A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 13

In the line of Priyavrata we find how the globes were formed in the solar system, through various cosmic fires originating from Visvakarma, how this earth was formed, its continents and countries. The different divisions of the Bhur Loka are presided over by different forms of intelligence, who are the sons of Priyavrata.

In the line of Uttanapada we find the different life kingdoms pa.s.sing through different stages of evolution.

First of all, we find a limit is put to life existence in Triloki by Dhruva. Dhruva, son of Uttanapada, presides over the Polar Star. That Star forms the farthest limit of Triloki. Matter is so attenuated there that it can last for one Kalpa. We are speaking of a period when infant souls merged out to commence the race of life in the present Kalpa. They were spiritual and highly spiritual too. But they were carried away by the general current of creative tendencies. They were to limit themselves by sheath after sheath, so that they might acquire the experiences of Svar Loka, of Bhuvar Loka and of Bhur Loka in succession.

Dhruva, the infant soul, a child only five years old, however, resisted the common temptation. He would not go down, for he had an important service to render to the Universe. Who would advise him in this n.o.ble mission but Narada. Narada was out of element when the creative process was in full swing, and it was a necessity of life evolution. But there were instances of exception, instances of n.o.ble souls who would not go in with the general current, but would like to remain fixed in spiritual life, and Narada was always to be found helping them with his advice.

Dhruva remained fixed in his early spirituality. That was a sacrifice, for he could not enrich himself with further spiritual experiences, through the senses, of the lower planes of life. But he had to keep up an abode which was to be resorted to by evolved souls in later days, souls that in due course would reach that high spiritual plane.

From that Kalpic plane and the dweller thereof, we come to lower planes and their dwellers, to the divisions of time that rule the lives of individuals and of lives adapted to these divisions of time. We come from the elementals of the Svarga plane, or the Devas, to the elementals of the Astral or Bhuvar plane, the Pitris, Bhutas, Pretas and Pisachas, till we reach the mineral kingdom, represented by Himalya, the Mountain king. At this point a turning point was reached in life evolution, and the G.o.ddess of life-evolution became the daughter of the Mountain king.

Of this we shall know more hereafter.

We know of Daksha, first as the son of Brahma, the creative Praj.a.pati when the life-process rapidly worked itself out in Elemental forms. Then there was no s.e.xual procreation. Creation meant the materialisation of the Jiva. Sati, the daughter of Daksha, was the guiding energy of life-evolution. She became wedded to Siva, the Lord of Bhutas, Pretas and Pisachas who by the infusion of their Tamasic energies could bring down Jivas from their high spiritual plane.

When the process of materialisation was over, when the Jivas or Monads reached the lowest limits of materiality, the mission of Daksha came to an end.

Life evolution had now to pa.s.s through mineral, vegetable and animal stages, until at last the human stage was reached.

Sati now appeared as the daughter of the mineral king Himalaya. 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 matter, to develop the sense of touch and to become vegetable at last.

In like manner vegetable became animal, and animals at last became men.

Siva, the husband of Bhagavati or Durga, as Sati was now called, is the Purusha of Dissolution. Bhagavati is His Energy, Who guides the Monadic or Jiva Evolution of the Kalpa. It is the wear and tear, the process of destruction, that counteracts the cohesive strength of the particles forming mineral matter, which by its action becomes flexible and so receptive of outside influences.

Cells by division and death become capable of the life process in themselves. Vegetables grow by the rejection of cells, which necessitates a number of physiological processes. Death brings on life, waste, repair.

If animals exist in one and the same body, progress will be limited, further evolution will be impossible. It is by death that we evolve.

Bhagavati works out the evolution of life in different kingdoms till the stage of humanity is reached.

At this point Aryaman, one of the adityas, comes to the help of humanity. Through his influence the sons of humanity become endowed with the power of reasoning, - the faculty of discrimination.

The sons of Aryaman are called Charshanis. The word Charshani literally means a cultivator. Its secondary sense given in the Vedic lexicon is one endowed with the discriminative faculty. The word Charshani is used in the Vedas for man. It is the equivalent of Arya or Aryan, the ploughman. But it is not as ploughmen or cultivators, that the Aryans had their high place in humanity, but as men endowed with the power of discrimination. And this we owe to Aryaman. This is why, though an aditya, he is called the chief of Pitris by Sri Krishna.

"I am Aryaman of the Pitris." - Bhagavat Gita.

We have thus the first stage in life evolution, when the spiritual Jiva had to descend from the elemental to the mineral form. Next we have the second stage, when minerals pa.s.sed through higher forms of life till the Human Kingdom was reached.

Then we have the third stage, when men became endowed with the power of discrimination.

In the exercise of the discriminative faculty men were helped by their elder brothers, the Rishis and Mahatmas of every period, and by Avataras Who apeared from time to time.

Then the ground was prepared for further evolution. The Sacred Injunctions or the Vedas were revealed to men to give them a sense of right and wrong, of duties and prohibitions. The Vedas also held out to the developed sense of men the charming prospect of life in Svarga Loka with its lasting and alluring enjoyments. This may be called the stage of Karma Kanda. In following the stages of human evolution we have come down to Vaivasvatu Manvantara.

Side by side with the efforts made to raise humanity in the scale of evolution, sin was acc.u.mulating in the great Atlantean continent which spread over the whole of what we now know as the Bay of Bengal. The Atlanteans had acquired a mastery over the five forces of nature, which they used for selfish objects and against the cause and current of evolution.

Then there was a great revolution in Nature. The great Atlantean Continent went down with its load of sins. The sons of Sagar, the Atlantean king, became buried under the great ocean, which overtook the doomed continent, and to this day the sea is called in India, "Sagar" or relating to Sagar.

There was a corresponding upheaval in the Himalayas, and the sacred river Ganga streamed forth from their sides, inaugurating the spiritual regeneration of the Universe. Much of what we now know as India must have been raised up at the time, and on its sacred soil appeared the great Avatara Rama, Who put an end to the disorganising, chaos-loving sons of Lanka. The people of Lanka were called Rakshasas as they were working towards the destruction of all order, all progress in the Universe, and rendered everything topsy-turvy in Nature.

Now it was time for Sri Krishna to appear, the greatest of all Avataras in our Kalpa, Who gave the last bent to the progress of humanity. He wedded Himself with all the principles that enter into the const.i.tution of man, so that man may come up to Him. He taught the basic unity of all beings, and laid down the path of Service and Devotion. He established the reign of spiritual life, and ever since His lotus feet sanctified the soil of India, the Scriptures only re-iterate His teachings, and they all sing His glory for ever and ever. We shall find in its true place the Service done by Lord Sri Krishna, and how by His Avatarship humanity has made one more advance in the scale of human evolution. When the Lord appeared, Bhagavati made her appearance too as the daughter of Nanda. It is with Her energy that Sri Krishna performed the mission of His Avatarship.

This is a bare outline of what the Tables teach us, We shall consider them each in its own place. We shall find a detailed account as to how the Universe is preserved. We shall hear of great Rishis, of many Avataras, of the part played by Devas and Asurus. We shall see how the Monads pa.s.s through different stages of evolution, till the idea of perfect humanity is presented by Lord Krishna.

The Tables sometimes speak of life Kingdoms, sometimes of human races, sometimes of types and principles, and sometimes of individuals.

Sometimes, the names used convey a good deal of hidden meaning, sometimes they are used at random.

In the line of Priyavratra, we find how globes are formed, how continents and countries appear. The solidification of earth is indicated by the muteness of Bharata. Bharata Varsa or India is called the first born of all countries, and other lands are enjoined to follow and to obey their eldest brother.

TABLE A.

*SKANDHA IV. CHAP. 1.*

The names of the first table have been considered before.

TABLE B.

*SKANDHA IV. CHAP. 1.*

Ruchi and Akuti both mean Wish, Desire. Yajna is sacrifice, Dakshina means ordinarily the present made to a Brahmana for officiating at a ceremony. It is also the present made for the performance of a Vedic sacrifice. No Vedic sacrifice is complete without the present of Dakshina to the officiating priest. Dakshina was married to Yajna, for they are inseparable. Possibly Yajna has reference to the elemental or Devic character of life forms in the first Manvantara. That also explains why there was no Indra separate from the Avatara of the Manvantara.

The first Manvantara was one of Pravritti or Descent, Spirit could descend into matters only with the help of Desire. Desire is the father of Kama - Kama is the characteristic of Vedic Yajna. Yajna therefore guided the First Manvantara. He was the Avatara of Vishnu as well as the Indra of the Devas.

The sons of Yajna were the Devas of the First Manvantara. The Bhagavata calls them Sus.h.i.ta or Bliss G.o.ds. The Vishnu Purana calls them Yama Devas. The Manvantara Devas have for their mission the carrying out of the cyclic work of the Manvantara.

TABLE C.

*SKANDHA IV. CHAP. 1.*

Marichi means literally a ray of light. The word is frequently applied to the sun's ray. As the sun's ray breaks up into the component colours, so the line of Marichi broke up into the life kingdoms. Kala means a digit of the moon. Kasyapa was the son of Marichi and Kala. He married the 13 daughters of Daksha, in the line Uttanapada. By his wives, Kasyapa was the father of Suras and Asuras, of elementals, vegetables, animals and men. He is directly connected with the Monads. Marichi and Kala have a special significance in reference to Jivic evolution. Does the pair symbolise the sun's ray reflected on the Moon or the Atmic ray reflected on Buddhi? Any how Marichi and Kala imply the divine ray in the Jivas or atma-Buddhi.

The monads of individuals are limited by the sh.e.l.ls or bodies of Kasyapa's line. (The word Kasyapa means primarily bed, seat). They come through Purnima, daughter of Marichi. The sons of Purnima are Viraja and Visvaga.

Viraja is free from Rajas. Visvaga means one who goes all over the Universe. Viraja and Visvaga are Universal aspects of Jivic Intelligence.

(Viraja is the father of Vairajas). Devakulya is the daughter of Purnima. She flowed from the washings of the feet of Vishnu and became the divine river Ganga.

TABLE D.

*SKANDHA IV. CHAP. 1.*

Atri = _a_ (not ) + _tri_ (three). Not three, but three in one. Anasuya = (not)+*asuya* (envy, intolerance, jealousy).