The Bhagavata Purana 1

by Bibek Debroy

  Suta said, ‘In the assembly, invited by King Vishnurata to speak about the lord of the virtuous, Brahmarata 637 was extremely delighted. He told them about Bhagavata Purana, revered by Brahma. 638 When Brahma-kalpa started, 639 the illustrious one had spoken about this to Brahma. Whatever Parikshit, bull among the Pandus, had asked about, in due order, he started to recount all of this.’

  Chapter 2(9)

  ‘Shri-Shuka said, “O king! Without the favour of his own maya, one cannot comprehend the supreme nature of the atman, its meaning and its association. 640 This is exactly like seeing something in a dream. Many forms are seen. It is maya that gives rise to these many forms. While taking pleasure in these qualities, the person thinks, ‘This is I. This is mine.’ However, if one transcends time and maya, one certainly sees one’s own greatness in the supreme one. Freed from confusion and having discarded both of these, 641 one finds delight. Worshipped through vows that were not deceitful, he showed his form to Brahma. For the purpose of conveying the pure truth about the atman, the illustrious one spoke about his true self. He 642 is the original god, the supreme preceptor of the universe. Located in the lotus, he looked around, desiring to create. However, he could not understand the proper directions whereby he should go about this. What would be the right way of creating diverse material objects? While thinking about this, the lord once heard two aksharas 643 spoken from inside the water. These were the sixteenth and twenty-first syllables and they combined. 644 O king! For those who possess nothing, this is said to represent their wealth. Hearing this, he looked around in all the directions in search of the speaker. Though he looked, he did not see anyone. He seated himself on the lotus and made up his mind that he should turn to austerities, as instructed. He was infallible in his insight. He was in control of his breath of life and his atman. He had conquered both types of senses. 645 For one thousand years, he tormented himself through austerities, so that all the worlds might be illuminated. He controlled himself and engaged in these austerities, which is why he is the greatest of ascetics. The illustrious one was pleased through this worship. He showed him his own supreme world 646 and there is nothing superior to this. All the different kinds of affliction do not exist there, nor do confusion and fear. It is a place that is praised by those who have realized their own selves. There is no rajas or tamas there and these do not get mixed up with sattva. Time has no power there. There is no maya there, not to speak of other things. There, those who follow Hari are worshipped by gods and asuras. Their 647 radiance is dark blue. Their eyes are like lotuses with one hundred petals. Their garments are yellow. They are extremely handsome and their bodies are extremely well formed. All of them possess four arms, decorated with shining jewels. The excellent golden ornaments are extremely radiant. They are as radiant as coral, lapis lazuli and lotuses. The earrings seem to bloom and they wear diadems and garlands. On every side of that shining world, there are brilliant arrays of vimanas 648 that belong to the great-souled ones. The complexion of the excellent women is like lightning. The place looks like the sky, covered by arrays of clouds tinged with lightning. In embodied form, Shri tends to the lord’s feet. In many different kinds of splendour, she honours him. She sings about her beloved’s deeds. In turn, bees, which follow spring, sing words of praise about Shri. He saw the lord of all the Satvatas there, Shri’s lord, the lord of sacrifices and the lord of the universe. Sunanda, Nanda, Prabala, Arhana and others were the foremost among his attendants and they served the lord. He showed his favours by glancing towards his servants and that glance was intoxicating. His face beamed with a pleasant smile and his eyes were red. He wore a diadem and earrings and possessed four arms. His garments were yellow and the mark of shrivatsa could be discerned on his chest. 649 He was worshipped astride a supreme throne and was surrounded by the four, sixteen and five powers. 650 His personal powers are with him and so are minor and temporary powers. 651 The lord found delight in his own abode. On seeing the creator of the universe, his 652 heart overflowed with delight. His body hair stood up in joy and there were tears of affection in his eyes. He bowed down before his lotus feet, which can only be attained by paramahamsas who have followed the path. He 653 was delighted to see the wise present himself before him. He deserved to be instructed in the matter of creating beings. Delighted and happy, he touched the beloved one with his hand and addressed him in gentle words that were full of illumination.

  ‘“The illustrious one said, ‘O one in whom all the Vedas exist! I am satisfied with you. In order to create, you have performed austerities for a very long time. Deceitful yogis find it very difficult to please me. O fortunate one! You are the lord of boons. But ask for a desired boon from me. O Brahma! The ultimate purpose of human exertion is an ability to see me. The greatest comprehension of learned ones is an ability to see my abode. You heard me and performed supreme austerities for that reason. You were confused about what you should do and it is I who instructed you then. O unblemished one! Austerities 654 are in my heart. I am tapas itself. Know that I create through austerities. I devour it again, using austerities. I maintain the universe through austerities. My valour is in austerities that are extremely difficult to perform.’

  ‘“Brahma replied, ‘O illustrious one! You are the lord of all the creatures. You are in every heart. Through your unobstructed wisdom, you are aware of what is being desired. O protector! Nevertheless, I am seeking refuge with you as a protector. You are the protector of all protectors. Let your gross and subtle forms be known to me, though you are one who has no form. Through the maya of your own yoga, many kinds of powers combine in you. You yourself do this in your atman, for creation, preservation and destruction. O one whose determination is infallible! In your pastimes, you are like a spider that weaves a web around itself. O Madhava! Therefore, please develop an intelligence in me so that I can understand this. O illustrious one! I will attentively do whatever you desire. However, grant me your favours. Even though I act to create beings, let me not be bound down by that. O lord! You have touched me, just as a friend does to a friend. In the matter of creating beings, I will divide them into different groups. I will be steadfast in this act and will not waver. However, let no insolence creep into me, so that I pride myself as one without birth.’

  ‘“The illustrious one said, ‘The knowledge about me is extremely secret and is full of self-realization. I will explain this to you, with its various mysteries and different limbs. Accept it. Through my favours, the true knowledge will be awakened in you about who I am, my nature, my form, my qualities and my deeds. In the beginning, before everything, 655 I existed. There was nothing supreme and no cause or effect. All this came after me. All that remains 656 is also me. If something doesn’t exist in the atman, it has no value, even if it exists. Like a reflection in the dark, know that this is the result of my own maya. The gross elements have entered into beings, great and small. They enter, yet do not enter. Like that, I am inside them, yet I am outside them. 657 If a person is asking about the true nature of the atman, he must certainly ask this much. Always and everywhere, he must ask about this, directly and indirectly. Engage yourself in supreme meditation and fix yourself in this doctrine. You will never be confused then, in kalpas and vikalpas.’”

  ‘Shri-Shuka said, “The one who has no birth thus instructed the supreme among all those who are born. Having shown him his own form, Hari vanished. Hari, the object of all the senses, vanished. Joining his hands in salutation, he created the universe and all the beings in it, just as it had been earlier. 658 He is the lord of those who follow the dharma of Prajapatis and of niyama and yama. Once, the fortunate one seated himself. In his own interest, he desired the welfare of created beings. Narada was his beloved son, dear among those who would inherit. He followed and served him and was good in conduct, humble and self-controlled. The great sage wanted to know about Vishnu’s maya, the one who was the lord of maya. O king! He was a great devotee and satisfied his father. Having seen and satisfied his father, who was the great g
randfather of the worlds, the devarshi asked him, just as you have asked me. Thus resulted Bhagavata Purana, with its ten signs. The illustrious one, the creator of beings, was pleased with his son and spoke to him. O king! On the banks of the Sarasvati, Narada told the sage, the immensely energetic Vyasa, about this, while he was meditating on the supreme brahman. I will tell you what you have asked, about how everything that exists was generated from the original Virat Purusha. I will also explain to you all the other questions that you have asked.”’

  Chapter 2(10)

  ‘Shri-Shuka said, “Here, there exists the account of (1) gross creation; (2) subtle creation; (3) preservation; (4) sustenance; (5) the addiction to the senses; (6) manvantaras; (7) accounts of the lord; (8) withdrawal; (9) liberation; and (10) the ultimate refuge. 659 For ascertaining the pure meaning of the tenth, the great-souled ones describe the nature of the first nine through direct explanation, or through brief references to the sacred texts. The interaction of the elements, the senses, the objects of the senses and the mind is said to be subtle creation. Brahma’s creation, through a disequilibrium in the qualities, is said to be Pourusha or gross creation. Preservation represents the triumph of the one in Vaikuntha, while sustenance results from his favours. Manvantaras provide for virtuous dharma, while addiction to the senses represents the desire to undertake action. Accounts of the lord are said to be descriptions of his avataras, conduct and detailed narrations of those who follow Hari. Withdrawal is his act of lying down, together with his powers. Liberation results when he gives up all other forms and resorts to his own form. 660 The refuge of the supreme brahman is spoken of as the paramatman. This is the source from which creation and destruction manifest themselves. The Adhyatatmika Purusha perceives himself in the form of the senses. 661 In Adhidaivika form, he is in control of the senses. The Purusha who is different from either of these two is Adhibhoutika. None of these can be perceived in the absence of the others. However, if an atman knows all three, he finds his refuge within himself. The pure one desired to create pure water, so that he could lie down on it. 662 Purusha 663 emerged from the egg and stood apart. He resided in the waters created by himself for one thousand years. Since the water was created from Purusha, it is known as Naara. 664 Thus, his name is Narayana. Matter, action, time, individual nature and the individual being result through his favours. Faced with his neglect, nothing exists. He was alone, lying down in that state of yoga. He arose and desired many different forms. Through his maya, the god created three different types of golden semen. Hear about how Purusha, the lord, divided the single flow of semen into three parts—adhidaiva, adhyatma and adhibhuta. As he exerted himself, from the space that was inside Purusha’s body, the energy of the sense, strength, the breath of life and the great force were generated. When that breath of life moves, there is movement in the breaths of life in all living beings. When it doesn’t move, neither do they. It is like followers following a king. Agitated by that breath of life, hunger and thirst were generated in the lord. When he desired to eat and drink, the mouth manifested itself. 665 From the mouth, the palate emerged as a separate entity. The tongue was also generated. Many kinds of taste were generated so that the tongue could savour them. When the lord desired to speak, Agni and the organ of speech, and speech, controlled by both of these, were generated from the mouth. However, since he had been in the water for a long period of time, these functions were restrained. When the two nostrils were created, respiration started to rapidly flow. When he desired to smell through the nose, fragrances and Vayu, which conveys smells, were created. There was no light and he desired to see himself. The eyes, light, the organ of seeing and the power of vision were created. He desired to understand what the rishis were saying about him. Therefore, the ears, the directions, the organ of hearing and the power of hearing were created. When he desired to feel objects, softness, hardness, lightness, heaviness, warmth, cold and the sense of touch 666 were created. On this, body hair and trees were generated. Inside and outside, the skin is surrounded by air that possesses the quality of touch. When he desired to undertake different kinds of action, the hands were generated. Their strength and Indra were created and the power to receive depends on both of them. When he desired to move purposefully, the feet were created. Vishnu himself uses the feet of men to perform actions like sacrifices and the collection of havya. When he desired offspring, joy and immortality, 667 the genital organs were created. The genital organs came into being and the beloved act of sexual desire depends on both of them. 668 When he desired to discharge impurities left from food, the anus was created and so was Mitra. 669 The act of evacuation depends on both of them. When he desired to move from one body to another body, the aperture of the navel, the breath of life, apana, and Mrityu were created. Separation depends on these two. 670 When he desired to eat and drink, the stomach, the intestines and the veins appeared, along with the rivers and oceans. 671 Satisfaction and sustenance depends on them. When he desired to know about the maya of his atman, the heart, the mind, the moon, 672 resolution and desire were created. The seven ingredients of the body are the inner skin, the outer skin, flesh, blood, fat, marrow and bones. These were respectively created from earth, water, fire, prana, space, water and air. The qualities of the senses flow from the qualities of the elements. The mind is subject to all kinds of transformations and the intelligence is characterized by knowledge. I have described to you the gross body of the illustrious one. On the outside, it is covered by eight sheaths, the earth being the first. 673 Beyond this is the subtle body, unmanifest and without attributes. It is without beginning, middle and end. It is eternal and cannot be reached through words or thoughts. I have described to you two forms of the illustrious one. However, since they are created by maya, the learned do not accept either of these. The illustrious one is both words and the object described through words. He assumes the form of Brahma and names, forms and action. He is the doer and the non-doer, but he is also beyond both of these. O king! He is the Prajapatis, Manus, gods, rishis, the large number of ancestors, Siddhas, charanas, gandharvas, vidyadharas, asuras, guhyakas, kinnaras, apsaras, serpents, snakes, kimpurushas, men, matrikas, rakshas, pishachas, pretas, bhutas, vinayakas, kushmandas, unmadas, vetalas, yatudhanas, 674 planets, birds, deer, animals, trees, mountains and reptiles. Some are divided into two categories. 675 Others are divided into four categories. 676 Others are classified according to habitat—water, land and air. All of them obtain these ends as an outcome of their deeds—good, bad and mixed. Depending on the three attributes of sattva, rajas or tamas, they become gods, humans, or residents of hell. O king! Depending on whether each of these is dominated by the other two, each is further subdivided into three and the consequent nature imbibed. 677 The illustrious one is the creator of the universe. He assumes the form of Dharma. He protects and sustains the universe, through his forms as inferior species, humans and gods. All this is created by him. He assumes the form of Rudra and the fire of destruction. Like a wind driving away dense clouds, at that time, he destroys everything. In the context of creation, 678 the illustrious one’s supreme qualities are spoken about in this way. However, those who are wise should think about his attributes in a superior way. The supreme one is not described in terms of creation and other deeds. Imposition of action and counteraction on him is due to maya. Brahma’s kalpa and vikalpa have been described. In this kalpa, 679 subtle creations are known as Prakritas and gross ones are known as Vaikritas. This is true of all kalpas. I will subsequently explain to you about the measurement of time, the duration of a kalpa and its divisions. For the moment, hear about Padma Kalpa.”’