A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 83

No. 1 is Marichi.

No. 2 is Vasishtha with Arundhati.

No. 3 is Angiras.

No. 4 is Atri.

No. 5 is Pulastya.

No. 6 is Pulaha.

No. 7 is Kratu.

"Such being the configuration of the Rishis, the two that are first seen to rise above the horizon are Pulaha and Kratu. The longitudinal line pa.s.sing through the middle point of the line joining them crosses some one of the 27 constellations, Asvini, Bharani and others. The Rishis have their position in that constellation for one hundred years."

_Sridhara_.

So soon as the Krishna named divine body of Vishnu ascended the heavens, Kali entered this Loka. As long as the Lord of Lakshmi touched this Earth with His lotus feet, Kali could not overtake the planet. ( While Sri Krishna was still on this Earth, Kali appeared in its Sandhya or Dawn. When Sri Krishna disappeared, the Sandhya period was over, and the period proper of Kali set in. _Sridhara_).

The Yuga shall become darker and darker, as the Seven Rishis will pa.s.s on from Magha to Purva-ashadha, _i.e._, till the period of king Nanda.

(The darkness will go on increasing till the reign of king Pradyotana.

It will still go on increasing very much till the reign of king Nanda.

_Sridhara_.

This gives us a cycle of 1,000 years. The line of the Ecliptic is divided into 27 constellations, which form the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

Each sign of the Zodiac contains 9 parts of these constellations, if each constellation be divided into four parts.

Thus Aries contains Asvini, Bharani and 1/4 Krittika;

Taurus contains 3/4 Krittika, Rohini and 1/2 Mrigasiras;

Gemini contains 1/2 Mrigasiras, ardra and 3/4 Punarvasu;

Cancer contains 1/4 Punarvasu, Pushya and Ashlesha;

Leo contains Magha, Purva Falguni and 1/4 Uttar Falguni;

Virgo contains 3/4 Uttara Falguni, Hasta, and 1/2 Chitra;

Libra contains Chitra, Svati and 3/4 Visakha;

Scorpio contains 1/4 Visakha, Anuradha and Jyeshtha;

Sagittarius contains Mula, Purva ashadha and 1/4 Uttara ashadha;

Capricornus contains 3/4 Uttara ashadha, Sravana, and 1/2 Dhanishtha;

Aquarius contains 1/2 Dhanishtha, Sata-bhisha, and 3/4 Purva Bhadrapada;

Pisces contains 1/4 Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati.

Abhijit is included in Uttarashadha and Sravana. From Magha to Purva ashadha there are eleven constellations. This gives a cycle of 1,000 years.

The reference to king Nanda's reign leaves no doubt as to the cycle being one of 1,000 years, for the period is given in this very chapter as 1,115 years.

The lines of Kshatriya kings have been given in the Purama, The lines of Brahmanas, Vaisyas and Sudras are to be similarly known.

Devapi, brother of Santanu and Maru of the line of Ikshvaku are now waiting at Kalapa. They will appear towards the end of Kali Yuga and will again teach Varna and asrama Dharma. (They will start again the lines of divine kings which came to an end in the Kali Yuga.

_Sridhara_.)

PRALAYA.

*SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 4.*

Four thousand Yugas form one day of Brahma. This is also the period of one Kalpa, during which fourteen Ma.n.u.s appear. The night of Brahma follows for an equally long period. The three worlds - Bhur, Bhuvar and Svar then come to an end. This is called _Naimittika_ Pralaya. Drawing the universe within self, Narayana sleeps at the time over Ananta and Brahma sleeps too. (_Nimitta_ is cause. Naimittika is proceeding frome some cause. This Pralaya procedes from the sleep of Brahma as a _cause_).

When two Pararddhas of years expire, the seven subdivisions of Prakriti (Mahat, Ahankara, and the five Tanmatras) become subject to dissolution.

(The life period of Brahma is two Pararddhas). This is called _Prakritika_ Pralaya. When this dissolving factor comes in, the whole combination known as the Cosmic Egg breaks up. (As the subdivisions of Prakriti as well as the Cosmic Egg which is formed by their combination become all dissolved, this Pralaya is called Prakritika Pralaya). With the advent of this Pralaya, there will be no rains for one hundred years. Food will disappear. People will devour one another. The Sun will draw in moisture from the seas, from the body, and from the earth, but will not give it back. The fire called Samvartaka, arising from the mouth of Shankarshana, will consume the Patalas. Winds will blow for one hundred years, followed by rain for another hundred years. The universe will be covered by one sheet of water. Water will draw in earth, fire will draw in water, and so on till Pradhana in due time will devour all the Gunas. Pradhana is not measured by time, and it does not undergo transformation. Beginningless, endless, unmanifested, eternal, the cause of all causes, without diminution, it is beyond the reach of Gunas, the rootless root, that pa.s.ses comprehension, like the void.

Jnana is the ultimate resort of Buddhi (the perceiver or knower), the Indriyas or senses (perception, knowledge or the instruments of perception and knowledge) and the objects (things perceived and known).

It is Jnana alone that appears in this threefold form. That which is subject to perception, which in its nature is not separate from its cause, and which has both beginning and end is no real substance. The lamp, the eye and the object seen are not different from light itself.

So Buddhi, the senses and the objects are not separate from the one Truth (Brahman, for they all proceed from Brahman), but Brahman is quite separate from all others. Wakefulness, dream and dreamless sleep are all states of Buddhi. They are all transitory, O king. The diversity appears in Pratyagatma (the separate self). The clouds appear and disappear in s.p.a.ce, even as the universes appear and disappear in Brahman. Of all forms, the common element is the only reality. But the forms seem to have an existence of their own independently of the primal element. The threads that form the cloth look separate from the cloth itself. All that appears as cause and effect is unreal, for there is interdependence, and there is both beginning and end.

The transformations can not exist without the light of atma. If they are self-manifest however, they are not in any way different from atma itself.

Do not think atma is many, (as there is atma in every being). It is ignorance to think so. The s.p.a.ce confined in a pot and the limitless s.p.a.ce are one and the same, even so the sun and its image in water, the air inside and outside.

Men call gold by different names, according to the different ornaments it forms. So the language of the Vedas and the language of ordinary men give different names to Bhagavan.

The cloud that is generated by the sun, that appears by the light of the sun, that is in fact rays of the sun so transformed stands between the eye and the sun. Even so Ahankara, proceeding from Brahman, manifested by Brahman, even a part of Brahman, eclipses the perception of Brahman by Jiva.

When the cloud disappears, the eye perceives the sun. When Ahankara, the _upadhi_ of atma, disappears by discrimination, then the Jiva perceives "I am Brahman."

When by discrimination, such as this, the tie of unreal Ahankara is cut as under, and the unfailing perception of atma becomes fixed, it is called _atyantika_ Pralaya.

(atyantika is from Atyanta = ati+anta, the very last. After this Pralaya, which is individual and not general, one does not return to life in the universe. It is the final liberation of a man from the limitations of life in Brahmanda).

Every day all beings, from Brahma downwards, undergo according to some seers of subtleties states of beginning and end.

These beginnings and ends are caused by the changes in states of all beings subject to transformation, changes that follow the flow of time.

(One does not grow adult or old in one day. The change must be going on constantly. The fruit does not ripen in one day. But the process of ripening day by day is not perceptible. Water flows in a continued stream but the water particles constantly change at a given s.p.a.ce. So the lamp burns and the flame looks one and the same though the particles that ignite do constantly change. Even so our body is not the same from day to day. There is a change going on every moment of our life.

Particles of the body are rejected every day and they are replaced by new particles. There is the beginning with our new particles, and an end or Pralaya with the old particles.) This is called NITYA Pralaya. (Nitya means constant).

Pralaya is thus fourfold - Nitya, Naimittika, Prakritika and Atyantika.

Such are the stories of Bhagavat as related in the Bhagavata Purana.