The Bhagavata Purana 1

by Bibek Debroy

  Chapter 3(21)

  ‘Vidura said, “O illustrious one! The lineage of Svayambhuva Manu is greatly revered. Tell me about how offspring were generated and multiplied through sexual intercourse. Svayambhuva had two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada. They followed dharma and protected the earth, consisting of seven dvipas. 1050 O brahmana! He had a daughter, famous by the name of Devahuti. O unblemished one! You told me that she was the wife of Prajapati Kardama. She possessed all the signs of yoga. Through the seed of the great yogi, how many children did she have? I wish to hear this. Tell me. O brahmana! The illustrious Ruchi and Daksha were Brahma’s sons. Having obtained Manu’s daughters as wives, 1051 how did they have offspring?”

  ‘Maitreya replied, “The illustrious Kardama was commanded by Brahma to have offspring. On the banks of the Sarasvati, he tormented himself through austerities for ten thousand years. Kardama immersed himself in meditation and engaged in the rites of yoga. 1052 He devotedly served Hari, the one who grants boons to those who seek refuge with him. In krita yuga, the illustrious lotus-eyed one was pleased. O Kshatta! He showed him his form of Shabda-Brahma. 1053 He was without any impurities and was as resplendent as the sun. He wore a garland made out of white lotuses and water lilies. His lotus face was beautiful, with soft locks of dark blue hair. His garments were spotless. He wore a diadem and earrings. He playfully held a conch shell, a chakra, a club and a white lotus. His smiles and glances gladdened the heart. His lotus feet were placed on the shoulders of Garuda. Shri was on his chest and the Koustubha gem hung around his neck. He saw him stationed in the sky in this way. Having obtained his desire, he 1054 was delighted and satisfied. He lowered his head and prostrated himself on the ground. He was naturally affectionate. He joined his hands in salutation and prayed.

  ‘“The rishi said, ‘O lord of all the stores of sattva! Everything has now been accomplished. My eyes have obtained success and I have seen you. O lord! Across many births, virtuous yogis remain firmly fixed in yoga, developing themselves and hoping to see you. Your lotus feet are like a boat to cross the ocean that is the cycle of life on earth. However, there are those whose intelligence has been deluded by your maya and they only worship them to satisfy their desires. O lord! You satisfy those desires, even if such people happen to be in hell. I also wish to fulfil desire and marry a woman who is like me in conduct, who will be like a cow in my role as a householder. 1055 I have approached your feet, the source of everything, with this perverse desire. You are like a tree that yields all the objects of desire. O Prajapati! O lord! This entire world is afflicted by desire and is bound down by the ropes that are your words. O eternal and pure one! I am also following the way of the worlds and am rendering the offerings to you. Abandoning the worlds, the ways of the worlds and animals, there are those who seek prosperity under the shadow of your lotus feet. They converse with each other about your qualities. They drink those words, which are like nectar, and extinguish the dharma of bodies. Your wheel rotates around the axis of the eternal brahman. It has thirteen spokes and three hundred and sixty joints. 1056 There are six rims, innumerable leaves and three naves. 1057 The universe whirls around at terrific speed, severing everything. You alone can desire to create the universe and there is no second one who is a controller. O illustrious one! You used your yoga maya to create, preserve and destroy, just as a spider uses its own powers to fashion a web. O lord! This material creation is not what you wish for. You have used your maya to manifest these gross and subtle elements so as to satisfy us. Use your maya to show us your favours. Let the illustrious one’s splendid form, with the tulasi, be seen. Using your maya, you have ensured the conduct of the material worlds. You have realized them, but are beyond the enjoyment of that action. You are the one who must constantly be worshipped. Your lotus feet are worthy of being worshipped. You are the one who showers down on those who crave for these insignificant desires.’”

  ‘The rishi said, 1058 “The one with the lotus in his navel was thus sincerely praised. He was beautiful, astride the wings of Suparna. His smiles were full of affection and as he glanced, his eyebrows arched gracefully. He spoke in words that were like amrita.

  ‘“The illustrious one replied, ‘Having known your intentions, I have already arranged the objective for which you followed the rules and worshipped me. O ruler of subjects! If people like you worship me, surrendering themselves and fixing their atmans on me, they are never unsuccessful. The emperor Manu, Prajapati’s son, is famous for his auspicious deeds. He lives in Brahmavarta and rules over the entire earth, with its seven oceans. 1059 O brahmana! He is knowledgeable about dharma. With his queen, Shatarupa, the royal sage will come here day after tomorrow, wishing to see you. His dark-eyed daughter has come of age and possesses good conduct and qualities. O lord! He is looking for a husband for her and will bestow her on you, since you are appropriate. She is the kind of person on whom your mind has been fixed for many years. O brahmana! The king’s daughter will soon serve you, as you desire. Through your seed, she will give birth to nine offspring. Through their seeds, the rishis will have offspring through your daughters. You will carry out my instructions properly and your mind will be clean. Surrendering the fruits of all your action to me, as a tirtha, you will obtain me. You will show compassion towards living creatures and grant them freedom from fear. You will realize your atman and the world in my atman. You will see me in your atman. O great sage! Through your seed, a portion of me will be born through your wife Devahuti and I will compose a text about the truth.’” 1060

  ‘Maitreya said, “When the illustrious one, who had directly manifested himself before the senses, said this, he went to the lake known as Bindusaras, with the Sarasvati encircling it. While he looked on, he 1061 departed, praised by all the lords among the Siddhas, along the path followed by the Siddhas. One could hear the fluttering of the wings of the Indra among the birds chant out beautiful collections of hymns from the Sama Veda. After the pure one had left, the illustrious rishi, Kardama, remained in Bindusaras, waiting for the right time. Manu mounted a chariot that was decorated with plates made out of molten gold. He ascended it with his wife and daughter and roamed around the earth. O excellent archer! On a day that had been appointed by the illustrious one, he arrived at the sage’s hermitage, after the sage had completed his vows. Teardrops fell down from the eyes of the illustrious one when he was overcome with great compassion at those who sought refuge with him. 1062 Hence it came to obtain the name of Bindusaras. It was flooded by the pure and auspicious waters of the Sarasvati, which are like amrita, and was frequented by large numbers of maharshis. The lake was surrounded by nets of sacred trees and creepers. Auspicious animals and birds called there. There were fruits and blossoming flowers of all the seasons. The clumps of groves were full of prosperity. There were the calls of large numbers of maddened birds. Intoxicated bees flew around. Crazy peacocks danced around in pride. Intoxicated cuckoos challenged each other. The place was adorned with kadamba, champaka, ashoka, karanja, bakula, ashana, kunda, mandara, kutaja and young chuta trees. 1063 There were the sweet sounds of the calling of karandavas, plavas, swans, ospreys, aquatic fowl, cranes, chakravakas and chakoras. 1064 The place was surrounded by deer, boar, porcupines, gavayas, elephants, gopucchas, 1065 lions, monkeys, mongooses and musk deer. The original king entered that tirtha with his daughter. He saw the sage seated there, like a fire into which oblations had been offered. Since he had performed fierce austerities for a long time, his body blazed like lightning. However, since the illustrious one had looked at him with gentle eyes and because he had heard his words, which were like amrita, he wasn’t excessively emaciated. He was tall and his eyes were like the petals of lotuses. His hair was matted and his garment was made out of bark. He seemed soiled, like a gem that had not been polished. The god among men approached him in his cottage and bowed down before him. He 1066 greeted him back respectfully, as was befitting. When he had accepted those honours and was seated, the sage remembered the instructions of the illu
strious one. He controlled himself and spoke gentle and affectionate words. ‘O lord! You are wandering around, for the sake of protecting the virtuous and the slaughter of the wicked. You are the one who protects with Hari’s powers. I bow down to you, a representative of the pure one. Depending on the place, you assume the forms of the sun god, the moon god, Agni, Indra, Vayu, Yama, Dharma and Prachetas. You ascend your victorious chariot, decorated with a large number of jewels. On your chariot, you stretch and twang your bow with a terrible roar, terrifying the wicked. The tread of the feet of your foot soldiers makes the entire earth tremble. Like the sun, you wander around with a large army. O king! Thus, you establish all the rules and the norms for the varnas and the ashramas that have been laid down by the illustrious one, but are violated by bandits. When you sleep, the adharma of greedy and unrestrained men flourishes. This world will be taken over by bandits and destroyed. O brave one! Let me ask you the reason why you have come here. Without any hesitation, we will carry out whatever is in your heart.’”’

  Chapter 3(22)

  ‘Maitreya said, “All of his qualities and deeds were praised by the sage in this way. The emperor seemed to be ashamed and replied in the following words.

  ‘“Manu said, ‘With a desire to preserve himself, Brahma, who is full of the metres, created you 1067 from his mouth and you are full of austerities, learning and yoga, and are free from lust. The one with the one thousand hands and one thousand feet created us for your protection. It is therefore said that brahmanas are his heart and kshatriyas are his limbs. Hence, brahmanas and kshatriyas protect each other. The lord of cause and effect protects all of us in this way. O illustrious one! After seeing you, all my doubts have been dispelled. You have affectionately explained to me the dharma of one who wishes to protect. You cannot easily be seen by those who have not cleansed their souls. O illustrious one! It is good fortune that I have been able to see you. You are everything that is auspicious. It is good fortune that I have been able to touch the dust on your feet with my head. It is good fortune that I have been instructed by you. You have shown me a great favour. It is good fortune that such pure words have entered through the openings in my ears. O sage! I am suffering because of my affection towards this daughter of mine. You should listen to this miserable one and having heard, show me your compassion. This daughter of mine is the sister of Priyavrata and Uttanapada. She wishes to be united with a husband who is her equal in age, conduct and qualities. Since she heard from Narada about your conduct, learning, beauty, age and qualities, she has fixed her mind only on you. O best among brahmanas! Therefore, accept her. I am respectfully offering her to you. She is exactly like you in her soul and will assist you in performing the duties of a householder. Even if one has freed oneself from attachment, not to speak of someone who is attached to desire, the refusal of a desired objective, when it is offered on its own, is not praised. If a person refuses something that has been offered and then seeks it from a miser, his pervasive fame is destroyed. His respect is destroyed because others ignore him. O learned one! I have heard that you wish to marry. Therefore, to terminate your vow, 1068 please accept the one I am offering to you.’

  ‘“The rishi replied, ‘It is certainly the case that I wish to marry, nor have I promised anyone else. Your daughter and I are similar in age. Therefore, our marriage has the required sanction. O lord! Let your daughter’s desire be fulfilled and let the marriage take place in accordance with the proper rites. Who will not accept your daughter? Through her own beauty, she surpasses Shri. 1069 When she plays with a ball on the terrace of your palace, her eyes excited and the anklets tinkling on her feet, her beauty is enhanced. On seeing her, Vishvavasu’s senses were confounded and he fell down from his chariot. She is Manu’s daughter and Uttanapada’s sister. She is an ornament among women and those who have not served at Shri’s feet cannot see her. When she approaches on her own, which wise person will not welcome this? Therefore, I will accept this virtuous one, for as long as she accepts my seed. After that, I will follow the revered dharma of the best of the paramahamsas, spoken about by the illustrious one, which is free from violence. 1070 This wonderful universe exists and will be dissolved because of the lord of the Prajapatis. He is the illustrious and infinite one and he is the supreme yardstick for me.’”

  ‘Maitreya said, “O wielder of a fierce bow! He said this and became silent, using his mind to meditate on the one who has a lotus in his navel. Devahuti’s mind was captivated by his smiling face. After having clearly got to know the intentions of his queen and Devahuti, he was delighted and bestowed his daughter, who was equal to him in qualities. Full of affection, Empress Shatarupa bestowed extremely expensive marriage gifts, like ornaments, garments and household articles on the couple. The emperor was freed from the anxiety of bestowing his daughter on an appropriate groom. He was full of great anxiety 1071 and embraced her in his arms. He was incapable of bearing the separation and repeatedly shed tears. His daughter’s hair was drenched with the tears from his eyes and he exclaimed, ‘O mother! O child!’ He took permission from the best among sages to leave. With his wife, the king ascended the chariot and left for his own city. Along both banks of the beautiful river, Sarasvati, he saw the prosperous hermitages of tranquil rishis and the beautiful abodes of rishis. The subjects got to know that their lord was returning from Brahmavarta. They rejoiced and greeted him with songs of praise and the playing of musical instruments. When Yajna Varaha shook his body, his body hair fell down at a spot. This became the city known as Barhishmati and it was endowed with every kind of wealth and prosperity. Evergreen and shining kusha and kasha grass grew there. The sages used these to perform sacrifices and defeat those who caused obstructions to sacrifices. The illustrious Manu spread out a mat of kusha and kasha grass. He performed sacrifices to the Purusha from whom he had obtained this place on earth. The lord entered the place named Barhishmati, where he resided. He entered his residence, which was free from the three kinds of torment. 1072 With his wife and his subjects, he enjoyed the objects of pleasure, without any impediments. His deeds were sung about by celestial singers, along with their wives. Every day, at the time of dawn, he listened to Hari’s account with a devoted heart. Svayambhuva Manu was immersed in yoga maya and was like a sage. The enjoyment could not make him deviate from the supreme and illustrious one. He listened to accounts of Vishnu’s deeds, meditated on them and composed and spoke about them. Thus, the yamas in the manvantara allotted to him passed. His own manvantara lasted for seventy-one yugas. He spent them being associated with Vasudeva and overcame the three kinds of torment. O friend! If men seek refuge with Hari, how can hardships due to the body, mind and divine or earthy reasons constrain them? He was asked by sages and told them about the many kinds of auspicious dharma that should be followed by men in different varnas and ashramas. He was engaged in the welfare of all creatures. This is the extraordinary conduct of the original king, Manu. I have described it to you and it is worthy of being described. Now hear about his prosperous daughter.”’