A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 35

*SKANDHA VII. CHAP. 9.*

"Brahma and other Devas, Rishis and wise men, full of Satva, have failed to adore Thee in suitable words. How can this Asura boy please Thee, O Hari: But I think, it is not wealth, good birth, beauty, asceticism, learning, power, intellect, or even Yoga that is so much suited for the worship of Parama Purusha as Bhakti. It is by Bhakti that the elephant king pleased Bhagavan. _Even a Chandala, (an outcaste) is much superior to a Brahmana, who has all the 12 virtues, but has no devotion to Vishuu._ For the Chandala who offers his Manas, his words, his Karma, his wealth and even his Prana to Vishnu, purifies not only himself, but his whole line, while, the proud Brahmana does not even purify himself."

(Without devotion, the virtues only serve to increase pride. They do not purify the mind. _Sridhara_.)

(The Almighty Vishnu does not want any offering from the ignorant for himself. He is possessed of all things. But the man who gives offerings to Him can alone keep them to himself, for verily the paintings on the real face are to be seen in the image. The self in man is only a reflection of atma or Manas. Therefore if a man does any thing that affects his Manas only, it does not concern his real self. If an offering is made to ishvara, that reaches his real self).

"Therefore though of low birth, I have no hesitation in reciting thy glory as much as I can, for such a recital is sure to purify a man.

"Withdraw, O Lord! this terrible form, and be cooled. Look! the world trembles at Thee.

"I am not afraid, however, even of this form, as I am afraid of the wheel of births. Give shelter at thy feet, that I may gain Moksha.

"I have been scorched by the fire of misery in all births. The only remedy is devotion to Thy service. For Thy servant by Thy favor gets the company of Mahatmas. By their company, he gets rid of all worldly attachments and sings the glory of Bhagavan. Then the miseries of life cannot overpower him.

"The parents are not the protectors of the child; medicine is not the remedy for the diseased; the boat is not a shelter for the drowning; for they cannot save from a recurrence of evils. And even the little that others do is promoted by the Prompter of all.

"When Purusha wishes, Maya disturbed by Kala creates the Sukshma Sharira, headed by Manas. That Manas is drawn into a world of recurring births, characterised by the transformations of Maya": (5 Jnanendriyas, 5 Karmendriyas, 5 Bhutas and Manas). "I am being squeezed in this wheel, like the sugar-cane in the mill.

"Draw me unto Thee, O Lord! or I am lost in the whirl."

(Some plat.i.tudes and a short account of the part taken by Vishnu in the creation follow).

"Thou dost incarnate as man, animal, Rishi and Deva in order to guard all beings, to destroy the enemies of the world and preserve Dharma, according to the requirements of every Yuga. But in Kali Yuga, Thou concealest Thyself. Hence (from manifestating only in three Yugas), Thou art called Triyuga.

"Lord of Vaikuntha, this mind does not take pleasure in discourses about Thee, as it is vitiated, p.r.o.ne towards the outside, unmanageable, pa.s.sionate and affected by the three promptings - joy, sorrow and fear.

How can I with such a mind think of Thee?

"I am drawn on all sides by the Indriyas, and I am as miserable as a man with many wives.

"I am not the only sufferer. Look! all men remain fallen by their own karma in the Vaitarani (River at the gate of Yama) of recurring births.

They are afraid of births and deaths and of danger from each other. They are mutually both friends and enemies. Take pity on these bewildered creatures, O Thou that art on the other side of the river, and preserve them this very day by taking them across the Vaitarani (_i.e._ the relativity's of Triloki existence).

"O guide of the Universe! what is thy difficulty in saving all men? For Thou art the cause of the creation, preservation and destruction of the Universe. Thou hast much kindness for the ignorant. Thou art the friend of the afflicted. What then by saving us only who serve thy favorite men the Mahatmas (for, those who serve the Mahatmas are already saved).

"O Thou Supreme, I am not the least anxious for myself about the Vaitarani (Triloki existence), however difficult to cross it may be, for my mind is plunged in the nectar ocean of singing thy glory. But I mourn for the ignorant, those that care only for the gratification of the senses and for the means of such gratification while they remain estranged from Thee.

"Generally, O Deva! the Munis are desirous of their own Moksha, they hold their tongue, and roam in solitude without caring for the good of others. But I do not like to be liberated alone, leaving behind me the afflicted round me; I find no other shelter for these misguided people, besides Thee.

"They are not happy, O Lord, in the enjoyment of the objects of the senses. For like itching, it is not a pleasure by itself but seems to be so, as long as Thou art not known.

"It is said that holding the tongue (_mouna_) vowed observance (Vrata), sacred knowledge (Sruta), austerity (Tapas), reading (Adhyayana), the observance of rules pertaining to one's caste (Sva Dharma), exposition of Shastras (Vyakhya), living in solitude (Rahas), recital of Mantra (j.a.pa), and Samadhi also lead to Moksha. But generally it is seen that these are only means of livelihood for those that have no control over their senses. And for proud people they are sometimes the means of livelihood and sometimes not. But pride in itself is not a good thing.

"Thou art not separate from the Universe. Both cause and effect are thy forms. It is not by avoiding the ways of Universe but by seeing Thee everywhere by means of Bhakti, that the right course is followed. It is by striking one stone against another that fire comes out, and not otherwise."

[Let the words of the Asura boy resound from one end of India to the other. Let the sublime words of compa.s.sion and universal love be written in characters of gold, and let them be engraven in the hearts of all Indians]. Prahlada was made the king of the Asuras.

VARNA AND ASHRAMA.

*SKANDHA VII, CHAP. 11 TO 15.*

Narada related the story of Prahlada to King Yudhisthira at the Rajasuya sacrifice. That story revealed the highest devotion that was possible for a Jiva to attain with the idea of separate existence. But separation also gives rise to the idea of difference. And as differences become established in society, duties and relations become manifold.

Yudhisthira therefore appropriately asked Narada about the Varnasrama duties.

The general rules to be observed by all castes are first given, ethical, spiritual and devotional. The specific duties and indications of each caste are then given, much the same as given in Manu Sanhita, as also the duties of women. The following significant pa.s.sage occurs at the end: -

"The indications of each caste are given above (e.g. restraint of the senses, contentment, &c., for Brahmanas; courage, strength, &c., for Kshatriyas; reverence, energy, &c., for Vaishyas; and humanity, service &c., for Shudras). If however the indications of one caste are found in a man belonging to another caste, he is to be specified by the caste of his indications and not the caste of his birth." VII - 35.

The commentary of Sridhara is explicit on this pa.s.sage. This shews the liberality of the Bhagavata Purana. According to this Purana, the divisions of caste at the present day, (for one must not forget that the Vaishnava movement belongs comparatively to a later period), are not to be determined by birth, but they are indicated by the virtues of each particular individual.

The duties of each asrama are next enumerated in detail. The enumeration follows the Smritis, with a word for Bhakti Yoga where necessary. Some very useful hints are given for a Grihastha, for which please refer to the original.

The paths called Pitriyana and Devayana are next described. Hints on Yoga and the recital of Pranava are also given.

SKANDHA VIII.

YAJNA.

*SKANDHA VIII. CHAP. 1.*

An account has been given above of the progeny of Devahuti and Prasuti.

Yajna is the son of Akuti. In the First Manvantara, when Asuras and Rakshasas were going to devour Manu, Yajna killed the former, with the help of his sons, the Yama Devas. He ruled over Svarga as the Indra of that Manvantara.

[This brings us to the end of the 1st Manvantara. The narration at several places took us to later Manvantaras, and the account of the Asuras especially took us to Vaivasvata Manvantara. The account of the first Manvantara is ill.u.s.trative of the succeeding Manvantaras. Details have therefore been given at times which might not properly pertain to the 1st Manvantara, but which fit in with other Manvantaras at those stages of the narration. Necessarily the account of the succeeding Manvantaras is very meagre.]

*END OF THE FIRST MANVANTARA.*

THE SECOND MANVANTARA.

*SKANDHA VIII. CHAP. 1.*

Svarochisha is the 2nd Manu. (Svarochisha = Self refulgent). He is the son of Agni; Dyumat, Sushena, Rochishmat and others are the sons of this Manu. (Dyumat and Rochishmat also mean bright, refulgent). Rochana was the Indra (Rochana = bright illuminating). Tus.h.i.ta and others were the Devas. Urjastambha and others were the seven Rishis well versed in Brahma Vidya.

There was one Rishi named Veda Siras. His wife was Tus.h.i.ta. He had by her _Vibhu_, the Avatara of this Manvantara. Vibhu took the vow of Brahmacharya and never married. 80,000 Rishis learned his Vrata.

(The Second Manvantara is in Theosophical language the second ascending half of the 1st round. The spiritual character of this Manvantara is manifest from the use of words meaning "bright," "refulgent." The Avatara is Vibhu or All-pervading. The vow of Vibhu also denotes spirituality. Agni also, the father of the Manu, is almost a name for spirituality).