A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 39

(Besides this general administration, there are other ways also of managing the affairs of the universe and these are mentioned incidentally in the following slokas. _Sridhara_.)

Hari appears as the Siddhas (Sanaka and others) and expounds divine wisdom (Jnana) in every Yuga. He appears as Rishis (Yajnavalkya and others) and expounds Karma. As Lords of Yoga (Dattatreya and others), He expounds Yoga.

THE STORY OF BALI.

*SKANDHA VIII. CHAPS. 15-23.*

Bali, son of Virochana and grandson of Prahlada, was once defeated by Indra. His Guru, Sukra, advised him to perform the Visvajit sacrifice.

When _ghee_ was offered at the sacrifice, one chariot, some green coloured horses, one lion-marked flag, one golden bow, two quivers with an inexhaustible store of arrows, and one divine _kavacha_ (protective charm) arose from the fire. Bali gladly accepted these things. Prahlada also gave him a fresh garland and Sukra gave him a conch.

Equipped with these things Bali attacked Svarga. Brihaspati told Indra the time was inauspicious and the Devas could not succeed without the help of Vishnu. He advised them to give in and to remain concealed somewhere, till the time came for their ascendancy. The Devas followed the advice of Brihaspati and Bali became the king of Triloki.

Sukra advised Bali to perform one hundred Asvamedha sacrifices.

Aditi became disconsolate at the down-fall of her sons. She asked her husband Kasyapa what to do for her sons. The Praj.a.pati advised her to observe Payoravata in honor of Vishnu (for details, see the original).

She observed the Vrata for 12 days when Vishnu appeared before her and a.s.sured her He would incarnate as her son.

Vamana was born of Aditi at midday, on the 12th day of the moon, during the white quarter in the month of Bhadra, while the moon was in the first part of Sravana, in the Abhijit.

(Vamana = Dwarf). Vamana heard that Bali was performing Asvamedha on the banks of the Narmada. He went there and Bali received him duly and enquired what he wanted, expressing his willingness to gratify him fully. Vamana asked for only three paces of ground. Bali laughed at this modest prayer and asked him to take more land. But Vamana excused himself, saying a Brahmana should be content with small things only.

Bali laughed again and at once said "Then accept." He then took the water pot to make the formal gift. Sukra perceived the object of Vishnu.

He tried to dissuade Bali from carrying out his promise. "This is not a dwarf Brahmana but Vishnu Himself. By one pace he will cover the whole of Bhur Loka and Bhuvar Loka. By the second pace, He will cover Svar Loka and what then will become of the third pace? You will have to go to Naraka for not being able to fulfil your promise. And where shall you yourself remain after giving over all you have? Therefore desist from what you are doing. No doubt truth is preferable. But the Vedas also allow untruth in extreme cases."

Bali replied: - "The grandson of Prahlada shall never speak an untruth.

I will give to this Brahmana boy what I have promised, even if he be Vishnu and my enemy too."

Sukra said in anger - "You disregard the words of your Guru. So you shall forthwith lose everything."

Bali remained unmoved. He worshipped the Brahmana boy and read out the formal Mantra of giving over three paces of land. Vindhyavali, the virtuous consort of Bali, at this time placed a golden pitcher filled with water before her husband. He washed the feet of Vamana with that water, and sprinkled it over his head. Then Vamana wonderfully grew in size. The whole Universe became visible in him. He seized the whole of Bhur Loka with one pace the whole of Bhuvar Loka with his body, and the directions in s.p.a.ce with his hands, so that even the whole of Svar Loka became insufficient for the second pace. But nothing remained for the third pace. For the second pace of Vamana pa.s.sed through Mahar Loka, Jana Loka, Tapas Loka and reached even Satya Loka.

The Asuras exclaimed: - "By what an unjust device has our king been deprived of all! It is no sin to fight with this disgrace of a Brahmana, this deceitful Vishnu." So they engaged in fight with the followers of Vishnu, but were defeated by them.

Bali told his followers there was no use fighting, for Kala was against them. The same Bhagavan who had favored them was now in opposition.

Garuda, knowing the intention of Vishnu, tied Bali with the noose of Varuna.

Vamana then addressing Bali said: - "Where is your promised ground for my third pace? You have told a lie. You do not carry out your promise to a Brahmana. For this you will have to go to Naraka."

Bali said: - "Do not think I told an untruth or that I mean to deceive thee. Here is my head for the third pace. I am not so much afraid of the Naraka thou art speaking of, nor of this noose, nor of any troubles I may undergo, nor of any punishment thou mayest inflict on me as I am afraid of doing anything for which good people will blame me. I deem this punishment an act of favor a favor shewn perhaps out of consideration for my grand-father Prahlada. For this kingdom only maddened me with power and made me forget my end. And what shall I do with this body too? True thou art my enemy, but this loss of kingdom has brought me nearer to thee."

Prahlada appeared at this time. He bowed down to Vamana and said: - "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 so. For power maddens a man and blinds him as to his real self."

Vindhyavali said: - "O Lord, Thou art the Creator, the Preserver, and the Destroyer of Triloki. Who else could own it besides Thyself? It was the height of presumption to pretend to give the Triloki to you." Brahma said: - "O Deva of Devas, all-pervading Lord, thou hast taken away everything from this Bali. He has also given himself up entirely to Thee, without being moved in the least. He does not now deserve to remain tied up."

Bhagavan said: - "O Brahma, I take away all his riches from him whom I favor. For one proud of riches disregards both myself and others. When after many births the Jiva happens to become a man, and when in that birth he is found not to entertain any pride of birth, karma, age, beauty, wisdom, power, wealth and other things, you should know that to be my favor. One constantly devoted to me is not led away by anything apt to beget pride.

"This king of Danavas and Daityas has now conquered Maya. So he is not beside himself even in grief. His wealth gone, his position lost, himself overpowered and chained by enemies, forsaken by friends, reviled and cursed by his own preceptor, and what not, this Bali did not give up Truth.

"I will give him a place, difficult for others to attain. He shall be the Indra of Savarni Manvantara. Till then let him reside in Sutala. By my wish, the dwellers of Sutala shall have no mental or bodily pain, no fatigue, no sleepiness, no defeat and no misfortune. Bless thee, O Maharaj, go to Sutala with thy clan. Sutala is even wished for by those that dwell in Svarga. Even the Lokapalas shall not be able to overpower thee. What of others? If any Daitya does not follow thee, I will kill him by my Chakra. By all means I will preserve thee and thy followers.

There you shall always find me at your door. Thy Asura nature shall be there entirely destroyed under my influence."

Prahlada was also ordered by Bhagavan to accompany Bali to Sutala. So they all went to Sutala.

THOUGHTS ON THE ABOVE.

We now find Bali shorn of all materialism and restored to spiritual purity. We can well understand the removal of Bali from the kingdom of Triloki, for the cyclic movement was tending that way since the last Manvantara, and the Devas were to have supremacy over Triloki. We have to study the future of Bali, as holding further light for us.

We must repeat here the distinction made between the two cla.s.ses of Asuras: Daityas and Danavas. The Daityas trace their origin to the gate-keepers of Vishnu. They had inherent Satva in them, which was eclipsed in their downfall. Therefore, though they acted as materialistic forces following the cyclic tendency, they were themselves not incapable of spiritual development Thus we find words of wisdom and spirituality in Vritra, in Hiranyakasipu, unselfish devotion in Prahlada, and complete resignation in Bali. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu went back to their old place in Vaikuntha. Vritra became united with Sankarshana. Prahlada is immortal in his unselfish mission, and we have just heard the future of Bali. The Maruts become Devas after their very birth.

Therefore there is no extinction for the Asuras, except for those that do not follow Bali and do not place themselves under the influence of Vishnu. The cyclic weapon or Chakra is ever ready to destroy those that hopelessly go against the law.

Now a word about Sutala. The arrangement of Patalas as given in the text is the reverse of what they should be in point of spirituality, for Atala is the most and Patala the least removed from spirituality.

The influence of Vishnu does not extend beyond Sutala, and nothing can save those that transgress the limits of this nether plane. For in Vitala the destructive Purusha reigns and a pa.s.sage to that plane is only a door to utter extinction. And in Atala there is not a trace of spirituality, the work of destruction is already done, and mother Nature dissolves the material elements for some better use in future.

The special provision for Sutala is therefore a cyclic necessity. For Jivas have to be preserved from an undesirable end. Therefore Bali was given a post, the proud privilege of seeing that Jivas do not undergo utter extinction. Sutala was also fortified with an accession of spirituality.

The example of self-abnegation, the ideal of self-sacrifice, Bali is to become the king of Devas in the succeeding Manvantara.

THE MATSYA AVATARA.

*SKANDHA. VIII. CHAP. 24.*

Towards the end of the previous Kalpa, Brahma was falling asleep and the Vedas fell from his mouth. The Asura Hayagriva took them up. Seeing this Vishnu became a small fish. King Satyavrata was making Tarpana (_i.e._ offering libations of water), when the fish found its way into his hands. He threw it into the river. The fish implored the King to preserve him. So he took it home and placed it in a small waterpot. The fish increased in size so much that all tanks and rivers were tried, but they could not contain it. At last the king took the fish to the sea, but it implored him not to throw it away into the sea. The king then said: - "This fish must be the Deity Himself, otherwise how could it grow so large?" The fish then addressed the king thus: "On the seventh day from this, the Triloki shall be plunged into the Pralaya waters.

Then a big Ark shall come to thee. Take all plants, all seeds, all animals, and the seven Rishis with you and get into that ark. When the wind shakes that ark, tie it with a serpent to myself. I will remain with that ark in the Pralaya Ocean till the awakening of Brahma. I will manifest supreme wisdom in thee."

So saying the fish disappeared and on the seventh day the Pralaya waters deluged the Triloki. Satya Vrata did as he was told. He got the highest wisdom from the Fish Incarnation.

That Satya Vrata is Sraddhadeva, our present Manu.

SKANDHA IX.

THE VAIVASVATA MANVANTARA.