The Bhagavata Purana 2

by Bibek Debroy

  209 Of Meru.

  210 Brahma.

  211 Since it is made out of gold, shatakumbha meaning gold.

  212 Indra’s Amaravati to the east, Agni’s Tejovati to the south-east, Yama’s Samyamini to the south, Nirrita’s Krishnagana to the south-west, Varuna’s Shraddhavati to the west, Vayu’s Gandhavati to the north-west, Kubera’s Mahodaya to the north and Shiva’s Yashovati to the north-east.

  213 Compared to Brahma’s city.

  214 This is a reference to Bali’s sacrifice and the vamana incarnation. Specifically, the description is of Vishnu taking the second step.

  215 The egg.

  216 From the feet of the illustrious one. This is the river Ganga.

  217 Dhruva.

  218 In Dhruvaloka.

  219 The saptarshis are the seven great sages. The list varies, but the standard one is Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishtha. In the sky, the saptarshis are identified with the constellation of Ursa Major (Great Bear).

  220 On Meru.

  221 In satya yuga, people are not interested in sexual pleasures and there are too many miseries in dvapara and kali yuga.

  222 In the Ninth Skandha.

  223 Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Samkarshana and Aniruddha.

  224 Madhu is honey and asava is liquor made through distillation, not mere fermentation.

  225 Serpents. Nagas (also known as uragas) are different from snakes. They are semi-divine, can assume any form at will and reside in specific locations.

  226 As Shesha.

  227 Associated with rajas and tamas, respectively.

  228 Hayagriva.

  229 There are seven nether regions—atala, vitala, sutala, rasatala, talatala, mahatala and patala.

  230 Brahma.

  231 Narasimha.

  232 In the Seventh Skandha.

  233 Prahlada.

  234 Daityas are a specific category of demons, the progeny of Diti.

  235 Demons, progeny of Danu.

  236 Kshroum is a mystic akshara used to worship Narasimha.

  237 Presumably meaning that the attachment has not matured.

  238 If the lifespan for a human is 100 years, theirs is 360x100 = 36,000 years.

  239 The chakra.

  240 Kamadeva’s.

  241 Lakshmi.

  242 All three are mystic aksharas, bijas.

  243 The ten senses, five objects of the senses and the mind.

  244 Day and night.

  245 On your chest.

  246 The attention to Lakshmi is token, while that to devotees is substantial.

  247 The fish incarnation.

  248 The turtle or tortoise incarnation.

  249 Demons.

  250 Constellations.

  251 The twenty-four principles of samkhya.

  252 Since sacrifices disappear in kali yuga, this form is not manifested then.

  253 Hiranyaksha.

  254 Paramatman.

  255 In the Valmiki Ramayana, Rama exiled Lakshmana.

  256 The two sages, Nara and Narayana, are often referred to jointly in the singular.

  257 A kalpa is the longer cycle of creation and destruction.

  258 The four classes and four stages of life, respectively.

  259 Narada.

  260 Brahma.

  261 The one without qualities or attributes, the brahman.

  262 Respectively associated with sattva, rajas and tamas.

  263 Of Bharatavarsha.

  264 A forest-dwelling bird may be captured by a fowler and escape, only to be caught again. The cycle of birth and death is like that.

  265 Bharatavarsha.

  266 This seems to be the place where the chant of the gods and Narada’s quote both end.

  267 Sagara’s sons were looking for the horse from a horse sacrifice.

  268 That is, 100,000 yojanas.

  269 That is, 200,000 yojanas.

  270 This is the mantra used by the inhabitants of Plaksha-dvipa.

  271 This is interpreted as auspicious and inauspicious results respectively.

  272 The silk-cotton tree.

  273 Garuda.

  274 The four varnas there.

  275 The dark lunar fortnight.

  276 The bright lunar fortnight, when the moon waxes.

  277 This is the mantra used by the inhabitants of Shalmali-dvipa.

  278 The four varnas there.

  279 This is the mantra used by the inhabitants of Kusha-dvipa.

  280 Guha/Kartikeya shattered Krouncha with his spear.

  281 The four varnas there.

  282 Varuna.

  283 The four varnas there.

  284 Breathing.

  285 This is the mantra used by the inhabitants of Shaka-dvipa.

  286 Pushkara, thus giving the region its name.

  287 Brahma.

  288 Shri-Shuka.

  289 The ocean of sweet water.

  290 Respectively, loka and aloka. Alternatively, this can be interpreted as a region inhabited by living entities and one not inhabited by living entities.

  291 Brahma.

  292 Atop Lokaloka.

  293 The area not illuminated by the sun.

  294 Mrita (inanimate) anda (egg).

  295 Hiranya (golden) garbha (origin).

  296 The terrestrial sphere and the heavenly sphere.

  297 Respectively, vernal equinox, autumnal equinox and when the sun passes through the equator.

  298 Capricorn.

  299 Signs of the zodiac.

  300 Respectively, Aries and Libra.

  301 A ghatika is twenty-four minutes. Day and night are equal in Aries. Day keeps on progressively increasing from Vrisha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karkata (Cancer), Simha (Leo) to Virgo (Kanya). Night keeps on progressively increasing from Vrishchika (Scorpio), Dhanu (Saggitarius), Makara (Capricon), Kumba (Aquarius) to Mina (Pisces).

  302 On Meru.

  303 There is an interpretation we have skipped, because it is not directly there in the text. The sun faces the stellar spheres and moves to the east, with Meru to the left. But there is a wind that blows, keeping Meru to the right. The force of this makes the sun move in the opposite direction, so on and so forth.

  304 23,775,000 yojanas.

  305 That is, six hours.

  306 The spokes are the months, the segments of the rim are the seasons and the naves are periods of four months each.

  307 The sun’s charioteer.

  308 Gayatri, Brihati, Ushnika, Jagati, Trishtubh, Anushtubh and Pankti.

  309 As a mark of respect to the sun god.

  310 Valakhilyas are those who subsist on fresh fruit.

  311 For each month, there are separate names for the sun’s attendants. These will be recounted in the Twelfth Skandha.

  312 A gavyuti is a measure of distance, equal to two kroshas (four miles) or one krosha (two miles).

  313 Shri-Shuka.

  314 The sun god.

  315 Day and night.

  316 Without Abhijit, there are twenty-seven nakshatras.

  317 Shukra, Venus.

  318 Such as Mars.

  319 Mercury.

  320 Mars.

  321 Jupiter.

  322 Saturn.

  323 Thirty years.

  324 Saptarshi, Ursa Major.

  325 Shishumara. The constellation is in the shape of a dolphin and the names of the stars in the constellation follow.

  326 The fourteen from Abhijit to Punarvasu for uttarayana and the fourteen from Pushya to Uttarashadha for dakshinayana.

  327 Ajavithi means the three nakshatras that indicate dakshinayana—Mula, Purvashadha and Uttarashadha. Akasha-Ganga is the Milky Way.

  328 Magha to Anuradha.

  329 Mrigashirsha to Purvabhadrapada, but in the reverse order, from Purvabhadrapada to Mrigashirsha.

  330 Canopus.

  331 Venus.

  332 Prana is the breath of life or the life force. Prana draws breath into the body, apana exhales it.

  3
33 The twilight zone.

  334 Morning, midday and evening.

  335 In the Sixth and Eighth Skandhas.

  336 In Rahu’s getting a share of the amrita.

  337 The sun and the moon.

  338 Ten thousand yojanas below Rahu.

  339 Vidya means knowledge. Thus vidyadhara, one who holds knowledge.

  340 Ten thousand yojanas.

  341 Nagas.

  342 The word chaitya has several meanings—sacrificial shed, temple, altar, sanctuary and a tree that grows along the road.

  343 Svairinis are loose women who have sex with anyone they want, but only with those from the same varna. In this context, kaminis are loose women who have sex with anyone they want, irrespective of varna. Pumshchalis have no sense of discrimination are almost like harlots.

  344 Atala.

  345 Vitala.

  346 Bali.

  347 These sections are subject to diverse interpretations.

  348 Bali.

  349 Prahlada.

  350 Hiranyakashipu.

  351 Bali’s, in the Eighth Skandha.

  352 The gate to Bali’s world.

  353 The one with the ten shoulders is Ravana. Narayana hurled him away.

  354 Sutala.

  355 Shiva.

  356 Maya obtained it through Shiva’s grace.

  357 Talatala.

  358 Alternatively, they are prone to anger.

  359 Mahatala.

  360 The panis stole cows and hid them. Indra sent Sarama as a messenger, cursing the panis.

  361 Rasatala.

  362 Patala.

  363 Ahamkara manifests itself in three forms—vaikarika, taijasa and tamasa.

  364 Samkarshanam is the act of drawing together, attracting.

  365 Alternatively, vaijayanti is not a separate necklace, but a garland made out of tulasi, kunda, mandara, parijata and lotuses.

  366 A gandharva.

  367 Two paramanus make up one anu.

  368 In addition to the twenty-one, adding up to a total of twenty-eight.

  369 Tamisra means darkness.

  370 Andha-tamisra means blinding darkness.

  371 Ruru has several meanings. Here, it means a savage animal.

  372 The name Kumbhipaka is derived from cooking in a pot.

  373 The name Kalasutra is derived from the rope/bondage of time/destiny.

  374 When there are calamities, deviations are permitted.

  375 The name is derived from leaves that are like swords.

  376 The name Sukara-mukha is not explained. It is probably based on the sound that such people make from their mouths.

  377 Literally, blind pit.

  378 A householder has to perform five yajnas—studying, worshipping the ancestors, worshipping the gods, sharing food with humans and sharing food with non-human creatures.

  379 Thus the name Krimi-bhojana.

  380 In the hell known as Sandamsha, sandamsha means to tear out.

  381 Hence the hell named Tapta-surmi, based on hot image.

  382 Including animals.

  383 He is impaled on a silk-cotton (shalmali) tree with thorns that are like the vajra and dragged down from there, so that the thorns tear out his flesh.

  384 The river.

  385 In the hell named Puyoda, derived from the word for pus.

  386 In the hell named Prana-rodha, derived from the breath of life being obstructed.

  387 The same as Vishasana, the name is derived from the word for killing.

  388 That is, belonging to the first three varnas.

  389 This is the hell named Lala-bhoksha, literally, a place where one is made to drink spittle.

  390 In the hell named Sarameya-adana, derived from eaten by dogs.

  391 The name Avichi is derived from this.

  392 In the hell named Ayoh-pana, derived from drinking iron.

  393 Literally, alkaline mud.

  394 In the hell named Raksha-gana-bhojana, derived from being eaten by rakshasas. Those who were killed in this world become the rakshasas in the next world.

  395 In the hell named Shulaprota, the name being derived from transfixed with spears.

  396 Venomous serpents.

  397 In the hell named Avata-nirodhana, derived from being confined in a hole.

  398 In the hell named Paryavartana.

  399 With a mouth like a needle.

  400 The Second Skandha.

  401 In the Second and Third Skandhas.

  402 Pravritti is action with a desire for the fruits.

  403 Prayashchitta.

  404 Which becomes dirty again.

  405 Rituals.

  406 The linga sharira.

  407 Alternatively, subsequent births.

  408 From the present season, one can deduce the preceding and succeeding seasons.

  409 Without birth, Brahma.

  410 This is a complicated shloka and is subject to diverse interpretations. The reference seems to be to Yama, who resides in his capital city of Samyamini. He can contemplate a being’s past and future lives.

  411 This is interpreted as a person who is dreaming. Since he does not know about his past and future lives, he identifies with what is manifest, the present physical body.

  412 The mind.

  413 The atman.

  414 This can be interpreted as superior, medium and inferior, or happy, unhappy and mixed.

  415 The three potencies are sattva, rajas and tamas. The sixteen have already been mentioned. They can also mean the five organs of action, the five senses, the five gross elements and the mind.

  416 The five senses and the mind.

  417 This is Bhagavad Gita 3.5, almost verbatim.

  418 Resulting from former lives.

  419 Destiny.

  420 The linga sharira and the gross body.

  421 The body may be like that of the mother or like that of the father, but innate nature is stronger than either.

  422 Ajamila.

  423 Alternatively, female servant.

  424 Maireya is liquor made from molasses or grain.

  425 Loose woman.

  426 This is Bhagavad Gita 3.21, almost verbatim.

  427 The master’s. In this case, Yama’s.

  428 Not exactly, but roughly, akshara is a syllable.

  429 Na-ra-ya-na.

  430 Vishnu’s.

  431 That is, the consequences of the acts.

  432 Gangadvara usually refers to Har ki Pauri in Haridvara/Haridwar.

  433 Sattva, rajas and tamas.

  434 Acting chaotically and without cohesion.

  435 The words used are ota (cross-threads or woof) and prota (length-wise or warp).

  436 Varuna.

  437 The Prajapatis.

  438 Sanatkumara.

  439 Shuka himself.

  440 The three Vedas.

  441 The sage Agastya.

  442 Ugrashrava, the son of Romaharshana or Lomaharshana. A suta was a charioteer, but also a bard and raconteur. Here, it is a proper name for Ugrashrava.

  443 Marisha. Her mother was the apsara Pramlocha.

  444 A chant or mantra.

  445 The body.

  446 Subtle elements.

  447 Prakriti, Mahat, ahamkara, the mind and the five tanmatras (the five subtle elements).

  448 This shloka has complicated interpretations, as do some subsequent ones. The way we have translated it, Vishnu is the fifteenth principle, the other fourteen being the ten sense organs, the mind, intelligence, the breath of life and Pradhana. Alternatively, there is a samidheni hymn, recited when a sacrificial fire is ignited from kindling, and this has fifteen verses.

  449 Smells and fragrances, which are not actually the wind.

  450 The Prajapatis.

  451 Before creation.

  452 Narada.

  453 Their effects are transient.

  454 This is a reference to the fourth (turiya) state, explained in the Seventh Skandha. The three preceding ones are vishva, taijasa and prajna. Progre
ssively, the atman identifies with the gross (vishva), merges the gross into the subtle (taijasa), merges into the subtle (prajna) and so on.

  455 With an exit, since one has to be born again.

  456 Five organs of perception (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin), five organs of action (hands, legs, stomach, genital organs, organ of excretion), five gross elements and five tanmatras (subtle elements). In addition, the mind, Prakriti, Purusha, Mahat and ahamkara.

  457 This is the reference to the swan (hamsa), since a swan is believed to possess the ability to distinguish between milk and water.

  458 Of creation.

  459 Brahma.

  460 A night that is over.

  461 To sages, gods and ancestors. Studying for the first and oblations for the last two.

  462 Hari’s.

  463 You have separated me from my sons twice.

  464 To curse Daksha back.

  465 Kashyapa.

  466 Tarkshya is one of Kashyapa’s names. Therefore, 13+4=17 daughters were married to Kashyapa.

  467 The divinities of the clouds.

  468 The divinities of the forts.

  469 The mother is Sankalpaa and the son is Sankalpa.

  470 The divinities of the cities, Dharani means the earth.

  471 Another of Agni’s wives.

  472 There is a contradiction with what has been said a little earlier.

  473 The eleven Rudras.

  474 Four out of seventeen.

  475 Meaning Vinata’s.

  476 The same as Aruna.

  477 Since he loved Rohini more, Soma was cursed by Daksha.

  478 Kashyapa’s wives.

  479 The first ten of Kashyapa’s wives.

  480 Evil spirits.

  481 Danu’s son.

  482 Kashyapa.

  483 Respectively descended from Puloma and Kalaka.

  484 The grandfather is Arjuna. These are known as the nivatakavachas. Indra asked Arjuna to destroy them as he couldn’t kill them himself.

  485 The twelve Adityas.

  486 The two Ashvins.

  487 Shiva.

  488 The sons of Diti.

  489 The gods accepted Vishvarupa as a priest.

  490 Brihaspati.

  491 Puloma’s daughter, Shachi, Indra’s consort.

  492 Literally, the lord of speech, Brihaspati.

  493 Shukracharya, the preceptor of the demons, also known as Kavya.

  494 Vishvarupa had done various things for the demons, since he had been on their side.

  495 The word used is tata. It means son, but is used to address anyone who is junior.

  496 Indra.

  497 There is a difference between two types of guests—atithi and abhyagata. Tithi is a lunar day and there are guests who are invited and arrive on specific tithis, because these are festive occasions. These are expected and invited guests, visitors. Atithi means a-tithi and is therefore not any guest, but a guest who arrives uninvited and is unexpected.