The Bhagavata Purana 1

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘Maitreya continued, “O son! All the beings heard the words spoken by the generous Mrida. They were satisfied and uttered words of praise. Along with the rishis, the gods 1284 invited Mrida. Along with Mrida and Brahma, they went to the place where the sacrifice was being held. Everything was done as the illustrious Bhava had indicated. Ka’s body was fixed to the head of the animal meant for the sacrifice. 1285 When Daksha’s head was being fixed, Rudra glanced at him. Waking up as if he had been asleep, he saw Mrida standing in front of him. Prajapati’s heart was polluted with hatred for the one with the bull on his banner. However, as soon as he saw Shiva, it became as clean as a lake in the autumn. He wished to utter words of praise to Bhava. But since he remembered his daughter and his voice choked with tears of affection and anxiety, he was incapable of doing this. Overwhelmed by affection, he calmed his mind with great difficulty. With his intelligence restored and without any duplicity in his sentiments, he praised the lord.

  ‘“Daksha said, ‘You have shown a great favour to me. Deceived by me, you invoked a punishment on me. O illustrious one! You and Hara do not ignore brahma-bandhus, not to speak of those who are firm in their vows. From your own mouth you first created brahmanas who know about the brahman, for the sake of upholding learning, austerities and vows. O supreme one! O lord! That is the reason you protect brahmanas from all calamities, like a herdsman using a rod to protect a herd of animals. Since I did not know about the truth, in the assembly hall, I hurled harsh words that were like arrows, but you ignored them. Because I censured someone who was the greatest, I was headed downwards. However, the illustrious one looked at me with compassion and saved me. Let him be satisified with what he has done.’”

  ‘Maitreya continued, “He thus sought his forgiveness from Mrida. With the permission of the brahmanas and with the preceptors, the officiating priests and the others, he started the rites again. The place had been contaminated by the touch of the brave ones. 1286 Therefore, to purify it and continue with the sacrifice, the best among brahmanas tendered three offerings of cakes to Vishnu. O lord of the earth! As the adhvaryu held the oblations, the performer of the sacrifice purified his intelligence and offered them to Hari, who manifested himself. He illuminated the ten directions with his radiance, making their energy fade. He was brought there by Tarkshya, whose wings are the two stotras. 1287 His complexion was dark and his garments were golden. His diadem dazzled like the sun. His face was adorned with blue locks that were like dark bees and earrings. He wielded a conch shell, a lotus, a chakra, an arrow, a bow, a mace, a sword and a shield in arms decorated with golden ornaments. He was like a blossoming karnikara tree. His wife 1288 and a garland of wild flowers were on his chest. Even a tiny bit of his smiling glance delighted the universe. There were whisks made out of yak hair, resembling swans, fanning his sides. He was beautiful, with a white umbrella resembling the moon held aloft his head. All the large number of gods saw him arrive. With Brahma, Indra and the three-eyed one 1289 leading, they instantly arose and bowed down to him. His radiance robbed them of their energy. Awed by him, their tongues were silent. They joined their hands in salutation above their heads and presented themselves before Adhokshaja. His greatness was beyond the mental comprehension of the self-creating one 1290 and the others. But out of compassion, he had manifested himself in that form and according to their intelligence, they chanted his praises. Daksha tendered the deserved offerings in an excellent vessel. Extremely delighted, he controlled himself. Joining his hands in salutation, he chanted the praise of the lord of sacrifices, the supreme preceptor of the creators of the worlds, 1291 the one who is served by attendants like Nanda and Sunanda.

  ‘“Daksha said, ‘You are pure. You are in your own abode. You are beyond everything that is a mental state. You are consciousness alone. You are without a second. You are beyond fear. You control maya. But when you enter it as Purusha, you seem to be contaminated by it, though you are self-dependent.’

  ‘“The officiating priests said, ‘O one who is not tainted! O illustrious one! Because of Rudra’s curse, our intelligence became attached to action for fruits. We did not know the truth about you. We have known this sacrifice, with its three parts, 1292 as something that bears the signs of dharma. We knew the ordinances of sacrificing to the gods as the truth.’

  ‘“The assistant priests said, ‘O one who grants refuge! We do not have a refuge along this path of birth and death. There is a heavy burden and it is difficult to pass, with Death looming in front. When one searches for material satisfaction, there are predatory beasts. It is like a mirage and homes are heavy with the burden of opposite sentiments. One is scared of these ditches. There are carnivorous beasts, with a circle of a forest conflagration around it. Those who are ignorant about the meaning suffer from this. When will those who have been touched by desire seek out your feet?’

  ‘“Rudra said, ‘O granter of boons! Even in this world, your excellent feet deliver all the objectives that are desired. They deserve to be lovingly worshipped, even by sages who possess no attachment. Though my intelligence is fixed on them, the ignorant ones in this world say that I am not purified. However, because of your supreme favours, I attach no value to what they say.’

  ‘“Bhrigu said, ‘Because of your maya, Brahma and the other embodied beings have been deprived of their knowledge of the atman. They sleep in the darkness of ignorance. Even now, they do not understand your true nature, which is inside their atmans. You are the atman and a friend to those who bow down before you. Show me your favours.’

  ‘“Brahma said, ‘If a man looks at you with eyes that differentiate between various kinds of knowledge, he does not realize your true nature. You are the store of knowledge, artha and the gunas. You are regarded as distinct from what is made out of maya.’

  ‘“Indra said, ‘O Achyuta! This form of yours, which leads to the creation of the universe, brings delight to the mind and the eyes. Your eight arms possess upraised weapons, meant to punish and chastise those who hate the gods.’

  ‘“The wives 1293 said, ‘This sacrifice was devised by the creator as a sacrifice dedicated to you. However, because he was enraged at Daksha, Pashupati destroyed it today. The sacrificial animals are quiet and their dead bodies are lying down. O one whose atman is the sacrifice! O one with beautiful eyes like a lotus! Let it be purified by your glance.’

  ‘“The rishis said, ‘O illustrious one! Your activities are incomprehensible. You execute them yourself, but are not touched by the action. Ishvari 1294 is worshipped for prosperity. She herself follows you, but you do not pay any attention to her.’

  ‘“The Siddhas said, ‘This account of your pastimes is a river that is full of pure nectar. Our minds are like elephants, suffering because they have been burnt in forest conflagrations. Thirsty, we immerse ourselves in it and do not remember the conflagration of samsara. Having merged with the brahman, we do not desire to come out.’

  ‘“The wife of the person performing the sacrifice 1295 said, ‘O lord! Welcome. I bow down to you. Show me your favours. You are Shri’s abode. May you and your beloved Shri save us. O supreme lord! Like a body without a head, the sacrifice is not beautiful without you. It is like a man who is a headless torso.’

  ‘“The guardians of the world said, ‘You have been seen by us with eyes that are imperfect in sight. 1296 You are like a seer within and see this universe. O infinite lord! It is indeed because of your maya that you manifest yourself as a sixth, along with the five elements.’

  ‘“The lords of yoga said, ‘O lord! To you, there is no one more loved than a person who does not see himself as different from you, the atman of the universe. There are those who faithfully worship you, without deviating and without following anything else. O gracious one! Show them your favours. He is the destiny behind the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Through his maya, he manifests many kinds of gunas. Using his powers, he has created this differentiation between living beings. However, in his own atman, the
interaction between these gunas ceases. We bow down before you.’

  ‘“Brahma said, ‘I bow down before the one who is the refuge of sattva, the source of dharma and everything else. You are nirguna. Your state is not known to me and certainly not to others.’

  ‘“Agni said, ‘It is because of your energy that my energy blazes in the kindling. In every good sacrifice, I bear the oblations that are soaked in ghee. You are the one who protects the sacrifice. You have five forms and are worshipped properly through the five hymns of the Yajur Veda. 1297 I bow down to the sacrifice.’

  ‘“The gods said, ‘After the last kalpa, you withdrew everything that you caused inside your own stomach. You are the Purusha who lay down in the waters on the excellent bed that was Shesha, Indra among serpents. You are the path towards adhyatma, which Siddhas search for, and meditate on, in their hearts. You are now moving around in the range of our visions. We are your servants.’

  ‘“The gandharvas said, ‘O god! Marichi and the others, Brahma, Indra and the others, the large number of gods, with Rudra at the forefront, are your portions. O supreme lord! This entire universe is a receptacle that you are playing with. O protector! Therefore, we always bow down before you.’

  ‘“The vidyadharas said, ‘Having obtained this body, 1298 an evil-minded person sticks to the wrong path because of your maya and has notions of “I” and “mine”. He is distracted by his desire for material objects and confounds himself. A person who finds delight in the amrita of your account will be delivered from this.’

  ‘“The brahmanas said, ‘You are the sacrifice. You are the oblations. You are yourself the sacrificial fire. You are the mantras, the kindling, the darbha grass and the sacrificial vessels. You are the supervising priest and the officiating priests. You are the couple 1299 and the divinity. You are agnihotra, svadha, soma, clarified butter and the sacrificial animal. In the past, in the form of a giant boar, you roared and playfully raised the earth from rasatala on your tusks, like an Indra among elephants picking up a lotus, and were praised by the yogis. Your body consists of the three. 1300 You are the rites of the sacrifice. May he show us his favours. We have deviated from a virtuous act 1301 and all of us desire to see him. O lord of the sacrifice! When your name is chanted by men, all obstructions to a sacrifice head towards their destruction. We bow down to him.’”

  ‘Maitreya continued, “O fortunate one! While Hrishikesha, the protector of the sacrifice, was thus being praised, the wise Daksha started the sacrifice that had been destroyed by Rudra. The illustrious one is in all atmans. Though he enjoys all the shares of the sacrifice, he was satisfied with his own share. O unblemished one! He addressed Daksha and said the following.

  ‘“The illustrious one said, ‘I am Brahma and Sharva 1302 and the supreme cause behind the universe. I am the lord of the atman. I am the witness. My own insight is without any differentiation. O brahmana! I have entered my own maya, full of the gunas. I create, preserve and destroy the universe and have a different name, depending on the action. There is no one second to the brahman and I am the paramatman. Those who see differences between Brahma and Rudra, or between living beings, are ignorant. A man sometimes thinks that his own limbs, head, hands and other parts are different. But if a person is devoted to me, his intelligence is not differentiated in this way. If a person does not see the three 1303 as one and perceives differences, he does not find peace. The brahman is in the atmans of all living beings.’”

  ‘Maitreya continued, “The lord of all the Prajapatis was instructed by the illustrious Hari in this fashion. He first worshipped him through rites and then worshipped the other gods in both ways. 1304 He controlled himself and worshipped Rudra, offering him his own share. When the concluding rites of the sacrifice were over, he offered soma to the ones who were entitled and to others. Having done this, with the priests, he bathed. 1305 Through this worship, on his own, he obtained powers. However, the gods also conferred the boon that his intelligence would be on dharma and went to heaven. We have heard that in this way, Dakshayani Sati gave up her former body. She was then born through Himalaya and his wife, Mena. Ambika again accepted her beloved as her husband. She was single-minded in her devotion towards him and to no one else, just as Shakti is dormant inside Purusha. Thus, the illustrious Shambhu performed the act of destroying Daksha’s sacrifice. I heard this from Uddhava, who was devoted to the illustrious one and was Brihaspati’s disciple. This is the sacred account of what the supreme lord did. If a man always devotedly listens to it and narrates it, he obtains fame and a long lifespan. His sins are cleansed. O Kourava! All his taints are purged.”’

  Chapter 4(8)

  ‘Maitreya said, “Brahma’s sons, Sanaka and the others, Narada, Ribhu, Hamsa, Aruna and Yati, did not resort to the life of a householder. They held up their seed. O destroyer of enemies! Adharma’s wife was Mrisha and she gave birth to twins—Dambha and Maya. Since Nirriti had no offspring, she accepted that couple. 1306 O immensely intelligent one! From them were born Lobha and Nikriti. From these were born Krodha, Himsa, Kali and his sister, Durukti. 1307 O excellent one! Through Durukti, Kali had Bhaya and Mrityu as offspring. Through this couple, Yatana and Niraya were born. 1308 O unblemished one! I have briefly told you about the secondary creation, after destruction. If a man hears this sacred account thrice, all impurities are cleansed from his soul. O extender of the Kuru lineage! I will now describe the lineage of Svayambhuva Manu, who was auspicious in his deeds and was born as Hari’s portion. Through Shatarupa, he had sons named Priyavrata and Uttanapada. They were born from Vasudeva’s portion and were established as protectors of the universe. Uttanapada had two wives, Suniti and Suruchi. Suruchi was the one who was loved more. The other wife’s son was Dhruva.

  ‘“Once, the king was fondling Suruchi’s son, Uttama, on his lap. Dhruva tried to clamber up, but the king did not welcome this. When Dhruva, her co-wife’s son, tried to do this, in the king’s hearing, Suruchi became envious and spoke proudly. ‘O child! You do not deserve to ascend on to the king’s lap. Though you are a king’s son, you have not been born from my womb. Since you are a child, you do not know that you have been born from another woman’s womb. Therefore, know that what you are trying to get is impossible to obtain. Your wishes will be in vain. If you desire the king’s throne, worship Purusha through austerities. Through his favours, you may then be born through my womb and be successful.’ He was thus pierced by the harsh words of his mother’s co-wife. He sighed like an angry serpent that had been beaten with a stick. He saw that his father was silent and did not say anything. Therefore, he left his presence and weeping, went to his mother. He was sighing and his lips were trembling. Suniti picked up the child on her lap. From the mouths of the residents of the city, she heard what her co-wife had said and was distressed. She lost her patience and lamented in grief. The maiden was like a creeper burnt down in a forest conflagration. She remembered the words of her co-wife. Her face was like a lotus and tears flowed from her beautiful eyes. She sighed deeply and could not see an end to her miseries. The maiden spoke to the child. ‘O son! Do not blame others for this inauspicious state. A person who inflicts pain on others has to himself suffer it. Suruchi spoke the truth. You were born from me. An unfortunate person like me bore you in her womb. You were reared on the milk of someone my husband is ashamed about. He does not accept me as his wife. O son! Remain above jealousy. What your stepmother has said is true. Abide by that path. If you desire an excellent seat, worship Adhokshaja’s lotus feet. By worshipping his lotus feet, Aja obtained the qualities required for creating the universe and obtained the status of Parameshthi. His feet deserve to be worshipped by those who have controlled their atmans and their breath of life. The illustrious Manu was your grandfather. Single-minded in devotion to him, he performed sacrifices with copious amounts of dakshina. Through this worship, he obtained a status that is difficult to get. He obtained happiness on earth, and divine liberation thereafter. O child! Seek him out as a refuge. He is devoted
to his devotees. Those who search for liberation seek out the path to his lotus feet. With no one else in mind, think of your own dharma. Placing him in your mind, worship Purusha. Other than the lotus-eyed one, I cannot think of anyone else who can dispel this unhappiness. Though she is sought after by others, Shri, with a lotus in her hand, seeks him out.’ These words, uttered by his mother, were full of great import and entered his ears. He thought about them. Using his will to control his mind, he left his father’s city.

  ‘“Narada got to know about his desires. He approached and touched his head with his purifying hand. Surprised, he exclaimed, ‘The energy of kshatriyas is wonderful. It does not tolerate the slightest bit of disrespect. Even though he is a child, he has taken to heart the harsh words spoken by his stepmother.’ Narada said, ‘O son! We notice that boys are attracted to playing and similar things. The sense of respect or disrespect is not developed. Even if that sense is developed, other than being confounded, there is no reason for a man to be dissatisfied. In this world, people are different because of their own karmas. O son! Therefore, a wise man should be satisfied with that alone. One must witness the progress of the lord and of destiny. Your mother has instructed that you must seek to elevate yourself through yoga, so that you can obtain his favour. However, it is my view that this is very difficult for men to pursue. Non-attached, sages have followed this path across many births. They have meditated, resorting to fierce yoga. However, they have not been able to find what they were searching for. Therefore, return. This determination of yours is bound to fail. In due course of time, you should strive for what will bring you benefit. This happiness and unhappiness are determined by destiny. If an embodied person wishes to cross over to the other side of darkness, he should satisfy himself with this. One should take delight at someone who possesses superior qualities. One should have compassion for one who has inferior qualities. One should seek friendship with equals. Thereby, one will not succumb to the torment.’ Dhruva replied, ‘O illustrious one! For those who suffer from happiness and unhappiness, driven by compassion, you have spoken about equanimity. But men like us find this extremely difficult to perceive. My heart has been shattered by Suruchi’s harsh words, which are like arrows. I am not humble. I am a kshatriya and have not achieved that kind of tolerance. I desire to obtain a state that is best in the three worlds, one that has not been obtained by my forefathers, or by anyone else. O brahmana! Tell me about that virtuous path. O illustrious one! Indeed, you have been born from Parameshthi’s limbs. For the welfare of the world, you roam around like the sun and play on your veena.’ Hearing this, the illustrious Narada was delighted. Out of compassion towards the child, he spoke these excellent words. Narada said, ‘The path indicated by your mother is most beneficial for you. With a mind that is completely absorbed, worship the illustrious Vasudeva. If one desires the benefit known as dharma, artha, kama, moksha, the only means of accomplishing that is by serving at Hari’s feet. O son! O fortunate one! Therefore, go to the banks of the Yamuna. The pure and sacred Madhuvana is there and Hari is always present there. Thrice a day, have a bath in Kalindi’s auspicious waters. Perform the indicated rites. Think of a suitable asana for yourself and be seated there. Perform the three kinds of pranayama 1309 and gradually purify your breath of life, senses and mind, giving up all impurities. With a steady mind, meditate on the preceptor of all preceptors. He is ready to show his favours. His face and glance are always pleasant. He possesses an excellent nose and excellent eyebrows. His forehead is beautiful and he is the most handsome among the gods. He is youthful and his limbs are beautiful. His lips and eyes are red. He is the only refuge one should bow down to. He is the pleasant refuge and an ocean of compassion. He bears the mark of shrivatsa. He is dark blue in complexion. He is Purusha, wearing a garland of wild flowers. He manifests four arms that hold a conch shell, a chakra, a mace and a lotus. He wears a diadem, earrings, armlets and bracelets. The Koustubha gem adorns his neck. He is attired in yellow silk garments. His girdle is ornamented with tinkling bells. There are golden anklets around his feet. He is beautiful to behold and serene. He is a delight to the mind and the eyes. His feet are radiant because of an array of nails that are like jewels. He is stationed in this form in the hearts of his devotees, like the stamen in a lotus. One should meditate on this smiling form, which looks benevolently at his devotees. One must control one’s mind and single-mindedly immerse oneself in him, supreme among those who grant boons. Thus, in one’s mind, one must meditate on the extremely fortunate form of the illustrious one. One will soon be filled with supreme nivritti. Enriched in this way, one will not return. 1310 O son of a king! Listen to this extremely secret japa. 1311 If a man recites this for seven nights, he can see beings who travel through the skies. 1312 “Oum! I bow down before the illustrious Vasudeva.” 1313 Using this mantra, a learned person must worship the god with different objects. A person who knows about the time and the place, will accordingly use different objects and different modes. He will offer pure water, garlands of wild flowers, roots, fruits, fresh grass, buds and bark that are approved for worship and tulasi, loved by the lord. If one can get it, one can use an image for the worship. If not, one can worship him by using earth and water. The sage must be tranquil and control his mind and speech. He must frugally eat whatever is available in the forest. Uttamashloka uses his own incomprehensible maya to voluntarily assume avataras and undertake many kinds of deeds. In one’s heart, one must meditate on these. Those who have worshipped him earlier have used many kinds of objects and forms. With the mantra in one’s heart, one must use these. He is the embodied form of the mantra. In this way, the illustrious one, who is in the mind, must be worshipped with body, mind and words. A man must properly worship him with faith and devotion. He increases their faith and bestows on these embodied beings, the benefit that they desire, dharma and the other objectives. One must be indifferent towards the objects of the senses and practise bhakti yoga in earnest. For the sake of liberation, one must worship him constantly and attentively.’ Thus addressed, the king’s son bowed down before him and circumambulated him. He went to sacred Madhuvana, decorated with Hari’s footprints.