The Bhagavata Purana 2

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘The king asked, “How, and through what act, did Maya destroy the god’s, known as Isha to the universe, fame? How did Krishna enhance it? Please tell us.”

  ‘Narada replied, “The asuras were defeated in a battle by the gods, whose powers had increased. They went and sought refuge with their supreme preceptor, Maya, full of maya. The lord constructed three cities that were made out of gold, silver and iron. Their movements were impossible to fathom and they were stocked with equipment impossible to understand. O king! Located inside these, the asura soldiers remembered their former enmity, and undetected by anyone, destroyed the three worlds and their lords. The lords of the worlds went to Ishvara 758 and bowed down before him. ‘O god! Save those who are dear to you. We have been destroyed by those who reside in the three cities.’ The illustrious lord showed his favours to the gods and told them not to be afraid. He affixed an arrow to his bow and released it in the direction of the three cities. Consequently, arrows that had the complexion of fire issued from the solar circle. Struck by those rays, the cities were no longer visible. Struck by them, all the residents of the city fell down, lifeless. However, the great yogi, Maya, took them and flung them into a well filled with juices. Touched by the juices of amrita, they rose up again, firm as diamonds and extremely energetic. They were like fiery lightning that tears clouds apart. On seeing that his resolution had been shattered, the one with the bull on his banner became dejected. Therefore, the illustrious Vishnu thought about a means that could be used. Vishnu himself assumed the form of a cow and Brahma became the calf. They entered Tripura at the appropriate time and drank up all the amrita juice in the well. Though the asuras saw them, they were confused and did not do anything to restrain them. The great yogi 759 also got to know. But remembering that this was destiny, he did not sorrow. He spoke to the confused guardians of the juice, who were grief-stricken. ‘In this world, no one, a god, an asura, a man, or even Ishvara himself, can contravene what destiny has ordained for him or for anyone else.’ Then, through his own powers of dharma, knowledge, detachment, opulence, austerities, learning and rites, he 760 created the equipment for Shambhu—chariot, charioteer, standard, mounts, bow, armour and arrows. Equipped on the chariot in this way, he affixed an arrow to his bow. At the time of Abhijit muhurta, 761 Ishvara fixed the arrow to the bow. O king! Thus, Hara burnt down Tripura, which was so very difficult to penetrate. Drums were sounded in the firmament and there were hundreds of vimanas assembled there. The gods, the rishis, the ancestors and the lords of the Siddhas showered down flowers and exclaimed, ‘Victory!’ They chanted in delight. Large numbers of apsaras danced. O king! Thus, the illustrious one, the destroyer of cities, burnt down the three cities. Having been praised by Brahma and the others, he returned to his own abode. In this way, using his own maya, Hari himself imitates the actions of the world of men. The rishis sing about the valour of the preceptor of the universe, which purifies the worlds. What shall I speak about next?”’

  Chapter 7(11)

  Shri-Shuka said, ‘This account of the lord of daityas, 762 who had Urukrama in his atman, was praised in assemblies of virtuous people. Having heard it, Yudhishthira, foremost among great ones, was delighted. He again asked Svayambhuva’s son. 763 Yudhishthira said, “O illustrious one! I wish to hear about the eternal dharma of men, the conduct of the varnas and the ashramas, whereby men can obtain the supreme. You are the son of Prajapati Parameshthi himself. Because of your austerities, yoga and meditation, you are the most revered of Brahma’s sons. Brahmanas who are devoted to Narayana, compassionate, virtuous and tranquil like you, know about the supreme and secret dharma, not others.”

  ‘Narada replied, “I bow down before the illustrious Aja. For the worlds, he is the bridge of dharma. I will tell you about the eternal dharma I heard from Narayana’s mouth. For the benefit of the worlds, he manifested himself in his portion as the son of Dharma and Daksha’s daughter. 764 He studies and performs austerities in the hermitage of Badarika. The illustrious Hari is the foundation of dharma and all the Vedas are in him. O king! So are the smriti texts, whereby, the soul is gratified. O Pandava! (1) Truthfulness; 765 (2) Compassion; (3) Austerities; (4) Purity; (5) Endurance; (6) Discrimination; (7) Control of the mind; (8) Control of the senses; (9) Non-violence; (10) Brahmacharya; (11) Renunciation; (12) Studying; (13) Uprightness; (14) Contentment; (15) Impartiality in service; (16) Gradual withdrawal from the material pleasures of the world; (17) Regard of human endeavours as futile; (18) Silence; (19) Inquiry about the atman; (20) As is proper, a fair distribution of food and other objects among creatures; (21) An intelligence that looks upon them, especially humans, as one’s own self and divinities; (22) Hearing about the illustrious one; (23) Chanting about him; (24) Remembering great ones; (25) Service; 766 (26) Worship; (27) Bowing down; (28) Accepting a state of servitude; (29) Regarding him as a friend; and (30) Surrendering oneself to him—all these are said to be the supreme dharma for men. O king! Through these thirty signs, the one who is in all atmans is satisfied. Brahma has said that a person is a dvija if the samskaras have been undertaken for him, without interruption. 767 For dvijas who are pure in birth and conduct, sacrifices, studying and donations have been reccommended. They have been urged to observe the tasks for specific ashramas. Studying and the others are the six for brahmanas. 768 Others must not receive. 769 The king protects subjects and earns his living by imposing taxes on those who are not brahmanas. Vaishyas earn their subsistence through agriculture and trade and must always follow brahmanas. Shudras serve dvijas 770 and their sustenance comes from the master’s means of subsistence. There are four kinds of means of subsistence for brahmanas and each is superior to the preceding one—various means of subsistence, accepting alms without begging for them, wandering around and begging and picking up leftover grain from fields or markets. Except at times of calamity, a person from an inferior varna must not follow the means of subsistence of a superior varna. With the exception of kings, at times of calamity, everyone can undertake everything. 771 For the sake of preserving life, a person may accept the professions of rita, amrita, mrita, pramrita or satyanrita, but must never follow sha-vritti. Rita is when one picks up leftover grain from fields or markets. Amrita is accepting alms without begging for them. Mrita is always begging for alms. Pramrita is said to mean tilling of the field. Satyanrita is trade. Sha-vritti is serving those who are inferior and this is condemned and must always be avoided by brahmanas and kings. The brahmana is an embodiment of all the Vedas. The king is an embodiment of all the gods. Control over the mind, control over the senses, purity, contentment, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, compassion, immersion in Achyuta and truthfulness are the signs of a brahmana. Prowess, valour, fortitude, energy, generosity, control over one’s own self, forgiveness, devotion to brahmanas, graciousness and offering protection are the signs of a kshatriya. Devotion to gods, seniors and Achyuta, sustenance of the three objectives of human existence, belief in the sacred texts, constant enterprise and skills are the signs of a vaishya. Submissiveness, purity, honest service of the master, sacrifices without using mantras, lack of thievery, truthfulness and protection of cattle and brahmanas are indicated for shudras. For women who regard the husband as a divinity, there must be eagerness to serve and follow him and his relatives and acceptance of the husband’s vows. Sweeping and plastering the house, decorating it, decorating her own self, constant wearing of clean garments, cleaning household equipment, satisfying the great and small wishes of the husband with modesty and self-control and on every occasion, addressing him with loving, agreeable and truthful words—this is how a virtuous wife serves her husband. She is content, without being greedy. She is accomplished and knows about dharma. She speaks agreeable and truthful words. She is not distracted. She is pure and gentle. She thus serves a husband who has not fallen. 772 If a woman serves her husband as Hari and is as devoted as Shri, in Hari’s world, with her husband, she rejoices like Shri. The means of subsistence for those of mixed parentage 773 follow tho
se of their respective lineages, as long as they are not thieves or wicked. This is also true of antyajas, those who reside at the boundaries. 774 From one yuga to another yuga, the dharma of men is generally determined by nature. O king! Those who have insight about the Vedas have said that this brings benefit in this world and in the next. The present means of subsistence are determined by nature and one’s own karma. If one gives up one’s own natural karma, one gradually approaches the nirguna stage. If a field is sown repeatedly, it automatically becomes infertile. If it is not appropriate and seeds are sown again, it is destroyed. In that way, the mind is a store of desires. O king! However, excessive pursuit of desire leads to disgust, just as drops of ghee do not satisfy a fire. There are signs that have been described as characterizing a specific varna. If these are seen in a man who belongs to a different varna, he is designated as being from that varna.”’ 775

  Chapter 7(12)

  ‘Narada said, “A brahmachari must reside in the preceptor’s house. He must be controlled and do what is good for the preceptor. Like an inferior person, he must act like a servant, firm in his affection towards the preceptor. At the time of the morning and the evening sandhyas, he must worship the preceptor, the fire, the sun and the best among the gods. He must be restrained in speech. He must control himself and chant the name of the brahman. 776 When the preceptor summons him, he must control himself and study the Vedas. When this starts and ends, he must bend his head down at his feet. He must wear a girdle and garments made out of deer skin. 777 His hair must be matted and he must carry a staff and a water pot. He must wear the sacred thread. As instructed, there must be a handful of darbha grass in his hand. In the morning and the evening, he will go out and beg for alms and offer what has been obtained to the preceptor. He will eat when he has been given permission. Otherwise, he will sometimes fast. He will be good in conduct and restrained in eating. He will be accomplished and faithful and will conquer his senses. He will have dealings with women, and with those who have been enslaved by women, only to the extent that it is necessary. If he is observing the great vow 778 and has not become a householder, he must avoid talking to women. The senses are so powerful that they take away a mendicant’s mind. 779 If he himself is young and the preceptor’s wife is also young, he must not allow her to tend to his hair, massage him, bathe him or anoint him. Indeed, a woman is like fire and a man is like a pot of clarified butter. In private, one must not associate more than is necessary with one’s own daughter, not to speak of others. Until one has realized the atman and until everything becomes the lord’s reflection, the notion of duality 780 does not cease and there can thus be a calamity. Everything described applies to a householder and a mendicant. A householder follows the means of subsistence indicated by the preceptor and has intercourse with his wife during her periods. A person who has taken the great vow 781 must not use collyrium and unguents, must not massage the body, must not look at women or their paintings, must not eat meat, must not drink and must give up garlands, fragrant scents and ornaments. According to his capacity and to the extent possible, a dvija must reside in his preceptor’s household to study and understand the three Vedas, the Vedangas and the Upanishads. 782 If his master, the preceptor, so desires, he must grant him what he wishes for. 783 With his permission, he can become a householder or go and reside in the forest. Or he can become a wandering mendicant. Adhokshaja is in the fire, in the preceptor, in one’s atman and in all creatures. His abode can be seen in all beings. Though he seems to have entered them, he doesn’t actually enter them. In this way, one becomes a brahmachari, a grihastha, or resorts to vanaprastha, or becomes a mendicant. While wandering around, if one attains vijnana, one goes to the supreme brahman. I will tell you about the rules approved by sages for vanaprastha. By resorting to this, one easily goes to the worlds obtained by rishis and sages. Such a person 784 should not eat anything that is the result of tilling, or something that is not the result of tilling, but has become ripe before time. He should not eat food cooked by the fire. He should only eat what has been ripened and cooked by the sun. He should prepare charu and cakes of forest products that have naturally grown over a period of time. When he obtains new food, he must throw away the old. 785 He will resort to a thatched cottage or a cave in a mountain only for the sake of preserving the fire. However, he will himself tolerate the cold, the snow, the wind, the fire, the rain and sun. He will have matted hair and will let his hair, body hair, nails and beard grow. He will possess a water pot, deerskin, a staff, garments made of bark and a receptacle for the fire. The sage will roam around in the forest for twelve, eight, four or two years, depending on how long the mind is not agitated by the hardships. If he can no longer undertake his rites after this period, because of disease or old age, or because he wishes to pursue knowledge, he should resort to fasting. 786 He will invoke the fire in his atman and give up notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. As is appropriate, he will deposit his aggregate into the causes. 787 The gaps inside the body will be merged into space, the breath of life will be merged into air, the heat of the body will be merged into fire, the fluid in the body (blood, mucus and phlegm) will be merged into water and everything that is left 788 will be merged into the earth. Thus, a person who knows himself will merge everything into the causes. Speech and the organ of speech will be rendered to Agni, the hands and craftsmanship to Indra, the feet and power of locomotion to Vishnu, sexual desire and the genital organs to Prajapati and the rectum and power of excretion to Mrityu. Everything is consigned to the proper place. The organ of hearing and the vibration of sound goes to the directions, and skin and the sense of touch to Vayu. O king! The eyes and form are consigned to the sun god, the tongue and its sense to the Prachetas in the water, 789 and smell and the object of smell to the earth. The mind and wishes are vested in the moon, and intelligence and the object of intelligence in the supreme and wise one. 790 Action, false ego and acts undertaken through notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are vested in Rudra. Consciousness and sattva are vested in the kshetrajna and vaikarika ahamkara and the gunas are vested in the supreme one. He then merges the earth in water, water in fire, fire in wind, and wind in space. Space is merged into ego, ego into Mahat, Mahat into Prakriti, 791 and Prakriti into Akshara. 792 With the atman merged into Akshara, only consciousness is left. Having realized non-duality, he stops, 793 like a fire that has destroyed its own source.”’

  Chapter 7(13)

  ‘Narada said, “A person who is capable 794 will become a mendicant, possessing nothing but his body. He must not spend more than one night in any village. Indifferent, he will roam around the earth. If he is going to wear a garment, a loin cloth is sufficient covering. Unless there is a calamity, he must not bear any signs other that of a staff and other objects. 795 He will wander around alone, begging for alms. He takes delight in his atman and does not depend on anything else. Devoted to Narayana, he will be friendly towards all beings. He will visualize the atman in the universe and see cause and effect in the supreme and undecaying one. He will see his atman as the supreme brahman, which pervades everything, cause and effect. When he is asleep and when he is awake and in between the two, he will perceive the progress of the atman. He will perceive that both bondage and liberation are the result of maya and are not real. He will not rejoice in inevitable death, or in transient life. He will wait for the ultimate time, which brings about the creation and destruction of beings. He will not be attached to the sacred texts, nor will he use these to make a living for himself. He will abandon all debates and arguments and will not take the side of either party. He will not bind himself to disciples, nor will he study numerous texts. To earn a living, he will not expound these. He will not start on any undertaking. A great-souled one does not generally resort to the state of being a mendicant with the objective of acquiring dharma. He is tranquil and impartial. He may accept or discard. 796 His signs are not evident. But the intentions of such a learned person are evident from the fact that he is like a restless child. Even if he
is wise in vision, he must show himself to the world of men as someone who is dumb. In this connection, an ancient history is recounted. This is about a conversation between Prahlada and the sage Ajagara. 797