga1 ,arishta and ,pippala4 ,indra had1 by ,paulomi1 ,jayanta1 ,rishabha and ,midhusha4 ,vishnu1 as son of ,aditi1 is known as the ,vamana incarnation4 ,he had by his wife ,kirti one son ,brihat ,sloka 7great fame74 ,his sons were ,sambhoga and others4 7#ac7 ,by ,diti3 ,hiranyakasipu1 ,hiranyaksha and the ,maruts4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,vivsvarupa4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #g-h499 ,indra surrounded by the ,devas1 was seated on the throne of ,triloki4 ,he felt the pride of his position4 ,brihaspati1 the preceptor and guide of all ,devas came1 but ,indra did not rise up to receive him4 ,thus insulted1 ,brihaspati left the place at once and abandoned the ,devas4 ,the ,asuras took this opportunity to put down the ,devas and carried on a severe struggle under the lead of ,sukra4 ,the ,devas were worsted in the fight and they went to ,brahma for redress4 ,brahma advised them to accept the guidance of ,visvarupa1 son of ,tvastri4 ,they gladly went to ,visvarupa and he consented to be their preceptor4 ,visvarupa initiated ,indra into the mysteries of ,narayana ,kabacha 7an invocation to ,vishnu which preserves one against all danger4 ,the invocation must be read in the original1 so no attempt has been made to render it into ,english74 ,with the help of that ,kabacha1 ,indra easily conquered the ,asuras and firmly established once more the ,kingdom of ,triloki4 ,visvarupa had three mouths4 ,with one he used to drink ,soma1 with another he used to drink wine and with the third he used to take his food4 ,while performing ,yajna1 he openly gave oblations to the ,devas1 but secretly reserved some for his mother's relations the ,asuras4 ,indra once found out this treachery4 ,he became angry and cut off the three heads of ,visvarupa4 ,the ,soma drinking head became ,chataka 7the ,swallow1 supposed to live only on rain drops74 ,the liquor imbibing head became ,chataka 7the ,sparrow74 ,the food eating head became ,tittiri 7the francoline partridge74 ,the sin of killing a ,brahmana attached to ,indra4 ,he divided it into equal parts and distributed them between earth1 water1 trees and woman4 ,earth accepted her part on receiving the boon that her cavities would be filled up by nature4 ,but the sin manifests itself in the barren lands4 ,the trees took their part in return for the boon that the wounds on their cuticle should naturally heal up of themselves4 ,but the sin shows itself in the exudation4 ,water was persuaded by the boon that it could mix with any other substance4 ,but the sin shows itself in bubbles and foam4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,vritru4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #i-ac499 ,tvastri became enraged at the death of his son4 ,he gave offerings to ,agni for the destruction of ,indra4 ,a huge and fearful ,asura rose out of the sacrificial fire4 ,the ,devas threw their weapons at him1 but he swallowed them all4 ,wonderstruck they prayed to ,vishnu for help4 ,vishnu asked them to go to ,dadhichi and pray for his body and assured them that the weapon made of his bones by ,visvakarma would cut off the head of ,vritra4 ,the ,devas went to ,dadhichi and got his body4 ,visvakarma made the thunderbolt instrument 7,vajra7 out of his bones4 ,indra went with this instrument at the head of the ,devas to fight with ,vritra4 ,the fight took place at the commencement of ,treta ,yuga in the first ,yuga cycle of ,vaivasvata ,manvantara1 on the banks of the ,narmada4 ,after a severe fight1 the chances shewed themselves favourable to the ,devas4 ,the ,daitya and ,danava chiefs began to shew their backs to the enemies4 ,what is this my companions8 exclaimed ,vritra1 ,is not death inevitable8 ,and what death is more enviable than that with honor and glory8 ,there are two modes of death1 rare though they be1 that are given the palm in all religious books -- one is by control of the ,pranas by means of ,yoga and the other is by facing enemies foremost of all1 in the battle field4 ,but the ,asuras heeded him not4 ,the ,devas ran after them4 ,o ye cowards8 exclaimed ,vritra1 ,what glory do you gain by running after those that fly away4 ,come and approach those that are in the field4 ,so saying he attacked ,indra4 ,indra in anger threw a large club at him4 ,vritra easily took it up with his left hand4 ,he struck it with force on the head of ,airavata1 the elephant of ,indra4 ,the elephant receded #bh cubits and vomitted blood1 ,the magnanimous ,vritra seeing the distress of the animal did not strike it again4 ,indra softly touched the injured animal1 trying to give it relief and he took respite for some time4 ,vritra remembered the wicked deeds of ,indra and addressed him thus ,o thou assassinator of a ,brahmana6 ,thou didst kill thy own ,guru1 my brother ,visvarupa4 ,thou didst raise faith and trust in my brother's mind and still thou didst kill that innocent1 wise ,brahmana1 your own ,guru1 having been initiated by him in ,yajna4 ,your karma makes you worse than even ,rakshasas4 ,it is meet that ,i shall kill thee with this ,trident and make over thy body as food for vultures4 ,and if thou1 ,o ,indra1 cuttest off my head1 ,i shall be free from the bond of ,karma1 by offering my body as ,bali 7sacrificial food7 to the animals4 ,here ,i stand before thee4 ,why dost thou not strike with the ,vajra4 ,thou hast been favoured by ,vishnu and by ,dadhichi4 ,victory and all the virtues always follow ,vishnu4 ,i will do as advised by my deity ,sankarshana and attain after death the state of ,yogins by sacrificing this body4 ,o ,bhagavat1 may ,i ever and ever remain in the ,service of thy votaries4 ,this ,i deem a thousand times more desirable than the attainment of the ,supreme ,abode1 or of ,siddhis or of ,mukti4 ,vritra then took the trident in hand and attacked ,indra -- ,indra then had recourse to ,vajra and he easily cut off both the trident and one hand of ,vritra4 ,vritra took a club in the other hand and struck both ,indra and the elephant4 ,the ,vajra slipped out of the hands of ,indra and he felt ashamed to pick it up in the presence of his enemy4 ,pick it up1 ,o ,king of ,devas1 and kill your enemy4 ,this is no time for shame or sorrow4 ,it is not you or ,i that are the real actors4 ,bhagavan is guiding us all4 ,he guides the whole ,universe4 ,look at me4 ,i have been worsted1 hand and weapon gone1 still ,i am trying my best to kill you4 ,this our fight is but like the game of dice in which the life of one of us is the stake4 ,indra could not help wondering at the wisdom and magnanimity of ,vritra4 ,he exclaimed ,o king of ,danavas6 thou hast got over the ,maya of ,vishnu4 ,the ,asura nature has altogether- left thee and thou art fixed in devotion to ,vishnu4 ,verily thou art a ,mahatma now4 ,they again engaged in fight4 ,this time ,indra cut off both the club and the other hand with the help of ,vajra -- ,vritra then opened his mouth and swallowed ,indra4 ,there was loud wailing and lamentation all round4 ,but ,indra broke through the interior of ,vritra with the help of ,vajra1 and he then forcibly applied the bolt to cut off the head of ,vritra4 ,the bolt though actively employed could only sever the head of the ,asura ,king in #cfj days4 ,the flame of self from ,vritra's body merged in ,shankarshana in the presence of the ,devas4 ,the sin of killing a ,brahmana a second time followed ,indra in the form of a hideous old outcaste woman4 ,he fled away into the ,manasa lake and entered the filament of a lotus stalk4 ,he remained there concealed for one thousand years4 ,king ,nahusha reigned in ,svarga during that time4 ,but as he became maddened in pride1 ,sachi the wife of ,indra made him a serpent4 ,the ,brahmanas then called back ,indra to ,svarga1 and he reigned there again4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,chitraketu4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #ad-ag499 ,chitraketu1 the ,king of ,surasena had ten millions of wives1 but he had no son4 ,rishi ,angiras once came to him4 ,the ,king expressed regret for his childlessness4 ,angiras performed a ,yajna in honor of ,tvastri1 and gave the sacrificial remnants to the eldest wife4 ,you shall have a son1 ,o ,king6 said ,angiras4 ,but he will give you joy and sorrow both4 ,in time the eldest ,queen bore a son4 ,her co-wives grew jealous and poisoned the child4 ,chitraketu was deeply moved1 and he wept profusely4 ,at the time ,narada and ,angiras came to him4 ,they taught him the worship of ,shankarshana4 ,chitraketu became fixed in the meditation of this second manifestation of ,chaturvyuha1 and this made him very powerful4 ,he became the ,king of the ,vidyadharas4 ,once ,chitraketu was roaming over the firmament on the chariot given him by ,vishnu1 when he saw ,siva surrounded by his attendants openly embracing ,his consort ,bhavani4 ,chitraketu made some taunting remarks in the hearing of all4 ,siva simply smiled1 and so did ,his attendants4 ,but ,bhavani cursed ,chitraketu with an ,asura birth4 ,chitaketu accepted the curse with an unruffled mind1 saying it was the way of all beings to meet with things pleasant and unpleasant in this perishable world1 and he only asked ,bhavani to pardon him1 if he had offended her4 ,look how bold the followers of ,vishnu are6 exclaimed ,siva1 ,they fear no body in this world4 ,i am also a follower of ,vishnu4 ,so ,i took no offence at the words of the ,king ,vidyadhara4 ,chitraketu became ,vritra by this curse1 but his magnanimity and devotion to ,vishnu were not lost4 ,,the ,,daityas4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #ah499 ,,kasyapa ,diti4 -------------------------------------- ,hiranyakasipu ,hiranyaksha #di ,maruts4 ,kayadhu ,bhanu ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,sanhrada ,anuhrada ,hrada ,prahlada ,sinhika ,mati ,surya4 ,dhamanti ,drarvi4 ,viprachit ,panchajana ------- ----- ,rahu4 ,vashkala4 ,mahisha4 ,vatapi ,ilvala ,virochana4 ,bali ,asana -------------- ,bana #ii sons4 ,,the ,,maruts4 99,,skandha ,,vi4 ,,chap4 #ah-ai499 ,diti was very much grieved by the loss of her sons1 caused by ,indra4 ,she ardently wished to have a son who could kill ,indra4 ,with this object1 she served ,kasyapa with all her heart and pleased him much4 ,kasyapa offered to give her any boon1 and she prayed for an immortal son that would kill ,indra4 ,sorely perplexed in mind1 the ,rishi thought within himself of a device4 ,he said ,i grant you the boon1 but you shall have to observe ,punsavana ,vrata for one full year4 ,this is a ,vaisnava ,vrata1 the performance of which requires absolute purity of body and mind4 ,kasyapa related the details to his wife1 7for which refer to the original74 ,his object was to give an immortal son to ,diti and to purify her mind by this ,vrata1 so that she might cast1 off all enmity against ,indra4 ,he also thought it possible that his wife might not observe the strict rules for such a long time4 ,diti however accepted the conditions1 and she bore a son4 ,indra became very much frightened1 and he closely watched his step mother to discover a breach of the rules4 ,he followed and served ,diti always and tried to please her4 ,one day ,diti became very much tired1 and she fell asleep after eating before she could wash her hands1 mouth and feet4 ,finding this opportunity1 ,indra1 by his ,yogic powers entered the womb and split the child into #g parts4 ,the ,maruts wept and requested their half-brother not to kill them4 ,indra consoled them saying that they need have no fear from him1 and he would make them his companions4 ,he then split each of the seven into as many parts again4 ,by the favour of ,vishnu1 the ,maruts were not destroyed1 but came out all alive from the womb of ,diti4 ,it was a little short of one year still4 ,indra made them drinkers of ,soma and his chief companions4 ,diti woke up1 and she was astonished to find #di sons by her4 ,tell me ,indra if thou knowest said she1 how is it ,i have these #di sons instead of one4 ,pray do not conceal any thing4 ,indra gave the whole story to ,diti and expressed great repentance4 ,he assured ,diti that the ,maruts would be his best companions4 ,diti's mind had been purified1 and she allowed her sons to become ,devas4 ,thus the ,maruts1 though born as ,daityas1 became immortal ,devas4 7,marut ,vayu air4 ,vayu corresponds to the sense of touch and to vital energy74 ,,skandha ,,vii4 ,,the ,,mysteries ,,about ,,the ,,suras ,,and ,,the ,,asuras4 99,,skandha ,,vii4 ,,chap4 #g-a499 ,raja ,parikshit said3 -- ,to ,bhagavan1 all beings are equal1 and ,he is the dear friend of all4 ,why did he kill the ,daityas for the sake of ,indra1 as if ,he was not above partiality4 ,supreme ,bliss ,himself1 ,he had nothing to gain from the ,devas4 ,being above the control of the ,gunas1 ,he had no fear from the ,asuras1 and he did not bear any unfriendly feeling for them4 ,we are in doubt as to the virtues of ,narayana4 ,please clear up the doubt4 ,suka replied3 -- ,void of ,gunas1 without beginning1 without manifestation1 beyond ,prakriti1 ,bhagavan pervades and permeates the ,gunas of ,his ,maya4 ,hence ,his seeming relations4 ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas are not ,his ,gunas1 but they are the ,gunas of ,prakriti4 ,these attributes or tendencies of ,prakriti do not all prevail at one and the same period2 but they have got their periods of increase and decrease4 7,that is1 since the beginning of the universe1 the general tendency which guides all beings is different at different times4 ,thus at the very outset there was inertia1 ,tamas4 ,this inertia was got over by ,rajas1 which predominated in the ,prajapatis1 and the life-forms appeared on the globes4 ,there was ,tamas again in the mineral kingdom1 which had to be conquered by ,rajasic activity4 ,and ,rajas was in full swing till humanity reached a certain stage4 ,then ,satva manifested itself for the evolution of men4 ,the spiritual regeneration will be brought about by the ever increasing prevalence of ,satva74 ,when ,satva prevails1 ,bhagavan favours the ,devas and ,rishis4 ,when ,rajas prevails1 ,he favours the ,asuras4 ,when ,tamas prevails1 ,he favors the ,yakshas and ,rakshasas4 ,he follows in fact the periodic tendency4 ,it is ,kala 7,periodicity7 that now brings up ,satva4 ,so the ,lord seems to favour the hosts of ,devas1 in whom ,satva prevails4 ,he also seems to put down the hosts of ,asuras1 who are opposed to the ,devas being full of ,rajas and ,tamas4 ,it is also to favour the ,asuras that ,he kills them4 ,for we have seen above1 how the gate-keepers of ,vishnu became ,hiranyaksha and ,hiranyakasipu by the curse of the ,kumara brothers4 ,they had to become ,asuras for three successive births4 ,in the second birth1 they became ,ravana and ,kumbhakarna1 when they were killed by ,rama4 ,in their last birth1 they became ,shishupala and ,danta-vakra1 when they were killed by ,sri ,krishna4 ,then they became finally liberated and restored to their place in ,vaikuntha4 7,the ,spiritual ascent commenced finally on the appearance of ,sri ,krishna4 ,it was to prevail for the remaining life period of the universe4 ,the ,asuras had done their work by this time1 and therefore they finally returned to ,vaikuntha74 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,the ,daityas and the ,danavas are both called ,asuras4 ,but there is a radical difference between the two classes4 ,the ,daityas are opposed to the ,a-dityas4 ,the root verb da means to cut to pieces1 to separate4 ,diti is that which separates4 ,aditi is that which does not separate4 ,jivatma is the same in all beings4 ,one life principle animates all the forms of creation4 ,the idea of separateness did not exist from before4 ,the elementals that began life in this ,kalpa from the spiritual plane1 have hardly any idea of separate existence4 ,the ,devas and ,pitris are described as classes 7ganas71 and not as individuals4 ,in the ,mineral ,kingdom1 again1 there is no individual existence4 ,individuality has to be worked out1 and the sons of ,diti bring about this great work in the evolution of life forms4 ,when we have the sense of separate existence strong in us1 we become capable of further evolution4 ,by our individual experiences1 we know what is right and what is wrong1 what is pleasurable and what is painful4 ,things that give joy give pain as well4 ,it is the measure of pleasure or pain that teaches us what to covet and what to shun4 ,then we have the fact that by our very existence we have duties to perform4 ,the teachings of other ages that are revealed to the ,rishis and proclaimed by them1 give us a better idea of things1 and they tell us more than we can know of by our own experience4 ,the ,asuras lead us on and on1 till we reach the highest point that1 with a sense of individuality1 we may attain4 ,when the individual soul gathers all experience that may be acquired by the idea of separateness1 it traces back its way to that spiritual home whence it came4 ,in the return journey1 it is helped by the ,adityas1 who gradually efface the idea of separateness1 by an ever increasing infusion of ,satva3 ,vishnu himself became ,aditya and taught men the unity of all souls4 ,the ,adityas who guided the early elementals had to be crushed1 so that separateness might grow4 ,pushan and ,bhaga were therefore overpowered by the attendants of ,siva at the sacrifice of ,daksha4 ,the ,adityas who guide humanity in their return to spirituality are themselves high spiritual energies1 the highest ,devas of our ,triloki4 ,our evolution is thus two-fold -- individual and non-individual4 ,when we work as individuals1 we are under the influence of ,daityas4 ,when we want to cast off separateness1 we are under the influence of the ,adityas4 ,in both cases1 however1 it is the bliss element in us that is worked on by the ,daityas and ,a-dityas4 ,this bliss element is our eternal heritage from ,ishvara1 and it is this element that saves us in our contact with manifold matter4 ,the measure of bliss1 7ananda71 enables us to judge what matter to accept and what not4 ,individuality developed under ,hiranyakasipu1 and all sorts of blissful experiences were acquired4 ,the sons of ,hiranyakasipu were all called ,bliss 7,hrada71 but the perfection of ,bliss 7,pra-,hrada7 was in ,prahlada1 ,he found out that the worldly joys were unreal1 and that the real joy could be had only from ,him above1 who was joy itself4 ,but ,prahlada did not realise that there was one life underlying all beings1 and that all beings were essentially one and the same4 ,he was separate in his devotion1 though unselfish to the extreme4 ,he knew that men had separate existences1 and while he attained perfection1 others did not4 ,it was therefore his duty to raise others to his level4 ,with all unselfishness and devotion1 ,prahlada was an ,asura1 because he worked from the stand point of individual life4 ,the foster-father of ,sri ,krishna was ,nanda1 the word meaning also bliss4 ,but the bliss of ,gopas and ,gopis consisted in forgetting self altogether4 ,the bliss that was then evolved will draw humanity to the highest level of spirituality in our ,kalpa4 ,the reign of the ,daityas may be divided into three periods3 -- ,i4 -- ,the period of ,hiranyaksha and ,hiranyakasipu4 ,,ii4 -- ,the period of ,ravana and ,kumbhakarna4 ,,iii4 -- ,the period of ,shishupala and ,dantavakra4 ,i4 ,hiranyaksha and ,hiranyakasipu4 ,jaya and ,vijaya are the outer aspects of ,vishnu4 ,vishnu preserves the universe1 and ,he preserves all beings4 ,existence1 consciousness and bliss all proceed from ,vishnu1 and it is these essential attributes that bring about the involution and evolution of all beings4 ,in minerals1 there is existence1 but it is ,tamasic4 ,consciousness and bliss are completely eclipsed by the ,tamasic opacity of gross matter4 ,in the vegetables1 there is existence and something more -- the bare dawning of perceptive consciousness4 ,there is predominating ,tamas in the vegetables also4 ,but ,rajas also tries to manifest itself4 ,in the animals1 ,rajas asserts itself by increasing activity1 and by the action of the senses4 ,the animals exist1 they are conscious and they have blissful experiences4 ,in men1 ,rajas plays the most important part4 ,through the ever increasing activities of mind and the development of consciousness1 man runs after all sorts of experience1 pleasurable and painful1 till at last the idea of lasting and real bliss settles down in him1 and he knows more of bliss than any other being in the universe4 ,the future evolution of man lies in the permanence of spiritual bliss1 which is purely ,satvic in its character4 ,vishnu preserves all beings in their ,tamasic1 ,rajasic and ,satvic stages4 ,for preservation means the maintenance as well as the improvement of beings4 ,therefore preservation is ,satvic1 and ,vishnu is the ,preserver4 ,we live and move onwards in all stages of our being4 ,but in ,rajasic and ,tamasic stages1 it is the attendants of ,vishnu1 the door-keepers1 that preserve us1 and the ,daityas are the lower manifestations of ,jaya and ,vijaya4 ,one is ,tamasic and the other ,rajasic4 ,hiranyaksha is ,tamasic4 ,he represents the original inertia of matter1 its primary resistance to the onward process of evolution4 ,there was existence after ,pralayic sleep ,but it was homogeneous existence1 with little or no phenomenal change4 ,varaha got over this homogeneal tenacity by the killing of ,hiranyaksha1 and he set going the process of planetary and individual life4 ,hiranyakasipu came next4 ,he was the favoured son of ,brahma4 ,he helped the evolution of individual life4 ,minerals became vegetables4 ,vegetables became animals1 and animals became men4 ,the intellectual power of men rapidly increased1 and there was material and moral progress4 ,the limit of moral progress was reached by ,prahlada4 ,but the ideal of ,prahlada was based upon the conception of differences and of individualities4 ,it is for this reason that ,varna and ,ashrama ,dharma1 or the separate duties of life for separate classes of men1 is dealt with in the discourses with ,prahlada4 ,but though ,prahlada was a son of ,hiranyakasipu1 he was an exception to the general run of material evolution which was fostered by ,hiranyakasipu4 ,hiranyakasipu hated the development of ,satvic virtues1 he hated ,hari1 the embodiment of ,satva4 ,nrisinha killed the great ,daitya1 and ,satva made its appearance in men4 ,hiranya means gold4 ,hiranyaksha is gold-eyed4 ,hiranyakasipu is gold bedded4 ,,ii4 ,ravana and ,kumbhakarna4 ,hiranyakasipu represented the gradual development of material and intellectual evolution1 till the highest point was reached4 ,then there was a period of intellectual abuse4 ,the ,intellect of man tried to get a supremacy over the established order of things3 ,ravana sought to make ,nature subservient to his own purposes4 ,the universe existed for man1 and not man for nature4 ,this was the perverse idea that guided the people of the ,atlantean ,continent4 ,the intellectual giants1 maddened by this material grandeur1 did not look for any world beyond the one they lived in4 ,they cared not for ,svarga1 nor for the sacrifices that led to ,svarga4 ,the flow of evolution1 the breath of ,ishvara seemed to stand still for a time as it were4 ,the human will tried to override the divine will4 ,there was chaos and disorder1 which tended to cause dissolution in the universe4 ,hence ,ravana was a ,rakshasa4 ,the ,tamasic ,kumbhakarna with his six-monthly sleep was the back ground of ,ravana4 ,the spiritual forces that were called forth to put an end to this state of things were equal to the occasion4 ,the great ,atlantean ,continent was washed away by the sea4 ,the sacred ,ganga came rushing forward from the heights of the ,himalayas1 and eventually ,rama appeared to give a finishing stroke to the evolutionary work of the time4 ,vishvamitra and others had paved the way for the great work undertaken by ,rama4 ,they propounded the ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas4 ,men who knew nothing but the joys and sorrows of this short span of earthly life1 and whose ideas and aspirations were all confined to that life1 made a great advance when they were taught of an existence after death4 ,when they further knew that life in ,svarga was infinitely happier and far more lasting than what they called life on this earth1 they made the beginning of a really spiritual life4 ,the ,vedic ,devas are permanent dwellers in ,svarga1 and the ,vedic ,sacrifices establish communion with them by means of ,apurva1 a spiritual force generated by the performance of sacrifices1 and life in ,svarga becomes prolonged for a very very long period4 ,people took time to understand this truth1 but in time they accepted the performance of ,vedic ,sacrifices as the only religion for man4 ,there was however a re-action4 ,the intellectual giants1 called ,rakshasas1 looked down upon ,vedic ,sacrifices1 and they did not care for any life after death4 ,they were the worst enemies of the ,vedic ,rishis4 ,vishvamitra took the help of ,rama in protecting the ,rishis in the peaceful performance of ,yajnas4 ,but people had grown old in their ideas about ,vedic sacrifices4 ,the first seceders were some ,kshatriyas4 ,they did not understand why ,vedic ,sacrifices should be the monopoly of ,brahmanas1 and they aspired to the position acquired by them4 ,the foremost of these ,kshatriyas were the ,haihayas and ,talajanghas4 ,but they were defeated by ,parashurama1 who re-established the supremacy of the ,brahmanas4 ,but a silent revolution was going on1 in which the ,kshatriyas and ,brahmanas equally took part4 ,king ,janaka and ,rishi ,yajnavalkya gave the finishing stroke to the ,upanishad movement1 and side by side with ,karma ,kanda grew up the ,jnana ,kanda of the ,vedas4 ,rama brought the two divisions of the ,vedas into closer union1 as he was himself the resting place of both4 ,and as ,vishnu himself1 ,he became the object of ,upasana4 ,the three ,paths appeared1 that of ,karma1 ,bhakti and ,jnana4 ,vedic ,sacrifices held their own1 and a school grew up which accepted these as the highest ,karma which man could perform4 ,another school1 following the very old teachings of ,kapila1 dissected the transformable parts in man and discriminated the same from the non-transformable4 ,a sister school followed up the teaching with practices in conformity to these1 and taught how to concentrate the mind on the discriminated ,atma4 ,another school confined itself to the properties of matter and mind1 soul and oversoul1 and remained wonder-struck at the superior properties that divided ,jiva from ,ishvara4 ,schools of independent thought grew up4 ,each school had its followers4 ,there were differences and dissensions4 ,there was disunion1 self-sufficiency1 pride1 envy1 jealousy and other evil traits of human character that thinks too much of itself4 ,every one followed his own faith and hated the follower of other faiths4 ,this was the cycle of ,shishupala and ,dantavakta4 ,jarasandha performed ,vedic sacrifices1 and he put in chains the ,vaishnava kings4 ,there were those who believed in the existence of two primary causes1 7,dvivid74 ,men1 like the king of ,kashi1 prided themselves on mock wisdom4 ,religious faiths existed in all possible shades1 and their difference was accentuated by dogmatism and mutual jealousy4 ,the ,vedas are different1 the ,smritis are different4 ,he is not a ,muni1 who has not some distinctive opinion of his own4 ,this well known verse related strictly to the period of which we are now speaking4 ,shishupala had respect for the ,munis4 ,he was essentially a man of the period4 ,sri ,krishna taught harmony4 ,he gave the essence of all religions1 the eternal truths that formed the ground work of all faiths4 ,he proclaimed in the clearest language possible the ,one underlying the ,many1 the eternal ,brahman as forming the essence of ,jiva and ,ishvara4 ,he particularly emphasised the relations of man1 ,ishvara and the universe1 and the duties that followed from these relations4 ,religion became a science1 the law universal1 and all teachings found there respective places in the universal religion which ,he proclaimed4 ,the ,rishis bowed down their heads before ,him4 ,the ,upanishads were never explained so lucidly before4 ,the key-note of all truths and all religions was unravelled beyond all doubt4 ,such knowledge could proceed only from ,ishvara ,himself4 ,the ,rishis recognised ,sri ,krishna as the ,lord4 ,but ,shishupala was slow to believe in this novel revolution4 ,he did not understand why the ,rishis gave the first place to ,sri ,krishna at the ,rajasuya sacrifice performed by ,raja ,yudhisthira4 ,the difference formed a religion with ,shishupala4 ,but the age of differences was doomed4 ,the age of unity1 of harmony1 of spiritual glory was now to reign in the ,universe4 ,hundreds and hundreds of years have passed away1 but the scriptures one and all proclaim the glory of the ,lord ,sri ,krishna4 ,what ,he has done for our universe1 we shall see later on4 ,danta-vakra was the ,tamasic counterpart of ,shishupala4 ,the ,asuras advanced as the ,kalpic age advanced4 ,there was no end of advancement from the standpoint of self4 ,there is no big jump from individual self to universal self4 ,though the essential idea of spirituality is unity and the essential idea of materiality is diversity1 the one idea develops into the other idea1 by an ever widening view of things4 ,our duties enlarge4 ,our relations increase4 ,the range of life widens1 till it includes the life in ,svarga4 ,vedic ,yajna is then performed1 though from a pure motive of self-advancement4 ,the advanced self comes very near to the universal self4 ,the performance of ,vedic sacrifices is ,asuric in so far as it is selfish1 but it minimises the self of earthly existence1 and gives a transitory character to our worldly joys and sufferings1 and it gives the idea of an enlarged self1 of widened existence and of higher duties4 ,the ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas therefore opens the door widely to real spiritual life4 ,this explains why ,vishvarupa1 an ,asura1 guided the ,devas for some time4 ,the three heads of ,vishvarupa represent the three ,vedas4 ,the swallow head is the ,rik1 the sparrow head is the ,saman1 and the ,tittiri head is proverbially the ,yajur4 ,this refers to the prevalence of ,karma ,kanda4 ,but when better times came1 ,indra killed ,vishva-rupa4 ,the place of ,vishva-rupa was however speedily taken1 up by ,vritra4 ,and ,indra had recourse to ,atharva1 the fourth ,veda and to ,dadhichi1 a votary 7represented as the son7 of ,atharva ,veda1 the very ideal of self-sacrifice4 ,and who is this ,vritra8 ,the ,vedas say3 -- ,sa iman lokan ,avrinot etat ,vritrasya ,vritratvam4 ,he spread over 7vri7 all these ,lokas1 this is the ,vritraship of ,vritra4 ,the ,bhagavata says3 -- ,these ,lokas are spread over by him in the form of ,tvashtri's ,tapas4 ,hence he is called ,vritra4 ,,vi4 -- #i-xviii4 ,the invocation of ,tvashtri is thus described in the ,bhagavata3 -- ,rise up1 ,o ,indra -- ,shatru1 never give up enmity4 ,,vi -- #i-xii4 ,the word shatru means enemy4 ,tvastri meant to say he who is to become the enemy of ,indra4 ,but by proper grammatical construction1 the expression means1 he of whom ,indra is to become the enemy4 ,the invocation was therefore defective and it produced a contrary result4 ,panini points this out as an apt illustration of what bad grammar leads to4 ,the ,vedas thus speak of the invocation3 -- ,as he said-,svaha6 ,o ,indra-,shatru6 rise up -- so ,indra became the enemy of ,vritra4 ,notwithstanding his wisdom1 ,chitra-ketu was anxious to have a son4 ,he wept bitterly1 when the son was lost4 ,he was a votary of ,sankarshana1 who presides over ,ahankara or ,egoism4 ,so by devotion he became the king of the ,vidyadharas4 ,this selfish devotion1 the worship of ,gods for the gratification of selfish aspiration1 which is so universal1 is ,vritra4 ,vritra was killed by a weapon made of the bones of ,dadhichi the ,rishi of self-sacrifice4 ,we want to kill thee for thy bones1 for they will be of service to the universe1 so said the ,devas4 ,and ,dadhichi felt the height of pleasure in giving himself completely up1 that the universe might prosper4 ,we are told that the fight with ,vritra took place in the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara4 ,the readers will easily understand why this is so4 ,the fight between the ,devas and the ,asuras is only a counterpart of struggles on our earth between the forces of materiality and spirituality4 ,with the appearance of ,lord ,krishna1 the ascendancy of the ,asuras is virtually over1 and however self-seeking we may be by our nature1 we bow down before the ideal of unselfishness1 of ,one ,life pervading all beings1 so prominently held before us by that greatest of all ,avataras1 and the circle of those that follow this ideal is daily increasing4 ,but why is ,atharva ,veda spoken of as the ,veda of unselfishness8 ,the popular idea about that ,veda is quite the contrary4 ,people resort to it for ,tantric malpractices4 ,the ,vajra or thunderbolt is an electric current1 which in the hands of ,indra has the power of spiritualisation4 ,the ,asuras dread the subtle forces of nature which reach them even in the regions of ,patala4 ,who knows what purpose the electric discharges serve in the economy of nature8 ,who knows of the subtler currents of spiritual forces that silently bring about the grandest revolutions in nature8 ,atharva ,veda inculcates an intimate acquaintance with the subtle forces of nature4 ,it opens the door alike to ,white as well as ,black ,magic4 ,but at the present day1 the ,black ,magic only survives1 making the ,atharva a name of opprobrium and reproach4 ,marut is ,vayu4 ,the ,maruts are forms of ,pranic energy4 ,they are #di in number1 corresponding to the #di forms of ,agni4 ,these #di forms include all sorts of ,pranic energy in the spiritual1 intellectual and material planes4 ,as the whole process of evolution is dependent on life activities1 and as life itself is essentially divine1 the ,maruts are the companions of ,indra4 ,as by life1 we understand individual life as imprisoned in ,jivic centres1 the ,maruts are by birth ,daityas4 ,we have lingered so long over the ,daityas4 ,the ,danavas are also called ,asuras1 but they are essentially different from the ,daityas4 ,every individual has got two aspects -- ,prakritic and ,purushic4 ,the ,purusha aspect in him is limited by the individual ,prakriti4 ,the individual limitation appertains to the ,daityas4 ,the ,prakritic element in man is ,danavic4 ,the chief ,danava1 ,maya1 is an aspect of ,maya4 ,maya is a great magician1 as the essence of ,prakriti is illusion4 ,duryodhana and his brothers could not discriminate between the illusory aspect of the assembly-ground prepared by ,maya4 ,to the ,pandavas1 the followers of ,sri ,krishna1 there was no illusion4 ,the ,danavas lead men away from spirituality1 so much so that they may be estranged completely from their spiritual nature4 ,these dark forces in nature have no redeeming feature in them4 ,fortunately for the history of the universe1 we do not hear much of them4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,hiranyakasipu4 99,,skandha ,,vii4 ,,chap4 #b-d499 ,upon the death of ,hiranyaksha1 ,hiranyakasipu collected his companions and told them that ,vishnu was no longer keeping that neutrality and impartiality which he had observed of yore4 ,on the contrary1 he had taken the side of the ,devas1 under the pretence of ,upasana4 ,he then consoled his nephew and his brother's wife by words of wisdom explaining to them the transitory character of the world and the permanence of ,atma4 ,he also told them several stories to illustrate the point4 ,hiranyakasipu vowed enmity to ,vishnu4 ,he prayed hard for immortality and supremacy over the ,triloki4 ,brahma became pleased with his asceticism and enquired what boon he wanted4 ,said ,hiranyakasipu3 -- ,let me have no death from any one created by ,thee4 ,let not those that are not created by ,thee kill me inside or outside1 by day or by night1 with any weapon1 either on the earth or in the air4 ,let no man or animal1 with or without life 7asu7 ,deva1 ,daitya or serpent kill me4 ,as thou art without a rival in battle1 the one glorious lord of all beings and all ,lokapalas1 so let me be too4 ,let me possess all the ,siddhis1 7,anima c47 ,brahma said1 ,amen4 ,hiranyakasipu then ruled the ,universe4 ,he took the place of ,indra4 ,all the ,devas worshipped him4 ,brahmanas and other ,grihasthas performed ,yajna in his honor and gave offerings to him4 ,the earth yielded plenty even without much effort4 ,there was prosperity all around4 ,the ,shastras were however not duly respected4 7,all this is a description of the material period1 the reign of ,materiality74 ,a long1 long time passed on in this way4 ,at last the ,lokapalas could bear it no longer4 ,they prayed to ,vishnu for relief4 ,the ,devas heard a voice from heaven ,wait ye all4 ,the time has not yet come for the fall of ,hiranyakasipu4 ,he shall be the enemy of his own son4 ,i kill him then4 -- ,assured by these words1 the ,devas went to their own place4 ,,hiranyakasipu ,,and ,,prahlada4 99,,skandha ,,vii4 ,,chap4 #d-i499 ,hiranyakasipu had #d sons4 ,of these ,prahlada was great in his virtues4 ,he was respectful1 well-behaved1 truthful1 self-controlled1 friendly to all beings1 and great in his devotion4 ,even in his infancy1 he gave up play and constantly meditated on ,vasudeva4 ,the things of the world had no relish for him4 ,in the exuberance of devotional feelings1 he sometimes laughed1 sometimes wept1 sometimes sang and sometimes danced4 ,at times when the feelings were profound1 he remained quiet with hair standing on end while tears flowed down his cheeks4 ,shanda and ,amarka1 sons of ,shukra1 had charge of the education of ,prahlada4 ,he heard and learned whatever they had to say1 but he inwardly did not like the teachings about mine and thine and about the transitory things of the world4 ,once ,hiranyakasipu placed ,prahlada on his lap and asked him -- ,what do you consider to be righteous 7,sadhu78 ,prahlada replied3 -- ,human souls enshrined in bodies are always distracted on account of false perceptions4 ,o great ,asura1 ,i therefore consider it righteous to leave the house1 which like a dark well causes the downfall of ,atma1 in order to go to the forest and take the shelter of ,vishnu4 ,hiranyakasipu smiled and said3 -- ,it is thus that boys are spoiled by others4 ,take him back to the house of his teachers and let them see that ,vaishnavas in disguise may not confound his ,buddhi4 ,the teachers brought him to their house and asked him in gentle and sweet words3 -- ,child1 do not conceal any thing from us4 ,we are your teachers4 ,tell us whether this perversity is spontaneous in you or whether it is acquired from others4 ,said ,prahlada3 -- ,i and others1 this is mere false perception caused by the ,maya of ,bhagavan4 ,so salutations to ,him4 ,when ,bhagavan becomes kind1 it is then only that the difference-making perception of men disappears4 ,as the iron moves of itself in the presence of a magnet1 so the distraction in my ,budhi1 if you like to call it so1 rises of itself in the presence of ,vishnu4 ,get the cane1 said one of the teachers1 ,this wicked boy will put us all to shame4 ,he is a disgrace to his family4 ,it is but meet to punish him4 ,the ,daityas are sandal trees and this boy is a thorn plant amongst them4 ,vishnu is the one for the extirpation of the sandal forest1 and this boy is his handle4 ,they threatened ,prahlada in various ways and taught him ,dharma1 ,artha and ,kama1 and the different devices to subdue one's enemies4 ,at last they thought ,prahlada had been well trained4 ,so they took him to the king4 ,the king embraced the child and said ,prahlada1 my boy1 you have been so long with your teachers4 ,tell me what you have learned1 as the best of all4 ,prahlada replied3 -- ,hearing of ,vishnu1 recital of ,his glory1 constant remembrance of ,him1 attendance on ,hari1 ,his worship1 adoration1 service1 and friendship1 and offering oneself entirely to ,him this is ninefold ,bhakti4 ,this ,bhakti is to be offered to ,vishnu and acted upon4 ,this ,i deem to be the best teaching4 ,hiranyakasipu reproved the teachers in anger4 ,they told him1 it was neither from themselves nor from any one else that ,prahlada had these teachings1 but that they were spontaneous with him4 ,the ,asura king then addressing his son said3 -- ,if you have not learned these things from your teachings1 whence could you have such a vicious inclination4 ,prahlada replied3 -- ,inclination for ,vishnu does not come to the ,grihastha either from himself or from any other4 ,one blind man cannot lead another4 ,it is the company of ,mahatmas alone that can give such an inclination4 ,hiranyakasipu could bear it no longer4 ,he threw down the child from his embrace1 and asked the ,asuras to kill him at once or expel him4 ,they cried out kill him1 kill him1 and struck the five year old child with their spears4 ,but ,prahlada was deeply concentrated in ,bhagavan1 so he felt not the spears at all4 ,this put ,hiranyakasipu in fear1 and he devised means to kill the boy4 ,he tried big elephants1 venomous serpents1 ,tantric practices1 throwing down the child from the hills1 enclosing him in cavities1 poisoning1 starvation1 cold1 air1 fire1 water1 but failed to kill his innocent son4 ,he then thought his end was near at hand and became melancholy4 ,shanda and ,amarka told him not to entertain fears1 but to wait till ,shukra came4 ,the king asked them to take charge of the boy once more4 ,they again commenced to teach him their sciences4 ,one day the teachers left the house on business4 ,the boys were all engaged in play1 and they invited ,prahlada into their midst4 ,prahlada took the opportunity to instruct the boys4 ,he explained to them in eloquent terms the transitoriness of all joys and sorrows and the vanity of all worldly attachments4 ,he taught them the imperishable character of ,atma1 and dilated on its relation to the body and the universe4 ,he then preached in glowing words friendliness to all beings and devotion to ,bhagavan4 ,he then told the boys that he had learned these things himself from ,narada4 ,the boys expressed wonder1 for they knew ,prahlada to have been always under the tuition of ,shanda and ,amarka4 ,prahlada informed them that when ,hiranyakasipu had gone to the ,mandara mountain for prayer1 the ,devas attacked his kingdom1 and ,indra carried away his wife4 ,prahlada was then in her womb4 ,narada kept ,hiranyakasipu's wife in his own ,ashrama till he had taught to her1 more for the child in the womb than for the mother1 the whole of ,atma ,vidya4 ,prahlada again continued the discourse and impressed on his companions in the most eloquent words1 full of wisdom1 the utility and nature of devotion4 7,the original discourse will repay perusal74 ,the teachers returned and found the contagion of ,vaishnavism had also spread amongst other boys4 ,they instantly reported the matter to ,hiranyakasipu4 ,the king became all wrath and angry4 ,he sent for ,prahlada4 ,prahlada approached him with all respect and humility4 ,the king thundered forth thus3 -- ,what makes thee so often disobey me1 thou vile enemy of thy own race8 ,dost thou not know that ,i will instantly put thee to death8 ,all ,triloki dreads me and trembles when ,i am enraged4 ,but thou dost break my words without the least fear in thy mind4 ,father1 said ,prahlada1 ,bhagavan is my only strength4 ,he is not only my strength1 but also yours and that of the whole world4 ,look upon all as your own self1 father4 ,unfortunate that thou art1 said ,hiranyakasipu1 ,tell me1 who else is there besides myself whom thou callest ,bhagavan or ,ishvara4 ,where is he8 ,said ,prahlada1 ,he is everywhere4 ,why not then in this pillar8 ,yes1 ,i see him there4 ,well1 let me sever your head from your body and see how your ,hari can preserve you4 ,so saying1 ,hiranyakasipu took sword in hand and violently struck the pillar with his fist4 ,a great noise was heard at the time1 and the fearful ,nrisinha came out of the pillar1 half man1 half lion4 ,hiranyakasipu with wonder saw ,he was neither man nor animal4 ,nrisinha placed the ,asura king on his thighs and tore him with ,his nails to death4 7,for a description of ,nrisinha and of the fight refer to the original74 ,the ,devas all collected and prayed to ,him one after the other4 ,but ,nrisinha was still in a rage and they dared not approach ,him4 ,brahma at last sent ,prahlada to pacify ,him4 ,prahlada approached ,him slowly and prostrated himself at ,his feet2 ,nrisinha became full of tenderness and placed his hand on the head of ,prahlada4 ,that divine touch removed all evil from ,prahlada and illumined his mind with ,brahma ,vidya4 ,he then broke forth into a prayer1 7perhaps the most sublime in the ,bhagavata ,purana74 ,,the ,,prayer ,,of ,,prahlada 99,,skandha ,,vii4 ,,chap4 #i499 ,brahma and other ,devas1 ,rishis and wise men1 full of ,satva1 have failed to adore ,thee in suitable words4 ,how can this ,asura boy please ,thee1 ,o ,hari3 ,but ,i think1 it is not wealth1 good birth1 beauty1 asceticism1 learning1 power1 intellect1 or even ,yoga that is so much suited for the worship of ,parama ,purusha as ,bhakti4 ,it is by ,bhakti that the elephant king pleased ,bhagavan4 ,even a ,chandala1 7an outcaste7 is much superior to a ,brahmana1 who has all the #ab virtues1 but has no devotion to ,vishuu4 ,for the ,chandala who offers his ,manas1 his words1 his ,karma1 his wealth and even his ,prana to ,vishnu1 purifies not only himself1 but his whole line1 while1 the proud ,brahmana does not even purify himself4 7,without devotion1 the virtues only serve to increase pride4 ,they do not purify the mind4 ,sridhara47 7,the ,almighty ,vishnu does not want any offering from the ignorant for himself4 ,he is possessed of all things4 ,but the man who gives offerings to ,him can alone keep them to himself1 for verily the paintings on the real face are to be seen in the image4 ,the self in man is only a reflection of ,atma or ,manas4 ,therefore if a man does any thing that affects his ,manas only1 it does not concern his real self4 ,if an offering is made to ,ishvara1 that reaches his real self74 ,therefore though of low birth1 ,i have no hesitation in reciting thy glory as much as ,i can1 for such a recital is sure to purify a man4 ,withdraw1 ,o ,lord6 this terrible form1 and be cooled4 ,look6 the world trembles at ,thee4 ,i am not afraid1 however1 even of this form1 as ,i am afraid of the wheel of births4 ,give shelter at thy feet1 that ,i may gain ,moksha4 ,i have been scorched by the fire of misery in all births4 ,the only remedy is devotion to ,thy service4 ,for ,thy servant by ,thy favor gets the company of ,mahatmas4 ,by their company1 he gets rid of all worldly attachments and sings the glory of ,bhagavan4 ,then the miseries of life cannot overpower him4 ,the parents are not the protectors of the child2 medicine is not the remedy for the diseased2 the boat is not a shelter for the drowning2 for they cannot save from a recurrence of evils4 ,and even the little that others do is promoted by the ,prompter of all4 ,when ,purusha wishes1 ,maya disturbed by ,kala creates the ,sukshma ,sharira1 headed by ,manas4 ,that ,manas is drawn into a world of recurring births1 characterised by the transformations of ,maya3 7#e ,jnanendriyas1 #e ,karmendriyas1 #e ,bhutas and ,manas74 ,i am being squeezed in this wheel1 like the sugar-cane in the mill4 ,draw me unto ,thee1 ,o ,lord6 or ,i am lost in the whirl4 7,some platitudes and a short account of the part taken by ,vishnu in the creation follow74 ,thou dost incarnate as man1 animal1 ,rishi and ,deva in order to guard all beings1 to destroy the enemies of the world and preserve ,dharma1 according to the requirements of every ,yuga4 ,but in ,kali ,yuga1 ,thou concealest ,thyself4 ,hence 7from manifestating only in three ,yugas71 ,thou art called ,triyuga4 ,lord of ,vaikuntha1 this mind does not take pleasure in discourses about ,thee1 as it is vitiated1 prone towards the outside1 unmanageable1 passionate and affected by the three promptings -- joy1 sorrow and fear4 ,how can ,i with such a mind think of ,thee8 ,i am drawn on all sides by the ,indriyas1 and ,i am as miserable as a man with many wives4 ,i am not the only sufferer4 ,look6 all men remain fallen by their own karma in the ,vaitarani 7,river at the gate of ,yama7 of recurring births4 ,they are afraid of births and deaths and of danger from each other4 ,they are mutually both friends and enemies4 ,take pity on these bewildered creatures1 ,o ,thou that art on the other side of the river1 and preserve them this very day by taking them across the ,vaitarani 7i4e4 the relativity's of ,triloki existence74 ,o guide of the ,universe6 what is thy difficulty in saving all men8 ,for ,thou art the cause of the creation1 preservation and destruction of the ,universe4 ,thou hast much kindness for the ignorant4 ,thou art the friend of the afflicted4 ,what then by saving us only who serve thy favorite men the ,mahatmas 7for1 those who serve the ,mahatmas are already saved74 ,o ,thou ,supreme1 ,i am not the least anxious for myself about the ,vaitarani 7,triloki existence71 however difficult to cross it may be1 for my mind is plunged in the nectar ocean of singing thy glory4 ,but ,i mourn for the ignorant1 those that care only for the gratification of the senses and for the means of such gratification while they remain estranged from ,thee4 ,generally1 ,o ,deva6 the ,munis are desirous of their own ,moksha1 they hold their tongue1 and roam in solitude without caring for the good of others4 ,but ,i do not like to be liberated alone1 leaving behind me the afflicted round me2 ,i find no other shelter for these misguided people1 besides ,thee4 ,they are not happy1 ,o ,lord1 in the enjoyment of the objects of the senses4 ,for like itching1 it is not a pleasure by itself but seems to be so1 as long as ,thou art not known4 ,it is said that holding the tongue 7mouna7 vowed observance 7,vrata71 sacred knowledge 7,sruta71 austerity 7,tapas71 reading 7,adhyayana71 the observance of rules pertaining to one's caste 7,sva ,dharma71 exposition of ,shastras 7,vyakhya71 living in solitude 7,rahas71 recital of ,mantra 7,japa71 and ,samadhi also lead to ,moksha4 ,but generally it is seen that these are only means of livelihood for those that have no control over their senses4 ,and for proud people they are sometimes the means of livelihood and sometimes not4 ,but pride in itself is not a good thing4 ,thou art not separate from the ,universe4 ,both cause and effect are thy forms4 ,it is not by avoiding the ways of ,universe but by seeing ,thee everywhere by means of ,bhakti1 that the right course is followed4 ,it is by striking one stone against another that fire comes out1 and not otherwise4 ,let the words of the ,asura boy resound from one end of ,india to the other4 ,let the sublime words of compassion and universal love be written in characters of gold1 and let them be engraven in the hearts of all ,indians4 ,prahlada was made the king of the ,asuras4 ,,varna ,,and ,,ashrama4 99,,skandha ,,vii1 ,,chap4 #aa ,,to #ae499 ,narada related the story of ,prahlada to ,king ,yudhisthira at the ,rajasuya sacrifice4 ,that story revealed the highest devotion that was possible for a ,jiva to attain with the idea of separate existence4 ,but separation also gives rise to the idea of difference4 ,and as differences become established in society1 duties and relations become manifold4 ,yudhisthira therefore appropriately asked ,narada about the ,varnasrama duties4 ,the general rules to be observed by all castes are first given1 ethical1 spiritual and devotional4 ,the specific duties and indications of each caste are then given1 much the same as given in ,manu ,sanhita1 as also the duties of women4 ,the following significant passage occurs at the end3 -- ,the indications of each caste are given above 7e4g4 restraint of the senses1 contentment1 c41 for ,brahmanas2 courage1 strength1 c41 for ,kshatriyas2 reverence1 energy1 c41 for ,vaishyas2 and humanity1 service c41 for ,shudras74 ,if however the indications of one caste are found in a man belonging to another caste1 he is to be specified by the caste of his indications and not the caste of his birth4 ,,vii -- #ce4 ,the commentary of ,sridhara is explicit on this passage4 ,this shews the liberality of the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,according to this ,purana1 the divisions of caste at the present day1 7for one must not forget that the ,vaishnava movement belongs comparatively to a later period71 are not to be determined by birth1 but they are indicated by the virtues of each particular individual4 ,the duties of each ,asrama are next enumerated in detail4 ,the enumeration follows the ,smritis1 with a word for ,bhakti ,yoga where necessary4 ,some very useful hints are given for a ,grihastha1 for which please refer to the original4 ,the paths called ,pitriyana and ,devayana are next described4 ,hints on ,yoga and the recital of ,pranava are also given4 ,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,yajna4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,an account has been given above of the progeny of ,devahuti and ,prasuti4 ,yajna is the son of ,akuti4 ,in the ,first ,manvantara1 when ,asuras and ,rakshasas were going to devour ,manu1 ,yajna killed the former1 with the help of his sons1 the ,yama ,devas4 ,he ruled over ,svarga as the ,indra of that ,manvantara4 ,this brings us to the end of the #ast ,manvantara4 ,the narration at several places took us to later ,manvantaras1 and the account of the ,asuras especially took us to ,vaivasvata ,manvantara4 ,the account of the first ,manvantara is illustrative of the succeeding ,manvantaras4 ,details have therefore been given at times which might not properly pertain to the #ast ,manvantara1 but which fit in with other ,manvantaras at those stages of the narration4 ,necessarily the account of the succeeding ,manvantaras is very meagre4 99,,end ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,manvantara499 ,,the ,,second ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,svarochisha is the #bnd ,manu4 7,svarochisha ,self refulgent74 ,he is the son of ,agni2 ,dyumat1 ,sushena1 ,rochishmat and others are the sons of this ,manu4 7,dyumat and ,rochishmat also mean bright1 refulgent74 ,rochana was the ,indra 7,rochana bright illuminating74 ,tushita and others were the ,devas4 ,urjastambha and others were the seven ,rishis well versed in ,brahma ,vidya4 ,there was one ,rishi named ,veda ,siras4 ,his wife was ,tushita4 ,he had by her ,vibhu1 the ,avatara of this ,manvantara4 ,vibhu took the vow of ,brahmacharya and never married4 #hj1jjj ,rishis learned his ,vrata4 7,the ,second ,manvantara is in ,theosophical language the second ascending half of the #ast round4 ,the spiritual character of this ,manvantara is manifest from the use of words meaning bright1 refulgent4 ,the ,avatara is ,vibhu or ,all-pervading4 ,the vow of ,vibhu also denotes spirituality4 ,agni also1 the father of the ,manu1 is almost a name for spirituality74 ,,the ,,third ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,the third ,manu is ,uttama1 son of ,priya ,vrata4 ,pavana1 ,srinjaya1 ,yajnahotra and others were his sons4 ,the sons of ,vasistha1 ,pramada and others1 were the seven ,rishis4 ,satya1 ,veda ,sruta1 and ,bhadra were the ,devas4 ,satyajit was ,indra4 ,dharma had by ,sunrita one son named ,satya-,sena4 ,he was the ,avatara of this ,manvantara4 ,he was born with others called ,satya-,vrata4 ,he killed wicked ,yakshas and ,rakshasas given to falsehood1 and ,bhutas who injured others4 ,the characteristic mark of this ,manvantara which is the first half of the second ,round is ,truth4 ,satya or ,truth enters into the names of one class of ,devas1 of the ,indra and of the ,avatara4 ,the name of the ,avatara's mother was also truth4 ,the ,yakshas and ,rakshasas were given to falsehood4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #a-d499 ,the fourth ,mann was ,tamasa1 brother of ,uttama4 ,he had ten sons1 ,prithu1 ,khyati1 ,nara1 ,ketu and others4 ,satyaka1 ,hari and ,vira were the ,devas4 ,trisikha was ,indra4 ,jyotirdhaman and others were the seven ,rishis4 ,the ,vedas had been lost in time4 ,the sons of ,vidhriti1 called ,vaidhritis1 however preserved them by their own energy4 ,they are also the ,devas of this manvantara4 ,the ,avatara ,hari incarnated as the son of ,harimedhas by ,harini4 ,he saved the ,elephant king from the crocodile4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,elephant ,,king4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #b-d499 ,an elephant king resided on the summits of ,trikuta4 ,he roamed about with his female herd1 intoxicated with the juice that exuded from his temples4 ,finding a lake1 he plunged himself into its waters and quenched his thirst4 ,he then took water in his trunk and passed it on to the young herd and the females4 ,a powerful crocodile attacked him in rage4 ,they fought for one thousand years1 each trying to draw the other unto him4 ,the elephants on the bank raised a piteous cry1 but they could not be of any use to their companion4 ,the ,elephant ,king got tired at last1 but the crocodile being in his own element did not feel any fatigue4 ,the elephant devoutly and ardently prayed to the supreme ,purusha4 ,in response to that prayer1 ,hari appeared with the ,devas1 seated on the back of ,garuda4 ,he drew out the crocodile1 cut off its head with the chakra and thus saved the ,elephant ,king4 ,the ,elephant was a ,gandharva1 named ,huhu4 ,he was playing with his wives in a tank4 ,rishi ,devala went there to bathe4 ,the ,gandharva drew the ,rishi himself by his feet4 ,the ,rishi cursed him to become a crocodile4 ,the elephant was king ,indradyumna of ,pandya4 ,he was under a vow of silence while engaged in meditation4 ,rishi ,agastya came with his disciples1 but the king could not receive him with any word of welcome4 ,o thou of untrained intellect like an elephant1 be an elephant thyself4 ,such was the curse of the ,rishi to him4 ,the ,elephant represents the characteristic ,jiva of this ,manvantara4 ,the elephant becomes excited and mad when the juice exudes from his temples4 ,in the story1 madness represents the prevalence of ,kama4 ,the elephant was passionately attached to his wives4 ,the ,jiva had given himself too much to ,kama1 and he was carried away helplessly by the demon1 he knew not where4 ,his better sense could not prevail without some extraordinary help and that help was given by ,hari1 an incarnation of ,vishnu4 ,possibly the story represents the development of animal instincts4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #e499 ,raivata was the fifth ,manu4 ,he was the brother of ,tamasa4 ,his sons were ,arjuna1 ,bali1 ,vindhya and others4 ,vibhu was ,indra4 ,bhuttaraya and others were the ,devas4 ,the seven ,rishis were ,hiranya-romay1 ,vedasiras1 ,urddhabahu and others4 ,the presiding deity of ,vaikuntha incarnated in partial manifestation as the son of ,subhra and ,vikuntha4 ,he was the ,avatara of this ,manvantara4 ,this is the first half of the ,third ,round4 ,the incarnation of the ,lord of ,vaikuntha may have some significance1 but what is not clear from the text4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chapter #e499 ,the ,sixth ,manu was ,chakshusha1 son of ,chakshus4 ,puru1 ,purusha1 ,sudyumna and others were his sons4 ,mantra ,druma was ,indra4 ,apya and others were the ,devas2 ,haryasma1 ,dviraka and others were the ,rishis4 ,the ,avatara was ,ajita1 son of ,vairaja by ,deva-,sambhuti4 ,he assumed the form of ,kurma or the ,tortoise1 and helped in the churning of the ,milk ,ocean4 ,,the ,,churning ,,of ,,the ,,ocean4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #e-ab499 ,in the fight with the ,asuras1 the ,devas lost their lives4 ,they fell down and did not rise up again4 ,by the curse of ,durvasas1 ,indra and the three ,lokas became shorn of ,sri or ,lakshmi 7wife of ,vishnu in ,vaikuntha3 ,preservative energy74 ,consequently there were no performances such as ,yajna4 7,durvasas once saw ,indra on the elephant ,airavata4 ,he gave him the garland of his own neck4 ,indra proud of his own ,sri or wealth1 placed the garland on the head of the elephant4 ,the elephant threw it down and tore it to pieces with his feet4 ,durvasas got angry and cursed ,indra that he and his ,triloki were to lose ,sri74 ,indra did not know what to do and the ,devas all went over to the seat of ,brahma on the top of ,meru4 ,brahma1 saw the ,lokapalas lifeless and lustreless1 as it were1 the ,lokas beset with evils and the ,asuras full of life and energy4 ,he meditated on ,parama ,purasha with concentrated mind and then addressed the ,devas thus4 ,purusha has resort to ,rajas1 ,satva and ,tamas respectively for ,creation1 ,preservation and ,dissolution4 ,this is just the time for ,preservation4 ,for the good of all beings1 ,he shall now be possessed of ,satva4 ,so let us take the shelter of the guide of the universe4 ,he shall now befriend the ,devas and do what is best for us4 ,the ,devas with ,brahma then went to ,ajita4 ,brahma prayed to ,him as the ,preservative aspect of ,virat ,purusha4 ,vishnu appeared before the ,devas and addressed them thus3 -- ,the ,asuras favored by ,sukra are now victorious4 ,make peace with them so long as you are not strong yourselves4 ,lose no time in churning the ,milk ,ocean for ,amrita in concert with the ,asuras4 ,by drinking ,amrita even dead persons become immortal4 ,throw all creepers and herbs into that ocean4 ,make ,mandara mountain the churning rod and make ,vasuki the rope4 ,then with my help1 churn the ocean with all diligence4 ,the ,asuras shall have all the trouble to themselves1 while you shall reap the fruits4 ,if the ,asuras ask for any concession1 you had better approve of that4 ,do not be afraid of any poison that may arise4 ,have neither greed nor anger nor desire in respect of the things that will arise4 ,so saying ,vishnu disappeared4 ,the ,devas went to the ,asura ,king ,bali and ,indra explained to him what ,vishnu had said about the churning4 ,the ,asuras approved of the plan and made friends with the ,devas4 ,they then went together and uprooted the golden mountain ,mandara and carried it towards the ocean4 ,after going a long way1 they felt fatigued and dropped the mountain4 ,several ,devas and ,asuras were crushed by its fall4 ,vishnu appeared on ,garuda and revived them all4 ,he then easily placed the mountain on the back of ,garuda and went towards the ocean1 followed by the ,devas and ,asuras4 ,the ,serpent ,king ,vasuki was assured of a share in ,amrita and he consented to become the rope4 ,the ,mountain was then surrounded by ,vasuki4 ,vishnu followed by the ,devas held the mouth of the serpent4 ,but the ,asuras said3 -- ,we have learned the ,vedas1 we know the ,sastras1 it is improper for us to hold the tail of a serpent4 ,we will not do that4 ,it is inauspicious4 ,vishnu smiled4 ,he and the ,devas gave up the mouth end and held the tail4 ,the churning then commenced4 ,the ,mountain was however heavy and it sank down to the bottom of the ocean4 ,the ,devas and ,asuras became mournful4 ,vishnu then assumed the form of a ,tortoise1 went into the water and raised the ,mountain4 ,he then remained like a ,dvipa one lakhsa ,yojanas in expanse with the mountain on his back4 ,he infused his influence all round4 ,energised by ,him1 the ,devas and ,asuras vigorously carried on the churning4 ,at last fire and smoke came out from the thousand mouths of ,vasuki4 ,this overpowered the ,asuras and the ,devas -- but the ,devas were refreshed by clouds1 rains1 and winds sent by ,vishnu4 ,after a good deal of churning1 poison came out first4 ,it spread out on all sides and the ,prajapatis and their progeny in terror took the shelter of ,siva4 ,siva felt compassion for them and with the approval of ,durga1 he drank up the whole of the poison4 ,it made his throat blue4 ,the ,churning recommenced4 ,out came ,surabhi 7the fabulous cow of plenty74 ,the ,vedic ,rishis took that ,cow for the necessaries of ,yajna4 ,then came the horse ,uchchaih-,sravas4 ,bali desired to have it4 ,but ,indra as directed by ,vishnu made no desire4 ,then came the elephant ,airavata1 then the #h space elephants and their #h female partners4 ,next arose ,kaustubha1 the celebrated lotus-colored gem4 ,vishnu wished to have it as an ornament for ,his breast4 ,next came ,parijata1 then the ,apsaras4 ,illumining all sides with her lustre arose ,lakshmi4 ,all paid homage to her4 ,she looked on all sides1 but found none1 whom she could accept4 ,if there was an ascetic he could not control his anger4 ,if there was a ,jnani 7sophist7 he could not get over attachments4 ,there might be a ,mahatma1 but he had not conquered his passion of love4 ,how could he be called ,isvara1 who depended on others1 7and no one but ,isvara could claim ,lakshmi74 ,if there was ,dharma any where1 there was not friendliness for all beings4 ,if there was sacrifice1 it was not for liberation4 ,there was power but it could not resist the flow of time4 ,if there was one void of likes and dislikes1 he did not take a companion4 ,if there was any one long lived1 he had neither good nature 7,sila7 nor auspiciousness 7,mangala47 ,if one had good nature and auspiciousness1 he was not long lived4 ,if one had all the ,virtues he was out of his element with her4 ,if he was all that she wanted he did not want her4 ,considering everything1 ,lakshmi at last accepted ,vishnu for her husband4 ,he placed her on ,his breast4 ,she favored the ,devas1 so they became possessed of all the virtues4 ,she showed indifference to the ,asuras1 so they lost their might1 energy and modesty and became greedy4 ,then arose a lotus eyed girl called ,varuni 7,spirituous liquor47 ,the ,asuras accepted her4 ,then arose ,dhanvantari1 part of a part of ,vishnu1 with a pot of ,amrita in hand4 ,seeing the pot of ,amrita1 the greedy ,asuras took that by force4 ,they quarrelled with each other1 some saying ,first myself1 ,first myself1 others saying ,not you ,not you1 whilst the weaker amongst them finding that they were going to be deprived1 cried out in jealousy ,the ,devas are also entitled to an equal share4 ,they have also toiled with us4 ,at this time ,vishnu became a most beautiful young woman4 ,she filled the hearts of the ,asura ,chiefs with passion4 ,they asked the tempting girl to settle their differences and to make a proper distribution of ,amrita amongst them4 ,but how can you trust a woman1 said the girl4 ,but the ,asuras had fallen in love with her1 so they made over the ,amrita pot to her without further thought4 ,she consented to distribute ,amrita on the condition that the ,asuras should put up with whatever she did1 right or wrong4 ,the ,asuras consented4 ,she then made the ,devas and ,asuras sit in two separate rows4 ,she distributed the whole of the ,amrita amongst the ,devas4 ,only one ,asura1 named ,rahu1 sat with the ,devas4 ,the ,sun and the ,moon pointed him out to the girl ,vishnu4 ,vishnu then and there severed the head from the body of the ,asura1 but as the head had touched ,amrita1 it became immortal4 ,brahma made it a planet4 ,rahu still pursues the ,sun and ,moon at eclipses out of enmity4 ,when the ,amrita was wholly spent1 ,vishnu assumed ,his own form and in the presence of all left the place on the back of ,garuda4 ,the ,asuras found they had been deceived and they became very angry4 ,they could not bear the success of their enemies but they instantly engaged in fight with them4 ,the fight was personal between the chiefs of both sides4 7,it is interesting to note the antagonistic names1 as they give the correspondences between the ,deva and ,asura chiefs47 ,indra fought with ,bali1 ,kartikeya with ,taraka1 ,varuna with ,heti1 ,mitra with ,praheti1 ,yama with ,kalanabha1 ,visvakarma with ,maya1 ,tvastri with ,sambara1 ,savitri with ,virochana1 ,aparajita with ,namuchi4 ,the ,asvini ,kumaras with ,vrishaparvan1 ,surya 7,sun7 with the hundred sons of ,bali1 ,vana and others1 ,chandra 7,moon7 with ,rahu1 ,vayu with ,puloman1 ,bhadra ,kali with ,sumbha and ,nishumbha1 ,vrishakapi with ,jambha1 ,vibhavasu with ,mahisha1 the sons of ,brahma with ,ilvala and ,vatapi1 ,brihaspati with ,sukra1 ,sani with ,naraka1 the ,maruts with the ,nivatakavachas1 the ,vasus with the ,kaleyas1 the ,visvadevas with the ,poulamas and the ,rudras with the ,krodhavasas4 7,those who want to make a deep study will do well to note these correspondences as they will serve to explain points which ,i have not touched upon as beyond the scope of the present work74 ,the ,asuras used all the weapons of tempting ,maya and conquered the ,devas1 ,vishnu then came to their rescue and they became victorious 7,the details of the fight might be interesting from an occult point of view1 for which the reader must refer to the original47 ,siva heard that ,vishnu had assumed an enchanting female form4 ,to satisfy his curiosity he went to ,him with ,bhavani4 ,vishnu assumed that form again to satisfy ,siva4 ,the ,astral ,lord became passionate and ran after that female form and embraced her4 ,the female ,vishnu got out of the embrace and re-assumed ,his own form4 ,siva was then restored to himself4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,we have already seen that the ascent of spirit commenced in the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara4 ,if the fourteenth ,manvantara or the second half of the ,seventh ,round he left out of consideration1 as the ,manvantara of ,dissolution or ,pralaya1 the middle of the remaining #ac ,manvantaras will be in the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara4 ,but the ascent could not commence without preparation4 ,that preparation was made in the ,chakshusha ,manvantara or during the latter half of the ,third ,round4 ,sri or ,lakshmi is the ,satvic energy of preservation4 ,this energy was so much overpowered by ,materiality1 that she was not to be found in ,triloki4 ,the spiritual forces1 the ,devas1 lost life and energy4 ,the ,asuras were at the height of their power4 ,but as the ascending arc was near at hand1 the ,devas were promised ,amrita i4e4 immortality for the remaining part of the ,kalpa4 ,but that ,amrita was to be obtained1 the arc of spiritual evolution was to be raised by the churning of the ocean of ,milk4 ,the ocean of ,milk does not appertain to ,jambu ,dwipa1 but it is the ocean of ,saka ,dwipa4 ,the seven oceans are transformations of ,prakriti1 differing in the admixture of ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas and determining the character of the globe they surround4 ,vishnu1 as the ,third ,purusha1 is the divine source of evolution in every ,jiva4 ,the seat of that ,vishnu is the ocean of ,milk1 the ocean where ,satva prevails4 ,it is ,vishnu who from ,his seat in the ,ocean of ,milk sends down ,pranic ,energy and the mineral becomes a vegetable4 ,he sends down the power of perception and then the power of conception and the vegetable becomes an animal and at last a man4 ,throughout this course of evolution1 there is a development of the self element in us4 ,there is no idea of self in the mineral or in the vegetable4 ,it faintly asserts itself or rather makes an effort to assert itself in the animal kingdom4 ,the early history of humanity is the development of the selfish element in him4 ,the ,jiva has two sides in himself and non-self4 ,the self side is caused by limitation due to his own senses ,they put him in contact with the outside world1 and make him a centre of sense perceptions4 ,he becomes lost entirely in the sense products1 which form a world by themselves4 ,the non-self side of a ,jiva1 is his spiritual nature4 ,he begins with this spiritual nature4 ,but the development of selfishness eclipses this nature1 the true1 the real nature of ,jiva1 and he identifies himself entirely with the acquired and false nature4 ,then comes a crisis in the evolution of ,jivas4 ,were men to be lost for ever to their spiritual1 their real nature8 ,were they to be tempted away by the senses1 which had done their work of training1 past all chance of return8 ,vishnu1 the ,god of human evolution1 willed otherwise4 ,he caused a re-adjustment of the ,daivic and ,asuric forces1 and the ,devas by ,his help got the better of the ,asuras4 ,this is the churning of the ,ocean of ,milk4 ,it averted a crisis and is therefore a great event in the history of the ,universe4 ,the ,asura element could not be altogether wiped away4 ,for the ,deva or spiritual nature evolves out of ,asura or selfish and material nature4 ,unselfishness grows out of selfishness1 spirituality rises out of materiality4 ,in the act of churning1 the ,devas could not do without the ,asuras4 ,churning itself1 implies the action and reaction of two contending forces4 ,make peace with them1 as long as you are not strong yourselves4 ,the compromise of the ,devas with the ,asuras is the development of spiritual faculties out of the personal element in man4 ,it is the grafting of higher ,manas on lower ,manas4 ,the element of mind is in the ,asuras as well as in the ,devas4 ,but the ,asuric or lower mind thinks of self as separate from other selves4 ,the ,daivic or higher mind breaks through the trammels of personality and finds oneness all round4 ,to use a better expression1 we shall say higher self and lower self1 rather than self and non-self4 ,jivas are carried on in their course of life evolution by the force of past tendencies1 and nature unaided produces the personal man4 ,but when the past tendencies are exhausted1 there is nothing to keep on the ,jivas in their course of evolution4 ,kurma comes to the help of humanity at this stage4 ,he gives a new power to men1 the power of discrimination4 ,with this power men become free agents1 and they become responsible for their actions4 ,they then generate new ,karma for themselves1 which takes them through infinite births and becomes a most potent factor in their future evolution4 ,the three ,purushas have three ,oceans as their correspondences4 ,the first ocean 7,karana7 gives the materials of the ,jiva body4 ,the ,second ocean 7,garbhoda71 gives the germs of all ,jivas4 ,the third 7,kshira7 is the ocean of ,jiva evolution4 ,this ocean is churned for the spiritual evolution of ,jivas1 and it yields all that is necessary for that evolution4 ,vishnu himself appears as ,kurma and becomes the sustaining force of that evolution4 ,it is a ,kalpic revolution4 ,vasuki sustains the earth and its inhabitants for one ,kalpic period4 ,the thousand hoods represent the thousand ,maha yugas of every ,kalpa4 ,the ,asuras held the mouth end of the serpent king and the ,devas held the tail end4 ,and the ,devas acted wisely4 ,for as the ,kalpa waned1 they got the supremacy4 ,the tortoise thrusts out its limbs and draws them in4 ,man is drawn outside by his senses during material descent and he is drawn in by his spiritual ascent4 ,it is by the power of discrimination when fully developed that a man returns to his higher nature4 ,sri or ,lakshmi is the divine energy of ,vishnu4 ,she is the ,energy of preservation1 of evolution and progress ,she works out all that is good1 all that is beautiful1 and all that is powerful in this ,universe4 ,the possibilities of purely material development or of ,nature's own evolution1 are limited1 and they are worked out in time4 ,then there is a void4 ,there was this void in our universe and ,triloki become deprived of ,sri4 ,this was the curse of ,durvasas1 an ,avatara of ,siva4 ,the ,churning took place as a remedy for this evil4 ,fresh forces had to be brought into requisition1 fresh elements that could secure the spiritual evolution of the universe4 ,lakshmi herself reappeared in a most enchanting form1 as the energy of a new evolution1 the very best that man was capable of4 ,the necessaries of this evolution also appeared and became powers in the hands of those that had to take part in the spiritual evolution of the universe4 ,all evolution is preceded by dissolution4 ,unless we give up the evil element in us1 we can not acquire the good4 ,the evil has to be destroyed and the ,lord of destruction1 in his infinite compassion1 accepted this poison for himself1 to do away with the evils of the ,universe4 ,the ,poison only opens the door for ,amrita1 the spiritual nectar4 ,the famous ,purusha ,sukta says3 -- ,he placed ,amrita or eternal bliss in the higher three ,lokas4 ,the ,bhagavata renders this famous saying into the eighteenth sloka of the #fth4 chapter of the ,second ,skandha4 ,commenting on this sloka1 ,sridhara says1 bliss in our ,triloki is only transitory and the dwellers of ,mahar ,loka have also to leave their abode for the higher ,jana ,loka1 when they are oppressed by the fire of ,kalpic dissolution4 ,amrita was secured to the higher ,lokas1 as there is no selfishness in them4 7,,iii4 #aj-i47 ,could the ,asuras1 the gods of selfishness1 aspire to have life immortal and unlimited bliss4 ,vishnu decided otherwise4 ,the way was thus prepared for the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara1 when men learned to discern between right and wrong4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,sraddha ,deva son of ,vivasvat or ,surya is the seventh ,manu4 ,he is reigning at present4 ,ikshvaku1 ,nabhaga1 ,dhrishta1 ,saryati1 ,narishyanta1 ,nabhaga1 ,dishta1 ,tarusha1 ,prishadhra1 and ,vasumat are his ten sons4 ,the ,adityas1 the ,vasus1 the ,rudras1 the ,visvadevas1 the ,maruts1 the ,asvini-kumaras and the ,ribhus are the ,devas4 ,purandara is their ,indra4 ,kasyapa1 ,atri1 ,vasistha1 ,visvamitra1 ,goutama1 ,jamadagni and ,bharadvaja are the seven ,rishis4 ,the ,avatara of this ,manvantara is ,vamana1 the youngest son of ,aditi by ,kasyapa4 7,the ,purana will revert to this ,manvantara after giving a general account of the succeeding ,manvantaras74 ,,the ,,eighth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,savarni is the son of ,vivasvat by his wife ,chaya4 ,he shall be the eighth ,manu -- ,nirmoka1 ,virajaska 7without ,rajas7 and others shall be his sons4 ,sutapas1 ,viraja 7without ,rajas7 and ,amrita ,prabha shall be the ,devas4 ,bali1 son of ,virochana1 shall be the ,indra4 ,galava1 ,diptiman1 ,parasurama1 ,asvatthama1 ,kripa1 ,rishya ,sringa and ,vyasa shall be the seven ,rishis4 ,sarvabhouma1 son of ,devaguhya by ,sarasvati1 shall be the ,avatara4 ,he shall wrest the kingdom of ,svarga ,loka from ,purandara and make it over to ,bali4 7,the eighth ,manvantara is the ,second half of the ,fourth ,round and should be the spiritual half according to ,theosophical ideas4 ,but we find the ,asura ,king ,bali1 who was removed from the kingdom of ,triloki in the ,vaivasvat ,manvantara1 restored to the kingdom of ,svarga74 ,amongst the ,rishis we find ,parasurama who fought with ,rama and ,asvatthama and ,kripa who ranged themselves against the ,pandava brothers in the battle of ,kurukshetra4 ,all this shews that spirituality was developed out of materiality4 ,the sons of ,manu are ,nirmoka and ,virajaska4 ,moka is the cast off skin of an animal and may well represent the sthula body4 ,nirmoka is one without ,moka4 ,virajaska is without ,rajas4 ,so the course of evolution shews a tendency in the first place to cast off the sthula body and to overcome the ,rajas4 ,,the ,,ninth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,the ninth ,manu is ,daksha ,savarni4 ,he is the son of ,varuna ,bhutaketu1 ,diptaketu and others shall be his sons4 ,para1 ,marichi garbha and others shall be the ,devas and ,adbhuta their ,indra4 ,dyu timat and others shall be the ,rishis4 ,rishabha1 son of ,ayushmat by ,ambudhara1 shall be the ,avatara4 ,,the ,,tenth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,brahma ,savarni is the tenth ,manu4 ,he is the son of ,upasloka4 ,bhurishena and others shall be his sons4 ,havishmat1 ,sukrita1 ,satya1 ,jaya1 ,murti and others shall be the ,rishis2 ,suvasana1 ,aviruddha and others shall be the ,devas and ,sambhu their ,indra4 ,vishvaksena1 son of ,visvasrij by ,visuchi1 shall be the ,avatara4 ,,the ,,eleventh ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac99 ,dharma ,savarni is the eleventh ,manu4 ,satya-,dharma and others shall be his ten sons4 ,vihangama1 ,kalagama1 ,nirvana-ruchi and others shall be the ,devas1 ,vaidhrita their king1 and ,aruna and others the ,rishis4 ,dharma-,setu1 son of ,aryaka by ,vaidhrita shall be the ,avatara4 ,,the ,,twelfth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,rudra-,savarni is the twelfth ,manu4 ,devavat1 ,upadeva1 ,devasrestha and others shall be his sons 7men shall be evolved into ,devas ,in this ,manvantara74 ,harita and others shall be the ,devas1 ,ritadhaman their ,indra4 ,tapomurti1 ,tapasvin1 ,agnidhraka and others the ,rishis2 ,svadhaman1 son of ,satya-sahas by ,sunrita1 shall be the ,avatara4 ,,the ,,thirteenth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,deva ,savarni is the thirteenth ,manu4 ,chitra ,sena1 ,vichitra and others shall he his sons1 ,sukarma and ,sutrama the ,devas1 ,divaspati their ,indra and ,nirmoka1 ,tatvadarsa1 and others the ,rishis4 ,yogesvara1 son of ,devahotra by ,vrihati1 shall be the ,avatara4 ,,the ,,fourteenth ,,manvantara4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,indra ,savarni is the fourteenth ,manu4 ,uru1 ,gambhira1 ,vradhna and others shall be his sons4 ,pavitra and ,chakshusha the ,devas1 ,suchi their ,indra1 ,agni1 ,vahu1 ,suchi1 ,suddha ,magadha and others the ,rishis4 ,brihat-bhanu1 son of ,satrayana by ,vitana1 shall be the ,avatara 7i4e4 the great sun shall absorb everything47 ,,the ,,administration ,,of ,a ,,manvantara 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #ad499 ,said ,raja ,parikshit3 -- ,tell me1 ,o ,rishi1 what are the respective duties of ,manu and others in the ,manvantaras4 ,suka replied3 -- ,the ,avatara of each ,manvantara guides the ,manu1 the sons of ,manu1 the ,rishis1 the ,indra and the ,devas of that ,manvantara4 7,each ,manvantara has its own place in the history of the ,kalpa1 and the general evolution has to be worked out in the way best adapted to that ,manvantara4 ,the administration of each ,manvantara is in the hands of a separate set of kings and ministers4 ,vishnu incarnates in each ,manvantara1 as the king of all who serve as administrative officers of that ,manvantara and he is as such called the special ,avatara for that ,manvantara4 ,the divine kings1 the ,rishis1 the ,devas1 all work under ,his direction4 ,he gives the law that is to be administered4 ,he shews the path1 which evolution is to take in any particular ,manvantara47 ,yajna and others are ,avataras of ,purusha4 ,guided by them1 ,manu and others lead the course of the universe4 ,rishis3 -- ,at the end of every four ,yugas1 the ,srutis become devoured by time4 7,the human races have a life period timed to the four ,yugas4 ,they have their infancy1 as it were1 in ,satya ,yuga1 and they have to be guided by wise sayings1 which form the ,srutis of those races4 ,the ,srutis become better understood with the growth of racial intelligence and other texts take the place of old ones4 ,when the races do not require the help of the earlier texts1 those texts become lost in time4 ,when the races begin another life cycle1 they require again the help of teachings1 which become revealed to the ,rishis4 ,the ,rishis then give those teachings to the races47 ,the ,rishis find out the ,srutis1 by means of ,tapas4 ,the eternal ,dharma proceeds from the ,srutis4 7,people know their duties from the scriptures47 ,manus4 -- ,the ,manus then take up the ,dharma1 and each in his own time devotedly promulgates it on the earth4 ,manu's sons4 -- ,the sons of ,manu preserve the ,dharma1 generation after generation1 till the end of the ,manvantara4 ,devas and ,indra4 -- ,indra1 with the ,devas that participate in sacrificial offerings1 protects the three ,lokas and gives rains4 7,besides this general administration1 there are other ways also of managing the affairs of the universe and these are mentioned incidentally in the following slokas4 ,sridhara47 ,hari appears as the ,siddhas 7,sanaka and others7 and expounds divine wisdom 7,jnana7 in every ,yuga4 ,he appears as ,rishis 7,yajnavalkya and others7 and expounds ,karma4 ,as ,lords of ,yoga 7,dattatreya and others71 ,he expounds ,yoga4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,bali4 99,,skandha ,,viii4 ,,chaps4 #ae-bc499 ,bali1 son of ,virochana and grandson of ,prahlada1 was once defeated by ,indra4 ,his ,guru1 ,sukra1 advised him to perform the ,visvajit sacrifice4 ,when ghee was offered at the sacrifice1 one chariot1 some green coloured horses1 one lion-marked flag1 one golden bow1 two quivers with an inexhaustible store of arrows1 and one divine kavacha 7protective charm7 arose from the fire4 ,bali gladly accepted these things4 ,prahlada also gave him a fresh garland and ,sukra gave him a conch4 ,equipped with these things ,bali attacked ,svarga4 ,brihaspati told ,indra the time was inauspicious and the ,devas could not succeed without the help of ,vishnu4 ,he advised them to give in and to remain concealed somewhere1 till the time came for their ascendancy4 ,the ,devas followed the advice of ,brihaspati and ,bali became the king of ,triloki4 ,sukra advised ,bali to perform one hundred ,asvamedha sacrifices4 ,aditi became disconsolate at the down-fall of her sons4 ,she asked her husband ,kasyapa what to do for her sons4 ,the ,prajapati advised her to observe ,payoravata in honor of ,vishnu 7for details1 see the original74 ,she observed the ,vrata for #ab days when ,vishnu appeared before her and assured her ,he would incarnate as her son4 ,vamana was born of ,aditi at midday1 on the #abth day of the moon1 during the white quarter in the month of ,bhadra1 while the moon was in the first part of ,sravana1 in the ,abhijit4 7,vamana ,dwarf74 ,vamana heard that ,bali was performing ,asvamedha on the banks of the ,narmada4 ,he went there and ,bali received him duly and enquired what he wanted1 expressing his willingness to gratify him fully4 ,vamana asked for only three paces of ground4 ,bali laughed at this modest prayer and asked him to take more land4 ,but ,vamana excused himself1 saying a ,brahmana should be content with small things only4 ,bali laughed again and at once said ,then accept4 ,he then took the water pot to make the formal gift4 ,sukra perceived the object of ,vishnu4 ,he tried to dissuade ,bali from carrying out his promise4 ,this is not a dwarf ,brahmana but ,vishnu ,himself4 ,by one pace he will cover the whole of ,bhur ,loka and ,bhuvar ,loka4 ,by the second pace1 ,he will cover ,svar ,loka and what then will become of the third pace8 ,you will have to go to ,naraka for not being able to fulfil your promise4 ,and where shall you yourself remain after giving over all you have8 ,therefore desist from what you are doing4 ,no doubt truth is preferable4 ,but the ,vedas also allow untruth in extreme cases4 ,bali replied3 -- ,the grandson of ,prahlada shall never speak an untruth4 ,i will give to this ,brahmana boy what ,i have promised1 even if he be ,vishnu and my enemy too4 ,sukra said in anger -- ,you disregard the words of your ,guru4 ,so you shall forthwith lose everything4 ,bali remained unmoved4 ,he worshipped the ,brahmana boy and read out the formal ,mantra of giving over three paces of land4 ,vindhyavali1 the virtuous consort of ,bali1 at this time placed a golden pitcher filled with water before her husband4 ,he washed the feet of ,vamana with that water1 and sprinkled it over his head4 ,then ,vamana wonderfully grew in size4 ,the whole ,universe became visible in him4 ,he seized the whole of ,bhur ,loka with one pace the whole of ,bhuvar ,loka with his body1 and the directions in space with his hands1 so that even the whole of ,svar ,loka became insufficient for the second pace4 ,but nothing remained for the third pace4 ,for the second pace of ,vamana passed through ,mahar ,loka1 ,jana ,loka1 ,tapas ,loka and reached even ,satya ,loka4 ,the ,asuras exclaimed3 -- ,by what an unjust device has our king been deprived of all6 ,it is no sin to fight with this disgrace of a ,brahmana1 this deceitful ,vishnu4 ,so they engaged in fight with the followers of ,vishnu1 but were defeated by them4 ,bali told his followers there was no use fighting1 for ,kala was against them4 ,the same ,bhagavan who had favored them was now in opposition4 ,garuda1 knowing the intention of ,vishnu1 tied ,bali with the noose of ,varuna4 ,vamana then addressing ,bali said3 -- ,where is your promised ground for my third pace8 ,you have told a lie4 ,you do not carry out your promise to a ,brahmana4 ,for this you will have to go to ,naraka4 ,bali said3 -- ,do not think ,i told an untruth or that ,i mean to deceive thee4 ,here is my head for the third pace4 ,i am not so much afraid of the ,naraka thou art speaking of1 nor of this noose1 nor of any troubles ,i may undergo1 nor of any punishment thou mayest inflict on me as ,i am afraid of doing anything for which good people will blame me4 ,i deem this punishment an act of favor a favor shewn perhaps out of consideration for my grand-father ,prahlada4 ,for this kingdom only maddened me with power and made me forget my end4 ,and what shall ,i do with this body too8 ,true thou art my enemy1 but this loss of kingdom has brought me nearer to thee4 ,prahlada appeared at this time4 ,he bowed down to ,vamana and said3 -- ,it is thou that didst give the kingdom of ,triloki to ,bali and it is thou that hast taken it away and really thou hast shewn him a favor by doing so4 ,for power maddens a man and blinds him as to his real self4 ,vindhyavali said3 -- ,o ,lord1 ,thou art the ,creator1 the ,preserver1 and the ,destroyer of ,triloki4 ,who else could own it besides ,thyself8 ,it was the height of presumption to pretend to give the ,triloki to you4 ,brahma said3 -- ,o ,deva of ,devas1 all-pervading ,lord1 thou hast taken away everything from this ,bali4 ,he has also given himself up entirely to ,thee1 without being moved in the least4 ,he does not now deserve to remain tied up4 ,bhagavan said3 -- ,o ,brahma1 ,i take away all his riches from him whom ,i favor4 ,for one proud of riches disregards both myself and others4 ,when after many births the ,jiva happens to become a man1 and when in that birth he is found not to entertain any pride of birth1 karma1 age1 beauty1 wisdom1 power1 wealth and other things1 you should know that to be my favor4 ,one constantly devoted to me is not led away by anything apt to beget pride4 ,this king of ,danavas and ,daityas has now conquered ,maya4 ,so he is not beside himself even in grief4 ,his wealth gone1 his position lost1 himself overpowered and chained by enemies1 forsaken by friends1 reviled and cursed by his own preceptor1 and what not1 this ,bali did not give up ,truth4 ,i will give him a place1 difficult for others to attain4 ,he shall be the ,indra of ,savarni ,manvantara4 ,till then let him reside in ,sutala4 ,by my wish1 the dwellers of ,sutala shall have no mental or bodily pain1 no fatigue1 no sleepiness1 no defeat and no misfortune4 ,bless thee1 ,o ,maharaj1 go to ,sutala with thy clan4 ,sutala is even wished for by those that dwell in ,svarga4 ,even the ,lokapalas shall not be able to overpower thee4 ,what of others8 ,if any ,daitya does not follow thee1 ,i will kill him by my ,chakra4 ,by all means ,i will preserve thee and thy followers4 ,there you shall always find me at your door4 ,thy ,asura nature shall be there entirely destroyed under my influence4 ,prahlada was also ordered by ,bhagavan to accompany ,bali to ,sutala4 ,so they all went to ,sutala4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,we now find ,bali shorn of all materialism and restored to spiritual purity4 ,we can well understand the removal of ,bali from the kingdom of ,triloki1 for the cyclic movement was tending that way since the last ,manvantara1 and the ,devas were to have supremacy over ,triloki4 ,we have to study the future of ,bali1 as holding further light for us4 ,we must repeat here the distinction made between the two classes of ,asuras3 ,daityas and ,danavas4 ,the ,daityas trace their origin to the gate-keepers of ,vishnu4 ,they had inherent ,satva in them1 which was eclipsed in their downfall4 ,therefore1 though they acted as materialistic forces following the cyclic tendency1 they were themselves not incapable of spiritual development ,thus we find words of wisdom and spirituality in ,vritra1 in ,hiranyakasipu1 unselfish devotion in ,prahlada1 and complete resignation in ,bali4 ,hiranyaksha and ,hiranyakasipu went back to their old place in ,vaikuntha4 ,vritra became united with ,sankarshana4 ,prahlada is immortal in his unselfish mission1 and we have just heard the future of ,bali4 ,the ,maruts become ,devas after their very birth4 ,therefore there is no extinction for the ,asuras1 except for those that do not follow ,bali and do not place themselves under the influence of ,vishnu4 ,the cyclic weapon or ,chakra is ever ready to destroy those that hopelessly go against the law4 ,now a word about ,sutala4 ,the arrangement of ,patalas as given in the text is the reverse of what they should be in point of spirituality1 for ,atala is the most and ,patala the least removed from spirituality4 ,the influence of ,vishnu does not extend beyond ,sutala1 and nothing can save those that transgress the limits of this nether plane4 ,for in ,vitala the destructive ,purusha reigns and a passage to that plane is only a door to utter extinction4 ,and in ,atala there is not a trace of spirituality1 the work of destruction is already done1 and mother ,nature dissolves the material elements for some better use in future4 ,the special provision for ,sutala is therefore a cyclic necessity4 ,for ,jivas have to be preserved from an undesirable end4 ,therefore ,bali was given a post1 the proud privilege of seeing that ,jivas do not undergo utter extinction4 ,sutala was also fortified with an accession of spirituality4 ,the example of self-abnegation1 the ideal of self-sacrifice1 ,bali is to become the king of ,devas in the succeeding ,manvantara4 ,,the ,,matsya ,,avatara4 99,,skandha4 ,,viii4 ,,chap4 #bd499 ,towards the end of the previous ,kalpa1 ,brahma was falling asleep and the ,vedas fell from his mouth4 ,the ,asura ,hayagriva took them up4 ,seeing this ,vishnu became a small fish4 ,king ,satyavrata was making ,tarpana 7i4e4 offering libations of water71 when the fish found its way into his hands4 ,he threw it into the river4 ,the fish implored the ,king to preserve him4 ,so he took it home and placed it in a small waterpot4 ,the fish increased in size so much that all tanks and rivers were tried1 but they could not contain it4 ,at last the king took the fish to the sea1 but it implored him not to throw it away into the sea4 ,the king then said3 -- ,this fish must be the ,deity ,himself1 otherwise how could it grow so large8 ,the fish then addressed the king thus3 ,on the seventh day from this1 the ,triloki shall be plunged into the ,pralaya waters4 ,then a big ,ark shall come to thee4 ,take all plants1 all seeds1 all animals1 and the seven ,rishis with you and get into that ark4 ,when the wind shakes that ark1 tie it with a serpent to myself4 ,i will remain with that ark in the ,pralaya ,ocean till the awakening of ,brahma4 ,i will manifest supreme wisdom in thee4 ,so saying the fish disappeared and on the seventh day the ,pralaya waters deluged the ,triloki4 ,satya ,vrata did as he was told4 ,he got the highest wisdom from the ,fish ,incarnation4 ,that ,satya ,vrata is ,sraddhadeva1 our present ,manu4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,the ,,vaivasvata ,,manvantara4 ,,sudyumna4 99,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,sraddhadeva ,manu had no child for some time4 ,vasistha performed a sacrifice in honor of ,mitra-varuna that he might obtain progeny4 ,sraddha1 wife of the ,manu1 went to the chief priest and asked for a daughter4 ,so ,manu had a daughter named ,ila4 ,he took ,vasistha to task for having had a daughter4 ,vasistha thought the priest had done something wrong4 ,he prayed to ,bhagavan for the change of ,ila's sex4 ,so ,ila became a male named ,sudyumna and in company with others went on horse back to the chase4 ,he entered a forest called ,sukumara1 below the ,meru1 which is the play ground of ,siva and his consort4 ,he and his companions were all transformed into females1 for such is the mandate of ,siva for those that enter the forest4 ,in this changed condition1 ,sudyumna with his female companions went to ,budha4 ,budha took a fancy for ,sudyumna and had by her one son ,pururavas4 ,vasistha took pity on ,sudyumna again and prayed to ,siva to change his sex4 ,by the favor of ,siva1 ,sudyumna became a male for one month and a female for another month4 ,he had three sons4 ,utkala1 ,gaya and ,vimala4 ,,ikshvaku ,,brothers4 99,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chap4 #b499 ,manu prayed to ,vishnu for one hundred years for other sons4 ,he got ten sons like unto himself4 ,ikshvaku was the eldest3 ,manu ---------------------------------------- ----------------- ,ikshvaku ,nriga ,saryati ,dishita ,dhrishta ,karusha ,narishyanta ------------------_/ ,prishadhra ,nabhaga ,kavi 7#h74 ,,prishadhra4 ,while residing in the house of his ,guru1 ,prishadhra was placed in charge of cattle4 ,it was raining one night1 when a tiger entered the fold4 ,the cattle strayed about in fear and bellowed aloud4 ,prishadhra ran after the tiger4 ,the night was dark4 ,he missed his aim and cut off the head of the cow1 which the tiger had seized4 ,he found out the mistake in the morning and informed his ,guru about it4 ,the ,guru said3 -- ,you shall become a ,sudra1 as the fruit of your ,karma4 ,prishadhra accepted the curse4 ,he became an ascetic1 and roamed about the earth as the friend of all beings4 ,eventually ,he ended his life in fire4 7#aj74 ,,kavi4 ,kavi attained wisdom in his youth4 ,he did not marry4 7#f74 ,,karusha4 ,the sons of ,karusha were the ,karushas1 a race of pious ,kshatriyas1 who guarded the north4 7#e74 ,,dhrishta4 ,dharshtas were the sons of ,dhrishta4 ,though born as ,kshatriyas1 they became ,brahmanas on this earth4 7#b74 ,,nriga4 ,sumati ,bhutajyoti ,vasu ,pratika ,oghavat ------------------------ ,oghavat ,oghavati m4 ,sudarsana 7#g7 ,narishyanta1 7#d7 ,dishta ,chitra ,sena ,nabaga 7became a ,vaisya by his karma7 ,riksha ,bhaladana ,midhvat ,vatsapriti ,purna ,pransu ,indra ,sena ,pramati ,vitihotra ,khanitra ,satya-,sravas ,chakshusha ,uru-,sravas ,vivinsati ,devadatta ,rambha ,agnivesya ,khaninetra 7very pious7 7,incarnation of ,agni also known as ,kanina ,karandhama and ,jatu-,karna7 ,avikshit ,agni veshyayana ,brahmanas4 ,marutta4 ,sambarta1 ,son of ,angiras1 officiated at the ,yajna performed by ,marutta4 ,the ,devas took direct part in the ,yajna4 ,marutta ,dama ,rajavardhana ,sudhriti ,nara ,kevala ,dhundhumat ,vegavat ,budha ,trinabindu m4 ,apsaras ,alamvusha ------------------------------ ,visala ,sunyabandhu ,dhumraketu ,ilavila 7founded the m4 ,rishi ,visravas town named ,vaisali7 ,kubera--the ,king of the ,hema ,chandra ,yakshas4 ,dhumraksha4 ,sanyama ----------- ,devaja ,krisasva ,somadatta ,sumati ,janamejaya4 7#c74 ,,saryati4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chap4 #c4 ,saryati was well versed in the ,vedas4 ,he had one daughter1 ,sukanya4 ,he went with her one day to the ,asrama of ,chyavana ,rishi4 ,sukanya found there two streaks of light as from glow-worms1 issuing from within a mound of earth1 thrown up by white ants4 ,she pricked those portions with a thorn and blood oozed out4 ,the party of ,saryati found that their usual secretions were stopped4 ,the king thought some one had offended ,chyavana4 ,the girl then told her story4 ,the king found the ,rishi underneath the mound of earth and asked his pardon4 ,the ,rishi wanted the hand of the girl in marriage and ,saryati consented4 ,so ,sukanya became the wife of ,chyavana4 ,one day the ,asvini ,kumaras came to ,chyavana4 ,the ,rishi asked them to give him youth and beauty and promised in return to give them offerings of ,soma1 though they had no part in ,soma ,yagas1 ,the ,asvini ,kumaras took the ,rishi inside a tank and all the three came out young and beautiful and looking all alike4 ,sukanya could not recognise her husband and she prayed to the ,asvini ,kumaras to remove her confusion4 ,they were pleased with her chastity and pointed out her husband4 ,one day king ,saryati came and found his daughter sitting with a young man4 ,he reproved ,sukanya for her supposed unchastity4 ,the girl then related the story of her husband's attaining youth and the king became very much pleased4 ,chyavana made offerings of ,soma to the ,asvini ,kumaras4 ,this offended ,indra4 ,he held up the ,vajra to kill ,chyavana1 but the son of ,bhrigu paralysed the hands of ,indra4 ,from that time the ,devas consented to give a share in ,soma to the ,asvini ,kumaras4 ,,saryati4 ---------------------------------------- ----- ,sukanya ,uttanavarhi ,anarta ,dhuri ,sena m4 ,chyavana ,revata 7,he built a town called ,kusasthali in the midst of the sea and from that town ruled ,anarta and other lands47 ---------------------------------------- ------ ,kakudmin #ii other ,sons4 ,revati ,kakudmin took his daughter ,revati with him and went to ,brahma loka to enquire of ,brahma1 who should be her husband4 ,the ,gandharvas were singing at the time and ,kakudmin had to wait for a moment4 ,he then saluted ,brahma and made the enquiry4 ,brahma laughed and said3 -- ,o king1 the men of your choice are dead and gone4 ,i do not hear even of their sons and grandsons4 ,twenty seven yuga cycles have now passed away4 ,therefore go back to thy place and give thy daughter to ,baladeva1 who has now incarnated as an ,ansa 7part7 of ,vishnu for the good of ,bhur-loka4 ,and so the king did4 7,the ,present is the #bhth4 ,yuga cycle4 ,baladeva is the brother of ,sri ,krishna47 7#i7 ,,nabhaga4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chaps4 #d-f4 ,nabhaga remained long with his ,guru4 ,so his brothers thought he had become a ,brahma-charin4 ,they reserved no share for him at partition4 ,nabhaga at last returned to his house and asked for his share in the patrimony4 ,the brothers pointed out their father ,manu as his share4 ,nabhaga asked his father -- ,how is it my brothers have reserved thee for my share8 ,manu replied3 -- ,child1 do not believe them4 ,the clan of ,angiras are performing ,yajna4 ,they get confounded on every sixth day4 ,this is the sixth day4 ,give them two ,vaisvadeva ,suktas4 ,when they go to ,svarga after completion of their ,yajna they will leave all their sacrificial wealth to you4 ,nabhaga did as he was told4 ,the ,angirasas left all the property remaining on the sacrificial ground to ,nabhaga4 ,as he was going to take those things1 a dark ,purusha appeared from the north and said4 ,these are mine4 ,but the ,rishis have given them to me said ,nabhaga4 ,go to your father then and ask for the solution said the dark ,purusha4 ,yes1 the remnants of a ,sacrifice belong to ,rudra said ,manu4 ,nabhaga returned and said ,yes these remnants of sacrifice all belong to thee4 ,so my father told me4 ,i am pleased with thee and thy father4 ,both of you have spoken the truth said ,rudra1 ,i give thee supreme wisdom4 ,i also give thee these remnants4 ,take them now4 ,,nabhaga ,,nabhaga4 ,,ambarisha ,king ,ambarisha had discrimination and dispassion4 ,his devotion was great4 ,his mind was fixed on the lotus feet of ,vishnu1 his words were all about the glory of ,vaikuntha1 his hands were engaged in cleansing the temples of ,vishnu1 his ears only heard about the glory and the works of ,vishnu1 his eyes intently looked on the symbols of ,vishnu wherever found4 ,his body felt pleasure in the touch of ,vaishnavas1 his nose smelt the sweet fragrance of ,tulasi proceeding from the feet of ,vishnu1 his tongue tasted only food offered to ,vishnu1 his feet traversed the places sacred to ,vishnu and his head was devoted to the salutation of ,vishnu4 ,if he enjoyed things of this world1 it was for service to ,vishnu and not for the sake of enjoyment4 ,if he had attachment1 it was only for those that were devoted to ,vishnu4 ,the fruits of his action he offered to ,him4 ,by devotion and by the unselfish performance of duties pertaining to his sphere of life 7,svadharma71 he pleased ,bhagavan and by degrees he gave up all desires4 ,vishnu was so much pleased with the ,king1 that he gave him ,his own ,chakra for protection4 ,ambarisha with his wife once undertook to perform ,dvadasi ,vrata for one year4 7,dvadasi is the twelfth day of the ,moon4 ,the ,vrata consists in fasting on the eleventh day of the ,moon and in breaking the fast on the #abth day74 ,on one occasion he fasted for #c consecutive days4 ,he bathed himself in the ,yamuna and worshipped ,vishnu at ,mathura4 ,he gave plenty of riches and cattle to the ,brahmanas4 ,he then fed the ,brahmanas and asked their permission to eat himself4 ,at the time ,durvasas appeared as his guest4 ,the king received him duly and requested him to take his meals4 ,the ,rishi consented and went to bathe himself in the river and perform his daily rites4 ,the king waited long for him but he did not return4 ,there was only half a muhurta now remaining of ,dvadasi4 ,if the king did not eat any thing1 his ,vrata would not be observed4 ,if he ate1 he would shew disregard to a ,brahmana4 ,at this juncture1 the king decided to serve both ends by taking a little water1 for the ,brahmanas call that both eating and non-eating4 ,durvasas came back4 ,by spiritual vision1 he knew what had happened and became highly enraged4 ,he tore up a hair tuft and charged it to kill ,ambarisha4 ,the king remained unmoved4 ,the chakra of ,vishnu consumed the destructive force sent by ,durvasas and went even to destroy him4 ,the ,rishi ran in every direction4 ,the ,chakra followed him wherever he went4 ,he went to ,brahma and prayed to be saved4 ,it is not in my power to save thee said ,brahma4 ,thou hast offended a votary of ,vishnu4 ,he went to ,siva4 ,child said ,siva this weapon of ,vishnu is too much for me even4 ,go thou to ,vishnu4 ,durvasas went to ,vishnu and prayed to be pardoned and saved4 ,said ,vishnu3 ,o ,brahmana1 ,i am dependent on my ,bhaktas4 ,i am not free4 ,my heart is in the possession of my ,bhaktas4 ,i am dear to them4 ,without these my ,bhaktas ,i do not even want myself1 nor my absolute powers1 for ,i am their sole and supreme resort4 ,they forsake their wives1 homes1 children and wealth for my sake4 ,how can ,i forsake them4 ,their heart is chained to me4 ,they look on all with equal eyes4 ,by devotion they win me even as chaste wives win their husbands4 ,my service is all in all to them4 ,they do not even desire the four ,muktis1 ,salokya and others1 though these come within their easy reach4 ,what perishable objects can they have desire for8 ,the ,sadhus are my heart4 ,i am the heart of the ,sadhus4 ,they do not know any one besides me nor do ,i know any one besides them4 ,o ,brahmana1 hear what is thy only remedy4 ,without delay go to him who has caused this fear in thee4 ,when force is used against ,sadhus1 it reacts on him who uses the force4 ,true asceticism and wisdom are both for the salvation of the ,brahmanas4 ,but in one untrained1 they produce the contrary effect4 ,therefore go thou to the son of ,nabhaga4 ,beg his pardon and thou shalt be saved4 ,durvasas went back to ,ambarisha and touched the feet of the king4 ,ambarisha became non-plussed at this act of a ,brahmana and knowing the object of the ,rishi1 he prayed to the ,chakra to desist from its course and to save the ,brahmana4 ,the ,chakra had just commenced its work of destruction1 but it withdrew its energies upon the prayer of ,ambarisha4 ,durvasas was extremely thankful and he thus praised the king4 ,i see this day the greatness of ,vaishnavas1 ,o king4 ,thou didst pray for my welfare1 though ,i had offended thee4 ,there is nothing strange for those that have conquered ,vishnu ,himself4 ,thou hast been very kind to me4 ,thou hast favored me much4 ,thou didst not even think of my offence1 but thou hast saved my life4 ,the king had waited for ,durvasas all this time4 ,he now fell at the feet of the ,rishi and requested him to take his meals4 ,the ,rishi gladly did so1 and also made the king take his food4 ,durvasas then went to ,brahma ,loka4 ,he did not return for one year and the ,king lived upon water only all this time1 being so anxious to see the ,rishi back4 ,such is the holy story of ,ambarisha4 ,ambarisha ---------------------------------------- - ,virupa ,ketumat ,sambhu ,prishadasva ,rathitara ,rathitara had no children4 ,at his request ,rishi ,angiras produced certain sons by his wife4 ,they were known both as ,rathitaras and ,angirasas4 ,durvasas had cursed ,indra1 and ,indra lost all power4 ,but after the great churning1 times were changed4 ,the divine law favoured the ,devas and the worshippers of ,vishnu4 ,those who assumed a power1 independently of ,vishnu1 were sure to find disappointment1 however eminent their position might be4 7,i7 ,,ikshvaku4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chaps4 #f-ac4 ,ikshvaku was born out of the nostrils of ,manu when sneezing4 ,he had one hundred sons4 ,vikukshi1 ,nimi1 and ,dandaka were the eldest born4 ,twenty five of them ruled on the east of ,aryavarta1 twenty five on the west and twenty five in the middle4 ,the others ruled else where4 ,for the performance of ,ashtaka ,sraddha1 ,ikshvaku once ordered ,vikukshi to get some good flesh4 ,vikukshi had a bagful of good game4 ,but he was hungry and ate one rabbit out of his store4 ,vasishtha found fault with this and ,ikshvaku had to reject the whole of the game4 ,the ,king became angry at this and he expelled his son from the kingdom4 ,when ,ikshvaku died1 ,vikukshi returned4 ,he succeeded his father as king and was known as ,sasada or ,rabbiteater4 ,puranjaya was the son of ,sasada4 ,he was also called ,indravaha and ,kakutstha4 ,the ,devas had a fight with the ,asuras and ,indra asked for the help of ,puranjaya4 ,puranjaya wanted ,indra to be his carrier1 and the ,king of the ,devas became a bull4 ,puranjaya ascended the bull on its hump4 ,he is therefore called ,indravaha or ,indra-vehicled and ,kakutstha or the mounter on the hump4 ,he defeated the ,asuras4 ,ikshvaku ---------------------------------------- ------------- ,vikukshi ,nimi #ih other sons 7,sasada7 ,puranjaya 7,indra vahu ,kakutstha7 ,anena ,prithu ,visvagandhi ,chandra ,yuvanasva ,sravasta 7,he built the town ,sravasti7 ,brihadasva ,kuvalayasva 7,dhundhumara47 ,with his #ba thousand sons1 ,kuvalayasva killed an ,asura called ,dhundhu1 for the good of ,rishi ,utanka4 ,but the ,asura killed all his sons1 except three1 with fire from his mouth4 ,those three were ,dridhasva1 ,kapilasva and ,bhadrasva4 ,kuvalayasva or ,dhundhumara4 ---------------------------------------- ----------- ,dridhasva4 ,kapilasva4 ,bhadrasva4 ,haryasva ,nikumbha ,bahulasva ,krisasva ,senajit ,yuvanasva4 ,yuvanasva had no son4 ,so the ,rishis performed a sacrifice directed to ,indra4 ,one night ,yuvanasva became very thirsty and entered the ,yajna house4 ,he found all the ,rishis sleeping at the time4 ,he thought it improper to rouse the ,rishis and drank whatever water he found near at hand4 ,by chance that happened to be the consecrated water with the power of producing a son4 ,when the ,rishis rose up they did not find the water4 ,on enquiry1 when they knew what had happened1 every one wondered what the outcome would be4 ,in time the king brought forth a son from his right side4 ,the little thing cried out for milk4 ,indra said ,do not weep1 child1 you shall drink wine 7',man ,dhata'7 ,so saying he offered the child his fore finger4 ,from this1 the child was called ,mandhata4 ,yuvanasva1 by the blessing of the ,rishis1 did not meet with death at delivery4 ,mandhata was a very powerful king4 ,the thieves dreaded him much4 ,he performed many sacrifices and made many gifts4 ,he married ,indumati1 daughter of ,sasabindu4 ,he had three sons ,purukutsa1 ,ambarisha1 and the ,yogin ,muchukunda4 ,he had also fifty daughters4 ,rishi ,soubhari made ,tapas in the waters of the ,yamuna4 ,one day he saw the pairing of a couple of fish and became excited4 ,he requested king ,mandhata to give him one daughter in marriage4 ,the king said3 ,by ,svayamvara1 you may get my daughter 7i4e4 the girl must choose her own husband from amongst a number of men offering themselves as husbands47 ,the ,rishi thought because he was old and decrepit therefore the king wanted to put him off4 ,so ,soubhari by yogic powers became young and beautiful4 ,all the fifty daughters then accepted him for their husband4 ,the ,rishi prepared for himself all the enjoyments of life and passed his days in company with his #ej wives4 ,he then became disgusted with this sensual life and afterwards attained ,moksha with his wives4 ,yuvanasva adopted his grand son ,ambarisha4 ,ambarisha had one son ,youvanasva4 ,his son was ,harita4 ,these three1 ,ambarisha1 ,youvanasva and ,harita were the founders of the chief clans of the ,mandhata ,dynasty4 ,the elemental serpents gave their sister ,narmoda in marriage to ,purukutsa4 ,purukutsa accompanied ,narmoda to ,rasatala at the request of ,vasuki4 ,there he killed such ,gandharvas as deserved to be killed4 ,those who remember this story have no fear from serpents4 ,such was the blessing of the elemental serpents4 ,yuvanasva ,mandhata ---------------------------------------- ------------ ,purukuta ,ambarisha ,muchukunda m4 ,narmoda 7adopted by ,yuvanasva7 7,yogin7 ,trasadasya ,youvanasva ,anaranya ,harita ,horyasva ,praruna ,tribandhana ,satyavrata or ,tri ,sanku ,tri ,sanku became a ,chandala by the curse of his father4 ,rishi ,visvamitra lifted him up to ,svarga in his own mortal body4 ,tri ,sanku is still visible in the heavens4 ,the devas turned him with his head downwards and attempted to throw him down4 ,visvamitra by his power has retained him there4 ,tri ,sanku is a constellation in the southern hemisphere43 ,tri ,sanku ,haris ,chandra ,haris ,chandra had at first no issue4 ,he prayed to ,varuna for a son1 promising to offer him as a sacrifice to the ,water-god4 ,the king had a son named ,rohita 7,red74 ,varuna asked for his victim4 ,ten days passed away4 ,without teething the child will not be pure4 ,there was teething4 ,when these milk teeth fall away1 then will be the time4 ,the milk teeth fell off4 ,let other teeth grow4 ,other teeth did grow4 ,but he is a ,kshatriya boy4 ,he can be pure only when he is fit to put his armour on4 ,the king put off ,varuna from time to time in this way1 out of affection for his son4 ,rohita came to know of his father's promise4 ,to save himself1 he took a bow and went to the forest4 ,there he learned that his father had an attack of dropsy1 the disease caused by ,varuna4 ,so he prepared himself to go back1 but ,indra prevented him by persuasive words4 ,he was put back from year to year by ,indra1 till his #fth4 year4 ,he then made his way to the king4 ,he purchased from ,ajigarta his second son ,sunahsepha4 ,he saluted his father and offered the child4 ,king ,haris ,chandra appeased ,varuna by human sacrifice and got rid of his dropsy4 ,in that sacrifice1 ,visvamitra was the ,hota1 ,jamadagni was the ,adhvaryu1 ,vasistha ,brahma and ,ayasya was the ,udgata4 ,indra being pleased gave a golden chariot to the king4 ,visvamitra taught ,atma ,vidya to ,haris ,chandra and he attained liberation4 ,the story of ,haris ,chandra in this ,purana follows the vedic version4 ,the gist of the story is that in the course of further evolution the ,devas were to be propitiated by human sacrifice4 ,but this sacrifice did not mean killing4 ,it was the complete offering of oneself up to the service of the gods4 ,the mission of the human victim is to constantly work for the good of the ,universe and to extinguish his own personality4 ,sunahsepha was not killed in the sacrifice4 ,he was offered up to the service of the gods4 ,after the sacrifice1 he was called ,devarata i4e4 one offered to the ,devas4 ,visvamitra adopted ,devarata as his own son and he asked his hundred sons to accept him as their eldest brother4 ,he disowned those sons that did not obey him 7,bhagavata ,,ix-#af74 ,therefore ,visvamitra took the principal part in this sacrifice and not ,vasistha1 though he was the family preceptor4 ,haris ,chandra ,rohita ,harita ,champa 7founder of ,champa7 ,sudeva ,vijaya ,bharuka ,vrika ,bahuka ,his enemies dispossesed ,bahuka of his kingdom4 ,he went to the forest accompanied by his wives4 ,when he died1 the eldest queen prepared herself for death also4 ,rishi ,aurva knew her to be big with child1 and dissuaded her from accompanying her husband on to the funeral pyre4 ,the co-wives of the queen1 out of jealousy1 gave her poison4 ,the child was born with this poison1 therefore he was called ,sagara 7,sa with1 gara poison47 ,sagara became a great king4 ,the ,seas were dug by his sons4 ,he was prevented by ,rishi ,aurva from taking the lives of the ,talajanghas1 ,yavanas1 ,sakas1 ,haihayas1 and ,barbars4 ,but he made them change their outward look4 ,he performed an ,asvamedha sacrifice as advised by ,aurva and ,indra stole the sacrificial horse4 ,sagara had two wives ,sumati and ,kesini4 ,the #fj thousand sons of ,sumati searched for the horse on all sides4 ,they dug the earth's surface and made the ,seas4 ,they found the horse near ,kapila4 ,they took him to be the stealer of the horse and abused him4 ,for this they were all burnt up4 ,kesini had one son ,asamanjas by ,sagara4 ,ansumat was son of ,asamanjas4 ,he was attached to his grandfather ,sagara4 ,asamanjas was a ,yogin in his former birth4 ,he therefore wanted to avoid company by means of provoking acts4 ,he threw down some children into the ,saraju4 ,his father ,sagara was thus compelled to forsake him4 ,by ,yogic powers1 be brought back the children thrown into the ,saraju1 and left his father for ever4 ,ansumat was also sent by ,sagara to search for the horse4 ,he found the horse and a heap of ashes near ,kapila4 ,he saluted ,kapila and glorified him4 ,the ,avatara was pleased4 ,he permitted ,ansumat to take away the horse4 ,he also informed him that his burnt-up ,pitris could only he saved by the water of the ,ganga4 ,sagara completed the sacrifice with the horse4 ,he made over the kingdom to ,ansumat and attained ,mukti4 ,ansumat made ,tapas for the downward flow of ,ganga but without success4 ,he was followed by his son ,dilipa4 ,he also did not succeed4 ,bhagiratha was the son of ,dilipa4 ,he prayed hard and ,ganga appeared in person before him4 ,child1 ,i am pleased with thee4 ,what boon do you ask for8 ,bhagiratha told her what he prayed for4 ,but who shall arrest my course1 when ,i fall down4 ,if not arrested ,i will pierce the earth and reach ,rasatala4 ,again if ,i pass over earth1 men will wash away their sins in my waters4 ,where shall ,i wash away those sins1 ,o ,king8 ,therefore do thou ponder well what to do4 ,said ,bhagiratha3 -- ,the touch of ,sadhus shall take away thy sins4 ,for ,vishnu1 the destroyer of sins1 remains in them4 ,thy downward course shall be arrested by ,rudra4 ,siva was pleased by the prayer of ,bhagiratha1 and he consented to hold ,ganga4 ,ganga came rushing down and she was taken by ,bhagiratha to where the ashes of his ,pitris lay4 ,the very touch of her waters purified the sons of ,sagara and they went to ,svarga4 ,bahuka ,sagara m4 ,sumati m4 ,kesini --------------------------------- #fj thousand ,asamanjas sons ,ansumat ,dilipa ,bhagiratha ,sruta ,nabha ,sindhu ,dvipa ,ayutayu ,rituparna 7friend of ,nala7 ,sarvakama ,sudasa ,soudasa or ,mitrasaha or ,kalmashapada m4 ,madayanti4 ,once there lived two ,rakshasas4 ,soudasa killed one and did not kill the other4 ,the surviving ,rakshasa1 bent on taking revenge1 entered the service of ,soudasa as a cook4 ,when the king entertained ,vasistha1 he gave him human flesh to eat4 ,the ,rishi became angry and caused ,soudasa to become a ,rakshasa4 ,when he learned however it was the doing of a ,rakshasa1 he reduced the king's ,rakshasa life to #ab years4 ,the king also held out water for the execration of ,vasistha4 ,his queen prevented him4 ,so he threw the water at his own feet4 ,his feet became black with sin4 ,while living as a ,rakshasa1 the king saw a ,brahmana and his wife in their privacy1 and he attacked the ,brahmana4 ,the wife reminded the king of his former birth and requested him not to deprive her of her husband at the time of enjoyment4 ,the king heeded not her words but devoured the ,brahmana4 ,the ,brahmana woman cursed ,soudasa so that he should meet with death whenever he had female connection4 ,on the expiry of #ab years1 ,soudasa reverted to his former birth1 but for fear of the curse he had no connection with women4 ,vasistha at the request of ,soudasa produced a son by his wife1 ,madayanti4 ,the conception lingered for #g years4 ,vasistha struck the womb with a stone 7,asman7 and the son was hence called ,asmaka4 ,the son of ,asmaka was ,balika4 ,he was the surviving kshatriya1 after the extirpation of that caste by ,parasurama4 ,hence he was called ,mulaka also 7the root of a race74 ,soudasa ,asmaka ,balika or ,mulaka ,dasaratha ,aidavidi ,visvasaha ,khatvanga ,khatvanga was a very powerful king4 ,he killed ,daityas as a friend of the ,devas4 ,the ,devas offered him a boon4 ,the king wanted to know how much longer he was to live4 ,learning it was a ,muhurta only1 he returned forthwith to his place and concentrated his mind on ,bhagavan4 ,he attained ,mukti4 ,khatvanga ,dirgha-bahu ,raghu ,aja ,dasaratha ---------------------------------- ,,rama ,lakshmana ,bharata ,satrughna 7,the story of ,rama as told in the ,ramayana is widely and universally known4 ,it is therefore unnecessary to repeat that story from the ,bhagavata ,purana47 ,dasaratha ---------------------------------------- -------- ,,rama ,lakshmana ,bharata ,satrughna ----- ------------- ----------- ------------ ,kusa ,lava ,angada ,chitraketu ,taksha ,pushkala ,subahu ,srutasena4 ,pushpa ,kusa ,dhruva ,sandhi ,atithi ,sudarsana ,nishada ,agni varna ,nabha ,sighra ,pundarika ,maru ,kshema ,dhanvan ,devanika ,aniha ,pariyatra ,balasthala ,vajra nabha 7incarnation of ,surya74 ,sagana ,vidhriti ,hiranya nabha 7disciple of ,jaimini and ,yogacharya ,teacher of ,rishi ,yajnavalka in ,yoga7 ,manu has matured in ,yoga4 ,he now resides at ,kalapa4 ,towards the end of ,kaliyuga he shall restore the ,solar dynasty4 ,maru ,vatsa-,vriddha ,sutapas ,prasusruta ,prativyoma ,amitrajit ,sandhi ,bhanu ,bridharaj ,amarshana ,divaka ,barhi ,mahasvat ,sahadeva ,kritanjaya ,visvabahu ,brihadasva ,rananjaya ,prasenajit ,bhanumat ,sanjaya ,takshaka ,pratikasva ,sakya ,brihadbala1 killed ,supratika ,suddhoda at the battle of ,kurukshetra by ,marudeva ,langala ,abhimanyu ,sunakshatra ,prasenajit 7,time of ,parikshit7 ,pushkara ,kshudraka ,brihat-rana ,antariksha ,sumitra ,vatsa-vriddha ,sutapas ,sumitra shall be the last of the ,ikshvaku dynasty in this ,kali ,yuga4 ,nimi was the second son of ,ikshvaku4 ,he asked ,vasistha to officiate at his ,yajna4 ,but the ,rishi had been pre-engaged with ,indra4 ,so he asked the king to wait till he came back4 ,considering the uncertainty1 ,nimi did not wait for his family ,purohita4 ,but engaged another priest4 ,vasistha on returning became offended and cursed ,nimi with the loss of his body4 ,nimi gave the same curse to ,vasistha4 ,so both gave up their bodies4 ,vasistha was reborn shortly after as the son of ,mitravaruna by ,urvasi4 ,the ,rishis picked up the body of ,nimi and placed it with the scented things of ,yajna4 ,on the completion of the ,yajna1 the ,rishis prayed to the ,devas for the vivification of the body4 ,but ,nimi said from within the scented things that he did not want to be encumbered with the body any more4 ,the ,devas said3 ,then remain in the eyes of all beings as winking4 ,so ,nimi remains in the twinkling of eyes4 ,the ,rishis churned the body of ,nimi and a son was born4 ,he was called ,janaka4 ,as he was born1 when his father was bodiless 7videha7 he was also called ,vaideha4 ,the churning also gave him the name of ,mithila 7,manth to churn74 ,he built the town ,milhila4 7,mithila is the modern ,tirhut74 ,,nimi ,marti ,janaka ,pratipa ,udavasu ,kritaratha ,nandivardhana ,devamirha ,suketu ,visruta ,devarata ,mahadhriti ,brihadratha ,kritirata ,mahavirya ,maharoman 7large-haired7 ,sudhriti ,svarnaroman 7gold-haired7 ,dhrishtaketu ,hrasvaroman 7short-haired7 ,haryasva ,sira-,dhvaja ,maru ,while ploughing the ground for sacrifice1 ,sira-,dhvaja got ,sita at the end of the plough4 ,therefore ,sira 7plough7 being his ,dhvaja 7flag1 proclaimer of fame71 he was called ,sira ,dhvaja4 7,this ,sira-,dhvaja is the renowned ,janaka of ,ramayana473 ,sira-,dhvaja ,kusa-,dhvaja ,dharma-,dhvaja --------------------- ,krita-,dhvaja ,mita-,dhvaja ,kesi-,dhvaja ,khandikya ,kesi ,dhvaja was versed in ,atma-vidya1 ,khandikya was versed in ,vedic ,karma1 ,kesi ,dhvaja overpowered ,khandikya and he fled away4 ,kesi-,dhvaja ,upa-guru ,bhanumat ,upa-gupta 7incarnation of ,agni7 ,sata-dyumna ,vasvananta ,suchi ,yuyudha ,sanadvaja ,subhashana ,urja-ketu ,sruta ,purujit ,jaya ,arishta nemi ,vijaya ,srutayu ,rita ,suparsva ,sunaka ,chitraratha ,vitahavya ,kshemadhi ,dhriti ,samaratha ,bahulasva ,satyaratha ,kriti ,upa-guru ,these kings of ,mithila were well versed in ,atma-vidya4 ,,the ,,lunar ,,dynasty4 99,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chap4 #ad499 ,soma 7the ,moon7 was born out of the eyes of ,atri4 ,he carried off ,tara1 the wife of ,brihaspati 7,jupiter74 ,brihaspati asked for his wife several times1 but ,soma would not give her up4 ,sukra 7,venus7 was not on good terms with ,brihaspati4 ,so he took the side of ,soma1 with his disciples1 the ,asuras4 ,siva with his ,bhutas took the side of ,brihaspati4 ,indra with the ,devas also sided with their preceptor4 ,the two parties engaged in fight4 ,after some days of fight1 ,angiras informed ,brahma about every thing that transpired4 ,brahma reproached ,soma4 ,so he returned ,tara to ,brihaspati4 ,brihaspati found that ,tara had conceived4 ,immediately throw out the seed of another man in my field1 cried he4 ,tara feeling bashful brought forth at the time a lustrous son1 ,both ,brihaspati and ,soma desired to have the son1 each saying ,it is mine not yours4 ,when they quarrelled with each other1 the ,devas and ,rishis asked ,tara who was the father of the child4 ,the child reproved his mother for the delay in answering4 ,brahma took ,tara aside and learned from her that ,soma was the father of the son1 ,soma then took the child4 ,brahma seeing the deep wisdom of the child named him ,budha 7,mercury74 ,budha had by ,ila one son ,pururavas4 ,narada related his beauty and his virtues to the ,devas in ,svarga4 ,urvasi heard all that and took a fancy for the king4 ,by the curse of ,mitra ,varuna1 she had then a human form4 ,both the king and the ,apsaras became attached to each other and they lived as husband and wife4 ,but ,urvasi laid down two conditions of her company with the king -- 7#a7 that the king was to preserve two rams1 which the ,apsaras had brought with her and 7#b7 that the king was never to expose himself before her except in privacy4 ,indra sent the ,gandharvas in search of ,urvasi4 ,they found her out and took away her two rams4 ,she had a maternal affection for these animals and she cried out in despair4 ,the king hurriedly took his arms and ran after the ,gandharvas4 ,they left the rams and fled away4 ,the king brought them back4 ,but in the hurry1 he had forgot to cover himself and ,urvasi left him4 ,the king became disconsolate1 and roamed about in search of her4 ,after some days he found her on the banks of the ,sarasvati with her #e companions4 ,he entreated her to come back4 ,she promised to give her company to the king one night every year and informed him of her delicate state of health4 ,urvasi came after a year1 with one son4 ,she advised the king to entreat the ,gandharvas for her hands4 ,the king did so and the ,gandharvas became pleased with him4 ,they gave him one ,agnisthali 7pot of fire74 ,the king took the ,agnisthali to be ,urvasi and roamed with it in the forest4 7,the ,gandharvas gave him the fire for the performance of sacrifice necessary for the attainment of ,urvasi74 ,the king found out his mistake at last4 ,he then placed the fire in the forest1 went home and meditated every night on ,urvasi4 ,on the approach of ,treta1 he was inspired with the three ,vedas 7,karma-,kanda74 ,he then went to the place of fire and found there one ,asvatha tree 7the sacred fig7 grown from inside a ,sami tree 7,sami is the name of a tree said to contain fire74 ,he decided that the fire must be within the ,asvatha tree4 ,he took two pieces of wood 7technically called ,arani7 from that tree and produced fire by their friction4 ,he deemed one piece to be ,urvasi and another piece to be himself and the space between the two pieces to be his son4 ,by friction1 the fire called ,jatavedas came out4 7,vedas is wealth1 enjoyments in general4 ,jata is grown4 ,jata-vedas is that fire from which enjoyments proceed that which gratifies all sense-desires4 ,it is the chief fire of the ,karma-kanda of the ,vedas74 ,by the invocation of the three vedas1 that fire became three fold4 7,ahavaniya1 ,garhapatya1 and ,dakshina are the three fires perpetually kept in the household4 ,ahavaniya is the eastern fire which represents the relations of the house holder with the ,devas4 ,garhapatya is the sacred fire which the householder receives from his father and transmits to his descendants and from which fires for sacrificial purposes are lighted4 ,it represents household and family duties4 ,dakhina is the southern fire4 ,it represents all classes of duty to the ,pitris74 ,the king imagined this threefold fire to be his son 7,the son by his offerings sends his father's soul to ,svarga4 ,the sacrificial fire also sends the performer to ,svarga74 ,with that fire1 he performed ,yajna desiring to reach the ,loka 7plane7 of ,urvasi4 ,prior to this in ,satya ,yuga1 ,pranava was the only ,veda1 ,narayana was the only ,deva1 there was only one fire and only one caste4 ,the three ,vedas came only from ,pururavas1 at the beginning of ,treta ,yuga4 ,the king attained ,gandharva ,loka by means of the fire4 7,in ,satya ,yuga1 ,satva generally prevailed in men4 ,therefore they were all fixed in meditation4 ,but in ,treta ,yuga1 ,rajas prevailed and by the division of the ,vedas1 ,karma ,marga made its appearance4 ,sridhara47 ,the true history of the origin of the three ,vedas is thus given in veiled words4 ,they originated in the strong desire of men in ,treta ,yuga for the possession of heavenly things4 ,this gives us about two millions of years at the present day4 ,the origin of the ,vedas must not be confounded however with their existence in the present form4 ,for that we must refer to the sacrifice of ,haris ,chandra1 the adoption of ,sunah sepha by ,visvamitra and the division amongst the ,madhu ,chandas brothers4 ,pururavas m4 ,urvasi ---------------------------------------- --------------- ,ayus ,srutayus ,satyayus ,raya ,vijaya ,jaya ,vasumat ,srutanjaya ,eka ,bhima ,amita ,kanchana ,hotraka ,hotraka ,jahnu 7,he swallowed up the ,ganga in her downward course and let her out though his thighs74 ,puru ,balaka ,ajaka ,kusa --------------------------------- ,kusambu ,tanaya ,vasu ,kusanabha ,gadhi ,satyavati ,rishi ,richika asked for the hand of ,satyavati4 ,gadhi did not consider him to be a fit husband for his daughter4 ,he therefore wanted to put him off and said3 -- ,give a dower of one thousand horses1 with the lustre of moon all over their body and with one of their ears dark-coloured 7,syama74 ,for we are sons of ,kusika4 ,the ,rishi went to ,varuna and got the horses4 ,he gave them to the king and married ,satyavati4 ,satyavati and her mother both asked ,richika to prepare ,charu for the birth of a son to each4 7,charu is an oblation of rice1 barley1 and pulse1 boiled together4 ,it is offered to ,devas and ,pitris74 ,richika prepared two charus and consecrated one with ,brahmana ,mantra and the other with ,kshatriya ,mantra4 ,the ,rishi then went to bathe himself4 ,in the meantime1 the mother thought1 the daughter's ,charu must be superior to hers4 ,so she procured that from her daughter and the daughter partook of her mother's ,charu4 ,when the ,rishi returned and learned what had taken place1 he said to his wife3 -- ,what an improper thing you have done by this exchange of ,charus6 ,you shall have a fierce and terrible son1 while your brother shall be the greatest in divine wisdom4 ,satyavati prayed to her husband1 saying ,let it not be so4 ,the ,rishi then said1 ,then your grandson shall be all that4 ,jamadagni was born of ,satyavati4 ,she became the river ,kausiki4 ,jamadagni married ,renuka the daughter of ,renu4 ,jamadagni had several sons1 ,vasumat and others4 ,the youngest was ,rama 7,parsurama74 ,he is said to be an ,incarnation of ,vishnu4 ,he destroyed the ,haihaya ,kshatriyas4 ,he cleared the earth of ,kshatriyas twenty one times4 ,kartaviryarjuna was the chief of the ,haihaya clan4 ,he got yogic powers from ,datta-,atreya and also one thousand heads4 ,he was very powerful4 ,he was hospitably received one day by ,jamadagni1 with the objects yielded by his ,kama-,dhenu 7a cow that yields all objects of desire74 ,the king longed to have the cow and forcibly carried her away4 ,parasurama killed the king in battle and carried back the cow4 ,the sons of the king out of revenge killed ,rishi ,jamadagni while ,parasurama and his brothers were out4 ,incensed by this conduct of the ,haihayas1 ,parasurama killed all the ,kshatriyas on account of their iniquities4 ,jamadagni on his death became the ,seventh ,rishi in the constellation of the ,seven ,rishis4 ,parasurama will become one of the ,seven ,rishis in the next ,manvantara4 ,he bides his time1 with axe in hand1 on the ,mahendra mountain4 ,gadhi had his son ,visvamitra4 ,though a ,kshatriya1 he became a ,brahmana by his ,tapas4 ,he had one hundred sons4 ,the mid son was ,madhuchhandas4 ,but they were all called ,madhuchhandas4 ,visvamitra adopted as his son ,sunahsepha1 son of ,ajigarta of the clan of ,bhrigu after he had been offered up to the ,devas and the ,rishi asked his sons to accept him as their eldest brother4 ,sunahsepha had been purchased as the victim of ,haris ,chandra's sacrifice4 ,he prayed to the ,devas and to ,prajapati and got liberation4 ,in the clan of ,gadhi1 he was known as ,devarata4 ,in the clan of ,bhrigu1 he was called ,sunahsepha4 ,the elder sons of ,visvamitra did not accept him4 ,so the ,rishi cursed them to become ,mlechhas4 ,madhuchhandas with the youngest #ej did as asked by the ,rishi4 ,the other sons of ,visvamitra were ,ashtaka1 ,harita1 ,jaya1 ,kratumat and others4 ,,gadhi ------------------------------------- ,satyavati ,visvamitra m4 ,richika ------------------------------- ,jamadagni 7adopted7 ,devarata #ajj sons ,ashtakja ,parasurama including others ,madhuchhandas ,,the ,,lunar ,,dynasty 7,continued74 99,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chap4 #ag499 ,ayus was the eldest son of ,pururavas4 ,his line is now given4 ,pururavas ,ayus ---------------------------------------- ---- ,nahusha ,kshatra-,vriddha ,raji ,rabha ,anena ,suhotra #ejj ,sons ,rabhas ,suddha ,gambhira ,suchi ---------------------- ,akriya ,chitraka ,kasya ,kusa ,gritsamada ,brahmavit ,santarajas ,kasi ,prati ,sunaka ,rashtra ,sanjaya ,sounaka ,dirghatamas ,jaya ,dhanvantari ,harnabala 7promulgator of ,ayur ,veda ,sahadeva and a sub ,incarnation ,hina of ,vishnu47 ,jaya ,sena ,ketumat ,saukriti ,bhimaratha ,jaya4 ,divodasa ,dyumat 7also called ,pratardana ,satrujit and ,ritadhvaja7 ,dharmaketu ------------------------ ,alarka others 7reigned for #ffjjj years7 ,santati ,sunitha ,niketana ,dharmaketu ,satyaketu ,dhrishtaketu ,sukumara ,vitihotra ,bharga ,bhargabhumi ,raji defeated the ,asuras and made over ,svarga to ,indra4 ,indra placed ,raji in charge of ,svarga4 ,raji died and his sons did not return the kingdom of ,svarga to ,indra4 ,brihaspati made invocation against them and they were all easily killed4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chaps4 #ah-ai4 ,pururavas ,ayus ---------------------------------------- -------- ,nahusha ,kshatra-vridha ,raji ,rabha ,anena ---------------------------------------- ---------------- ,yati ,yayati ,saryati ,ayati ,viyati ,kriti ,sarmistha was the daughter of the ,danava king ,vrishaparvan4 ,devayani was the daughter of ,sukra1 the preceptor of the ,danavas4 ,they quarrelled whilst playing with each other and ,sarmistha threw ,devayani into a well4 ,king ,yayati happened to pass by the way and he rescued her4 ,she became attached to the king and married him4 ,sukra became displeased with the ,danavas for the ill treatment of his daughter by ,sarmistha4 ,and to please the preceptor and his daughter1 ,vrishaparvan had to make over his daughter and her companions to ,devayani as her constant attendants4 ,so they accompanied ,devayani to the place of ,yayati4 ,sukra warned ,yayati however not to have any intercourse with ,sarmistha4 ,but the king did not heed the warning4 ,he had two sons ,yadu and ,turvasu by ,devayani and three sons1 ,druhya1 ,anu and ,puru by ,sarmistha4 ,devayani complained to ,sukra and by the curse of the ,rishi the king was attacked with the infirmities of old age4 ,the ,rishi was subsequently pleased to say that the king might exchange his infirmities with another4 ,yayati called his sons one by one and they all declined to comply with his request except the youngest son ,puru4 ,so he exchanged his infirmities with ,puru and lived as a young man4 ,at last he found that no amount of gratification of the senses produced satiety and being disgusted with the pleasures of life1 made over to ,puru his youth and took upon himself his own infirmities4 ,he made over the south east to ,druhya1 the east to ,yadu1 the west to ,turvasu and the north to ,anu4 ,he then made ,puru his successor and went into the forest4 ,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chap4 #bj4 ,,yayati -------------------------------------- ,yadu ,turvasu ,druhya ,anu ,puru ,janamejaya ,prachinvat ,pravira ,manasyu ,charupada ,sudyu ,bahugava ,sanyati ,ahanyati ,raudrasva by ,apsaras ,ghritachi ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,riteyu ,kaksheya ,sthandileyua ,kriteyu ,jaleyu ,rantinabha --------------------------------------- ,sateyu ,dharmeyu ,sannatyeyu ,vrateyu ,vaneyu ---------------------------------------- -- ,sumati ,dhruva ,apratiratha ,rebhi ,kanva ,dushmanta 7the famous ,medhatithi lover of ,sakuntala daughter of ,visvamitra by ,menaka1 ,pras ,kanna and other hero of ,kali ,dasa's drama47 ,brahmanas ,bharata 7,sub-,incarnation of ,vishnu7 ,bharata had three wives1 all of ,vidarbha4 ,one of them bore a son to the king1 but he pronounced the child to be unlike himself4 ,the wives of the king killed their children for fear of their being called illegitimate4 ,bharata gave ,yajna offerings to the ,maruts and to ,soma 7,moon7 that he might be blessed with a ,son4 ,the ,maruts gave him ,bharadvaja as his son4 ,brihaspati 7,jupiter7 produced ,bharadvaja on ,mamata 7,egoism71 the wife of his brother ,utathya4 ,the parents deserted the child and he was brought up by the ,maruts4 ,bharadvaja being adopted by ,bharata was called ,vitatha4 ,,bharadvaja ,,or ,,vitatha ,,manyu ---------------------------------------- ------------------ ,brihat-,kshatra ,jaya ,mahavirya ,nara ,garga ,hastin ,durita-,kshaya ,sankriti ,sani 7founded ,hastinapur1 modern ,delhi7 ---------- ---------------------------- ,guru ,rantideva ,ajamirha ,dvimirha ,purumirha ,gargya 7,see next page7 7became ---------------------------- ,brahmana7 ,trayyaprni ,kavi ,pushkararuni 7,brahmana7 7,br7 7,br7 ,yavinara ,kritimat ,satyadhriti ,dridhanemi ,suparsva ,sumati ,sannatimat ,kriti 7arranged ,prachasama in to #f ,sanhitas7 ,niha ,ugrayudha ,kshemya ,suvira ,ripunjaya ,bahuratha ,rantideva gave to others whatever he had and had nothing left for himself4 ,he and his dependents remained without food for forty-eight days4 ,on the morning of the #dith4 day he got some ghee1 milk1 prepared barley1 and water4 ,while he was going to partake of that with the others1 a ,brahmana became his guest4 ,he duly respected his guest and gladly gave him a share of the meals4 ,when the ,brahmana went away1 he divided the remnant amongst his dependents and himself1 and while he was going to eat1 one ,sudra became his guest4 ,he gave him a share out of his own4 ,when the ,sudra went away1 another man came with a number of dogs and ,rantideva duly respected him and gave him what he could4 ,only some water now remained1 sufficient for the drink of one man only4 ,he was going to drink that water1 when a man of the ,pukvasa caste 7a degraded mixed caste7 came and pitifully asked for some water4 ,i do not ask for the eight ,siddhis1 exclaimed ,rantideva ,i do not ask for ,nirvana4 ,i only want that ,i may pervade all beings and suffer for them all their miseries1 that they may be sorrowless4 ,by parting with this water to save the life of this distressed man1 my hunger1 thirst1 langour1 giddiness1 and distress are all gone4 ,kind hearted ,rantideva gave even the water to the thirsty ,pukvasa4 ,even ,brahma and others could not distract him from his devotion to ,vishnu4 ,his followers all became ,yogins devoted to ,vishnu4 7,is there some connection between ,rantideva and ,jesus ,christ87 ,ajamirha ---------------------------------------- -- ,the ,brahmans ,brihadishu ,nila ,riksha 7#a7 ,priyamedha c4 ,brihaddbanu ,santi 7,large ,jaws7 ,susanti ,brihatkaya ,large sized7 ,puruja ,jayadratha ,arka ,vishada ,bharmyasva 7,his sons were ,syenajit known as ,panchala7 ------- ,mudgala ----------------------- 7originator of the ,maudgalya clan7 ,ruchirasya ,dhridhahanu ,kasya ,vatsa -- ,yavinara ,para -- ,brihadvisva -------------- -- ,kampilla ,prithusena ,nipa -- ,sanjava ---------------- #ajj sons ,bhahmadatta 7,yogin7 ,vishvaksen 7author of ,yoga ,sastra7 ,udaksena ,bhaliata ,mudgala 7continued from above7 ----------------------- ,divodasa ,ahalya m4 ,gotama ,mitrayu ,sotananda ,chyavana ,satyadhriti 7versed in ,sudasa ,dhanur ,veda7 ,sahadeva ,saradvat 7saw ,urvasi and his seed fell on a cluster ,somaka of ,sara grass from which were born the pair74 --------------------- -------------- ,jantu #ic sons ,prishata ,kripa ,kripi ,drupada m4 ,drona ,draupadi ----------------- ,dhrishtadyumna others ,dhrishtaketu 7#a7 ,,riksha ,samvarana m4 ,tapati daughter of the ,sun ,kuru -------------------------------- ,parikshi ,sudhana ,jahnu ,nishadha ,suhotra ,suratha ,chyavana ,viduratha ,kriti ,sarvabhouma ,uparichara ,vasu ,jaya ,sena ,radhika ,ayutayu ,uparichara ,vasu ,ayutayu ,akrodhana ,devatithi ,riksha ,dilipa ,pratipa -------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----- ,brihadratha ,kusamba ,matsya ,pratyagra ,chedipa ,others -------------- ,kusagra ,jara ,sandha 7was born in two parts4 ,he was ,rishabha therefore thrown away out side4 ,jara a ,rakshasha woman1 united ,satyahita the two parts and made the child alive4 ,hence he was called ,pushpavat ,jarasandha74 ,jahu --------------------------_/ ,sahadeva ,devapi ,santanu ,vahika 7gave up the world ,somapi and went to forest7 ,somadatta ,sruta ,sravas -------------------------------- ,bhuri ,bhurisravas ,sala ,santana had in his former life the power by pass of his hands to make an old man young4 ,he was therefore called ,santanu in this life4 ,when he became king1 there was drought for #ab years4 ,the ,brahmanas ascribed this to ,santanu's overlooking the claims of his eldest brother ,devapi4 ,santanu went to his brother4 ,but in the meantime his minister had sent certain ,brahmanas to ,devapi and they dissuaded him from ,vedic ,dharma4 ,he thus became unfit to be a king and the ,devas then rained4 ,but ,devapi is waiting at ,kalapa for his future mission4 ,the lunar dynasty will come to an end in the present ,kaliyuga and ,devapi will be the progenitor of the lunar ,dynasty in the next ,satyayuga4 ,santanu ,by ,ganga ,by ,satyavati ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,bhishma ,chitrangada ,vichitra ,virya 7killed by a m4 ,amba and ,gandharva7 ,ambalika daughters of ,kasiraja ,satyavati was the daughter of ,uparichara ,vasu by ,matsyagandha4 ,before her marriage with ,santanu1 ,rishi ,parasara had by her one son ,krishna ,dvaipayana1 the renowned ,vyasa1 father of ,suka1 the propounder of the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,as ,vichitra ,virya had no son1 ,satyavati asked ,vyasa to produce sons on his wives4 ,they were ,dhritarashra1 ,pandu1 and ,vidura4 ,dhritarashra m4 ,gandhari ---------------------------------- ,duryodhana #ii ,others ,duhsala ,pandu m4 ,kunti m4 ,madri --------------------------- ----------- 7,by ,dharma7 7,by ,indra7 7,by ,vayu7 7,by ,asvini ,kumars7 ,yudhisthira ,arjuna ,bhima ,nakula ,sahadeva ,,yudisthira ,,had3 7#a7 ,by ,draupadi -- ,prativindhya 7#b7 ,by ,pauravi -- ,devaka ,,bhima ,,had3 7#a7 ,by ,draupadi -- ,srutasena 7#b7 ,by ,hidimba -- ,ghatot ,kacha 7#c7 ,by ,kali -- ,sarvagata ,,arjuna ,,had 7#a7 ,by ,draupadi -- ,srutakirti 7#b7 ,by ,ulupi -- ,iravat 7#c7 ,by the princess of ,manipur -- ,vabhruvahana 7#d7 ,by ,subhadra -- ,abhimanyu m4 ,uttara ,parikshit ,,nakula ,,had3 7#a7 ,by ,draupadi -- ,satanika 7#b7 ,by ,karenumati -- ,naramitra ,,sahadeva ,,had3 7#a7 ,by ,draupadi -- ,sruta ,karman 7#b7 ,by ,vijaya -- ,suhotra ,arjuna ,vrishtimat ,durdamana ,abhimanyu ,susena ,mahinara ,parikshit ,mahipati ,dandapani ,janmaejaya ,sunitha ,nimi ,satanika ,nri ,chakshus ,kshemaka ,sahasranika ,sukhinala ,asvamedhaja ,pariplava ,asima ,krishna ,sunaya ,nemi ,chakra ,medhavin 7,hastinapura shall be washed ,nripanjaya away and he shall reside at ,durva ,kousambi7 ,timi ,upta ,brihadratha ,chitraratha ,sudasa ,suchiratha ,satanika ,vrishtimat ,durdamana ,kshemaka shall be the last of this approved line in the ,kali ,yuga4 ,now as to the ,magadha kings4 ,jara ,sandha ,sama ,sahadeva ,dridhasena ,marjari ,sumati ,srutasravas ,subala ,yutayu ,sunitha ,naramitra ,satyajit ,sunakshatra ,visvajit ,brihat ,sena ,ripunjaya ,karmajit ,satanjaya ,vipra ,suchi ,kshema ,suvrata ,dharma ,sutra ,sama ,this line shall be extinguished one thousand years after the death of ,parikshit4 7,the future tense is used in the text with reference to the time of ,parikshit47 99,,skandha ,,ix4 ,,chaps4 #bc499 ,,yayati ---------------------------------------- ,yadu ,turvasu ,druhya ,anu ,puru --------------------------- ,sabhanara ,chakshus ,parekshu ,kalanara ,janamejaya ,maha ,sala ,mahamanas ------------------------------ ,usinara ,titiksha --------------------- ,rushadratha ,sivi ,vara ,krimi ,daksha ,homa ----------------------------- ,sutapas ,vrisharbha ,subiua ,madra ,kekaya ,bali ,dirghatamas ,rishi produced on ,bali's wife ,six sons -- ,anga1 ,banga1 ,kalinga1 ,sambhu1 ,pundra and ,odhra4 ,these six sons founded kingdoms in their own names in the ,east4 7,anga is the country about ,bhagalpur4 ,banga is modern ,bengal4 ,kalinga is the country between ,jagannatha and the ,krishna4 ,odhra is part of modern ,orissa47 ,,bali ---------------------------------------- ------ ,anga ,banga ,kalinga ,sambhu ,pundra ,odhra ,khalapana ,diviratha ,dharmaratha ,chitraratha4 ,chitratha was also called ,romapada4 ,he had no son4 ,dasaratha 7father of ,rama7 was his friend4 ,he gave his daughter ,santa to ,romapada4 ,santa was married to ,rishi ,rishya ,sringa4 ,that ,rishi made a ,yajna for ,romapada and he had a ,son ,chaturanga born to him4 ,chitraratha or ,romapada ,chaturanga ,prithulaksha ,brihadratha ---------------------------------------- ,brihadratha ,brihatkarman ,brihatbhanu ,brihanmanas ,jayadratha ,vijaya ,dhriti ,dhritavrata ,satkarman ,adhiratha 7,he adopted ,karna of the ,mahabharata as his son1 when he had been left by ,kunti47 ,,adhiratha ,karna ,vrisha ,sena ,,yayati ,druhyu ,babhru ,setu ,arabdha ,gandhara ,dharma ,dhrita ,durmada ,prachetas ,one hundred sons inhabiting the north as a ,mlechcha race4 ,,yayati ,turvasu ,bahni ,bharga ,bhanumat ,tribhanu ,karandhama ,marutta 7adopted ,dushmanta of the line of ,puru as his son1 but ,dushmanta reverted to his own line47 ,,yayati ,yadu ------------------------------------ ,sahasrajit1 ,kroshta1 ,nala1 ,ripu1 ,satajit ------------------------- ,mahahaya ,renuhaya ,haihaya ,dharma ,netra ,kunti ,sohanji ,mahishmat ,bhadra sen ----------------- ,durmada ,dhanaka ---------------------------------------- ---- ,kritavirya ,kritagni ,kritavarman ,kritaujas ,arjuna 7,learned ,yoga from ,dattatreya4 ,had one thousand sons of whom only #e survived47 ---------------------------------------- ------- ,jayadhvaja ,surasena ,vrishabha ,madhu ,urjita ,talajangha ----------------- ,vitihotra and #ii other sons ,vrishni #ii other sons called ,tala ,janghas4 ,they were killed by ,sagara4 ,,yadu ,kroshtu ,vrijinavat ,svahita ,svahita 7,continued7 ,visadgu ,chitraratha ,sasavindu4 7,had ten thousand wives and one laksha sons by each wife4 ,of these sons1 six were famous3 ,prithu ,sravas1 ,prithu ,kirti1 ,punyayasas etc47 ,,sasavindu ---------------------------------------- ,prithu-,sravas ,others ,dharma ,usanas ,ruchaka ---------------------------------------- ------ ,purujit ,rukma ,rukmesha ,prithu ,jyamagha m4 ,saivya 7,the king carried away from ,indra's place one girl ,bhojya whom he married to his future son ,vidarbha7 ,vidarbha ---------------------------------------- ---- ,kusa ,krathu ,romapada ,kunti ,babhru ,vrishni ,kriti ,nirvriti ,usika ,dasarha ----------------------- ,vyoma ,chedi ,damagosha ,others ,jimuta ,bhimaratha ,navaratha ,navaratha 7,continued7 ,dasaratha ,sakuni ,karambhi ,devarata ,devakshatra ,madhu ,kuruvasa ,anu ,puruhotra ,ayus ,satvata ---------------------------------------- ------------ ,bhajamat ,bhaji ,divya ,vrishni ,devavridha ,andhaka ,mohabhoja 7a7 --------------------- ,babhra ,the ,bhojas ,nimlochi ,kinkana ,dhrishti ----------------------_/ ,satajit ,sahasrajit ,ayutajit ------------------------ ,sumitra ,yudhajit ----------------------- ,nighna ,sini ,anamitra ---------- ,satrajita ,prasena _/----------------------_/ ------------- ,sini ,vrishni ,satyaka ---------------- ,yuyudhana ,svaphalka ,chitraratha ,jaya ---------- ,kuni ,prithu ,viduratha ,yugandhara 7c7 ----------------------- ,akrura #ab others ,suchara --------------- ,devavat ,upadeva 7a7 ,,andhaka ------------------------------------ ,kukura ,bhajamat ,suchi ,kambalavarhis ,bahni ,viloman ,kapota-roman ,anu 7,tumvaru was his friend7 ,andhaka ,dundubhi ,avidyota ,punarvasu ---------- ,ahuka ,ahuki ---------- ,devaka ,ugrasena 7b7 ---------------------------------------- --------- 7#a7 ,devavat4 7#b7 ,upadeva4 7#c7 ,sudeva4 7#d7 ,devavardhana4 7#e7 ,dhritadeva4 7#f7 ,santideva4 7#g7 ,upadeva4 7#h7 ,srideva4 7#i7 ,devarakshita4 7#aj7 ,sahadeva4 7#aa7 ,devaki4 7,vasudeva married all the ,sisters7 ,,ugra-,,sena4 ---------------------------------------- --------------- ,kansa ,sunama ,nyagrodha ,kanka ,sanku ,suhu ,rashtrapala --------------------------------------- ,dhrishti ,tushtimat #e ,sisters married to the brothers of ,vasudeva4 7c7 ,,viduratha ,sura ,bhojamat ,bhojamat 7,continued7 ,sini ,bhoja ,hridika ---------------------------------- ,devamirha ,satadhanu ,kritavarman ,sura m4 ,marisha ---------------------------------------- ---------------- ,vasudeva ,devabhaga ,devasravas ,anaka ,srinjaya ,syamaka ---------------------------------------- --------_/ ,kanka ,samika ,vatsaka ,vrika #e daughters ,the five sisters of ,vasudeva were3-- 7#a7 ,pritha1 married to ,pandu 7#b7 ,srutadeva1 married to ,vriddha ,sarman ,dantavakra 7#c7 ,sruta ,kirti1 married to ,dhrishtaketu -------------- ,santardan #d sons 7#d7 ,sruta ,sravas1 married to ,damaghosha of ,chedi ,sisupala 7#e7 ,rajadhidevi1 married to ,jayasena -------------- ,vinda ,anuvinda ,the five sisters of ,kansa were married to the #e brothers of ,vasudeva4 ,they were3-- 7#a7 ,kansa1 married to ,devabhaga4 ---------------- ,chittaketu ,brihadbala4 7#b7 ,kansavati1 married to ,deva ,sravas4 ---------------- ,suvira ,ishumat 7#c7 ,kanka1 married to ,kanka4 ------------------------ ,vaka ,satyajit ,purujit4 7#d7 ,rashtrapali1 married to ,srinjaya4 ------------------------- ,vrisha ,durmarshana ,others4 7#e7 ,surabhumi1 married to ,syamaka4 ----------------- ,harikesa ,hiranyaksha4 ,as to the other brothers of ,vasudeva1 ,vatsaka had by ,apsaras--,misrakesi1 ,vrika and other sons4 ,,vatsaka m4 ,,misrakesi ---------------------------------------- -------- ,vrika ,others m4 ,durvakshi --------------------------------------- ,taksha ,pushkarasala ,others4 ,samika m4 ,sudamani --------------------------------------- ,sumitra ,arjunapala ,others4 ,anaka m4 ,karnika -------------------------------------- ,ritadhaman ,jaya ,vasudeva had several wives4 ,their names and the names of their sons are given below3 #a4 ,rohini ---------------------------------------- ----------- ,,baladeva ,gada ,sarana ,durmada ,vipula ,dhruva ,krita ,others #b4 ,pauravi ---------------------------------------- ------ ,subhadra ,bhadrabahu ,durmada ,bhadra ,bhuta #g ,others4 #c4 ,madira --------------------------------------- ,nanda ,upananda ,kritaka ,sura ,others4 #d4 ,bhadra ,kesin4 #e4 ,rochana ----------------------------------- ,hasta ,hemangada ,others #f4 ,ila4 ------------------------------------ ,uruvalka ,others4 #g4 ,dhritadeva ,vipristha4 #h4 ,santideva -------------------------------- ,prasama ,prathita ,others4 #i4 ,upadeva -------------------------------- ,rajanya ,kalpa-,varha ,others4 #aj4 ,srideva -------------------------------- ,vasu ,hansa ,suvansa ,others4 #aa4 ,devarakshita ---------------------------------- ,gada ,others4 #ab4 ,shahadeva -------------------------------- ,pravara ,srutimukhya ,others4 #ac4 ,devaki ---------------------------------------- ------------ ,kirtimat ,sushena ,bhadrasena ,riju ,sanmardana ,bhadra ---------------------------------------- -----_/ ,sankarshana ,,krishna ,subhadra4 ,with the birth of ,sri ,krishna1 we come to the end of the ,ninth ,skandha of the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,but for the completion of the racial account1 we give here only the #ast4 ,chapter of the #abth4 ,skandha4 99,,skandha ,,xii4 ,,chap4 #a499 ,we have seen ,ripunjaya to be the last of the ,magadha kings4 ,he will be also called ,puranjaya 7,the future tense1 it must be remembered1 is used solely with reference to the time of ,parikshit74 ,his minister ,sunaka shall kill him and place his own son ,pradyota on the throne4 ,pradyota ,palaka ,visakha ,rajaka ,nandivardhana ,these #e kings of the line of ,pradyota shall reign for #ach years4 ,nandi ,vardhana ,ajata-,satru 7,contd74 ,sisunaga ,darbhaka ,kakavarna ,aj-aya ,kshemadharma ,nandi ,vardhana ,kshetrajna ,mahanandi ,vidhisara ,saisunaga ,ajata-,satru ,these ten shall reign for #cfj years--,mahanandi shall have a son1 ,nanda1 by a ,sudra woman4 ,he shall be the next king4 ,one ,brahmana ,chanakya shall kill ,nanda and his eight sons and shall place ,chandra ,gupta on the throne4 ,chandra ,gupta ,varisara ,asokavardhana ,suyasas ,dasaratha ,sangata ,salisuka ,soma-,sarman ,satadhanvan ,brihadratha ,these ten kings called ,mauryas shall reign for #acg years4 ,pushpamitra1 ,commander of ,brihadratha's forces1 shall kill his master and be king himself4 ,he shall be the founder of the ,sunga dynasty4 ,,pushpamitra ,agnimitra ,sujyestha ---------------------------------------- -- ,vasumitra ,bhadraka ,pulinda ,utghosha ,vajramitra ,bhagavata ,devabhuti ,these 7#aj7 ten kings of the ,sunga dynasty shall reign for #aab years4 ,vasudeva1 the minister of ,devabhuti1 shall kill his master and become himself the king4 ,,vasudeva ,bhumitra ,narayana ,susarman ,these four kings shall be called ,kanvas4 ,they shall reign for #cde years4 ,susarman shall be killed by his servant ,balin1 a ,sudra of the ,andhra clan1 who shall himself usurp the throne4 ,balin shall be succeeded by his brother4 ---------------- ,balin ,krishna ,anishta ,karman ,gomati ,srisantakarna ,haleya ,purimat ,pournamasa ,talaka ,medasiras ,lambodara ,purishabhiru ,sivaskanda ,chivilaka ,sunandana ,yajnasri ,meghasvati ,chakora ,vijaya ,atamana #h ,bahus ,chandravijna ending in ,sivasvati ,anishta ,karman ,salomadhi ,these thirty kings of the ,andhra dynasty shall rule the earth for #def years4 ,seven ,abhiras1 kings of ,avabhriti1 ten ,gardabhins 7men of ,gardabha7 and sixteen ,kankas shall then be the rulers4 ,they shall be followed by #h ,yavanas1 #ad ,turushkas and ten ,surundas4 ,these #fe kings shall reign for one thousand and ninety nine years4 ,eleven ,moulas shall then be the kings for #cjj years4 ,bhuta-,nanda1 ,bangiri1 ,sisunandi and ,yaso-,nandi shall then become kings4 ,their sons1 all known as ,bahlikas1 shall succeed them4 ,then ,pushpamitra shall be the king1 then his son ,durmitra4 ,seven ,andhras1 seven ,kosalas1 ,vidurapatis and ,nishadhas shall then become kings1 at one and the same time1 over the lands of these names4 ,they shall be the descendants of the ,bahlikas4 ,visvasphurji1 otherwise called ,puranjaya1 shall be the king of the ,magadhas4 ,he shall make havoc of the caste system4 ,his chief town shall be ,padmavati 7,modern ,patna7 but his kingdom shall extend from ,hardwar to ,pryag4 ,then there shall be ,sudra and ,mlechcha kings4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,vaivasvata ,,manvantara4 ,the study of the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara can be pursued1 as to minor details1 from more than one stand-point4 ,but ,i am at present concerned with only the broad outlines of its esoteric aspect4 ,we are to understand1 in the first place1 that there are certain types of human races in this as in other ,manvantaras4 ,each of these types has a history of its own4 ,each has its stages of growth1 rise and decline1 and some have their periods of revival in this ,manvantara as well4 ,each racial type has to be studied separately4 ,the connection of the races with the ,sun and the ,moon requires a little consideration4 ,those who are acquainted with ,hindu astrology know that the life time of a man is divided into certain divisions1 each division being under the influence of one planet4 ,each planetary period again has its sub-divisions1 in each of which there is a secondary run of the planets4 ,according to the ,bengal ,school1 the main planetary run takes #ajh years for its completion1 and according to another school1 it takes #abj years4 ,the following is the order of planetary succession according to the second school1 which prevails all over ,india1 except in ,bengal3 -- ,sun #f years1 ,moon #aj1 ,mars #g1 ,rahu #ah1 ,brihaspati #af1 ,saturn #ai1 ,mercury #ag1 ,ketu #g and ,venus #bj4 ,thus if a man lives for #abj years1 all the planets will in turn have influenced his life in the above order1 commencing from the planet of his birth4 ,again there will be corresponding sub-runs of all the planets during each planetary run4 ,the races are also governed by such planetary influences4 ,the ,solar ,dynasty means that the particular type of humanity so denoted was born under the influence of the solar planet4 ,when all the planets have in turn exercised their influence over this ,dynasty1 it disappears for a time and is re-born under the influence of the ,sun4 ,similarly there will be a revival of the ,lunar dynasty -- that which commenced under the influence of the ,moon4 ,the law of planetary influence over the human races is not as clearly known as that over individual men4 ,otherwise the future history of each race would not be the sealed book to us which it is4 ,the humanity of the present ,manvantara was first born under the influence of the ,solar ,planet4 ,our ,moon is the son of the ,sun-,god4 ,the races that first appeared were called ,solar races4 ,other races appeared under the influence of the ,moon4 ,in these races we find first the influence of ,brihaspati or ,jupiter1 through his wife ,tara1 then of ,budha or ,mercury1 and lastly of ,sukra or ,venus1 through his daughter ,devayani4 ,this planetary succession may be only a ,sub-run of the planets4 ,we read1 in the account of the previous ,manvantaras1 of the appearance of ,sukra as the guide of the ,daityas1 and of ,brihaspati as the guide of the ,devas4 ,we have also read of the appearance of ,rahu in the sixth ,manvantara4 ,this shews that the main planetary round has to be found in the ,kalpa itself4 ,our knowledge on the whole subject is however so poor that it is unsafe to make any distinct suggestion4 ,now we shall take the ,solar ,races1 or the sons of ,vaivasvat ,manu1 in order of their treatment in the text4 ,prishadhta and ,kavi were the first spiritual races4 ,they did not marry i4e4 there was no sexual reproduction among them4 ,next in order was the ,karusha race inhabiting the north4 ,the ,dharshtas were also a spiritual race 7,brahmanas74 ,the descent towards ,materiality commenced with ,nriga4 ,he is said to have been transformed into a lizard4 ,his grandson was ,bhutajyoti1 ,bhutas being different forms of matter4 ,vasu is a ,god of ,material wealth4 ,pratika means the reverse or opposite 7i4e4 the reverse of spirit47 ,ogha means a current4 ,the current of materialism set in with the line of ,nriga4 ,the next line1 that of ,narishyanta1 shews further materiality4 ,midhvat is that which wets 7the root mih means to pass water74 ,viti is production1 enjoyments4 ,vitihotra is the name of a sacrificial fire4 ,agnivesya is an incarnation of ,agni or the ,fire-,god1 but he is nick-named ,kanina or son of an unmarried woman and also ,jatukarna 7the name of a ,vedic ,rishi74 ,there seems to have been sexual procreation in this line4 ,the incarnation of ,agni further indicates that the present human form was complete1 for ,agni is the form-giving energy in ,nature4 ,in the next line of ,dishta we have ,vatsapriti or affection for children1 ,pransu or tall1 ,pramati or full-grown intellect1 ,khanitra or digger1 ,chakshusha or the eyed1 and ,khaninetra or the hollow-eyed4 ,this line represents the race of the earliest diggers1 very tall1 with the hollow eye predominant in them as a characteristic feature2 this race was very powerful and capable of direct communion with the ,devas1 and the gods acted as waiters in the ,yajna of ,marutta4 ,the line of ,saryati refers to ,anarta and a town named ,kusasthali1 built in the midst of the ,sea4 ,evidently the continent on which the race flourished is now under water4 ,anarta is supposed to be ,sourashtra 7modern ,surat47 ,but the site of ,kusasthali cannot be ascertained4 ,there were remnants of this race till the time of ,krishna1 for ,balaram married ,revati1 the daughter of ,kakudmin 7hump-backed74 ,the line of ,nabhaga is a short one and it merged itself into that of ,angiras who was the father of ,brihaspati or ,jupiter4 ,ambarisha is the prominent figure of this period4 ,then we come to the line of ,ikshvaku4 ,this is the best known line of the ,solar races4 ,it flourished during the last ,tretayuga4 ,ikshvaku is called the eldest son of ,manu4 ,perhaps this has reference to the appearance of the ,race in the previous ,manvantaras4 ,the eldest son of ,ikshvaku is ,vikukshi 7,kukshi is womb47 ,he is also called ,sasada or the ,rabbit-eater4 ,the ,moon is called ,rabbit-marked4 ,puranjaya is the son of ,vikukshi4 ,he is called ,indra-,vaha or ,indra-,vehicled4 ,several of the kings of this dynasty befriended the ,devas of ,svar ,loka4 ,further down we find ,king ,purukutsa forming an alliance with the elemental serpents1 and holding communion with the dwellers of ,rasatala4 ,the river ,narvada is mentioned in connection with ,rasatala4 ,mandhata is a traditional name that has been preserved upto this time in common parlance in the saying ,as old as king ,mandhata4 ,the line of ,mandhata was divided into three different branches4 ,muchukunda represented a branch of ,yogins4 ,the long1 unbroken sleep of ,muchukunda is traditional and he is credited also with ,yogic powers4 ,another branch that of ,ambarisha1 ,youvanasva and ,harita represented a spiritual sub-race4 ,but we have to follow the history of the ,atlanteans through ,purukutsa4 ,the connection with ,rasatala1 or the plane of ,material ascendancy1 affected the destiny of this line4 ,in ,trisanku1 the aspiration ran very high4 ,he became a ,deva1 but had his head turned downwards1 i4e4 turned towards materiality4 ,with the powers of a ,deva1 but with the aspirations of an ,asura1 the ground was prepared for the downfall of this line4 ,for a time1 however1 the ,race flourished in all its materiality4 ,the alliance between ,devas and men became cemented by the performance of ,vedic sacrifices4 ,this was the first spiritual advance of the human race1 through the temptations of ,svarga life4 ,the time of ,haris ,chandra is the ,vedic era1 when the earliest ,riks of what we know as ,rigveda were composed4 ,visvamitra and his disciples were the ,vedic ,rishis of this age4 ,the ,vedas tried to curb the riotous course of materiality by prescribing a number of restrictions on the enjoyment of material desires4 ,elaborate rules were laid down as to how the desires might be best gratified for a prolonged period in ,svargaloka1 by the performance of sacrifices or ,yajna4 ,the whole of the life of the regenerate classes was regulated by rigid laws and a glowing picture was given of life in ,svarga after death4 ,the sacred injunctions were not1 however1 potent enough to check the ,kamic tendencies of the race and the cyclic law which now required the spiritual evolution of humanity was continually disregarded by the race4 ,this was poison 7gara7 to the system of humanity and king ,sagar imbibed this poison4 ,hence he was called the ,poisoned4 ,he had two wives4 ,the sons of one wife were #fj thousand in number4 ,they offended ,kapila1 an ,incarnation of ,vishnu1 and thus were all consumed4 ,they reached the limit of material degradation1 where final extinction awaited the race4 ,the number #fj1jjj is suggestive4 ,the extinction of ,sagara's sons was attended with great changes on the earth's surface4 ,it is said they dug the earth and made the seas in their search for the sacrificial horse4 ,hence the sea is called ,sagara4 ,this may refer to the sinking down of ,atlantis when a large portion of that great continent became a sea-bed4 ,there was a corresponding upheaval of land and the ,himalayan chain reared up its head1 as we can easily infer from the first appearance of the ,ganges4 ,the first flow of ,ganga indicated a many sided revolution in the appearance of the earth's surface4 ,a new continent was formed to which ,india was attached as the prominent link4 ,spiritual sub-races grew up on the banks of the sacred river who more than atoned for the sins of their fathers4 ,the fore-runner of the race of spirituality was ,asamanjas 7rising above the ordinary run74 ,he was a ,yogin not led away by the material tendencies of the age4 ,his son was ,ansumat 7having the ray or light in him74 ,ansumat pacified ,kapila4 ,ganga is said to be a spiritual stream flowing from the feet of ,vishnu4 ,with the advent of this stream1 the spiritual rebirth of humanity commenced in right earnest1 for the remaining period of the ,kalpa4 ,already the path had been paved by the ,karmakanda of the ,vedas1 which put restrictions on the wanton and reckless performance of ,karma or action4 ,the pure magnetism of the holy river helped on the process of regeneration4 ,but this was not in itself sufficient to cope with the forces of materiality4 ,accordingly we see ,kalmasha or sin appearing in the line of ,bhagiratha4 ,king ,kalmashapada became a ,rakshasa4 ,a ,rakshasa is an elemental of destruction4 ,when mind becomes too much identified with the gross body and its desires1 its connection with the ,higher ,self is liable to be cut off by the action of the ,rakshasas4 ,these forces of ,tamas act in different ways to serve different purposes in the economy of the ,universe4 ,when the material downfall of man reaches its furthest limit in the ,kalpa1 the ,rakshasas become ,tamasic forces in man and he is unconscious of his higher nature4 ,that sleep in time becomes a permanent sleep1 and the lower man becomes dead to his real ,self4 ,this is the real death of man1 when the ray sent forth by ,ishvara comes back to ,him1 without any spiritual harvest1 and what constituted the personality of man dissolves into the ,material ,universe4 ,the time had come when a fresh departure was necessary in the methods pursued by the ,lila ,avataras for the spiritual regeneration of the ,universe4 ,they had now to appear amongst men1 as ordinary beings1 to give direct teachings to their votaries1 to infuse as much ,satva as possible into humanity and to retard by all means the further extinction of the human race4 ,for a time the ,rakshasas reigned supreme1 but not over the new continent1 permeated as it was by the sacred waters of the ,ganges4 ,their stronghold was ,lanka1 the remnant of the ,atlantean continent4 ,following the descent of ,ganga therefore1 ,vishnu incarnated himself as ,rama1 one of the greatest of his manifestations4 ,the ,rakshasas of ,lanka were killed4 ,vibhishana only survived1 but he was allied to ,rama and so became immortal in spirituality4 ,the ,rakshasa survives in us but its energy of dissolution does not militate against the evolution of man4 ,it was ,rama who first gave the idea of ,ishvara to the degraded human races of the present ,manvantara4 ,they knew1 for the first time1 that there was one greater than all the ,devas -- the ,gods of the ,vedas -- and that there were planes higher than even ,svarga4 ,the path of devotion was proclaimed4 ,and it became possible for men to cross the limits of death and of ,triloki by this quality4 ,the downfall was stopped no doubt2 but the ascent was only permanently secured by ,lord ,sri ,krishna as we shall see later on4 ,after ,rama1 there is little of interest in the line of ,ikshvaku4 ,the decline commenced and the line became extinct with ,sumitra1 but it is said one king ,maru of this line became an adept in ,yoga and retired to ,kalapa1 where he bides his time to revive the solar dynasty towards the end of the ,kaliyuga4 ,we may take him to be the originator of another race which will be the re-incarnation of the ,ikshvaku race4 ,we have considered the line of ,ikshvaku's descendants through ,purukutsa4 ,there is another line of his descendants through ,nimisha4 ,then we come to the ,lunar ,dynasty4 ,the ,lunar races first appeared while the descendants of ,ikshvaku were still flourishing1 though on the eve of their decline4 ,they had immense possibilities of spiritual evolution1 and the great ,aryan race seems to be connected with them4 ,the appearance of these races is almost simultaneous with the first flow of the ,ganges4 ,for we find ,jahnu1 who swallowed up the ,ganges in her first terrestrial course1 is only sixth in the line of descent from ,pururavas4 ,the ,lunar dynasty originated in the union of ,tara1 the female principle of ,brihaspati 7,jupiter71 and the ,moon4 ,the issue was ,budha 7,mercury71 the direct progenitor of the ,lunar dynasty4 ,the son of ,budha was ,pururavas4 ,he married ,urvasi1 the renowned ,deva nymph4 ,pururavas had six sons4 ,but we are concerned with only two of them1 ,ayus and ,vijaya4 ,vijaya gave the ,adept line of the race and ,ayus1 the ordinary humanity4 ,in the line of ,vijaya1 we find ,jahnu1 purified by the assimilation of ,ganga1 ,visvamitra1 pre-eminently the ,rishi of the ,rig ,veda and one of the seven sages who watch over the destiny of the present ,manvantara1 ,jamadagni1 another of the seven sages of our ,manvantara and ,parasurama one of the coming sages of the next ,manvantara4 ,we have already mentioned the part taken by ,visvamitra and his sons in the composition of the ,vedic ,mantras4 ,coming to the line of ,ayus1 we recognise the forefathers of the ,aryan races4 ,in the short-lived branch through ,kshatra-vriddha1 we find the ,vedic ,rishi ,gritsamada1 his son ,sunaka1 the renowned ,sounaka1 ,dirghatamas and ,dhanvantari1 the promulgator of ,ayur-veda4 ,but the longest history of the ,race is through the descendants of ,yayati4 ,king ,yayati married ,devayani1 the daughter of ,sukra1 the presiding ,rishi of the planet ,venus1 and had by her two sons1 ,yadu and ,turvasu4 ,sukra is the son of ,bhrigu1 the ,rishi of ,mahar ,loka4 ,devayana1 is the path leading beyond ,triloki1 after death4 ,but the ,king had also connection with a ,danava girl1 who brought forth three sons1 ,druhyu1 ,anu and ,puru4 ,for his ,danava connection1 ,king ,yayati had in youth to undergo the infirmities of age4 ,this evil was transmitted to ,puru1 the youngest son of the ,danava girl4 ,the line of ,puru was short-lived4 ,but it is this line that gave some of the renowned ,vedic ,rishis1 viz4 ,apratiratha1 ,kanva1 ,medhatithi and ,praskanva4 ,dushmanta1 the hero of ,kalidasa's renowned drama also came of this line4 ,vishnu incarnated in part as ,bharata1 son of ,dushmanta4 ,then there was a revolution4 ,bharata found that his sons were not like unto himself4 ,so the direct line of ,puru came to an end4 ,what followed is a little mysterious4 ,bharata adopted ,bharadvaja as his son4 ,bharadvaja was begotten by ,brihaspati 7,jupiter7 on the wife of his brother ,utathya named ,mamata 7,egoism74 ,bharadvaja is one of the seven presiding ,rishis of the present ,manvantara4 ,his name is connected with several ,mantras of the ,rig ,veda4 ,the great actors in the ,kurukshetra battle were the descendants of ,bharadvaja4 ,we find much diversity of spiritual characteristics among them4 ,the material and spiritual forces were gathered together1 in all possible grades from the ,pandavas downward to the sons of ,dhrita-rashtra and their allies4 ,the poetical genius of the author of the ,mahabharata has called forth characters in the ,drama of the ,kurukshetra battle1 that stand out in all the details of real life and find a permanent place in the genealogy of the ,lunar dynasty4 ,the study of the racial account of the line of ,bharadvaja becomes therefore extremely difficult4 ,the ,lunar dynasty will be revived by ,devapi1 a descendant of ,bharadvaja1 who is biding his time at ,kalapa4 ,the early inhabitants of ,bengal1 ,behar and ,urishya were the sons of ,anu1 the second son of ,sarmistha4 ,the famous ,kama1 one of the heroes of ,kurukshetra1 also belonged to this line4 ,the eldest son of ,sarmistha by ,yayati was ,druhyu4 ,prachetas of this line had one hundred sons1 who inhabited the north as ,mlechha races4 ,but the greatest interest attaches to the line of ,yadu1 the eldest son of ,yayati by ,devayani4 ,the early descendants of this line were the ,haihayas1 killed by ,parasurama1 and the ,talajanghas1 killed by ,sagar -- both of the ,solar ,dynasty4 ,the ,mahabharata has given an importance to the overthrow of these early ,yadu classes as a victory of the ,brahmanas over the ,kshatriyas4 ,next to the ,brahmanas in intelligence were the ,kshatriyas4 ,they eagerly accepted the teachings of ,rama1 who incarnated as one of them4 ,they knew ,isvara as higher than the ,devas and the ,brahmanas4 ,they thought they could profitably employ their time in seeking after the knowledge of ,brahman4 ,this necessarily offended the orthodox ,brahmanas1 who performed the ,vedic sacrifices and had no higher ambition than to resort to ,devaloka4 ,the ,kshatriyas thus represented a religious evolution1 of which the ,upanishads were an outcome4 ,in time1 some ,brahmanas even became disciples of ,kshatriyas4 ,both ,rama and ,krishna incarnated themselves as ,kshatriyas4 ,we are to understand that by ,kshatriyas1 during this period of ,puranic history1 is meant seceders from ,vedic ,karma ,kanda more or less4 ,the early seceders1 the ,haihayas and ,talajanghas were put down by the ,brahmana ,parasurama and by the ,kshatriya ,king ,sagar1 who espoused the cause of ,vedic ,karma ,kanda and of the ,brahmanas1 represented by ,rishi ,aurva of this time4 ,parasurama did not like any meddling with ,vedic ,karma ,kanda by persons not perfected in wisdom4 ,even ,rama had to respect the ,vedic ,rishis and had to protect them in the performance of ,vedic sacrifices from the attacks of ,asuras and ,rakshasas4 ,when ,lord ,krishna appeared on the scene1 the ,asuras still survived2 the ,vedic ,rishis denied offerings to ,him1 ,vedic ,karma had a strong supporter in ,jarasandha1 there was hypocrisy in the name of religion1 and there were pretensions in various forms4 ,on the other hand great improvements had been made in the proper understanding of the realities of life and of the laws of nature4 ,intellect overflowed in many channels of thought1 and the religious nature of man found vent in all directions from atheism to religious devotion4 ,leaving this general resume1 we may now enter upon a closer study of the history of religious movements in our present ,manvantara1 so that we may understand the great work done by ,lord ,sri ,krishna4 ,the races live as individuals live4 ,however developed an individual may be1 when he is re-born after death1 he first becomes a child as any other child4 ,there is much of spiritual life in the child1 and sometimes pictures of heavenly life are presented to his spiritual vision1 which are denied to to the grown-up man4 ,the child begins his life when he is grown up1 and then his individual characteristics soon manifest themselves4 ,we do not read much of the man in the child4 ,hence the history of the early spiritual races1 who were infants in the racial life1 does not teach us anything4 ,we find some of them had communion with the ,devas of ,svarga ,loka1 but that is more on account of their infant spirituality than any thing else4 ,when the races developed in time1 they became most intellectual as well as most material at the same time4 ,manvantara after ,manvantara was taken up in developing the physiological 7,pranic7 activities1 the sense 7,indriya7 activities1 and then the lower mental activities of the ,jivas4 ,the personal man was fully developed in the sixth ,manvantara and the great churning only opened the door for another line of development4 ,the possibility of spiritual activity was secured to men by ,kurma4 ,when the races of the ,sixth ,manvantara therefore became reborn in the ,seventh ,manvantara1 they were the most intellectual of all races1 but they had also the power given to them of developing spiritual faculties4 ,they could not however shake off the ,asuric element all at once4 ,they were extremely fond of material joys1 and they devised all means1 which human intellect could contrive1 of gratifying material desires4 ,that was right which gave material gratification2 that was wrong which militated against material enjoyment4 ,bhuvar ,loka is the plane of animal desires4 ,the human beasts go after death to ,bhuvar ,loka4 ,they do not possess anything which could take them to ,svarga ,loka4 ,the ,svarga ,loka is for those who develop in themselves the faculty of discriminating between right and wrong1 and who do or attempt to do what is right4 ,far more it is for those who love others and who do good to them4 ,for service and love pertain to planes higher even than ,svarga4 ,but in the higher planes1 service is unselfish and love is divine4 ,the lower forms of service and love pertain to the plane of ,svarga4 ,in ,svarga there is selfishness1 but it is mixed with spirituality4 ,it is only the good1 the virtuous1 the devoted that go to the plane of the ,devas and there gratify their higher desires to their heart's content4 ,there are divine music1 divine beauty1 divine objects of gratification in ,svarga ,loka -- allurements enough for a man of desire4 ,and if his merits be great1 he enjoys the things of ,svarga ,loka for an enormously long period4 ,but a man by bare intellectuality can not cross the threshold of ,svarga4 ,the ,devas reject the intruder4 ,however much ,trisanku might aspire to have the enjoyments of ,svarga1 and however great his intellect might be1 he was not allowed to enter the coveted plane1 without the passport of spirituality4 ,humanity had still to learn the proper means of securing life in ,svarga4 ,poor and chance spiritual acquisitions give only a passing life in ,svarga and that not of a superior character4 ,so all the knowledge as to attaining ,svarga life had to be revealed in time4 ,the ,rishis made great efforts to improve humanity by securing for them a prolonged existence in ,svarga1 most of all ,rishi ,visvamitra1 one of the seven sages of our ,manvantara4 ,visvamitra failed in his attempt to send ,trisanku to ,svarga4 ,he then tried with his son ,haris ,chandra4 ,it is said he advised the ,raja to make a human sacrifice to ,varuna4 ,but we find the victim ,sunah-sepha living after the sacrifice1 under the name of ,deva-rata1 or one given up to the gods1 and some of the ,riks even were revealed to him4 ,haris ,chandra succeeded in entering ,svarga4 ,that was a great victory for ,rishi ,visvamitra4 ,the ,vedas were revealed to the ,rishis and sacrifices came to be known4 ,narada also helped the cause in another away4 ,he related the beauty and the virtues of king ,pururavas to the ,devas in ,svarga4 ,urvasi1 the famous ,deva nymph1 hearing all that1 became enamoured of the king4 ,she had then1 by the curse of some god1 a human form4 ,so she could keep company with the ,king4 ,the king was enchanted by her beauty4 ,when she left1 he followed her advice and pleased the ,gandharvas4 ,the ,gandharvas gave him the fire1 with which the king could perform sacrifice4 ,the fire became threefold4 ,with one he could perform his duties to the ,devas and go to ,svarga ,loka4 ,with another1 he could perform his duties to the ,pitris4 ,with the third fire1 he could perform the duties of a house-holder4 ,thus sacrifices meant duties4 ,and it is by the performance of duties that men can perform ,vedic sacrifices and go to ,svarga ,loka4 ,the ,vedas laid down injunctions and prohibitions4 ,they regulated the actions of men1 propelled by ,kama or desire4 ,men must eat meat4 ,the ,vedas said this meat was prohibited1 but that could be used4 ,men mixed with women4 ,the ,vedas laid down restrictions4 ,even they regulated the relations between man and wife4 ,then the ,vedas laid down the duties which men owed to all classes of beings4 ,in order to induce men to accept the ,vedic injunctions1 the ,vedas held out ,svarga as the reward of ,vedic ,karma4 ,they even favoured the belief1 that there was to be immortal life in ,svarga gained by the performance of ,vedic ,karma4 ,detailed rules as to the performance of ,vedic sacrifices were given4 ,so long as men did not aspire to become ,indra1 or the ruler of ,svarga1 the ,devas were pleased with the sacrifices2 they helped the performer as much as they could1 giving them all objects of desire1 and they welcomed them to ,svarga1 when they passed to that plane after death4 ,the ,devas were as friendly to the performer of ,vedic ,karma as they were unfriendly to the immature ,trisanku4 ,the ,vedic ,karma ,kanda became thus fully revealed4 ,the revelation was made in the last ,treta-yuga of the present ,manvantara4 ,at the beginning of the ,treta ,yuga1 the three ,vedas were revealed through ,pururavas4 ,,ix4 #ad-di4 ,the path of ,karma was promulgated in ,treta ,yuga1 by the division of the ,vedas4 ,sridhara4 ,the great churning was justified4 ,the ,devas asserted themselves for the good of humanity4 ,the ,rishis got the revelation and helped men to place themselves in active relationship with the ,devas4 ,men learned to regulate themselves and to give up the wantonness of material life4 ,and they had a strong inducement to do so in the prospect of eternal life in ,svarga4 ,the great actor in this ,vedic movement was ,rishi ,visvamitra1 7,hallowed be his name67 ,others followed him in quick succession1 and there was a brilliant combination of ,vedic ,rishis who propounded the whole of the ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas1 as it was revealed to them by the force of ,kalpic necessity4 ,at all times there have been two parties1 one following the current of evolution1 and another going against it4 ,at all times there have been cavillers and sceptics4 ,the ,haihayas and ,talajanghas were confirmed materialists and great sinners4 ,they ridiculed the ,brahmanas1 who performed ,vedic ,karma1 and often set themselves in opposition to them4 ,they were very troublesome to the ,brahmanas4 ,king ,sagar wanted to extinguish the race1 but he was prevented from doing so4 ,possibly ,atlantis was the country inhabited by these races and ,nature helped the cause of evolution by dragging down the continent itself under water4 ,the sacred ,ganga also flowed at this time1 spreading purity over all lands lying on her banks4 ,the ,haihayas however still flourished2 and they had a great leader in ,karta-,viryarjuna4 ,then came one of the great ,avataras1 ,parasurama4 ,he extirpated the ,haihaya ,kshatriyas1 and went on killing the ,kshatriyas till ,rama appeared1 and it was then that he thought his mission was over4 ,if there were some ,kshatriyas who disregarded the ,vedas1 there were others who found transitoriness1 even in ,svarga ,loka1 and honestly thought that the complete wisdom was not to be found in the ,karma ,kanda4 ,they were for further revelations ,at first1 the ,brahmanas did not look with favour upon these ,kshatriyas4 ,but when it was found that the ,kshatriyas got real light1 they were soon joined by the ,brahmanas4 ,the foremost of these ,kshatriyas was ,janaka1 and the foremost of the ,brahmanas was ,yajnavalkya4 ,the further revelations were called the ,upanishads4 ,king ,janaka found ,sita1 the consort of ,rama1 at the end of his plough4 ,yajnavalkya defeated all the ,brahmanas of his time in discussions held at the court of king ,janaka4 ,when ,rama incarnated1 there existed the people of ,lanka1 a remnant of the ,atlantean continent1 who had inherited a mighty material civilisation1 but who were called ,rakshasas1 on account of their gross iniquities4 ,they reached the last point of material downfall1 and lost all spirituality4 ,they were called ,rakshasas as final extinction was their lot1 and as the force of dissolution was strong in them4 ,then there were the regenerate classes1 who performed ,vedic sacrifices4 ,there were a few again1 who accepted the ,upanishads as a teaching1 but they could not boldly declare themselves against the performance of sacrifices4 ,rama finally did away with the ,rakshasas4 ,the bard who sang his glory1 the great ,valmiki1 thus began his lay3 -- ,o ,killer of birds1 thou shalt not live for ever1 as of the pair of storks thou hast killed the male1 so passionately attached to his consort4 ,verily the ,purusha in us1 the ray of the supreme ,purusha1 becomes passionately attached to the element of ,prakriti in us1 so that we may acquire spiritual experiences through the body4 ,and it is a cruel act to separate our ,prakritic individualities completely from him by turning ourselves persistently away from the ,purusha4 ,but when ,rama became an ,avatara1 the fate of the separator was sealed4 ,when the ,rakshasas were killed1 the ,rishis were left free to perform the ,vedic sacrifices4 ,rama did something more4 ,he married the daughter of ,janaka1 and by this act openly espoused the cause of the ,upanishads4 ,lastly ,rama offered ,himself as an object of worship4 ,this was the beginning of ,vishnu worship1 which makes no distinction between classes and castes4 ,rama openly made friendship with ,guhaka1 belonging to the lowest class1 whom it was an abomination to touch1 for ,guhaka was devotedly attached to ,him1 as an ,incarnation of ,vishnu4 ,the world admired ,rama4 ,no man could reach such eminence4 ,he must be something more than a man4 ,in time men accepted him as an ,avatara4 ,at any rate1 he was an example to others in every respect4 ,the ethical standard he laid down in his own life was unimpeachable4 ,the world had never seen such sacrifices in the performance of the duties of life4 ,a model king1 a model son1 a model husband1 a model brother1 a model warrior1 a model friend1 the model of models1 ,rama left an indelible mark as a religious and moral teacher1 on the age in which he lived1 and on all succeeding ages4 ,the example was not lost on the world4 ,the many-sided picture1 that ,rama presented1 produced a spirit of enquiry1 which has never been rivalled in this ,kalpa4 ,men thought on different lines4 ,they studied the ,upanishads1 which had been favoured by ,rama4 ,they could not forget also that ,rama taught salvation for the performers of ,vedic sacrifices4 ,then there was the teaching of his own life4 ,the light was manifold4 ,independent schools of thought grew up1 notably the six schools of philosophy4 ,each school tried to find its authority in the ,upanishads and the divine scriptures supplied texts enough for all the schools4 ,every school found a part of the truth but not the whole truth4 ,yet each school regarded its own part as the whole4 ,so they quarrelled4 ,the ,mimansakas said that the performance of ,vedic sacrifices was all in all4 ,it had the sanction of time-honored texts and of the most ancient ,rishis4 ,and ,jaimini supplied the reasoning by which the practice could be supported4 ,the ,sankhyas said that the chief duty of a man was to discriminate between the transformable and the non-transformable element in him1 and when that was done1 nothing more was needed4 ,the followers of ,patanjali said that mere discrimination was not sufficient1 but a continued practice was required4 ,the ,vaiseshikas studied the attributes and properties of all objects and sought by differentiation to know the truths4 ,there were others who worshipped the ,bhutas1 ,pretas and ,pisachas1 so that they might easily acquire powers4 ,others worshipped the dwellers of ,svarga ,loka4 ,some worshipped ,ishvara4 ,but mostly the worship of ,siva was prevalent4 ,gifts and charities also were not unknown1 in fact they were very extensive in some instances4 ,but generally the object of all religious observances was self-seeking more or less4 ,amidst this diversity of religious ideas and religious observances1 seemingly so contradictory1 ,sri ,krishna1 the greatest of all ,avataras1 appeared and ,he brought the message of peace and reconciliation4 ,he laid great stress on the fact that the performance of ,vedic sacrifices could lead us only to ,svarga ,loka1 but when our merits were exhausted1 we were bound to be born again on ,bhur ,loka1 our ,earth4 ,while on ,earth1 we form fresh ,karma1 which gives rise to other births4 ,the performance of ,vedic ,karma does not therefore free us from the bondage of births1 for1 as the ,lord said1 there is object-seeking in these performances4 ,object-seeking for one's own self does not find a place in the higher ,lokas4 ,its highest limit is ,svarga ,loka4 ,so long as man remains self-seeking1 he can not transcend the limits of ,triloki4 ,in the higher ,lokas1 there is no recurrence of births and re-births4 ,once you are translated to ,mahar ,loka1 you live for the whole of the remaining period of the ,kalpa1 passing through a gradual evolution to the higher ,lokas4 ,and if you form a devotional tie with the ,lord of many ,brahmandas1 the ,first ,purusha1 even the ,kalpic period does not restrict your existence4 ,liberation is a relative term4 ,it may be from the bondage of births and re-births in ,triloki4 ,it may be liberation from the bondage of ,bvahmandas or solar systems4 ,those who worship only material objects remain chained to this earth4 ,those who worship the dwellers of ,bhuvar ,loka 7,bhutas1 ,pretas1 ,pisachas and ,pitris7 or cultivate aspiration for them become allied to them and they pass only to ,bhuvar ,loka after death4 ,those who worship the ,devas and cultivate this aspiration go to ,svarga ,loka after death4 ,those who worship ,hiranya-garbha go up to ,satya or ,brahma ,loka4 ,those who worship the ,lord of all ,brahmandas pass beyond even the ,brahmanda4 ,the first thing that a man should do is to transcend the limits of ,triloki4 ,this he cannot do as long as he is self-seeking4 ,he should therefore perform his actions unselfishly4 ,and the ,lord said as follows3 -- #a4 ,there is the perishable and the imperishable element in us4 ,karma or actions appertain to the perishable element4 ,the perishable element constantly changes1 so it cannot be our real self or ,atma4 ,from the stand-point of our real self1 we can dissociate ourselves from our actions1 which relate to our transitory nature4 ,here the system of ,sankhya came into requisition4 #b4 ,but by this discrimination1 we can not forcibly stop the performance of actions4 ,for the actions are propelled by 7a7 active tendencies which form an inseparable part of our present nature1 and 7b7 by the necessity of our very existence4 ,so by stopping actions1 we force the tendencies to mental channels1 and cause more mischief by producing mental germs for the future4 ,and we cannot stop all actions1 as some are necessary for our bare existence4 #c4 ,therefore we are to perform actions1 and we can perform them unselfishly1 if they are done from a pure sense of duty4 ,we are to take duty as a law of our very existence4 ,yajna is only another name for this law4 ,the ,lord of beings1 having created all beings with the ,yajna1 said of yore1 -- ,you shall prosper by the performance of this ,yajna and this ,yajna shall be the producer of all desired objects for you4 ,yajna consists of mutual sacrifices1 as all beings are dependent on one another4 ,think of the ,devas by means of ,yajna1 and the ,devas shall think of you4 ,all our actions may be classed under duties -- duties which we owe to the ,devas1 the ,pitris1 the sages1 the animals and to other men4 ,if we perform our ,karma for the sake of ,yajna only1 we perform it unselfishly4 #d4 ,as discrimination is useful in realising the real self1 so restraint is necessary to put down the acquired self4 ,the tendencies of the acquired self1 if left to themselves1 prompt men to ever recurring actions1 which again produce their own effects1 some of which develop into fresh tendencies or strengthen the pre-existing tendencies4 ,so restraint is to be constantly practised4 ,the object of restraint is to free the mind from thoughts of the object world and to fix it on the real self1 ,atma4 ,here the system of ,patanjali comes into requisition4 ,but the system is to be accepted with this reservation that ,yoga does not necessarily mean renunciation of ,karma4 ,it includes the unselfish performance of ,karma and1 for the average humanity1 renunciation of ,karma is harmful as an expedient of ,yoga4 ,though there may be some who do not require ,karma for themselves1 yet they should not renounce it1 if they want to set an example to others and not to confound their intellect4 #e4 ,but the ,purva ,mimansakas say3 ,vedic ,karma is all in all1 and the authority of the ,vedas is supreme4 ,here ,sri ,krishna had to assert ,himself as an ,avatara1 and ,he asked people to accept ,his own authority4 ,he said there was self-seeking in ,vedic ,karma1 and one could not therefore avoid the recurrence of births by the performance of ,vedic ,karma4 ,so ,sri ,krishna said to ,uddhava3 -- ,if the ,vedas say that men attain ,svarga by the performance of ,vedic ,karma1 it is simply by way of inducement1 and not as pointing out the supreme end4 ,the father says2 ',boy1 eat this bitter medicine and ,i will give thee this cake in my hand4' ,the boy takes the medicine for the sweet thing4 ,but that really leads to his recovery from the disease4 ,so the ,vedas mean final liberation as the end4 ,but to enforce restraint1 they hold out the prospect of ,svarga1 which is most agreeable to men4 7,elaboration of ,,xi4 #ba4 #bc47 ,many were unwilling to accept the authority of ,sri ,krishna1 and the chief amongst them was ,sisupala4 ,this was the teaching of ,karma ,yoga by ,sri ,krishna4 ,but the unselfish performance of ,karma is not all4 ,it is only a negative virtue4 ,it purifies the mind and frees it from the taint of selfishness4 ,the mind then becomes prepared for the higher planes and becomes fit for the direct influence of ,ishvara4 ,so ,sri ,krishna gave to ,his disciples the true conception of ,isvara4 ,he told them ,isvara was ,one1 the source of all existence1 all knowledge and all bliss4 ,he told them how one ,isvara pervaded the whole universe and became thus manifested through the ,universe4 ,he also pervaded all beings1 and became manifested through these beings4 ,the ,universe and the ,jiva were ,his ,prakritis or bodies as it were4 ,the ,universe body was eight-fold in its character1 beginning with that most susceptible to ,his influence and ending with the division most obtuse to that influence4 ,this eight-fold ,prakriti also entered into the constitution of ,jiva4 ,but there was something more in ,jiva1 -- the consciousness1 the knower4 ,this element was ,isvara ,himself1 as limited by ,jiva ,prakriti1 or ,jiva body4 ,the whole universe being the body of ,isvara1 ,his knowledge and powers were unrestricted1 whereas the body of the ,jiva1 being limited and restricted1 his powers and knowledge were also restricted4 ,this highest conception of ,isvara is not adapted for all4 ,so ,sri ,krishna gave the conception of ,isvara1 as manifested by ,his powers1 and as manifested in ,time and ,space1 and lastly as ,he is manifested in the human body with four hands and the ,crown1 symbolising ,his lordship over the whole ,universe4 ,but this conception of ,isvara is not enough4 ,as man owes a duty to all beings1 the performance of which is ,karma1 so he owes a duty to ,isvara1 and that duty is ,upasana4 ,all beings make sacrifices for one another1 and so they owe duty to one another4 ,but ,isvara makes the greatest sacrifice for all beings and ,he holds all beings close to ,his bosom in each ,kalpa1 that they may work out their evolution under the most favorable circumstances4 ,he waits for those that give up everything for ,his sake1 and give themselves entirely up to ,him1 so that ,he may bear their ,karma upon ,himself and hasten their evolution to such an extent1 that they may approach ,his own state4 ,as ,isvara gives ,himself to the service of the ,universe1 so do ,his ,bhaktas too4 ,men owe the highest duty to ,isvara1 and this they discharge by means of ,upasana4 ,upasana is the law of being for all ,jivas1 when they reach the state of manhood4 ,surrender is the essence of ,upasana1 and this ,sri ,krishna taught to ,arjuna4 ,when a man by performing his duties to other beings and to ,isvara becomes purified and single minded1 he is entitled to receive the final teaching1 and not before4 ,and ,sri ,krishna gave that teaching at the very last to ,arjuna4 ,he said that ,jiva and ,ishvara were one in essence4 ,it is the difference in ,prakriti that makes all the difference between ,jiva and ,ishvara4 ,when all the bonds of ,prakriti are broken through1 only ,brahman remains1 the one reality1 underlying both ,ishvara and ,jiva4 ,when we become fixed1 in this wisdom all is ,brahman1 and final liberation is attained4 ,this is the real teaching of the ,upanishads1 as embodied in ,uttara ,mimansa4 ,in this connection1 ,sri ,krishna pointed out the fallacy of the ,vaiseshika system in attempting to know the ,attributeless1 through the attributes4 ,the highest wisdom of the ,kalpa was revealed and the world resounds with all glory to ,sri ,krishna4 ,the ,rishis and ,mahatmas took up ,his work4 ,all the religious movements and religious writings that have followed only reproduce ,his teachings4 ,there was something however wanting in these teachings as given in the ,mahabharata -- the relation of ,sri ,krishna to ,his own ,bhaktas4 ,what ,he did for the ,universe and how ,he did it are fully related in the great ,epic4 ,but what ,he did for those that had already given themselves up entirely to ,him1 who did not require the teaching of ,karma1 ,upasana and ,jnana1 who were ,his own people1 who knew no other ,dharma than ,himself1 who had followed ,him through ages1 and who simply took births as ,he appeared on this earth1 what ,sri ,krishna did for these ,bhaktas1 what ,his relations were with them1 are not described in the ,mahabharata at all4 ,the lordly side is given but not the sweet side4 ,the picture of the ,lord edifies and overawes1 that of the ,lover enchants and enthrals4 ,the ,bhagavata sings what the ,mahabharata left unsung4 ,that is the peculiar significance of the ,tenth ,skandha which follows1 the ,skandha that maddens the hearts of all real devotees4 ,,the ,,tenth ,,skandha4 ,,vrindavana ,,lila ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,sri ,,krishna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #a-c499 ,said ,suka3 -- ,the goddess ,earth1 being oppressed by the heavy load of tens of thousands of ,daitya hosts1 who were born as arrogant kings1 sought the shelter of ,brahma4 ,she took the form of a cow1 and with tears running down her cheeks1 piteously related her grievances to the ,lord of ,creation4 ,brahma took ,siva and the ,devas with him1 and went over to the ,ocean of milk 7,kshira ,samudra71 the abode of ,vishnu4 ,there he adored the ,lord of ,preservation and heard the ,divine voice1 which he thus explained to the ,devas3 -- ,even before this1 the ,lord knew about the grievances of the goddess of ,earth4 ,go1 take your births1 as parts of yourselves1 in the clan of the ,yadus4 ,the ,lord of ,lords1 by governing ,his ,kala ,sakti1 shall appear on the ,earth and relieve her pressure4 ,the ,supreme ,purusha ,himself shall be born in the family of ,vasudeva4 ,let the ,deva girls take their births for ,his gratification4 ,the thousand-mouthed1 self-illumining ,ananta1 who is only a part of ,vasudeva1 shall be the elder-born1 that he may do what pleases ,hari4 ,bhagavati1 the ,maya of ,vishnu1 who keeps the whole world under delusion1 shall also incarnate in part1 as desired by the ,lord1 for doing ,his work4 ,saying all this to the ,devas1 and giving words of consolation to the goddess of ,earth1 ,brahma went back to his own abode4 ,sura ,sena1 the chief of the ,yadus1 ruled over the town of ,mathura4 ,hence it became the chief seat of the ,yadu kings4 ,it is a sacred town1 the constant seat of ,hari4 ,once upon a time1 at ,mathura4 ,vasudeva drove in his chariot with his newly married wife ,devaki4 ,the marriage presents were innumerable4 ,kansa1 the son of ,ugrasena1 held the reins of the horses himself1 so eager was he to please his sister ,devaki4 ,on the way1 an incorporeal voice1 addressing ,kansa1 said3 -- ,o ignorant one6 the eighth child of her whom thou art now driving shall be thy slayer4 ,the cruel ,kansa instantly took sword in hand and caught ,devaki by her hair4 ,vasudeva pacified him with these words3 -- ,thy virtues are well known4 ,why shouldst thou kill a female1 thine own sister1 at marriage4 ,death is certain1 this day or a hundred years hence4 ,man takes body after body under the action of ,karma1 as he takes step after step in walking1 or even as the leech takes blade after blade of grass in moving4 ,as in dream there is a reflex perception of what is seen and heard in waking1 and as in that perception the man forgets his former self and becomes a reflex of that self1 so a man gives up his former body and becomes forgetful of it4 ,to whatever body the mind is drawn by fruit -- bearing ,karma1 the ,jiva assumes that body as its own4 ,the wind shakes the water and the ,son or moon1 reflected on its bosom1 appears as if shaken4 ,so by ascription1 the ,purusha has the attributes of the body4 ,he who does evil to another has to fear evil from others4 ,this girl1 thy younger sister1 is motionless with fear4 ,thou art not entitled to kill her4 ,but persuasion was of no avail1 as ,kansa was under the influence of the ,daityas4 ,vasudeva then thought how he could ward off the present danger1 leaving the future to take care of itself4 ,addressing ,kansa he said3 -- ,but1 ,o ,king1 thon hast no fear from her3 ,surely ,i would make over to thee her sons1 from whom thou hast fear4 ,kansa desisted from his cruel act and ,vasudeva went home with his bride1 pleased for the time being4 ,in time ,devaki brought forth eight sons and one daughter4 ,the truthful ,vasudeva presented his first son ,kirtimat to ,kansa4 ,the king admired the firmness of his brother-in-law and smilingly said3 -- ,take back this child4 ,i have no fear from him4 ,from your eighth born my death is ordained4 ,so let it be exclaimed ,vasudeva1 and he took back his son4 ,but he had very little faith in the words of ,kansa4 ,kansa learned from ,narada that ,nanda1 ,vasudeva and others of their dan1 their wives and even the clansmen of ,kansa1 his friends and relatives1 were partial incarnations of the ,devas4 ,he further learned from the ,rishi that preparations were being made for the lolling of the ,daityas1 whose power menaced the ,earth4 ,when the ,rishi left ,kansa1 he took all the members of the ,yadu clan for ,devas and every child of ,devaki for ,vishnu that was to kill him4 ,he now confined ,vasudeva and ,devaki in his own house and put them in fetters4 ,he put to death every son that was born to them4 ,he knew himself to be ,kalanemi who had been1 in another birth1 killed by ,vishnu4 ,he fell out with the ,yadus1 deposed his own father ,ugra ,sena and became himself the ,king4 ,with the alliance of the ,magadhas 7people of ,magadha or ancient ,bihar7 and with the help of ,pralamba1 ,baka1 ,chanura1 ,trinavarta1 ,agha1 ,mushtika1 ,arishta1 ,dvivid1 ,putana1 ,kesi1 ,dhenuka1 ,vana1 ,bhouma and other ,asuras1 ,kansa tormented the ,yadus4 ,they fled away to the kingdoms of ,kuru1 ,panchala1 ,kekaya1 ,salva1 ,vidarbha1 ,nishadha1 ,videha1 and ,kausala4 ,some only remained behind and they followed the behests of ,kansa4 ,six sons of ,devaki were killed1 one by one1 by ,kansa4 ,the seventh1 the abode of ,vishnu1 whom they call ,ananta1 appeared in the womb of ,devaki1 causing both joy and grief to his parents4 ,vishnu1 the ,atma of all beings1 knew the sufferings of ,his own followers1 the ,yadus1 at the hands of ,kansa4 ,he summoned ,yoga ,maya and commanded her as follows4 ,go forth1 blessed ,devi6 to ,vraja1 which is adorned by ,gopas and ,gos 7,go is ordinarily a cow4 ,gopa1 go and pa is a preserver of cow1 a cowherd4 ,vraja or ,go-kula was the chief town of ,nan da1 the king of the ,gopas74 ,rohini1 wife of ,vasudeva1 dwells in ,gokula the kingdom of ,nanda4 ,other wives of ,vasudeva lie hidden at other places1 for fear of ,kansa4 ,the child in the womb of ,devaki is my ,sesha named abode4 ,draw it out and place it in the womb of ,rohini4 ,i shall myself become the son of ,devaki as a part of myself4 ,thou shalt be born of ,yasoda1 the wife of ,nanda4 ,men shall worship thee as the giver of all desires and boons1 with incense1 presents and sacrifices4 ,they shall give thee names and make places for thee on the ,earth4 ,durga1 ,bhadrakali1 ,vijaya1 ,vaishnavi1 ,kamada1 ,chandika1 ,krishna1 ,madhavi1 ,kanyaka1 ,maya1 ,narayani1 ,isani1 ,sarada and ,ambika -- these shall be thy names4 ,for thy drawing out 7,sankarshana7 the child shall be called ,sankarshana1 ,he shall be called ,rama1 from his attractiveness 7ramana7 and ,bala from his uncommon strength 7bala74 ,so let it be1 ,om6 said ,bhagavati1 and she carried out the behests of the ,lord4 ,by inducing the sleep of ,yoga1 she removed the child from the womb of ,devaki to that of ,rohini4 ,people thought ,devaki had miscarried4 ,then ,bhagavan1 the ,atma of the ,universe1 the dispeller of all the fears of his votaries1 entered the ,manas of ,vasudeva in part4 ,devaki bore in her ,manas this part of ,achyuta1 even as the ,east bears the moon4 ,her lustre being confined to the prison-room could not please others1 even like fire confined as heat or like ,sarasvati confined in the cheat who keeps his wisdom to himself4 ,kansa saw an unusual glow round his sister such as he had never witnessed before4 ,he exclaimed ,surely ,hari is born in this womb1 ,he who is to take away my life4 ,what shall ,i do this day8 ,he comes on a mission and ,his energy will be all directed towards that end4 ,am ,i then to kill my sister8 ,but the killing of a pregnant female1 my own sister1 will ruin my fame1 my wealth and my life4 ,by the performance of such a heinous act1 one becomes dead even when alive4 ,men curse him for his evil deeds and after death he enters the regions of absolute darkness4 ,kansa by his own persuasion restrained himself from doing any violent act and he waited with feelings of bitterness for the time when ,hari was to be born4 ,but whether sitting or lying down1 eating or walking1 he thought of ,vishnu and saw ,him everywhere in the ,universe4 ,brahma1 ,siva1 the ,rishis1 the ,devas adored ,vishnu in the womb of ,devaki4 ,true in thy will1 attainable by ,truth1 the one ,truth before1 after and in creation1 the root of the ,universe1 and underlying the ,universe as its only ,reality1 ,thou from whom all true sayings and true perceptions do proceed1 ,truth ,thyself1 we take ,thy shelter4 ,the primal ,jiva tree stands on the field of ,prakriti4 ,joy and sorrow are its fruits4 ,the three gunas 7,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas7 are its three roots4 ,dharma 7the means of attaining objects71 ,artha 7the objects71 ,kama 7desires7 and ,moksha 7freedom from desires71 these are its fourfold juice1 the five senses are its sources of perception1 the six sheaths form its chief feature1 the seven constituents of the physical body 7dhatus7 form its skin1 the five ,bhutas1 ,manas1 ,buddhi and ,ahankara are its eight branches1 the nine openings are its holes1 the ten ,pranas1 or physiological functions1 are its leaves and ,jivatma and ,paramatma are the two birds sitting on this tree4 ,thou art the one root of this tree1 it ends in ,thee and it is preserved by ,thee4 ,those that are deluded by ,thy ,maya see manifold forms in place of ,thy real self1 but not so the wise4 ,thou art consciousness itself4 ,for the good of the world1 ,thou dost assume ,satva-made forms1 which bring joy to all good people and woe to the evil-minded4 ,o ,lotus-eyed1 thou art the abode of ,satva4 ,thy votaries1 by concentrating their minds on ,thee and by resorting to ,thy feet which serve as boats to them1 make an easy ford of this ,ocean of recurring births 7,sansara74 ,o ,self manifest1 the ,ocean of recurring births1 which is formidable and unfordable to others1 gives way before ,thy votaries1 even at the mere touch of the boat of ,thy feet4 ,so while they cross themselves1 even without the boat1 they leave that boat for others1 for they have boundless compassion for other beings4 7i4e4 ,thy votaries lay down the path of ,bhakti4 ,sridhara47 ,there are others 7followers of the ,path of wisdom7 who consider themselves liberated 7,mukta74 ,but their intellect is impure as they have no ,bhakti in ,thee4 ,by ascetic efforts they rise to 7near about7 the ,supreme abode1 but 7being overpowered by obstacles7 they fall down1 by their disregard of ,thy feet4 ,but ,thy votaries1 ,o ,madhava1 never slip away from ,thy path for they are bound by their attachment to ,thee and ,thou dost preserve them4 ,so fearlessly they tread over the heads of ,vinayaka hosts4 7,the ,vinayaka are elementals who are supposed to cause obstacles to all good works74 ,thy body is pure ,satva1 for the preservation of the ,universe4 ,that body becomes the means of attaining the fruits of 7devotional87 karma4 ,it is by reason of that body that men are able to worship ,thee by means of ,veda1 ,kriya ,yoga1 ,tapas and ,samadhi4 7,there could be no worship1 if no body had been assumed4 ,hence there could be no attainment of the fruits of ,karma1 ,sridhara4 ,this is not intelligible1 if ordinary ,karma is meant47 ,if this ,satva body of ,thine had not existed1 direct perception would not be possible4 ,for through ,thy manifestations in 7the world of7 the ,gunas1 thoughts can 7at last7 reach ,thee4 ,the ,gunas only relate to ,thee and are themselves manifested by ,thee4 7,by devotion to the pure ,satva body1 the mind partakes of its character i4e4 becomes purely ,satvic4 ,then by the favor of ,vishnu1 there is direct perception1 i4e4 the form is not the object of direct perception but the means of direct perception4 ,but these forms only serve the purpose of devotion4 ,the ,purusha can not be known by these forms4 ,hence the following ,sloka1 ,sridhara74 ,thy ,name 7nama7 and ,thy ,form 7rupa7 are not however to be known by ,thy attributes1 births and deeds4 ,for ,thou art their ,seer and ,thy ,path is beyond the reach of ,manas and speech4 ,still in the act of devotion1 ,thy votaries realise ,thee4 ,by hearing1 uttering1 causing others to remember and by meditating on ,thy blessed names and forms in devotional practices1 one becomes fixed in mind on ,thy ,lotus ,feet and does not then stand the chance of another birth4 ,by ,thy birth1 the pressure on the ,earth is removed4 ,the marks of ,thy feet already adorn her4 ,heaven and ,earth look favored by ,thee4 ,what else can be the cause of ,thy birth but a mere fancy on ,thy part1 for even the birth1 life and death of ,jivatmas are but seeming things caused by ,thy ,avidya4 ,the ,fish1 the ,horse1 the ,tortoise1 the ,man ,lion1 the ,boar1 the ,swan1 in these and in ,kings1 ,brahmanas and wise men1 ,thou hast incarnated4 ,as thou dost preserve us and preserve this ,triloki1 so dost ,thou take away the load from off the ,earth4 ,our salutations to ,thee4 ,and mother ,devaki1 the ,great ,purusha ,himself is in ,thy womb in part1 for our good4 ,fear not then from ,kansa1 whose death is near at hand4 ,thy ,son shall be the ,saviour of the ,yadus4 ,having thus adored the ,lord1 the ,devas left the place4 ,in time1 when all nature looked still and there was joy in heaven and earth1 ,sri ,krishna was born under the influence of the ,rohini constellation4 ,it was all dark at dead of night4 ,he had four hands bearing ,sankha1 ,chakra1 ,gada1 and ,padma4 ,the mark of ,srivatsa the ,kaustubha gem1 the yellow cloth1 the crown on the head glittering with stones1 the brilliant ear-rings all marked ,him out as the ,purusha1 and ,vasudeva and ,devaki adored ,him as such4 ,devaki asked him to withdraw his lordly form with four hands4 ,said ,bhagavan1 addressing ,devaki4 ,in the ,svayambhuva ,manvantara1 thou wert called ,prisni1 and this ,vasudeva1 ,prajapati ,sutapas4 ,commanded by ,brahma to beget progeny1 thou didst make austere ,tapas and prayed for a son even like unto my own self4 ,so ,i was born of thee as ,prisni-,garbha4 ,this was my first ,incarnation4 ,when you two were ,aditi and ,kasyapa1 ,i was born of you as ,upendra1 otherwised called ,vamana 7the ,dwarf74 ,this was my second ,incarnation4 ,in this my third ,incarnation1 ,i am again born unto you4 ,this form is shown to thee to remind thee of those previous births4 ,thou shalt attain my supreme state by meditating on me both as a son and as ,brahma4 ,then ,he assumed the form of an ordinary child4 ,directed by ,him1 ,vasudeva took ,him to ,vraja1 the ,kingdom of ,nanda4 ,the fetters loosened4 ,the gate opened wide4 ,the gate keepers fell into deep sleep4 ,though there was a heavy downpour of rain1 the serpent ,sesha gave shelter under his thousand hoods4 ,the river ,yamuna1 deep in flood1 fretting and foaming under the storm1 made way for ,vasudeva4 ,the ,gopas were all fast asleep in ,vraja4 ,vasudeva placed his own son by the side of ,yasoda and took her new born daughter away and placed her near ,devaki4 ,he then put on his fetters and remained confined as before4 ,yasoda knew that she had a child1 but the labour pains and sleep made her quite forget the sex of the child4 ,,counsel ,,with ,,the ,,daityas4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #d499 ,the gates closed again1 the gate-keepers woke up and1 on hearing a child's voice1 they forthwith informed their ,king4 ,kansa had been anxiously waiting for the birth of this child4 ,so he lost no time in getting up and appearing before ,devaki4 ,he snatched away the child from her4 ,devaki remonstrated with her brother praying for the life of her daughter4 ,kansa heeded not her words4 ,he raised the child aloft and cast it down to strike it against a stone4 ,the child slipped away from his hands1 and rose high up4 ,this younger born of ,vishnu appeared with eight hands1 bearing eight weapons1 -- ,dhanus 7bow7 ,sula 7spear7 ,isha 7arrow71 ,charma 7hide protector71 ,asi 7sword71 ,sankha 7conch71 ,chakra 7,disc71 and ,gada 7club74 ,she had divine garlands and garments and was adorned with ornaments4 ,siddhas1 ,charanas1 ,gandharvas1 ,apsarasas1 ,kinnaras and ,nagas worshiped her with profuse offerings4 ,fool that thou art she thundered forth1 ,what if ,i am killed4 ,he who shall make an end of thee1 thy former enemy1 is born somewhere else4 ,do not kill other children in vain4 ,the ,goddess ,maya then became known by different names in different parts of the earth4 ,kansa was wonder-struck4 ,he removed the fetters of ,vasudeva and ,devaki and begged their pardon1 saying1 ,like a ,rakshasa1 ,i have killed your sons4 ,i do not know what fate awaits me after death4 ,not only men tell lies1 but the ,devas too4 ,kansa then called the ,daityas together4 ,these sworn enemies of the ,devas heard their master and then broke forth thus3 -- ,if it be so1 ,o ,king of ,bhoja1 we will kill all children1 whether ten days old or not1 whether found in towns1 villages1 or pasture grounds4 ,what can the ,devas do1 cowards in battle8 ,they are always afraid of the sound of thy bow4 ,dost thou not remember how1 pierced by thy arrows1 they fled for their lives4 ,the ,devas are only bold when they are safe1 and they indulge in tall talk outside the battle ground4 ,vishnu seeks solitude4 ,siva dwells in forests4 ,indra has but little might4 ,brahma is an ascetic4 ,but still the ,devas are enemies4 ,they are not to be slighted4 ,therefore engage us1 your followers1 in digging out the very root of the ,devas1 for like disease and sensuality when neglected at first1 they become difficult of suppression4 ,vishnu is the root of the ,devas1 and he represents the eternal religion 7,sanatana ,dharma i4e4 ,dharma that follows the eternal course of time1 or is based on the eternal truths of nature1 hence eternal religion1 a term applied to ,hinduism proper74 ,and the roots of ,dharma are the ,vedas1 the ,cows1 the ,brahmanas1 ,tapas and ,yajna4 ,therefore by all means1 ,o ,king1 we shall kill the ,deva-knowing1 ,yajna-performing and ascetic ,brahmanas and cows that supply the sacrificial ghee4 ,brahmanas1 ,cows1 ,vedas1 asceticism1 truth1 restraint of the senses1 restraint of the mind1 faith1 kindness1 forbearance and sacrifices these are the parts of ,vishnu's body4 ,therefore the best way to kill him is to kill these4 ,vishnu1 who pervades all hearts1 is the guide of all ,devas1 the enemy of ,asuras4 ,he is the root of all ,devas1 including ,siva and ,brahma4 ,kansa approved of this counsel4 ,he directed the ,kamarupa bearing 7i4e4 bearing forms at will7 ,asuras to oppress all good people and they readily took to their work4 ,,nanda ,,and ,,vasudeva4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #e499 ,nanda performed the birth ceremony of his son with great pomp4 ,his gifts knew no bounds4 ,vishnu was worshipped and there was plenty in ,vraja4 ,the time came for payment of the year's dues to ,kansa4 ,so ,nanda left ,gokula 7 i4e4 ,vraja 7 in charge of the ,gopas and himself went with the dues to ,mathura4 ,vasudeva learned of ,nanda's arrival and went to meet him4 ,nanda stood up to receive him and embraced him heartily4 ,said ,vasudeva3 -- ,brother1 you grew old and gave up all hopes of having a child4 ,luckily a son is now born unto you4 ,it is indeed a new birth to you1 that you are blessed with the sight of a lovely son4 ,friends cannot live pleasantly together as their manifold ,karma1 like a strong wind1 forces them asunder4 ,is it all right with the big forest1 with the pasture lands where you now dwell with friends8 ,is it all right with my son 7,balarama7 who lives at your place with her mother1 and who looks upon you as his parent8 ,nanda replied3 -- ,alas6 your sons by ,devaki were all killed by ,kansa2 even the daughter that was born last has ascended to the heavens4 ,surely man is governed by the unseen4 ,those that know are not deluded4 ,said ,vasudeva3 -- ,you have paid your yearly dues and have also met me4 ,now do not remain here any longer4 ,for evils befall ,gokula4 ,nanda left ,mathura for ,gokula4 ,,putana 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #f499 ,with evil forebodings1 ,nanda made his way to ,vraja1 for he thought ,vasudeva would not tell a lie4 ,and he was right4 ,by ,kansa's orders1 the fierce ,putana went about killing children in towns1 villages and pasture lands1 for verily she was a killer of children4 ,that wanderer of the skies entered ,gokula at will1 assuming the form of a woman most beautiful to look at4 ,so no one stopped her passage4 ,she moved freely here and there and at last entered the house of ,nanda4 ,she looked like a kind mother and ,yasoda and ,rohini were so much struck by her fine exterior that they did not stop her access to ,krishna4 ,putana placed the child on her lap and gave him milk from her breast full of deadly poison4 ,the divine child knew who ,putana was and what she was about4 ,he held fast her breast with both hands and in anger drank in the very life juice of the ,asura woman4 ,she screamed forth ,let go1 ,let go1 ,no more4 ,her eyes expanded4 ,she cast up and down her hands and feet again and again in profuse perspiration4 ,her groans made heaven and earth tremble and space itself resounded on all sides4 ,at last she fell dead like a great mountain1 crushing down trees within an ambit of twelve miles4 ,fearlessly the boy played on her body4 ,the ,gopa ladies hurried to the place with ,rohini and ,yasoda4 ,they bathed the boy in cows' urine and dust from cow's feet4 ,they pronounced the twelve names of ,vishnu 7,kesava and others7 over twelve parts of his body4 ,then after touching water1 they duly uttered the root mantras over their own body and that of the child4 ,lastly they invoked ,vishnu by different names to protect the child from danger of all sorts4 7,the protective mantra uttered by the mother with passes of the hand over different parts of the body was supposed to shield the child from danger4 ,latterly the custom has been to get the mantra written1 with due ceremonies1 by a qualified ,brahman1 on the sacred bark 7,bhurja7 and then to tie it round the hand47 ,yasoda then placed the child on her lap and gave him milk4 ,by this time ,nanda had returned to ,vrindabana4 ,he saw the huge body of the ,asura woman and realised the force of ,vasudeva's warning4 ,the people of ,vraja cut the body into parts and burnt them with fuel4 ,the smoke was sweet-scented1 as the touch of ,krishna's body purifies even the enemy4 ,,the ,,upturning ,,of ,,the ,,cart4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #g499 ,the ceremony observable on the child being able to stand on his legs and the birth-day ceremony were observed together and there was a great feast at the house of ,nanda4 ,yasoda placed the child near a cart1 containing brass vessels with articles of food1 and became busily engaged in receiving her guests4 ,the child wept but she did not hear4 ,he then raised his feet aloft1 weeping for his mother's milk1 and struck the cart with his feet4 ,the cart was upset1 the brass vessels broken and the wheel and axle upturned4 ,the ,gopa ladies could not account for this wonderful phenomenon4 ,the boys1 who sat near the child1 told all that they saw1 but people could not easily believe what they said4 ,,trinavarta ,,or ,,the ,,whirlwind4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #g499 ,the child was once on the lap of ,yasoda when he suddenly became so heavy that ,yasoda had to throw him on the ground4 ,the ,asura ,trinavarta or ,whirlwind made an attack on the child and a violent dust storm overtook ,gokula4 ,the ,asura had scarcely raised ,krishna to a certain height1 when his weight almost crushed him to death4 ,krishna did not let go his hold and the ,asura breathed his last and fell dead4 ,yasoda kissed her son again and again1 but when he opened ,his mouth1 the mother saw the whole ,universe within it4 ,,the ,,names ,,krishna ,,and ,,rama4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #h499 ,garga1 the family priest of the ,yadus1 came to ,vraja at the request of ,vasudeva4 ,nanda duly received him and said3 -- ,you are versed in the ,vedas and you are the author of an astrological treatise4 ,please perform the ,naming ceremony of the two boys4 ,garga replied3 ,i am known as the priest of the ,yadus and1 if ,i officiate at the ceremony1 ,kansa might suspect your son to be the eighth son of ,devaki4 ,nanda promised strict privacy1 and the ,rishi performed the ceremony4 ,addressing ,nanda1 he then said3 -- ,this son of ,rohini shall be called ,rama or the charming one1 as he shall charm his friends by his virtues4 ,he shall be called ,bala1 from possessing excessive strength4 ,from his bringing together the ,yadus1 he shall be called ,sankarshana4 ,this other boy1 taking body1 yuga after yuga1 had three colors1 ,white 7,sukla71 ,red 7,rakta7 and ,yellow1 7,pita74 ,now he has got the black color 7,krishna74 ,in the past1 he was born as the son of ,vasudeva4 ,so those that know call him ,srimat ,vasudeva4 ,he has many names and many forms1 according to his deeds and attributes4 ,neither ,i nor other people know them all4 ,he shall give you the greatest blessings and protect you against all dangers4 ,in days of yore1 good people conquered the ill-doers by his help4 ,those that are attached to him are not conquered by enemies1 even as followers of ,vishnu are not conquered by the ,asuras4 ,therefore this son of ,nanda is equal to ,narayana by his virtues1 powers and fame4 ,,pranks ,,of ,,the ,,boy4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #h499 ,with growing childhood1 ,krishna became very naughty4 ,once the ,gopa women made the following complaints4 ,krishna would untie their calves before the milking time4 ,he would steal their milk and curds and divide the remnants1 after eating1 among the monkeys4 ,if they did not eat1 he would break the pot4 ,if he did not get the things he wanted1 he would curse the inmates and other boys4 ,if the pots were out of reach1 he would raise himself on seats or husking stools and bear those hanging pots away to get at their contents4 ,he would illumine the dark room by the glitter of his own body and that of his jewels1 to serve his purpose4 ,he would talk insolently1 and spoil the ground4 ,the ,gopa women exclaimed3 -- ,but now how innocent he looks before you4 ,krishna betrayed fear in his eyes4 ,yasoda would not beat him4 ,so she only smiled4 ,one day ,rama and other boys complained to ,yasoda that ,krishna had eaten earth4 ,the mother remonstrated4 ,they have lied exclaimed ,krishna ,or if they have spoken the truth1 then examine my mouth4 ,open it1 said ,yasoda4 ,but what did she find within that mouth8 ,the ,seven ,dvipas1 the planets1 the stars1 the three ,gunas and all their transformations1 even ,vrindavana and herself4 ,is this dream or delusion or is this all the power of my own son8 ,if ,thou art then the ,unknowable1 my salutations to ,thee4 ,i take the shelter of ,him1 by whose ,maya ,i seem to be ,yasoda1 this ,nanda my husband1 this boy my son1 the ,gos 7cows7 ,gopas and ,gopis to be mine4 ,she had the true knowledge1 but it was soon eclipsed by the ,maya of ,vishnu and ,yasoda again knew ,krishna to be her own son4 ,raja ,parikshit asked3 -- ,what did ,nanda do that ,krishna would be his foster son8 ,and what did ,yasoda do1 that ,krishna should suck her breast8 ,even his own parents did not witness the deeds of the child of which poets have sung so much4 ,suka replied3 -- ,drona1 the chief of the ,vasus1 with his wife ,dhara shewed great obedience to ,brahma4 ',when born on ,earth may we have the highest devotion for ,him4' ,such was their prayer to ,brahma and it was granted4 ,drona was born as ,nanda and ,dhara as ,yasoda4 ,,the ,,tying4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #i499 ,one day ,yasoda was churning curdled milk and singing the deeds of her son4 ,krishna came up and1 desirous of sucking milk1 held the churning rod4 ,yasoda placed him on her lap and gave him milk to suck4 ,but the milk that was boiling on the oven overflowed the pot and she hurriedly left her son4 ,in anger ,krishna bit his lips1 broke the milk pot with a stone1 took the fresh butter to a retired corner and there partook of it4 ,yasoda came back after a while and found the pot broken4 ,her son had left the place and she could easily see that it was all his doing4 ,she found ,krishna seated on the husk stand1 freely dividing the contents of the hanging pots among the monkeys1 and she quietly approached him with a stick4 ,krishna hurriedly got down and ran away as if in fear4 ,yasoda ran after him and caught him at last4 ,finding him fear-stricken1 she threw down the stick and tried to fasten him to the husking stand4 ,the rope fell short by the breadth of two fingers 7say two inches74 ,she added another rope4 ,the gap remained the same4 ,she added rope after rope1 as many as she had of her own and of her neighbours1 but could not bridge over the distance4 ,she stood baffled at last1 amazed and ashamed4 ,finding that his mother was perspiring in the effort and that her hair had become dishevelled1 ,krishna allowed himself to be fastened to the stand4 ,,the ,,arjuna ,,trees4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #aj499 ,the ,yaksha ,king ,kuvera had two sons -- ,nalakuvara and ,manigriva4 ,they became maddened with power and intoxicated with drink4 ,narada passed by them while they were playing with ,gandharva girls stark naked in a river bath and they heeded him not4 ,narada thought how best he could reclaim them4 ,poverty is the only remedy for those that lose their heads in wealth4 ,these sons of the ,lokapala ,kuvera are deep in ignorance1 insolence and intoxication4 ,let them become trees4 ,but they shall not lose memory by my favor4 ,after one hundred ,deva years1 the touch of ,sri ,krishna shall save them4 ,these sons of ,kuvera in consequence became a pair of ,arjuna trees in ,vrindavana4 ,while ,krishna was fastened to the husking stand1 the pair of ,arjuna trees drew his attention4 ,he was bent on making good the words of ,narada4 ,so he approached the trees1 drawing the husking stand behind him by force and1 placing himself between them1 uprooted the trees4 ,they fell down with a crash and lo6 two fiery spirits came out1 illumining space by the splendour of their bodies4 ,they prayed to ,krishna and then rose upwards4 ,the ,gopa women had been engaged all this time in their household duties and the crash attracted the attention of all the ,gopas and ,gopis4 ,the boys told what they had seen4 ,but some were loath to believe that all this could be done by the boy ,krishna4 ,,the ,,fruit ,,seller4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #aa499 ,one day ,krishna heard a woman crying out ,come ye buy fruits4 ,he took some paddy and hastened to her side4 ,the woman filled both his hands with fruits and lo6 her basket became full of gems and precious stones4 ,,vrindavana4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #aa499 ,seeing that calamities befell ,brihat ,vana 7,vraja or ,gokul7 so often1 the elders put their heads together to devise the best course to adopt4 ,upa ,nanda1 one of the oldest and wisest of them1 said3 -- ,we that wish well for ,gokula must hence get away4 ,evils befall that bode no good for the children4 ,this boy was with difficulty saved from that child-killing ,rakshasa woman4 ,it is only by the favor of ,vishnu that the cart did not fall on him4 ,when he was taken high up by the whirlwind ,asura1 and when he fell down on the rock1 it was the ,deva ,kings that saved him4 ,if this boy and others did not perish when they were between the two trees1 it was because ,vishnu preserved them4 ,ere this ,vraja is visited by fresh calamity1 let us go elsewhere with the boys and all attendants4 ,there is a forest called ,vrindavana with fresh verdure for cattle1 where ,gopas1 ,gopis and ,gos will all enjoy themselves4 ,the hills1 grass and creepers are all holy there4 ,this very day let us go to that place4 ,make ready the carriages4 ,let the cows precede us1 if it pleases you all4 ,with one heart1 the ,gopas exclaimed3 -- ,well said6 ,well said6 ,they prepared their carriages and placed on them the aged1 the young1 the females and all household articles4 ,they drove the cows in advance4 ,they blew their horns and beat their drums4 ,accompanied by the priests1 the ,gopas went on their way4 ,the ,gopa girls1 seated on chariots sang the deeds of ,krishna and ,yasoda1 and ,rohinl attentively listened to them4 ,at last they entered ,vrindavana1 which gives pleasure at all times1 with the carriages2 they made a semi-circular abode for the cattle4 ,rama and ,krishna saw ,vrindavana1 the hill ,govardhana and the banks of the ,yamuna and then became very much pleased4 ,in time they became keepers of calves 7,vatsa74 ,they tended the calves in the company of ,gopa boys on pasture lands near at hand4 ,they played with other boys as ordinary children4 ,,vatsa ,,or ,,the ,,calf4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #aa499 ,one day ,rama1 ,krishna and other boys were looking after their calves when an ,asura1 with the intention of killing them1 assumed the form of a calf 7,vatsa7 and got mixed among the herd4 ,krishna pointed this out to ,balarama and silently moved behind the ,asura4 ,he held it aloft by the hind feet and tail and gave it such a whirl that its life became extinct4 ,the boys1 cried out ,well done6 ,well done6 and the ,devas rained flowers on ,krishna4 ,,baka ,,or ,,the ,,crane4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #aa499 ,one day the ,gopa boys went over to a tank to quench their thirst4 ,they saw a huge monster in the form of a ,baka 7crane74 ,it rushed forth and swallowed ,krishna4 ,krishna caused a burning in its throat and the ,asura threw him out4 ,it made a second attack and ,krishna held the two beaks and parted them asunder as if they were blades of grass1 ,and the ,asura died4 ,,agha ,,or ,,the ,,serpent4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ab499 ,one day ,krishna was playing with the boys in the forest4 ,agha1 the youngest born of ,putana and ,baka1 the ,asura whom even the ,devas1 rendered immortal by ,amrita1 dreaded1 burning with a spirit of revenge at the death of his brother and sister1 thought of killing ,krishna and all his attendants4 ,he stretched himself forth as a huge serpent1 spreading over one yojana1 the extremities of his open mouth touching the clouds and the earth4 ,the ,gopa boys took the ,asura to be the goddess of ,vrindavana4 ,or if it really be a serpent opening its mouth to kill us1 it will instantly be killed like the ,asura ,vaka4 ,so with their eyes fixed on ,krishna they clapped their hands and with a smile entered the mouth of the serpent1 even before ,krishna had time to warn them4 ,the ,asura still waited with its mouth open for ,krishna4 ,krishna thought how he could kill the serpent and at the same time save his companions4 ,on reflection1 he himself entered the mouth of the serpent and stretched himself and his comrades4 ,the ,asura lost breath and breathed his last4 ,a shining spirit emerged from the ,asura body and entered the body of ,krishna4 ,krishna gave fresh life to his comrades by his ,amrita bearing looks4 ,krishna killed ,agha in his fifth year1 but the ,gopa boys who witnessed the act said1 when ,krishna entered his sixth year1 that the act was done that very day4 ,how could that be8 enquired ,parikshit4 ,suka explained this with reference to the following story4 ,,brahma ,,and ,,krishna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ac-ad499 ,when the ,asura ,agha was killed1 ,krishna went with his companions to the river bank and said3 -- ,we are hungry1 the hour is late4 ,let us have our meals here4 ,let the calves drink water and graze on near lands4 ,the ,gopa boys spread out their stores and improvised plates for eating4 ,while they were engaged in eating1 the calves strayed away4 ,the boys became anxious and were about to get up1 when ,krishna stopped them1 saying he would find the calves4 ,he left his companions and went on the search4 ,brahma1 who had been witnessing from the high heavens all the deeds of ,krishna1 even the killing of ,agha1 with wonder1 wanted to have still one more manifestation of his divine powers4 ,finding opportunity1 he removed the calves as well as the ,gopa boys to some secure place and disappeared4 ,krishna could not find the calves and on returning he could not find his companions4 ,he then knew it was all the act of ,brahma4 ,to please ,brahma1 as well as to please the mothers of the ,gopa boys1 ,he ,himself became so many calves and so many ,gopa boys of their very size and form to the minutest detail4 ,the mothers thought they had got their boys and they became even more attached to them4 ,the cows thought they had got their calves and their fondness knew no bounds4 ,krishna went on playing his manifold parts for one year4 ,five or six days remaining till the completion of the year1 ,balarama saw one day that the cows were grazing on the summits of ,govardhana1 while the calves were grazing at some distance near ,vraja4 ,the cows impelled by a fit of attachment breathlessly ran towards the calves even those that had quite lately brought forth younger calves and caressed them profusely4 ,the elder ,gopas who were in charge could not restrain them with all their efforts4 ,they felt shame and vexation4 ,but when they themselves approached the calves and their own sons1 their anger melted away in deep affection4 ,balarama thought for a moment4 ,never was such love witnessed by me before -- this attachment for calves that had been weaned long ago4 ,the people of ,vraja have even increasing affection for their own sons even as they had of yore for ,krishna4 ,these calves no longer appear to be the incarnations of ,rishis1 their keepers the ,gopa boys do not appear any longer to be the incarnations of the ,devas4 ,they look all like thee ,o ,krishna6 ,wherein lies the mystery8 ,krishna explained to ,rama what had happened4 ,brahma appeared after a ,truti 7fraction of a moment7 of his own measure4 ,he saw the boys1 he saw the calves4 ,he could not make any distinction between those he placed under his own ,maya and those brought into existence by the ,maya of ,krishna4 ,the foggy darkness is overpowered by the darkness of the night4 ,the light of the glowworm vanishes before the light of the day4 ,to delude ,krishna1 ,brahma became deluded himself4 ,in another moment ,brahma saw the calves and the boys each and all bearing four hands1 the divine weapons and all the divine powers4 ,they shone in resplendent glory4 ,brahma became overpowered1 stupefied4 ,recovering himself1 he found once more ,sri ,krishna alone1 searching for the calves and boys in ,vrindavana4 ,he fell at the feet of ,krishna1 again and again1 his four heads with their crowns rolling on the ground and with tears in his eyes1 he glorified ,krishna4 7,the glorification is a long one4 ,only one sloka is given here47 ,it is only he who lives on1 anxiously looking out for ,thy favor1 bearing through the workings of his own ,karma as a matter of course and making obeisance to ,thee in heart1 words and body1 that can get the heritage of ,mukti 7,as one must be living1 so that a particular heritage may vest in him1 so the ,bhakta must keep up his individuality to get the heritage of ,mukti74 ,parikshit asked4 ,how could the people of ,vraja have greater love for ,krishna than for their own sons8 ,suka replied3 -- ,self1 ,o ,king1 is the most beloved of all things not so beloved are one's sons or wealth4 ,therefore1 ,o king1 people love themselves better than they do their sons1 their riches or their homes4 ,those that deem their body to be their own ,atma or self1 love that body more than anything else4 ,but the body only becomes dear as it pertains to self4 ,it can not be as dear as self4 ,for when the body wears away1 the desire to live on is still strong4 ,therefore ,atma or self is most dear to all beings and the whole of this ,universe is for that self4 ,but know thou this ,krishna to be the ,self of all selves1 the ,atma of all ,atmas4 ,for the good of the ,universe1 he also looks by ,maya as one possessed of a body4 ,those that know ,krishna know that all movable and immovable beings are but ,his forms and that nothing else exists4 ,of all things1 the ultimate reality is ',existence'4 ,krishna is the reality of ,existence itself4 ,so there is nothing besides ,krishna4 ,here ends the ,kumara ,lila of ,krishna4 ,the ,pouganda ,lila is now to commence4 7,kumara is a boy below five1 ,pouganda is boyhood from the #eth to the #afth year74 99,,end ,,of ,,kumara ,,lila99 ,,dhenuka4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ae499 ,on attaining the ,pouganda age1 ,rama and ,krishna were placed in charge of cows4 ,vrindavana looked gay and ,krishna amused himself with his companions in the forests4 ,one day ,sridaman1 ,subala1 ,stoka and other companions spoke to ,rama and ,krishna ,not far off is a forest of palm trees 7,tala74 ,tala fruits fall in abundance there1 but one ,asura ,dhenuka1 with many of his kin obstruct all access to them4 ,the ,asura has the form of an ,ass4 ,we smell the fragrance of the fruits even from here4 ,they are very tempting indeed4 ,rama boldly entered that forest and gave a shake to the ,tala trees1 and ,talas fell in abundance4 ,roused by the noise1 the ,ass rushed forth and kicked ,rama with its hind feet4 ,the ,asura brayed and made a second rush1 when ,rama held it by the hind feet and whirling it round in the skies threw ,it dead on the trees4 ,the kith and kin of the ,asura then came rushing forth1 but they were one and all killed by ,rama and ,krishna4 ,when they returned to ,vrindavana the ,gopis who had been feeling the separation went out to receive them and1 being pleased to see them1 cast bashful glances at them4 ,,the ,,kaliya ,,serpent ,,and ,,the ,,fire4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #af-ag499 ,the ,nagas or serpents made offerings to ,garuda on appointed days4 ,kaliya1 proud of his own valour1 did not make any offering himself and snatched away the offerings made by others4 ,garuda attacked him and1 being overpowered in the fight1 ,kaliya sought shelter in a deep pool of water in the ,yamuna4 ,of yore1 ,garuda had caught a fish in that pool of water and was about to eat it1 when ,rishi ,soubhari asked him not to eat1 but ,garuda heeded not his words4 ,the wailings of the fish moved the tender heart of the ,rishi and for their future good he cursed ,garuda with death1 if he entered the pool any more4 ,kaliya knew about this and he therefore sought protection in that pool of water with his family4 ,the water became deadly poison and even the adjoining air breathed poisonous death4 ,one day ,krishna went with all his companions1 other than ,rama1 to the ,yamuna side4 ,the ,gopa boys and the cows being very thirsty drank the water of that pool and met with instant death4 ,krishna cast his amrita pouring looks at them and they got up1 being restored to life4 ,they looked at each other1 very much surprised4 ,to purge the river1 ,krishna got upon a ,kadamba tree and jumped into the pool of water4 ,kaliya fiercely attacked him and stung him to the quick4 ,the serpent then twined round ,krishna4 ,the cows wept1 the ,gopa boys became senseless4 ,there were evil portents in ,vrindavana4 ,nanda and other ,gopas came out in search of ,krishna4 ,they saw him in the grasp of the powerful serpent and made loud wailings4 ,a moment after1 seeing how they all grieved for him1 ,krishna eluded the grasp of the serpent and moved dancing round him4 ,the serpent1 somewhat fatigued1 also kept moving with its overspread hoods1 fixing its looks on ,krishna4 ,krishna then got upon the hoods one thousand in number1 one hundred being the chief1 and danced on them putting down the hood that tried to raise itself4 ,it was a lovely sight and the ,devas sang in joy and rained flowers4 ,the serpent king was overpowered4 ,he vomited blood4 ,his body was broken4 ,in his heart of hearts1 he sought the protection of ,narayana4 ,the serpent girls also glorified ,krishna and prayed for their husband's life4 ,krishna said3 -- ,go hence ,o serpent1 dwell in the sea4 ,men and cows shall use the water of the river4 ,you left ,ramanaka ,dvipa for fear of ,garuda4 ,but now as your heads bear the marks of my feet1 ,garuda shall not touch you4 ,kaliya left the ,yamuna with his wives and the water of that river has been pure ever since4 ,the people of ,vrindavana embraced ,krishna and shed tears of joy4 ,they were all so much put out that they stopped that night on the river bank4 ,at midnight1 a fire broke out from a castor plantation and it surrounded the people on all sides4 ,the ,gopas and ,gopis cried out3 ,o ,krishna1 ,o ,rama1 we are yours4 ,krishna6 ,save us from this fire4 ,we are not afraid of our lives1 but it will pain us to part from ,thy feet4 ,krishna ate up the whole fire4 ,,pralamba4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ah499 ,it was summer4 ,but ,vrindavana was cool with its shade1 its water-spouts and its river4 ,rama and ,krishna were tending the cattle with their companions4 ,an ,asura named ,pralamba disguised himself as a ,gopa boy and mixed with the other boys4 ,the ,all-knowing ,krishna found him but he feigned friendship1 with the object of killing the ,asura4 ,krishna proposed two parties for play4 ,the defeated party had to carry the members of the victorious party on their backs4 ,krishna became the leader of one party and ,rama that of the other4 ,the party of ,krishna were routed near the ,bhandiraka forest4 ,krishna carried ,sridamana on his back1 ,bhadrasena carried ,vrishabha and ,pralamba carried ,balarama4 ,pralamba ran with ,balarama beyond the mark4 ,balarama suspected something evil4 ,then composing himself1 he hit a blow on the head of the ,asura and ,pralamba lay down dead4 ,,the ,,forest ,,conflagration4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ai499 ,the cattle strayed away from the ,bhandarika forest1 when suddenly there was a fire4 ,they ran bellowing into a forest of rushes4 ,the ,gopa boys went in search of them and found them from a distance4 ,krishna called them out and they responded to the call4 ,at the time a general conflagration in the forest overtook the cows and the ,gopa boys and they helplessly turned to ,krishna4 ,krishna asked the boys to close their eyes4 ,they did so1 but when they looked again they found themselves once more in the ,bhandarika forest4 ,seeing this ,yoga power in ,sri ,krishna1 they knew him to be a ,god4 ,the older ,gopas and ,gopis1 hearing all the wonderful deeds of ,rama and ,krishna1 knew them to be ,devas4 ,,the ,,rainy ,,season4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bj499 ,the rainy season followed summer4 ,there was joy and plenty4 7,for a graphic and highly poetical description of the rainy season please refer to the original4 ,the details of the description are somewhat important from the esoteric standpoint and the ,season itself is suggestive as to a new era in spiritual development47 ,,the ,,autumn4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bj499 ,the ,,autumn came and it was all calm1 clear and transparent4 ,the clouds disappeared4 ,the water became pure4 ,the wind became gentle4 ,with the advent of lotus-bearing ,autumn1 the waters regained their tranquillity1 even as distracted ,yogins the calm of their minds by fresh resort to ,yoga4 ,the ,autumn removed the clouds from the skies1 promiscuous living from the animals1 mud from the soil and dirt from the water -- even as ,bhakti in ,krishna does away with the impurities attaching to the four ,asramas4 ,the clouds gave up rainy moisture and looked beautifully white1 even like ,munis who give up all desires4 ,the hills sometimes gave pure water from their sides and sometimes not1 as wise men pour forth the nectar of their wisdom sometimes and not often4 ,the animals that frequent shallow water did not know that the water was subsiding1 as deluded men living in family circles do not realise the daily expiry of their lives4 ,and they suffered like sensuous men from the rays of the ,autumn sun4 ,day by day the soil gave up its muddiness as the wise give up their ,mine-ness and the creepers got over their immaturity as the wise get over their ,i-ness4 ,the ,sea became calm as a ,muni no longer distracted by ,vedic performances4 ,the farmers stored up waters in the paddy fields by making strong embankments1 even as ,yogins store up ,prana by withdrawing it from the ,indriyas4 ,the moon gave relief from the inflictions of sun-burning1 even as wisdom relieves the misery caused by connection with the body1 and as the sight of ,sri ,krishna removes all the sorrows of the ,gopis4 ,the clear skies gave a brilliant view of the stars1 as the mind purified by ,satva makes manifest the conclusions of the ,mimansa ,darsanas4 ,the full moon shone above with all the stars as ,sri ,krishna shone on earth with the circle of ,yadus4 ,,sri ,,krishna ,,and ,,the ,,gopis4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ba499 ,krishna roamed in the fresh forest with the cattle and his companions4 ,he played upon the flute and the ,gopis forgot themselves in hearing his music4 ,they saw before their mind's eye the dancing ,krishna filling the holes of the flute with nectar flowing from his lips1 the peacock feather on his head1 ,karnikara flower on his ears1 his cloth yellow like gold and the ,vaijayanti garland round his neck4 ,some exclaimed3 -- ,what better could the eyes feed upon than the lovely faces of ,rama and ,krishna1 with the flutes touching their lips and their smiling glances4 ,some said3 -- ,how beautiful they look with garlands of mango twigs1 peacock feather and blue lotus4 ,in the assembly of ,gopas1 they look like heroes on the theatrical stage4 ,others said3 -- ,what did that bamboo piece of a flute do that it should drink so hard the nectar flowing from ,krishna's lips1 the special possession of the ,gopis1 that nothing should remain but the taste thereof4 ,the water that nourished it is thrilling with joy and the plant of which it is a shoot is shedding joysome tears4 ,some said3 -- ,look1 ,o companions6 how lovely does ,vrindavana look from the touch of ,sri ,krishna's lotus feet6 ,look there1 the peacock madly dances to the tune of the flute and other animals stand dumb on the summit of the hills and witness the scene4 ,there is no spot on the earth like ,vrindavana4 ,others said3 -- ,how blessed are these female deer that ,in the company of their husbands hear the music of the flute and make an offering of their loving looks6 ,other ,gopis said3 -- ,so tempting is this form of ,krishna and so alluring is the music of his flute that even ,deva girls become lost to themselves4 ,look1 how the cows drink that music with ears erect4 ,and even the calves stand with their mothers' milk in their mouths1 eagerly listening to that sound4 ,those birds are no worse than ,rishis1 for they sit high on trees whence they can have a full view of ,krishna and with eyes closed they silently hear the sweet music of the flute4 ,even the rivers shew the love transformation of their hearts by their whirls and they stop their course to embrace the feet of ,krishna with their raised billows serving as hands and offering lotus flowers at those feet4 ,the clouds give shadow and they shed dewy flowers on ,krishna4 ,most fortunate is ,govardhana1 for ,krishna drives cattle on its sides and it makes its offerings of edibles and drink4 ,the ,gopis became full of ,krishna 7,tanmaya74 ,,the ,,stealing ,,of ,,clothes4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bb499 ,in the first month of the ,,dewy ,,season 7,agrahayana71 the girls of ,vrindavana worshipped ,katyayani 7a name of the ,goddess ,durga1 wife of ,siva74 ,the observances lasted for a month4 ,the girls prayed to ,katyayani that they might get ,krishna for their husband4 ,they bathed early in the morning every day in the river ,yamuna4 ,one day they left their clothes on the bank and went down into the river to bathe4 ,krishna took away their clothes4 ,he asked the girls to come up and take them4 ,they did so and the clothes were returned4 ,krishna then addressing the ,gopis said3 ,o virtuous girls1 ,i know your resolve4 ,it is to worship me4 ,i also approve of it and you must succeed4 ,the desires of those that are absorbed in me do not bear ,karmic fruits4 ,for fried or burnt paddy does not germinate4 ,go back to ,vraja4 ,your object in worshipping ,katyayani is gained4 ,these nights 7i4e4 on nights to come4 ,sridhara7 you shall enjoy with me4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,vedic ,,yajna 7,,summer ,,again47 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bc499 ,krishna went over to a distant forest driving cattle with his companions4 ,the summer sun was fierce and the trees gave shade4 ,look1 ,o companions said ,krishna1 how noble minded these trees are4 ,they live for others4 ,themselves they suffer from the winds1 the rains1 from the sun and frost but they protect us from these4 ,they do not send away one disappointed4 ,they offer their leaves1 their flowers1 their fruits1 their shade1 their roots1 their bark1 their fragrance1 their juice1 their ashes1 their fuel1 their buds1 and what not4 ,of all living beings1 such only justify their birth as do good to others by their lives1 their wealth1 their wisdom and their words4 7,this is introductory as an attack upon the selfish performances of ,vedic ,brahmanas4 ,sridhara47 ,the boys became hungry and they complained to ,rama and ,krishna4 ,krishna said3 -- ,the ,brahmanas are performing ,angirasa ,yajna4 ,take our names and ask them for food4 ,the boys did as they were told but the ,brahmanas heeded them not4 ,narrow were their desires which did not extend beyond ,svarga4 ,but for these1 they went through elaborate ,karma4 ,ignorant as they were1 they thought themselves to be wise4 ,yajna was all in all to them but they disregarded the ,lord of ,yajnas1 the direct manifestation of ,parama ,purusha4 ,they looked upon ,krishna as an ordinary man and as ,brahmanas they deemed themselves to be superior to ,him4 ,they said neither yea nor nay4 ,so the boys returned unsuccessful to ,krishna and ,rama4 ,krishna smiled and asked them to go to the wives of the ,brahmanas4 ,this they did4 ,the ,brahmana women had heard of ,krishna and they were eager to see him4 ,notwithstanding the protests of their husbands1 brothers1 sons and friends1 they hastened to ,krishna with dishes full of eatables of all sorts4 ,the ears had heard and the eyes now saw4 ,and it did not take the ,brahmana women long to embrace ,krishna and forget their grievances4 ,knowing that the women had given up all desires for the sake of seeing ,atma1 ,krishna said smilingly3 -- ,welcome ,o you noble-minded ones1 take your seats4 ,what can we do for you8 ,it is meet that you have come to see us4 ,i am ,atma and therefore the most beloved4 ,those that care for their ,atma or self bear unconditional and unremitting ,bhakti towards me4 ,the ,pranas1 ,buddhi1 ,manas1 the relatives1 the body1 wife1 children and riches all become dear for the sake of self or ,atma4 ,what can be therefore dearer1 than ,atma8 ,now that you have seen me1 go back to your husbands4 ,they have to perform the sacrifices with your help4 ,the ,brahmana women replied3 -- ,lord1 thou dost not deserve to speak so cruelly to us4 ,make good thy words 7',my ,bhakta does not meet with destruction' or ',he does not again return' ,sridhara47 ,we have taken the shelter of thy feet1 throwing over-board all friends1 that we may bear on our heads the ,tulasi thrown from ,thy feet4 ,our husbands1 parents1 sons1 brothers1 and friends will not take us back4 ,who else can8 ,grant us1 ,o conqueror of all enemies1 that we may have no other resort but ,thee4 7 ,we may not have such resorts as ,svarga c4 for which our husbands are striving4 ,we want to serve ,thee4 ,sridhara74 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,your husbands will not bear any grudge against you4 ,by my command all people1 even the ,devas 7in whose honor the sacrifices are made7 shall approve of your conduct4 ,direct contact is not necessary for love4 ,think of me with all your heart and you shall speedily obtain me4 ,the ,brahmana women returned to their husbands and they were received well4 ,the ,brahmanas repented4 ,but for fear of ,kansa1 they could not go to ,vrindavana4 ,they worshipped ,krishna at home4 ,,indra ,,and ,,the ,,raising ,,of ,,go-,,vardhana4 ,,the ,,installation4 7,,the ,,rainy ,,season ,,again47 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bd-bg499 ,there were great preparations for ,yajna in honor of ,indra4 ,what is this all about1 father8 asked ,krishna of ,nanda4 ,what is the outcome of this sacrifice8 ,in whose honor is it to be performed and how8 ,nanda replied -- ,child1 ,indra is the ,cloud-,god4 ,he will give us rains4 ,the rains give life to all beings4 ,therefore people worship ,indra by these sacrificial offerings4 ,the enjoyment of that only which remains after sacrifice conduces to ,dharma1 ,artha and ,kama4 ,krishna replied3 -- ,the birth and death of men are shaped by their own ,karma4 ,happiness1 misery1 fear1 well-being1 these are all the effects of ,karma4 ,if there be any god who dispenses the fruits of ,karma1 he must also follow that ,karma and not act independently of it4 ,when people are governed by their own ,karma1 where does ,indra come in8 ,he can not undo what follows from ,svabhava 7,svabhava is ,karmic tendency74 ,karma is the ,lord and ,karma is to be worshipped4 ,it is ,rajas that works the clouds4 ,what can ,indra do8 ,we do not live in towns or villages but we live in the forest4 ,therefore let us make ,yajna offerings to our cows1 our ,brahmanas and our hills4 ,the preparations that you have already made will serve the purpose4 ,nanda and other ,gopas approved of what ,krishna said4 ,they made offerings to the cows1 the ,brahmanas and the ,hill4 ,they went round the ,hill to shew respect4 ,krishna said ,i am the ,hill and assumed some form which created faith in the ,gopas4 ,he then partook himself of the offerings to the ,hill4 ,indra became highly incensed4 ,he sent forth his clouds and winds and there were rains and thunder-storms and hail-stones at ,vrindavana4 ,krishna carelessly lifted up the ,govardhana hill with one hand and the people of ,vrindavana with their cows took shelter in the cave4 ,for seven days it rained incessantly and for seven days ,krishna held the hill aloft without moving an inch4 ,baffled and surprised1 ,indra withdrew his clouds and winds4 ,the people of ,vrindavana went to their own places and ,krishna replaced the hill4 ,the ,gopas struck with wonder approached ,nanda4 ,they related all the previous deeds of ,krishna and then referring to the last incident said3 -- ,look here this boy only seven years old and there the holding aloft of this big hill4 ,we wonder whether your son may not be the ,atma of all beings4 ,nanda related to them what he had heard from ,garga and they all ceased to wonder4 ,indra and ,surabhi came down from the heavens4 ,indra fell at the feet of ,krishna and glorified ,him4 ,krishna said to him3 -- ,to favour you1 ,indra1 ,i caused a break in your ,yajna1 that1 maddened as you were by your position and powers1 you might not forget me4 ,it is only when one is blinded by powers1 that one does not see me sceptre in hand4 ,i take away the powers of him whom ,i want to favor4 ,therefore go now1 ,indra4 ,you are to keep to your own station and do your duties as enjoined by me void of all pride4 ,surabhi1 the divine mother of cows1 thanked ,krishna for the services done to her children4 ,she said3 -- ,o ,krishna1 ,o thou great ,yogin whose form is this ,universe and who art the root of this ,universe1 we have found our ,lord in ,thee4 ,thou art our ,supreme ,deva ,o ,lord of the ,universe1 thou shalt be our ,indra1 for the good of cows1 ,brahmanas and ,devas1 and of all that are good4 ,by the command of ,brahma1 we shall install thee as our ,indra4 ,so saying1 ,surabhi poured her milk over ,krishna's head and ,indra and other ,devas1 by the command of the ,deva mothers1 bathed ,him with the waters of the ,akasa ,ganga4 ,they all called him ,,govinda4 7,he who attains 7,vinda7 as ,indra the ,cows or ,svarga 7,go7 ,sridhara47 ,the ,rishis1 ,gandharvas1 ,vidyadharas1 ,siddhas and ,charanas all joined the ,inauguration ceremony4 ,the ,deva girls danced and sang4 ,the three ,lokas became full of joy4 ,the cows wet the earth with their milk4 ,the rivers bore streams of milk and other drinks4 ,the trees poured honey4 ,the cereals bore grains without culture4 ,the hills brought forth their precious stones4 ,even the wild animals became mild4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,varuna1 ,,krishna ,,and ,,the ,,gopas4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bh499 ,after observing the fast of the #aath ,day of the ,moon1 ,nanda went to bathe in the river ,yamuna1 on the twelfth day of the ,moon4 ,it was still dark4 ,so the ,asuras had possession of the hour4 ,an ,asura servant of ,varuna carried ,nanda to his master4 ,the ,gopas called out to ,rama and ,krishna4 ,krishna entered the water and went to ,varuna4 ,the ,lokapala worshipped him and gave back ,nanda1 excusing himself for the ignorance of his servant4 ,nanda on returning apprised the ,gopas of what he had seen4 ,could ,krishna be any other than ,ishvara8 ,the ,gopas wished ardently that ,he might take them over to ,his supreme abode4 ,the all-knowing ,krishna knew this4 ,he took the ,gopas to that portion of the ,yamuna called ,bramha ,hrada4 ,plunged in the waters1 they saw ,vaikuntha1 the supreme abode of ,krishna1 far away from the limits of ,prakriti4 ,,the ,,five ,,chapters ,,on ,,rasa 7,,autumn ,,again47 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #bi-cc499 ,suka said3 -- ,seeing those autumnal nights1 gay with ,mallika flowers1 ,bhagavan wished to enjoy ,himself by resort to ,yogamaya4 7,it looks odd that there should be a show of conquering the ,god of love by enjoyment of others' wives4 ,but it is really not so4 ,for you have ,by resort to ,yoga ,maya4 ,enjoyed though self enjoyer1 ,the subduer of the ,god of ,love ,himself1 ,with enjoyment all self contained1 and such like passages1 which show absolute self dependence4 ,therefore this show of ,rasa play is only meant to recite the conquest of ,kama ,deva4 ,this is the real truth4 ,moreover through this love topic1 the five chapters on ,rasa are calculated to bring about a complete disinclination to worldly matters4 ,sridhara74 7,those nights ,go back to ,vraja4 ,these nights you shall enjoy with me -- the nights promised by these words4 ,sridhara4'7 ,at that time the moon had appeared on the horizon4 ,as the lover reunited after long separation besmears the face of his beloved with orange coloured saffron1 so he besmeared the face of the east with the most delightful orange rays which brushed away the sorrows of men 7charshani74 ,krishna looked at the ,moon1 the lover of the ,kumud flower1 with unbroken disc1 glowing like the face of ,lakshmi1 orange red like fresh saffron1 and he looked at the forest illumined with the tender rays of the ,moon and he indulged in song so sweet that it ravished the hearts of good-looking women4 ,listening to that passion-exciting song1 the women of ,vraja1 with minds absorbed in ,krishna rushed forth to where their lover was without taking notice of each other1 their ear-rings moving violently about4 ,some left their houses while milking the cow4 ,some did not wait to see the boiling of the milk4 ,some did not take down boiled wheat from the oven4 ,some had been giving food to others1 some had been giving milk to their own children4 ,some had been serving their husbands and some had been taking their own food4 ,but they all left their work half finished4 ,they gave up their household duties and1 with clothes and ornaments all in disorder1 they hurriedly went to ,krishna1 7,hearing the voice indicative of ,sri ,krishna1 the ,gopis became strongly inclined to ,him1 and they showed by their acts that then and there they had complete disinclination for works that had the three ,vargas1 ,dharma1 ,artha and ,kama for their object4 ,they left their half finished work and went over to ,krishna straight4 ,sridhara47 ,their husbands could not keep them back nor their fathers1 brothers and friends4 ,their hearts had been completely charmed by ,govinda4 ,they did not turn back4 7,obstacles cannot overcome those whose hearts are attracted by ,krishna4 ,sridhara47 ,some ,gopis that had been inside their houses could not make their way out4 ,their thoughts had been already devoted to ,krishna1 and now with closed eyes1 they held ,him fast in their minds4 ,with sins all removed by the acute pain of unbearable separation from the dearest one1 the ,karmic effects of good works taken away by the absolute pleasure caused by the embraces of ,krishna in meditation1 with their bonds completely severed at that very moment1 those ,gopis gave up their bodies composed of the ,gunas1 even though they united with ,krishna as their paramour4 7,how could they give up their bodies composed of ,gunas while they did not know ,krishna as ,parama ,atma1 but knew him only as their paramour1 a relation caused by the ,gunas8 ,even though they c4 ,a thing is not dependent for its properties upon what another thinks of it4 ,drink nectar without knowing it is so4 ,the effects are there4 ,there is another difficulty4 ,the ,gopis had their ,prarabdha ,karma1 or ,karma that brought about the present birth and its surroundings1 and ,prarabdha is exhausted only after being worked out4 ,so with the bonds of ,prarabdha1 how could they give up their body8 ,with their bonds completely severed at that very time4 ,but ,prarabdha cannot be exhausted without suffering and enjoyment4 ,where were the suffering and enjoyment in this case8 ,with sins all removed c4 ,the greatest suffering caused by separation removed all demerits and the greatest enjoyment caused by the embraces of ,krishna removed the bonds of merits4 ,therefore when ,parama ,atma was attained by intense meditation1 the suffering and enjoyment of the time completely eradicated ,karma and the ,gopis gave up their bodies composed of the ,gunas4 ,sridhara47 ,asked ,raja ,parikshit3 -- ,o ,muni1 they knew ,krishna as only one enjoyable and not as ,brahma4 ,the ,gunas were mixed up in their understanding of ,krishna4 ,how could there then be a cessation of the flow of the ,gunas8 7,husbands1 sons and others1 even they themselves were ,brahma in essence4 ,but a devotion to them could not cause ,moksha as they were not known as ,brahma4 ,how could union with ,krishna cause ,moksha1 when he was not known as ,brahma8 ,therefore this doubt4 ,sridhara47 ,suka replied3 -- ,o ,king1 ,i have said before how ,sisupala attained ,siddhi even by bearing enmity to ,hrishikesha 7controller of the senses1 ,krishna47 ,what of those to whom ,krishna is dear8 7,the purport is that ,brahma-hood is eclipsed in the ,jiva4 ,but ,krishna is controller of the senses4 ,brahma-hood is manifest in him4 ,he does not require to be known4 ,sridhara74 ,bhagavan manifests himself for the ,moksha of men though in reality1 ,he is without end1 without measure1 void of all ,gunas and their controller4 7,krishna being a manifestation of ,bhagavan1 there is no comparison between ,him and other embodied men4 ,sridhara47 ,bear any feeling constantly towards ,hari1 whether it be a feeling of love1 anger1 fear1 affection1 kinship or devotion and you become full of ,him4 ,do not wonder at this4 ,for ,krishna is the ,lord of all ,lords of ,yoga4 ,all 7even the lowest life forms7 attain ,mukti from him4 ,when the women of ,vraja drew near1 ,krishna addressed them thus3 -- ',welcome1 ye great ones6 ,what good can ,i do for you8 ,is it all safe in ,vraja8 ,tell me the object of your coming here4 ,the night is fearful and dangerous animals are treading round4 ,go back to ,vraja4 ,this is not a place for women4 ,you have got your mothers1 fathers1 sons1 brothers1 and husbands4 ,they are seeking you4 ,do not cause pain to your friends4 ,what more1 you have now seen this forest adorned with flowers and illumined by the tender rays of the full moon1 where the trees and their tender branches1 gently moved by the breeze from the ,yamuna1 stand in all their beauty4 ,now go back1 ,o virtuous girls1 speedily to your homes and look after your husbands4 ,the calves and your children are weeping4 ,go and let them have their drink4 ,or if you have come here1 forced by your love for me1 it is only meet and proper1 for all people have their love for me4 ,devotion to husband is the one great religion for women4 ,they are to seek the well being of their friends and to bring up their children4 ,the husband may be wicked1 old1 diseased or poor4 ,but those who wish for higher ,lokas should not give up their husbands4 ,the connection with one not the husband is disreputable and unbecoming4 ,you may bear love to me in other ways than by such a near approach4 ,therefore go back to your houses4' ,the ,gopis were struck dumb for a time4 ,they became overcome with sorrow4 ,they had given up every thing for the sake of ,krishna and they could ill bear to hear these unkind words4 ,at last they broke forth3 -- ',o ,lord1 it is not for ,thee to utter these unkind words4 ,we have given up all objects and sought ,thy feet4 ,o ,thou difficult to be reached1 do not forsake us but please think of us1 even as the ,first ,purusha thinks of those that seek ,moksha4 ,thou speakest1 ,o love1 of our duties to husbands1 sons1 and friends as if thou wert a religious teacher1 but thou art thyself the goal of those religious injunctions4 ,so let them rest in thee4 ,thou art the greatest friend of all beings1 for thou art verily their own self4 ,what do they care for husbands or sons1 sources of misery as they are1 who are attached to thee1 the constant source of happiness8 ',therefore do thou show favor to us and permit us to serve ,thee4' ,moved by their piteous appeal1 ,krishna gave his company to the ,gopis4 ,proud of that company1 the ,gopis deemed themselves superior to all other women on the earth4 ,to put down this loss of mental balance1 caused by good fortune and this pride1 ,krishna suddenly disappeared from amongst them4 ,the ,gopis became disconsolate4 ,their hearts had been too much taken up by the gestures and movements of ,krishna4 ,so they imitated his deeds and even called themselves ,krishna4 ,they all sang loudly together and madly searched for ,krishna from forest to forest4 ,they asked the trees if they had seen their lover4 ,they enquired of the creepers1 the earth and the deer4 ,fatigued at last1 they again took to reproducing the deeds of ,krishna4 ,some played the part of ,putana or some other ,asura1 some played the part of ,krishna in connection with some of his manifold deeds4 ,they again made enquiries from the plants4 ,they then found out the footsteps of ,krishna marked by the divine symbols 7flag1 the lotus1 the thunder-bolt and the goad74 ,tracing those steps a little further1 they found they were mixed up with the footprints of a girl4 ,the ,gopis exclaimed3 -- ',surely this girl had made ,aradhana 7devout prayer for the ,lord74 ,govinda left us that he might take her to a secret retreat4 ,sacred are the dust particles of ,govinda's feet2 even ,brahma1 ,siva and ,lakshmi hold them on their head for the extinction of sins4 ,look here we no longer see the foot marks of that girl4 ,it seems ,krishna carried her here on his back and his footprints are therefore deeply marked4 ,here ,he placed her down to pluck flowers and touched the earth with his toes only1 for the steps are not fully marked4 ,surely he placed the girl on his lap here and adorned her hair with flowers4' ,and what of that girl8 ,she deemed herself very fortunate that ,krishna should shew particular attention to her4 ,with this sense of superiority she spoke to ,krishna4 ',i can not walk4 ,take me to where ,i like on thy back4' ,krishna said1 ',get up on my back4' ,but when she would do so1 ,krishna had already disappeared4 ,the girl was loudly lamenting1 when the other ,gopis joined her4 ,they heard her story and became very much surprised4 7,it is necessary to draw the special attention of the readers to the girl1 who had made ,aradhana of ,hari4 ,she is the ,radhika of ,narada ,pancharatra and of later day ,vaishnavism4 ,radhika means literally one who makes ,radhana or ,aradhana4 ,but ,i shall not touch upon her in a study of the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,the study of this ,purana is incomplete without a study of ,chaitanya's teachings4 ,and if ,i succeed in taking up those teachings1 ,i shall consider the lofty ideal of ,radhika74 ,the ,gopis all returned to the forest and searched for ,krishna as long as there was moonlight4 ,they gave up their search when it was dark4 ,with thoughts all directed to ,krishna1 with conversations all about ,him1 with gestures and movements all after ,him1 with songs all about ,his deeds1 the ,gopis1 all full of ,krishna1 they did not think of their homes4 ,they went to the banks of the ,yamuna1 and all sang in a chorus about ,krishna1 ardently praying for his return4 7,i shall not touch with my profane hand the songs of the ,gopis4 ,they are far too sacred for any rendering into ,english and they baffle any attempt to do so4 ,sweet as nectar1 the melody of those songs is inseparable from their very essence1 and he would be murdering ,bhagavata who would attempt to translate those songs4 ,for the continuity of our study it is only necessary to translate the fourth sloka47 ',thou art not surely the son of ,yasoda4 ,thou art the inmost seer of all things4 ,implored by ,brahma thou hast appeared1 ,o friend1 in the line of the ,satvats1 for the protection of the ,universe4' ,while the ,gopis were thus bewailing in melodious tunes1 ,krishna appeared with a smiling face4 ,they formed a circle round ,him and were so pleased to see ,him that they reached the very limit of their joy4 ,the ,gopis spread out their outer garments as a seat for ,sri ,krishna1 on the river bank4 ,when ,krishna sat down1 they addressed him thus3 -- ',some seek those only that seek them2 some do the contrary1 7i4e4 seek those even who do not seek them71 others seek neither those that seek them nor those that do not seek them4 ,please tell us1 what is all this4' ,said ,sri ,krishna3 -- ',those that seek each other are guided in their efforts by selfishness4 ,there is neither friendship nor virtue in that mutuality4 ,it is all for a selfish end4 7,even the beasts seek mutual good4 ,sridhara4 ,and do not the ,utilitarians and the evolutionists do so78 ,those that seek the unseeking are either kind-hearted men or they are guided by affection like the parents4 ,it is pure virtue in the former case and friendship in the latter4 ',those that do not seek the people that seek them and far less those that do not seek them fall under one of the following four classes3 -- '7#a7 ,those that seek pleasure in self 7and not in the outside world71 7#b7 those that are satiated1 7#c7 the ungrateful and 7#d7 the treacherous4 ,but ,i do not belong to any of these classes1 ,i do not seek those that seek me in order to make them seek me continually and constantly4 ,for when a poor man gains wealth and then loses it1 he becomes so full of that loss that no other thought can enter his mind 7i4e4 to help the continuity and constancy of the devotional feeling1 ,i do not show open favor to a devotee4 ,this is an act of supreme kindness and friendship74 ,you have given up for my sake all worldly concerns1 the ,vedas and even your own relations4 ,i seek you from behind1 being out of sight4 ,therefore you ought rightly to be angry with me4 ,even with the life of a ,god1 ,i cannot make any return for your devotion to me1 for you have burst asunder the ever fresh chains of home life1 in order to seek me4 ,so let your own goodness be the only recompense for your devotion4' ,,the ,,rasa4 ,govinda commenced ,rasa with his devoted band4 7,rasa is a kind of dance in which many dancing girls take part47 ,the ,gopis formed a circle1 and ,krishna1 the ,lord of ,yoga1 was between every two of them and he pressed them all unto his shoulders1 and each of them thought that ,krishna was near to her4 7,how could one ,krishna stand between every two of them and how could each ,gopi think that he was near to her only1 when he was near to them all8 ,therefore the ,lord of ,yoga i4e4 of unimaginable powers4 ,sridhara47 ,the sky became filled with hundreds of chariots of ,devas and ,deva girls1 eager to witness the scene4 ,drums beat and flowers rained4 ,the ,gandharva kings with their wives sang the pure glory of ,krishna4 ,loud was the clash of the ,gopis' ornaments4 ,they danced and sang in great excitement4 ,the moon lingered on with amazed look and the night became prolonged4 ,so the dance continued till at last the ,gopis became fatigued4 ,krishna wiped off their sweat and went with them to bathe in the ,yamuna4 ,after the bath they most reluctantly took leave of ,krishna4 ,in these enjoyments ,krishna was self-contained4 ,asked ,raja ,parikshit3 -- ,the ,incarnation of ,isvara is for the spread of ,dharma and the putting down of ,adharma4 ,what is this enjoyment of others' wives1 contrary to all injunctions and hateful in itself1 by one who is at once the originator and preserver of all ,dharma8 ,suka said3 -- ,even the great are seen to violate what we call ,dharma and the gods become over bold4 ,but this does not bespeak any evil of them1 as they have got superior force1 even as fire eats everything but is ever pure4 ,but he who is not capable 7i4e4 who is a slave to his body and its attributes7 is not to perform such acts even in mind4 ,if he does such acts through ignorance1 he is sure to be ruined4 ,it is only ,siva that could drink the poison that appeared from the ocean of milk4 ,the words of the ,lords 7,isvara7 are true4 ,their deeds are only sometimes true1 7i4e4 their exceptional life1 which is governed by extraordinary consideration and unusual conditions1 is not meant always as an example for ordinary beings4 ,but what they say is always for the good of the universe and is to be followed as a teaching4 ,what is given as their life is also sometimes allegorical and has to be understood in another sense74 ,the wise man therefore follows such of their deeds as are consistent with the other words of the great ones4 ,they have nothing to gain or lose by good or bad deeds4 ,for they have no ,egoism in them4 ,what is good and what is bad to him who is the ,lord of all beings8 ,by devotion to ,his feet and by power of ,yoga1 even ,munis are freed from the bonds of good and evil4 ,the ,lord did only assume a body at will4 ,whence could there be any bondage in ,his case8 7,and was there really an enjoyment of others' wives8 ,no for ,he dwells in all beings1 even the ,gopis and their husbands4 ,he is the manifestor of all the senses4 ,the assumption of the body is only a playful fancy4 ,it is for the good of all beings that ,he became a man4 ,his indulgences are such as are likely to make one devoted to ,him1 when heard of4 ,even the minds of those that are very much turned away from ,isvara are attracted towards ,isvara1 by means of ,sringara ,rasa or love topics4 ,hence the love matter of ,sri ,krishna4 ,this is the purport4 ,sridhara7 ,the people of ,vraja1 deluded by the ,maya of ,krishna1 thought that their wives were by their side4 ,they bore no ill-feeling towards ,krishna4 7,it follows that those who perform such acts without such powers are sinners4 ,sridhara47 ,when it was ,brahma ,muhurta1 7the part of the night immediately preceding the dawn71 the ,gopis1 with the permission of ,sri ,krishna1 reluctantly left ,him and went home4 ,he who hears or recites this play of ,vishnu with the women of ,vraja acquires supreme devotion to ,bhagavat and shakes off in no time that disease of the heart called ,kama or passion for women4 ,,sudarsana4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #cd499 7,the ,rasa is a teaching about conquering ,kama by treating of indulgence in ,kama itself4 ,similarly this chapter treats of the conquest of ,vidyadhara4 ,sridhara47 ,on the occasion of a sacred festival the ,gopas went to the banks of the ,sarasvati4 7,students will mark the significance of the ,sarasvati1 which corresponds to ,sushumna in the human system at this stage of spiritual development74 ,they adored ,pasupati 7,siva7 and ,ambika 7,durga74 ,they passed the night on the river bank4 ,a huge serpent swallowed ,nanda4 ,the ,gopas burnt the animal but it would not let go its hold2 ,krishna then touched it with his feet and out came a ,vidyadhara from the serpent body4 ,this ,vidyadhara1 by name ,sudarsana1 had been cursed by ,rishi ,angiras for having slighted him and became a serpent4 ,,sankha ,,chuda4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #cd499 ,one day ,rama and ,krishna came to the forest to have company with the ,gopis4 ,it was the first part of the night4 ,they played upon the flute and the ,gopis listened to the music with rapt attention4 ,at this time ,sankha ,chuda1 the well-known attendant of ,kuvera1 drove the ,gopis away northward4 ,the girls wept and called out to ,krishna and ,rama for help4 ,they ran after the ,yaksha who in terror left the ,gopis and fled away4 ,rama remained in charge of the ,gopa girls4 ,krishna overtook ,sankha ,chuda and severed his head with its jewel and presented the crest jewel to ,balarama4 ,,the ,,separation ,,song ,,of ,,the ,,gopis4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ce499 ,at night the ,gopis enjoyed the company of ,krishna4 ,but the day was their time of separation and1 when ,krishna went to the forest1 they passed the time any how in singing about him4 ,for the separation song1 please refer to the original4 ,,arishta4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #cf499 ,arishta1 an ,asura in the form of a bull1 attacked the quarters of the cows4 ,the cows fled away and the ,gopas cried out ,krishna1 ,o ,krishna save us1 ,krishna killed the ,asura4 ,,narada ,,and ,,kansa4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #cf499 ,narada told ,kansa3 -- ,the female child was the daughter of ,yasoda2 ,krishna and ,rama are sons of ,devaki4 ,vasudeva kept them with his friend ,nanda out of fear4 ,those two brothers have killed your spies4 ,in rage the king of ,bhoja took his sword to kill ,vasudeva4 ,narada prevented him4 ,but the ,king put ,yasudeva and his wife in iron fetters4 ,he then ordered ,kesi to kill ,rama and ,krishna4 ,he called his ministers together in council4 ,addressing ,chanur and ,mushtika he said3 -- ,rama and ,krishna are to kill us4 ,so ,narada told me4 ,those two ,asuras came ready for ,vraja4 ,but ,kansa said3 ,no1 you need not go4 ,i shall send for the two brothers and kill them in a wrestling match4 ,so prepare the playground4 ,place the elephant ,kubalayapida at the entrance and let him kill my enemies4 ,on the fourteenth day of the ,moon1 let us commence ,dhanus ,yajna1 and let animals be killed in honor of ,siva4 ,kansa then sent for ,akrura1 one of the chiefs of the ,yadu clan4 ,akrura1 said he1 ,thou art my friend and do the work of a friend4 ,please go to ,vraja4 ,take this chariot and bring the two sons of ,vasudeva4 ,tell them1 they are to see the ,dhanus ,yajna and have a sight of the town4 ,let ,nanda and other ,gopas come with presents4 ,the elephant shall kill the two boys4 ,or if perchance they escape1 the wrestlers shall do away with them4 ,i will then make easy work of ,vasudeva1 my old father ,ugrasena1 his brother ,devaka1 the ,vrishnis1 the ,bhojas and the ,dasarhas4 ,then1 ,o friend1 the earth will be left without a thorn4 ,jarasandha is my guide4 ,dvivid is my friend4 ,samvara1 ,naraka1 and ,vana have made alliance with me4 ,with the help of these1 ,i shall kill all kings that are on the side of the ,devas4 ,know this to be my plan4 ,akrura said3 -- ,the design is all right4 ,but it may or may not succeed4 ,even lofty desires are frustrated by unforeseen obstacles4 ,still man entertains them1 to meet with either joy or sorrow4 ,but ,i will do thy behests4 ,the council broke up4 ,,kesi4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #cg499 ,in the meantime1 ,kesi1 under the orders of ,kansa1 entered ,vraja1 in the form of a fiery steed1 ,krishna held him aloft by the feet and threw him away4 ,the ,asura regained consciousness and again ran after ,krishna4 ,he thrust his hand inside the mouth of the ,asura and killed him at once4 ,the ,devas rained flowers over him and prayed4 ,rishi ,narada also appeared and adored him1 making reference to his future deeds4 ,,vyoma4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #cg499 ,the ,gopas were grazing cattle on the flat summit of a hill4 ,some played the part of thieves1 some1 that of cattle keepers and some the part of sheep4 ,the ,asura ,vyoma1 7the word meaning ,akasa71 son of ,maya1 assumed the form of a ,gopa1 and playing the part of a thief carried away many ,gopas1 who became sheep and he confined them in a hill cave closed by stones4 ,in the playground only four or five ,gopas remained4 ,krishna found out the mischief1 attacked the ,asura and killed him4 ,,akrura4 ,akrura was mightily pleased that he would see the lotus feet of ,rama and ,krishna4 ,his devotion to ,krishna knew no bounds and he knew full well that1 whatever his mission might be1 the ,lord would find out his inward devotion4 ,at sunset he reached ,gokula and1 on seeing ,rama and ,krishna1 fell down at their feet4 ,they duly honored him4 ,nanda also shewed every respect to ,akrura4 ,at night ,akrura made a clean breast of everything to ,rama and ,krishna1 telling how ,kansa oppressed the ,yadus1 how ,narada informed him of their presence in ,vraja and who they were1 how he planned their death1 and the mission on which he sent him4 ,rama and ,krishna only laughed4 ,the next morning they informed ,nanda about the command of the king4 ,nanda asked the ,gopas to prepare themselves with presents4 ,and the ,gopa girls8 ,who could measure the depth of their sorrow8 ,their plaintive strains were most heart-rending4 ,they wept ,they followed the chariot carrying ,rama and ,krishna4 ,krishna to console them sent word that he would come back4 ,at last the chariot became invisible and the ,gopis went back to their homes4 ,on reaching the banks of the ,yamuna the brothers took their bath in the river and refreshed themselves with its water4 ,they took their seat again in the chariot4 ,akrura asked their permission and went to bathe4 ,he plunged himself in the waters and duly performed the ablution ceremonies4 ,he made a japa 7repeated recital7 of ,veda ,mantras4 ,but lo6 he found before him ,rama and ,krishna4 ,they were in the chariot4 ,how could they appear then8 ,he rose and saw the boys were really seated in the chariot4 ,he plunged himself once more and saw in the waters the serpent king ,ananta1 with a thousand heads and a thousand crowns1 dressed in blue clothes1 white in body1 adored by ,siddhas1 ,charanas1 ,gandhavas1 and ,asuras4 ,embraced by him was the dark ,purusha1 dressed in yellow clothes1 with four hands1 adored by the ,rishis4 ,akrura made salutations and adored the ,purusha with folded hands4 ,krishna then withdrew his form1 as a play is withdrawn from the stage4 ,akrura got up and took his seat in the chariot4 ,krishna said3 -- ,akrura1 you look as if you have seen something unusual4 ,akrura replied3 -- ,what is there in the universe that is not in thee4 ,when ,i have seen thee1 ,i have seen everything4 ,they drove on again and at last reached ,mathura4 ,,mathura4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #da-db499 ,akrura asked ,krishna and all the ,gopas to come to his house4 ,but ,krishna would first kill ,kansa before doing him this favor4 ,so ,akrura sorrowfully left him and informed ,kansa about the performance of his mission4 ,krishna with ,balarama and the ,gopas went out to see the town4 ,the house tops became crowded with females who wanted to have a look at ,krishna1 whose fame had already preceded him4 ,a washerman passed that way4 ,krishna begged him to give him some choice clothes4 ,but he was the washerman of ,kansa and he arrogantly refused to give any of the ,king's clothes4 ,krishna in anger cut off his head4 ,the attendants left the clothes and fled away4 ,rama and ,krishna took as many as they liked and gave the rest to the ,gopas4 ,a weaver came forward of his own accord and gladly dressed the brothers with choice clothes4 ,krishna rewarded him with great powers and provided for him ,sarupya 7a kind of ,mukti7 after death4 ,then the brothers went to the house of a garland-maker named ,sudama4 ,sudama fell down at their feet and adorned them and the ,gopas with the best garlands4 ,the garland-maker prayed for constant devotion1 for friendship with the devotees and for love of all beings4 ,krishna gave him these boons as well as many other blessings4 ,a young girl went that way with fragrant paste in her hand4 ,though young and beautiful1 she was hunch-backed4 ,krishna said smilingly3 -- ,fine girl that thou art1 tell me truly what this scented thing is for4 ,anoint us with this1 and good shall be your lot4 ,the girl said3 -- ,my name is ,trivakra 7with three bends74 ,i am a servant of ,kansa4 ,he likes my paste very much4 ,who but you can deserve to have it8 ,the girl then anointed the brothers1 with zeal and love4 ,krishna pressed her feet with the tips of his own feet and held up her chin with two fingers and with a little effort made her erect4 ,the hunch on her back was gone and she became a beauty4 ,she invited ,krishna to her own house4 ,krishna knew her object and said ,let me first do my work and then ,i shall visit your house4 ,he then passed through the traders' quarters4 ,they made various presents4 ,krishna then enquired where the ,yajna ,dhanus 7the bow to be used in the performance of the ,yajna7 was4 ,though warned by the citizens1 he entered the place and easily broke the bow asunder4 ,there was great noise4 ,the warders ran to kill him4 ,he killed the guardsmen with the two parts of the bow4 ,it was then sun-set4 ,the boys returned with the ,gopas to their quarters4 ,kansa heard of the valour of the boys and passed the night in evil dreams4 ,when the day broke1 he made preparations for the wrestling match4 ,,the ,,wrestling4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #dc-dd499 ,kansa took his seat on a raised platform with his ministers4 ,there was beating of drums4 ,the athletes appeared on the scene1 headed by ,chanur1 ,mushtika1 ,kuta1 ,sala and ,tosala4 ,nanda and other ,gopas made their presents and were shown over to another platform4 ,hearing the noise1 ,rama and ,krishna also came to see the match4 ,at the entrance they were obstructed by the elephant ,kubalayapida4 ,krishna asked the driver to remove the elephant1 but he only set it upon him4 ,there was a fight and ,krishna at last succeeded in felling the elephant to the ground4 ,he then plucked out its teeth and with their help1 he killed both the animal and its driver4 ,blood-stained1 the two brothers entered the wrestling ground with the ivory teeth in their hands4 ,all were struck by their appearance4 ,the account of the elephant's death struck terror into ,kansa's heart4 ,he began to tremble4 ,the people of ,mathura were attracted by the divine form of the brothers and they began to talk about their deeds4 ,chanura addressing the brothers said3 -- ,you are known as good wrestlers4 ,the ,king has therefore invited you to this match4 ,come and do the pleasure of the ,king1 for the ,king is the embodiment of all ,devas4 ,krishna said3 -- ,we dwell in the forest4 ,but still we are subjects of the ,king of ,bhoja4 ,that we are ordered to please the ,king is a great favor to us4 ,but we are boys4 ,we shall play with those of equal might4 ,there will then be a fair match and there will be no injustice attaching to those present here4 ,chanura replied3 -- ,you are neither a boy nor a youth below fifteen1 ,krishna4 ,nor is ,balarama so4 ,you killed that elephant with the might of a thousand elephants as it were in sport4 ,it is meet therefore you shall fight with the powerful4 ,there is no injustice in this4 ,you measure your strength with me and let ,balarama do so with ,mushtika4 ,so it was4 ,the fight was a drawn one4 ,at last the brothers killed their rivals4 ,kuta then confronted ,balarama1 who killed him with his fist4 ,sola and ,tosala also fell dead before ,krishna4 ,the other wrestlers fled for their lives4 ,rama and ,krishna then called their ,gopa companions and began to dance together on the wrestling ground4 ,well done1 ,well done1 cried all1 except ,kansa4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,kansa4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #dd499 ,kansa stopped the music4 ,he exclaimed4 ,let these two unruly sons of ,vasudeva be driven out from the town4 ,take away the wealth of the ,gopas4 ,confine this wicked ,nanda4 ,kill that vile ,vasudeva4 ,my father ,ugrasena is partial to my enemies4 ,kill him with all his attendants4 ,while ,kansa was thus bragging ,krishna got angry and with one jump1 he got upon the platform4 ,kansa stood up with his sword and shield4 ,krishna held him by his hair and threw him down from the platform4 ,he then jumped over ,kansa and his life departed4 ,he then dragged the dead body of ,kansa in the presence of all4 ,kansa through fear and anxiety had always thought of ,krishna and now being killed by his hands1 he attained the ,rupa of ,krishna4 ,the eight brothers of ,kansa attacked ,krishna but they were put to death by ,balarama4 ,there was great rejoicing amongst the ,devas4 ,the wives of ,kansa loudly lamented the death of their husband4 ,bhagavan consoled them4 ,he then liberated his father and mother and touched their feet4 ,he then took leave of ,nanda and the ,gopas1 promising a speedy return to them4 ,,the ,,thread ,,ceremony ,,and ,,brahmacharya4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #de499 ,krishna placed ,ugrasena on the throne4 ,the ,yadus1 ,vrishnis1 ,andhakas1 ,madhus1 ,dasarhas and ,kukkuras1 who had left ,mathura for fear of ,kansa1 now returned to that town4 ,vasudeva called the ,purohita 7family priest7 ,garga and performed the ,upanayana ceremony 7investiture of the sacred thread7 of his sons4 ,they then became twice-born4 7,dvija-,brahmanas1 ,kshatriyas and ,vaisyas are the twice-born classes4 ,krishna was a ,kshatriya by birth74 ,after ,upanayana1 one has to practise ,brahmacharya i4e4 he has to reside at the house of his ,guru1 learn the ,vedas from him and practise asceticism at the same time4 ,according to practice1 ,rama and ,krishna went to reside at the house of ,rishi ,sandipani of ,avanti of the line of ,kasyapa4 ,the brothers learned the ,vedas1 the ,vedangas and all the branches of learning in sixty four days4 ,then they requested their ,guru to name his ,dakshina4 7,when a disciple leaves his ,guru after the completion of study1 he has to give some ,dakshina or present according to his power to the ,guru74 ,sandipani in consultation with his wife asked for the restoration to life of his son1 who had been drowned in the sea at ,prabhasa ,kshetra4 ,all right1 said the brothers4 ,they took their chariot and went to the sea-side4 ,the sea brought presents4 ,but ,krishna asked for the restoration of his ,guru's son4 ,the sea replied3 -- ,i did not carry him off1 but one ,asura named ,panchajana1 who lives in my waters in the form of a conch4 ,krishna entered the waters and killed ,panchajana4 ,but he did not find the boy within the ,asura's body4 ,me took the conch and came back4 ,he then went with ,balarama to the seat of ,yama called ,sanyamani and blew the conch4 ,yama adored the brothers and wanted to know their behests4 ,bhagavan said3 -- ,my ,guru's son has certainly been brought here by his own ,karma4 ,but hear my command and bring him to me4 ,so be it said ,yama1 and brought back the ,guru's son4 ,the brothers took him to their father and said3 ,what more do you ask1 ,o ,guru8 ,the ,guru said3 -- ,i have nothing more to ask4 ,now you may go home4 ,,uddhava ,,and ,,vraja4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #df499 ,uddhava was the chief counsellor of the ,vrishnis1 the dear friend of ,krishna and the direct disciple of ,brihaspati4 ,he was second to none in wisdom4 ,his dress and decorations were those of ,krishna4 ,krishna called his friend aside and said3 -- ,go1 ,uddhava1 to ,vraja4 ,bear my love to ,nanda and ,yasoda1 ,give my message to the ,gopis1 which will be a relief to them in their distress4 ,their desires are all centred in me4 ,i am their life4 ,they have given up all worldly connections for my sake4 ,i am their dearest and nearest friend4 ,i protect those that give up worldly duties for my sake4 ,so painful is my separation to the ,gopis that they are beside themselves4 ,any how they live and that with difficulty1 only because ,i sent word of my speedy return4 ,gladly ,uddhava accepted the mission4 ,he went to ,vraja and stayed there for a few months1 consoling the ,gopas and ,gopis4 ,to ,nanda and ,yasoda he said3 -- ,rama and ,krishna are the efficient and the material cause of the ,universe -- ,purusha and ,pradhana4 ,they pervade all beings and guide the workings of individual natures4 ,krishna would fulfil the promise he made to you on the wrestling ground and come back to ,vraja ere long4 ,do not grieve ,o great ones4 ,you shall see ,krishna by your side3 ,he is within the heart of all beings1 as fire is inside all fuel1 ,to him nothing is agreeable or disagreeable1 nothing high or low4 ,he has no father1 no wife1 no sons1 no one near or distant1 no body1 no birth1 no ,karma4 ,for the protection of ,sadhus he manifests himself in different births at his own pleasure4 ,though void of all ,gunas1 he seeks them at pleasure for the purpose of creation4 ,as a stationary body appears to be moving1 so ,atma appears to be working1 though ,chitta is the worker4 ,krishna is not your son only4 ,but he is of all the sons1 the self1 father1 mother and ,isvara4 ,nothing exists in reality but ,krishna4 ,excited were the effusions of the ,gopis1 on seeing ,uddhava4 7,they may be interesting to the general reader but to the student the message delivered by ,uddhava is the only necessary portion at this stage of the story4 ,the reader is therefore referred to other translations for those highly poetical effusions47 ,uddhava informed the ,gopis that he was the secret messenger of ,krishna4 ,he then delivered the following message from ,bhagavan3 -- ,you have no separation from me1 for ,i am all-pervading4 ,as the five elements earth1 water1 air1 fire and ether enter into the composition of all beings1 so ,i underlie ,manas1 ,prana1 the ,bhutas and the ,indriyas1 as also the ,gunas themselves4 ,i create1 preserve and destroy self in self by self4 ,by my ,maya1 ,i become the ,bhutas1 the ,indriyas and the ,gunas4 ,but ,atma is pure1 it is all consciousness 7,jnana71 separate1 unconnected with the ,gunas4 ,it is only by the mental states of wakefulness1 dream and dreamless sleep that egoistic perceptions are caused in ,atma4 7,the objects of perception in one state appear to be unreal in another state47 ,the objects of dream perception appear to be unreal to the awakened man4 ,the mind 7being the common factor in all the three states7 perceives these 7unreal7 objects of the senses and it underlies the senses themselves4 ,sleeplessly therefore control the mind4 ,this is the final reach of the ,vedas1 of ,yoga1 and of ,sankhya1 of relinquishment1 of ,tapas1 of the control of senses1 and of ,truth itself4 ,this is the ocean into which all rivers fall4 ,that ,i1 though pleasing to your eyes1 remain away from you is because ,i want you constantly to meditate on me1 for such meditation will attract your mind more towards me4 ,the mind of women does not dwell so much upon the lover1 near at hand1 dearest though he be1 as it dwells upon a distant lover1 being full of him4 ,by devoting your whole mind to me1 free from all other thoughts1 and by constantly meditating on me you shall forthwith attain me4 ,even those girls that remained at ,vraja and could not join the ,rasa attained me by meditating on ,my powers4 ,the words of ,uddhava only reminded the ,gopis of the doings of ,krishna4 ,they loudly took his name4 ,they were full of ,krishna and would not forget him4 ,but they knew from ,his message that ,he was ,atma and their pain of separation was gone4 ,uddhava remained for several days at ,vraja1 reminding all of ,sri ,krishna4 ,when he left ,vraja he wished that he could be one of the creepers or herbs in ,vrindavana1 that had been rendered sacred by the dust of the ,gopis' feet4 7,with that wish let us take leave of the ,vrindavana ,lila of ,bhagavan ,sri ,krishna47 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,vrindavana ,,lila4 ,before making any remarks of my own1 it will be necessary to draw upon the ,upanishads4 ,gopala ,tapani is one of the chief ,upanishads dealing with ,krishna4 ,the work is divided into two parts4 ,the first part gives one yantra for the ,upasana of ,krishna4 ,the second part gives a narration4 ,the women of ,vraja asked ,krishna to name some ,brahmana to whom they could make offerings of food4 ,krishna named ,durvasas4 ,but how can we approach him without crossing the ,yamuna8 asked the ,gopis4 ,take my name1 that of ,krishna1 a ,brahmacharin1 and the ,yamuna shall give you way ,so it was4 ,the ,gopis crossed the ,yamuna and went to the ,asrama of ,durvasas1 the incarnation of ,rudra4 ,they offered the sweet things to the ,rishi and when he partook of these1 he permitted the ,gopis to retire4 ,but how can we cross the ,yamuna8 ,the ,rishi replied3 -- ,remember me1 the eater of ,durva 7a kind of grass7 and the river shall give way4 ,krishna a ,brahmacharin6 ,and thou an eater of ,durva only8 ,how can that be8 asked the chief ,gopi and she asked a number of other questions4 7,according to the common exoteric notion ,sri ,krishna is the lord of many women and ,durvasas is a voracious ,rishi4 ,this is the cause of the wonder47 ,durvasas first explained that ,krishna was the all-pervading ,purusha1 underlying all4 ,then further on1 there are seven ,sakamya ,puris or places1 on the top of ,meru1 as well as seven nishkamya ,puris4 7,the commentator ,visvesvara explains ,sakamya1 as regions where desires fructify4 ,as on the ,meru there are seven such ,puris1 so there are seven ,nishkamya or ,moksha-producing ,puri's74 ,on the earth1 these1 are seven ,sakamya ,puris 7,ayodhya1 ,mathura and others47 ,of these ,gopala ,puri 7,mathura7 is the direct abode of ,brahma4 ,as the lotus floats on the lake1 ,mathura rears itself up on the earth1 protected by ,chakra1 the disc of ,vishnu4 ,hence it is called ,gopala ,puri4 ,this ,puri is surrounded by twelve forests3 -- ,brihat ,vana 7from ,brihat or great1 large74 ,madhu ,vana 7,from ,madhu1 a daitya74 ,tala ,vana 7,tala or palm tree74 ,bahula ,vana 7,from ,bahula1 a kind of tree74 ,kumud ,vana 7,from ,kumud1 flower74 ,khadira ,vana 7,from ,khadira or the catechu plant74 ,bhadra ,vana 7,from ,bhadra1 a kind of tree74 ,bhandira ,vana 7,from ,bhandira1 the name of a religious fig tree74 ,sri ,vana 7,from ,sri or ,lakshmi74 ,loha-vana 7from ,loha1 the name of an ,asura47 ,and ,vrindavana 7from ,vrinda or ,tulasi plant47 ,these twelve forests are presided over by the #ab ,adityas1 #aa ,rudras1 eight ,vasus1 seven ,rishis1 ,brahma1 ,narada1 the five ,vinayakas 7,moda1 ,pramoda1 ,amoda1 ,sumukha and ,durmukha71 ,viresvara1 ,rudresvara1 ,visvesvara1 ,gopalesvara1 ,bhadresvara1 and #bd other ,siva ,lingas4 ,there are two chief forests1 ,krishnavana and ,bhadra vana4 ,the #ab forests are included in these4 ,they are all sacred1 some of them most sacred4 ,there are four forms of ,vishnu 7,murtis7 in these forests1 ,rama 7,sankarshana71 ,pradyumna1 ,aniruddha and ,krishna 7,vasudeva74 ,there are twelve other ,murtis in ,mathura3 ,roudri adored by the ,rudras4 ,brahmi1 by ,brahma4 ,devi1 by the sons of ,brahma4 ,manavi1 by the ,maruts4 ,vighna nasini1 by the ,yinayakas4 ,kamya1 by the ,vasus4 ,arshi1 by the ,rishis4 ,gandharvi1 by the ,gandharvas4 ,go1 by the ,apsarasas4 ,antardhanastha remains hidden4 ,svapadangata is at the supreme abode of ,vishnu4 ,bhumisitha remains on the earth 7,bhumi74 ,those who worship ,bhumistha know no death1 they become liberated4 ,gopa is ,jiva 7,ego74 ,gopala ,gopa 7,jiva7 ala 7acceptor74 ,gopala is he who accepts the ,jivas as his own4 ,he who realises ,i am ,gopala attains ,moksha4 ,gopala always remains at ,mathura4 ,mathura is the place for devotion4 ,the ,lotus of the heart is ,mathura with its eight petals4 ,the two feet of ,narayana are there marked with the divine ,symbols 7flag1 umbrella c474 ,the object of meditation there is either ,krishna1 with ,srivatsa1 with ,kaustubha1 with four hands1 bearing ,sankha1 ,chakra1 ,padma1 and ,gada1 with arms adorned by ,keyura1 with the neck adorned by a garland1 with a crown on the head and with ,makara-shaped ,kundalas on the ears2 or it is ,krishna with1 two hands1 bearing a flute and horn4 ,mathura is from ,math1 to put down1 because materiality is put down there by divine wisdom4 ,the eight ,dikpalas 7,indra1 ,agni1 ,vayu1 ,varuna and others7 preside over the eight petals of the ,lotus in the heart4 ,the flags have the glow of the ,sun and the ,moon4 ,the umbrella is ,brahma ,loka4 ,the two feet are above and below4 ,kaustubha is that light which overpowers all other lights viz41 ,surya1 ,agni1 ,vak and ,chandra4 ,the four hands are ,satva1 ,rajas1 ,tamas and ,ahankara4 ,sankha1 consisting of the five ,bhutas1 is held by the hand representing ,rajas4 ,chakra1 consisting of ,manas1 is held by the hand representing ,satva4 ,padma is the universe1 the primal ,maya4 ,it is held by the hand1 representing ,tamas4 ,gada is primal ,vidya or wisdom4 ,it is held by the hand1 representing ,ahankara4 ,garland round the neck consists of the ,manasa ,putras of ,brahma4 ,the crown is ,sat1 absolute existence4 ,the different life forms and the underlying ,jiva are the two ,kundalas on the ear4 ,then we come to ,,mantra ,,bhagavata or ,bhagavata written in ,vedic ,mantras1 a stiff work not quite intelligible without the excellent gloss of ,nilkantha 7published at the ,venkatesvara ,press1 ,bombay74 ,this work is said to have been found out by ,nilkantha4 ,it is divided into four parts -- ,gokula ,kanda1 ,vrindavana ,kanda1 ,akrura ,kanda and ,mathura ,kanda4 ,the chief events of ,krishna's divine life 7,lila7 are narrated in this book1 but in the order of narration41 it follows ,hari ,vansa more than the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,i refer only to those portions of the book1 which to me appear important4 ,we take the following from the ,gokula ,kanda4 ,the ,gopas are re-incarnations of ,devas4 ,they are the messengers of ,krishna4 ,they are fond of ,gavya or the products of ,cows4 ,the relation between ,krishna and the ,gopas is that between an object and its image4 ,krishna drove the cattle of ,nanda1 just as he drove the horses of ,arjuna1 the object of doing so being in both the cases the destruction of all the enemies 7,,iii74 ,in commenting on the #eth ,sloka1 ,nilkantha calls ,krishna the white ray of the ,sun1 which becomes the blue ray1 which is in reality the ray of ,sat1 ,chit and ,ananda4 ,he refers in this connection to the word ,bharga 7ray7 in the ,gayatri4 ,krishna is the heart of the ,sun4 ,the sixth sloka explains this3 -- ,it is ,krishna who causes bliss4 ,the ,sun ,god 7,savitri71 being guided by ,krishna1 goes his way on the golden chariot 7,,vi74 ,in the #aath sloka1 ,krishna is called the ,black ray4 ,mother ,aditi 7,earth7 asked her son ,indra for relief 7,,vii74 ,at the request of ,indra1 ,vishnu entered the womb of ,devaki4 ,he first ensouled seven ,ardha-,garbhas4 7,ardha is half and ,garbha is a foetal child4 ,the six sons of ,kala-nemi -- the name of a demon1 literally1 the rim of the wheel of time1 known as ,shat ,garbhas1 pleased ,brahma by worship and became immortal4 ,they were the grandsons of ,hiranyakasipu4 ,he cursed them saying3 -- ,i am your own grandfather4 ,but you disregard me for the sake of the ,divine ,grandfather ,brahma4 ,hence you shall be killed by the hands of your own father4 ,they remained in their ,linga ,sarira in ,patala4 ,they incarnated as the first six sons of ,vasudeva and were killed by ,kansa1 the incarnation of ,kala-nemi4 ,this is related in ,harivansa4 ,therefore they are called ,ardha ,garbhas4 ,the seventh ,balarama is also called ,ardha-,garbha1 as he was drawn away from ,devakl to ,rohini4 ,nilkantha7 ,,ix4 ,the ,black ray 7,sat1 ,chit and ,ananda7 incarnated in ,devakt's womb4 ,krishna is ,antaryamin or inside all beings4 ,balarama is ,sutratma1 the ,ego4 ,,xix4 ,the ,cart ,asura 7,sakata7 is a messenger of the death ,god from the ,south1 ,,xx4 ,putana is a weapon of death in the form of a bird4 ,,xxi4 ,trinavarta is the disease1 known as consumption4 ,the ,gopas asked ,krishna for the milk-products4 ,as devas1 they had never known such offerings in ,yajnas4 ,they informed ,krishna1 where the milk made things were to be found4 7,,xxiii and ,,xxiv47 ,for the gratification of the universe1 the longings of ,krishna are great and for this reason he did not spare any fresh butter of the ,gopis4 ,the ,gopis learned from this that for the bare up-keep of their lives1 they were to attend to their household duties 7,,xxvi74 7,if the boys are to steal away all the butter1 life itself will be extinguished4 ,people should have enough left for their household requirement4 ,if ,i taste only a little of the butter1 all the three ,lokas will be gratified1 and the ,gopis will acquire the merit thereof4 ,considering all this1 ,bhagavan tasted butter by stealth ,nilkantka4 ,this means1 in so many words1 that ,krishna accepted the fruits of all the actions of the ,gopis except such as sufficed to preserve their lives74 ,the ,gopis complained to ,yasoda of the stealing acts of ,krishna4 ,,xxvii4 ,vrindavana ,kanda4 ,the dwellers of ,gokula migrated with ,krishna to ,vrinddvana1 for fear of ,vrikas or wolves4 7,kama and other passions are the wolves1 ,nitkantha71 ,i4 ,in treating of ,pralamba ,asura1 mention is made of the nonperception of ,i am ,brahma1 ,,vii4 ,pralamba is said to be an aspect of the primal ,daitya ,madhu1 ,,ix4 ,there is some philosophical discussion about the concealment of calves by ,brahma1 7,x to ,,xiv47 ,the first six sons of ,devaki are the ,six ,indriyas 7including ,manas7 and the seventh is the ,jivatma1 the conscious ,ego4 ,,xxxv4 ,in commenting upon this sloka1 ,nilkantha says1 ,devaki and other names are merely allegorical1 bearing an esoteric meaning4 ,the narration is not the real point4 ,he further supports his position while commenting on sloka ,,xl1 of ,vrindavana ,kanda4 ,he makes quotations from the ,skanda ,purana1 which speak of the twofold meanings of the narration texts1 one ,adhyatmika and another ,adhi bhautika1 the former being difficult to follow4 ,following up these quotations1 ,nilkantha says2 ,those that are not prepared for the ,adhyatmika hindering of all modifications of the mind1 must seek the ,adhibhautika ,lila of ,bhagavan4 ,and if they concentrate their minds on the holy deeds of ,bhagavan1 they acquire the result of ,samadhi4 ,krishna is ,paramatma4 ,the intercourse of the ,gopis was not therefore adulterous4 7,,xxxvii and ,,xxxviii47 ,akrura ,kanda4 ,in this ,kanda1 ,akrura comes to ,vraja and takes ,rama and ,krishna to ,mathura4 ,mathura ,kanda4 ,this part treats of the killing of ,kansa by ,krishna4 ,krishna is described as the knower of the hidden names of the cows4 7,it is to be understood that the cows have hidden names1 ,nilkantha47 ,we now come to ,,krishna ,,upanishad1 one of the ,atharvana ,upanishads4 ,the ,gopas are ,devas4 ,nanda is ,supreme bliss4 ,yasoda is ,mukti4 ,maya is three-fold ,satvika1 ,rajasika and ,tamasika4 ,satvika ,maya is in ,rudra1 ,rajasika in ,brahma and ,tamasika in the ,daityas4 ,devaki 7,devaki or chanted by the ,devas7 is ,brahma ,vidya4 ,vasudeva is ,nigama4 ,the ,gopis and the cows are ,riks4 7,vedic ,mantras7 ,brahma is the stick of ,krishna4 ,rudra is ,his flute4 ,indra is the horn1 ,gokula ,vana is ,vaikuntha4 ,the trees are the ,rishis of ,vaikuntha4 ,the ,daityas 7,trinavarta and others7 are greed1 anger and other passions4 ,krishna1 in the form of ,gopa1 is ,hari4 ,rama is the ,sesha serpent4 ,the eight principal wives and the sixteen thousand and one hundred minor wives of ,krishna are the ,riks and ,upanishads4 ,chanura is ,dvesha 7,dislike74 ,mushtika is ,matsara 7,egoism1 ,envy74 ,kubalaya pida is ,darpa 7pride74 ,vaka is ,garva 7,arrogance74 ,rohini is ,daya 7,tenderness74 ,satya bhama is ,ahinsa1 7,non-,injury74 ,agha is some fatal disease1 such as consumption c4 ,kansa is ,kali787 7,the commentator ,narayana says that by ,kali we are here to understand ,kalaha or quarrel1 for ,kansa is the incarnation of ,kalanemi and ,duryodhana is the incarnation of ,kali474 ,sudaman is ,sama 7restraint of the mind74 ,akrura is ,satya 7,truth74 ,uddhava is ,dama 7restraint of the senses74 ,sankha is ,vishnu himself in the form of ,lakshmi4 ,the ,milk products of the ,gopis correspond to the ocean of milk in the universe4 ,kasyapa is the ,ulukhala 7wooden mortar used in cleansing rice71 to which ,krishna was tied by ,yasoda4 ,the rope that was used in the tying of ,sri ,krishna is ,aditi4 ,chakra is ,veda4 ,the garland ,vaijayanti is ,dharma4 ,the umbrella is ,akasa4 ,gada is the ,goddess ,kalika4 ,the bow of horn 7,sarnga7 is the ,maya of ,vishnu4 ,the ,arrow is ,kala1 the destroyer of all lives4 ,the ,lotus is the seed of the universe4 ,garuda is the religious fig tree named ,bhandira4 ,the following is taken from ,,gopi ,,chandana ,,upanishad4 ,what is ,gopi8 ,she who preserves4 ,preserves from what8 ,preserves people from ,naraka1 from death and from fear4 ,,harivansa says3 -- ,kansa is ,kalanemi1 ,kesin is ,haya ,griva1 ,arishta is son of ,bali1 the ,elephant is ,rishta1 son of ,diti1 ,chanura and ,mushtika are the ,asuras1 ,varaha and ,kisora4 ,,padma ,,purana throws the greatest light on the ,vrindavana ,lila of ,sri ,krishna4 ,the chapters refer to the ,patala ,khanda of that ,purana4 ,ch4 #ch4 ,of innumerable ,brahmandas 7solar systems71 there is one supreme seat1 that of ,vishnu4 ,of this seat1 ,goloka is the highest aspect1 and ,vaikuntha1 ,siva ,loka and others are the lower aspects4 ,goloka is represented on the earth by ,gokula1 and ,vaikuntha by ,dvaraka4 ,vrindavana is within the jurisdiction of ,mathura4 ,mathura has the form of the thousand-petalled lotus1 situated in the head4 ,of the forests in ,gokula1 the twelve chief ones are3 -- ,bhadra1 ,sri1 ,loha1 ,bhandira1 ,mahavana1 ,tala1 ,khadir1 ,bakula1 ,kumud1 ,kamya1 ,madhu and ,vrindavan4 ,there are several sub-forests too1 which witnessed some scene or other of ,krishna ,lila4 ,gokula is the thousand-petalled lotus and its disc is the seat of ,govinda4 ,the petals are the seats of different performances of ,sri ,krishna and are different occult centres4 ,the southern petal contains a most occult seat1 attainable with difficulty by the greatest of ,yogins4 ,the south-eastern petal contains two secret recesses4 ,the eastern petal has the most purifying properties4 ,the north-east petal is the seat of fruition4 ,the ,gopis attained ,krishna on this petal1 by worshipping ,katyayani4 ,their clothes were also stolen on this petal4 ,the northern petal is the seat of the twelve ,adityas4 ,it is as good as the disc itself4 ,the north-west petal is the seat of ,kaliya4 ,on the western petal1 favor was shewn to the wives of the ,vedic ,rishis4 ,here the ,asura ,agha was killed4 ,here is also the ,lake called ,brahma4 ,on the south-western petal1 the ,asuras ,vyoma and ,sankha-chuda were killed4 ,these eight petals are situated in ,vrindavana4 ,outside ,vrindavana1 there are sixteen petals4 ,the first petal is the seat of ,govardhana4 ,here ,krishna was installed as ,govinda4 ,the first petal contains ,madhuvana1 the second ,khadira1 the fourth ,kadamba1 the fifth ,nandisvara 7residence of ,nanda71 the sixth ,nanda1 the seventh ,bakula1 the eighth ,tala 7where the ,asura ,dhenuka was killed71 the ninth ,kumuda1 the tenth ,kamya 7where ,brahma knew ,krishna as ,vishnu71 the eleventh many forests1 the twelfth ,bhandira1 the thirteenth ,bhadra1 the fourteenth ,sri1 the fifteenth ,loha1 and the sixteenth ,mahavana4 ,the deeds of ,sri ,krishna up to the age of five were all performed at ,mahavana4 ,vrindavana is the seed cavity of the thousand-petalled lotus4 ,by all means place ,vrindavana in the heart cavity4 ,krishna is always a ,kisora 7between ten and fifteen7 at ,vrindavana1 7i4e4 ,vrindavana proper1 the particular forest of that name74 ,at the centre of ,vrindavana is the eight-cornered ,yoga seat of ,sri ,krishna4 ,over that seat is a throne of jewels4 ,the eight petalled lotus lies there4 ,the disc of that lotus is the supreme abode of ,govinda4 ,he is the ,lord of ,vrindavana4 ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva are all ,his parts4 ,his primal ,prakriti is ,radhika4 99,,chapter #ci499 ,govinda with ,radha is seated on the golden throne4 ,outside the throne1 on the seat of ,yoga1 remain the chief favorites of ,krishna1 who are parts of ,radhika4 ,lalita stands on the west1 ,syamala on the north-west1 ,srimati on the north1 ,haripriya on the north-east1 ,visakha on the east1 ,saivya on the south-east1 ,padma on the south1 and ,bhadra on the south-west4 ,then there is another group of eight1 ,chandravali1 ,chitrarekha1 ,chandra1 ,madana ,sundari1 ,sri1 ,madhumati1 ,chandra-rekha1 and ,haripriya4 ,of this latter group1 ,chandravali holds almost equal position with ,radhika4 ,these are the sixteen principal ,prakritis4 ,then there are thousands of ,gopis all devoted to ,krishna4 ,on the right side of ,sri ,krishna are thousands of ,sruti girls1 who chant ,his divine mysteries4 ,on the left side are the most beautiful-looking ,deva girls1 who turn towards ,sri ,krishna with the greatest eagerness4 ,outside this inner temple are the ,gopa boys1 who look like ,krishna4 ,sridaman is on the west1 ,sudaman on the north1 ,vasudaman on the east1 and ,kinkini on the south4 ,outwards still more1 inside a golden temple1 seated upon a golden seat1 adorned with ornaments of gold1 there are thousands of ,gopa boys1 headed by ,stoka ,krishna1 ,ansu ,bhadra and others1 all devoutly singing the glory of ,sri ,krishna4 ,the whole of this is surrounded by a shining gold wall4 ,on the west of that wall1 within a temple1 situated under a ,parijata tree1 is ,vasudeva1 with his eight wives1 ,rukmini1 ,satyabhama1 ,jambavati1 ,nagnajiti1 ,sulakshana1 ,mitravinda1 ,anuvinda and ,sunanda4 ,on the north1 under a ,harichandana tree1 is ,sankarshana with ,revati4 ,on the south1 under a ,santana tree1 is ,pradyumna with ,rati4 ,on the east1 under a ,kalpataru1 is ,aniruddha4 ,surrounding all this is a white stone wall1 with four gates4 ,white ,vishnu preserves the western gate1 ,red ,vishnu preserves the northern gate1 yellow ,vishnu preserves the eastern gate1 ,black ,vishnu preserves the southern4 ,,chap4 #da4 ,rishi ,ugra-tapas meditated on ,sri ,krishna for one hundred ,kalpas4 ,at the end of that period he became a ,gopi1 named ,sunanda4 ,rishi ,satya-tapas meditated on ,krishna for ten ,kalpas1 and he then became a ,gopi named ,bhadra4 ,rishi ,hari-dhama became a ,gopi1 named ,raktaveni1 at the end of three ,kalpas4 ,rishi ,javali became ,chitra-gandha after ten ,kalpas4 ,suchi-sravas and ,suvarna became the daughters of the ,gopa ,suvira1 at the end of one ,kalpa4 ,jatila1 ,janghaputa1 ,ghritasin1 and ,karbu became ,gopis after three ,kalpas4 ,suka1 son of ,dirgha-tapas1 ,vyasa of the previous ,kalpa1 became daughter of ,upananda4 ,one son of ,svetaketu became the daughter of ,balavani4 ,chitra-dhvaja1 son of ,rajarshi ,chandraprabha1 became ,chitrakala1 daughter of ,gopa ,viragupta1 at the end of one ,kalpa4 ,rishi ,punya-sravas practised meditation for thirty thousand ,kalpas and he was born as the daughter of ,nanda's brother1 by name ,labanga4 ,these are some of the favorite ,gopis of ,krishna4 ,,chap4 #db4 ,the form of ,sri ,krishna1 as seen at ,vrindavana1 is constant4 ,mathura1 ,vrindavana1 ,yamuna1 the ,gopa girls1 the ,gopa boys1 ,sri ,krishna as an ,avatara -- are all constant4 ,the ,gopis are the ,srutis 7forms invoked by ,vedic ,mantras71 ,deva girls and devoted ,rishis1 desirous of liberation4 ,the ,gopa boys are ,munis1 full of the bliss of ,vaikuntha4 ,the ,kadamba tree is ,kalpa ,vriksha1 7a divine tree that gives all that is desired74 ,the ,siddhas1 ,sadhyas and ,gandharvas are the ,kokilas 7cuckoos7 of ,vrindavana4 ,govardhana is the eternal servant of ,hari4 ,,chap4 #dc4 ,arjuna wanted to know the mysteries of ,vrindavana and of the ,gopis4 ,krishna said they were unknown to ,brahma even4 ,he then advised ,arjuna to worship the goddess ,tripura-sundari1 as through her favor only he could know all he asked about4 ,the goddess asked ,arjuna to bathe in a tank called ,kulakunda4 ,she then gave directions which were duly performed by ,arjuna4 ,the goddess then took ,arjuna to the real1 constant ,vrindavana1 which is placed over ,goloka4 ,with the divine vision1 given by the goddess1 ,arjuna saw the mysteries of ,vrindavana1 and became full of devotional love4 ,he then asked the goddess what to do next4 ,she then asked him to bathe in another tank1 and1 when ,arjuna did so1 he became a female4 ,a divine voice said1 ,go back to the former tank4 ,touch its water and you will attain your object4 ,there you will find your companions4 ,the ,gopis gathered round ,arjuna out of curiosity4 ,one of them ,priyamuda asked3 -- ,who art thou8 ,how hast thou come here8 ,arjuna related his story4 ,to satisfy the curiosity of ,arjuna1 ,priyamuda said3 -- ,we are all the dear companions of ,krishna4 ,here are the girls of ,vraja4 ,those are ,srutis and these are ,munis4 ,we are ,gopa girls4 ,some appeared here from the body of ,krishna4 ,they are constant1 keeping constant company with ,krishna and moving all over the universe4 ,of them1 this is ,purna-rasa1 this is ,rasa ,manthara 7and so on74 ,then of the ,srutis1 this is ,udgita1 this is ,sugita 7and so on74 ,then of the ,munis1 this is ,ugra-tapas1 this is ,priyavrata1 this is ,suvrata 7and so on74 ,amongst us1 the girls of ,gopas1 this is ,chandravali1 this is ,chandrika1 this is ,chandra-rekha 7and so on74 ,you will have all these for your companions4 ,come bathe on the east side of the tank4 ,i shall give thee the ,mantra of ,radhika4 ,arjuna worshipped ,radhika with that ,mantra and she appeared before him4 ,she then gave him the ,mantra of ,krishna4 ,with that ,mantra1 ,arjuna succeeded in getting the favor of ,krishna4 ,he called ,arjuna1 in his female form1 and gave him the privilege of his company4 ,arjuna was then made to bathe on the west side of the tank and he then regained his former form4 ,,the ,,brahma ,,vaivarta ,,purana follows the ideal of ,padma ,purana4 ,this ideal was further worked out and further revelations were made by ,chaitanya1 who is believed to be an ,avatara of ,krishna ,himself4 ,a full discussion of these revelations will be made when we come to study the teachings of ,chaitanya4 ,no reference is therefore made in this book to the works which appeared and some of which preceded1 but were connected with1 the great movement of ,chaitanya4 ,such is the study of the ,vrindavana ,lila as authoritatively given in standard religious books4 ,it gives us a clue to the mysteries1 which should be worked out by each esoteric student for himself4 ,the mysteries are partly allegorical and partly historical4 ,we shall first take the allegorical representation of the ,lila1 which has reference to the spiritual development of every individual ,bhakta and is therefore of the most abiding interest to all ,bhaktas4 ,the ,puri of ,mathura is in every man1 the kingdom of his own mind1 where the personal self is to be put down4 ,mathura is from math1 to put down4 ,lavana 7,salt71 the demon of materialism 7for salt is an emblem of materialism2 cf4 the salt ocean7 had hold of this ,puri during the time of ,rama1 and ,satrughna killed the demon4 ,but materialism regained its lost ground and the forces of descent gathered strong round ,kansa4 ,kansa was ,kala-nemi1 or the mark left by the wheel of time4 ,each one of us has inherited through countless ages a strong element of materiality1 which tries to reign over each one of us4 ,this is the ,kansa in each of us4 ,there was also king ,kansa of the period when ,krishna appeared4 ,he was brought down from his high platform and killed by ,krishna1 and the spiritual evolution of humanity became assured4 ,there are eight ,prakritic principles in man1 corresponding to eight senses4 ,earth or smell1 water or taste1 fire or form1 air or touch1 and akasa or sound1 these enable ,jivas to acquire experiences from the outside4 ,ahankara1 or the sense of egoism1 enables man to assimilate those experiences to his personal self1 and to make a small world of his own self4 ,then there is ,mahat and the universal sense corresponding to it4 ,this sense takes man out of the limits of personality2 it raises him to the level of spiritual life4 ,it develops unselfishness and universal life4 ,last of all is the eighth principle1 ,mula ,prakriti4 ,it gives the sense of perceiving ,atma4 ,krishna helps the evolution of the ,jivas1 by developing the outer senses first and then the inner senses4 ,when the first six senses are developed1 the evolution of personality is complete4 ,the powers that develop the senses do not come any more into requisition4 ,those powers were the first six brothers of ,krishna1 who lay slumbering in the ocean1 and who were ardhagarbha1 as ,harivansa says4 ,their action was confined to the material stage of evolution and hence they are said to have descended from ,hiranyakasipu4 ,kansa had no difficulty in slaying these half-dead powers4 ,the sixth brother was ,balarama4 ,he was robed in blue1 a highly spiritual color1 the color of ,mahat4 ,he roused the spiritual sense of man4 ,jivas had wandered away from their spiritual home1 where they were all united1 and each had made a separate entity for himself4 ,balarama tried to draw them together once more on the plane of ,mahat4 ,hence he was called ,sankarshana1 and his instrument was called the plough4 ,he was the first born1 as men cannot come face to face with ,ishvara1 so long as they are not raised beyond the limits of personality4 ,jivas streamed forth from the plane of ,mahat1 presided over by ,atlanta or ,sankarshana1 and they are drawn back to that plane so that they may set out on a higher spiritual journey4 ,then came ,sri ,krishna and ,yogamaya1 both together4 ,sri ,krishna was the highest of the high1 beyond the ,maya that enshrouded the ,brahmanda4 ,how could he come in contact with the ,jivas of ,brahmanda8 ,the only plane of ,prakriti with which ,he could come in direct contact was the plane of ,mula ,prakriti4 ,but this plane was not developed in humanity as yet4 ,therefore ,he asked ,yoga ,maya1 the energy of ,jivic evolution1 who carries ,jiva from the lowest to the highest point1 to serve as a medium between ,him and the ,jivas4 ,sri ,krishna performed ,his mission with the help of ,yoga ,maya4 ,the ,gopis met ,sri ,krishna because they worshipped ,yoga ,maya 7,katyayani74 ,sri ,krishna had personal contact with the ,gopis at ,rasa1 because ,he invoked ,yoga ,maya at the time and got her help4 ,yoga ,maya is the highest sense of which ,jiva is capable1 and1 when ,durga appeared in her third incarnation as ,yoga ,maya1 she was not to undergo further incarnation in this ,kalpa4 ,to the developing sense of ,yoga ,maya1 ,siva gave truth after truth1 till the highest truths were revealed to her1 which form the ,agamas and ,nigamas4 ,the revelations to the developing sense of humanity are the ,tantras4 ,sri ,krishna was born that men might come up to ,his ideal4 ,he is the first ,purusha4 ,the limitations or ,maya of the solar system do not touch ,him4 ,he is the ,lord of many solar systems4 ,even the materials that form the solar systems have their manifestation from him4 ,nothing that we know of1 nothing that we are composed of1 nothing that shapes our experiences1 that causes our likes and dislikes1 limits ,krishna4 ,even ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva1 the triune aspect of the second ,purusha1 are limited by the universe they lord over4 ,siva is also called an aspect of the first ,purusha in ,saiva ,puranas4 ,sri ,krishna is ,nirguna1 for the ,gunas we know of do not touch ,him4 ,he is the ,absolute1 for the relativities we know of1 or which we may even think of1 have no place in ,him4 ,the other ,avataras are said to be manifestations of the second ,purusha4 ,but ,krishna is ,bhagavan ,himself1 i4e41 the first ,purusha 7,i-#c-bh74 ,there are three aspects of the ,absolute1 the non-transformable1 which uphold creation4 ,it is through these aspects that all beings come into existence1 prosper and dissolve4 ,it is through them that they are brought nearer and nearer in every ,kalpa to ,ishvara4 ,in the perfected being1 the aspects of sat 7existence71 chit 7consciousness7 and ananda 7bliss7 are not restricted by the conditions of the universe in which those aspects are developed4 ,when beings are perfected in this way1 they reach the plane of ,krishna1 which is beyond the seven-fold plane of the ,cosmic ,egg4 ,the ,gopis are such perfected beings4 ,it will be out of place to enter here into a detailed study of these aspects4 ,but it will be necessary to make a brief reference to them in order to understand the aspect of ,bliss1 as a factor in spiritual ,evolution4 ,it is the existence aspect of the underlying ray of the ,absolute ,brahman1 in every individual1 that gives a continuity to individual existence1 through thousands of births and experiences1 and makes individual evolution a possibility4 ,the consciousness aspect of the ray unfolds the blunt inanimate sense into the most highly developed mind4 ,it gives the wisdom side of man's evolution1 which leads to the path of ,jnana4 ,then there is the ,bliss aspect of the ray1 which directly leads to the union of the human soul with the ,over-soul1 of ,jiva with ,ishvara1 and it leads to the path of ,bhakti4 ,it is the sensation of pleasure that makes the lowest organic form1 the primordial cell1 break through the inertia of ,tamas4 ,the cell moves about1 either for cell union or for the assimilation of food1 because these give rise to some sensation1 call it pleasurable1 if you like4 ,it is not so easy to form an idea of the sensation of pleasure in the vegetable kingdom1 but the excitement caused by the union of the sperm cell with the germ cell cannot but strike any one with the existence of some such feeling1 though in a most rudimentary state4 ,animals feel pleasure in the company of their female partners4 ,they also love their offspring4 ,this gives rise to family connections1 to the formation of society and of social virtues4 ,with the evolution of body and mind1 pleasures become many-sided1 and the acquirement of pleasure becomes in itself the principal factor in the development of man4 ,man seeks his pleasure outside himself1 and he does so either for himself or for others4 ,a point is reached when self is lost sight of and self sacrifice for the good of others becomes a duty of pleasure4 ,self is estranged from the narrow groove of personality4 ,it tries to identify itself with all beings4 ,there is philanthropy1 there is universal kindness4 ,still the differences cause unrest and disquiet4 ,self finds no rest1 till it seeks its reality1 till it makes a homeward journey1 for even its own personality and the outside world lose all charm for it4 ,self finds bliss in self void of personality4 ,this is spiritual bliss attained by those that are ,antarmukh 7facing inwards7 and not by those that are ,bahir ,mukh 7facing outwards74 ,self when seeking self becomes united to the universal self as its eternal friend and its real aspect4 ,the universal self in ,vrindavana is ,sri ,krishna4 ,and the bliss of the ,gopis is self-attainment1 attachment to self or ,atma and not to non-self or worldly connections4 ,it is to those and those only that eagerly desire to make this inward journey that the ,vrindavana ,lila is addressed4 ,nanda is bliss1 he is spiritual ,bliss the ,bliss of an ,antar ,mukha4 ,it is spiritual bliss that attracts spirit unto itself4 ,it is the field for spiritual growth1 the nursery ground of enthusiastic devotion and1 what is more1 of devotional love4 ,the ideal spiritual bliss is that of ,radhika and of her fellow ,gopis4 ,it is the ,bliss aspect of ,isvara that in the ,jiva causes mutual attractions and makes devotion a law1 a necessity4 ,reflected in the ,universe at large1 it is the one bond that holds together all beings1 and becomes a force of attraction on all planes4 ,man is guided by bliss in his relations to the ,universe4 ,he is guided by bliss in his relation to himself4 ,nanda is located in the brain1 in the thousand-petalled ,lotus4 ,the spiritual seat in the head is ,gokul1 the first abode of ,nanda4 ,krishna appears in ,gokul4 ,the devotee sets out on his devotional journey4 ,the first impediment of a devotee is ,mala or impurity4 ,in spite of himself1 he cannot get the better of his passions1 his personal desires4 ,they have such a strong and apparent charm1 there is such an hereditary and accumulated attraction toward them1 that they easily overcome the devotional life in its infancy4 ,the fascinating ,putana overtook all by her charms and she found an easy access to ,krishna himself4 ,she made an attempt to nurse ,krishna with poisoned milk4 ,she was killed and ,mala was removed 7,x4 #f47 ,the next impediment is ,vikshepa or distraction4 ,the mind1 with its load of outside experiences always responding to the outside world1 is so much distracted1 thinking now of this and now of that1 that it has to be set right before further development is possible4 ,the cart has to be upturned1 with its load of food-articles1 the cart of mind with its load of experiences4 ,that is1 the man has to become ,antarmukha 7,x4 #g47 ,when this is done1 the ,asura of distraction1 ,trinavarta or whirlwind1 is easily killed 7,x4 #g474 ,the ,gopis were now void of impurities and void of distraction2 yet more they were being attracted to ,krishna4 ,krishna favored them by stealing the fruits of their karma or action and accepting them for himself4 ,sri ,krishna said to ,arjuna1 ,you have a right to the ,karma only and not to the fruits thereof4 ,the senses of the ,gopis used to roam about in the performance of daily duties1 and they brought back perceptions and conceptions for the day which were worked out by the ,gopis as duty required4 ,the perceptions and conceptions are the milk-products and milk4 ,they were churned into the karma of the ,gopis4 ,the senses are the cows2 the outside objects of perception1 their grass4 ,the ,brahma ,vaivarta ,purana says3 -- ,ghrita is obtained from milk1 ,yajna is performed with ,ghrita1 and all happiness arises out of the performance of ,yajna4 ,prakriti ,khanda4 ,the preparation of milk products is the karma or sacrifice of the ,gopis4 7,x4 #h474 ,the husk-stand is the discriminating faculty1 that which separates the husk from the grains4 ,when ,krishna becomes fastened to the discriminating faculty 7not that any one can fasten him with any effort of his own71 when right and wrong are centered in him1 self becomes abnegated and offered up entirely to ,krishna1 ,egoism and ignorance1 the pair of ,arjuna trees disappear1 though deeply rooted in man 7,x4 #aj74 ,when fruits are offered to ,krishna1 there is a rich return 7,x4 #aa474 ,we have reached here a point in spiritual progress4 ,personality has been completely given up4 ,brain intellect is no longer congenial to spiritual progress4 ,the head retards the spiritual man and does not carry him forward4 ,the elders of ,gokula sat in council and they decided to leave ,gokula for ,vrindavana4 ,vrindavana is the ,heart4 ,the eight-petalled lotus in the heart is the permanent abode of ,sri ,krishna4 ,the twelve forests are twelve centres #d x #c1 the primary number being #d1 the number of the sacred ,tetraktys4 ,within the heart1 the only ,purusha is ,sri ,krishna4 ,,ah others have to make themselves passive to ,him4 ,the ,gopis1 the ideal devotees of the ,purusha in the heart1 left the world outside1 their husbands and homes1 and placed themselves entirely at the service of the ,divine ,lord4 ,let us approach the sublime truths of the ,vrindavana ,upasana with the utmost solemnity possible4 ,those who cannot bring themselves to an exalted appreciation of the ,vrindavana ,lila had better not read the ,bhagavata at all4 ,the ,gopas and ,gopis went to ,vrindavana4 ,rama and ,krishna headed the ,gopa boys and looked after the calves4 ,what are the cows and calves8 ,who are the ,gopas1 the ,gopa boys and the ,gopis8 ,once more let us understand the triad -- ,adhyatma1 ,adhibhuta and ,adhidaiva4 ,take sight4 ,the sense of sight comes in contact with the outside world and carries the perception of sight to the possessor of the eye1 under the guidance of a conscious energy4 ,the senses and the mind are ,cows or ,adhyatma4 ,the outside world is grass or ,adhibhuta4 ,the possessor of the senses and the mind is the ,gopi1 the ,ego or ,jiva4 ,in ,vrindavana1 the ,gopis are the highest ,jivas or ,rishis1 as explained in the ,upanishads4 ,the conscious energy is the ,gopa or ,adhideva4 ,the ,adhidevas are the ,vedic ,devas1 as we have already seen4 ,the ,gopas are reincarnations of the ,devas1 as explained in the ,upanishads4 ,ordinarily the ,gopas lead the cows or the ,adhi-,davas lead the senses1 but in ,vrindavana the ,devas surrender themselves entirely to ,krishna4 ,the calves or the ,vatsas are the modifications of the senses and the mind -- the ,vrittis4 ,in ,vrindavana1 ,rama and ,krishna first tended the calves4 ,the ,gopa boys were the attendants of ,rama and ,krishna1 the parishads or companions who reached very near the state of divinity1 the work-mates of ,bhagavan in the preservation of the universe4 ,the ,lord tended the ,vrittis of the mind4 ,therefore they could not go astray4 ,now let us follow up the working of the divine in the heart of the individual and the killing of all obstacles4 ,vatsa1 ,baka1 ,agha and ,brahma4 -- ,the ,vatsa ,asura is a ,vritti of the mind4 ,if a non-spiritual ,vritti becomes unconsciously mixed up with the spiritual ,vrittis of the mind1 it has instantly to be killed4 ,baka or the crane1 stands for religious hypocrisy4 ,spiritual life rejects all hypocrisy1 all traces of untruth1 in any form4 ,when these two ,asuras are destroyed1 a third ,asura appears on the scene1 the terrible ,agha4 ,agha is sin1 an evil deed4 ,the sins of a man1 his past evil deeds1 stand up for a while and swallow up all that is divine in him4 ,even ,gods can not overcome ,agha4 ,those who know the struggles of a devotee know very well how hard it is when all that is evil in man the accumulated tendencies of innumerable births1 rise up in rebellion as it were at a certain stage of his progress4 ,who else but ,sri ,krishna can save a devotee at such a crisis4 ,the flesh itself has to be destroyed and the whole nature changed4 ,the devotee undergoes a second birth as it were4 ,his ,vrittis are not the ,vrittis of yore2 even the energies that guide these vrittis undergo change4 ,every ,brahmana knows the ,mantra that is recited for the suppression of ,agha 7,agha-marshana74 ,it goes back to the pre-manifesting period1 when days and nights did not exist4 ,the serpent ,agha swallowed up ,krishna and his companions4 ,krishna came out victorious and he revivified his companions4 ,the ,vrittis underwent change by this process and also those that guided them4 ,it was another creation altogether4 ,the forms and varieties of ,brahma's creation had no meaning now in them4 ,what if the ,vrittis were now removed from the ,gopis or the ,gopa boys kept out in a body8 ,they all lost their distinctive features2 their differences were gone4 ,all was become divine -- the ,vrittis and the ,gopa boys4 ,so when ,brahma concealed the calves and the ,gopa boys1 he only thought of his own creation4 ,the ,vrittis and the ,gopa boys came out in divinity which was now their only reality4 ,they were all parts of ,sri ,krishna himself4 ,they were manifestly sparks or rays of ,atma itself4 ,the senses and the mind were now irresistibly drawn towards their calves4 ,the ,gopas were more than ever attached to their boys4 ,balarama noticed this and spoke to ,krishna4 ,the query of ,raja ,parikshit and the reply of ,suka explain the whole position4 ,this brings us to the end of the ,,kumara ,,lila of ,sri ,krishna which prepares the way for the union of the human soul with the over-soul1 of ,jiva ,atma with ,parama ,atma4 ,we come next to the ,,pouganda ,,lila when ,krishna guided the mind itself and all were attached to ,him4 ,krishna1 the tender of the cows4 ,rama and ,krishna were now in charge of the cows themselves1 the senses and the mind4 ,the ,kaliya serpent4 ,yama is the ,death-god4 ,the river ,yamuna is his sister4 ,kaliya is from kala or time4 ,kaliya with its one hundred hoods is the lifetime of one birth1 represented by one hundred years4 ,the serpent could not be killed but only sent away from ,vrindavana4 ,the devotees got over the periodic death-transformation4 ,the conflagtation and ,pralamba4 ,as the followers of ,krishna were saved from death on the one hand1 so they were saved from conflagration 7annihilation of form7 and loss of the ,ego 7,balarama7 on the other hand4 ,in the kingdom of ,divine ,bliss1 everything now was divine4 ,the purified mind did not go astray4 ,it remained entirely attached to ,sri ,krishna4 ,personality was now thoroughly conquered4 ,the ,jiva had acquired matter congenial to the plane of the first ,purusha1 and he no longer ran the risk of death or annihilation4 ,the ,gopis completed their homeward journey and they knew nothing except their ,lord ,krishna4 ,they gave up all for the sake of the ,lord4 ,the ,lord was all in all to them4 ,they were bound to ,him by the most sacred ties of devotional love4 ,we shall now see how they became united to the ,divine ,lord4 ,the ,gopis and the stealing of their clothes4 ,the rains followed the summer and there was a flow of spirituality all around4 ,the autumn followed and it was calm1 clear and transparent4 ,when the water is pure1 transparent and calm and the sun is over it can anything prevent the reflection of the sun's image on its bosom8 ,the ,gopis drew unto themselves the image of ,sri ,krishna4 ,there was no muddiness in them as in ordinary mortals2 they had not the calls of other desires4 ,it is not till the ear ceases to hear the outside world1 that it is open to the music in the heart1 the flute of ,sri ,krishna4 ,the ,rupa of ,krishna becomes manifest when all worldly ,rupas lose their charm4 ,the ,gopis even smelt the divine fragrance of ,sri ,krishna2 they felt his divine touch and they tasted the honey of ,sri ,krishna's lips4 ,the charms of the world all dead and gone1 there remains only one attraction1 that of ,sri ,krishna1 the only ,purusha in ,vrindavana4 ,the ,gopis now had a right to approach ,sri ,krishna as their lover4 ,they became full of ,him 7tanmaya71 and they worshipped ,katyayani 7,yoga ,maya7 to gain their object4 7,x4 #ba47 ,it was then that ,sri ,krishna stripped them of their clothes 7,x4 #bb47 ,no false shame1 no false considerations should now deter the ,gopis4 ,they should lay themselves bare before ,sri ,krishna4 ,no hiding1 no half speaking4 ,virtuous girls1 ,i know your resolve4 ,it is to worship me4 ,i also approve of it and so it must succeed4 ,this was the long and short of the whole affair4 ,the ,gopis saw they were found out4 ,so it was to be a matter of open love now4 ,we shall pass over a few digressions before we come back to the ,gopis and the consummation of their love 7,rasa ,lila74 ,vedic ,brahmans and their wives4 ,those that were under the influence of ,vedic ,yajnas could not easily accept the self-sacrificing path of compassion4 ,the students of ,bhagavat ,gita know very well that ,sri ,krishna raised his voice against ,vedic karma and preached the performance of unselfish karma in its stead4 ,the ,vedic ,brahmanas did not follow ,him for a time4 ,but the tide overtook their unselfish wives who were attached to the path of unselfishness and compassion blended as it was with the path of devotion to the ,lord ,sri ,krishna4 ,the wives brought their husbands round and the cause triumphed in all ,india4 ,the raising of ,govardhana4 ,the raising of ,govardhana is only a sequel to the suppression of ,vedic ,yajnas4 ,why are the gods1 headed by ,indra1 worshipped8 ,because the ,indriyas are their channels of communion with men and they can influence men through those channels4 ,they are therefore called ,adhi-,devas4 ,they are also the hands of providence and through them we get all the things of the earth4 ,but can they give us anything that is not allotted to us by our own karma8 ,if a prolonged and unhindered connection with the manasic world or a prolonged ,svarga experience is brought about by the performance of ,vedic ,yajnas it is on account of the superior force exerted over the ,devas1 acquired by such performances1 and is therefore due to karma4 ,the ,devas cannot override karma4 ,but still men have to depend upon the gods in their everyday lives4 ,they are the hands of the karmic dispenser4 ,true they deal out things according to the karma of men4 ,but they give to men the desired objects of life and in return they expect yajna-offerings to them4 ,this is the old law of the existence of beings4 ,the universe itself is the outcome of sacrifice and inter-dependence1 the law of giving and taking4 ,if men broke that law1 what wonder that the gods should resent it6 ,but there was a higher law1 governing men and ,devas alike1 the law of direct communion with the lord of all1 the supreme karmic dispenser1 the ,adhi-yajna of ,bhagavat ,gita4 ,if men placed themselves and their karma entirely at the service of the ,lord1 where was room left for the ,devas8 ,against such men the gods themselves lost all power4 ,the ,hill ,govardhana is the accumulated karma of the ,gopis1 which gives the pasture ground for their cows4 ,krishna bears the burden of ,his ,bhaktas' karma1 and ,he lifted up the karmic hill of his devoted band with very little effort of his own4 ,and when ,sri ,krishna bears the karma of ,his ,bhaktas1 the ,devas are powerless against them4 ,it is karma that nourishes the senses and hence the hill is called ,govardhana 7nourisher of the cows74 ,the ,installation4 ,when the gods were displaced from their position of leadership1 whom were the cows1 the senses1 to follow8 ,surabhi1 the heavenly mother of the cows1 said3 -- ,now that thou hast taken the place of ,indra1 we shall call thee our ,indra1 or ,,govinda4 ,sridhara says1 go means a cow1 as well as ,svarga4 ,govinda is one who acquires supremacy over the cows or over ,svarga4 ,so the word means ,indra as well4 ,but the peculiar significance of the word ,govinda has been elaborated in the ,brahma ,sanhita and other works4 ,the plane of the first ,purusha1 which is the common plane of innumerable solar systems1 with their sevenfold planes1 has two broad aspects ,vaikuntha and ,goloka4 ,vaikuntha has reference to the solar systems as a whole4 ,the energies that guide the ,brahmandas proceed from the plane of ,vaikuntha4 ,both ,siva and ,vishnu are aspects of the first ,purusha1 but not ,brahma4 ,siva ,loka or ,kailasa is therefore included in ,vaikuntha4 ,the plane of ,brahma is ,satya ,loka or ,brahma ,loka1 the highest plane of the ,brahmanda4 ,the worshippers of ,brahma or ,hiranya-garbha reach the plane of ,brahma ,loka4 ,there they remain till the ,brahmanda becomes dissolved at the end of the life period of ,brahman4 ,vaikuntha is the plane of ,vishnu as the first ,purusha4 ,he has four aspects on that plane -- ,vasudeva1 ,sankarshana1 ,pradyumna and ,aniruddha4 ,his female aspect is ,lakshmi4 ,the worshippers of ,vishnu1 ,preserver of the ,universe1 reach this plane4 ,goloka is a higher aspect of the plane of the first ,purusha4 ,there ,krishna is not the ,lord of the ,universe4 ,he is the ,lord of only ,his followers -- those that give up everything for ,his sake4 ,the highest spiritual life is on this plane4 ,in ,vaikuntha there is the majesty of power4 ,in ,goloka there is the sweetness of love4 ,love is a surrender which we all owe to ,krishna1 who makes the greatest sacrifices for us4 ,ishvara gives us existence1 consciousness and bliss1 so that we may develop new centres that approach the state of ,ishvara1 and when we do that we have no right to keep them to ourselves1 but should give them back to ,him from whom we owe them4 ,nothing can please the ,lord so much as when we pay this willing homage to ,him4 ,he has full control over the senses and experiences of the ,gopas and ,gopis that dwell in ,goloka4 ,he can turn them to any use ,he likes4 ,they are ,his own property1 and the dwellers of ,goloka form ,his own household4 ,he is one with them as they are with ,him4 ,the highest spiritual life is in ,goloka4 ,every kalpa adds to the number of the devoted band4 ,vaikuntha is represented in the ,dvaraka ,lila4 ,the acts of ,sri ,krishna that constitute the ,vrindavana ,lila are constant 7nitya74 ,they are reproduced in all ,kalpas and on all the ,dvipas or globes for the benefit of all ,bhaktas4 ,when there is the full manifestation of ,krishna in any ,kalpa1 the ,gopas and ,gopis also appear with ,him4 ,but ,his relations with them are meant to serve as a guide only for the initiated ,bhaktas1 and not for the world at large4 ,sri ,krishna as an ,avatara is different from ,sri ,krishna as the beloved and the lover4 ,as an ,avatara1 ,he forces allegiance1 and expects it as of right4 ,as a lover1 ,he seeks ,his ,bhaktas as they seek ,him4 ,the ,lord of ,goloka is ,govinda4 ,when ,sri ,krishna was installed as ,govinda1 he had a right to the company of the ,gopis1 and not before4 ,the ,gopis became the property of ,govinda1 as soon as ,krishna asserted himself as such4 ,the ,installation precedes the ,rasa ,lila4 ,the significance of this ,installation will never be lost sight of by those who want to make a critical study of the ,rasa ,lila1 or to apply the ordinary canons of morality to this most sacred1 most sublime1 and most soul-enchanting act of ,sri ,krishna the ,,rasa ,,lila4 ,,the ,,rasa4 ,who can presume to explain ,rasa6 ,what mortal mind can approach1 even in conception1 the divinity1 the sublimity of the five chapters on ,rasa6 ,the ,gopis were on the field of action4 ,they had their husbands1 their parents1 their sons2 they had their worldly duties to perform1 some of them arduous enough to require constant attention4 ,when the time came1 however1 for union with the ,purusha of the ,heart1 when the signal music was heard1 every ,gopi threw aside all ,karma1 all actions1 all attachments1 all bonds and offered herself up completely to the ,lord4 ,where is the glory of those that give up the world1 that give up all duties in life1 of those that force themselves out of all actions that they may be devoted to the ,lord within and the ,lord without8 ,and when the ,gopis approached the ,lord1 there was no trace of human passion in them1 no love of human flesh1 no idea of material gratification4 ,they placed themselves entirely at the service of the ,lord4 ,but there were those that had the yearning to do so1 to free themselves from all material obstacles in their way1 to offer their individuality to the ,lord1 but the ,prarabdha ,karma was too much for them4 ,their past ,karma had woven a net round them which they could not break through4 ,it was the yearning which the ,lord looked to and not the overcoming of obstacles in the way4 ,and though they died with that yearning only1 the death completed what they yearned for1 for then the ,union was complete4 ,the ,vrindavana ,lila is ,nitya or constant4 ,the ,rasa ,lila is for all time1 for all ,bhaktas4 ,the night is the time for rest but it is the rest of bodily actions4 ,for1 towards the close of night1 spiritual activity sets in4 ,men get spiritual teachings and spiritual advancement without knowing it4 ,but it is only a few1 who have a conscious union with the ,lord who manifests ,himself in the heart of man4 ,purusha is one4 ,jiva ,prakritis or ,para ,prakritis are many4 ,to ,purusha ,jiva must be always negative1 however positive it may be towards the forms of ,apara ,prakriti4 ,purusha is always ,male4 ,and to ,him1 ,jiva ,prakriti is always a female4 ,as the ,vaishnavas say1 there is only one male in all ,vrindavana and that male is the ,lord ,sri ,krishna4 ,in devotional practice1 one should consider himself a female1 the male being the ,lord of the universe1 as reflected in the heart of every man4 ,the ,gopis heard the music and went to ,sri ,krishna4 ,if you are of the world1 go back to the world4 ,but no1 the ,gopis were not of the world4 ,they had every right to the union4 ,and ,sri ,krishna could not deny them ,his companionship4 ,nay1 it was a great thing to the ,lord ,himself that ,jivas should return to ,him with all their spiritual experiences that the ,universe might be served and protected4 ,the concession was natural1 the joy was mutual4 ,but in the midst of the union itself1 there is a danger1 a most subtle danger1 that of ,egoism1 ,i am in union with the ,lord4 ,the first and the last weakness of humanity1 this ,i-ness is a drawback even in the highest spiritual life of man4 ,the ,gopis thought of themselves and there was an instant break in the union4 ,the ,lord disappeared4 ,the ,lord incarnated for the good of the ,universe and not of individuals1 and if individuals were dear to ,him it was for the sake of the ,universe4 ,he was no special property of the ,gopis2 ,what did the ,gopis do8 ,they imitated his actions on the ,earth4 ,they followed ,his footsteps wherever found4 ,they approached the ,lord as much as they could in idea4 ,at last they broke out1 ,thou art surely not the son of a ,gopi4 ,thou art the inmost seer of all beings4 ,implored by ,brahma thou hast appeared1 ,o friend in the line of the ,satvatas1 for the protection of the ,universe4 ,the ,gopis now realised that the ,lord they wanted to be united to was the ,lord of the ,universe4 ,his mission was the protection of the universe4 ,could they share with ,him8 ,it was then and then only that they could expect a continuity of the union4 ,it was not for themselves only that they had any further right4 ,hut the ,gopis now cared not for themselves4 ,they cared for their ,lord1 whom they now knew and realised to be the ,lord of the ,universe4 ,and lo6 the ,lord appeared again4 ,this time there was union but not individual union4 ,hand in hand1 the ,gopis formed a circle with their ,lord1 not the individual ,lord1 but the universal ,lord making ,himself many4 ,every ,gopi held the hands of the ,lord and all the ,gopis collectively formed one circle1 and the circle went on dancing and dancing4 ,the ,devas looked with wonder and envied the lot of the ,gopis4 ,let that wonder grow amongst us4 ,let us catch a glimpse of that divine dance1 that ,rasa ,lila1 that men may become gods on the ,earth4 ,sudarsana1 ,sankha ,chuda1 ,arishta1 ,kesi and ,vyoma4 ,the ,vidyadharas and ,yakshas were controlled and other obstacles overcome4 ,even the barrier of ,akasa1 which forms the final limit of actions and wisdom in the universe1 was pushed through4 ,work was now over at ,vrindavana4 ,the ,bhaktas were now fitted to pass across the limits of ,brahmanda to ,goloka4 ,akrura4 ,with the advent of ,akrura1 we move backwards from the heart to the head1 from the world of ,bhaktas to the world at large4 ,when ,kansa presided over ,mathura1 men were guided by ,self in their thoughts and actions4 ,jarasandha1 who represented the ,brahmanism of self-seeking ,yajnas1 was the friend of ,kansa4 ,akrura was the messenger selected by ,kansa to fetch ,rama and ,krishna from ,vrindavana4 ,krura is cruel4 ,akrura is one who is not cruel4 ,it was not cruelty on the part of ,akrura to take ,rama and ,krishna to ,mathura4 ,he was no doubt seemingly cruel to the ,gopis4 ,but he was kind to the generality of mankind1 who did not live in ,vrindavana4 ,the ,gopis1 followers of the path of ,devotion1 could not bear the sight of him and they called him a mock ,rishi4 ,but he was really a ,bhakta himself1 though he adhered to ,vedic ,karma4 ,he performed the ,vedic ,sandhya and recited ,vedic ,mantras2 he was rewarded with the vision of ,rama and ,krishna in meditation4 ,this votary of ,karma ,kanda was a fitting messenger from ,kansa4 ,he united in himself the spirituality of ,karma ,kanda and the unselfishness of the path of ,devotion4 ,from ,vrindavana to ,mathura we proceed from the inner man to the outer man1 from the everlasting companions of ,sri ,krishna to ,his surroundings as an ,avatara4 ,in the ,vrindavana ,lila1 we find ,krishna in his relations to the holy beings and to the ,devas who incarnated with ,him for the good of the universe4 ,whenever a great ,avatara appears on the ,earth1 his companions also appear with him4 ,his relations to his own companions serve as a living example to others4 ,they afford a lesson to all ,bhaktas for all time4 ,this part of the ,lila is based upon undying1 eternal truths1 upon the permanent relations between ,jiva and ,ishvara4 ,the heart of man is the seat of this ,lila1 which can be reproduced at all times1 in the heart of every real ,bhakta4 ,the ,gopis are the same now as they were when ,krishna sanctified the ,earth4 ,they are the preservers of the universe1 according to ,gopi ,chandana ,upanishad4 ,and their ranks may be increased by devoted ,bhaktas who give up all for the sake of the universe and its ,lord4 ,there is one point more in the relations of the ,gopas and ,gopis to ,krishna4 ,love was the one bond which united them all to ,him4 ,they sought him in their inmost heart1 they talked to him1 they knew him as one of themselves4 ,he was a son to them1 a companion1 a lover4 ,whatever pleased the ,lord pleased them4 ,whatever was ,his work was their work too4 ,they abnegated themselves4 ,they merged themselves entirely in ,krishna4 ,there was no question of duty2 no rules1 no injunctions4 ,the ,vedas did not exist for the dwellers in ,vrindavana4 ,the ,smritis were not written for them4 ,they did not tread the path of karma4 ,love-bound1 they gave themselves entirely up to ,krishna and they did not stop to ask the reason why1 they did not stop to cast a glance at the world they left4 ,but the union was hardly complete2 the ,gopis had scarcely embraced their friend1 their lover1 than he disappeared into the regions of the ,universe4 ,the message came that ,he was to be sought in the ,universe4 ,the ,lord of the ,universe was not the lover of the ,gopis4 ,he could not be the direct object of their love4 ,but1 when the ,gopis knew that their own ,krishna was the ,lord of the ,universe1 they failed not to bear the same love to ,him4 ,but the majesty of the ,universe was ill-adapted to the sweetness of their domestic love4 ,they were out of harmony with the lordliness of their ,lord at ,dvaraka4 ,so when the ,lord finally received them at ,kurukshetra1 the ,gopis said that1 home-bred as they were1 they could not forget the lotus feet of ,krishna in their heart4 ,they were re-united to ,krishna1 as the all-pervading ,purusha1 the preserver of the ,universe4 ,the veil may be lifted a little further4 ,we have already seen that life in the higher ,lokas is purely unselfish1 for1 as the ,bhagavata says1 the higher ,lokas are transformations of ,nishkama ,karma4 ,we are to abnegate ourselves before we can go to ,mahar ,loka4 ,this abnegation can be accomplished by merging ourselves in some one who stands across the ,triloki4 ,love alone breaks the barrier between man and man4 ,if we can get an object of unselfish love1 to whom we can give everything that we have1 we may easily learn the lesson of self-surrender4 ,by the bond of love1 souls group together in ,mahar ,loka and they learn the first lessons of universal life4 ,what better object of love can one have than one of the ,avataras himself8 ,what union will be more glorious1 more lasting1 more spiritual8 ,and ,sri ,krishna offered himself for such love to those that are devoted to him4 ,and the most fortunate amongst humanity are those that complete the love-union with ,sri ,krishna4 ,they form an inseparable group with ,him1 and the plane of their union is ,goloka4 ,the ,vaishnavas place that ,loka higher than ,vaikuntha ,itself4 ,it is the plane proper of ,sri ,krishna1 where he is always at home with his ,bhaktas4 ,there may be many centres round which souls might gather in the higher ,lokas1 many types of universal life1 but there is none so high1 so noble1 so glorious1 as the centre afforded by ,lord ,krishna4 ,when ,krishna incarnates1 ,he cannot do so singly4 ,the ,gopis appear with ,him4 ,the ,chaitanya ,charitamrita1 which embodies the teachings of ,chaitanya1 says that the ,lila of ,krishna is reproduced throughout the fourteen ,manvantaras over all parts of the ,brahmanda1 just as days and nights are produced over all parts of the earth4 ,the ,lila is constantly performed in ,goloka1 and it is reproduced over parts of ,brahmanda1 according to the will of ,krishna4 ,vrindavana is only a reflection of ,goloka4 ,when we go to ,mathura1 we find the ,asura attendants of ,kansa representing all the predominating vices of the time4 ,pride1 arrogance1 envy and malice1 worldliness and anger1 all that keep up the materiality in man were to be found among the best of his followers and advisers4 ,they were all subdued and ,kansa himself brought down from his high platform4 ,when ,krishna went to ,mathura and ,dvaraka1 we find him as an ,avatara1 inaugurating a new era in the spiritual history of the ,universe4 ,we find him there in all ,his majesty1 glory and divine lordship4 ,those who follow him there follow the path of ,divine ,lordship4 ,those who follow ,him at ,vrindavana follow the path of ,divine ,love and sweetness4 99,,end ,,of ,,vrindavana ,,lila199 ,,mathura ,,lila ,,the ,,hunch-,,backed ,,girl ,,and ,,the ,,pandavas4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #dh-di499 ,to keep his word1 ,sri ,krishna went with ,uddhava to the house of the hunch-backed girl4 ,he gratified her desire and gave her what she wanted4 ,sri ,krishna then went with ,rama and ,uddhava to the house of ,akrura4 ,akrura rose up to receive them4 ,he adored ,krishna saying3 -- ,thou hast come down for the good of the ,universe4 ,whenever the olden path of the ,vedas is crossed by the evil paths of unbelievers1 ,thou dost manifest ,thyself1 as now1 by the attribute of ,satva4 ,sri ,krishna said3 -- ,good people like yourselves are to be always adored by men and the ,devas4 ,for while ,devas are self-seeking1 ,sadhus are not so4 ,the places of sanctity on the earth and idols and stones1 that symbolise divinity1 have the power to purify the mind after long service1 while the very sight of ,sadhus is purifying4 ,go thou to ,hastinapura and make enquiries about the ,pandavas4 ,they are still young and they have lost their father4 ,we hear they are living with ,dhritarashra4 ,but the blind king is too much in the hands of his evil sons and he may not be impartial to his nephews4 ,so enquire whether his treatment of them is good or bad4 ,when ,i know that1 ,i shall do what is best for my friends4 ,akrura went to ,hastinapura and learned from ,vidura and ,kunti the cruel treatment of the ,pandavas by ,dhritarashra and his sons4 ,dhritarashra confessed that he could not hold the balance evenly between his sons and nephews1 as his attachment for his sons was too great4 ,akrura returned to ,mathura and informed ,rama and ,krishna of all that he had heard4 ,,jara ,,sandha1 ,,yavana ,,and ,,dvaraka4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ej499 ,kansa had two wives1 ,asti and ,prapti4 ,they were the daughters of ,jarasandha1 king of ,magadha 7modern ,bihar74 ,the latter king learned from his daughters the fate of ,kansa and became highly enraged4 ,he collected an army of thirteen ,akshauhinis1 7one ,akshauhini consisting of #ba1hgj chariots1 as many elephants1 #fe1faj horses1 and #aji1cej foot71 and he besieged ,mathura on all sides4 ,krishna thought for a moment how he could best serve the object of his ,avatarship4 ,he found in the army before him a collection of the forces that oppressed the ,earth4 ,he thought of killing the army and of saving ,jarasandha1 who might be instrumental in raising such large armies over and over again4 ,for it is to remove the weight now oppressing the ,earth that ,i have incarnated4 ,i have to protect the good people and kill those that are not so4 ,two chariots came from the ,heavens fully equipped4 ,rama and ,krishna drove out on those chariots4 ,they killed the whole army in no time4 ,rama fell upon ,jarasandha and well-nigh killed him when ,krishna caused him to be set free4 ,jarasandha1 in his disgrace1 thought of practising asceticism but he was kept off by other kings who consoled him with words of worldly wisdom4 ,the king of ,magadha was however not to be easily put down4 ,seventeen times he led his army to an attack on ,mathura1 and each time he lost his entire army at the hands of ,krishna and his followers4 ,before the fight commenced for the eighteenth time1 ,kala ,yavana appeared on the field of battle with three crores of ,mlechha troops4 ,krishna held counsel with ,rama as to the course to be adopted4 ,the brothers might engage with ,kala ,yavana in fight1 but ,jarasandha would make havoc in the meantime amongst their clansmen at ,mathura4 ,so ,krishna planned the erection of a fort1 within the seas1 where he might harbour his clansmen in safety4 ,so the fort was built extending over twelve ,yajanas4 ,it was laid out with a town of exquisite skill and workmanship4 ,high buildings with golden towers1 extensive roads1 large gardens enhanced the beauty of the town4 ,the ,devas offered their best things and the ,lokapalas surrendered their rulership to ,sri ,krishna4 ,by ,yogic powers ,krishna removed his kinsmen to this town4 ,he then left the town in charge of ,balaram and himself went out to fight with ,yavana4 7,yavana1 is one altogether outside the pale of ,hinduism1 a ,mlechha47 ,kala ,yavana recognized ,krishna and pursued him4 ,krishna drew him inside a mountain cave4 ,there ,kala ,yavana found a man lying asleep4 ,he thought ,krishna was pretending sleep4 ,so he gave the man a kick4 ,that man had been sleeping for a long time but he gradually opened his eyes and in anger looked at ,yavana who became consumed by the fire proceeding from that look4 ,,muchukunda 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ea499 ,raja ,parikshit asked -- ,who was the man and why was he sleeping in the cave8 ,suka replied3 -- ,he was a descendant of the line of ,ikshvaku1 son of the great ,king ,mandhata1 by name ,muchukunda4 ,he had helped the ,devas in their fight with the ,asuras4 ,when the fight was over1 the ,devas showed him the cave and asked him to rest there4 ,the ,devas blessed him with a long sleep4 ,when ,yavana was killed1 ,krishna appeared before ,muchukunda4 ,who mayest thou be with such overpowering glory8 the latter asked4 ,krishna replied3 -- ,my births and deeds are infinite4 ,even ,i cannot count them4 ,at the request of ,brahma1 ,i am at present born in the line of ,yadu as the son of ,vasudeva1 for the protection of religion and for the rooting out of the ,asuras4 ,i have killed ,kansa who is no other than ,kalanemi4 ,i have killed ,pralamba and others4 ,this ,yavana was also killed by me1 by means of the fire from your eyes4 ,i have now come here to favor thee1 for ,i am bound by affection to my votaries4 ,ask what boon thou likest4 ,thou shalt have all thou desirest4 ,muchu ,kunda remembered the foresaying of ,garga that there was to be a ,divine ,incarnation in the #bhth ,kali ,yuga and he therefore knew ,krishna to be the divine ,lord4 ,he asked for no boon but devotion to ,krishna4 ,truly said ,krishna1 thy mind is pure and noble for it is not tempted by boons4 ,those that are wholly devoted to me do not yield to desires4 ,those that are not devoted may control their mind by ,pranayama and other practices but1 as their desires are not overcome1 they are found to go astray4 ,roam about the ,earth1 with mind fixed in me4 ,thy devotion shall never fail4 ,wash away the impurities of the present life with devoted concentration of the mind4 ,in the next birth thou shalt be born as a ,brahmana and become the greatest friend of all beings1 and thou shalt then fully attain me4 ,muchu ,kunda came out of the mountain cave4 ,he found that the animals and trees were all short-sized and hence inferred it was ,kali ,yuga4 ,he made his way to the north and engaged himself in devotional practices in the ,badari ,asram of ,nara and ,narayana4 7,what has been the next birth of ,muchu ,kunda8 ,how has he befriended the universe6 ,or is he still to come87 ,krishna came back to ,mathura4 ,he killed the ,mlechha troops4 ,his men and cattle were carrying the booty to ,dvaraka4 ,when on the way1 ,rama and ,krishna were attacked by ,jara ,sandha with a large army4 ,the brothers feigned a flight4 ,jara ,sandha chased them with his army4 ,they climbed up a mountain4 ,jara ,sandha made a search1 but could not find them4 ,he then set fire to the mountain sides4 ,the brothers jumped down eleven ,yojanas and made their way to ,dvaraka4 ,,dvaraka ,,lila4 ,,rukmini4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #eb-ed499 ,we have been already told of ,balarama's marriage with ,revati4 ,sri ,krishna married ,rukmini in the ,rakshasa form4 7,the seizure of a maiden by force from her house1 while she weeps and calls for assistance1 after her kinsmen and friends have been slain in the battle or wounded and their houses broken open1 is the marriage styled ,rakshasa74 ,king ,bhishmaka of ,vidarbha had five sons1 ,rukmin1 ,rukmaratha1 ,rukma-vahu1 ,rukma-kesa1 and ,rukma-malin4 ,he had also one daughter ,rukmini4 7,rukma means bright1 radiant1 also gold74 ,krishna and ,rukmini had heard of each other and they made a vow of marriage4 ,rukmin however betrothed his sister to ,sisupala1 son of the king of ,chedi4 ,rukmini secretly sent a ,brahmana messenger to ,krishna and gave him a letter4 ,the ,brahmana was received well by ,krishna4 ,he read out the following letter of ,rukmini4 ,o ,achyuta1 thou most lovely of all1 my mind has forced through all false shame and has become attached to thee1 for ,i have heard of thy excellences1 which reach the ear only to remove all sufferings and ,i have heard of thy beauty1 which gives all that is desired to the seer thereof4 ,o ,mukunda1 ,o ,nrisinha1 where is the girl1 however wellborn1 modest and great she may be1 that will not choose thee as her husband1 unequalled as thou art in birth1 grace1 beauty1 wisdom and riches1 and the most pleasing to all mankind4 ,therefore thou art chosen by me as my husband4 ,i offer myself up to thee4 ,come thou here and make me thy wife4 ,thou dost deserve to have me soon4 ,let not ,sisupala touch me1 like a jackal touching the share of a lion4 ,if ,i have done virtuous acts1 if ,i have rightly served the great ,lord ,siva1 then come1 ,o brother of ,rama1 and hold my hand and let not others do so4 ,the day after to-morrow is fixed for my marriage4 ,come thou unnoticed4 ,defeat ,sisupala and others and carry me away by force in the ,rakshasa form of marriage4 ,i shall tell you how it will not be necessary to kill my friends within the house4 ,the day before the marriage there will be a large gathering outside the town to worship the goddess ,durga1 and ,i as bride shall be present there4 ,the message was thus delivered4 ,sri ,krishna vowed to marry ,rukmini by force4 ,he ordered ,daruka 7,his charioteer7 to bring the chariot4 ,then he took the ,brahmana with him and reached ,kundina1 the town of ,bhishmaka1 in one day4 ,kundina was gay with preparations for the marriage4 ,dama ,ghosa1 the father of ,sisupala1 also made grand preparations4 ,he came with a large retinue to ,kundina4 ,bhishmaka went out to receive him1 and led him to his quarters4 ,salva1 ,jarasandha1 ,dantavakra1 ,viduratha1 ,paundraka1 and many other kings1 friendly to ,dama ,ghosha joined him with large armies4 ,they anticipated a fight with ,krishna and ,rama and they came well prepared for the occasion4 ,rama heard that ,krishna went all alone and he heard of the preparations made by his enemies4 ,so he lost no time in gathering a large army and marching for ,kundina4 ,bhishmaka heard of the approach of ,krishna and ,rama4 ,he gladly received them and gave them quarters4 ,rukmini1 guarded by the army1 went to the temple of ,durga with her companions4 ,she worshipped the ,goddess and prayed for ,krishna as her husband4 ,she then left the temple and was about to get into the chariot when ,sri ,krishna carried her off by force in his own chariot4 ,jara ,sandha and other kings were defeated by the ,yadu chiefs and they took to flight ,they consoled ,sisupala and then each went to his own place4 ,rukmin vowed that he would not return to ,kundina till he had killed ,krishna and rescued his sister4 ,he attacked ,krishna but was defeated by him4 ,krishna was about to kill him when ,rukmini interceded on his behalf4 ,krishna then partially shaved his head and chin and left him4 ,being thus disgraced1 ,rukmin made a town called ,bhojukata and lived there4 ,krishna brought ,rukmini to ,dvaraka and married her in due form4 ,,pradyumna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ee499 ,the god ,kama is an aspect of ,vasudeva4 ,he had been burnt before by the fire of ,rudra's anger4 ,to get back his body1 he was born as the son of ,krishna by ,rukmini and became known as ,pradyumna4 ,he was not unlike his father in any respect ,the ,asura ,samvara1 who was ,kama 7or passions7 incarnate1 7,kama rupin71 knew the child to be his enemy and stole him away and threw him into the sea4 ,a big fish swallowed him up4 ,that fish with others was caught in a large net by the fishermen4 ,they presented the fish to ,samvara4 ,the servant cut open the fish and the child came out4 ,they made him over to ,mayavati4 ,she was frightened but ,naroda told her all about the child4 ,this ,mayavati1 named ,rati1 had been the wife of ,kama4 ,she had been waiting for the reappearance of her husband in a body4 ,she was employed by ,samvara as a cook4 ,knowing the child to be ,kama ,deva1 she nursed him and became attached to him4 ,in time1 ,kamadeva grew tip and ,mayavati approached him with expressions of love4 ,what is this mother8 asked ,kamadeva1 ,why this change in your feelings towards me6 ,thou art ,kamadeva1 ,o ,lord1 son of ,krishna4 ,thou hadst been stolen away by ,samvara4 ,i am thy wife ,rati4 ,the ,asura had thrown thee into the sea1 when a fish devoured thee4 ,i have got thee back from the stomach of that fish4 ,samvara is an adept in many forms of ,maya4 ,kill him by means of ,delusion and other powers of ,maya known to thee4 ,rati gave to ,pradyumna the ,vidya known as ,mahamaya1 the destroyer of all other ,mayas4 ,pradyumna fought with ,samvara and killed him with the help of ,mahamaya4 ,rati then carried her husband to ,dvaraka4 ,there the women mistook him for ,krishna and bashfully moved aside4 ,even ,rukmini could only half decide that he was her son4 ,krishna appeared with ,vasudeva1 ,devaki and ,rama4 ,narada related the story of ,pradyumna's adventures4 ,there was great joy at ,dvaraka and people welcomed ,pradyumna and his wife4 ,pradyumna was an image of ,krishna4 ,what wonder if even his mother became attached to him6 ,,the ,,jewel ,,syamantaka1 ,,jambavati ,,and ,,satyabhama4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ef499 ,king ,satrajit was a votary of the ,sun-,god4 ,he got a present from his deity of the ,syamantaka jewel4 ,he came to ,dvaraka with the jewel on his neck4 ,he shone with such a lustre that people took him for the sun4 ,the jewel used to bring forth #af1jjj palas of gold every day4 ,sri ,krishna asked the jewel for the king of the ,yadus1 but ,satrajit would not part with it4 ,one day his brother ,prasenajit rode on a hunting excursion into the forests1 with the jewel on his neck4 ,a lion killed him and his horse and carried away the jewel4 ,the ,bear-chief1 ,jambavat1 killed the lion and took away the jewel into his cave and made it the plaything of his son4 ,when ,prasena did not return1 ,satrajit thought that he had been killed by ,krishna4 ,people also suspected him4 ,to get rid of this unjust reproach1 ,sri ,krishna went on a search himself with his men4 ,he traced out the remains of ,prasena1 the horse and the lion4 ,he then entered the cave of the ,bear-chief1 leaving his men outside4 ,the infant son of ,jambavat was playing with the jewel4 ,krishna appeared before the boy4 ,the nurse screamed aloud4 ,jambavat rushed out in anger and attacked ,krishna4 ,the fight went on for twenty eight days and at last ,jambavat was overpowered4 ,he then knew ,sri ,krishna as ,vishnu1 the primal ,purusha and prayed to ,him4 ,sri ,krishna said the object of his entering the cave was to recover the jewel1 as he wanted to remove the suspicion that he himself had taken it4 ,jambavat gladly offered his daughter ,jambavati with the jewel to ,sri ,krishna4 ,he then returned to ,dvaraka with his bride and the jewel4 ,he called an assembly and1 in the presence of all1 made over the jewel to ,satrajit4 ,he also told him how he got it back4 ,satrajit felt deeply mortified4 ,he came back to his kingdom and thought how he could best appease ,sri ,krishna whom he had offended by groundless suspicion4 ,at last he offered his daughter ,satyabhama to ,krishna and also the jewel4 ,krishna said3 -- ,we do not want the jewel1 ,o ,king4 ,thou art the votary of the ,sun-,god4 ,let it remain with thee4 ,we shall partake of its blessings4 ,,syamantaka1 ,,akrura1 ,,kritavarman ,,and ,,sata ,,dhanu3 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #eg499 ,hearing that the ,pandavas had been killed in the ,lac-house1 ,rama and ,krishna went to ,hastinapura to offer their condolences4 ,taking advantage of their absence1 ,akrura and ,kritavarman said to ,satadhanu1 -- ,satrajit promised the ,syamantaka jewel also when he made over his daughter to ,sri ,krishna4 ,why shall not the jewel be taken from him8 ,why shall he not share the fate of his brother8 ,the wicked ,satadhanu under this evil inspiration killed ,satrajit while he was asleep and carried away the jewel4 ,satyabhama went to ,hastinapura and informed ,krishna of the killing of her father4 ,the brothers came back to ,dvaraka4 ,krishna made preparations for killing ,satadhanu and for recovering the jewel from him4 ,satadhanu sought the help of ,kritavarman4 ,but he knew too well the might of ,sri ,krishna and he declined to give any help4 ,satadhanu then turned to ,akrura4 ,akrura knew ,krishna as ,atman and he would not do anything4 ,satadhanu however left the jewel with ,akrura and fled away on horse-back4 ,rama and ,krishna followed him to ,mithila4 ,he left the horse and ran away on foot4 ,sri ,krishna overtook him soon and cut off his head with the ,chakra4 ,he then searched for the jewel1 but could not find it4 ,turning to his brother1 he said1 ,for nothing have ,i killed ,satadhanu4 ,the jewel is not with him4 ,rama replied -- ,satadhanu must have left the jewel with some one4 ,try to find him out4 ,go back to ,dvaraka4 ,i shall in the meantime pass some time with my friend1 the king of ,mithila4 ,rama remained at ,mithila for a few years4 ,duryodhana also came there4 ,he learned the art of fighting with the mall from ,rama4 ,sri ,krishna went back to ,dvaraka and told ,satyabhama how he had killed ,satadhanu but could not find the jewel4 ,kritavarman and ,akrura heard all that took place and they fled for their lives from ,dvaraka4 ,in the absence of ,akrura the people of ,dvaraka suffered from bodily and mental pain as well as disturbances from the ,devas and the elements4 ,those who forgot the glory of ,sri ,krishna attributed all this to the absence of ,akrura4 ,but it was not possible that such things should happen where ,sri ,krishna resided 7without ,his wish47 ,once upon a time there were no rains at ,kasi 7,benares74 ,the king of ,kasi offered his daughter ,gandivi to ,svafalka and it rained at ,kasi4 ,akrura is the son of that ,svafalka4 ,he has got the powers of his father4 ,it rains wherever ,akrura lives and the land becomes free from epidemics and calamities4 ,the old people talked thus4 ,sri ,krishna knew it was not so4 ,he sent for ,akrura1 shewed him every respect1 and smilingly addressed him thus3 -- ,o lord of giving 7,danapati71 ,satadhanu must have left the ,syamantaka jewel with thee4 ,i knew this from before4 ,satrajit left no son4 ,his daughter's son is therefore his true heir4 ,but it is not so easy to keep the jewel4 ,thou dost keep the observances well4 ,so let it be with thee4 ,but in the matter of this jewel1 even my brother does not believe me4 ,therefore shew it once and give peace to your friends4 ,akrura made over the jewel to ,sri ,krishna4 ,he shewed it to his clansmen1 in order to remove the stain of suspicion against him4 ,he then returned it to ,akrura4 ,,the ,,other ,,wives ,,of ,,sri ,,krishna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #eh-ei499 ,sri ,krishna went to see the ,pandava brothers at ,hastinapura4 ,they gave him a most devoted reception4 ,one day ,krishna and ,arjuna went on a hunting excursion to the side of the ,yamuna4 ,they saw there a most beautiful girl4 ,arjuna asked who she was4 ,the girl replied3 -- ,i am daughter of the ,sun-god4 ,desiring ,vishnu to be my husband1 ,i have performed great ,tapas4 ,i shall have no other husband4 ,let that friend of the friendless be pleased with me4 ,my name is ,,kalindi4 ,i am to reside in the waters of the ,yamuna in the abode built by my father till ,i see ,achyuta4 ,krishna placed the girl on his chariot and took her to ,yudisthira4 ,it was at this time that ,krishna got a town built by ,visvakarman at the request of ,arjuna and the ,khandava forest was burnt by the ,fire-god4 ,the rains over1 ,krishna went to ,dvaraka and there duly married ,kalindi4 ,vinda and ,anuvinda1 two princes of ,avanti1 were followers of ,duryodhana4 ,their sister ,,mitra ,,vinda wanted to marry ,krishna but they dissuaded her4 ,so ,krishna carried away the girl by force and married her4 ,she was the daughter of his father's sister ,rajadhi-devi4 ,in ,ko-sala1 there was a virtuous prince named ,nagnajit4 ,he had a daughter named ,,satya1 also called ,,nagnajiti after her father4 ,no one could marry her who had not overcome seven fierce bulls4 ,krishna went to ,kosala with a large retinue and he was received well by the prince4 ,the girl prayed to the ,fire-god to have ,krishna as her bridegroom4 ,krishna overcame the bulls and married the girl4 ,krishna then married ,,bhadra of ,kekaya1 the daughter of her aunt 7father's sister7 ,sruta-kirti4 ,he also carried away by force ,,lakshana1 the daughter of the king of ,madra4 ,naraka1 son of the ,earth1 deprived ,aditi1 mother of ,indra1 of her ear-rings1 ,varuna of his umbrella and ,indra of his seat at ,mani ,parvat 7,mountain of jewels74 ,indra complained to ,krishna4 ,he went with his wife ,satyabhama to ,prakjyotisha1 the town of ,naraka4 ,that town was well fortified and it was protected by the ,daitya ,mura and his meshes4 ,krishna forced his passage through all obstacles and had a fight with ,mura whom he slew with his ,chakra4 ,the seven sons of ,mura1 -- ,tamra1 ,antariksha1 ,sravana1 ,vibhavasu1 ,vatu1 ,nabhasvat and ,varuna1 -- under the lead of one ,pithha also attacked ,krishna1 but they were all killed4 ,naraka then himself fought with ,krishna and was killed by him4 ,the ,goddess ,earth then approached ,krishna and1 after adoring him1 said3 -- ,this ,bhagadatta1 son of ,naraka1 takes ,thy shelter4 ,please pass ,thy hand round his head4 ,krishna gave assurances of safety and he then entered the house of ,naraka4 ,naraka had carried away #af ,,thousand ,,girls by force4 ,krishna sent away these girls and much treasure to ,dvaraka4 ,he then went with ,satyabhama to the place of ,indra and there restored the ear-rings to ,aditi4 ,at the request of his wife1 ,krishna uprooted the ,parijata tree and placed it on the back of ,garuda4 ,the ,devas resisted1 but ,krishna defeated them all4 ,the ,parijata tree was planted in the quarters of ,satyabhama and it spread its fragrance all round4 ,krishna married the #af thousand girls at one and the same moment by assuming as many forms4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,rukmini4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fj499 ,krishna and ,rukmini were once sitting together1 when1 turning to his wife with a smile1 ,krishna spoke the following words3 ,princess1 thou wert coveted by great and powerful kings4 ,thy brother and thy own father offered thee to ,sisupala and others4 ,how is it then thou didst accept me who am not thy equal8 ,see how we have taken shelter in the sea being afraid of the kings4 ,having powerful enemies1 we can hardly be said to occupy our kingly seats4 ,o thou with beautiful eyebrows1 woe to those women who follow such men as have unknown and uncommon ways of their own4 ,poor as we are1 wealthy people hardly seek us4 ,it is meet that they should marry or make friendship with each other1 who are equals in wealth1 birth1 power and beauty4 ,it is through ignorance and shortsightedness that thou hast married one who is void of all ,gunas 7good qualities7 and who is praised only by ,bhikshus 7beggars74 ,therefore do thou seek some ,kshatriya king who will be a match for thee4 ,sisupala1 ,salva1 ,jarasandha1 ,danta ,vakra and other kings and even thy own brother ,rukmin1 blindfolded by pride1 shewed hostility to me4 ,for the repression of their pride1 ,i the punisher of evil men brought thee here4 ,but we are indifferent to the body and the house1 void of all desires1 fixed in self1 all full1 the light within1 without actions4 7,without anticipating our general study of the ,dvaraka ,lila1 it is sufficient to mention here that ,rukmini is the spiritual energy of ,mula ,prakriti1 or rather the light of ,purusha1 as reflected on ,prakriti4 ,the gist of what ,krishna says is that there is an essential difference between ,prakriti and ,purusha4 ,purusha is void of ,gunas1 while the ,gunas form the essence of ,prakriti4 ,coming from ,prakriti1 ,rukmini must follow the ,prakritic elements4 ,and if ,krishna wrested her away from the hands of the material energies of ,prakriti and even from her own ,prakritic basis 7her brothers and father71 it was because the material energies had asserted themselves too much4 ,this was done in the ,seventh ,manvantara1 when the spiritual ascent was a ,kalpic necessity4 ,was ,rukmini to remain wedded to ,krishna for the remaining period of the ,kalpa1 or was she to go back to her brothers and their friends874 ,rukmini replied3 -- ,o ,lotus eyed6 even so it is as thou sayest4 ,i am quite unlike thee1 the ,great ,bhagavat4 ,lord of even ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva1 ,thou art plunged in ,thy own greatness4 ,what am ,i to ,thee1 the ,gunas forming my essence8 ,it is only ignorant people who worship me4 7,for fear of kings1 thou hast taken refuge in the sea47 ,but the kings are the ,gunas1 7,sound1 ,touch1 ,form1 ,taste1 and ,smell which compose the object world47 ,for fear of them1 as it were1 thou hast taken refuge in the inner ocean of the heart1 and there thou dost manifest ,thyself1 as pure ,chaitanya4 ,the object-seeking ,indriyas are no doubt thy constant enemies4 ,but when thou speakest of giving up kingly seats1 why even thy votaries give them up1 as darkness itself4 ,the ways of even ,munis who worship ,thy ,lotus feet are unknown2 what of thine own8 ,when their ways are uncommon1 what of thine8 ,thou art poor indeed1 for there is nothing besides thee1 7and so nothing can form ,thy wealth47 ,but thou dost receive the offerings of others and they seek thee4 ,it is not through ignorance1 but knowing that thou art the ,atma of the ,universe1 that ,i have sought ,thee4 ,the flow of ,time that arises from ,thy eyebrow swallows up the desires of even ,brahma and others4 ,i did not even seek them for ,thy sake4 ,what speakest thou of others8 ,as the lion carries away his share by force from other animals1 so thou didst carry me away from amongst the kings4 ,how can ,i believe that thou didst take shelter in the ,sea from fear of such kings8 ,anga1 ,prithu1 ,bharata1 ,yayati1 ,gaya and other jewels of kings gave up their kingdoms and sought thee in the forests4 ,did woe befall them that thou talkest of woe to me8 ,the ,gunas have their resting place in thee4 ,thou art the home of ,lakshmi4 ,moksha is at ,thy feet4 ,what foolish woman shall follow others1 neglecting ,thee8 ,i have accepted thee1 the ,lord and soul of the ,universe1 the giver of all blessings here and hereafter4 ,let thy ,moksha-giving feet be my shelter4 ,let those women have the kings for their husbands1 those asses1 bullocks1 dogs1 cats1 and servants who have not heard of ,thee4 7,what is man without ,atma87 ,those that have not smelt the honey of ,thy ,lotus feet seek the dead body1 though it seems to be alive1 consisting of flesh1 blood1 bone1 worms1 excrement1 phlegm1 bile and gas1 covered over with skin1 hair and nails4 7,mula ,prakriti in the ,universe1 or ,budhi in man1 is wedded to ,atma1 represented by ,sri ,krishna4 ,the kings represent here the followers of material elements in the ,universe or in man47 ,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,krishna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fa499 ,the wives of ,krishna had each ten sons4 ,the ,sons of ,rukmini were4 -- ,pradyumna1 ,charudeshna1 ,sudeshna1 ,charudeha1 ,sucharu1 ,charu ,gupta1 ,bhadra ,charu1 ,charu-,chandra1 ,vicharu and ,charu4 ,the ten sons of ,satyabhama were4 -- ,bhanu1 ,subhanu1 ,svarbhanu1 ,prabhanu1 ,bhanumat1 ,chandra-bhanu1 ,vrihat-bhanu1 ,ati-bhanu1 ,sribhanu and ,prati-bhanu4 ,jambavati had ten sons4 -- ,samva1 ,sumitra1 ,purujit1 ,satajit1 ,sahasrajit1 ,vijaya1 ,chitraketu1 ,vasumat1 ,dravida1 and ,kratu4 ,nagnajiti had ten sons4 -- ,vira1 ,chandra1 ,asva-sen1 ,chitragu1 ,vegavat1 ,vrisha1 ,ama1 ,sanku1 ,vasu and ,kunti4 ,kalindi had ten sons4 -- ,sruta1 ,kavi1 ,vrisha1 ,vira1 ,suvahu1 ,bhadra1 ,santi1 ,darsa1 ,purna ,masa and ,somaka4 ,madri had ten sons4 -- ,praghosha1 ,gatravat1 ,sinha1 ,bala1 ,prabala1 ,urdhaga1 ,mahasakti1 ,saha1 ,ojas and ,aparajita4 ,mitravinda had ten ,sons4 -- ,vrika1 ,harsha1 ,anila1 ,gridhra1 ,vardhana1 ,annada1 ,mahansa1 ,pavana1 ,vahni and ,kshudhi4 ,bhadra had ten ,sons4 -- ,sangramajit1 ,brihat ,sena1 ,sura1 ,praharana1 ,arijit1 ,jaya1 ,subhadra1 ,rama1 ,ayu and ,satya4 ,rohini 7illustrative of the #af thousand wives7 had ,tamra-tapta and other sons4 ,pradyumna had1 by ,rukmavati1 daughter of ,rukmin1 one son ,aniruddha4 ,there were millions and millions in the line of ,krishna4 ,though ,rukmin vowed enmity to ,krishna1 he gave his daughter to ,krishna's son1 out of regard for his own sister ,rukmini4 ,balavat son of ,kritavarman married ,charumati1 daughter of ,rukmini4 ,rukmin also gave his grand-daughter ,rochana in marriage to ,aniruddha4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,rukmin4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fa499 ,rama1 ,krishna1 ,pradyumna1 ,rukmini and others went to ,bhoja ,kata1 the seat of ,rukmin1 on the occasion of ,aniruddha's marriage4 ,when the marriage was over1 the assembled kings advised ,rukmin to challenge ,rama to a game of dice4 ,at first1 the wager was laid by ,rama at one hundred1 one thousand and ten thousand gold coins respectively4 ,rukmin won all the games4 ,the king of ,kalinga derided ,rama by shewing his teeth4 ,rama did not like this4 ,rukmin then laid the wager at one lakh of gold coins4 ,balarama won the game4 ,but ,rukmin falsely declared that he had won it4 ,rama then laid the wager at ten krores4 ,rama won the game this time also4 ,but ,rukmin falsely said3 -- ,i have got it let the bystanders decide this4 ,at this time1 a voice from the heavens said that ,balarama had got the victory by fair means and ,rukmin was telling a lie1 ,but ,rukmin under evil advice did not mind this4 ,he and the kings derided ,balarama4 ,keeper of cows1 what know you of games8 ,they are the province of kings4 ,balarama could bear it no longer4 ,he took his club and killed ,rukmin4 ,he then broke the teeth of the king of ,kalinga4 ,the other kings fled in fear4 ,,bana4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fb-fc499 ,bana1 the eldest son of ,bali1 had one thousand hands4 ,he was a votary of ,siva4 ,siva asked him to name a boon and he prayed to ,siva to be the keeper of his place4 ,once he told ,siva that there was too much fighting-inclination in his hands1 but he found no match for him except ,siva himself4 ,even the elephants of space ran away in fear4 ,siva said angrily3 -- ,fool that thou art1 thou shalt fight with one equal to myself4 ,thy eminence shall then be lowered4 ,the ,asura chief gladly waited for the day4 ,bana had a daughter named ,usha4 ,she met ,aniruddha in a dream4 ,on getting up1 she exclaimed1 ,friend where art thou8 ,her attendant ,chitra-lekha1 daughter of the minister1 named ,kumbhanda1 enquired whom she was looking for4 ,usha described the figure she had seen in her dream4 ,chitra-lekha pointed out to her ,devas1 ,gandhavas1 and men1 one after another4 ,at last1 when she pointed to the figure of ,aniruddha1 the princess indicated him as her lover4 ,chitra-lekha by her ,yogic powers went to ,dvaraka and carried away ,aniruddha1 while he was asleep4 ,the prince and the princess passed their days together in the privacy of ,usha's apartment4 ,the men of the guard found some significant change in ,usha4 ,they informed the ,king4 ,bana came in unexpectedly and he found his daughter playing with a young man4 ,the armed attendants of ,bana attacked ,aniruddha but he killed many of them with his club and they ran away4 ,bana then tied the prince with serpents' twinings4 ,narada gave the news to ,krishna4 ,rama and ,krishna1 with their followers and a large army1 attacked ,sonita-pura1 the seat of ,bana4 ,siva engaged in fight with ,krishna1 ,kartikeya with ,pradyumna1 ,bana with ,satyaki1 ,kumbhanda and ,kupakarna with ,balarama and ,bana's son with ,samba4 ,krishna worsted ,siva and ,pradyumna worsted ,kartikeya4 ,bana then attacked ,krishna4 ,after some fighting the king fled away4 ,the ,fever with three heads and three feet1 known as ,siva's ,fever1 joined the battle4 ,to meet him1 ,krishna created the ,fever known as ,vishnu's ,fever4 ,the two fevers fought with each other4 ,worsted in the fight1 the ,fever of ,siva sought the protection of ,krishna4 ,he got assurances that he need have no fear from ,vishnu's ,fever4 ,bana returned to the charge4 ,krishna began to cut off his hands with the ,chakra4 ,siva appeared at the time and asked ,krishna to forgive ,bana as he had forgiven his father ,bali4 ,krishna replied3 -- ,o ,lord1 ,i cannot kill this son of ,bali4 ,i promised ,prahlada that ,i would not kill any of his line4 ,his many hands caused grief to ,earth and ,i have lopped them off4 ,now four hands shall only remain4 ,with these hands1 ,bana shall be thy constant companion1 without fear of death or infirmity4 ,bana bowed down his head4 ,he made over his daughter and ,aniruddha to ,krishna4 ,,nriga4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap1 #fd499 ,the sons of ,krishna went out to play in the forest4 ,they saw a huge lizard in a certain well4 ,they tried all means1 but could not raise it up4 ,they then informed ,krishna4 ,he raised it1 without effort1 with his left hand4 ,the lizard assumed the form of a ,deva4 ,on inquiry from ,krishna1 he thus related his own story4 ,i am king ,nriga of the line of ,ikshvaku4 ,my charities knew no bounds and they have become proverbial4 ,one cow belonging to a ,brahmana got mixed with my herd and1 without knowing that1 ,i gave her to another ,brahmana4 ,while he was taking away the cow1 the owner found her out4 ,the two ,brahmanas quarrelled and they came to me4 ,they said3 -- ',you are a giver as well as taker4' ,i became surprised and1 when the facts were known1 ,i offered one lakh of cows for the return of the mistaken cow4 ,one of them however said1 ',i am not going to take a gift from the king4' ,the other said3 -- ',i do not wish for other cows even if they be ten lakhs4' ,they both went away4 ,at this time the messengers of ,yama came and carried me away4 ,yama said3 -- ',i see no end of your merits and the places acquired by them4 ,do you prefer to suffer for your demerit first or to enjoy those heavenly things8' ,i took the first choice and down ,i fell as a lizard into this well4 ,look how ,i have suffered for taking a ,brahmana's property4 ,the king then thanked ,krishna for his favor and ascended to the heavens4 ,krishna gave a discourse to those around him as to how iniquitous it was to take a ,brahmana's property1 consciously or unconsciously4 ,,balarama ,,and ,,the ,,drawing ,,of ,,the ,,yamuna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fe499 ,balarama went to ,vrindavana to see his old friends4 ,the ,gopas and ,gopis gave him a warm reception and they complained of the hard-heartedness of ,krishna4 ,balarama remained there for the two months1 ,chaitra and ,vaisakha4 ,the ,gopa girls used to join him at night4 ,one day he went in their company to the side of the ,yamuna4 ,fermented juice 7,varuni7 fell from the trees1 as directed by ,varuna4 ,balarama drank the juice with the ,gopa girls and became intoxicated4 ,he called the ,yamuna to his side for a pleasure bath1 but she did not came4 ,balarama thought he was drunk and therefore the river goddess did not heed his words4 ,he drew her by the ploughshare and said in anger3 -- ,wicked thou1 ,i called thee4 ,but thou didst not hear4 ,i shall tear thee asunder with this plough4 ,terrified1 the river goddess adored ,balarama and sought his pardon4 ,balarama forgave her4 ,he then had a pleasure bath with the girls4 ,lakshmi made presents to him of blue clothes1 rich ornaments and an auspicious garland4 ,,poundraka ,,and ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,kasi 7,,benares74 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ff499 ,poundraka1 king of ,karusha1 thought1 ,i am ,vasudeva4 ,with this conviction1 he sent a messenger to ,krishna1 calling him a pretender4 ,he was staying with his friend1 the king of ,kasi4 ,krishna attacked ,kasi1 and both the princes came out with a large army4 ,krishna found ,poundraka had the conch1 the disc1 the club1 the bow made of horn and the ,srivatsa1 all his own symbols4 ,he was adorned with the ,kaustubha and a garland of wild flowers4 ,he had yellow clothes and rich crest jewels4 ,he had ,makara-shaped ear-rings4 ,he was seated on a false ,garuda4 ,seeing ,poundraka represent him in this way1 as it were on the stage1 ,krishna began to laugh4 ,he killed both the princes in the fight4 ,poundraka had constantly meditated on ,hari and he assumed his form and became all ,hari himself4 ,sudakshina1 son of the ,kasi prince1 vowed vengeance and worshipped ,siva4 ,siva1 being pleased with his worship1 asked him to name a boon4 ,he asked how he could kill the slayer of his father4 ,siva told him to invoke ,dakshina ,agni1 with a ,mantra of black magic 7,abhichara74 ,sudakshina did so with the aid of ,brahmanas4 ,the fire went towards ,dvaraka to consume ,krishna4 ,krishna sent his ,sudarsana disc which overpowered the fire4 ,the fire fell back on ,kasi and consumed ,sudakshina and the ,brahmanas4 ,sudarsana still followed the fire4 ,the divine weapon burnt the whole of ,kasi and went back to ,krishna4 ,,dvi-,,vid 7,,monkey74 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fg499 ,the ,monkey-general ,dvi-vid was a minister of ,sugriva and brother of ,mainda4 ,he was a friend of ,naraka1 son of ,earth4 ,to take revenge for his friend's death1 he began to do all sorts of mischief1 especially in the regions of ,dvaraka4 ,balarama was in the midst of some girls on the ,raivataka hill4 ,the monkey made all sorts of gestures to annoy and insult the girls and he provoked ,balarama again and again who then killed ,dvi-vid1 to the great joy of all4 ,,samba1 ,,lakshana ,,and ,,balarama4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fh499 ,lakshana1 daughter of ,duryodhana1 was to select her own husband1 and there was an assembly of princes4 ,samba1 son of ,jambavati1 carried away the girl by force4 ,the ,kauravas could not brook this insult4 ,bhishma1 ,kama1 ,salya1 ,bhuri1 ,yajna ,ketu and ,duryodhana united to defeat ,samba and they brought him back as a prisoner4 ,narada gave the information to the ,vrishnis and their chief ,ugrasena gave them permission to fight with the ,kauravas4 ,balarama did not like that the ,kurus and ,yadus should fight with one another4 ,so he went himself to ,hastinapura4 ,he remained outside the town and sent ,uddhava to learn the views of ,dhrita-,rashtra4 ,the ,kurus came in a body to receive ,balarama4 ,when the formalities were over1 ,balarama composedly asked the ,kurus1 in the name of king ,ugrasena1 to restore ,samba4 ,the ,kurus proudly replied3 ,we have given the kingdom to the ,vrishnis and ,yadus4 ,a wonder indeed1 they want to become our equals and to dictate to us6 ,surely the lamb cannot take away the lion's game4 ,balarama thought how foolish the ,kurus had become4 ,they did not know the powers of ,ugrasena and of ,krishna4 ,in anger he exclaimed1 ,i will make the earth to be stripped of all ,kauravas ,he took his plough and gave a pull to ,hastinapura4 ,the town became topsy-turvy4 ,the ,kurus came and adored him4 ,they brought back ,samba and ,lakshana4 ,duryodhana made large presents and ,balarama became appeased4 ,he went back with ,samba and his bride to ,hastinapura and related what had happened to the ,yadus4 ,,narada ,,and ,,the ,,wives ,,of ,,sri ,,krishna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #fi499 ,what a wonder that ,sri ,krishna married #af thousand girls1 all at one and the same time1 with but one body6 ,so thought ,narada and he came to see things with his own eyes at ,dvaraka4 ,he entered one of the rooms and found ,krishna seated with one of the girls4 ,krishna washed the feet of ,narada and sprinkled the water over his body4 ,the ,rishi entered another room4 ,krishna was playing at dice with one of his wives and with ,uddhava4 ,he entered another room and found ,krishna was taking care of his children4 ,so he entered room after room4 ,krishna was either bathing or making preparations for the sacrifice1 or feeding ,brahmanas1 or making recitals of ,gayatri1 or riding1 or driving1 or taking counsel of ministers1 or making gifts1 or hearing recitals of sacred books4 ,he was in one place following ,dharma1 in one ,artha and in another ,kama4 ,narada smiled and said3 -- ,o ,lord of ,yoga1 ,i know the ,yogic ,maya1 by service at ,thy feet1 as it is manifest in me1 though hard of perception by those that are themselves under the influence of ,maya4 ,now permit me to roam about the ,lokas1 filled with ,thy glory1 singing ,thy deeds1 which purify all the worlds4 ,sri ,krishna said3 -- ,o ,brahmana1 ,i am the teacher1 the maker and the recogniser of ,dharma4 ,it is to teach people that ,i have resorted to all this4 ,o ,son1 do not be deluded4 ,,the ,,raja ,,suya ,,and ,,jarasandha4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #gj-gc499 ,krishna was holding council in the ,assembly ,room called ,sudharma4 ,a ,brahmana came as a messenger from the ,rajas who had been imprisoned by ,jarasandha and confined in a hill fort4 ,the ,rajas sought their delivery from ,krishna1 who had defeated ,jarasandha seven times and had been defeated by him only once4 ,narada appeared at the time4 ,krishna enquired from him about the ,pandavas4 ,the ,rishi said3 -- ,raja ,yudhisthira intends to perform the great ,yajna ,raja ,suya in ,thy honor4 ,please give thy consent4 ,krishna turned towards ,uddhava and asked for advice4 ,uddhava gauged the feelings of ,narada1 of ,krishna and the assembly and said3 -- ,it is meet thou shouldst help thy cousin in the performance of ,raja ,suya ,yajna and also that thou shouldst protect the ,rajas that seek relief from thee4 ,kings all round will have to be conquered at the ,raja ,suya sacrifice4 ,the defeat of ,jarasandha will follow as a matter of course4 ,thus shall we see the fulfilment of our great desire and the liberation of the ,rajas shall redound to ,thy glory4 ,both ends will be served in this way4 ,but ,jarasandha is very powerful4 ,he should not be fought with while at the head of his large army4 ,bhima is equal to him in strength4 ,let him fight singly with ,jarasandha4 ,that king does not refuse any prayer of ,brahmanas4 ,let ,bhima ask for single combat in the disguise of a ,brahmana4 ,surely that son of ,pandu will kill him in thy presence4 ,krishna gave kind assurances to the messenger of the captive kings and left for ,hastinapura4 ,the ,pandavas vied with one another in shewing respectful love to ,krishna and ,arjuna delivered up the ,khandava forest to ,agni and liberated ,maya4 ,in return for this kindness1 ,maya made the magical assembly ground for the ,yajna4 ,all the kings were brought under submission by ,bhima1 ,arjuna1 ,nakula1 ,sahadeva and the allied kings1 except ,jarasandha4 ,bhima1 ,arjuna and ,krishna went to the seat of ,jarasandha in the disguise of ,brahmanas4 ,they begged hospitality from the king4 ,king ,jarasandha concluded from their voice1 their shape and from the arrow marks on their hands that they were ,kshatriyas4 ,he also thought they were his acquaintances4 ,these are ,kshatriyas1 though they wear the marks of brahmanas4 ,i will give them what they ask even though it be my own self1 so difficult to part with4 ,is not the pure glory of ,bali spread in all directions1 though he was deprived of his lordly powers by ,vishnu in the disguise of a ,brahmana8 ,vishnu wanted to restore the lordship of the ,triloki to ,india4 ,bali knew the ,brahmana in disguise to be ,vishnu4 ,he still made over the ,triloki to him1 even against the protests of his ,guru ,sukra4 ,this body of a ,kshatriya1 frail as it is1 what purpose will it serve if wide fame is not acquired by means of it for the sake of a ,brahmana8 ,turning to ,krishna1 ,arjuna and ,bhima1 ,jarasandha said3 -- ,o ,brahmanas1 ask what you wish for4 ,even if it be my own head1 ,i shall give it to you4 ,krishna replied3 ,give us a single combat1 if you please1 ,o ,king4 ,we are ,kshatriyas and have come for fight4 ,we desire nothing else4 ,this is ,bhima4 ,this is his brother ,arjuna4 ,know me to be their cousin ,krishna1 thy enemy4 ,the king of ,magadha broke out in loud laughter4 ,in anger he then exclaimed3 -- ,o fools1 ,i will give you a fight then4 ,but thou art a coward4 ,thou didst run away from ,mathura and didst take shelter in the sea4 ,this ,arjuna is not my equal in age4 ,he is not very strong4 ,he is unlike me in his body4 ,so he cannot be my rival4 ,this ,bhima is my match in strength4 ,so saying he gave one club to ,bhima and took one himself4 ,the two heroes fought outside the town4 ,the fight was a drawn one4 ,krishna knew about the birth1 death and life of ,jarasandha4 ,he thought in his mind about the joining together by the ,rakshasa woman ,jara4 7,the legend is that ,jarasandha was born1 divided in two halves1 which were put together by the ,rakshasa woman ,jara47 ,krishna took a branch in his hand and tore it asunder4 ,bhima took the hint4 ,he put his foot on one of the legs of ,jarasandha and took the other in his hand and tore asunder the body in two equal parts4 ,krishna placed ,sahadeva1 the son of ,jarasandha1 on the throne of ,magadha1 ,he then liberated the kings who had been imprisoned by ,jarasandha4 ,they were twenty thousand and eight hundred in number4 ,they saw ,krishna with four hands and with all the divine attributes4 ,their eyes1 tongues and noses all fed upon him1 as it were1 and their hands were stretched forth to receive him4 ,they all fell at the feet of ,krishna and began to adore him4 ,we do not blame the king of ,magadha4 ,o ,lord1 it is by ,thy favor1 that kings are deprived of their thrones4 ,humbled1 we remember ,thy feet4 ,we do not long for any kingdom in this life1 nor do we care for the fruits of good works after death4 ,tell us that which will keep the recollection of ,thy feet ever fresh in this life4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,from this day forward let your devotion towards me1 the ,lord of all1 be made firm and fixed4 ,your resolve is commendable4 ,it is true as you say that riches and power turn the heads of princes4 ,look at ,haihaya1 ,nahusha ,vena1 ,ravana1 ,naraka and others4 ,though kings of ,devas1 ,daityas and men1 they came down from their lofty position through pride4 ,knowing as you do that the body and all other things that have a beginning have also an end1 you should worship me1 perform sacrifices and duly protect your subjects4 ,indifferent to good and bad things alike1 fix your minds completely on me and you shall attain me in the end4 ,krishna made arrangements for their comfort4 ,at his bidding1 ,sahadeva supplied them with kingly dresses and valuable ornaments and gave them princely treatment4 ,krishna sent them to their respective kingdoms4 ,krishna1 ,bhima and ,arjuna then returned to ,hastinapura4 ,,sisupala4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #gd499 ,yudhisthira commenced the performance of the ,yajna4 ,he asked permission of ,krishna to make a respectful call on the priests that were to officiate at the ceremonies4 ,vyasa1 ,bharadvaja1 ,sumanta1 ,gotama1 ,asita1 ,vasishtha1 ,chyavana1 ,kanva1 ,maitreya and other ,rishis1 ,drona1 ,bhishma1 ,kripa and others1 ,dhritarashra with his sons1 ,vidura1 ,brahmanas1 ,vaisyas and ,sudras3 all the kings and their subjects came to witness the ,yajna4 ,the ,brahmanas prepared the sacrificial ground with golden ploughs4 ,they then initiated king ,yudhisthira according to the ,vedic rites4 ,the ,ritvik ,brahmanas duly assisted at the performance of the ,rajasuya4 ,on the day of extracting ,soma ,juice1 the king duly worshipped the priests and their assistants4 ,then the time came for worshipping those that were present at the assembly4 ,now who was to be worshipped first8 ,there were many head-men present and the members consulted with one another as to who deserved to get the first offering but they could not come to a decision4 ,sahadeva then addressed the meeting thus3 -- ,sri ,krishna1 the ,lord of the ,satvats1 deserves the first place4 ,all the ,devas1 ,time1 ,space1 wealth and all else are but himself4 ,he is the soul of the ,universe4 ,he is the essence of all sacrifices1 the sacrificial fire1 the sacrificial offerings and ,mantras1 ,sankhya and ,yoga2 all relate to him4 ,he is the one without a second4 ,alone1 ,he creates1 preserves and destroys4 ,by ,his favor men make various performances and from ,him they attain the fruits of those performances4 ,give the first welcome-offering of respect to that ,great ,krishna4 ,all beings and even ,self shall be honored by this4 ,krishna is the soul of all beings4 ,all differences vanish before him4 ,all good people approved of the proposal of ,sahadeva4 ,raja ,yudhisthira washed the feet of ,krishna and sprinkled the water over his own head and that of his relatives4 ,he then made valuable offerings to him4 ,all people saluted ,krishna1 saying ,namas 7salutation7 and ,jaya 7,victory71 and flowers rained over his head4 ,sisupala could not bear all this4 ,he stood up in the midst of the assembly and thus gave vent to his feelings4 ,true is the saying that time is hard to overcome4 ,or how could even old men be led away by the words of a boy8 ,you leaders of the assembly know best what are the relative merits of all4 ,do not endorse the words of a boy that ,krishna deserves to get the first welcome-offering of respect ,here are great ,rishis1 fixed on ,brahma1 great in asceticism1 wisdom and religious practices1 adored even by the ,lokapalas1 their impurities all completely removed by divine perception4 ,overstepping them all1 how could this cowherd 7,gopala7 boy1 the disgrace 7pansana7 of his family 7,kula71 deserve to be worshipped1 as if the crow 7,kaka7 deserves to get the sacrificial oblation 7purodasa78 7,sridhara explains this ,sloka and the following ones as a veiled adoration of ,sri ,krishna4 ,gopala is the protector of ,vedas1 of the ,earth and of others4 ,the word go means the ,vedas and the ,earth1 besides cow4 ,kula pansana ,kulapaansana4 ,kulapas are sinners4 ,he who destroys 7,ansa7 them is ,kula pansana4 ,kaka may be read as compounded with another word in the ,sloka1 in the form of akaka4 ,kaka is ka aka4 ,ka is happiness1 aka is misery4 ,he who has neither happiness nor misery is akaka i4e41 one who has got all his desires4 ,one who has got all his desires does not only deserve to get the purodasa offering of the ,devas but all other offerings4 ,i do not think it necessary to reproduce the double interpretation by ,sridhara of the other ,slokas1 which is continued in the same strain47 ,he has gone away from his ,varna1 ,asrama and ,kula4 ,he is outside all injunctions and duties4 ,he follows his own will4 ,he is void of attributes 7,gunas74 ,how can he deserve to be worshipped8 ,king ,yayati cursed his line and it is not honored by good people4 ,his clansmen are addicted to unnecessary drinking4 ,how can he deserve to be worshipped8 ,they left the the lands where the ,rishis dwell1 and made their fort on the ,sea2 moreover they oppress their subjects like robbers4 ,sisupala went on in this way and ,krishna did not say a word4 ,the lion heeds not the jackal's cry4 ,the members of the ,assembly closed their ears and went away1 cursing ,sisupala in anger4 ,they could not hear the calumny of ,bhagavat4 ,for he who hears the calumny of ,bhagavat and of those that are devoted to him and does not leave the place goes downwards1 deprived of all merits4 ,the sons of ,pandu and their allies of ,matsya1 ,kaikaya and ,srinjaya1 took up arms to kill ,sisupala4 ,sisupala also took his shield and sword and reproved the kings on the side of ,krishna4 ,krishna then rose up and asked his followers to desist4 ,he cut off the head of ,sisupala with the ,chakra4 ,a flame like a glowing meteor rose from the body of ,sisupala and entered ,sri ,krishna4 ,for three births1 ,sisupala had constantly followed ,vishnu in enmity4 ,by this constant though hostile meditation1 he attained the state of that he meditated upon4 7,the readers are reminded here of the story of ,jaya and ,vijaya1 the gatekeepers of ,vishnu in ,vaikuntha74 ,the ,rajasuya sacrifice came to a close4 ,raja ,yudhisthira performed the bathing ceremony1 enjoined at the close of a sacrifice 7avabhritha74 ,,the ,,slight ,,of ,,duryodhana4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ge499 ,the fame of ,yudhisthira went abroad4 ,all sang the glory of the ,rajasuya sacrifice4 ,duryodhana became filled with jealousy4 ,one day king ,yudhisthira was seated on a golden throne in the assembly hall1 prepared by ,maya1 with ,krishna and others around him4 ,the proud ,duryodhana1 surrounded by his brothers1 entered the place with crown on his head and sword in his hand1 showering abuse on the gate-keepers and others4 ,he took land to be water and drew up his clothes4 ,he also took water to be land and wet himself4 ,the ,maya 7,magic71 displayed by ,maya1 in the preparation of the assembly ground1 caused this delusion4 ,bhima laughed1 and the females and other kings laughed too1 though forbidden by ,yudhisthira4 ,krishna however approved their laughter4 ,overpowered with shame1 with his head cast down1 ,duryodhana silently left the place and went to ,hastinapura4 ,krishna kept quiet4 ,he wished to relieve the ,earth of the weight of the ,daityas who were oppressing her4 ,it was only ,his will that ,duryodhana should thus be deluded 7and the disastrous results would follow74 ,,salva4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #gf-gg499 ,when ,krishna carried away ,rukmini1 he defeated the kings in battle and1 amongst others1 he defeated ,salva1 king of ,soubha1 the friend of ,sisupala4 ,salva vowed at the time to kill all ,yadavas4 ,he ate only a handful of dust and worshipped ,siva4 ,after a year ,siva became pleased with his worship and asked the king to name a boon4 ,he prayed for an invulnerable chariot that would carry terror to the ,yadavas4 ,at the bidding of ,siva1 ,maya prepared an iron chariot1 called ,soubha1 which could move at will to any place4 ,mounted on this chariot1 ,salva attacked ,dvaraka1 with his large army4 ,he threw weapons1 stones1 trees and serpents from above and demolished walls and gardens4 ,the people of ,dvaraka became very much oppressed4 ,pradyumna and other ,yadavas engaged in fight with ,salva and his army4 ,salva's chariot was sometimes visible and sometimes not4 ,it now rose high and now came low4 ,with difficulty1 ,pradyumna killed ,dyumat1 the general of ,salva4 ,but still the fight went on for seven days and seven nights4 ,krishna had been at ,hastinapura4 ,he felt misgivings and hurried to ,dvaraka with ,rama4 ,the fight was then going on4 ,krishna placed ,rama in charge of the town and himself went to fight with ,salva4 ,salva tauntingly addressed ,krishna who gave the king a heavy blow with his club4 ,salva disappeared4 ,instantly a man came and informed ,krishna that he was a messenger from ,devaki4 ,salva had carried away his father ,vasudeva4 ,krishna asked3 -- ,how could ,salva conquer ,rama so as to carry away my father8 ,but he had scarcely finished when ,salva appeared with somebody like ,vasudeva1 saying ,o fool1 here is your father4 ,i will kill him in your presence4 ,save him1 if you can4 ,he then cut off the head of ,vasudeva1 and entered the chariot4 ,krishna found this was all the ,maya of ,salva and in reality his father was neither carried off nor killed4 ,he broke the chariot ,soubha with his club4 ,salva left the chariot and stood upon earth1 club in hand4 ,krishna cut off his hands and then cut off his head with the ,chakra4 ,,danta ,,vakra ,,and ,,viduratha4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #gh499 ,danta-,vakra was the friend of ,sisupala1 ,salva and ,paundraka4 ,he came to attack ,sri ,krishna with club in hand and1 seeing him1 exclaimed3 ,it is good fortune1 that ,i see you4 ,you are our cousin4 ,but still you have killed our friends and you now want to kill me4 ,i will therefore kill you with this club4 7,sridhara gives a second meaning to this ,sloka4 ,at the end of his third birth ,danta ,vakra was to regain his place in ,vaikuntha4 ,sisupala and ,danta ,vakra1 as explained before1 were ,jaya and ,vijaya1 gate-keepers of ,vaikuntha4 ,by the curse of the ,kumaras1 they incarnated as ,asuras4 ,the third and last cycle of material ascendancy was to be ended4 ,jaya and ,vijaya were not to incarnate any more4 ,therefore ,danta-,vakra exclaimed that it was his good fortune to meet ,krishna and so on74 ,krishna struck him with his club and killed him4 ,a flame arose from the body of ,danta-,vakra1 as from that of ,sisupala1 and it entered ,sri ,krishna4 ,viduratha1 the brother of ,danta-,vakra was afflicted with grief at the death of his brother4 ,he now attacked ,krishna4 ,krishna cut off his head with the ,chakra4 ,,balarama ,,and ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,romaharshana4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #gh-gi499 ,balarama heard that the ,kurus and ,pandavas were making preparations for a mutual fight4 ,he belonged to neither side4 ,so he went out on pretext of a pilgrimage4 ,he went to ,prabhasa and performed the ablution ceremonies4 ,he went to several other places and at last reached the ,naimisha forest4 ,the ,rishis all rose up to receive him4 ,romaharshana1 the disciple of ,vyasa1 did not leave his seat4 ,he belonged to the ,suta community1 -- a mixed class1 born of ,kshatriya father and ,brahmana mother1 -- but he took his seat higher than that of the ,brahmanas4 ,balarama thought that the ,suta had learned the ,itihasas1 ,puranas and all ,dharma ,sastras from ,vyasa but he had not learned humility and self-control and that he had become proud of his wisdom4 ,balarama cut off his head with the tip of a ,kusa grass4 ,the ,rishis broke forth into loud cries of lamentation4 ,addressing ,balarama1 they said3 ,o lord6 thou hast done a wrong4 ,we gave him this seat of a ,brahmana4 ,we gave him age and freedom from fatigue1 till the ,yajna was completed4 ,not knowing this1 thou hast killed one who was1 while on his seat1 a ,brahmana4 ,thou art not regulated by the ,vedas4 ,but of thy own accord1 do thou perform some ,prayaschitta1 and thereby shew an example to other people4 ,balarama enquired what he was to do4 ,the ,rishi asked him to do that by which their words as well as the act of ,balarama both might prove true4 ,balarama said3 ,one's son is one's own self4 ,so say the ,vedas4 ,therefore the son of ,romaharshana1 ,ugrasravas1 shall be your reciter of ,puranas4 ,he shall have long life and freedom from fatigue4 ,what am ,i to do1 ,o ,rishis1 by which ,i may atone for my deed8 ,the ,rishis asked ,balarama to kill ,valvala1 son of the ,danava ,ilvala1 who used to pollute the sacrificial ground on certain days of the moon4 ,they also asked ,rama to travel all over ,bharata ,varsha for twelve months1 and take his bath at the sacred places4 ,rama killed ,valvala and went out on pilgrimage4 ,on his return to ,prabhasa he heard about the death of the ,kshatriya kings in the war between the ,kurus and the ,pandavas4 ,he went to ,kurukshetra4 ,bhima and ,duryodhana were then fighting with each other with their clubs4 ,balarama tried to bring about peace4 ,but they did not heed his words4 ,he then returned to ,dvaraka4 ,balarama once more went to ,naimisha and he was adored by the ,rishis4 ,,sridaman4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #hj-ha499 ,krishna had a ,brahmana fellow-student1 by name ,sridaman4 ,he was well-read in the ,vedas1 self controlled and contented4 ,he had a wife4 ,he lived on whatever was freely given to him by others4 ,his wife was ill-clad and ill-fed1 like himself4 ,one day she approached her husband and said3 -- ,husband1 your friend is the ,lord of ,lakshmi 7the goddess of wealth7 herself4 ,go to him and he will give you wealth4 ,he gives even his own self to those that meditate on his lotus feet4 ,what can not that ,lord of the ,universe give to those that worship him with some desire8 ,being repeatedly pressed by his wife1 he at last resolved to go to ,krishna1 thinking that the sight of his friend would be his greatest gain4 ,he asked his wife for some offering for his friend1 ,she begged four handfuls of flattened rice 7,chipitaka7 from the ,brahmanas and tied that up in one corner of her husband's rag4 ,the ,brahmana went to ,dvaraka1 thinking all the way how he could meet ,krishna4 ,he passed through certain apartments and went into one of the rooms4 ,krishna was seated with one of his wives4 ,he saw the ,brahmana from a distance and rose up to receive him4 ,he came down and embraced his former companion with both his hands4 ,krishna gave him a respectful welcome and a seat by his own side4 ,he then talked with him about the old reminiscences of student life1 how they passed their days at the residence of ,sandipani1 how faithfully they carried out the behests of the ,guru and his wife1 how necessary it was to respect the ,guru and such other topics4 ,he then smilingly looked at the ,brahmana and said3 -- ,what have you brought for me from your house8 ,even the smallest thing brought by my ,bhaktas becomes great by their love1 while the largest offerings of those that are not devoted to me cannot please me4 ,the ,brahmana1 though asked1 was ashamed to offer the flattened rice to the ,lord of ,lakshmi and he cast down his head4 ,the all-seeing ,sri ,krishna knew the object of the ,brahmana's coming4 ,he found that the ,brahmana had not at first worshipped him with the object of attaining wealth4 ,it was only to please his devoted wife that he now had that desire4 ,the ,lord therefore thought he would give him such wealth as was difficult to acquire4 ,he then snatched away the flattened rice from the rags of the ,brahmana saying1 ,what is this6 ,o friend you have brought this highly gratifying offering for me4 ,these rice grains please me1 the ,universal ,atma4 ,so saying he partook of one handful4 ,when he was going to take the second handful1 ,lakshmi held his hand1 saying1 ,o ,lord of the ,universe1 this much will quite suffice to give all such wealth as can be needed for this world as well as for the next1 such that it will even please thee to see that thy votary has got so much wealth4 ,the ,brahmana passed the night with ,krishna4 ,the next morning1 he went home4 ,krishna went a certain distance with him to see him off4 ,krishna did not give him wealth nor did he ask for any4 ,he thought within himself ,what am ,i1 a poor ,brahmana and a sinner and this ,krishna1 whose breast is the abode of ,lakshmi1 gave me a reception as if ,i were a god4 ,the worship of ,his feet is the root of all ,siddhis1 all enjoyments1 of ,svarga and even of ,mukti4 ,kind as he is1 he did not give me any the least wealth1 lest a poor man should forget ,him by the pride of wealth4 ,when he reached home1 he found palatial buildings1 gardens and lots of well-dressed male and female attendants4 ,they received him with valuable presents4 ,his wife also came out to receive him1 with a number of female attendants4 ,the ,brahmana was surprised4 ,he saw this was all the outcome of his visiting ,sri ,krishna4 ,he controlled himself while enjoying this immense wealth and1 meditating on ,sri ,krishna1 he at last attained ,his supreme abode4 ,,the ,,meeting ,,at ,,kurukshetra4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #hb-hd99 ,there was a total eclipse of the sun4 ,krishna and all the ,yadavas went to ,kurukshetra to bathe on the occasion4 ,nanda1 the ,gopas and ,gopis1 all came there4 ,kunti and her sons1 ,bhishma1 ,drona and all the kings also went4 ,they all went together4 7,the ,bhagavata ,purana carefully avoids the battle at ,kurukshetra4 ,it barely mentions the duel between ,bhima and ,duryodhana4 ,according to the ,mahabharata1 ,bhishma1 ,drona and all the brothers of ,duryodhana had been killed before the fight took place between ,bhima and ,duryodhana4 ,but we find here that they were all present at the ,kurukshetra meeting4 ,a slight explanation will be necessary to put the readers on the right line of thought4 ,the ideal of the ,mahabharata was ,tatva-masi1 the unity of ,jiva and ,ishvara4 ,krishna and ,arjuna looked alike4 ,they were close companions4 ,this ,advaita view struck at the root of ,upasana excepting as a means to an end2 it put into the shade altogether the ,path of compassion1 the ,path of service of which ,narada is the guide for this ,kalpa4 ,so we find even ,bhishma being killed4 ,bhishma died at ,uttarayana and necessarily passed through the ,devayana ,marga1 as an ,upasaka4 ,whatever might be the goal of ,upasana1 the ,bhagavata ,purana treats of ,upasana as an end and not as a means4 ,the ,bhagavatas1 the ,satvatas1 the ,vaishnavas do not ask for ,nirvana ,mukti they ask for devotion to the ,lord of the ,universe4 ,they work in the ,universe as servants of the ,lord1 taking the whole ,universe to be their own selves4 ,the ,kurukshetra battle is therefore out of place in the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,this explains the great meeting at ,kurukshetra instead of the ,great ,annihilation47 ,kunti complained to ,vasudeva that he did not make any enquiries about her and her sons1 in her many afflictions4 ,vasudeva said1 for fear of ,kansa the ,yadavas had scattered themselves1 and they could not make enquiries about one another4 ,the ,kurus1 ,pandavas and the kings were all glad to see ,krishna and his wives4 ,rama and ,krishna duly honoured them all and made valuable presents4 ,they all admired the good fortune of the ,yadavas1 in having ,krishna always in their midst4 ,nanda and ,yasoda were duly respected by ,vasudeva and his wives4 ,krishna met the ,gopis in privacy4 ,he embraced them all1 and1 after enquiry about their safety1 said smilingly3 -- ,do you remember us1 ,o friends8 ,for the good of those whom we call our own1 we have been long in putting down the adverse party4 ,or do you think little of us1 feeling that we have been ungrateful to you8 ,know for certain1 it is the ,lord who unites and separates all beings4 ,as the wind unites masses of clouds1 grass1 cotton and dust particles1 and again disunites them1 so the creator does with all beings4 ,devotion to me serves to make beings immortal4 ,how glad ,i am that you have this love to me1 for by that love you gain me back4 ,i am the beginning and end of all beings1 ,i am both inside and outside4 ,as the material objects resolve themselves into the primal elements1 7,akasa1 air1 fire1 water and earth71 so 7the material parts in7 all beings resolve themselves into the primal elements4 ,atma pervades all beings as the conscious ,perceiver 7,atma74 ,know both 7the ,perceiver and the ,perceived7 to be reflected in me1 the ,supreme and the ,immutable4 ,the ,gopis were taught this ,adhyatma teaching by ,sri ,krishna4 ,bearing this teaching constantly in mind1 they cast off the ,jiva sheath 7,jiva ,kosa7 and they attained ,krishna4 ,and they said3 -- ,o ,krishna let thy lotus feet be ever present in our minds1 home-seeking though we may have been4 ,the lords of ,yoga by their profound wisdom meditate on thy feet in their hearts4 ,it is by thy feet that those that have fallen into the well of ,sansara are raised4 7,here we take a final leave of the ,gopis4 ,they had known ,krishna as the ,purusha of the ,heart4 ,they now knew him as the all-pervading ,purusha4 ,they were drawn back into the bosom of that ,purusha1 their ,linga 7,sukshma7 ,sarira destroyed4 ,they now entered the divine state1 but even there they did not forget the lotus feet of ,krishna4 ,they became centres of devotional love in the bosom of the ,universal ,lord47 ,yudisthira and other friends of ,krishna addressed him as all-incarnating ,purusha4 ,the wives of ,krishna related to ,draupadi how they came to be married to him4 ,the ,rishis addressed ,sri ,krishna as ,ishvara4 ,they then took leave of him4 ,vasudeva however detained them1 saying they should instruct him as to how he could exhaust his ,karma4 ,narada said it was no wonder that he should ask this question of them and not of ,krishna4 ,for proximity is the cause of disregard4 ,the ,rishis1 addressing ,vasudeva1 said3 -- ,karma is exhausted by ,karma4 ,worship ,vishnu by ,yajna4 ,he is the lord of all ,yajnas4 ,wise men do not wish for riches by the performance of ,yajna1 nor do they wish for men or enjoyments4 ,they give up all desires and then go to the forest for ,tapas4 ,the twice-born are indebted to the ,devas1 ,rishis and ,pitris1 by their birth4 ,you have paid up your debts to the ,rishis and to the ,pitris4 ,now pay up your debts to the ,devas1 by the performance of ,yajna and then give up your home4 ,vasudeva then performed ,yajna1 and the ,rishis officiated4 ,the ,yajna over1 the ,rishis went away4 ,dhritarashra1 ,vidura1 the ,pandavas1 ,bhishma1 ,drona1 ,kunti1 ,narada1 ,vyasa1 his friends and relatives1 parted with a heavy heart4 ,narada and his followers were detained for three months by the ,yadavas1 such was their love for them4 ,they then received many presents and left for ,mathura4 ,seeing the approach of the rainy season1 the ,yadavas also went back to ,dvaraka4 ,,vasudeva1 ,,devaki1 ,,and ,,their ,,dead ,,sons4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #he499 ,vasudeva now believed his sons to be lords of the ,universe4 ,he once asked them whether they had not incarnated for relieving the pressure on the ,earth4 ,krishna replied3 -- ,i1 yourselves1 this ,rama1 the people of ,dvaraka1 nay the whole universe are to be known as ,brahma4 ,atma1 though one and self-manifest1 becomes manifold1 according to the nature of the beings in which its manifestation takes place4 ,compare the variety in the manifestation of the ,bhutas in the ,bhoutic objects4 ,hearing these words of wisdom1 ,vasudeva learned to see unity in diversity4 ,devaki had heard of the powers of ,rama and ,krishna in bringing back to life the deceased son of their ,guru4 ,she asked them to shew her the sons that had been killed by ,kansa4 ,rama and ,krishna entered by ,yogic power the regions of ,sutala4 ,bali shewed them every respect and worshipped them4 ,krishna said3 ,in the ,svayambhava ,manvantara1 ,marichi had six sons by ,urna4 ,these sons of the ,rishi laughed at ,brahma1 because he grew passionate towards his daughter4 ,for this they became ,asuras and sons of ,hiranyakasipu4 ,yoga ,maya carried them to the womb of ,devaki and they became her sons4 ,they were killed by ,kansa4 ,devaki takes them to be her own sons and laments over their death4 ,they are now with you2 ,i shall take them over to my mother to remove her grief4 ,they shall then go to ,devaloka1 free from the effects of their curse4 ,smara1 ,udgitha1 ,parishvanga1 ,patanga1 ,kshudra-bhuka and ,ghrini -- these shall by my favor again attain a good state4 7,smara is called ,kirtimat47 ,krishna took the boys to ,devaki and she embraced them all4 ,they were then taken to ,devaloka4 ,,arjuna ,,and ,,subhadra 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #hf499 ,raja ,parikshit enquired how ,arjuna had married his grandmother ,subhadra1 the sister of ,rama and ,krishna4 ,suka replied3 -- ,arjuna heard that ,rama was going to give ,subhadra 7the cousin of ,arjuna7 in marriage to ,duryodhana4 ,he disguised himself as a ,sanyasin and went to ,dvaraka4 ,the people of ,dvaraka and even ,rama could not recognise him4 ,arjuna lived there for a year and received due hospitality4 ,once ,arjuna was invited by ,balarama and he was taking his food when ,subhadra passed by him4 ,they looked at each other and felt mutual love4 ,one day1 ,subhadra1 with the permission of her parents and of ,sri ,krishna1 came out on a chariot to worship an idol outside the fort and a strong guard accompanied her4 ,arjuna availed himself of this opportunity and carried away the girl by force4 ,balarama became greatly enraged4 ,but ,sri ,krishna and other friends appeased him4 ,,srutadeva ,,and ,,bahulasva4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #hf499 ,srutadeva1 a ,brahmana of ,mithila1 was much devoted to ,sri ,krishna4 ,the prince of ,mithila1 ,bahulasva1 was also a favorite of ,sri ,krishna4 ,to favor them1 ,sri ,krishna went with ,narada and other ,rishis to ,mithila4 ,srutadeva and ,bahulasva each asked him to go to his own house4 ,krishna to please them both went to the houses of both at the same time1 being unnoticed by each in respect of his going to the other's house4 ,both ,bahulasva and ,srutadeva received ,sri ,krishna and the ,rishis with due respect4 ,sri ,krishna taught ,srutadeva to respect the ,brahmana ,rishis as much as he respected him4 ,after giving proper instructions to the prince and the ,brahmana for sometime1 ,sri ,krishna returned to ,dvaraka4 ,,the ,,prayer ,,to ,,brahman ,,by ,,the ,,srutis4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #hg499 ,raja ,parikshit asked3 -- ,o ,great ,sage1 ,brahman is undefinable1 void of ,gunas1 beyond both causes and effects4 ,how can the ,srutis1 which have the ,gunas for their ,vritti 7i4e4 which treat of ,devas and sacrifices which are full of attributes71 directly cognise ,brahman8 ,suka replied3 -- ,the ,lord created ,buddhi1 ,indriya1 ,manas and ,prana in ,jivas that they might obtain their objects 7,matra71 their birth-producing ,karma 7,bhava71 their transmigration to different ,lokas 7,atma71 and also their ,mukti 7,akalpana74 7,these four words respectively mean ,artha1 ,dharma1 ,kama and ,moksha4 ,the ,srutis treat of ,bhagavat1 of ,sat-,chit-,ananda the all-knowing1 the all-powerful1 the lord of all1 the guide of all1 the all-object of ,upasana1 the ,dispenser of all fruits of ,karma1 the ,resort of all that is good1 as one with attributes4 ,the ,srutis begin with attributes1 but at last drop these attributes saying ,not this1 ,not this and end in ,brahman4 ,the sayings about ,upasan and ,karma treat of things with attributes1 as a means to attain wisdom and thereby indirectly lead to ,brahman4 ,this is the purport4 ,sridhara47 ,the ,upanishad speaks of ,brahman4 ,she was accepted as such by even those that were older than those whom we call old4 ,he who accepts her with faith attains well-being4 7,the ,bhagavata tries to refute the idea that the ,vedas treat of the ,devas only and not of ,isvara and ,brahma74 ,i shall relate to thee here a conversation between ,narada and ,narayana4 ,once upon a time ,narada went to see the great ,rishi ,narayana4 ,for the well-being of ,bharatavarsha1 for the good of all men1 he remains in his ,asrama1 fixed in ,tapas1 since the beginning of this ,kalpa4 ,the ,rishis of ,kalapa sat round him4 ,narada saluted him and asked this very question4 ,narayana said3 -- ,in ,jana ,loka1 the ,manas1 born ,rishis of that place performed ,brahma ,yajna 7,yajna1 in which ',what is ,brahman' is ascertained1 some one becoming the speaker and others forming the audience74 ,you had gone to ,sveta ,dvipa at the time4 ,this very question was raised in the assembly4 ,sanandan became the speaker4 ,he said3 -- ,the ,supreme drank up his own creation and lay asleep with ,his ,saktis4 ,at the end of ,pralaya1 the ,srutis 7which were the first breath of the ,supreme4 ,sridhara7 roused ,him up by words denotive of ,him4 ,the ,srutis said3 -- ,glory be to ,thee6 ,destroy the ,avidya of all moveable and immoveable beings4 ,she has got attributes for the sake of deluding others4 ,all ,thy powers are completely confined in ,thee4 ,thou art the ,manifester of all ,saktis in ,jivas4 ,thou art 7sometimes -- ,sridhara7 with ,maya and 7always -- ,sridhara7 by ,thyself4 7,but wherever thou art7 the ,vedas follow ,thee4 7,the ,vedas treat both of ,saguna and ,nirguna ,brahman74 ,all that are perceived1 7,indra and other gods71 know ,thee to be the ,big1 and themselves to be only parts4 ,for their rise and setting are from ,thee4 7,then is the ,big transformable8 ,hence the next words4 ,sridhara74 ,but thou art untransformed4 ,even as the 7transformed7 earth pots have their rise and setting in the 7untransformed7 mother earth4 ,therefore the ,rishis -- 7the ,mantras or their perceivers4 ,sridhara4 ,every ,vedic ,mantra has its ,rishi1 who first perceived that ,mantra7 -- set their minds1 their words and actions in ,thee 7or had their purport and meaning in ,thee4 ,sridhara74 ,for wherever people may roam1 their footsteps always touch the earth4 ,o ,thou ,lord of the ,three ,gunas1 the wise plunged into the nectar ocean formed of words about ,thee1 -- an ,ocean which removes the impurities of all people -- and they got rid of all miseries4 ,what of those then who1 by the perception of ,self in them1 free themselves from the attributes of mind 7likes or dislikes7 and of time 7the transformations of age7 and worship ,thy real self which gives rise to perpetual happiness8 ,those that are animated by life breathe truly if they follow ,thee1 otherwise their breath is the breath of bellows4 ,inspired by ,thee1 ,mahat1 ,ahankara and others lay their eggs 7create collective and individual bodies74 ,thou dost permeate the five sheaths 7,annamaya and others7 in man and become those sheaths1 as it were1 by this permeation4 ,but thou art the last in the sheaths1 as taught in the ,upanishads4 ,thou art beyond the gross and subtle sheaths1 the ,indestructible and ,real4 ,among the ,rishis1 the ,sarkarakshas 7or those that have an imperfect vision7 meditate on ,brahma in the navel4 ,the ,arunis1 however1 meditate on ,brahma in the cavity of the ,heart1 which is the seat of the nerves4 ,ananta1 from the ,heart1 the ,sushumna 7the nerve which causes ,thy perception7 leads to ,thy supreme place in the ,head4 ,he who once attains that place does not fall into the mouth of ,death again4 7,the ,upanishads speak of one hundred and one nerves of the heart4 ,of these1 one goes to the head74 ,thou hast ,thyself created various life kingdoms and various forms4 ,though ,thou pervadest them all from of old1 having brought them all about1 yet ,thy special manifestation in them is relatively greater or smaller1 according to the nature of the things created by ,thee even as fire1 though one and the same1 burns differently according to the character of the fuel4 ,those that are of pure intellect follow the one ,real amidst the many unreal forms4 ,the 7perceiving7 ,purusha in all beings is said to be ,thy part only4 ,knowing this to be the truth about ,jivas1 wise men worship ,thy feet4 ,brahma and other ,jivas did not know ,thy end4 ,even ,thou dost not know ,thy own end4 ,for ,thou art endless4 ,drawn by the wheel of time1 the ,brahmandas1 with their ,avaranas1 7outer circles7 roll on together in ,thy middle1 even as if they were dust particles in the air4 ,the ,srutis fructify in ,thee 7have ,thee1 for their end and goal47 7,though they cannot directly speak of ,thee7 their words are directed towards ,thee1 by discarding every thing else4 7,though the ,vedas treat of ,indra and other ,devas1 they ultimately lead to ,brahma1 by saying ,brahma is not this1 not this1 in the ,upanishads47 ,,the ,,restoration ,,of ,,brahman ,,boys ,,to ,,life4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #hi499 ,at ,dvaraka a ,brahman lost his son at birth4 ,he took the dead child to the palace and placed it at the gate1 blaming the king for his misfortune4 ,for the sins of kings visit themselves upon their subjects4 ,in this way nine sons died one after another and the ,brahman did the same with all of them and1 when the ninth son died1 ,arjuna was sitting with ,krishna and he heard the reproaches of the ,brahmana4 ,arjuna promised the ,brahmana that he would protect his son this time1 or would otherwise enter the fire for breach of his promise4 ,the son was born again4 ,and ,arjuna was there with his famous bow4 ,but lo6 the child wept and it rose up high and disappeared1 ,the ,brahmana taunted ,arjuna for making promises he had not the power to keep4 ,stung by these words1 the ,pandava went to ,yama ,loka4 ,he went to ,indra ,loka4 ,he went to the regions of ,agni1 ,nirriti1 ,chandra1 ,vayu and ,varuna4 ,he went to ,rasatala4 ,he went to ,svarga4 ,but the ,brahmana boy was no where to be found4 ,he then made preparations for entering the fire4 ,sri ,krishna made him desist4 ,he said3 -- ,i shall show you the ,brahmana's sons4 ,do not disregard yourself4 ,those that blame us now shall sing our glory hereafter4 ,krishna and ,arjuna went towards the west4 ,they crossed the seven oceans and the seven ,dvipas4 ,they crossed the ,loka-aloka and entered the regions of chaotic darkness4 ,the horses could not proceed further4 ,so by ,krishna's order the glowing ,chakra1 ,sudarshana1 pierced through the darkness and the horses followed the track4 ,infinite1 endless1 divine light then spread out4 ,arjuna re-opened his eyes4 ,they then entered the regions of primal water4 ,they found one house glittering with gems and stones4 ,the thousand-headed ,ananta was sitting in that house4 ,seated upon ,ananta was the ,supreme ,purusha1 the ,lord of the ,lords4 ,krishna and ,arjuna saluted ,him4 ,the ,purusha then smiled and said3 -- ,i brought the ,brahmana boys that ,i might see you both4 ,for the protection of ,dharma on the ,earth1 you have incarnated as my parts 7,kala47 ,kill the ,asuras that oppress the ,earth and come back soon to me4 ,filled are your own desires1 ,o you ,rishis1 ,nara and ,narayana4 ,but for the preservation of the ,universe1 do that which others may follow4 ,krishna and ,arjuna said ,om4 ,they brought back the ,brahmana boys and restored them to their father4 ,,the ,,line ,,of ,,krishna4 99,,skandha ,x4 ,,chap4 #ij499 ,vajra was the son of ,aniruddha4 ,prati-bahu was the son of ,vajra4 ,su-bahu was the son of ,prati-bahu4 ,upasena was the son of ,su-bahu4 ,bhadra-sena was the son of ,upasena4 99,,end ,,of ,,the ,,tenth ,,branch499 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,mathura ,,lila4 ,kansa was killed and all good men that had fled from ,mathura returned to it4 ,krishna fast developed ,himself as ,ishvara4 ,he restored his ,guru's son to life4 ,uddhava1 the embodiment of ,bhakti ,yoga mixed with wisdom1 was the messenger of ,krishna to the ,gopis4 ,it was through him that ,sri ,krishna sent words of wisdom1 which ,he himself could not have spoken to them at ,vrindavana4 ,for the ,gopis would have spurned such words from ,him1 so great was their personal love for ,him4 ,krishna now placed another ideal before them for meditation4 ,they were now to seek ,him1 not as the lovely ,krishna1 playing upon the flute1 but as the all-pervading ,atma to be known by discriminating wisdom4 ,he asked the ,gopis to meditate on this ideal1 and ,he now returned to them as the all-pervading immutable principle in the ,universe4 ,in the stories of ,jarasandha1 ,yavana and ,muchukunda we find the historical ,krishna4 ,jarasandha was an incongruous combination of materiality and spirituality1 7the two parts which ,jiva put together74 ,he was the performer of ,vedic ,yajnas1 the supporter of ,brahmanas1 the representative of the old state of things4 ,naturally therefore he was the most powerful king of his time and the most powerful enemy of ,krishna4 ,vaishnavism had to fight hard with orthodox ,brahmanism4 ,vaishnava kings were put to death in large numbers4 ,krishna could not kill him on account of his connection with ,brahmanas and with ,vedic ,yajnas4 ,he even feigned a retreat and fled away to ,dvaraka4 ,dvaraka was a spiritual centre on earth1 created by ,krishna1 for the performance of ,his mission as ,avatara4 ,the town was washed away as soon as ,krishna disappeared4 ,it will be interesting to know the future mission of ,muchukunda4 ,but the ,bhagavata is silent about it4 ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,dvaraka ,at ,dvaraka1 we find ,sri ,krishna as the ,lord of the ,universe1 a ,kalpic ,avatara1 and as such something more than the historical ,krishna4 ,sri ,krishna as an ,avatara4 ,it is time that we should know something definitely of ,sri ,krishna as an ,avatara4 ,to restore the ,brahmana boys1 ,sri ,krishna went with ,arjuna to the abode of ,purusha4 ,purusha smiled and said3 -- ,i brought the ,brahmana boys1 that ,i might see you both4 ,for the protection of ,dharma on the ,earth1 you have incarnated as my parts 7,kala74 ,kill the ,asuras that oppress the ,earth and come back soon to ,me4 ,satiated are your own desires1 ,o you ,rishis1 ,nara and ,narayana1 but for the preservation of the universe do that which others may follow4 ,the ,purusha is the ,virat ,purusha of our universe1 the ,second ,purusha or the ,second ,logos4 ,when the first ,purusha woke up1 the process of transformation went on and the material creation was completed4 ,the materials could not however unite to form individual bodies4 ,purusha infused the material creation and became known as the ,second ,purusha or ,virat ,purusha1 ,as regards this ,virat ,purusha1 the ,bhagavata ,purana says as follows3 -- ,he is the resting place and eternal seed of all ,avataras4 ,brahma is ,his part1 ,marichi and other ,rishis are parts of ,his part4 ,devas1 animals and men are brought into manifestation by parts of ,his part4 ,bhagavata ,i4 #c-e4 ,he is the primal1 unborn ,purusha1 who in every ,kalpa creates1 preserves and destroys self 7objective7 as self 7nominative71 in self 7locative71 by self 7instrumental74 ,,ii4 #f ,,xxxvii4 ,he is the primal ,purusha ,avatara of the ,supreme4 ,,ii4 #f ,,xl4 ,he is also called the ,thousand-,limbed and the ,egg-born4 ,,ii4 #e1 ,,xxxv41 ,,iii4 #f1 ,,vi4 ,this ,virat ,purusha upholds the manifested universe4 ,all materials are in ,him and all individuals take their rise from ,him and end in ,him4 ,he is the one ocean of endless bubbles which have their beginning and end in ,him4 ,the ,avataras also all rest on the bosom of ,virat ,purusha4 ,we have looked at ,virat ,purusha from the standpoint of the ,first ,purusha4 ,now let us proceed upwards from below4 ,the ,brihat ,aranayaka ,upanishad thus speaks of ,virat ,purusha1 at the beginning of the ,fourth ,brahmana of the first chapter3 -- ,this was before soul1 bearing the shape of a man4 ,looking round he beheld nothing but himself4 ,he said first3 -- ',this am ,i4' ,hence the name of ,i was produced4 ,and1 because he as the first of all of them consumed by fire all the sins1 therefore he is called ,purusha4 ,he verily consumes him who1 before this1 strives to obtain the state of ,prajapati1 he1 namely who1 thus knows4 ,the following is the commentary of ,sankaracharya4 ,this was before the soul4 ,the soul is here defined as ,prajapati1 the first born from the ,egg1 the embodied soul1 as resulting from his knowledge and works in accordance with the ,vedas4 ,he was what8 ,this1 produced by the division of the body1 was the soul not separated from the body of ,prajapati1 before the production of other bodies4 ,he was also bearing the shape of man1 which means that he was endowed with head1 hands and other members1 he was the ,viraj1 the first born4 ,looking round reflecting who am ,i1 and of what nature1 he beheld nothing but himself1 the fulness of life1 the organism of causes and effects4 ,he beheld only himself as the ,universal soul4 ,then1 endowed with the recollection of his ,vedic knowledge in a former birth1 he said first3 ,this am ,i viz41 ,prajapati1 the universal soul4 ,hence1 because from the recollection of his knowledge in a former world he called himself ,i1 therefore his name was ,i ,and because he -- ,prajapati in a former birth1 which is the cause1 as the first of those who were desirous of obtaining the state of ,prajapati by the exercise of reflection on works and knowledge viz4 as the first of all of them1 of all that were desirous of obtaining the state of ,prajapati1 consumed by the perfect exercise of reflection on works and knowledge of all the sins of contact which are obstacles to the acquirement of the state of ,prajapati1 -- because such was the case1 therefore he is called ,purusha1 because he is ,purvam ,aushad1 7first burnt74 ,as that ,prajapati1 by consuming all opposite sins1 became this ,purusha ,prajapati1 so also any other consumes1 reduces all to ashes by the fire of the practice of reflection on knowledge and works1 or only by the force of his knowledge1 and ,he verily consumes ,whom8 ,him who before this sage strives to obtain the state of ,prajapati4 ,the sage is pointed out as he who thus knows1 who according to his power manifests his reflection on knowledge4 ,but is it not useless for any one to strive for the state of ,prajapati1 if he is consumed by one who thus knows8 ,there is no fault in this2 for consuming means here only that the highest state1 that of ,prajapati1 is not obtained1 because the eminence of reflection on knowledge is wanting4 ,therefore by the words1 ,he consumes him is meant1 that the perfect performer obtains the highest state of ,prajapati2 he who is less perfect does not obtain it1 and by no means that the less perfect performer is actually consumed by the perfect2 thus it is said in common life1 that a warrior who first rushes into battle1 consumes his combatants1 which means that he exceeds them in prowess4 ,in order to understand this better1 let us consider the scheme of human evolution4 ,atma is the same in all beings and1 when free from the limitations of individual life1 it becomes all pervading4 ,sympathy and compassion open the door to the liberation of ,atma4 ,the ,upadhi1 or vehicle of ,atma1 or the body of its manifestation1 becomes less and less gross1 as ,atma proceeds in its course of liberation1 the body becomes better able to do good to all mankind and it does not act as a barrier to communion with the real self4 ,the most highly evolved beings become universal and not individual1 and they live normally on the spiritual plane4 ,they at last reach the state of divinity4 ,then they may become ,avataras4 ,when these ,avataras have to work on the physical and intellectual planes1 they assume a body and become born1 like ordinary beings4 ,they have then to come down from their normal state1 but their vision and power remain undestroyed4 ,when their mission is over1 they reach again their normal state4 ,the ,avataras have not to work out their own ,karma4 ,they are liberated ,atmas1 staying back for the liberation of other individuals in the universe4 ,karma-less themselves1 they bear the ,karma of the universe upon their shoulders4 ,the thin veil that separates their state from the state of the absolute ,brahma is ,maya1 which is the highest manifestation of ,prakriti which enables them to assume cosmic responsibility out of their unbounded compassion for all beings4 ,the ,avataras may cast off their veil at will1 but as long as they choose to keep that veil1 the whole universe is at their command and they guide the whole course of universal evolution4 ,now of all ,avataras one takes upon himself to hold all individuals in ,his bosom1 to sustain them all and to make ,him the field of their ,involution and ,evolution1 in the ,kalpa4 ,he is called ,virat ,purusha4 ,he is practically the ,ishvara of our universe4 ,the body of this ,purusha1 called the ,first ,avatara1 the ,second or ,virat ,purusha1 and the ,egg-born1 is formed by the ,tatvas1 numbered twenty-four in the ,sankhya philosophy4 ,these ,tatvas collect together to form an ,egg and the ,second ,purusha breaks forth from that ,egg and becomes the ,thousand-headed ,purusha of the ,upanishads4 ,for the sake of meditation1 ,he is imagined to be seated on the ,serpent ,ananta4 ,the lotus stalk grew out of his navel4 ,the ,tatvas themselves are brought into manifestation by the awaking of the ,first ,purusha4 ,the ,second ,purusha enters into all beings as their ,atma1 becoming three-fold in his aspect viz4 ,adhi-,atma1 ,adhi-bhuta and ,adhi-deva4 ,then ,he is called the ,third ,purusha4 ,says the ,satvata ,tantra1 as quoted by ,sridhara3 -- ,there are three forms of ,vishnu known as ,purusha -- the first is the creator of ,mahat1 the ,second is the permeator of the cosmic ,egg1 and the third is the permeator of all beings4 ,virat ,purusha is the seat af all ,avataras4 ,therefore all ,avataras are called parts of the ,virat ,purusha4 ,speaking of other ,lila ,avataras1 ,bhagavata calls them parts and aspects of the ,second ,purusha2 but ,krishna is ,bhagavat ,himself4 ,bhagavat is here the ,first ,purusha4 ,i4 #c ,,xxviii4 ,in the ,tenth ,skandha1 ,raja ,parikshit says3 ,tell us the mighty deeds of ,vishnu1 incarnated as a part in the line of ,yadu4 ,x4 #a ,,ii4 ,later on again3 -- ,the supreme ,purusha1 ,bhagavat ,himself1 shall be born in the house of ,vasudeva4 ,x4 #a ,,xxiii4 ,the ,devas said1 addressing ,devaki3 -- ,rejoice mother1 the ,supreme ,purusha1 ,bhagavat ,himself1 is in thy womb by ,his part ,x4 #b ,,xii4 ,the ,purusha1 seated on ,ananta1 addressed ,arjuna and ,krishna as ,nara and ,narayana4 ,the ,mahabharata also calls them ,incarnations of ,nara and ,narayana4 ,these ,rishis are invoked all throughout the ,mahabharata4 ,they were the sons of ,dharma by ,murti1 daughter of ,daksha4 ,nara and ,narayana are looked upon as two in one and they were adored by the ,devas1 as manifestations of ,purusha ,himself4 7,,iv4 #a ,,xlvi74 ,they went after their birth to ,gandha ,madana4 7,,iv4 #a ,,xlviii47 ,it is these ,rishis1 parts of ,bhagavat ,hari1 who have now appeared for the removal of her load from the ,goddess ,earth1 as ,krishnas1 in the lines of ,yadu and ,kuru4 7,,iv4 #a ,,xlix47 ,krishna in the line of ,kuru is ,arjuna4 ,in explaining this ,sloka1 ,sridhara quotes the following from a ,vaishnava ,tantra3 -- ,in ,arjuna1 there is only the ,avesa 7suffusing7 of ,nara4 ,krishna is ,narayana ,himself4 ,sri ,krishna said to ,arjuna3 -- ,i have passed through many births as well as thou4 ,i know them all4 ,not so thou4 ,this shows that ,arjuna was not ,nara himself1 the supplement of ,narayana1 for in that case he would have remembered his previous births4 ,but1 as the ,tantra says1 ,arjuna was possessed by the ,nara aspect of the dual ,rishi4 ,sri ,krishna said to ,devaki3 -- ,at my first birth1 in the ,svayam-bhuva ,manvantara1 thou wert born as ,prisni and this ,vasudeva was named ,prajapati ,sutapas ,i was born as your son1 ,prisni-garbha4 ,i was also born of you1 when you were ,aditi and ,vasudeva was ,kasyapa1 as ,upendra1 also called the ,vamana or ,dwarf ,avatara4 ,at this third birth1 ,i am your son again1 with the same body4 ,x4 #c ,,xxxii4 to ,,xliii4 ,these are the three ,incarnations of ,nara ,narayana1 mentioned in the ,bhagavata4 ,they are certainly not the many births to which ,sri ,krishna alludes in the ,gita4 ,those many births took place in previous ,kalpas of which we know nothing4 ,in this ,kalpa1 however1 he appeared at the turning points in the ,evolution of our universe4 ,he appeared in the ,first ,manvantara1 the ,manvantara of manifestation1 as ,prisni-garbha4 ,we do not know the good done by ,him in ,his first birth4 ,as ,vamana1 however1 he restored the ,triloki to the ,devas and asserted the supremacy of the spiritual forces4 ,the ,earth was again overpowered by the ,asuras4 ,the ,kalpa was about to be half over4 ,the last struggle was to be made4 ,satva had to be infused into all beings1 even into the materials composing them4 ,every thing in the universe was to be wedded to the ,lord of ,preservation4 ,an upward trend was to be given to the whole course of evolution4 ,materialism could not be stamped out all at once4 ,but henceforth there was to be a steady fall of ,materiality and rise of ,spirituality1 subject to such variations as minor ,cycles might cause4 ,sri ,krishna is therefore the greatest ,avatara of our ,kalpa4 ,for the good of those that seek ,atma1 ,nara ,narayana shall perform ,tapas in ,bharata ,varsha1 unknown to others1 till the end of the ,kalpa4 ,v4 #ai-i ,sri ,krishna as ,bhagavat is greater than the ,second ,purusha4 ,to the devotees1 he is greater than the ,purusha manifestation4 ,he now appeared as the preserver of the ,universe1 the embodiment of ,satva1 the force of ascent4 ,and the ,tatvas had to be wedded to him1 so that they might acquire the energy of higher evolution in them4 ,unless there was change in the innate downward tendency of the ,tatvas1 the spiritual ascent of the universe was not possible4 ,the ,lord brought about this change by permeating the whole universe with ,his ,satva body1 or becoming something like the spiritual soul in every being4 ,therefore ,lord ,krishna is in the hearts of all beings and can be perceived by all in meditation4 ,he is everywhere1 in every atom4 ,whether ,sri ,krishna is ,bhagavat ,himself or some manifestation of ,bhagavat makes no difference whatever4 ,by ,his works1 ,he is ,bhagavat4 ,his worshippers are bound for the abode of ,bhagavat4 ,they have not to wait in ,brahma or ,satya ,loka1 till the end of ,brahma's life4 ,those who worship4 ,hiranya garbha or ,brahma cannot pass beyond the limits of ,brahma ,loka4 ,in answer to ,raja ,parikshit1 ,suka ,deva delineated the ,paths to be followed after death4 ,i4 ,the ,prompt ,path of ,liberation 7,sadyo ,mukti74 ,those who meditate on the abstract ,absolute1 called ,brahma1 attain prompt liberation4 ,the ,all-pervading principle is abstracted from the phenomenal universe1 there is no thought of man1 no thought of fellow beings1 no thought of the universe1 there is the pure abstraction by the process of ,not this4 ,not this liberates one from all phenomenal connections4 ,this is ,sadyo ,mukti4 7,,ii4 #b ,,xv4 to ,,xxi47 ,,ii4 ,the ,deferred ,path of ,liberation 7,krama ,mukti71 when one wishes to go to ,brahma ,loka or to the abode of the ,siddhas4 ,where the eight siddhis are acquired1 he retains the ,manas and the ,indriyas and goes all over the universe of ,seven ,lokas4 ,,ii4 #b ,,xxii4 ,with their ,linga ,sarira1 these ,lords of ,yoga go inside and outside ,triloki4 ,,ii4 #b ,,xxiii4 ,on their way to ,brahma ,loka1 they are carried by ,sushumna first to ,agni ,loka4 ,then they go to the farthest limit of ,triloki1 the ,sisumara ,chakra1 extending over to ,dhruva or the ,polar star4 ,,ii4 #b ,,xxiv4 ,when at the end of a ,kalpa1 the ,triloki becomes consumed by fire from the mouth of ,sankarshana1 they go to ,brahma ,loka1 which lasts for two ,pararddhas1 and which is adorned by the chariots of great ,siddhas4 ,,ii4 #b ,,xxvi4 ,there is no sorrow1 no infirmity no death1 no pain1 no anxiety in ,brahma ,loka4 ,but those who go there are1 out of their compassion1 afflicted by the endless miseries of those that do not know the path4 ,,ii4 #b ,,xxvii4 ,then they pass through the seven ,avaranas or covers of the ,universe and1 having the ,vehicle of ,mula ,prakriti only1 become full of ,bliss and1 when that ,upadhi is destroyed1 they obtain absolute bliss and do not return again4 ,this is the attainment of the state4 ,,ii4 #b4 ,,xxviii to ,,xxxi4 ,those who go to ,brahma ,loka pass through three different paths4 #a4 ,those1 who come with great merits acquired in life1 get posts of duty according to their merits in the next ,kalpa 7i4e4 they become ,prajapatis1 ,lokapalas4 ,indras and so on47 #b4 ,those who go to ,brahma ,loka merely by force of their ,upasana of ,hiranya-,garbha become liberated1 when ,brahma becomes liberated at the end of his life 7'extending over two ,pararddhas47 #c4 ,those that worship ,bhagavat pierce the ,brahmanda at will1 and rise to the abode of ,vishnu4 ,the ,slokas ,,xxviii to ,,xxxi refer to the piercing of ,brahmanda by the ,bhagavatas4 ,sridhara4 ,the worshippers of ,sri ,krishna attain the last state4 ,the deferred path of ,liberation is the path of all ,bhaktas4 ,it is the path of compassion1 of service4 ,the ,bhaktas spurn all sorts of ,mukti1 even if they be offered to them4 ,they become servants of the ,lord in the preservation of the ,universe4 ,in the ,dvaraka ,lila1 we shall find ,sri ,krishna1 as the greatest ,avatara of the ,kalpa1 carrying out ,his work of ,preservation4 ,the ,purana does not speak of the ,nara aspect of ,sri ,krishna as manifested in ,arjuna4 ,that is the subject matter of the ,mahabharata4 ,the study of the one is complementary to the study of the other1 as the study of the ,bhagavat is complementary to the study of the ,gita4 ,in one1 we see the ,evolution of ,man1 in the other we see the work of ,bhagavat4 ,we see in both together the whole of our ,lord ,sri ,krishna4 ,,the ,,wives4 ,as ,lord of the ,universe1 ,sri ,krishna became wedded to the eightfold energies of ,prakriti1 ,his eight principal wives1 so that he might influence1 through them1 individuals formed by these divisions of ,prakritis4 ,these energies are3 -- #a4 ,rukmini or ,mula ,prakriti1 ,buddhi4 #b4 ,jamba-vati or ,mahat1 ,universal mind4 #c4 ,satya-bhama or ,ahankara4 #d4 ,kalindi or ,akasa-,tanmattra1 sound1 ,akasa4 #e4 ,mitra ,vinda or ,vayu-,tanmatra1 ,touch1 ,air4 #f4 ,satya or ,nagnajiti1 ,agni-,tanmatra1 ,form1 ,fire4 #g4 ,bhadra1 ,ap-,tanmatra1 ,taste1 ,water4 #h4 ,lakshana1 ,kshiti-,tanmatra1 smell1 ,earth4 ,the ,energies of ,prakriti have a double tendency1 one of lower transformation1 of materialisation1 of descent and another of higher transformation1 of spiritualisation1 of ascent4 ,sri ,krishna1 by ,his ,avatarship1 attracted to ,himself the higher tendency of all the energies of ,prakriti4 ,this is how he was wedded to all the aspects of ,prakriti4 ,rukmini is the spiritual energy of ,mula ,prakriti4 ,read the talk between ,krishna and ,rukmini 7,x4 #hj74 ,the legend of the ,syamantaka jewel is a mysterious one4 ,it was the gift of the ,sun-,god4 ,it used to produce gold every day4 ,the ,hiranya-,garbha ,purusha of ,vedic ,upasana has its seat inside the ,sun-,god4 ,the ,purusha inside ,aditya4 ,this ,purusha is the ,adhi-daiva of ,bhagavat ,gita1 as explained by ,sankaracharya4 ,all the ,devas proceed from ,him4 ,he is the one ,deva1 also called ,prana4 7,vide ,yajnavalkya's answer to ,sakala ,brihat ,aranyaka ,upanishad ,,iii4 #i47 ,hiranya is gold4 ,hiranya-garbha is that which has gold in its womb4 ,the ,syamantaka jewel gave protection against diseases1 accidents1 and other dangers4 ,these are all the results of ,hiranya-garbha ,upasana4 ,syamantaka represents ,hiranyagarbha ,upasana4 ,sri ,krishna wanted that this ,upasana should be replaced by the ,upasana of ,ishvara4 ,the jewel was lost4 ,it was carried away by some religious movement1 represented as a lion4 ,jamba-vat snatched it from the ,lion4 ,jambavat1 the bear king1 was one of the chief allies of ,sugriva4 ,he was the oldest in years and the wisest in counsel4 ,when ,vamana stepped over the three ,lokas1 ,i made a respectful circuit round ,him4 ,ramayana ,kishkindha ,kanda4 ,chap4 #fd-ae4 ,when ,vamana became an ,avatara ,i moved round the earth twenty one times4 ,i threw plants into the ,sea which yielded ,amrita by churning4 ,now ,i am old4 ,ramayana ,kishkindha ,kanda ,chap4 #fe-cb4 ,while ,rama was about to ascend to heaven he addressed the old ,jambavat1 as a son of ,brahma1 and asked him to stay behind till the approach of ,kali -- ,uttara ,kanda4 ,chap4 #aba-cd4 ,jambavat represents a very old religious movement1 which was out of date even in ,rama's time4 ,hiranyagarbha ,upasana became old and a thing of the past4 ,but however hoary it might be with years1 it was holy with the traditions of the ,vedas and though ,krishna had no direct hand in its disappearance1 people thought the disappearance was the outcome of ,his ,avatarship4 ,to save ,his reputation1 ,krishna restored the jewel from ,jambavat1 but it could not long remain in the hands of ,satrajit4 ,vedic ,upasana did survive4 ,but it survived only in ,vedic ,sandhya and ,gayatri1 which were represented by ,akrura4 ,krishna was wedded to ,jambavati1 the spiritual energy of ,mahat4 ,satya-bhama is the spiritual energy of ,ahankara4 ,she holds the ,vina1 with the seven notes of differentiation4 ,the ,vedas proceed from these notes and also all departments of knowledge1 ,satyabhama is the goddess of learning4 ,there is not much to say about the five other principal wives4 ,the last of these wives1 ,lakshana1 represents the spiritual energy of earth4 ,coming down to earth1 we proceed to ,naraka1 son of ,earth4 ,the word ,naraka literally means ,hell1 hence gross materiality4 ,we have found that the ,purana writers place ,naraka below the ,patalas4 ,sixteen thousand girls representing all earthly and material energies had been snatched away by ,naraka4 ,they all became wedded to ,sri ,krishna4 ,vasudeva1 ,sankarshana1 ,pradyumna1 ,aniruddha4 ,the following correspondences were given by ,kapila to his mother ,devahuti4 7,,iii4 #bf 74 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,upasya ,adhibhuta ,adhyatma ,adhideva ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,vasudeva ,mahat ,chitta ,kshetrajna ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,sankarsana ,ahankara ,ahankara ,rudra ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,aniruddha ,manas ,manas ,the ,moon god ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,pradyumna ,buddhi ,buddhi ,brahma ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,chitta is transparent1 without transformation1 and calm1 even as the first state of water4 ,,iii4 #bf4 ,,xxi4 ,transparent -- capable of of receiving the image ,bhagavat4 ,without transformation -- without indolence and distraction4 ,sridhara ,chitta is the abode of ,bhagavat1 i4e4 ,bhagavat is perceived by ,chitta4 ,,iii4 #bf4 ,,xx4 ,differences cause many-sidedness and distraction4 ,ahankara ,tatva brings differences into manifestation4 ,beyond the plane of ,ahankara ,tatva1 is the plane of ,mahat4 ,mahat literally means big1 great1 universal4 ,it is the plane of universal manifestation4 ,the mind is universal on this plane4 ,as soon as the ,one ,purusha wished to be many1 ,prakriti gave rise to the ,mahat transformation and ,mahat took up the wish to be many4 ,it was one1 but it had the potency of becoming many4 ,the whole universe that was to manifest itself was mirrored in ,mahat1 and was the subject matter of one thought1 the thought of one who had the universe for his body4 ,during the period of creation1 ,mahat soon transformed itself into ,ahankara1 the ,tatva of differences4 ,ahankara gave rise to different bodies1 different minds and different faculties2 individuals appeared and they started on separate lines of manifestation and of evolution4 ,on their homeward journey1 individuals again reach the plane of ,mahat1 when they rise above all differences1 lose all sense of personality and carry their experiences to the plane of the ,universe4 ,their thoughts then become thoughts of the ,universe1 guided by one feeling1 that of compassion for those that remain behind4 ,there is no thought of self1 no distraction1 no impurity1 it is all calm and tranquil2 such a mind is called ,chitta by ,kapila4 ,this ,chitta is the abode of peace1 the abode of ,bhagavat4 ,bhagavat1 when reflected on ,chitta1 is ,,vasudeva4 ,he is the ,purusha seated on ,ananta4 ,,sankarsana is ,bhagavat as reflected on ,ahankara4 ,he is called ,ananta or endless1 as there is no end of individuals4 ,he is ,bhagavat as manifested in every individual and may be called1 in one sense1 the ,purusha of ,individual souls4 ,balarama is said to be an incarnation of ,sankarshana4 ,as individuals proceed in their course of life journeys1 they become crystallised into separate entities1 with a strong sense of personality4 ,the inner self1 the real self1 runs the risk of becoming swallowed up by the outer self1 the ,upadhi of individuality4 ,the point is reached1 when individuals are to be drawn back to their homes1 their real selves4 ,therefore ,balarama used the plough to draw in others4 ,this is a process of destruction4 ,the material nature is gradually destroyed in us4 ,therefore ,balarama is also called an incarnation of ,rudra or ,siva according to ,vaishnava texts4 ,he is ,rudra ,himself4 ,the fire from the mouth of ,sankarshana burns the ,triloki at ,pralaya4 ,sankarshana literally means he who draws in completely4 ,the process of ,pralaya has already set in4 ,the whole process of spiritual ascent is a process of material ,pralaya4 ,according to some therefore1 ,vishnu and ,siva united to form ,harihara1 at the time of the ,great ,churning1 when this process first set in4 ,when individuals throw off their material garb1 or when1 by ,pralayic force1 their material cover is forcibly removed1 they become fit to be gathered together and to become merged at ,pralaya in the ,one4 ,,pradyumna is the wish of ,bhagavat1 as imprinted on the course of universal evolution4 ,he is the wish of ,god4 ,when the one wished to be many1 ,he represented that wish and gave the entire turn to the course of evolution1 that it might adopt itself to that wish4 ,individuals multiplied4 ,desires became many and all actions became ,sakama4 ,pradyumna was then called ,kamadeva1 the ,god of ,love1 or desire4 ,when the course of descent was arrested1 ,kamadeva was destroyed by fire from the forehead of ,siva4 ,he appeared again1 but this time he appeared as the son of ,krishna4 ,the wish of his father now was to be one again1 for ,he had already become many1 as many as the ,karma of the previous ,kalpa would allow4 ,and ,pradyumna had to impress this wish upon individuals generally1 so that the ascent of matter to spirit might be universal4 ,according to ,kapila1 ,pradyumna is reflected on ,buddhi4 ,buddhi is defined by him as that faculty by which objects are perceived4 ,doubt1 false understanding1 true understanding1 memory and sleep1 these are the indications of that faculty4 7,,iii4 #bf4 ,,xxviii1 ,,xxix74 ,,aniruddha is the son of ,pradyumna4 ,according to ,kapila1 he is reflected on ,manas1 the faculty of ,sankalpa and ,vikalpa4 ,sankalpa in ,sankhya terminology is the first or general idea of a thing4 ,vikalpa is the idea of the peculiarity of a thing4 ,thus when ,i cast a passing glance at a man1 ,i know nothing of him except that he is a man4 ,but when ,i look at him carefully1 ,i know his peculiarities and can differentiate him from others4 ,the first idea is the idea of a thing in its primity or dawn4 ,the second idea is the idea of its peculiarities4 ,it is the second idea which gives rise to likes and dislikes4 ,in the course of ascent1 we must carry general ideas4 ,we must rise from particulars to generals4 ,the mind will thus be freed from the burden of personal and material thoughts4 ,aniruddha became wedded to ,usha or ,dawn4 ,he is ,bhagavat as perceived by ,manas4 99,,end ,,of ,,the ,,tenth ,,skandha499 ,,the ,,eleventh ,,skandha ,,the ,,mushala4 ,,xi4 ,i4 ,sri ,krishna1 with the help of ,rama1 the ,yadavas and the ,pandavas1 killed the ,daityas1 born as ,kings4 ,he made the ,pandavas his instruments in the great war4 ,when the ,kings on both sides and their armies were killed1 ,sri ,krishna thought within himself3 -- ,the pressure is not yet all removed from the earth4 ,for these powerful ,yadavas1 backed by me1 have become mad with power4 ,i shall bring on disunion among them1 which will be the cause of their death4 ,then ,i can have rest and may go to my own abode4 ,visva-mitra1 ,asita1 ,kanva1 ,durvasas1 ,bhrigu1 ,angiras1 ,kasyapa1 ,vamadeva1 ,atri1 ,vasistha1 ,narada and other ,rishis went to a sacred place called ,pindaraka near ,dvaraka4 ,the ,yadava boys were playing among themselves4 ,they dressed ,samba1 son of ,jambavati1 as a girl and took him to the ,rishis1 saying she was pregnant and inquiring whether she would have a son or a daughter4 ,the ,rishis could not bear this impertinence and they said3 -- ,o you fools1 she will bring forth a ,mushala 7a pestle7 that will be the ruin of your line4 ,the boys were terrified4 ,samba did produce an iron pestle4 ,they took the pestle and went home4 ,the boys related the story to all the ,yadavas4 ,ahuka1 the chief of the clan1 ordered the pestle to be ground down to powder and the powder to be thrown into the ,sea4 ,this was done1 but a portion remained4 ,that portion was also thrown into the ,sea4 ,a fish swallowed the iron piece4 ,the fish was caught by a fisherman4 ,he made two spears of the iron found in the fish4 ,the powdered iron grains were carried by the waves to the coast and there they grew into reeds4 ,,the ,,bhagavata ,,path4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #b-e499 ,vasudeva asked ,narada about the ,path of ,bhagavat which leads to ,moksha4 ,narada said3 -- ,of the sons of ,rishabha1 nine became well-versed in ,atma ,vidya4 ,they were ,kavi1 ,hari1 ,antariksha1 ,prabuddha1 ,pippalayana ,avirhotra1 ,drumila1 ,chamasa1 and ,kara-bhajana4 ,the ,rishis of ,bharata ,varsha were performing ,yajna at the place of ,nimi and these nine ,rishis went there4 ,i4 ,nimi asked the ,rishis about the path of ,bhagavat4 ,kavi said3 -- ,the path of ,bhagavat consists of such expedients as the ,lord mentioned ,himself 7for those that are not wise7 for the speedy acquisition of self knowledge4 ,in following this ,path1 man is not overcome by obstacles 7as in the path of ,yoga74 ,he may run along this path even with closed eyes without fear of losing his steps 7with closed eyes i4e4 even without knowing where he goes and what he does74 7,what is the path then87 ,whatever a man does1 whether it be the body or speech or mind or the senses or intellect or the sense of ,i-ness that acts1 let him offer that all up to the ,supreme ,narayana4 ,he who is removed from ,isvara1 7first7 forgets 7,isvara71 7,asmriti71 then there is wrong perception such as ,i am the body 7,viparyaya74 ,this is caused by the ,maya of ,bhagavat4 ,fear arises from devotion to the ,second4 ,therefore wise men worship the ,lord only1 with unfailing ,bhakti1 knowing his ,guru to be one with ,isvara and ,atma4 7,the ,bhagavata ,school classifies ,jivas under two heads -- ,antar ,mukha and ,bahir ,mukha4 ,antar ,mukha is literally one with his face turned inwards i4e41 one who withdraws himself from the outside world and looks to self within1 which is only an aspect of ,ishvara4 ,bahir ,mukha ,jiva is one with his face turned outwards i4e4 one who withdraws himself from the self-within and therefore from ,ishvara4 ,he first loses sight of ,ishvara1 forgets that he 7the ,jiva7 is an aspect of ,ishvara and that he is not the same as the body4 ,he then considers the body as one with himself and concerns himself only with its relations to the outside world4 ,this is called forgetting and wrong perception4 ,fear arises from devotion to the ,second4 ,the ,second is that which is not self4 ,in meditation1 the ,guru stands between ,isvara and self1 and is ,isvara for all practical purposes to the devotee74 ,the ,dvaita 7,mayic manifestation71 though not existing1 appears to exist1 through the mind of man1 like dreams and desires4 ,therefore wise men should control the mind1 which gives rise to desires and doubts about actions4 ,then there shall be no fear4 ,the existence of the outside world and of the body is like the existence of dreams and desires4 ,the dream exists for the time being and then disappears altogether1 ,the dream has its existence because the mind brings it into existence4 ,it is a creation of the mind1 not permanently attached to the ,jiva4 ,so desires are also creations of the mind1 not permanently attached to the ,jiva1 ,but they have got a temporary existence4 ,that existence1 however1 is an existence in the mind of the man entertaining the dreams and desires and not outside the mind4 ,therefore the existence is not a real one4 ,so the body of the ,jiva and its surroundings are temporarily attached to the ,jiva4 ,as the dream vanishes in the wakeful state1 so the body and its surroundings disappear with the transformation called ,death4 ,body after body1 surroundings after surroundings1 are dreams1 as it were1 in the mind that bears all through the bubbles arising in the ocean of ,jivic existence4 ,the realisation of this temporary connection of the body and its surroundings is a training for the ,antarmukha ,jiva1 for it enables him to turn towards ,ishvara and the permanent aspect of ,jiva4 ,the non-existence of ,dvaita has always to be understood with reference to ,jiva or ,ishvara1 and not independently1 for the flow of ,prakriti is eternal4 ,the disregard of this primary idea has given rise to many misconceptions4 7,then as to ,antarmukha practices47 ,hear about the ,incarnations of ,vishnu and ,his blessed deeds1 hear about his names full of import as to those deeds and ,incarnations1 hear and sing the songs about ,him1 without any sense of uneasiness as to what others will say4 ,then roam over the earth free from all worldly attachments4 ,by such practices1 and by the recital of ,his dear names1 love for ,bhagavat grows up4 ,the heart then melts away4 ,the devotee laughs loudly1 he weeps1 he cries aloud1 he sings and he dances like a mad man4 ,he loses all control over himself4 ,he salutes ,akasa1 ,vayu1 ,agni1 ,water1 ,earth1 the planets1 the trees1 the ,seas and all beings as forming the body of his ,hari4 ,for he knows nothing else4 ,he1 who worships ,bhagavat in this way1 has ,devotion 7,bhakti71 perception of ,ishvara 7,anubhava7 and dispassion 7,virakti7 -- all three growing at one and the same time1 as1 by eating1 one gets pleasure1 nutrition and satisfaction of hunger all at one and the same time4 ,the ,bhagavata then attains supreme peace4 ,,ii4 ,nimi then asked3 ,what are the ,characteristics of a ,bhagavata and what are the ,signs by which a ,bhagavata is known8 ,hari replied3 -- ,he who sees in all beings the existence of ,bhagavat as in his own self1 and sees all beings in the ,bhagavat within himself is the highest ,bhagavata4 ,he who bears love towards ,isvara friendship towards his dependents1 kindness toward the ignorant1 and indifference towards his enemies belongs to the next class of ,bhagavatas4 ,he who worships an image as ,hari with faith1 but has no regard for ,bhaktas and for other beings is only a beginner as a ,bhakta4 ,the highest ,bhagavata perceives the objects with his senses1 but does not feel either aversion or pleasure4 ,he looks upon the universe as the ,maya of ,vishnu4 ,by constant meditation on ,hari1 he is not affected by the changes of life4 ,desires have no place in his mind1 so devoted is he to ,vasudeva4 ,he is the favourite of ,hari1 who does not take pride in his birth1 ,karma1 caste or ,asrama4 ,the highest ,bhagavata does not know ,mine and ,thine1 either in wealth or in body4 ,he looks upon all beings with equal eyes1 ,his mind is always at peace4 ,even for the sake of all the three ,lokas1 the ,vaishnava will not for a moment forget the lotus feet of ,bhagavat4 ,and more1 he is the greatest of all ,bhagavatas1 to whose heart ,hari is bound down by the tie of ,love4 ,,iii4 ,nimi asked3 -- ,what is then this ,maya of the ,supreme ,lord8 ,antariksha replied3 -- ,maya of ,bhagavat is that which causes the creation1 preservation and dissolution of this universe4 ,,iv4 ,nimi asked3 -- ,how can one whose mind is not controlled and who is of dull understanding easily cross over this ,maya8 ,prabuddha replied3 -- ,have recourse to a ,guru1 who knows the ,truth and is fixed in the supreme4 ,learn the duties of ,bhagavatas from him4 ,practise non-attachment1 keep company with ,sadhus4 ,be kind to your inferiors1 friendly to your equals and respectful to your superiors4 ,keep your body and mind pure4 ,regulate your life by fixed rules4 ,have forgiveness4 ,do not talk idly4 ,read the sacred books4 ,be upright4 ,be temperate4 ,be harmless to all beings4 ,bear good and evil1 pleasure and pain with equanimity4 ,find out ,atma and ,ishvara everywhere4 ,free yourself from all connections4 ,do not bind yourself down to your house4 ,have that which is easily got for your clothing4 ,be content with anything and everything4 ,have faith in the ,bhagavata ,sastra1 but do not blame any other ,sastra4 ,control your mind1 speech and actions4 ,speak the truth4 ,control your inner and outer senses4 ,hear1 recite and meditate on the deeds and ,avataras of ,hari4 ,let all your exertions be for ,him4 ,offer up all1 even your wife1 children and your own life1 to ,him4 ,in the company of ,bhagavatas1 interchange devotion and love1 remind each other and speak to each other of the glory of ,bhagavat1 till your hair stands on end1 and you will sometimes dance and sometimes sing1 maddened by your devotional thoughts about ,achyuta4 ,these are the duties of a ,bhagavata and by practising these1 he may easily cross over ,maya4 ,v4 ,nimi asked3 -- ,how can one be fixed in devotion to ,narayana8 ,pippalayana replied3 -- ,when through the desire of attaining the feet of ,vishnu1 one has strong devotion1 the impurities of one's mind are destroyed4 ,when the mind is purified1 it becomes fixed in ,atma4 ,,vi4 ,nimi asked3 -- ,tell me about ,karma ,yoga1 by the performance of which ,karma is speedily destroyed4 ,avirhotra replied3 -- ,vedic ,karma does not directly lead to ,moksha4 ,offer up your ,vedic ,karma to ,ishvara1 and perform it1 without any worldly attachment1 however4 ,he who wants speedily to cut asunder the tie of ,ahankara shall worship ,vishnu in the way prescribed in the ,tantras or ,agama4 7,vedic ,karma at first consisted of ,vedic ,yajna4 ,the ,gita gave a death blow to the performance of ,vedic ,yajnas4 ,nishkama ,karma took the place of ,kamya ,karma1 ,the ,vedic ,karma however survived in the ,sandhya ,mantras1 which conform themselves to the ,path of ,upasana4 ,the ,vedic ,sandhya is however meant only for ,brahmanas4 ,the ,tantric ,sandhya is an imitation of the ,vedic ,sandhya1 adapted to all classes of men1 and it supplements the ,vedic ,sandhya by laying down a method of worshipping the ,lord in the heart and of worshipping ,his image4 ,mantras are also prescribed4 ,devotion is the chief element in ,tantric ,upasana and this ,upasana is enjoined for all ,bhagavatas or ,vaishnavas4 ,there are ,siva ,tantras1 ,sakti ,tantras1 ,ganapati ,tantras1 ,surya ,tantras as well as ,vaishnava ,tantras4 ,there are black rites prescribed in some of the ,sakti ,tantras and the ,tantras have therefore got a bad name with many4 ,but the ,tantras as a whole form the only science of practical occultism in ,sanskrit1 and the ,vaishnava ,upasana is strictly a ,tantric ,upasana4 7,i do not enter here into the details of that ,upasana1 though some details are given in the text47 ,,vii4 ,nimi said3 -- ,tell me about the ,avataras and ,their deeds ,o ,rishis4 ,drumila gave a short account of the ,avataras1 commencing from the ,first ,purusha4 ,as this is nearly a repetition of what has been said before1 no attempt is made to reproduce it4 ,,viii4 ,nimi asked what is the destiny of those that do not worship ,bhagavat1 those that have no control over their mind and their senses4 ,chamasa replied3 -- ,they enter the regions of darkness 7,tamas74 ,,ix4 ,nimi asked3 ,what is the ,color of the manifestation of ,bhagavat at each period1 how does he manifest ,himself1 by what name is ,he known and in what way is ,he worshipped8 ,karabhajana replied3 -- ,in ,satya ,yuga1 ,bhagavat becomes white1 with four hands1 with tufts of braided hair1 with bark round ,his waist4 ,he bears a black deer-skin1 the sacred thread and beads1 and has ,danda 7the rod of an ascetic7 and ,kamandalu 7the water-pot of an ascetic7 in his hands4 7i4e4 ,he looks like a ,brahmacharin74 ,men are then peaceful and friendly towards one another4 ,there are no differences amongst them4 ,they worship the ,lord by means of ,tapas1 by control of the senses and of the mind4 ,bhagavat is then known by the following names3 -- ,hansa1 ,suparna1 ,vaikuntha1 ,dharma1 ,yogesvara1 ,amala1 ,isvara1 ,purusha1 ,avyakta1 and ,paramatman4 ,in ,treta1 ,bhagavat becomes ,red4 ,he has four hands and golden hair4 ,his form is that of ,yajna4 ,men are pious at the time4 ,they worship ,bhagavat by ,vedic ,yajna4 ,bhagavat is known by the following names3 -- ,vishnu1 ,yajna1 ,prism-garbha1 ,sarvadeva1 ,uru-krama1 ,vrisha ,kapi1 ,jayanta and ,urugaya4 ,in ,dvapara1 ,bhagavat is ,syama4 7,the word ,syama ordinarily means dark-blue4 ,but ,sridhara explains the word here as the color of an ,atasi flower1 which is generally yellow4 ,this is because the ,bhagavat speaks before of white1 red1 yellow and black as the colors of ,yuga ,avataras47 ,his cloth is yellow4 ,men worship ,him both by ,vedic and ,tantric methods4 ,vasudeva1 ,sankarshana1 ,pradyumna1 ,aniruddha1 ,narayana1 ,visvesvara and ,visva are his names4 ,in ,kali1 worship is made according to the ,tantras1 which are various4 ,bhagavat is black 7,krishna74 ,men worship ,him1 ,his ,symbols and attendants mostly by loud recitals of names and prayers 7,sankirtana74 ,wise men praise ,kali because worship is so easily made by mere ,sankirtana4 ,even men in ,satya ,yuga wish to be born in ,kali ,yuga4 ,nimi respected the nine ,rishis and they disappeared in the presence of all men4 ,vasudeva and ,devaki heard this story from ,narada4 ,they realised ,krishna as ,isvara and they acquired wisdom4 ,,krishna ,,and ,,uddhava4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #f499 ,brahma and other ,devas went to ,dvaraka4 ,addressing ,krishna2 ,brahma said3 -- ,all that we prayed for has been done4 ,one hundred and twenty-five years have passed away since thou didst appear in the line of ,yadus4 ,that line is also well nigh extinguished4 ,now go back to thy own abode1 if it pleases thee4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,the extinction of the ,yadavas has been set on foot by the curse of the ,rishis4 ,i shall remain on ,earth1 till it is completely brought about4 ,there were unusual phenomena at ,dvaraka4 ,the elders came to ,krishna4 ,he proposed a pilgrimage to ,prabhasa4 ,so the ,yadavas made preparations for going to ,prabhasa4 ,uddhava saw the evil portents and he heard what ,sri ,krishna said4 ,i see1 ,o ,lord1 said he to ,sri ,krishna1 thou shalt leave this earth1 as soon as the ,yadus are destroyed4 ,i can not miss thy feet even for half a moment4 ,so take me to thy own abode4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,it is true as you say4 ,my mission is fulfilled4 ,the ,devas ask me to go back4 ,the ,yadavas shall be killed by mutual quarrel4 ,on the seventh day from this1 the sea shall swallow up this seat of ,dvaraka4 ,as soon as ,i leave this earth1 ,kali shall overtake it and men shall grow unrighteous4 ,it will not then be meet for you to remain here4 ,give up all and free yourself from all attachments and roam about over this earth1 with your mind fixed on me1 looking on all beings with equal eyes4 ,whatever is perceived by the senses and the mind1 know all that to be of the mind1 and so ,mayic and transitory4 ,this is this and this is that this conception of difference is only a delusion of him whose mind is distracted 7i4e4 not united to ,me74 ,it is this delusion which causes experiences of right and wrong4 ,it is for those that have got notions of right and wrong that 7the ,vedas speak7 differently of the performance of prescribed work 7,karma71 the non-performance of prescribed work 7,akarma71 and the performance of prohibited work 7,vikarma74 7,this has reference to ,varna and ,asrama duties4 ,as long as a man identifies himself with some ,varna or ,asrama he looks upon others also as belonging to some ,varna or ,asrama4 ,he therefore makes a distinction between men and men4 ,the ,varnasrama duties are prescribed by the ,vedas for a man1 so long as he entertains ideas of difference4 ,when he looks equally upon a ,brahmana and a ,chandala1 when he finds his ,lord every where and finds all beings in the ,lord within himself1 he becomes a man of the ,universe1 a ,bhagavata4 ,for him the ,vedas do not make any rule4 ,he is above all rules and restrictions4 ,but the ,varnasrama duties are to be respected1 so long as one makes any difference between man and man47 ,control thy senses and control thy mind4 ,see the wide-spread ,universe in thyself and see thyself in ,me1 the ,lord4 ,learn and digest all that is given in the scriptures4 ,contented with self perception1 the very self of all other beings1 you shall have no danger from others4 ,you will do no wrong but not because it is prohibited by the ,scriptures1 and you will do what is prescribed but not because it is so prescribed 7i4e4 the sense of right and wrong will be natural in you1 independently of ,sastric teachings47 ,you will exceed the limits of both right and wrong and do things just like a child4 ,the friend of all beings1 calm and quiet at heart1 fixed in wisdom and direct knowledge1 you will see the ,universe full of ,me and you will not be drawn back to births4 ,uddhava said3 -- ,lord of ,yoga1 what thou sayest for my final bliss is a complete renunciation of all worldly attachments4 ,it seems to me however that the giving up of desires is not possible for those that have their mind filled with the object world1 unless they are completely devoted to ,thee4 ,i have not yet got over the sense of ',i' and ',mine4' ,tell me how ,i can easily follow out ,thy teachings4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,generally those men that are skilful in discrimination rescue self from worldly desires by means of self1 7i4e4 they may do so1 even without the help of a ,guru1 by means of self discrimination47 ,self is the instructor of self1 specially in man 7,purusha47 7,even in animals1 preserving instincts proceed from self4 ,so self is the instructor4 ,sridhara7 ,for it is self that finds out final bliss by direct perception and by inference4 ,wise men1 well versed in ,sankhya and ,yoga1 look upon ,me as ,purusha pervading all beings1 and possessing all powers4 7,this is according to ,sridhara1 the direct perception by which final bliss is attained4 ,the word ,purusha here has something like the sense of a ,monad in ,theosophical literature4 ,the passage quoted by ,sridhara from the ,upanishads to illustrate the idea of ,purusha also shews this47 ,there are many habitations created for life manifestation1 some1 with one1 two1 three or four feet1 some with many feet and some with no foot4 ,of these1 however1 that of man 7,pourushi7 is dear to me4 ,for in this form of ,man those that are fixed in meditation truly find me out1 the ,lord1 though beyond all objects of perception1 by the indications of perceived attributes as well as by inferences from the same4 7,indications4 ,buddhi1 ,manas and others1 the perceived attributes1 are in their nature manifestless4 ,the manifestation is not possible except through one that is self manifest4 ,therefore ,buddhi and others point to ,him4 ,inferences4 ,whenever there is an instrument1 there is some one to use it4 ,buddhi and others are instruments4 ,there is therefore one who guides these4 ,sridhara47 ,in this matter of self instruction1 hear the story of an ,ava-dhuta 7an ascetic who renounces all worldly attachments and connections47 ,,self-,,instruction4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #g-i499 ,yadu asked an ,ava-dhuta how he could get that clear spiritual vision1 by which he was able to give up all attachments1 and roam like a child in perfect bliss4 ,the ,ava-dhuta replied3 -- ,i have many ,gurus1 ,o king -- ,earth1 ,air1 ,akasa1 ,water1 ,fire1 the ,moon1 the ,sun1 the pigeon1 the huge serpents1 the ocean1 the insect1 the bee1 the elephant1 the collector of honey1 the deer1 the fish1 ,pingala1 the osprey1 the child1 the maid1 the maker of arrows1 the serpent1 the spider and the wasp4 ,these are my twenty four ,gurus4 ,though oppressed by the elements1 the ,earth does not deviate from her path1 as she knows that they are only guided by the divine law4 ,this forbearance ,i have learned from the ,earth4 ,i have learned from the mountain 7which is a part of the ,earth7 that all our desires should be for the good of others and that our very existence is for others and not for self4 ,i have learned entire subordination to other's interests from the trees 7also part of the ,earth74 ,i have learned from the vital air1 that one should be content only with such things as keep up the life and should not care about the objects of the senses4 7,the sage should keep up his life so that his mind be not put out of order and his mental acquisitions lost2 but at the same time he should not be attached to the objects of the senses1 so that his speech and mind be not disturbed47 ,though placed in the midst of the objects with different attributes1 the ,yogi should not be attached to them4 ,this ,i have learned from the outside air4 ,the soul enters the body and the bodily attributes seem its own1 but it is not so4 ,the air is charged with smell1 but the smell is no attribute of air4 ,atma is all pervading and it is not affected by the body and bodily attributes4 ,this ,i have learned from ,akasa which1 though all pervading1 seems to be conditioned by clouds and other objects4 ,transparency1 agreeability and sweetness1 ,i have learned from water4 ,the sage purifies others like water4 ,powerful in knowledge and glowing with asceticism1 the sage receiving all things does not take their impurities even as fire4 ,fire eats the sacrificial ghee when offered to it and consumes the sins of the offerer4 ,the sage eats the food offered to him by others but he burns up their past and future impurities4 ,fire is one though it enters fuels of various sorts4 ,one ,atma pervades all beings1 however different they may appear by the action of ,avidya4 ,birth1 death1 and other affections are states of the body1 not of ,atma4 ,the moon looks full1 diminished and gone1 though it is the same in all these states4 ,the sun draws water by its rays and gives it all away in time4 ,the sage takes in order to give1 and not in order to add to his own possessions4 ,the sun reflected on different surfaces appears to the ignorant as many and various4 ,the ,atma in different bodies1 even appears as such4 ,too much attachment is bad4 ,this ,i have learned from a pair of pigeons4 ,they lived in a forest4 ,one day they left their young ones in the nest and went about in search of food for them4 ,when they returned they found the young ones netted by a hunter4 ,the mother had too much affection for the young ones4 ,she fell into the net of her own accord4 ,the father also followed suit and the hunter was pleased to have them all without any exertion of his own4 ,the huge ,ajagara serpent remains where he is and is content with whatever food comes to him4 ,the sage is calm and deep1 not to be fathomed or measured4 ,he is limitless 7as the unconditioned self is manifested in him74 ,he is not to be disturbed even like the tranquil ocean4 ,the ocean may receive volumes of water from the rivers at times or may receive no water at other times4 ,but it remains the same1 even as the sage at all times4 ,he who is tempted by woman is destroyed like an insect falling into fire4 ,the bee takes a little from every flower4 ,the ,sanyasi should take only a little from each ,grihastha1 so that the ,grihastha may not suffer4 ,the bee extracts honey from all flowers big or small4 ,the ,sage should extract wisdom from all ,sastras big or small4 ,do not store anything for the evening or for the morrow4 ,have only so much for your bhiksha 7alms given to a ,sanyasi7 as may suffice for one meal4 ,the bee is killed for his storing4 ,the ,bhikshu shall not touch a woman though made of wood1 even with his feet4 ,the elephant is shewn a female and is drawn into a trap4 ,the woman is the death of the sage4 ,he should never approach her4 ,the elephant seeking a female is killed by stronger elephants4 ,the miser neither gives nor enjoys his riches4 ,what ever he collects with difficulty is carried away by some one else4 ,the collector of honey carries away the honey collected by others4 ,he does not make it by his own effort4 ,the ,sanyasi without any effort of his own gets food from the ,grihasthas1 as it is their duty to feed him4 ,do not hear vulgar songs4 ,the deer is attracted by songs and is entrapped4 ,the love of taste is to be conquered above all1 for it is most difficult to conquer4 ,when the sense of taste is controlled1 all other senses are controlled4 ,the fish is killed when tempted by the bait4 ,pingla1 a courtesan of ,videha waited the whole day for some lover who might come and make presents to her1 with breathless expectation4 ,the night approached and she grew restless ,she then thought within herself3 -- ,for what a trifle1 am ,i so uneasy4 ,why not seek ,ishvara1 the eternal giver of all pleasures and all desires4 ,she gave up all hopes and expectations that troubled her ere long and became happy4 ,she had good sleep in the night4 ,it is hope that gives us trouble4 ,without hope we are happy4 ,when the bird kurara 7osprey7 gets some flesh to eat1 the stronger birds kill him4 ,he is happy when he renounces the flesh4 ,renunciation of dear objects is good for the sage4 ,the child has no sense of honor or dis-honor4 ,it has not the thoughts of a man of the world4 ,it is self content and it plays with self4 ,i roam about like the child4 ,the child is however ignorant1 but the sage crosses the limits of the ,gunas4 ,some people came to select a bride4 ,the maid was alone in the house4 ,she received the men who came4 ,she went to a solilary place to beat off the impurities of the rice for their meal4 ,she had shell-made bracelets on her wrists4 ,these made a great noise4 ,she felt disgust and broke the bracelets one by one1 till only one remained on each hand4 ,when there are two or more at one place1 they cause a jarring sound1 and they quarrel4 ,i have therefore earned solitariness from the maid4 ,i have learned concentration of mind from the maker of arrows4 ,the serpent has no home4 ,it roams in solitude4 ,so do ,i4 ,narayana draws in the whole creation at the end of the ,kalpa and becomes one1 the resort of all4 ,by ,kala ,sakti1 the thread1 ,mahat1 first comes out and the universe is again brought into manifestation4 ,the spider brings the thread out of himself1 spreads out the web and devours it himself4 7,there is a kind of wasp1 which catches a particular insect and carries it into a hole4 ,it is supposed that the insect assumes the form of the wasp through fear47 ,when either through affection1 hatred1 or fear1 a man throws his whole heart upon some object and the mind holds it fast1 he attains the form of that object4 ,i have learned this from the wasp4 ,thus ,i have learned from my ,gurus1 ,my own body is also my ,guru4 ,i have learned from it dispassion and discrimination4 ,the body is born only to die4 ,constant misery is its lot4 ,i know the truths1 by a discriminative study of the body4 ,still ,i regard it as not mine and so ,i feel no attachment for it 7,the body belongs to the dogs and jackals who devour it after death4 ,sridhara47 ,what does not a man do for the enjoyment of the body -- but it comes to an end after all1 having created the germs of another body4 ,the possessor of the body is now drawn away by this sense1 now by that sense1 now by this action now by that action4 ,the senses suck his very life blood1 even as the many wives of one husband4 ,the ,lord created vegetable and animal bodies4 ,but he was not satisfied with them4 ,for the human body only has the power to perceive ,brahman4 ,therefore after many births1 when the human body is once attained1 one should strive promptly for his supreme bliss4 ,yadu heard these words of wisdom1 and he gave up all attachments4 ,,atma ,a ,,refutation ,,of ,,the ,,school ,,of ,,jaimini4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #aj499 ,sri ,krishna continued3 -- 7,self-study is the first stage4 ,it leads to the power of discrimination4 ,without self study no progress is possible4 ,therefore ,sri ,krishna speaks of it as an essential condition4 ,he then goes on to the next stage of preparation47 ,subject to what ,i have said as to one's own duties 7in ,pancha ,ratra and other ,vaishnava works2 ,sridhara7 and knowing me to be the final resort1 you should dispassionately follow the ,varna-,asrama and family duties4 7,but how is dispassion possible87 ,with the mind purified by the performance of duties1 reflect on this that worldly men take up things1 thinking them to be real but the end shews that they are not so4 ,objects of desire are unreal1 as their perception as separate entities is caused by the senses and they are altogether sense-made4 ,even they are as unreal as dreams and fancy1 both caused by the mind4 7,actions are fourfold1 7#a7 those that have the fulfilment of selfish desires for their object or ,kamya ,karma1 7#b7 those that are prohibited by the ,scriptures or ,nishiddha ,karma1 7#c7 those that are required to be daily performed or ,nitya ,karma1 7#d7 those that are required to be performed on certain occasions or ,naimittika4 ,the first two are ,pravritta or selfish ,karma4 ,the last two are ,nivritta or unselfish ,karma4 ,the ,smritis say that those who want ,moksha or liberation must not perform ,pravritta ,karma4 ,but they should perform ,nitya and ,naimittika ,karma1 as their non-performance might give rise to obstacles47 ,perform ,nivritta ,karma and being devoted to ,me1 give up all ,pravritta ,karma4 ,but when you fully enter the path of wisdom1 then you need not care much even for ,nivritta ,karma4 ,constantly practise ,yama4 ,being fixed on ,me1 you may sometimes practise ,niyama 7,yama and ,niyama are detailed in the #aith chapter47 ,devotedly follow one ,guru1 who knows ,me and is full of ,me1 being calm and quiet at heart4 ,be humble and unenvious1 active1 free from the sense of ,mineness1 strong in friendship 7towards the ,guru4 ,sridhara7 not over-zealous1 eager to know the truths and free from malice4 ,do not indulge in idle talk4 ,be indifferent to wife1 son1 house1 land1 relations1 riches and all other things1 for ,atma is the same every where and its working is the same in all bodies4 ,this ,atma is neither the gross body nor the subtle body4 ,it is the self illumined seer4 ,fire that illuminates and burns is separate from the fuel that is illuminated and burnt4 ,the fuel has beginning and end4 ,it is big and small4 ,it is of various kinds4 ,the fire that pervades it is limited by the nature of the fuel4 ,so ,atma which is separate from the body bears the attributes of the body4 ,the birth and re-birth of the ,jiva have their origin in the gross and the subtle body1 which are the outcome of the ,gunas1 subordinated by ,isvara4 ,the knowledge of ,atma 7as separate from the body7 cuts off the course of rebirths4 ,therefore by seeking after knowledge fully realise that ,atma in self is separate and is beyond the body4 ,then by degrees do away with a sense of reality in respect of the gross and the subtle body4 ,the preceptor is the lower piece of wood used for kindling the sacred fire4 ,the pupil is the upper piece of wood4 ,the teachings form the middle portion of the wood where the stroke is made4 ,vidya is the pleasing fire that comes out4 7,the pupil by constant questioning should extract the fire of wisdom from the ,guru i4e4 one should learn ,atma ,vidya from his ,guru47 ,the pure wisdom that is thus acquired from the ,guru shakes off the ,maya that is begotten of the ,gunas4 ,it burns up the ,gunas themselves1 which constitute this universe of re-incarnation and then it ceases of itself4 ,the fire consumes the fuel first and then it is extinguished of itself4 ,or if you think that the doers of actions1 their pleasures and pains1 the enjoyers and sufferers 7,jivatmas or ,egos7 are many and that the place and time of enjoyment and suffering1 and the scriptures relating thereto and to the enjoyer or sufferer are all alike not constant4 7,we have found in the former slokas that ,atma is one and constant4 ,it is self manifest and it is conciousness itself4 ,when we speak of ,atma as the ,doer1 the ,enjoyer and so on these attributes really relate to the body which forms the phenomenal basis of ,atma4 ,every thing else besides ,atma is transitory and formed of ,maya4 ,it has been therefore said that one should free himself from all attachments and should attain liberation by the knowledge of ,atma4 ,this is the conclusion arrived at by a reconciliation of all the ,srutis4 ,but there is another school1 that of ,jaimini1 which arrives at a different conclusion4 ,to remove all doubts whatsoever1 the author refers to it for the sake of refutation4 ,the followers of ,jaimini deem ,jivatmas -- the doers and enjoyers in all beings to be essentially separate and many4 ,according to them1 ,atma is known by the feeling of ,i-ness4 ,now this feeling is different in different bodies4 ,i am the doer ,i am the enjoyer every one feels this separately for himself4 ,there is no one ,parmatma1 which is the essence of all these ,jivatmas and which is above all transformations4 ,therefore freedom from attachments or dispassion is not possible4 ,you may think1 that the enjoyments are transitory1 and so also that the time and place of enjoyment1 the scriptures that enjoin them1 and the enjoying ,atma itself are not constant4 ,hence you may justify dispassion4 ,but all this is not a fact4 ,this is the argument of the followers of ,jaimini4 ,sridhara47 ,and if you consider that all substances are constant by the eternal flow of their existence and that consciousness grows and is separate according to the difference in every particular form4 7,according to the followers of ,jaimini there is no break in the objects of enjoyment nor are they formed of ,maya4 ,all substances perpetually exist by the constancy of their flow4 ,they say that there was no time1 when the ,universe was not what it is4 ,therefore there is no maker of the ,universe1 no ,ishvara4 ,and the ,universe is not a delusion -- ,maya4 ,it is what it appears to be4 ,there is no one and constant consciousness of which the essence is ,atma4 ,this pot this cloth -- ,our consciousness grows by the process of perceiving these differences4 ,therefore consciousness is not constant and it has separate forms4 ,the hidden purport is this4 ,atma is not absolute consciousness itself1 but it is transformed into consciousness4 ,but you can not say1 because it is subject to transformation1 therefore it is transient4 ,for it has been said authoritatively that its transformation into consciousness does not interfere with its eternity4 ,therefore for the purpose of liberation 7,mukti71 ,atma can not transform itself without the help of the senses c4 ,and if ,atma attains liberation1 in the state of jada 7or unconsciousness7 nothing is gained4 ,therefore the best path to follow is that of ,pravritti or ,inclination and not that of ,nivritti or ,disinclination4 ,sridhara4 ,the above commentaries of ,sridhara form one of the best expositions of the philosophy of ,jaimini4 ,only the last passage requires a little elucidation4 ,atma in itself is not consciousness4 ,its transformation into consciousness is its highest evolution or ,mukti4 ,now this transformation is caused by the perception of objects1 it is made complete by the perception of all objects and it is made constant by a constant desire for all objects4 ,this object1 or that object may vanish1 this man or that woman may die1 this flower or that flower may perish1 but there is no time when the objects as a class do not exist1 when there is no enjoyer1 no object to be enjoyed4 ,so there is a constancy in the desires4 ,therefore one must form attachments1 have desires1 that ,atma be made fully conscious4 ,but if ,atma be left to itself1 it will remain ,jada or unconscious4 ,there is nothing to be gained by this4 ,therefore one should persistently follow the path of desires as laid down in the ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas1 analysed by ,jaimini in his ,purva ,mimansa4 ,one should not give up ,vedic ,karma and selfish desires as he is taught to do in the ,jnana ,kanda of the ,vedas1 the ,upanishads1 as analysed by ,vyasa in his ,uttara ,mimansa1 and as expounded by ,sri ,krishna in the ,bhagavat ,gita4 ,it must be remembered that this philosophy of ,karma1 so effectually refuted by ,sri ,krishna1 was suited to the materialistic cycle of evolution1 when ,rajas had to be sought rather than put down4 ,the minerals and vegetables were unconscious4 ,the animals shewed a slight development in consciousness4 ,but the full development was in ,man4 ,and this was due to the pursuit of the ,path of ,inclination or ,pravritti ,marga up to a late period in the past history of the ,universe4 ,notwithstanding the attacks of ,sri ,krishna1 the school of ,jaimini had its followers till the time of ,sri ,sankaracharya1 when ,mandana ,misra the most learned ,pandit of the time1 was its chief exponent4 ,after his memorable defeat by ,sri ,sankaracharya the ,mimansakas fell into disrepute and ,vedic ,karma became a thing of the past47 ,granting all that1 ,o dear ,uddhava1 all ,atmas have constantly their births and other states1 by connection with the body and by reason of the divisions of time4 7i4e4 though you may say that ,atma itself is transformed1 still you can not deny that the transformations take place by its connection with the body and that they are brought about by time47 ,it follows then that the doer of actions1 the enjoyer of joys and the sufferer of sorrows is dependent on other things4 7,for ,atma is dependent upon the body and upon time for its highest transformation4 ,sridhara says if ,atma is the doer and enjoyer1 why should it do wrong acts and suffer sorrows if it were independent4 ,therefore ,atma must be dependent according to the ,mimansakas74 ,now who in seeking his greatest good would worship one that is dependent on others8 7,do not say that those who know ,vedic karma thoroughly are always happy and only those that do not know that are unhappy4 ,for it is found that -- ,sridhara7 even wise men sometimes have no happiness and the ignorant have no misery4 ,therefore it is mere vanity 7to speak about ,karma74 ,even if 7the followers of the path of ,pravritti7 know how to gain happiness and destroy misery1 they certainly do not know the means by which they can get over death4 ,and when death is near at hand1 what objects of desire can give joy8 ,what can please the victim that is carried to the place of sacrifice8 7,this is so far as this life is concerned4 ,then as to life after death74 ,what you hear about ,svarga life1 even that is as bad as the life we lead on this earth4 ,for in ,svarga1 there is jealousy1 there is fault finding1 there are inequalities and consequent uneasiness1 and there is a finality in the enjoyments and the desires are full of obstacles1 even as agriculture is and so after all even ,svarga is of no good4 ,when the ,vedic ,karma is properly performed without any obstacle whatsoever1 hear how the performer of ,karma loses the place acquired by his ,karma4 ,he makes offerings to ,indra and other ,devas by the performance of ,yajna and he goes after death to ,svarga4 ,there he enjoys heavenly objects like the ,devas1 objects acquired by his own ,karma4 ,he moves in white chariots the acquisitions of his own merits1 among ,deva girls and is adored2 by the ,gandharvas4 ,the chariot moves at his will4 ,it is adorned by small bells4 ,he whiles away his time with the ,deva girls in the gardens of ,svarga and he does not know his own fall4 ,but he remains in ,svarga only so long as his merit is not exhausted4 ,and when the merit is run out1 down falls the man by the force of time1 even against his will4 7,the above is the course after death of those who perform ,kamya ,karma1 according to ,vedic rules4 ,this is one way of following ,pravritti ,marga4 ,there is another way -- the following up of one's own inclinations1 in disregard of the ,vedic rules4 ,the next ,sloka refers to the performers of prohibited ,karma74 ,and if again a man indulges in the prohibited acts1 through evil company1 if his senses are not controlled1 and if in consequence1 he is passionate indiscriminate1 greedy1 excessively fond of women1 and unkind to other beings1 if the man kills animals wantonly and worships ,pretas and ,bhutas1 he goes1 driven by the law1 to the ,narakas and finds there intense ,tamas4 ,therefore karma 7selfish actions7 ends in unhappiness4 ,by performing karma with the body1 men seek the body again4 ,what happiness is there in the possession of this transitory body8 ,the ,lokas and ,lokapalas have to fear me1 they who live for one full day of ,brahma4 ,even ,brahma who lives for #b ,parardhas has fear of me4 7,therefore ,pravritti ,marga leads to evil4 ,it should be shunned and ,nivritti ,marga should be adopted4 ,this is the purport4 ,sridhara74 7,now ,sri ,krishna goes on to refute the first two assumptions 7#a7 that ,atma is the doer and 7#b7 that ,atma is the enjoyer74 ,the ,gunas create actions and the ,gunas lead the ,gunas4 7,the ,gunas are ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas4 ,these primal attributes of ,prakriti give rise to all her manifestations4 ,the ,indriyas1 the senses1 and the mind are ,satvic and ,rajasic transformations of the ,ahankara manifestation of ,prakriti4 ,so they are the ,gunas first referred to4 ,the senses and the mind create actions4 ,our actions are all prompted by them and not by ,atma4 ,so ,atma is not the doer4 ,it may be said however that the senses and the mind are guided by ,atma4 ,but it is not so4 ,the primal attributes 7,gunas7 lead the senses and the mind 7,gunas74 ,if ,satva prevails in a man his actions are ,satvic and so on4 ,it is the nature of the ,prakritic transformations of a man that determines his actions4 ,this is only an elaboration of ,sridhara's notes47 ,the ,jiva enjoys the fruits of ,karma1 being connected with the ,gunas 7,the enjoyment by ,jiva is also due to its phenomenal basis4 ,connected with the ,gunas i4e4 connected with the senses and other ,prakritic elements4 ,jivatma dwells in the body4 ,when the house falls down1 he occupies another house4 ,when the houses are merely halting stations in his long journey1 he does not care much for the house itself1 he does not identify himself with the house4 ,so when ,jivatma becomes indifferent to the body1 it is not affected by the changes of the body4 ,when a house burns1 the dweller in the house feels pain4 ,when the house is comfortable1 the dweller in the house feels pleasure4 ,his connection with the house is however temporary47 ,as long as there is difference in the ,gunas 7i4 e1 ,guna transformations1 ,ahankara c471 so long there is plurality in ,atma4 ,as long as there is plurality so long is it dependent on others4 7,the difference in ,jivatmas or individuals1 is not due to any difference in ,atma1 but to differences in the ,guna transformations which give rise to the body4 ,dependence is also an accompaniment of those transformations71 ,so long as ,jiva is dependent on others it has fear from ,ishvara4 ,those that worship the ,guna transformations are given up to sorrow and they become deluded4 ,,bondage ,,and ,,liberation4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #aa499 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,atma dwells in the transformations of the ,gunas forming the body4 ,why should it not be bound down by the ,gunas4 ,or if ,atma is free 7like ,akasa7 why should it be at all in bondage8 ,what are the indications of ,atma in bondage and of liberated ,atma8 ,is ,atma ever in bondage8 7for connection with the ,gunas is eternal4 ,sridhara7 or ever in liberation 7for if liberation is a state to be acquired1 ,atma can not be permanent4 ,sridhara7 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,bondage and liberation are terms applied to ,me not with reference to my real self1 but with reference to ,my ,gunas 7the ,guna limitations1 ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas that are subordinate to me4 ,sridhara74 ,the ,gunas have their origin in ,maya4 ,therefore ,i have neither liberation nor bondage4 ,sorrow and delusion1 joy and grief1 even the attainment of body -- these are all due to ,maya4 ,the dream is only an illusory form of the mind1 even so the course of births is not real4 ,vidya and ,avidya both proceed from ,my ,maya1 ,o ,uddhava4 ,i am one and the ,jiva is only my part 7as the ray is of the sun74 ,the bondage of ,jiva is caused by ,avidya and its liberation by ,vidya4 ,this is eternally so4 ,now ,i shall tell you the different indications of the imprisoned and the liberated ,jiva4 7,the difference is twofold3 that between ,jiva and ,isvara and that amongst the ,jivas themselves4 ,the author first speaks of the former4 ,sridhara47 ,jiva and ,isvara though of different attributes dwell in the same body4 ,they are two birds like each other 7for both are manifestations of conciousness71 companions that have made a nest for themselves 7the heart71 in the tree of body1 of their own free will4 ,of these one 7the ,jiva7 eats the fruits of the tree4 ,the other 7,isvara7 though not a partaker of the fruits is the mightier of the two4 ,for ,he who does not partake of the fruits is the knower of self as of others4 ,but the partaker of fruits is not so4 ,he 7,jiva7 who is joined with ,avidya is always imprisoned4 ,he 7,ishvara7 who is joined with ,vidya is always liberated4 7,maya of ,ishvara or ,vidya does not throw a veil round and does not delude74 ,the conscious are two in every individual4 ,the consciousness of ,isvara is universal4 ,jivatma however takes upon himself the limitations of individuality and becomes the conscious centre in every man4 ,i perceive ,i conceive ,i do1 that ,i is ,atma limited by the sense of individuality4 ,the perception and conceptions are of ,jivatma and he is the partaker of the fruits4 ,this ,jiva element in an individual is in bondage4 ,but the ,isvara element in him is always liberated4 ,and ,jiva becomes liberated1 when the individual limitation is withdrawn74 7,now the difference amongst ,jivas liberated and imprisoned74 ,the liberated 7,jiva7 though dwelling in the body does not dwell in it as it were1 even like one aroused from dream4 7,the awakened man remembers his dream body1 but realises it as unreal1 ,so the liberated ,jiva looks upon his body as unreal or a temporary halting station1 not a part of his own self74 ,the ignorant identifies himself with the body1 like the man in dream4 ,the senses perceive the objects of the senses4 ,the ,gunas perceive the ,gunas4 ,the wise 7,jiva7 does not identify self with these4 ,he is therefore not distracted4 ,the ignorant1 however1 while dwelling in this body brought about by prior ,karma1 in which the senses act1 thinks that he is the doer and becomes thus bound down4 ,the wise one sees with disgust that the actions of others bind him4 ,sleeping1 sitting1 walking or bathing1 seeing1 touching1 smelling1 eating or hearing1 the wise 7,jiva7 does not bind himself like the ignorant1 for in those acts1 he realises that the ,gunas 7senses7 perceive 7and not his self74 ,he dwells in the body1 but is not attached to it1 like the ,akasa1 the sun and the air4 7,space is in all things1 but the things form no part of space4 ,the sun becomes reflected in water1 but is not attached to water4 ,the air moves about all around1 but does not become attached to any thing74 ,by the force of dispassion1 the vision becomes clear4 ,all doubts are removed4 ,and the wise 7,jiva7 rises as it were from sleep1 and withdraws himself from the diversities 7of body and other material objects74 ,the ,jiva whose ,pranas1 ,indriyas1 ,manas and ,buddhi function without the promptings of self-centred desires is freed from the attributes of the body though dwelling in the body4 ,whether injured by others or adored the liberated ,jiva is not affected in the least4 ,he neither praises nor blames others for their good or bad deeds or words4 ,he knows no merits nor demerits4 ,he looks on all with an equal eye4 ,he does not do anything1 he does not say anything1 he does not think on any thing1 good or bad4 ,he is self-entranced and moves like a sense-less being 7,jada74 ,if a man well-versed in the ,vedas is not fixed in the ,supreme1 his labour becomes fruitless like that of a man who keeps a breeding cow that bears no calf4 ,a cow that does not give milk1 an unchaste wife1 a body that is under the control of others1 an undutiful son1 wealth that is not given to the deserving and words that do not relate to me3 he only keeps these whose lot is misery4 ,with discrimination such as this do away with the notion of diversity in self4 ,then fix your purified mind in ,me1 who am all pervading1 and desist from everything else4 ,if you can not fix your mind in ,me1 then offer up all your actions unconditionally to ,me4 ,hear with faith the words that relate to ,me4 ,sing of ,me1 meditate on my deeds and ,incarnations4 ,imitate these4 ,whatever you do1 do that for ,me4 ,then will be gained1 ,o ,uddhava1 fixed devotion to ,me4 ,that devotion 7,bhakti7 is to be acquired in the company of ,sadhus4 ,,sadhu ,,and ,,bhakti4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #aa-ab499 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,who according to ,thee is a ,sadhu8 ,what sort of ,bhakti 7devotion7 may be offered to ,thee8 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,compassionate1 harmless1 forgiving1 firm in truth1 faultless1 impartial1 doing good to all1 undisturbed by desires1 self restrained1 mild1 pure1 not asking for anything1 indifferent1 temperate in eating with controlled mind1 steady in the performance of duties1 seeking refuge in me1 given to meditation1 careful1 profound1 patient1 having control over the six-fold waves 7hunger1 thirst1 sorrow and delusion1 infirmity and death71 not seeking respect from others1 but respecting others1 able1 friendly1 tender-hearted1 wise1 such is a ,sadhu4 ,he who knowing my injunctions and prohibitions in the performance of one's own ,dharma or duties of life1 even gives them all up for my sake is the best of all ,sadhus4 ,those who seek me and nothing else1 whether they know or not what ,i am1 are the best of ,my ,bhaktas4 ,to see1 touch and worship ,my symbols and my votaries1 to serve and adore them1 the humble recital of ,my glory and of ,my deeds1 ,faith in hearing words about ,me1 constant meditation on ,me1 the offering up of all gains to ,me1 even the offering up of self in a spirit of service1 the observance of the sacred days1 rejoicings in the houses set apart for ,me 7all good ,hindus have a house or room set apart for divine worship71 initiation according to the ,vedic and the ,tantric ,system 7one who is initiated is to recite the ,mantras a certain number of times1 every morning and evening and he can not take his meals without doing so in the morning7 to observe fasts1 enthusiasm in founding ,my image for worship1 and in founding gardens1 buildings and towns 7in connection with ,my worship7 humility and silence about one's own good deeds1 -- these are the indications of ,bhakti4 ,sun1 ,fire1 the ,brahmana1 the ,cow1 the ,vaishnava1 ,akasa1 ,air1 ,water1 ,earth1 ,atma1 and all beings -- these are the eleven places of my worship4 ,i am to be worshipped in the ,sun1 by ,vedic ,mantras1 in the fire by sacrificial ,ghee1 in the ,brahmana by hospitality1 in the cows by the offer of grass1 in the ,vaishnava by friendly treatment1 in the ,akasa of the heart cavity by meditation1 in the air by the contemplation of ,prana1 in the water by offerings of libation and so forth1 in the ,earth by secret ,mantras1 in ,atma by experiencing 7,bhoga7 and in all beings by equality4 ,in all these places of worship ,i am to be meditated on as with four hands1 bearing conch1 disc1 club and lotus4 ,he who worships ,me as above and serves the ,sadhus acquires ,devotion4 ,except by devotion that is acquired in the company of ,sadhus1 there is hardly any other way of liberation4 ,i am not so easily attainable by ,yoga1 ,sankhya1 ,dharma1 the reading of ,scriptures1 ,tapas1 gifts1 charitable acts1 fasts1 ,yajnas1 the ,vedas1 resort to pilgrimage1 ,niyamas or ,yamas as by the company of ,sadhus4 ,even those that are the lowest by birth1 those that have ,rajas and ,tamas predominant in them1 the ,daityas1 ,asuras1 and ,rakshasas attain me easily by the company of ,sadhus4 ,the ,gopis in ,vraja1 the wives of the ,vedic ,brahmanas did not read the ,vedas1 they did not observe fasts1 they did not perform ,tapas1 but they attained ,me1 through the company of ,sadhus4 ,therefore ,o ,uddhava care not for ,srutis or ,smritis1 for biddings and for forbiddings4 ,have recourse to ,me1 the ,atma of all beings1 with all devotion1 and thou shall have no fear from any quarter4 7,the following stages are to be marked3 -- #a4 ,study of ,nature and self instruction4 #b4 ,self discrimination1 resuting in the separation of the conscious ,atma and the unconscious ,non-,atma4 #c4 ,the understanding of what is bondage and liberation1 and the relation between ,jiva ,atma and ,parama ,atma 7,ishvara47 #d4 ,the liberating process during which the rules are to be observed1 sacrifices to be made1 the duties of life to be performed and active good done to all beings4 ,during this process1 the whole nature of the man becomes one of universal compassion and friendliness4 ,differences vanish4 ,good and bad become all alike4 ,the ,jiva rests in his own ,atma1 which is the ,atma of all beings1 and then all is calm and quiet4 #e4 ,the company of ,sadhus4 #f4 ,devotion acquired in that company4 #g4 ,when ,devotion 7,bhakti7 becomes a part of one's nature then the giving up of all rules1 all karma1 whether pertaining to the ,srutis or the ,smritis47 ,,why ,,give ,,up ,,all ,,karma 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ab499 ,this ,jiva-,ishvara becomes manifest in the cavities 7nerve-plexuses74 ,he enters the cavity 7called ,adhara or prostatic plexus7 with the ,prana 7energy7 of sound 7called ,para74 ,he passed through subtle mind-made forms 7,pasyanti and ,madhyama7 in the plexuses called ,manipura or ,solar and ,visuddhi or laryngeal and at last comes out as7 very gross 7,sound forms1 called ,vaikhari1 consisting of7 ,matra 7,measures1 such as long1 short c71 ,svara 7accents known as ,udatta or high1 ,anudatta or low and ,svarita or mixed2 and ,varna the 7letters of the alphabet1 ka1 kha c47 7,the ruling idea is that the teachings of the ,vedas and the ,smritis are conveyed in articulate expressions and are adapted to planes corresponding to articulation4 ,but articulation is the last and grossest expression of ,divine ,sound energy4 ,in man the highest manifestation of sound energy1 the primal voice1 the divine voice1 the first ,logos1 is ,para4 ,it is the ,light which manifests the whole ,universe4 ,in that highest plane of manifestation there is no difference between ,light and ,sound4 ,the seat of this ,light is ,mula-,adhara ,chakra4 ,coming down the line of material manifestation1 this ,divine ,light1 this ,para ,voice1 become ,pasyanti in the plane of causes1 of germ thoughts1 of root ideas1 the ,karana plane4 ,the germs are transmitted in ,man from birth to birth and in the ,universe from kalpa to kalpa4 ,they are the causes of the subsequent manifestations1 whether individual or universal4 ,the ,para voice passing through the causal plane1 becomes the root-ideas or germ thoughts4 ,in the next plane1 the ,sukshma plane1 the voice becomes the thoughts themselves or ,madhyama4 ,the last expression of the ,voice is the articulate expression1 ,vaikhari4 ,the ,srutis and ,smritis as written or spoken belong to the plane of lowest manifestation4 ,they are governed by the root-ideas and ideas of the present universe1 the root-ideas and ideas of the ,rishis through whom they are manifested4 ,when you seek the unmanifested light of the ,logos1 the ,divine ,voice1 or only the first manifestation of that ,voice1 what care you about the lower manifestations1 the ,srutis or ,smritis1 what care you about karma that pertains to the lower planes87 ,in ,akasa1 fire is only unmanifested heat 7,ushman74 ,it is manifested further down in the fuel4 ,by friction in the fuel1 it becomes a spark4 ,kindled by ,ghee1 it becomes a flame4 ,such is my manifestation also in this articulate ,voice4 ,so also the senses of action 7,karmendriyas7 and of perception 7,gnanendriyas71 the faculties of ,desire1 ,discrimination1 and ,egoistic perception1 the thread-giving ,pradhana1 the transformations of ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas are all my manifestations4 7i4e4 ,i am manifested through all of them74 ,primally1 this ,jiva ,ishvara is unmanifested and one4 ,but being the resort of the three ,gunas1 being the generator 7,yoni7 of the lotus 7of the ,universe71 ,he becomes in time of divided energy1 and appears as many1 even like seeds that have found the soil4 ,this ,universe exists in ,me1 even as a piece of cloth exists in threads4 ,the essence of this eternal tree of the ,universe is ,inclination4 ,it begets flowers 7,karma7 and fruits 7the fruits of ,karma74 ,two are its seeds 7,merit and de merit74 ,hundreds are its roots 7the desires74 ,three are its stems 7the ,three ,gunas74 ,five are its trunks 7the five ,bhutas1 ,akasa c74 ,the branches produce #e sorts of juice 7,sound1 ,touch1 ,sight1 ,taste and ,smell72 the ,ten senses and the mind are the branches of the tree4 ,two birds 7,jivatma and ,paramatma7 make their nest on it4 ,wind1 bile and phlegm are its dermal layers4 ,joy and sorrow are the two fruits of this tree4 ,it extends up to the solar regions 7for beyond the ,solar system1 the ,triloki1 there are no rebirths47 ,the country loving ,gridhras 7in the first sense1 vultures and in the second sense1 home loving men of desires7 partake of one fruit 7sorrow74 ,and the forest frequenting ,hansas 7in one sense swans and in the other sense discriminating men who give up desires7 partake of the other fruit 7joy74 ,he who1 through the favor of his ,guru knows the ,one as becoming ,many through ,maya1 knows the ,truth4 ,thus with the axe of wisdom1 sharpened by whole-minded devotion acquired by the worship of the ,guru1 do thou calmly and steadily cut asunder the sheaths of ,jiva and on attaining ,paramatma1 do thou let go of the instrument itself4 ,,the ,,gunas4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas -- they are the ,gunas of ,buddhi 7,prakriti71 not of ,atma -- control ,rajas and ,tamas by means of ,satva and control ,satva by ,satva itself4 ,when ,satva grows in ,man1 he acquires ,dharma1 which is ,devotion to ,me4 ,by worshipping ,satvic objects ,satva increases and ,dharma is the outcome4 ,that ,dharma kills ,rajas and ,tamas and it increases ,satva4 ,when ,rajas and ,tamas are killed1 ,adharma which is an outcome of ,rajas and ,tamas is also killed4 ,the scriptures1 water1 men1 land1 time1 karma1 regeneration1 meditation1 mantra and purification these ten are accessaries to the ,gunas4 ,of these what the ,sages praise are ,satvic1 what they blame are ,tamasic1 what they neither praise nor blame are ,rajasic4 ,have resort to only those of them that are ,satvic1 for then ,satva will increase4 ,dharma follows that increase and wisdom follows ,dharma4 ,but wisdom has its field only so long as memory lasts and the 7,gunas7 are not exhausted4 ,fire that is produced by the friction of bamboo pieces1 burns up the forest and is then extinguished of itself even so the body caused by disturbance of the ,gunas is extinguished of itself1 7at that final stage74 7,of the scriptures1 there are some that speak of inclination1 others that speak of disinclination4 ,the latter only are to be followed4 ,water which has a purifying effect1 as that of a sacred place is to be used1 not pointed water and wine4 ,bad men are to be shunned and good men are to be mixed with4 ,quiet solitary places are to be sought1 not highways and gambling places4 ,the time before sun rise is preferable for meditation not night fall or night4 ,nitya ,karma is to be performed1 not ,kamya ,karma4 ,initiation causes a second birth4 ,vaishnava or ,saiva initiation is ,satvic and not ,sakta initiation4 ,meditation upon ,vishnu is ,satvic and not the meditation upon women or upon those that are hostile to ,vishnu4 ,the ,pranava ,mantra is ,satvic and not the lower ,kamya ,mantras4 ,the cleansing must be purification of self1 not the mere cleansing of ,deva houses4 ,sridhara4 ,by these ,satvic pursuits1 ,satva ,guna prevails in man4 ,when ,satva prevails the whole nature becomes ,satvic4 ,the tendencies are all such as to lead to calmness1 which is the essence of ,satva4 ,this is ,dharma ,adharma is the opposite of this4 ,it is identified with such a nature as leads to distractions4 ,dharma is followed by wisdom4 ,for when the mind is calm and tranquil1 truths are reflected on it in their entirety and they are fully perceived4 ,that wisdom lasts as long as memory lasts i4e4 as long as ,dvaita perception exists4 ,but when the ,gunas themselves die out1 wisdom vanishes of itself1 for when there is direct perception of ,brahma as self1 the knower1 the known and knowledge become one and the same47 ,,how ,,to ,,withdraw ,,from ,,the ,,objects ,,of ,,the ,,senses4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ac499 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,generally people know that the objects of the senses lead them to misery4 ,how is it1 ,o ,krishna1 they still follow them1 like dogs1 donkeys and goats8 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,when in the heart of the undiscriminating man1 the false perception of ',i' arises 7with regard to body c471 the terrible ,rajas takes possession of the ,manas1 which by its origin is ,satvic4 ,doubts and desires arise in the mind4 ,the mind then dwells upon attributes 7oh6 how beautiful1 what a nice thing67 and acquires a strong liking for it4 ,guided by the passions1 with the senses uncontrolled1 deluded by the strong current of ,rajas1 the helpless man knowingly does things that bear evil fruits4 ,the mind of the wise man is also distracted by ,rajas and ,tamas4 ,but he sleeplessly controls his mind and he finds fault 7with his own actions74 ,he is not attached to them4 ,gradually and steadfastly offer up your mind to ,me1 being wide awake1 at all times1 controlling your breath and regulating your seat and you will then be able to control your mind4 ,this is the ,yoga1 as taught by ,my disciples ,sanaka and others4 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,when and in what form did you teach ,sanaka and others8 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,sanaka and other ,manas-born sons of ,brahma asked their father as follows3 -- ,the mind enters the ,gunas 7objects i4e4 the mind naturally becomes attached to objects7 and the ,gunas 7i4e4 the objects when experienced7 enter the mind 7as desires74 ,how can those that want to cross over 7the objects7 and to become liberated cause a separation between the two8 ,brahma could not gauge the question in his own mind4 ,so he meditated on me4 ,i appeared before him as a ,hansa4 7,the ,swan can discriminate between milk and water4 ,so the bird symbolises a discriminating sage47 ,the ,brahmanas and ,brahma asked3 ',who art thou8' ,i said as follows3 -- ,o ,brahmanas does your question relate to ,atma -- ,if so1 ,atma is not many4 ,so the question does not arise4 ,and who will reply to whom8 ,if your question relates to the body1 then also the elements composing the body being the same in all beings1 and ,atma being the same in all1 your question is meaningless4 ,whatever is perceived by the senses and the mind1 ,i am that -- ,there is nothing besides ,me4 ,rightly know this to be so4 ,true the mind enters the ,gunas and the ,gunas enter the mind4 ,the ,gunas and mind thus mutually blended are but the body of the ,jiva1 its reality being ,my own self4 7,if mind wedded to objects1 be the essence of ,jiva1 then their separation is not possible4 ,but the essence of ,jiva is ,brahma4 ,mind is only attributed to ,jiva4 ,and ,jiva's connection with the objects is through the properties of the mind4 ,therefore ,jiva by realising that it is ,brahma will find out that the objects have no existence as far as its own self is concerned4 ,therefore by devotion to ,bhagavat1 ,jiva completely rests in its own self4 ,sridhara4 ,this is not a separation of ,manas and objects1 but the withdrawal of self from both47 ,by constant pursuit of the ,gunas1 the mind enters the ,gunas4 ,the ,gunas also 7being turned into desires7 take a firm hold of the mind4 ,knowing ,me to be thy own self give up both 7the objects and the mind wedded to them47 ,wakefulness 7,jagrat71 ,dream 7,svapna7 and ,dreamless sleep 7,sushupti7 are states of mind1 caused by the ,gunas1 ,jiva is beyond all these states4 ,for it is the witness of all these states4 ,the bondage caused by mind imparts the actions of the ,gunas to ,atma4 ,therefore being fixed in ,me1 the ,fourth 7i4e4 beyond the three states of consciousness71 get over the bondage of mind4 ,that will be the 7mutual7 giving up of the mind and the ,gunas4 ,this bondage of ,atma is caused by ,ahankara 7the sense of ',i-ness'7 ,know this to be the cause of all evils4 ,knowing this1 be fixed in the ,fourth1 and give up all thoughts of ,sansara 7i4e4 of mind and of the connections caused by mind47 ,so long as the idea of manifoldness is not destroyed by reasoning1 man dreams in ignorance even in the wakeful state1 just as in dream1 the ignorant man thinks he is wakeful4 ,all things1 other than ,atma are unreal4 ,the differences made amongst them 7such as1 this is ,brahmana1 this is ,sudra1 this is ,grihastha1 this is ,sanyasin71 the different destinations 7,svarga and other ,karmic fruits7 and even ,karma 7action7 itself are unreal1 so far as ,atma is concerned4 ,he who throughout the constantly following stages of life 7childhood1 youth1 age etc47 perceives the objects in the wakeful state1 with the help of all the senses1 he who perceives the likes of those objects in dream in the heart1 and he who brings those perceptions to an end in dreamless sleep are all one and the same4 ,for the same memory runs through all these states4 ,the ,lord of the senses is one and the same4 7,the outward senses perceive the wakeful state4 ,mind1 perceives the dream4 ,buddhi perceives dreamless sleep4 ,atma1 is the ,lord of all these senses74 ,ponder well over this that the three states of mind are caused in ,me by the ,gunas1 through ,my ,maya4 ,knowing this definitely1 cut asunder the source of all doubts 7,ahankara7 by the sword of wisdom sharpened by reasoning1 the teachings of ,sadhus1 and the ,srutis4 ,and worship ,me1 that dwell in the heart4 ,look upon this ,universe as a delusion1 a play of the mind4 ,now seen1 now destroyed4 ,so rapid is the succession1 that it is like a whirling fire brand that looks circular 7on account of the rapid motion1 though it is not circular74 ,one consciousness appears as many4 ,the phenomenal existence 7,vikalpa7 caused by the threefold ,guna transformations is but ,maya1 a dream4 ,turn away your sight from this object world4 ,give up all desires4 ,be calm and find bliss in the perception of self4 ,at times you will have experience of the objects in your daily life 7for getting the necessaries of life74 ,but what you have once thrown aside as unreal shall not be able to cause delusion in you4 ,till the fall of your body1 the objects will haunt you like things of the past1 stored as it were in memory alone4 ,this frail body1 through which he has known his real self1 may rise or sit1 may move away from its place or come back1 just as chance will have it1 but the ,siddha sees it not1 even as an inebriate person does not see the cloth he puts on4 ,the body waits with the ,pranas and ,indriyas till the ,commenced ,karma exhausts itself4 ,but being fixed in ,samadhi1 the knower of the truth does not care for the body and the object world1 which are all visionary to him4 ,i said all this to the ,brahmanas and came back to my own abode4 ,,bhakti ,,yoga4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ad499 ,o ,krishna1 thou speakest of ,bhakti ,yoga4 ,others speak of other expedients4 ,are they all same or is any one of them superior to others8 ,sri-,krishna replied3 -- ,the tendencies of men are different1 according to the differences in their nature4 ,so different paths have been spoken of4 ,but the regions 7or fruits7 acquired by the votaries of the other paths1 and as created by their actions have a beginning and an end1 a miserable future and an end in ,tamas4 ,the pleasures there are small and they are not unmixed with sorrow4 ,where is that bliss to be found in objects that is to be found in ,me4 ,fixed in ,me1 and finding bliss in ,me1 all is blissful to ,my votaries4 ,they do not wish for universal supremacy1 they do not ask for supremacy over ,svarga1 ,bhur or ,patala1 they do not long for ,siddhis1 they do not even ask for ,mukti4 ,surrendering ,self to ,me they wish for nothing else but ,myself4 ,brahma1 ,siva1 ,sankarshana1 ,lakshmi and ,my own form are not so dear to ,me1 ,o ,uddhava1 as thou art to ,me4 ,i always seek my ,bhaktas4 ,it is they only that know what bliss they enjoy1 ,bhakti consumes all impurities1 even as fire consumes the fuel4 ,yoga1 ,sankhya1 ,dharma1 study of the scriptures1 asceticism1 or relinquishment nothing wins me so much as powerful ,bhakti does4 ,i am attained only by faithful ,devotion4 ,bhakti purifies the ,bhaktas1 even though they be ,chandalas by birth4 ,dharma1 though combined with truth and compassion1 wisdom though wedded to asceticism1 do not completely purify self1 if devotion to ,me is wanting4 ,how can mind be purified without ,bhakti4 ,for by ,bhakti the hairs stand on end1 the heart melts away and tears of bliss run down the cheek4 ,words become choked with devotional feelings4 ,the ,bhakta weeps1 and smiles1 and sings and dances forgetting himself4 ,such a ,bhakta 7not only purifies self1 but7 he purifies the whole world4 ,gold loses its impurities under fire and regains its own form4 ,atma 7,jiva ,atma7 shakes off its impurities under ,bhakti ,yoga and regains its own form4 ,as ,atma becomes more and more purified1 by hearing and meditating on the sacred sayings about ,me1 it sees more and more of subtle objects1 as the eye touched with collyrium does4 ,think of objects and your mind will be attached to objects4 ,think of ,me and your mind will be attached to ,me4 ,therefore fix your mind on ,me1 giving up all other thoughts4 ,shun from a distance the company of women and of those that keep the company of women4 ,be self controlled4 ,go to a solitary place1 free from dangers and then sleeplessly meditate on ,me4 ,there is not so much misery1 so much bondage from other quarters as from the company of women and of those that associate with them4 ,,meditation4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ad499 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,o ,lotus-eyed6 how to meditate on ,thee6 ,tell me what is the nature of that meditation and what it is8 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,be seated on an ,asana 7,seat71 that is neither high nor low 7say1 a blanket71 with your body erect and in an easy posture4 ,place your hands on the lap4 ,fix your gaze on the tip of the nose 7in order to fix the mind74 ,purify the tracks of ,prana by ,puraka1 ,kumbhaka and ,rechaka1 and then again in the reverse way 7i4e4 first breathe in by the left nostril with the right nostril closed by the tip of the thumb1 then close the left nostril by the tips of the ring finger and the little finger and retain the breath in both the nostrils4 ,then remove the tip of the thumb1 and breathe out through the right nostril4 ,reverse the process by breathing in through the right nostril then retaining the breath in both the nostrils and then letting out the breath through the left nostril74 ,practise this ,pranayama gradually with your senses controlled4 ',aum' with the sound of a bell1 extends all over1 from ,muladhara upwards4 ,raise the ',aum' in the heart1 by means of ,prana 7twelve fingers upwards7 as if it were the thread of a lotus-stalk4 ,there let ,bindu 7the fifteenth vowel sound7 be added to it4 ,thus practise ,pranayama accompanied by the ,pranava reciting the latter ten times4 ,continue the practice1 three times a day and within a month you shall be able to control the vital air4 ,the lotus of the heart1 has its stalk upwards and the flower downwards1 facing below 7and it is also closed1 like the inflorescence with bracts of the banana4 ,sridhara74 ,meditate on it however as facing upwards and full-blown1 with eight petals and with the pericarp4 ,on the pericarp1 think of the ,sun1 the ,moon1 and ,fire one after another4 ,meditate on ,my form 7as given in the text7 within the ,fire4 ,first ,meditate on all the limbs4 ,then let the mind withdraw the senses from their objects4 ,then draw the concentrated mind completely towards ,me1 by means of ,buddhi4 ,then give up all other limbs and concentrate your mind on one thing only ,my smiling face4 ,do not meditate on anything else4 ,then with draw the concentrated mind from that and fix it on ,akasa4 ,give up that also and being fixed in ,me1 7as ,brahma7 think of nothing at all4 ,you shall see ,me in ,atma1 as identical with all ,atmas1 even as light is identical with another light4 ,the delusions about object1 knowledge and action shall then completely disappear4 ,,the ,,siddhis 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ae499 ,when the senses and the breath are controlled and the mind is fixed on ,me1 ,siddhis or powers overtake the ,yogi4 ,there are eighteen ,siddhis and eighteen ,dharanas4 ,of these1 eight belong to me 7eight of them are normally the powers of ,ishvara and they exist in a some what lesser degree in those that approach the state of ,ishvara4 ,sridhara4 ,the remaining ten cause the appearance of ,guna i4e4 they cause an excellence of ,satva4 ,sridhara47 #a4 ,anima1 the power of becoming as small as an atom4 #b4 ,mahima1 the power of increasing size4 #c4 ,laghima1 the power of becoming light4 ,these three ,siddhis relate to the body4 #d4 ,prapti1 to be in the relation of presiding ,devas to the corresponding senses of all beings4 #e4 ,prakamya1 power of enjoying and perceiving all objects seen or unseen4 #f4 ,isita1 control over the energies of ,maya in ,isvara1 over the lower energies in other beings4 #g4 ,vasita1 ,non-attachment to objects4 #h4 ,kamavasayita1 the power of attaining all desires4 ,these are ,my eight ,siddhis and they normally exist in ,me4 #a4 ,the cessation of hunger and thirst4 #b4 ,the hearing from a distance4 #c4 ,seeing from a distance4 #d4 ,motion of the body with the velocity of the mind4 #e4 ,assumption of any form at will4 #f4 ,the entering into another's body4 #g4 ,death at one's own will4 #h4 ,play with ,deva girls4 #i4 ,the attainment of desired for objects4 #aj4 ,irresistible command4 ,these are the ten ,siddhis that relate to the ,gunas4 ,there are also five smaller ,siddhis4 #a4 ,knowledge of the present1 past and future4 #b4 ,control over the ,pairs1 such as heat and cold c4 #c4 ,knowledge of other's minds4 #d4 ,suspending the actions of fire1 sun1 water1 poison c4 #e4 ,invincibility4 ,these are only illustrative of the ,siddhis4 ,now about ,dharana or the modes of concentration of the mind4 ,those that fix their mind on ,me as pervading the ,tanmatras acquire the power of becoming an atom4 ,those that concentrate their mind on ,me as pervading ,mahat ,tatva acquire ,mahima4 ,the object of ,dharana 444 444 ,the power acquired ,the ,lord pervading the atoms 444 ,laghima4 ,do4 ,do4 ,satvic ,ahankara 444 ,prapti4 ,do4 ,do4 ,sutra or ,mahat 444 ,prakamya4 ,vishnu the ,lord of the three ,gunas 444 ,isita4 ,narayana1 the ,fourth1 ,bhagavat 444 ,vasita4 ,nirguna ,brahma 7,brahma without attribute7 444 444 444 ,kamavasayita4 ,lord of ,sveta ,dvipa 7,white ,island7 444 ,cessation of hunger and thirst4 ,akasa 444 444 444 ,distant hearing4 ,sun 444 444 444 ,distant vision4 c4 c4 c4 ,,the ,,vibhutis ,,or ,,powers ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #af499 ,the ,sixteenth ,chapter deals with the ,vibhutis of the ,lord1 much in the same way as the tenth chapter of the ,bhagavad ,gita4 ,,varna ,,and ,,asrama ,,rules4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ag-ah499 ,the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters deal with ,varna and ,asrama rules4 ,,what ,,one ,,is ,,to ,,do ,,for ,,moksha4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ai499 ,jnana 7knowledge71 ,vairagya 7dispassion71 ,vijnana 7direct knowledge71 ,sraddha 7faith7 ,bhakti 7,devotion71 these are the requisites of ,moksha4 ,the nine 7,prakriti1 ,purusha1 ,mahat4 ,ahankara and the five ,tanmatras71 the eleven 7five ,jnanendriyas1 five ,karmendriyas and ,manas71 the five ,bhutas1 the three 7,gunas71 that knowledge by which one knows that these constitute all beings and that the ,one underlies all these is ,jnana4 7,the first training of the mind is to break up the objects into their component elements4 ,thus we can mentally resolve any object into its chemical elements and this ,universe into a mass of homogeneous nebula4 ,the process is to be carried further1 till we get the ,tatvas or the ultimate principles of the ,sankhya philosophy4 ,then the next step is to realise the one ,purusha as underlying all the ,prakritic principles47 ,vijnana is the direct knowledge of the ,one by itself and not as pervading all ,prakritic forms4 7,jnana is indirect knowledge and ,vijnana is direct knowledge of ,brahma74 ,all the existing things being formed of the three ,gunas have their growth1 existence and end4 ,what follows the transformation from one form into another1 at all the three stages of beginning1 middle and end1 and what remains behind after the destruction of all forms -- that is the existing 7,sat74 ,the ,vedas1 direct perception1 the sayings of great men and logical inference are the four ,pramanas or evidences4 ,the world of transformations does not stand the test of any of them 7i4e4 there is only one real existence1 the existence of the transformable and transformed world being only relative and unreal4 ,this is the conclusion arrived at from all sources4 ,therefore the wise man becomes dispassionate to all things4 ,transformation is the end of all actions4 ,therefore the wise man sees all the regions that may be attained by actions from that of ,brahma downwards1 as miserable and transitory even like the worlds that are seen4 ,this is ,vairagya or ,dispassion4 ,i have told you already of ,bhakti yoga4 ,hear again what ,i say4 ,sraddha or faith in the nectar like sayings about ,me1 constant recitals about myself1 steadiness in worshipping ,me1 the chanting of devotional hymns1 the hearty performance of divine service1 adoration by means of the body1 worship of my votaries1 the realisation of my existence in all beings1 the directing of the daily actions and of the daily talks towards ,me1 the offering up of the mind to ,me1 the giving up of all desires1 of all objects1 of all enjoyments and of all joys for my ,sake1 the performance of ,vedic karma all for ,me -- by all these1 ,bhakti grows up towards ,me4 ,,the ,,sadhanas ,,or ,,expedients4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ai499 ,yama consists of -- #a4 ,ahinsa -- the non-infliction of pain4 #b4 ,satya -- the practice of truth4 #c4 ,asteya -- ,not even the mental stealing of other's properties4 #d4 ,asanga -- ,non-attachment4 #e4 ,hri -- ,modesty4 #f4 ,asanchaya -- ,want of storing for the future4 #g4 ,astikya -- faith in religion4 #h4 ,brahmacharya -- ,abstinence4 #i4 ,mauna -- ,silence4 #aj4 ,sthairya -- ,steadiness4 #aa4 ,kshama -- forgiveness4 #ab4 ,abhaya -- fearlessness4 ,niyama ,consists of #a4 ,saucha -- bodily purity4 #b4 ,do4 -- ,mental purity4 #c4 ,japa -- ,mental repetition of ,mantras or ,names of deities4 #d4 ,tapas -- ,asceticism4 #e4 ,homa -- ,sacrificial offering4 #f4 ,sraddha -- faith4 #g4 ,atithya -- hospitality4 #h4 ,archana -- daily worship4 #i4 ,tirthatana -- ,wandering on pilgrimage4 #aj4 ,parartheha -- desire for the ,supreme object4 #aa4 ,tushti -- ,contentment4 #ab4 ,acharya ,sevana -- ,service of the spiritual teacher4 ,yama and ,niyama are practised by men1 either for furtherance in life or for ,moksha4 ,sama -- is fixing the mind on ,me 7and not mental quietness only74 ,titiksha -- is forbearance4 ,dhriti -- is the restraint of the senses of taste and generation4 ,the best ,dana 7gift7 is not to oppress any creature4 ,tapas -- is really the giving up of desires4 ,saurya -- or power is the control of one's own nature4 ,satya or ,truth is the practice of equality4 ,rita -- is truth speaking that does not cause pain4 ,saucha -- is only non-attachment to karma1 but ,tyaga is its complete renunciation4 ,the wealth to be coveted for is ,dharma4 ,i ,myself am ,yajna1 ,spiritual teaching is the ,sacrificial gift1 ,pranayama is the greatest strength4 ,bhaga is my ,lordly state4 ,the best attainment is devotion to ,me4 ,vidya is the removal of the idea of separateness from self4 ,hri is the abhorrence of all unrighteous acts 7and not merely modesty47 ,sri is 7not merely riches but7 virtues4 ,happiness is that which seeks neither happiness nor misery4 ,misery is nothing but longings for enjoyment4 ,the ,sage is he who knows about liberation from bondage4 ,he is ignorant who knows the body to be self4 ,the ,path is that which leads to ,me4 ,the evil path is that which distracts the mind4 ,the increase of ,satva is ,svarga 7and not merely ,indra ,loka47 ,the increase of ,tamas is ,naraka4 ,guru is the friend and ,i am that ,guru4 ,this human body is the house4 ,he is rich who is virtuous4 ,he is poor who is not contented4 ,he who has not conquered the senses is the helpless man4 ,the ,lord is he who is not attached to the objects4 ,he is a slave who is attached to them4 ,,the ,,three ,,paths3 ,,karma1 ,,jnana ,,and ,,bhakti4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bj499 ,uddhava said3 -- ,karma is to be performed and ,karma is not to be performed -- both are ,thy injunctions in the ,vedas4 ,the ,vedas speak of merits and demerits in connection with ,karma4 ,they speak of ,varna and ,asrama1 of differences in time1 space1 age and objects1 of ,svarga and ,naraka4 ,the sense of right and wrong is not innate but it is acquired from the scriptures1 and the same scriptures undermine all ideas of difference4 ,all this is confounding to me4 ,shri ,krishna replied3 -- ,i have spoken of three paths leading to the attainment of ,moksha by men -- ,jnana1 ,karma and ,bhakti ,yogas4 ,there is no other means what so ever of attaining ,moksha4 ,jnana ,yoga is for those that are disgusted with the performance of ,karma and so give it up4 ,karma ,yoga is for those that are not disgusted with the performance of ,karma but are attached to it4 ,he who perchance becomes fond of what is said or spoken of ,me1 but has no aversion for ,karma nor has any undue attachment to it is fit for ,bhakti ,yoga4 ,perform ,karma so long as you do not feel disgust for it or as long as you are not drawn by love for me4 ,true to your duties1 perform ,yajnas but without any selfish desires4 ,do not perform prohibited ,karma4 ,then you shall cross the limits of both ,svarga and ,naraka4 ,by the performance of one's own duties1 the purified man may acquire pure wisdom 7,jnana7 and ,bhakti4 ,the dwellers of ,svarga wish for the human body and so the dwellers of ,naraka4 ,for that body is a means to the attainment of of ,jnana and ,bhakti both1 not so the ,svarga body or ,naraka body4 ,the far-sighted man does not wish for ,svarga or ,naraka4 ,he does not even wish for human existence4 ,for connection with the body causes selfish distractions4 ,the sage knows the body as leading to desired for ends4 ,but he realises at the same time its transitory character4 ,he therefore loses no time in striving for ,moksha before the approach of death4 ,even so the bird loses all attachment for its nest and flies away free and happy before the man who strikes at the tree succeeds in felling it4 ,the human body which is the primal source of all attainments is a well built boat1 so hard to secure and so cheap when once attained4 ,the ,guru is at the helm of this boat1 and ,i am the favorable wind that drives it4 ,the man that does not cross the ocean of births with such a boat is a killer of self4 ,jnana3 -- ,when a man feels disgust for karma and becomes dispassionate and when his senses are controlled1 he should practise concentration of mind4 ,when in the act of concentration1 the mind suddenly goes astray and becomes unsettled1 you should bring it back under the control of self1 with unremitting efforts1 after allowing it to go in its wandering course a little4 ,never neglect however to check the course of the mind with your ,pranas and senses all controlled4 ,with the help of ,satvic ,buddhi bring the mind under the control of self4 ,this control of the mind is the highest yoga4 ,the horseman slackens the reins at first but never lets go the reins4 ,reflect on the creative manifestation of all objects and then the contrary process of their dissolution1 according to the ,sankhya method4 ,do this till the mind attains calm4 ,by cultivating a sense of disgust1 by the growth of dispassion1 by constant pondering over the teachings of the ,guru1 the mind gives up its delusion4 ,by practising ,yama and other ways of ,yoga1 by discrimination of self and by worshipping ,me1 the mind is able to think of the ,supreme4 ,if by loss of mental balance1 the ,yogi does some improper act he should burn up the impurity by ,yoga alone1 but not by any other means 7not by expiatory rites4 ,sridhara7 ,adherence to the particular path of one's own following is the right thing4 ,people have been taught to distinguish between right and wrong1 not because the acts are not all impure by their very nature but because the distinction is necessary to regulate the acts themselves with a view to cause a final abandonment of all attachments to them4 7,it may be said that according to the scriptures1 ,nitya ,karma 7acts ordained to be daily performed7 and ,naimittika ,karma 7acts ordained to be occasionally performed7 purify the mind4 ,hence they are right 7guna74 ,the killing of animals and such other acts make the mind impure4 ,hence they are wrong 7dosha74 ,expiatory acts 7,prayaschitta7 are required to be performed in order to remove the consequences of wrong acts4 ,therefore ,prayaschitta is a right thing 7guna74 ,how can impurities be destroyed by means of ,yoga then and not by means of ,prayaschitta3 therefore it is said that what is called ,guna 7right7 and ,dosha 7wrong7 by injunctions and prohibitions1 is only a regulation of acts4 ,the purport is this4 ,the impurities of a man are not the outcome of his own inclinations4 ,man is impure through his natural tendencies4 ,it is not possible for him all on a sudden to have disinclination for all actions4 ,therefore ,do this1 ,do not do this1 these injunctions and prohibitions only put a restriction upon the inclinations of a man and by this means1 they lead to disinclination4 ,the ,yogis have no inclinations4 ,the rules of ,prayaschitta are therefore not meant for them4 ,sridhara47 ,bhakti3 -- ,he who has reverential faith in all that is said about ,me1 and who feels disgust for all actions1 who knows that desires are identical with misery1 but is yet in-capable of renouncing them1 such a man should worship ,me1 with sincere devotion and firm faith4 ,though gratifying his desires1 he should not have any attachment for them1 knowing that they lead to misery in the end4 ,those that constantly worship ,me according to ,bhakti yoga as already expounded by ,me1 have all the desires of their heart destroyed as ,i myself dwell in their heart4 ,the bondage is broken asunder1 doubts all cease to exist1 the accumulated actions fade away1 when ,i1 the ,atma of all1 am seen4 ,my ,bhakta speedily attains every thing that is attained by other means1 ,svarga1 ,moksha or even ,my own abode1 if he has any desire for any of these4 ,but ,my ,bhaktas who are solely devoted to ,me do not desire any thing even if it be offered by ,me1 not even final liberation4 ,they are beyond the limits of ,guna and ,dosha4 ,,guna ,,and ,,dosha ,,or ,,right ,,and ,,wrong 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #ba499 ,those who do not follow the ,paths of ,bhakti1 ,jnana and ,karma1 but who only seek paltry desires become subject to rebirths ,for those that are matured in ,jnana and ,bhakti1 there is neither ,guna 7right7 nor ,dosha 7wrong74 ,for those that practise ,disinclination1 the performance of ,nitya and ,naimittika ,karma is ,guna1 for it leads to the purification of the mind4 ,the non-performance of such ,karma and the performance of prohibited ,karma are ,dosha1 for they give rise to impurities of the mind4 ,prayaschitta counteracts such ,dosha1 and therefore it is ,guna4 ,for those pure men that are fixed in the ,path of ,jnana1 the practice of ,jnana is ,guna2 ,bhakti is ,guna to them that are fixed in the path of ,bhakti4 ,what is opposed to ,jnana and ,bhakti is ,dosha to the followers of those two ,paths4 ,all this has been said before4 ,now ,guna and ,dosha are detailed for those that do not follow the ,paths1 but seek their selfish ends4 ,sridhara4 ,devotion to the path of one's following is ,guna4 ,the reverse is ,dosha4 ,this is the proper definition of ,guna and ,dosha 7,guna and ,dosha are relative terms4 ,they do not appertain to the thing itself4 ,sridhara74 ,purity 7,suddhi7 or ,impurity 7,asuddhi71 ,right 7,guna7 or ,wrong 7,dosha71 ,auspicious 7,subha7 or ,inauspicious 7,asubha7 are terms applied to the same objects1 in relation to religion 7,dharma71 ,society 7,vyavahara7 and living 7,yatra71 respectively4 ,i have explained ,achara 7rules of life7 for those that want to be guided by ,dharma 7,sanctional religion74 7,shri ,krishna refers here to the works of ,manu and other ,smriti writers74 ,the body of all beings is composed of the five elements 7earth1 water c74 ,they are all ensouled by ,atma4 ,though men are all equal1 the ,vedas give different names and forms to their bodies 7saying this is ,brahmana1 this is ,sudra1 this is ,grihastha1 this is ,sanyasi7 with a view to do good to them4 7,the object is to put a limit to the natural inclinations and thereby to secure ,dharma1 ,artha1 ,kama and ,moksha4 ,sridhara74 ,similarly classification is made of time1 space and other things1 solely with the object of regulating actions 7,karma47 ,thus those lands are impure where the black deer do not roam 7,details are not given for which read the original74 ,those that perform ,yajna attain ,svarga4 ,sayings like these do not speak of final bliss4 ,they are only tempting words really meant for the attainment of ,moksha1 just like words said to a child to induce him to take medicine 7,the father says2 ,eat this ,nimba -- a bitter drug4 ,i shall give you this sweet meat4 ,the child takes the medicine4 ,but the sweet meat is not what he really gets1 for his real gain is recovery from disease74 ,from their very birth1 mortals are attached to some objects of desire1 to their lives and powers and to their own people4 ,but these are only sources of misery in the future4 ,why should the ,vedas then teach attachment to such things8 ,some wrong-minded people say so without knowing the purport of the ,vedas4 ,they are deluded by the performance of fire sacrifices1 and they resort to ,pitri ,yana 7i4e4 they are drawn to rebirths on the ,earth after temporary enjoyment of ,svarga74 ,they do not know their own abode1 which am ,i as seated in their heart1 from whom the universe proceeds4 ,not knowing the real meaning of the ,vedas1 they worship ,indra and other ,devas and perform ,yajnas at which animals are sacrificed4 ,para1 ,pasyanti and ,madhyama remain deep and unfathomable like the ocean and only ,vaikhari becomes manifest in the ,vedas originating in ,pranava and appearing through the letters of the alphabet and the ,metres4 ,even that ,vaikhari is not properly understood by men4 7,the ,vedas form the sound manifestation of ,ishvara4 ,that sound has four divisions4 ,para1 which finds manifestation only in ,prana1 ,pasyanti1 which finds manifestation in the mind1 ,madhyama which finds manifestation in the ,indriyas1 and ,vaikhari which finds manifestation in articulate expression4 ,those who have mental vision can only find out the first three4 ,but the ,vedas as expressed in language are also difficult to understand47 ,further details are given1 which are not reproduced4 ,,the ,,tatvas4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bb499 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,how many ,tatvas 7elemental principles7 are there8 ,the ,rishis give the number differently4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,the discussion about the number is useless4 ,the principles are interpenetrating4 ,their order and their number are therefore differently understood4 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,prakriti and ,purusha though different by themselves are interdependent4 ,they are never seen separately4 ,atma is seen in ,prakriti 7body7 and ,prakriti is seen in ,atma 7,where is then the difference between body and ,atma87 ,this is my doubt4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,prakriti and ,purusha are essentially different4 ,,prakriti ,,and ,,purusha4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bb499 7#a74 ,prakriti is subject to manifestation4 7#b74 ,it is subject to transformation4 7#c74 ,it consists of the transformations of the ,gunas4 7#d74 ,it is various1 -- broadly speaking threefold1 ,adhyatma1 ,adhi-bhuta and ,adhi-daiva4 7#e74 ,it is not self manifest4 ,atma is one1 immutable and self manifest4 ,ahankara is at the root of all doubt and delusion4 ,they last as long as the mind is turned away from me4 ,,re-,,incarnation4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bb499 ,uddhava asked3 -- ,those that are turned away from ,thee take on and give up bodies4 ,tell me something about rebirth4 ,sri ,krishna replied3 -- ,the mind of men imprinted with karma moves with the five senses from body to body4 ,atma 7under the denomination of ',i'7 accompanies the mind4 ,the mind 7after death7 thinks of such seen and unseen objects as the karma of men places before it4 ,it awakes 7unto those objects1 it thinks of7 and fades away 7in respect of previous objects74 ,the memory 7connecting the present with the past7 dies away in consequence4 ,when one loses all thoughts of one's body on account of close application to another object 7body71 through some cause or other1 that utter forgetfulness is his death4 7,by karma1 man gets after his so-called death either a deva body1 or a body of inflictions4 ,in the former case1 it is through pleasure and desire and in the latter case1 through fear and sorrow1 that the ,jiva utterly forgets his former body4 ,that is the death of the ,jiva who used to identify himself with the former body and not the destruction of ,jiva as of the body4 ,sridhara4 ,the ,deva-body is the phenomenal basis of the ,jiva in ,svarga ,loka4 ,the body of inflications is the astral or ,kamic body1 in ,bhuta1 ,preta and ,pisacha ,loka1 where the ,jiva undergoes inflictions4 ,the ,jiva identifies itself with these new bodies or new states in such a way as to forget completely its former physical body4 ,the connection with the former body is thus completely cut off in the mind4 ,this is the death of the ,jiva in relation to its previous body47 ,the birth of a ,jiva is the acceptance of a body as one's own self4 ,it is even like dream or fancy4 ,in dream or fancy1 a man does not know his present self as the former self4 ,the mind by its application to a new body causes a birth into that body1 and the ideas of good1 bad and indifferent crop up in self4 ,though a father may have neither friend nor enemy1 he is affected by the connections formed by his vicious son1 even so it is with ,atma4 ,growth and decay are happening every moment in the body4 ,but they are hardly perceptible owing to the extreme subtlely of time4 ,the burning lamp1 the flowing current1 the ripening fruit1 pass through stages1 as all beings also pass through the stages of childhood1 youth and age4 ,we say it is the same fire1 it is the same water 7though the particles of fire and water are continually changing47 ,so we say1 it is the same man4 ,the understanding and the words of ignorant men are all confounding 7for they speak and think assuming that the same body continues74 ,but even the ignorant man does not acquire birth or death1 by ,karma engendered by self1 for the self is immortal and the notion of birth and death is itself a delusion with reference to self4 ,fire1 as an element lasts through out the ,kalpa4 ,but it seems to come into existence or to become extinguished4 ,fecundation1 foetal state1 birth1 childhood1 grown up childhod1 youth1 ripeness1 age and death are the nine states of the body4 ,these states of the body which is other than self are only fancies of the mind 7so far as self is concerned74 ,some accept them as their own1 by contact with ,gunas and some reject them to some extent 7by discriminating knowledge74 ,from the death of the body inherited from the father and the birth of another child body1 one can infer the birth and death of his body only1 he the knower not being affected by either birth or death4 ,the seer of the growth and decay of the tree is different from the tree itself1 so the seer of the different states of the body is different from the body itself4 ,one is bound down to the wheel of rebirths1 by want of discrimination4 ,one becomes ,deva or ,rishi by the action of ,satva1 ,asura or man by the action of ,rajas and ,bhuta or animal by the action of ,tamas4 ,as a man seeing the performance of singers and dancers involuntarily imitates them 7in the mind7 even so ,atma follows the actions of ,buddhi4 ,the tree seems to move when the water is moving4 ,the earth seems to roll when the eyes are rolling4 ,births and rebirths are as unreal to ,atma as are dreams but they have an existence even as objects in dream have an existence so long as the mind thinks of those objects4 ,whatever others may say or do unto you1 do not care the least about that1 but with single minded devotion restore self by self4 ,uddhava said3 -- ,human nature is human nature1 ,o ,lord4 ,hew can one bear all that is said or done by the impious8 ,,forbearance4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap1 #bc499 ,sri ,krishna said3 -- ,in days of yore1 there was a wealthy ,brahmana in the ,malava regions4 ,he earned money by the evil ways of the world1 but did not spend any thing on charity4 ,in time the wealth was all gone4 ,he repented and felt disgust for wealth4 ,he renounced the world and became a wandering ,bhikshu4 ,he went to villages for alms4 ,people called him all sorts of names -- thief1 hypocrite and so on4 ,some pelted him1 others abused him1 others put him to chains and confined him4 ,he bore all this with perfect calm4 ,this is how he used to reason within himself3 -- ,these men1 the ,devas1 self1 the planets1 ,karma and ,kala 7periodicity7 none of them is the cause of my happiness or misery4 ,mind is the one cause1 which causes the wheel of births to move4 ,they make friends and enemies1 who do not conquer the mind4 ,the connection with the body is only an act of the mind4 ,deluded men however think1 this is my body and they go astray4 ,one man can not be the cause of grief and joy to another4 ,atma in all men is not the doer4 ,all acts proceed from the gross and the subtle body4 ,if the tooth bites the tongue1 who should you be angry at8 ,if the ,devas 7the ,adhidevas7 be the cause of sorrow1 it is not their ,atma that is so but their bodily transformations4 ,and the ,devas 7who guide the senses7 are the same in all beings4 ,if one limb causes pain to another limb1 who should be the object of anger8 ,if self is the cause of joy and sorrow1 then you have not to look to the outside world4 ,but every thing else besides ,atma is only a seeming existence4 ,therefore there is no real existence of any cause of joy or grief and there is no joy or grief4 ,if the planets by their position at birth bring about joys and sorrows1 then no body is to blame for that4 ,and the planetary ,purusha is separate from the bodies of the planets4 ,there is none to be angry at4 ,karma can not be the cause of ,joy and sorrow4 ,karma has its sphere in which there is both a conscious and an unconscious element4 ,the unconscious element undergoes transformation and the conscious element in search for the desired object leads to action4 ,but the body is absolutely unconscious4 ,and ,purusha 7or ,self7 in man is absolutely conscious4 ,there is no root of ,karma either in body or in ,purusha4 ,kala is part of ,atma1 for ,kala is an aspect of ,ishvara4 ,fire does not destroy its spark1 snow does not destroy its flakes4 ,one who is awakened to his real self has fear from no one else4 ,purusha has no connection with the pairs of opposites4 7,cold and heat1 happiness and misery c47 ,,sankhya4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bd499 ,there is only one perception and one undivided object of perception1 when there are no ,yugas 7i4e4 in ,pralaya71 in ,satya ,yuga1 as well as for men skilful in discrimination1 that object of perception is ,brahman1 the absolute ,truth1 beyond the reach of worlds and of mind4 ,i became two fold1 by means of ,maya4 ,of the two one is ,prakriti consisting of causes and effects4 ,and the other is ,purusha4 ,following the ,karmic record of ,jivas1 ,i disturbed ,prakriti1 and ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas became manifest4 ,the ,gunas gave rise to ,sutra or ,thread 7which represents ,kriya ,sakti74 ,mahat 7,jnana ,sakti7 is not separate from ,sutra 7,sutra and ,mahat form one ,tatva4 ,it is two-fold1 on account of its double aspect of ,jnana and ,kriya or knowledge and action74 ,ahankara is the transformation of ,mahat4 ,it is three-fold1 ,satvic or ,vaikaric1 ,rajasic or ,taijasa and ,tamasic4 ,the ,adhi-daivas and ,manas came from ,satvic ,ahankara1 and the #e ,tanmatras from ,tamasic ,ahankara44 ,the five ,maha bhutas came from the five ,tanmatras4 ,prompted by ,me1 all these principles united together to form the ,egg which was ,my own abode4 ,i incarnated in that ,egg which was immersed in the 7,pralayic7 water 7as ,sri ,narayana or ,virat ,purusha74 ,out of my navel grew the ,lotus called the ,universe4 ,brahma was manifested in that ,lotus4 ,he brought into manifestation the ,lokas 7,bhur1 ,bhuvar c417 and the ,lokapalas4 ,svar was the abode of the ,devas1 ,bhuvar of the ,bhutas1 ,bhur of men1 the higher ,lokas of the ,siddhas and the ,lower ,lokas of the ,asuras and ,nagas4 ,all actions 7,karma7 bear fruits in the ,triloki4 ,mahar1 ,jana and ,tapas are attained by ,yoga1 ,tapas and ,renunciation4 ,my abode 7,vaikuntha1 which is beyond the ,seven ,lokas7 is attained by ,bhakti ,yoga4 ,all beings in this ,universe wedded to karma are made by ,me1 who as ,kala am the ,dispenser of all karma1 to merge out of or to dive down in the flow of ,gunas 7i4e4 they are made to go up to the higher ,lokas or to come down to the lower ,lokas74 ,all things big or small1 thick or thin are pervaded by ,prakriti and ,purusha4 ,that which is at the beginning and at the end of a thing is also at the middle1 as in the case of ornaments and earth-pots1 the intervening transformations having a separate existence only for the sake of conventional use 7thus the ornaments of gold are called by different names only for temporary uses4 ,but they are gold when the forms are made and destroyed4 ,the forms are all transitory and the ornaments are essentially gold74 ,that is only ,real which gives rise to the original transformation1 which is at the beginning and at the end4 ,prakriti the material cause1 ,purusha -- that pervades ,prakriti and ,kala or periodicity which causes disturbance in the ,gunas -- these are three in one and ,i am that three-fold ,brahma4 ,the creative process flows on in order of succession without a break4 ,the multifarious creation unfolds itself to serve the purposes of the jivas and it lasts so long as the period of ,preservation continues and so long as ,ishvara looks at it4 ,the order is reversed in ,pralaya1 and transformations are merged in the principles from which they proceeded4 ,the body merges in to the food grains4 ,the food grains merge in to the roots of plants4 ,the roots merge into the earth1 ,the earth merges into smell1 smell into water1 water into ,taste1 ,taste into fire1 fire into ,form1 ,form in to ,air1 ,air into ,touch1 touch into ,akasa and ,akasa into sound4 ,the ,indriyas merge into the ,adhi-daivas4 ,the ,adhi-daivas merge into the ,manas4 ,manas merges into ,ahankara4 ,ahankara merges into ,mahat 7i4e4 gives up the unconscious portion and becomes ,jiva ,sakti and ,kriya ,sakti itself4 ,sridhara47 ,mahat merges into the ,gunas4 ,the ,gunas merge into unmanifested ,prakriti4 ,prakriti merges into ,kala4 ,kala merges into ,jiva4 ,jiva merges into ,atma4 ,atma rests in self4 ,when these processes are meditated on1 there is no delusion4 ,,satva ,,rajas ,,and ,,tamas4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #be499 ,sama or ,control of the mind1 ,dama or ,control of the ,senses1 forbearance1 discrimination1 tapas1 truthfulness1 compassion1 memory1 renunciation1 contentment1 faith1 shame and charitableness are the attributes proper of ,satva4 ,selfish desire1 ,selfish exertion1 pride1 discontent1 variety1 selfish-invocation of the ,devas1 idea of separateness1 material enjoyment1 love of excitement1 love of fame1 derision1 power and violence1 are the attributes proper of ,rajas4 ,anger1 greed1 untruthfulness1 cruelty1 begging1 parading of religion1 languor1 quarrel1 repentance1 delusion1 grief1 dejection1 sleep1 helplessness1 fear and indolence are the attributes proper of ,tamas4 ,the sense of ,i-ness and ,my-ness is produced by the mixture of the three ,gunas 7,i have ,sama1 selfish desire and anger4 ,my ,sama1 selfish desire and anger4 ,thus ,i and ,my are common to all the three ,gunas4 ,sridhara7 ,all our dealings having the elements of ,manas 7,satvic71 the ,tanmatras 7,tamasic71 the ,indriyas and the ,pranas 7,rajasic7 in them1 proceed from a mixture of the three ,gunas4 ,devotion to ,dharma 7,satvic71 ,kama 7,rajasic7 and ,artha 7,tamasic71 that bears the fruits of faith 7,satvic71 attachment 7,rajasic7 and wealth 7,tamasic7 is also based on a mixture of the ,gunas4 ,the performance of religion for the gratification of desires 7,kamya ,dharma which is ,rajasic71 the performance of the duties of married life 7,grihasta ,dharma which is ,tamasic7 and the performance of the daily and occasional duties assigned to one's position in life 7,svadharma which is ,satvic7 are based on a union of the three ,gunas4 ,man is ,satvic1 when he has got the ,satvic attributes4 ,he is ,rajasic when he has got the ,rajasic attributes4 ,he is ,tamasic when he has got the ,tamasic attributes4 ,when a man or woman worships ,me with unselfish devotion and by the performance of duties1 he or she is ,satvic4 ,the person who worships ,me1 for the attainment of desires is ,rajasic4 ,the person who worships ,me with a view to do injury to others is ,tamasic4 ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas are attributes that grow in the minds of jivas1 they are not ,my attributes4 ,when ,satva prevails over the other two ,gunas1 man acquires religiousness1 wisdom1 and other attributes1 as also happiness4 ,when ,rajas prevails1 it causes distraction1 attachment and a sense of separateness4 ,man acquires karma1 fame and wealth4 ,but he becomes miserable4 ,when ,tamas prevails1 delusion1 inaction and ignorance follow4 ,when the ,mind attains calm1 the senses become abstemious1 the body free from fear and the mind free from attachments1 ,satva grows up and makes it easy to perceive ,me4 ,when the mind becomes distracted by actions1 and desires multiply1 when the senses of action become disordered and the mind always wanders away1 ,rajas has its hold over man4 ,when the mind can not grasp1 when it languishes1 when even desires do not crop up1 and there is indolence1 melancholy and ignorance1 they all proceed from ,tamas4 ,with ,satva1 the ,deva element prevails1 with ,rajas1 the ,asura element prevails and with ,tamas1 the ,rakshas element prevails4 ,the waking is from ,satva1 dream from ,rajas and deep sleep from ,tamas4 ,by ,satva1 people go higher and higher up1 by ,rajas they move about in the middle1 and by ,tamas they move lower down4 ,satva takes one to ,svarga ,loka1 ,rajas to human ,loka and ,tamas to ,naraka4 ,those who are void of ,gunas attain ,me4 ,action that is offered up to ,me or that is unselfish is ,satvic4 ,selfish action is ,rajasa4 ,heartless action is ,tamasa4 ,satvic wisdom is that which relates to ,atma1 as separate from the body4 ,rajasic is half perceived wisdom4 ,tamasic is wisdom relating to the material universe4 ,wisdom centred in ,me is ,nirguna or without ,gunas4 ,satvics like to reside in the forest4 ,rajasics in human habitations and ,tamasics in gambling houses4 ,houses where ,i am worshipped are beyond all the ,gunas4 ,births are caused by ,guna and ,karma4 ,those who conquer these become devoted to ,me and attain my state4 ,,company4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bf499 ,king ,pururavas was forsaken by ,urvasi4 ,he then thought within himself what the body of a woman was composed of1 where its beauty lay1 and the origin and the end of that body4 ',therefore' said he 'wise men should not associate with women or those that are addicted to women4 ,by contact of the senses with their objects1 mind gets disturbed1 not otherwise4 ,what you have not seen or heard of before can not disturb your mind4 ,let not the senses indulge in objects and mind will attain calm4' ,keep company with ,sadhus4 ,give up bad company4 ,acquire from the ,sadhus devotion to ,me and you shall ultimately attain ,moksha4 ,,kriya ,,yoga ,,and ,,idol ,,worship4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bg499 7,the details will not be interesting to the general reader74 ,,jnana ,,yoga4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bh499 ,do not either praise or blame other men and their actions4 ,look upon all as one1 pervaded by the same ,prakriti and the same ,purusha4 ,by criticising others1 the mind is directed to a false channel and it deviates from the right path4 ,what is good or what is bad of ,dvaita8 ,by direct perception1 reasoning1 self intuition1 and scriptural teachings1 know every thing in this manifested ,universe to have a beginning and an end and to be thus unreal4 ,therefore free yourself from all attachments4 7,the ways of acquiring discriminative knowledge are then given in eloquent terms for which read the original74 ,clearing up all doubts by discrimination1 the sage should be fixed in the bliss of self1 having abstained from every thing else4 ,the body of gross matter is not ,atma4 ,the ,indriyas1 their guiding ,devas1 ,manas1 ,buddhi1 ,chitta and ,ahankara are not ,atma4 ,the ,bhutas1 the ,tanmatras and ,prakriti are not ,atma4 ,these do not affect the seer4 ,whether the clouds gather or disperse1 what is that to the ,sun4 ,akasa is not affected by the attributes of air1 fire1 water and earth nor by the changes of seasons4 ,the immutable is not affected by the impurities of ,satva1 ,rajas and ,tamas1 however often they may cause the birth and rebirth of the ,ahan principle4 ,but still 7the unliberated sage7 should avoid contact with the ,gunas4 ,he should by firm devotion to ,me1 cast off all attachments and all passions4 ,when the disease is not properly treated1 it gives trouble again and again4 ,so when attachments are not completely removed and ,karma is not counteracted they trouble the imperfect ,yogi4 ,the yogis that deviate from the path on account of obstacles that are spread out for them by the ,devas through men 7,for the ,sruti says3 -- ,the ,devas do not like that men should know all this4 ,sridhara7 are re-united to the path of ,yoga in a better birth through the practices of their former birth4 ,the immature ,yogi may be overpowered by diseases and other grievances of the body4 ,he should overcome some of them by ,yoga concentration 7by concentration on the ,moon1 the ,sun and others he should overcome heat cold c41 ,sridhara71 others by prescribed postures accompanied by retention of breath 7diseases caused by gaseous derangement are to be overcome by postures1 accompanied by retention of breath71 and some others by ,tapas1 ,mantra and medicine4 ,he should overcome some evils by meditating on ,me1 by taking ,my name1 and by making rehearsals about ,me4 ,he should overcome other evils by following the lords of ,yoga4 ,some practise these to keep themselves young and free from diseases1 solely with the object of attaining some ,siddhis4 ,this is not approved of by good people4 ,the effort is fruitless4 ,the body has an end4 ,true in following the path of ,yoga1 the body sometimes becomes free from diseases and infirmities4 ,but the ,yogi should put no faith on these ,siddhis4 ,when the ,yogi gives up all desires1 becomes fixed in self-bliss1 and makes ,me his all in all1 he is not overcome by obstacles4 ,,bhakti ,,yoga4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #bi499 ,uddhava said3 -- ,this path of ,yoga seems to ,me to be difficult of pursuit4 ,tell me ,o ,achyuta1 some means by which man may attain perfection without such exertion4 ,generally those that try to concentrate their mind become tired at last1 being unsuccessful in their attempts4 ,the discriminating sage has recourse to ,thy lotus-feet1 the fountain of all bliss4 ,tell me the path that leads to ,thee4 ,shri ,krishna replied3 -- ,do all actions for ,me and bear me in mind as much as you can4 ,offer up the mind and all thoughts to ,me4 ,be attached to the duties of ,bhagavatas4 ,live in sacred lands1 where my ,bhaktas dwell4 ,follow what they do -- see ,me in all beings as well as in self1 pure as ,akasa4 ,with the eye of pure wisdom1 look upon all beings as my existence and respect them as such4 ,brahmana or ,chandala1 stealer or giver1 big as the sun or small as his ray1 tender hearted or cruel1 the sage must look upon all alike4 ,then he shall have neither rivalry1 nor jealousy nor reproach for others4 ,his egoism shall also be gone4 ,mind not the ridicule of friends1 mind not the bodily differences that may cause a feeling of shame1 but salute even horses1 ,chandalas1 cows and asses4 ,as long as you do not learn to see ,me in all beings1 do not give up this practice in speech1 body and mind4 ,there is not the least chance of failure in the ,bhagavata ,path4 ,even what is otherwise fruitless becomes a ,dharma1 when it is unselfishly offered up to ,me4 ,there is no higher wisdom1 no higher cleverness than this that the ,real is attained by the ,unreal1 the ,immortal is attained by what is mortal4 ,this is the essence of ,brahma ,vidya4 ,now that you have learned all this give it unto those that are deserving4 ,go ,uddhava now to ,badari ,asrama and follow what ,i have said4 ,,the ,,end4 99,,skandha ,,xi4 ,,chap4 #cj499 ,uddhava went to ,badari4 ,sri ,krishna advised the ,yadus to leave ,dvaraka4 ,let the females1 children1 and the aged go to ,sankha-,uddhara and let us go to ,prabhasa4 ,the ,yadu chiefs went to ,prabhasa4 ,they drank the wine called ,maireya and got intoxicated4 ,they quarreled and fought with one another4 ,they snatched the fatal reeds and killed one another4 ,rama went to the ,sea-side and by practicing ,samadhi1 left this world4 ,all was now over4 ,sri ,krishna sat under an ,asvatha tree 7religious fig74 ,a huntsman named ,jara took ,him for a deer and pierced him with a spear1 formed of the fatal pestle4 ,the huntsman then saw ,krishna bearing four hands and became terrified4 ,fear not said ,sri ,krishna you shall go to heaven4 ,the chariot came down from the heaven and took up the huntsman4 ,daruka1 the charioteer of ,sri ,krishna traced ,him to the spot4 ,sri ,krishna asked him to inform all friends at ,dvaraka of the death of the ,yadu chiefs1 the disappearance of ,rama and of ,his own state4 ,do not remain any more at ,dvaraka1 for the ,sea shall swallow it up4 ,let our parents and all others go to ,indraprastha under the protection of ,arjuna4 ,daruka saluted ,krishna and went away4 ,the ,garuda marked chariot of ,sri ,krishna came from high above4 ,brahma and all other ,devas gathered to witness the scene4 ,the ,lord disappeared from the earth and truth1 ,dharma1 forbearance1 glory and ,lakshmi all followed ,him4 ,there was great rejoicing in the heavens4 ,the ,devas sang and flowers rained4 ,daruka gave the information to ,vasudeva and ,ugrasena4 ,all came to see the place of the occurrence4 ,vasudeva died of grief4 ,some of the ladies followed their husbands to death4 ,those that remained were escorted by ,arjuna to ,indraprastha4 ,he installed ,vajra as the successor of the ,yadu chiefs4 ,the ,pandavas made ,parikshit their successor and left ,indraprastha for the ,final ,journey4 99,,end ,,of ,,the ,,eleventh ,,skandha499 ,,the ,,twelfth ,,skandha4 99,,skandha ,,xii4 ,,chap4 #b499 ,when the present ,kali ,yuga will be about to end1 ,bhagavan will incarnate as ,,kalki4 ,he will take birth at ,sambhal as the son of ,vishnu-,yasas4 ,on ,his advent1 ,satya ,yuga will make its appearance4 ,the ,sun1 the ,moon and the ,jupiter will then enter together the constellation of ,pushya4 7,jupiter enters the constellation of ,pushya in ,cancer every twelve years1 and there may be a conjunction of that planet with the ,sun and the ,moon on new ,moon nights1 but the text here means the entering together of the three4 ,sridhara47 ,one thousand one hundred and fifteen years will expire from the birth of ,raja ,parikshit to the beginning of ,king ,nanda's reign4 7,but in the detailed account given in the ,bhagavata ,purana1 the period comes up to #addh years1 as shewn by ,sridhara47 ,of the ,seven ,rishis 7forming the constellation of the ,great ,bear71 the two that are first seen to rise above the horizon have through their middle point a correspondence with some constellation 7in the ,zodiac74 ,the ,rishis remain united to that constellation for one hundred mortal years4 ,at present 7i4e4 when ,sukadeva was reciting ,bhagavata to ,raja ,parikshit71 the ,rishis are united to ,magha4 ,the form of the ,great ,bear or the constellation of the ,seven ,rishis is given below4 #f #e ,x ,x ,x #a ,x ,x ,x ,x #g #d #c #b ,sridhara gives the following names3 ,no4 #a is ,marichi4 ,no4 #b is ,vasishtha with ,arundhati4 ,no4 #c is ,angiras4 ,no4 #d is ,atri4 ,no4 #e is ,pulastya4 ,no4 #f is ,pulaha4 ,no4 #g is ,kratu4 ,such being the configuration of the ,rishis1 the two that are first seen to rise above the horizon are ,pulaha and ,kratu4 ,the longitudinal line passing through the middle point of the line joining them crosses some one of the #bg constellations1 ,asvini1 ,bharani and others4 ,the ,rishis have their position in that constellation for one hundred years4 ,sridhara4 ,so soon as the ,krishna named divine body of ,vishnu ascended the heavens1 ,kali entered this ,loka4 ,as long as the ,lord of ,lakshmi touched this ,earth with ,his lotus feet1 ,kali could not overtake the planet4 7 ,while ,sri ,krishna was still on this ,earth1 ,kali appeared in its ,sandhya or ,dawn4 ,when ,sri ,krishna disappeared1 the ,sandhya period was over1 and the period proper of ,kali set in4 ,sridhara74 ,the ,yuga shall become darker and darker1 as the ,seven ,rishis will pass on from ,magha to ,purva-,ashadha1 i4e41 till the period of king ,nanda4 7,the darkness will go on increasing till the reign of king ,pradyotana4 ,it will still go on increasing very much till the reign of king ,nanda4 ,sridhara4 ,this gives us a cycle of #a1jjj years4 ,the line of the ,ecliptic is divided into #bg constellations1 which form the #ab signs of the ,zodiac4 ,each sign of the ,zodiac contains #i parts of these constellations1 if each constellation be divided into four parts4 ,thus ,aries contains ,asvini1 ,bharani and #a_/d ,krittika2 ,taurus contains #c_/d ,krittika1 ,rohini and #a_/b ,mrigasiras2 ,gemini contains #a_/b ,mrigasiras1 ,ardra and #c_/d ,punarvasu2 ,cancer contains #a_/d ,punarvasu1 ,pushya and ,ashlesha2 ,leo contains ,magha1 ,purva ,falguni and #a_/d ,uttar ,falguni2 ,virgo contains #c_/d ,uttara ,falguni1 ,hasta1 and #a_/b ,chitra2 ,libra contains ,chitra1 ,svati and #c_/d ,visakha2 ,scorpio contains #a_/d ,visakha1 ,anuradha and ,jyeshtha2 ,sagittarius contains ,mula1 ,purva ,ashadha and #a_/d ,uttara ,ashadha2 ,capricornus contains #c_/d ,uttara ,ashadha1 ,sravana1 and #a_/b ,dhanishtha2 ,aquarius contains #a_/b ,dhanishtha1 ,sata-bhisha1 and #c_/d ,purva ,bhadrapada2 ,pisces contains #a_/d ,purva ,bhadrapada1 ,uttara ,bhadrapada and ,revati4 ,abhijit is included in ,uttarashadha and ,sravana4 ,from ,magha to ,purva ,ashadha there are eleven constellations4 ,this gives a cycle of #a1jjj years4 ,the reference to king ,nanda's reign leaves no doubt as to the cycle being one of #a1jjj years1 for the period is given in this very chapter as #a1aae years4 ,the lines of ,kshatriya kings have been given in the ,purama1 ,the lines of ,brahmanas1 ,vaisyas and ,sudras are to be similarly known4 ,devapi1 brother of ,santanu and ,maru of the line of ,ikshvaku are now waiting at ,kalapa4 ,they will appear towards the end of ,kali ,yuga and will again teach ,varna and ,asrama ,dharma4 7,they will start again the lines of divine kings which came to an end in the ,kali ,yuga4 ,sridhara47 ,,pralaya4 99,,skandha ,,xii4 ,,chap4 #d499 ,four thousand ,yugas form one day of ,brahma4 ,this is also the period of one ,kalpa1 during which fourteen ,manus appear4 ,the night of ,brahma follows for an equally long period4 ,the three worlds -- ,bhur1 ,bhuvar and ,svar then come to an end4 ,this is called ,naimittika ,pralaya4 ,drawing the universe within self1 ,narayana sleeps at the time over ,ananta and ,brahma sleeps too4 7,nimitta is cause4 ,naimittika is proceeding frome some cause4 ,this ,pralaya procedes from the sleep of ,brahma as a cause74 ,when two ,pararddhas of years expire1 the seven subdivisions of ,prakriti 7,mahat1 ,ahankara1 and the five ,tanmatras7 become subject to dissolution4 7,the life period of ,brahma is two ,pararddhas74 ,this is called ,prakritika ,pralaya4 ,when this dissolving factor comes in1 the whole combination known as the ,cosmic ,egg breaks up4 7,as the subdivisions of ,prakriti as well as the ,cosmic ,egg which is formed by their combination become all dissolved1 this ,pralaya is called ,prakritika ,pralaya74 ,with the advent of this ,pralaya1 there will be no rains for one hundred years4 ,food will disappear4 ,people will devour one another4 ,the ,sun will draw in moisture from the seas1 from the body1 and from the earth1 but will not give it back4 ,the fire called ,samvartaka1 arising from the mouth of ,shankarshana1 will consume the ,patalas4 ,winds will blow for one hundred years1 followed by rain for another hundred years4 ,the universe will be covered by one sheet of water4 ,water will draw in earth1 fire will draw in water1 and so on till ,pradhana in due time will devour all the ,gunas4 ,pradhana is not measured by time1 and it does not undergo transformation4 ,beginningless1 endless1 unmanifested1 eternal1 the cause of all causes1 without diminution1 it is beyond the reach of ,gunas1 the rootless root1 that passes comprehension1 like the void4 ,jnana is the ultimate resort of ,buddhi 7the perceiver or knower71 the ,indriyas or senses 7perception1 knowledge or the instruments of perception and knowledge7 and the objects 7things perceived and known74 ,it is ,jnana alone that appears in this threefold form4 ,that which is subject to perception1 which in its nature is not separate from its cause1 and which has both beginning and end is no real substance4 ,the lamp1 the eye and the object seen are not different from light itself4 ,so ,buddhi1 the senses and the objects are not separate from the one ,truth 7,brahman1 for they all proceed from ,brahman71 but ,brahman is quite separate from all others4 ,wakefulness1 dream and dreamless sleep are all states of ,buddhi4 ,they are all transitory1 ,o king4 ,the diversity appears in ,pratyagatma 7the separate self74 ,the clouds appear and disappear in space1 even as the universes appear and disappear in ,brahman4 ,of all forms1 the common element is the only reality4 ,but the forms seem to have an existence of their own independently of the primal element4 ,the threads that form the cloth look separate from the cloth itself4 ,all that appears as cause and effect is unreal1 for there is interdependence1 and there is both beginning and end4 ,the transformations can not exist without the light of ,atma4 ,if they are self-manifest however1 they are not in any way different from ,atma itself4 ,do not think ,atma is many1 7as there is ,atma in every being74 ,it is ignorance to think so4 ,the space confined in a pot and the limitless space are one and the same1 even so the sun and its image in water1 the air inside and outside4 ,men call gold by different names1 according to the different ornaments it forms4 ,so the language of the ,vedas and the language of ordinary men give different names to ,bhagavan4 ,the cloud that is generated by the sun1 that appears by the light of the sun1 that is in fact rays of the sun so transformed stands between the eye and the sun4 ,even so ,ahankara1 proceeding from ,brahman1 manifested by ,brahman1 even a part of ,brahman1 eclipses the perception of ,brahman by ,jiva4 ,when the cloud disappears1 the eye perceives the sun4 ,when ,ahankara1 the upadhi of ,atma1 disappears by discrimination1 then the ,jiva perceives ,i am ,brahman4 ,when by discrimination1 such as this1 the tie of unreal ,ahankara is cut as under1 and the unfailing perception of ,atma becomes fixed1 it is called ,atyantika ,pralaya4 7,atyantika is from ,atyanta atianta1 the very last4 ,after this ,pralaya1 which is individual and not general1 one does not return to life in the universe4 ,it is the final liberation of a man from the limitations of life in ,brahmanda74 ,every day all beings1 from ,brahma downwards1 undergo according to some seers of subtleties states of beginning and end4 ,these beginnings and ends are caused by the changes in states of all beings subject to transformation1 changes that follow the flow of time4 7,one does not grow adult or old in one day4 ,the change must be going on constantly4 ,the fruit does not ripen in one day4 ,but the process of ripening day by day is not perceptible4 ,water flows in a continued stream but the water particles constantly change at a given space4 ,so the lamp burns and the flame looks one and the same though the particles that ignite do constantly change4 ,even so our body is not the same from day to day4 ,there is a change going on every moment of our life4 ,particles of the body are rejected every day and they are replaced by new particles4 ,there is the beginning with our new particles1 and an end or ,pralaya with the old particles47 ,this is called ,,nitya ,pralaya4 7,nitya means constant74 ,pralaya is thus fourfold -- ,nitya1 ,naimittika1 ,prakritika and ,atyantika4 ,such are the stories of ,bhagavat as related in the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,rishi ,narayana first related the ,purana to ,narada1 ,narada related it to ,vyasa and ,vyasa to ,suka4 ,suta heard the ,purana from ,sukadeva1 when he related it to ,raja ,parikshit1 and he expounded it to the assembly of ,rishis at ,naimisha1 headed by ,sounaka4 ,prakriti changes its forms and states4 ,the body disintegrates into particles1 particles into molecules1 and molecules into atoms4 ,solid becomes liquid1 liquid becomes gaseous and gaseous becomes ultra-gaseous4 ,life manifests itself through the endless varieties of ,prakriti and becomes manifold in its manifestations4 ,the hard mineral matter does not admit the mineral life to be expressed in any other way than by a fixed form4 ,the more plastic vegetable matter shews vegetable life in all the activities of life and growth4 ,subtler matter appears in the animals and makes the sensing of the object world possible4 ,even sublter matter becomes the basis of brain activities4 ,the ,prakritic basis of the mind is two-fold in its character ,ahankara and ,mahat4 ,when the mind is capable of thinking only from the standpoint of one life and one birth only1 it is limited by ,ahankara matter4 ,when that limit is overcome1 mind is on the plane of ,mahat4 ,individuality is not lost1 but the individual has consciousness of all births1 i4e4 consciousness on the plane of the universe4 ,such consciousness does not normally exist in ,triloki4 ,when a man becomes normally conscious on the plane of ,mahat1 he is carried to ,mahar ,loka and becomes a ,rishi4 ,bhrigu is such a ,rishi4 ,the acquirement of such consciousness is the object of life evolution in our solar system4 ,when the solar system is destroyed1 it is the ,manasic consciousness that alone survives4 ,the three ,lokas -- ,bhur1 ,bhuvar and ,svar are destroyed1 ,the ,prakritic forms and states of these three ,lokas become destroyed and the different states of consciousness corresponding to those forms and states finally disappear4 ,the harvest of ,manasic evolution1 which is the only harvest reaped by means of one solar system is stored in ,mahar ,loka4 ,but when the three lower ,lokas are destroyed1 the flames of dissolution reach even ,mahar ,loka and all the gains of a ,kalpa's evolution are transferred to the higher plane of ,jana ,loka4 ,this is therefore the highest plane of our consciousness4 ,the highest evolved beings of the previous solar system could not after ,pralaya go beyond ,jana ,loka1 and their consciousness was the consciousness of ,jana ,loka4 ,when our earth was formed and when they came down in time for further evolution1 they brought down their highest consciousness with them as a possibility1 for it was obscured in their entrance to ,triloki4 ,as the soul gathers spiritual strength in ,svarga ,loka after death1 so the disembodied soul after ,prayala gathers spiritual strength in ,jana ,loka or the ,loka of ,kumaras4 ,when the three ,lokas are consumed by fire from the mouth of ,sankarshana1 afflicted by the heat1 ,bhrigu and others go to ,jana ,loka ,,iii-,,ii-,,xxx4 ,the ,lord of ,yoga goes by means of ,sushumna through the radiant path in his subtle body and at last reaches ,mahar ,loka1 where ,bhrigu and other ,rishis who live for one ,kalpa remain4 ,then seeing the ,triloki consumed by fire from the mouth of ,ananta he goes towards that supreme abode1 which is adorned by the chariots of great ,siddhas1 and which lasts for the whole life period of ,brahma4 7,,ii-#b-,,xxvi74 ,those who did not reach the ,manasic state1 in the last ,kalpa were no acquisitions to the higher planes of ,brahmanda1 which stand over the three mortal planes1 where all experience is to be gathered4 ,those who developed the ,manasic state were gathered to the third of the higher planes1 ,jana ,loka1 because further development was possible1 nay it was a necessity1 in the ,triloki that was to come4 ,but there were others1 who did not quite reach the ,manasic state1 but they were still on the way to acquire such state1 and in fact they acquired the human form4 ,they were also preserved to carry out a certain purpose in the life evolution of the coming ,kalpa which will be shortly mentioned4 ,how they were preserved1 the ,puranas do not speak of4 ,they became the ,pitris of the present ,kalpa4 ,the ,pitris reached different states of development and were therefore classed under seven heads4 ,some of them had developed the fire in them and some were without the fire4 ,agnishvatta1 ,barhishad1 ,somapa1 and ,ajyapa are ,pitris with fire2 the others are without fire4 ,they were all wedded to ,svadha1 the daughter of ,daksha4 ,,iv-#a-;,,iii4 ,the mention of the word fire requires a little explanation4 ,the ,upanishads say that the three mortal ,lokas of form ,bhur1 ,bhuvar and ,svar are the transformations of ,tejobanna i4e4 of fire1 water and earth4 ,the other two elements do not enter into the constitution of forms4 ,the element earth predominates on the plane of ,bhur or the material plane4 ,water is supreme on ,bhuvar or the ,astral plane4 ,our ,kamic tendencies proceed from the presence of water in us4 ,fire is the element of ,svarga or the ,mental plane4 ,fire devas are therefore the highest devas of ,triloki4 ,the forty-nine forms of fire are therefore so many forms of consciousness4 ,some of the ,pitris developed fire in them1 i4e4 they developed the principle of mind in them1 in however rudimental a form it might be4 ,devas and ,rishis were also preserved4 ,jana ,loka is the ,loka of ,kumaras4 ,we shall therefore call the souls preserved in ,jana ,loka as ,kumaras1 or ,kumaric souls4 ,commenting on the fourth sloka1 twelfth chapter1 ,third ,skandha1 ,sridhara says3 -- ,sanaka and others are not created in every ,kalpa4 ,the mention of their creation has reference to the ,brahma ,kalpa1 i4e4 the first ,kalpa4 ,in fact the objects of ,mukhya creation and others are brought into existence in every ,kalpa4 ,sanaka and others are only created in the ,brahma ,kalpa and they follow the other ,kalpas4 ,the ,mukhya creation has reference to chapter #aj1 ,skandha ,,iii4 ,it is the same as ,urdha ,srotas 7p4 #be74 ,sridhara means to say that plants1 animals and men are only created in every ,kalpa4 ,the ,kumaric souls of the last ,kalpa that went to ,jana ,loka have to play the most prominent part in the present ,kalpa and they are the heroes of our solar system4 ,their stay at ,jana ,loka was only a fitting preparation for the most responsible work of the present ,kalpa4 ,the ,ishvara of our system1 addressing ,puranjana1 said3 -- ,wishing to have an abode1 drawn to earthly enjoyments1 thou didst leave me4 ,but1 o great one1 both ,i and thou were swans 7,hansa7 and friends in the ,manas ,lake4 ,we dwelt there without any abode1 for one thousand years4 ,,iv4 #bh ,,liv4 ,one thousand years is indicative of ,pralaya1 which lasts for one thousand yuga cycles4 ,in ,pralaya1 the kumaric soul had no body i4e4 no abode4 ,the body separates ,jiva from ,ishvara4 ,without the impediment1 the obstacle of the body1 without any obscuring agency1 the ,jiva meets ,ishvara face to face in ,jana ,loka1 and being both essentially alike become friends4 ,narada says1 esoterically the ,manasa ,laka is the heart and ,hansa means the pure4 ,but in ,pralaya1 the heart of the ,jiva is in ,jana ,loka1 which is the ,manasa or mental ,lake4 ,this friendly union of ,jiva and ,ishvara gives all the promise of the future for the ,jiva4 ,what is not preserved in ,naimittika ,pralaya1 the forms of the past kalpa1 are all borne in the mind of ,brahma as images4 ,it is the mind of ,brahma that reproduces the forms of the previous creation4 ,the image of all that was remains in the mind of ,brahma4 ,creation in ,brahma ,kalpa is not the same as creation in the succeeding ,kalpas4 ,in ,brahma ,kalpa1 all the seven ,lokas1 and the dwellers of all the planes are created4 ,in the succeeding ,kalpas1 the three ,lokas and their dwellers only are created4 ,the ,naimittika ,pralaya comes on1 as ,brahma sleeps4 ,this ,pralaya corresponds to our physical death4 ,when we die1 the body is destroyed4 ,just as when the universe bodied ,brahma goes to sleep1 ,his ,triloki body is destroyed4 ,men go after death first to ,bhuvar ,loka1 and then to ,svarga ,loka4 ,at ,pralaya1 the ,manasika ,jivas first go to ,mahar ,loka and then to ,jana ,loka4 ,the ,naimittika ,pralaya affords the greatest relief to ,jivas4 ,it makes up for all the ups and downs of manifested life1 for all miseries1 all sorrows1 all sufferings and all disappointments4 ,ishvara can do more for ,jivas in ,pralaya1 than in manifestation4 ,he gives company to those1 who by their advancement reach ,jana ,loka1 ,there is the ,ishvara of our system or ,brahmanda and there is the ,ishvara of many systems4 ,the ,ishvara of many systems1 ,bhagavan ,himself is the ,first ,purusha4 ,he is the manifestor of the ,tatvas1 the first ,principles1 the ,karan or causal creation1 which enter into the constitution of all the solar systems or ,brahmandas4 ,when ,he wishes to become many1 to appear through many manifestations1 to bring up all unto ,himself and ,his own state1 through oeons and oeons of cosmic manifestation1 though it might be1 the ,tatvas start forth into activity and form an ocean by themselves4 ,many solar systems are evolved out of this ,karan ,samudra or the ocean of the causes and each system gets its ,ishvara1 the ,second ,purusha4 ,that ,second ,purusha becomes three fold -- ,brahma1 ,vishnu and ,siva1 for the ,creation1 ,preservation and ,dissolution of ,his own ,universe4 ,he is ,virat ,purusha or the universe bodied1 ,narayana seated on the waters of ,karana ,samudra1 and ,sahasra ,sirsha ,purusha or the thousand headed ,purusha of the ,upanishads4 ,all this1 the past1 present and future is this ,purusha4 ,the universe is pervaded by ,him ,as ,prana 7i4e4 the sun1 for ,prana is the solar deity according to the ,sruti4 ,sridhara7 by illumining his own circle illumines the outside as well1 so ,purusha by illumining his ,virat body illumines the inside and outside of this ,brahmanda as well4 ,i 7,brahma7 create by ,his direction1 ,siva destroys1 under ,his control1 as ,vishnu1 ,he preserves this universe ,he is the primal ,avatara4 ,,ii4 #f4 ,first of all1 ,bhagavan took form as ,purusha for the creation of the ,lokas form made by ,mahat and others1 having #af parts4 7,mahat and others -- ,mahat1 ,ahankara1 and the ,tanmatras4 #af parts the eleven ,indriyas and the #e elements4 ,though this is not the form of ,bhagavan meaning the ,first ,purusha still for the ,upasana in ,virat form of the ,virat ,purusha who indwells all ,jivas1 this is given4 ,sridhara74 7,in the ,padma ,kalpa71 ,brahma1 the ,lord of ,prajapatis1 appeared in the lotus that rose out of the navel of 7this ,purusha71 who while lying down on the ocean1 spread the sleep of ,samadhi all round4 ,the ,lokas are but parts of ,his body4 ,his form is pure and intensified ,satva4 ,the ,yogins perceive ,him by their vision of wisdom1 as one looking wonderful with a thousand feet1 thighs1 hands and mouths1 with a thousand heads1 ears1 eyes and noses1 glittering with a thousand crowns1 and ornaments4 ,this 7,virat ,purusha7 is the immutable seed and final resort of the many ,avataras4 ,brahma is ,his part4 ,marichi and other ,prajapatis are parts of ,brahma4 ,so through parts of ,his part1 ,devas1 animals and men are created4 7,he does not appear and disappear like other ,avataras4 ,he is the end not only of the ,avataras1 but of all beings4 ,sridhara47 ,i-#c4 ,brahma appeared in the lotus1 it is said1 in the last ,kalpa1 which from this event is named ,padma ,kalpa4 ,how ,brahma appeared out of ,narayana in the previous ,kalpas is not given4 ,that he appeared in our ,kalpa in the same way as in the last ,kalpa is evident1 as no difference is noted4 ,brahma took up the creation1 which was two-fold -- direct or ,manasa and indirect or through ,prajapatis and ,manu4 ,the creation or bringing into manifestation of those that had been preserved at ,pralaya is direct or ,manasa4 ,the mind born sons of ,brahma took up positions in the universe of duty and responsibility and in this ,kalpa they have not to look to themselves1 but to others4 ,their own evolution is not a matter of their concern4 ,the innumerable ,monads were created through ,manu and the real history of the ,kalpa is the history of their evolution4 ,first there was the process of involution4 ,there was no form and forms had to be first brought forth4 ,limitation after limitation had to the imposed1 to chain life in forms4 ,for when set forms were arrived at with set organs1 ,jivas could be trusted with independent action4 ,no energy is spent in vain in the economy of the universe4 ,each monadic flow as it appeared in the universe could he carried on to a certain stage1 by one common guiding influence4 ,this requires a little explanation4 ,each particle of each ,tatva is alive4 ,the ,tatvic life is the life of the first ,purusha4 ,but the particles combine1 and the power of combination proceeds from the life of the second ,purusha1 the ,ishvara of our system4 ,every combination however large has the life of ,ishvara in it and it is that life which keeps up the combination4 ,each combination for the time being has its ruler1 who is the viceroy of ,ishvara1 and who is called the ,monad of that combination4 ,monad is ,jivatma or ,jiva ,atma or ,atma as limited by every ,jiva4 ,the combination transforms1 but the ,monad remains constant4 ,the vegetable becomes animal1 and the animal becomes man1 but one ,monad runs through all these transformations4 ,by rulership over higher and higher combinations the ,monad or ,jivatma1 ultimately approaches the state of ,ishvara ,himself and that is the goal of evolution in this universe4 ,whenever a combination is formed1 there is one life governing that combination -- the life of the ruler of that combination4 ,ail other lives have to surrender themselves completely and entirely to that one life4 ,this is the law and we have to bow down our heads to the inevitable4 ,there is life in every cell that composes the human body4 ,but the cell lives are all subordinated to the life of the man1 the ,jivatma ruling the combination that forms the man4 ,so long as the cell is attached to the human combination1 it has no independence whatsoever4 ,and this is to the immense benefit of the cells themselves4 ,they receive the impress of souls much more evolved than their own and are able to evolve themselves at a much more rapid rate1 than if they had been left to themselves4 ,this is the law of giving and taking1 the law of sacrifice1 the ,yajna which is the essence of creation4 ,and even as men approach the state of ,ishvara1 they have to surrender themselves completely to ,him and to merge themselves in ,his existence4 ,the ,jivic or ,monadic flow first appears on the plane of ,svarga1 it comes down to ,bhuvar and then to ,bhur1 to appear finally in the mineral ,kingdom of our ,earth4 ,this process of coming down does not require separate guidance for separate combinations4 ,the downward flow is homogeneous4 ,it is carried on under the guidance of the ,prajapatis4 ,it is all involution during this process taking in grosser and grosser matter and not rejecting anything4 ,rudra had no work to do during the earliest stages of monadic life4 ,the mineral ,kingdom appeared and the ,himalayan chain reared up its head4 ,the legend says the sons of ,himalaya had wings on and they could move about but the ,devas cut down their wings and they became fixed4 ,no doubt the mineral ,kingdom hardened and became immobile in time4 ,the immobility of the mineral ,kingdom1 the final reach of matter in its downward course was the turning point in the life history of ,jivas4 ,their foetal stage was over and they were now born into the ,kalpa1 as it were4 ,there was need for separation now1 for the rejection of particles and the drawing in of new ones1 and ,durga appeared as the daughter of ,himalaya4 ,she became wedded to ,siva once more and since then there was change continually going on in all forms of life1 that evolved out of the mineral ,kingdom4 ,there was continual adjustment of external and internal conditions1 called life4 ,the vegetable appeared1 the animal appeared and the man appeared4 ,the life process means continual transformation4 ,forms changed and dissolved4 ,change is continually going on all round and is called ,nitya ,pralaya4 ,during the transformation that goes on1 combinations are guided by rulers1 who are the ,pitris4 ,they lead the combinations on till the human form is reached4 ,when the human form is reached each combination is a man4 ,the highest of the ,pitris can give only germinal ,manas4 ,when the ,pitris give to the combination1 all that they could give1 their work is over1 for this ,kalpa4 ,then come the ,kumaric souls1 the ,puranjanas from the ,manasa ,laka 7,p4 #hi74 ,they find the abode ready made and leaving their friend and companion they enter their chosen abodes4 ,there are nine gate ways in that abode1 and every enjoyment reaches ,puranjana through those gate ways4 ,he becomes mad in the pursuit of enjoyments4 ,he forgets himself4 ,he forgets his friend the eternal companion of ,jiva4 ,he identifies himself with the abode4 ,he thinks that he is inseparable from that abode4 ,so he goes on and on hopelessly in his course of riotous joy and the ,friend whom he forgets gives him rebuff for every joy that he meets4 ,the rebuffs at last make him a little attentive4 ,the friend then speaks through the ,vedas1 the ,smritis through sages and at last ,he comes down ,himself as an ,avatara4 ,the ,eternal ,friend first allows ,puranjana to run on in the midst of enjoyments1 just as he likes4 ,if he goes beyond the limits of temperance and moderation he gets some unpleasant experience4 ,if he does something wrong1 he feels the painful consequence4 ,the sting of pain makes ,puranjana ponder over what he does4 ,he registers the pleasurable and painful experiences and reasons about the causes and effects4 ,he tries to know what is right and what is wrong4 ,with the power of discrimination in its infancy1 with the enjoyment nature or the self-seeking ,asuric element too strong in him1 ,puranjana1 the ,kumaric soul1 is helpless4 ,he is drifted away1 though sometimes much against his will4 ,the ,friend comes to the rescue4 ,the ,devas and ,asuras combine and with their joint efforts1 the ocean of ,milk is churned1 and the ,goddess of ,evolution1 the ,energy of ,vishnu1 makes ,her divine appearance in our universe4 ,the ,devas become more than a match for the ,asuras4 ,the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara steps in1 the ,manvantara teeming with the fate of man and of the universe4 ,ishvara1 the eternal friend of ,puranjana1 is most busy in the ,vaivasvata ,manvantara4 ,every effort is made to raise humanity to a higher level and to open out all the possibilities of man4 ,first1 the enjoyments of ,svarga are held out before the rising vision of men as an allurement4 ,man admires those enjoyments and makes every effort to attain them4 ,the ,vedic sacrifice is revealed to ,pururavas1 who becomes mad after ,urvasi1 the nymph of ,svarga4 ,later on1 the heavenly cow1 ,surabhi1 attracts ,visvamitra4 ,and he becomes the chief actor in the promulgation of ,vedic sacrifice4 ,in the firmness of resolve1 in the bold and determined pursuit of objects1 and in the intolerance of inferiority1 ,visvamitra stands prominently out as an example to humanity1 for all ages to come and it is meet and proper that in the next ,manvantara1 he will act as one of the seven sages guiding the affairs of the universe4 ,the ,karma ,kanda of the ,vedas is a monument of ,visvamitara's gigantic efforts for the good of humanity4 ,ishvara made revelations4 ,he prompted the sages4 ,if the ,karma ,kanda holds out the allurements of ,svarga life1 it lays down rules and restrictions at the same time1 that regulate life and beget temperance and moderation4 ,meritorious acts are enjoined and acts that retard evolution are prohibited4 ,men do what is good and avoid what is evil1 that they may attain heavenly things4 ,they do what is right and shun what is wrong1 not because that is the ,law1 the divine will1 but because it gives them some reward4 ,all the same1 the mind is trained1 the man curbed and regulated4 ,the bitter pill is taken and if the child thinks that it is for the sweetmeat he is only mistaken4 ,when the child grows he knows1 that he takes the bitter pill as it is the law of nature that he should do so4 ,do what is right1 because that is the law4 ,shun what is wrong1 because it is against the law4 ,we are all carried forward by the law1 and we must willingly give ourselves up to that law4 ,when we do that1 we partake ourselves of divine life4 ,the ground had to be prepared for further teachings4 ,events in ,svarga foreshadow and forestall events that are to transpire on the earth4 ,the ,devas and ,asuras by their mutual fight in ,svarga bring about a state of things which casts its shadow on the earth below4 ,two great events happened in ,svarga the killing of ,vritra1 and the deposition of ,bali4 ,vritra1 though an ,asura was a votary of ,sankarshana1 the ,shankara aspect of ,vishnu4 ,vritra was great in all respects and his wisdom extracted the admiration of ,indra4 ,but he represented the idea of personal self in ,jiva1 which is so strong-rooted1 and which is the hardest thing to over come4 ,vritra was killed by a weapon1 which is no other than the most willing and ready sacrifice of personal self by ,dadhichi4 ,bali1 the ,asura king1 ungrudgingly gave all that he had to ,vamana4 ,the ,asura had become so great both in intellect and in spirituality1 that there was no question of killing him or of his being overpowered by the ,devas4 ,the ,asuras and ,devas both combined to make ,svarga1 the store-house of spiritual life4 ,the ,asuras by their willing surrender permitted the ,devas to have entire hold of ,svarga4 ,by this sacrifice1 they established their indisputable right to ,svarga1 in the broad dispensation of providence and in the succeeding ,manvantara1 ,bali is to become the ,indra of the ,devas4 ,vamana was the same as ,lord ,sri ,krishna on our earth4 ,if diplomacy had succeeded so easily below as above1 if the ,asura chiefs on earth had behaved as splendidly as ,bali in ,svarga1 the horrors and heartrending scenes of ,kurukshetra could have been avoided4 ,the same result was however brought about in ,svarga as it was subsequently brought about on the ,earth4 ,the actor was the same1 the diplomacy was the same1 only the result of diplomacy was different on the different planes4 ,the deposition of ,bali was bloodless while the deposition of ,duryodhana was a bloody one4 ,coming down to ,earth let us see how events in ,svarga were followed up on the terrestrial plane4 ,two great human ,avataras came1 one the ideal and the other the apostle of unselfishness4 ,but we must take a running survey of the ,avataras as a whole4 ,vishnu appeared on ,earth ,himself1 through ,his direct manifestations called ,avataras4 ,ten of them have been specially picked out as ,great ,avataras1 though no specification has been made in the ,bhagavata ,purana4 ,there were three great ,asuric movements in this ,kalpa1 caused by the three successive incarnations of ,jaya and ,vijaya4 ,and these gave our four great ,avataras4 ,hiranyaksha was killed by ,varaha1 ,hiranyakasipu was killed by ,nrisinha4 ,ravana and ,kumbhakarna were killed by ,rama4 ,sisupala and ,dantavakra were killed by ,sri ,krishna4 ,kurma was a great ,avatara as ,he prepared the way for the spiritual regeneration of the universe1 by the ,churning of the ocean of ,milk4 ,vamana was a great ,avatara as ,he reclaimed the ,triloki from the ,asuras4 ,parasurama and ,buddha did work1 which revolutionised the whole humanity4 ,kalki will give the final blow to the ,asuric element in us4 ,matsya is important with reference to our own ,manvantara4 ,every ,manvantara is followed by a deluge1 which destroys the existing continents and swallows up all living beings4 ,when the last ,manvantara was over1 our ,manu saved the germs of creation with the help of ,matsya4 ,opinion is divided as to whether there is ,pralaya after every ,manvantara4 ,the ,bhagavata ,purana says when there was deluge 7sanplava7 following the ,chakshusha ,manvantara1 ,vishnu assumed the form of ,matsya4 ,commenting on this1 ,sridhara says there is no ,pralaya at the end of a ,manvantara4 ,there may not be such a ,pralaya at the end of a ,manvantara as happens at the end of a ,kalpa4 ,but other ,puranas speak of some sort of ,pralaya on the expiry of every ,manvantara4 ,surya ,siddhanta1 the renowned work on ,astronomy1 also says3 -- ,there is a period called ,sandhi 7the meet between two ,manvantaras7 measured by the period of one ,satya ,yuga1 followed by another ,manvantara4 ,there is deluge by water then4 ,the ,avataras of ,vishnu infuse more and more of ,satva into men1 that they may become ,satvika4 ,increasing ,satva put down ,rajas and ,tamas in man and makes him divine4 ,but of all these ,avataras two stand out most prominently one the ideal and the other the apostle of unselfishness4 ,the brightest luminary of the solar line held out in ,his life1 an example of unselfishness1 of purity of character and of scrupulous regard to duty1 an example that is the admiration of all people in all ages1 as perfect as the limits of humanity will allow and as elevated as the loftiest ideal of human character may be1 unsurpassed in its pathetic grandeur1 unrivalled in the straight forward pursuit of duty along a most thorny and uneven path4 ,the divine founder of ,dvaraka of the ,lunar line asserted ,himself as the supreme ,ishvara1 ,he took up the reins of ,triloki in ,his own hands1 the ,devas installed ,him as the king of ,svarga or ,govinda1 and men on earth had now to look up to ,him only and not to the ,devas for their guidance4 ,for men had now to pass the limits of ,triloki1 and the friend of ,puranjana came down ,himself to hold out the torch of divine light4 ,sri ,krishna laid down the triple path of ,karma1 ,bhakti and ,jnana1 and shewed the relative importance of each4 ,his teachings are perfect1 thorough and exhaustive4 ,ever since ,his manifestation1 those teachings have been re-iterated in a thousand forms1 they have been adapted to different powers of understanding and all the modern scriptures of ,hinduism have grown up1 round the central point of those teachings4 ,men had no longer to complain of teachings4 ,they had to follow those teachings now and to live up to them4 ,they had to begin with unselfishness1 and end with liberation4 ,new vistas opened out before the growing spiritual vision of men1 vistas of new worlds1 new planes1 of masters of ,yoga and wisdom1 forming every link between man and ,ishvara4 ,possibilities became realities4 ,liberation was no longer a word of the lips4 ,now liberation is a relative term4 ,first there may be liberation from the bonds of ,triloki only4 ,or it may be from the limitations of ,janaloka which was the highest possibility with which the ,jiva started4 ,or it may be liberation from the bonds of the ,brahmanda itself4 ,the last liberation is again two fold in its character4 ,there may be liberation from all concrete things and all ideas1 including the idea of ,ishvara ,himself or the liberation may lead to the great ,ishvara from whom many solar systems proceed4 ,mukti is not only liberation from bondage4 ,it is also something more4 ,it is an acquisition1 ,starting from the plane of ,jana ,loka1 the ,kumaric soul acquires higher and higher possibilities4 ,he may transcend ,jana ,loka4 ,he may transcend even the ,satya ,loka4 ,but passage across ,satya ,loka is not easy in this ,kalpa4 ,mukti in its fullest and highest sense means freedom from all limitations caused by ,prakriti1 caused by ,time and ,space and identification with ,brahman1 who is absolute bliss1 absolute consciousness and absolute existence beyond the limits of ,time and ,space4 ,this is called ,atyantika ,pralaya or absolute dissolution4 ,but this ,mukti lean never be obtained till all the duties of a man are performed4 ,these duties are nothing else but sacrifices or ,yajna4 ,man must perform each one of his duties he must perform all that he owes to himself1 to all other beings1 and last of all the highest duty he owes to the ,ishvara of the ,universe the ,lord of ,sacrifice1 ,yajnesvara ,himself1 ,adhiyajna am ,i1 here in the body1 best of living beings4 ,the ,bhagavatas do not care to go beyond the ,yajna ,purusha1 ,they do not care to leave the life of sacrifice1 as long as their ,ishvara stands out as the embodiment of all sacrifice4 ,salutation to ,thee1 ,bhagavan1 let me meditate on ,vasudeva4 ,salutations to ,pradyumna1 ,aniruddha and to ,sankarshana4 ,he who1 by knowing these murtis in the murtiless1 whose only mutrti is mantra makes offerings to ,yajna ,purusha1 is the complete seer4 ,i4 #e4 #cg ,when the ,indriyas1 said ,kapila1 that manifest the objects of external and internal perception1 become trained by the performance of ,vedic ,karma1 their spontaneous ,vritti 7or function7 in a man of concentrated mind is in ,satva which is the same as ,vishnu4 ,this ,vritti which is void of all selfishness is ,bhakti in ,bhagavana4 ,it is superior to ,mukti4 ,it instantly destroys the ,kosha1 as the digestive fire consumes food4 ,the devoted have no yearning for that ,mukti which makes the ,jiva one with ,me4 ,but they prefer ever to talk with each other about ,me1 to exert themselves for ,my sake and ever to meditate on me4 ,mukti comes to them unasked4 ,my ,vibhutis1 the eight ,siddhis1 and all the glory of the highest ,lokas are theirs though they want them not4 ,i am their ,teacher1 their ,friend1 their companion1 their all4 ,so even ,kala can not destroy them4 ,again1 ,the devoted spurn ,salokya1 ,sarshti1 ,samipya1 ,sarupya and ,sayujya1 even when offered to them and they prefer to serve ,bhagavan ever and ever4 ,compassion and friendliness to all beings are the essential qualifications of the devoted4 ,they must be humble respectful and self controlled4 ,they must pass their days in hearing and reciting the glory of ,bhagavan4 ,kapila makes the following classification as to the final destiny of men 7p4 #df73 #a4 ,those who selfishly perform their ,dharma and worship ,devas and ,pitris go to ,soma ,loka1 and after partaking of ,soma1 they are again re-born4 ,their ,lokas are destroyed with the daily ,pralaya of ,brahma4 #b4 ,the worshippers of ,hiranya-garbha 7,brahma7 reach ,brahma ,loka or ,satya ,loka and there wait for two ,pararddhas i4e4 for the life time of ,brahma and upon the final dissolution of the ,brahmanda1 they enter with ,hiranya-garbha1 the ,eternal ,supreme ,purusha1 who is supreme ,bliss and their sense of individuality becomes then lost4 #c4 ,brahma with ,marichi and other ,rishis1 with ,kumaras and other lords of ,yoga1 and with ,siddhas who are leaders of ,yoga1 do by their unselfish action1 and at the same time the retention of their individuality1 and their vision of separateness reach ,saguna ,brahma or the ,second ,purusha1 who is the ,ishvara of our system4 ,and when ,kala1 as an aspect of ,ishvara1 causes a disturbance in the ,gunas on the approach of the creative period they are born again just as they had been before4 7,they are born because of their individuality and their vision of separateness4 ,they are born in the same state on account of their non-attachment and their unselfishness4 ,sridhara74 ,as long as the ,triloki lasts1 they enjoy all the divine things of ,satya ,loka1 according to their ,karma4 7,and when the ,triloki is destroyed1 they attain the ,saguna ,purusha1 who is ,first ,avatara4 ,sridhara74 ,when the ,gunas are disturbed again they come back 7i4e4 they revert to their former posts respectively4 ,sridhara7 ,,iii #cb xii-xv4 #d4 ,those who unselfishly perform their duties and give themselves up entirely to the ,supreme ,purusha void of all attachment and all egoism1 calm1 tranquil and pure in the mind go through the gateway of the ,sun to the all pervading ,purusha1 the ,lord of all1 the material and efficient cause of all this4 ,commenting on ,,ii #b xxviii1 ,sridhara says3 -- ,there are three courses for those that go to ,brahma ,loka4 ,those who go by the excellence of their merits1 become holders of responsible positions in the next ,kalpa1 according to their respective merits4 ,those who go there by worshipping ,hiranya-garbha and others1 become liberated along with ,brahma4 ,those who are worshippers of ,bhagavan1 pierce the ,brahmanda at will and reach the ,state of ,vishnu4 ,the classification is the same as made by ,kapila4 ,hiranya-garbha ,upasana1 which was prevalent at one time is now out of use4 ,it was the worship of the ,life aspect of ,ishvara1 as manifested in the ,solar system4 ,there is a higher duty1 the highest duty of a ,jiva manifested in this universe1 to realise that this universe itself is a part of a big universe1 and there is ,ishvara of that big universe ,bhagavan ,himself and to surrender one self completely up to ,him in pure love and devotion4 ,he will not then be of this universe1 but he will be of many universes1 he will transcend the limits of all the seven planes of our system at will4 ,what his work then will be1 it is for ,bhagavan to say not for him4 ,the work of ,bhagavan is his work1 the life of ,bhagavan is his life4 ,he becomes a ,bhagavata4 ,the ,gopis are ideal ,bhagavatas and the ,vrindavana ,lila is the consummation on this earth of the relation of a ,bhagavata with ,bhagavan4 ,this to all ,bhaktas is the highest form of ,mukti4 ,to the ,bhakta1 there is no ,mukti1 without the universe and the lord of universe4 ,forget the universe1 forget every thing1 only meditate on the eternal unchanging element in you1 be fixed in that and that only and you attain ,atyantika ,pralaya4 99,,peace ,,be ,,to ,,all499