The Bhagavata Purana 1

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘“Devahuti asked, ‘O brahmana! O lord! How can Prakriti ever be separated from Purusha? They are both eternal and depend on each other. The earth and its attribute of smell and water and its attribute of taste can never exist independently. Nor can intelligence and that which is superior to it. 1119 Prakriti’s gunas exist and they provide a basis for Purusha. Though he is not the doer, these bind him down through action. How can emancipation from them be obtained? By reflecting on the tattvas, one may be freed from great fear. However, since the causes have not been destroyed, it will appear again.’

  ‘“The illustrious one replied, ‘One should not desire the fruits of action. With a pure mind, one must be engaged in one’s own dharma. There must be intense devotion towards me and one must hear about me for a long time. Through knowledge and insight about the tattvas, non-attachment becomes stronger. One must engage in austerities and yoga and be immersed in intense meditation. Even in this world, if Prakriti is burnt down day and night, it gradually vanishes from Purusha. This is like fire, which becomes hidden inside its source, the kindling. Always looking towards its taints and after enjoying its products, Prakriti is abandoned. There is nothing inauspicious in the lord, who is established in his own greatness. If a person is asleep, many kinds of calamities appear before him in a dream. However, when he is awake, these do not have the power to confound him. In this way, if a person knows about the truth and if his mind is in me, if a person seeks delight in his own atman, Prakriti is never able to harm him. Thus, if a sage is addicted to adhyatma for a long time, over many births, and if non-attachment towards everything has arisen in him, he obtains Brahma’s world. Through my favours, a devotee attains this objective. He obtains his own state and there is nothing superior to this. He obtains refuge with me, a state that is known as that of kaivalya. 1120 In this world, such a persevering person truly obtains this state. Because of his own insight, his doubts are dispelled. Having gone there, a person does not return. 1121 Such a yogi is separated from his linga sharira. O dear one! There are siddhis obtained through yoga, but these are maya. When a person is not attached to these and does not pursue any other objective, he obtains me as a destination. This is the infinite and death’s laughter is not heard there.’”’

  Chapter 3(28)

  ‘“The illustrious one said, ‘O daughter of a king! I will explain yoga to you, along with the bija. 1122 The mind is thereby restrained and cheerfully proceeds along the virtuous path. The performance of one’s own dharma according to capacity, the avoidance of contrary dharma, satisfaction with what has been obtained through fate, worshipping the feet of those who have realized the atman, avoidance of ordinary acts of dharma, 1123 addiction to the dharma of moksha, eating in moderation, permanent stay in a peaceful and secluded spot, non-violence, truthfulness, acceptance of a minimal amount of artha, brahmacharya, austerities, purity, studying, the worship of Purusha, silence, control through good asanas, steadiness, gradual control of prana, withdrawal of the senses from objects that are dear to the heart, fixing the mind and prana in svadhishthana, 1124 concentration on Vaikuntha’s pastimes and meditation on the atman—through these and other means, one must direct the wicked mind to the virtuous path. The intelligence must be gradually controlled. One must attentively control the breath of life. Having spread out a seat in a pure place, he must control himself through asanas. He must be seated upright, comfortably, and must control his breath. Through repeated puraka, kumbhaka and rechaka, 1125 he must purify the passage of prana. In this way, even if the mind is wayward, it becomes steady and fixed. If a yogi has controlled his breath of life, the mind soon becomes free of disturbances. This is like gold becoming free of impurities when it is fanned by the wind and the fire. Through pranayama, one can cleanse the body of its impurities; through dharana, the sins; through pratyahara, all attachment; and through dhyana, all the gunas that are not supreme. When the mind has become completely pure and well controlled through yoga, one must meditate on the form of the illustrious one, with the eyes fixed on the tip of the nose. His lotus face is gracious. His eyes are red, like the inside of a lotus. His complexion is dark blue, like the petals of a blue lotus. He wields the conch shell, chakra and mace. His silk garments are yellow and they shine like the filament of a lotus. He bears the shrivatsa mark on his chest. The brilliant Koustubha jewel is around his neck. He wears a garland of wild flowers and crazy bees hum around it. He is adorned with an extremely expensive necklace, bracelets, diadem, armlets and anklets. There is an excellent girdle around his hips. He stands in the lotus hearts of his devotees. He is tranquil and beautiful to behold. He is charming to the mind and the eye. He is charming to behold and is eternally worshipped by all the worlds. He seems to be a young boy and showers his favours on his servants. He is a tirtha and his fame is worth describing. He has extended the fame of excellent ones. Until the mind ceases to waver, one should meditate on all the limbs of this divinity. Whether he is standing, walking, seated or lying down, with devotion and purity in his heart, he must meditate on the pastimes of the beautiful one who is inside the heart. When the sage reaches a state such that his mind is fixed on all the limbs of the illustrious one together, he must fix his mind on the limbs, one by one. He must first focus on the illustrious one’s lotus feet, decorated by the signs of the vajra, a goad, a standard and a lotus. The prominent and shining red nails are like the lunar circle, dispelling the great darkness in the heart with the moonlight. He must meditate on the illustrious one’s lotus feet for a long time. After washing these, the waters of the best of the rivers 1126 issued forth and became auspicious, like a tirtha. Shiva bore them on his head. In his mind, he must meditate on the vajra, 1127 which will be hurled against the mountain of sin. The lotus-eyed Lakshmi is worshipped by all the gods and is the creator’s mother. 1128 His two knees are placed on her thighs and she massages them with her delicate hands. In his heart, he must meditate on the lord’s knees. Atop Suparna’s 1129 shoulders, his thighs are beautiful. They are the source of energy and shine like the atasi flower. 1130 The excellent yellow garment extends downwards and is encircled by a girdle around his rounded hips. His navel is like a lake and is in his stomach, which is the source of the worlds. The lotus, the source of all the worlds, sprouted from there and is the seat of the self-creating one. 1131 He must meditate on the two nipples of the lord, which are like exquisite gems and appear white and resplendent, illuminated by the necklace of pearls. The supreme one’s chest is the abode of great prosperity. 1132 It brings great pleasure to the minds and eyes of men. The neck enhances the beauty of the Koustubha gem. He must fix his mind on this, which is worshipped by all the worlds. The strength of the arms provide support to the guardians of the worlds. The arms were polished by the movements of Mount Mandara. 1133 He must meditate on the dazzling splendour of the one thousand spokes 1134 and the conch shell, resembling a swan, 1135 held in the hand. He must remember the beloved Koumodaki. 1136 It is smeared with mire, from the blood of enemy soldiers. The garland echoes with the buzz of bees that surround it in search of honey. He must meditate on the sparkling gem 1137 around the neck, which is like the consciousness of living beings. Out of compassion towards his servants, he assumes different forms. He must meditate on the illustrious one’s lotus face. His prominent nose and clear cheeks sparkle, illuminated by the movement of the glittering earrings that are shaped like makaras. With a mind that does not waver, he must meditate on the face that is like Shri’s abode. 1138 It looks beautiful because of a mass of curly hair surrounding it. It is served by bees. 1139 The lotus eyes have charming eyebrows and surpasss the beauty of a couple of fish. The frequent glances from his eyes are full of great compassion and destroy the three kinds of torment. 1140 His gentle smiles come with great favours. He is in everyone’s heart and with great devotion, one must meditate on him for a long time. For all people, if one bows down to him, Hari’s extremely benevolent smile dries up the terrible ocean of tears. For the sake of the sages, he has used his maya to fashion h
is arched eyebrows which charm and confound Makaradhvaja. 1141 One can easily meditate on his abundant laughter. His radiant and red lips display his small teeth, which are like an array of kunda flowers. With devotion and love, one must meditate on Vishnu, who resides in the inner core of everyone’s heart. With a mind fixed on him, one must not look at anything else. In this way, one develops love for the illustrious Hari. One’s heart melts with devotion. One finds that the body hair stands up in delight. Immersed in this intense love, tears of joy flow repeatedly. Then the person gradually disengages his mind from the hook. 1142 When the mind is not attached to material objects and seeks refuge in emancipation, it becomes like the flame of a lamp and desires emancipation. Without being separated, the person sees the atman and is freed from the flow of the gunas. In this way, the mind resides in the ultimate and the great and withdraws from the external purveyors of happiness and unhappiness. The person attributes the cause and agent of joy and delight to his own false atman. 1143 He obtains the truth of the paramatman. When such a successful person has the good fortune of realizing his own true form, he can no longer see whether his body is moving, stationary, or is standing up. This is just like a person intoxicated and blind with liquor coming under the sway of destiny and not realizing whether he is wearing clothes or not. As long as the karma started by himself continues, the body and the senses are under the subjugation of destiny. However, if a person is situated in the yoga of samadhi, he no longer accepts material objects and the visible word. 1144 They seem to be a dream. Just as a mortal man is seen to be different from his son and his wealth, even if they are his own and he loves them, the atman is different from the body and other things. 1145 A flaming torch, sparks and smoke are distinct from the fire, though they arise from the fire and are intimately connected with it. The bhutas, the senses and the mind do arise from Pradhana, but are different from the seer. Similarly, the illustrious one, known as the brahman, is distinct from the jivatman. All creatures are in the atman and the atman is in all creatures. In this way, and in no other way, one must see the atman in all living beings. Though the fire is one, it can be seen to originate from many sources. Depending on variations in gunas in different wombs, the atman manifests itself differently in nature. This is the divine Prakriti, who is manifested as cause and effect and is extremely difficult to comprehend. After having understood this, one becomes established in one’s own true form.’”’

  Chapter 3(29)

  ‘“Devahuti said, ‘O lord! You have spoken about the characteristics of Mahat and the others, Prakriti, Purusha and their own manifested nature and their own true nature and foundations, as described in Samkhya. Now tell me in detail about the path of bhakti yoga. O illustrious one! Tell me about the many kinds of births in the world of the living, so that non-attachment towards everything can be kindled in a person. Please tell me about your own form as time and about other supreme forms. You use this form to make people undertake good acts. Because their eyes are not open, people are deluded by false ego. They remain asleep for a long time in darkness, without a refuge. Without intelligence, they are exhausted because they are bound to action. You have indeed appeared like a sun of yoga.’”

  ‘Maitreya said, “The great sage applauded the gentle words spoken by his mother. O best among the Kurus! Pleased, he replied to her with compassion.

  ‘“The illustrious one replied, ‘O beautiful one! It has been thought that there are many kinds of paths for bhakti yoga. Depending on their own nature, qualities and sentiments, men have divided it into various branches. If a person who engages in this has the intention of causing violence, or is insolent, jealous or angry, his insight is differentiated and he is a tamasa devotee. If a person is in pursuit of material objects, fame and prosperity, and worships me in places of worship, his insight is differentiated and he is a rajasa devotee. If a person desires to free himself of karma by dedicating them to the supreme, and if he worships the one who should be worshipped, his insight is differentiated 1146 and he is a sattvika devotee. I reside in everyone’s heart. Just as the waters of the Ganga flow towards the ocean, merely by listening to my qualities, the mind continuously flows towards me. This is said to be the characteristic of the nirguna type of bhakti yoga. This is the devotion towards Purushottama that is without any motive. Even if salokya, sarshti, samipya, sarupya and ekatva are offered, 1147 such people who are devoted to me, do not accept anything other than service to me. This is said to be the extreme form of bhakti yoga, where one transcends the three gunas and attains my state. One must be immersed in the greatness of one’s own dharma and perform action without any motive. One must always be engaged in the auspicious rites, without any excessive violence. Beholding my image, seeing it, touching it, worshipping it, praising me and chanting about me, he must be non-attached and based on sattva, see me in all creatures. He must show a great deal of respect to the great, compassion towards the poor, friendship towards those who are equals and practise yama and niyama. He must hear about adhyatmika matters, chant my names, be upright, associate with noble people and be without any kind of ahamkara. When a person who follows my dharma hears about my qualities, his consciousness is completely purified. On merely hearing about my qualities, a man is attracted towards me. The wind carries a scent from the source and it is picked up by the organ of smell. In that way, a person who is devoted constantly to yoga picks up realization about the atman. I am always present in all beings, as the atman in creatures. If a mortal person ignores me, he worships something that is false. I am the lord who is present in the atmans of all beings. If a person abandons me and ignorantly worships someone else, he offers oblations into ashes. 1148 O one who offers honours! If a person hates me in someone else’s body, he suffers from differentiation in his thoughts. If he is firm in enmity towards creatures, his mind will never find peace. O unblemished one! If my image is worshipped with various kinds of objects, following diverse kinds of rituals, but creatures are shown disrespect, I am not satisfied with that kind of worship. Until he knows that I am in his heart and inside all living beings, he can perform his own tasks and worship me as the lord in an image. If a person differentiates between himself and another person’s body, his sight is differentiated and I cause him great fear from death. I am in all creatures and I have made my abode in the atmans of all creatures. Therefore, with friendship and without any differentiation in one’s sight, I should be worshipped with donations and respect. O auspicious one! Living beings are superior to those who do not live. Those who possess prana are superior to those who are only alive. Those who possess consciousness are superior to those who only possess the senses. Those who perceive through taste are superior to those who perceive through touch. Those who perceive through smell are superior to both of these. And those who perceive through sound are better than the earlier ones and those who perceive through form are better still. Those who possess teeth in both jaws are even better. Among these, quadrupeds are superior to those with many feet and bipeds are superior to quadrupeds. Among the four varnas, brahmanas are the best. Among brahmanas, those who know the Vedas are superior, but those who understand the meanings are superior to them too. Better than the person who knows meanings is the one who can dispel doubts and better than such a person is the one who performs his own tasks. Better than this is the person who is free of attachment, not desiring any fruits and possessing dharma in his atman. Better than him is the person who offers everything ceaselessly to me, action, wealth and his own atman. A man who renders his atman to me renders all his action to me. He acts impartially towards everyone and I do not see anyone who is superior to this. In his mind, he bows down before all creatures and shows a great deal of respect to them. He knows that parts of the illustrious lord have penetrated every living being. O Manu’s daughter! I have described bhakti yoga and yoga. 1149 By following either of these, a man can attain Purusha. This is the form of the illustrious one. This is the brahman, the paramatman. This is Pradhana, Purusha and the divinity who undertake
s action. The divine form that causes differences is known as time. Through differences in the elements, Mahat and the others, this gives rise to fear. He enters inside all living beings. He is the support for all living beings and also destroys them. He is known as Vishnu, the lord of sacrifices. He is time and is the lord over all controllers. There is no one whom he loves. There is no one whom he hates. He has no relative. He enters those who are not distracted. But for those who are distracted, he causes birth and death. The wind blows because it is scared of him. The sun heats because it is scared of him. The god 1150 showers down because he is scared of him. The heavenly bodies shine because they are scared of him. The trees, creepers and herbs are scared of him and therefore bear flowers and fruits at the right times. The rivers flow because they are scared of him and that is also the reason why the ocean does not overflow. The fire burns and the earth, with its mountains, is not submerged because of fear of him. It is because of his rules that the sky grants habitation for creatures that breathe. It is because of him that Mahat, surrounded by the seven sheaths, expands its body into the worlds. The gods who are responsible for the gunas revere him and are scared of him when they undertake creation. Depending on the yuga, when the mobile and the immobile undertake their tasks, they are under his subjugation. He is without end, but he brings about the end. He is time. He is without beginning, but he is the undecaying one who created the beginning. He causes people to be born through their fathers and mothers. He is the one who kills. He is death, the one who brings about an end.’”’