The Bhagavata Purana 1
Page 41
‘“The Prachetas said, ‘O divine rishi! Welcome. It is our good fortune that we have seen you. O brahmana! You move around, ending fear, just as the sun does. We have been instructed by the illustrious Shiva and Adhokshaja. O lord! However, because we have been attached to the householder stage, we have almost forgotten it. Therefore, awaken the knowledge of adhyatma, the insight about the pure truth, in us. We will then easily cross over the ocean of life, which is so very difficult to cross.’”
‘Maitreya continued, “The Prachetas asked the illustrious sage, Narada, this. The illustrious one is immersed in Uttamashloka and spoke to the kings.
‘“Narada said, ‘If Hari, the atman of the universe, is served, the birth, deeds, lifespans, minds and words of men are truly successful. There can be three kinds of birth in this world—through semen, through initation ceremonies and through consecration in sacrifices. It is said that there are three kinds of rites. 1574 But what use is this, or a lifespan like that of the gods, to a man? What purpose do learning, austerities, words, control over consciousness, intelligence, skill, strength and the power of the senses serve? What is the use of yoga, samkhya, sannyasa and studying? If a person does not satisfy himself with Hari, what is the point of other superior methods? Among everything, it is true that the atman is the best objective. Among all creatures, Hari, who can give us our atman, is the most loved. Watering the roots of a tree satisfies the trunk, branches and sub-branches. Like that, the nourishment of the breath of life nurtures the senses. Among all kinds of worship, that of Achyuta is the best. Water is generated from the sun and at the right time, enters creatures and mobile and immobile objects on earth. 1575 In that way, the flow of gunas emerges from Hari. This universe is the abode of the supreme atman. Sometimes, the two seem different, like the radiance of the sun from the sun. The senses are awake, but their powers and objects of the senses are dormant during sleep. They do not seem to act. With knowledge, all perceptions of differences melt away. O kings! Clouds, darkness and light appear in the sky, but progressively, also vanish. In this way, the powers and flows of sattva, rajas and tamas appear in the supreme brahman. That unlimited and single atman is in all bodies. He is Time, the cause, Purusha and the supreme lord. He uses his own energy to destroy the flow of the gunas. Worship him with single-minded devotion. If one is compassionate towards all creatures, satisfied with anything and if one pacifies all the senses, Janardana is quickly pleased. He regards himself as being under the control of those who are devoted to him, those who call on him with constant and increasing contemplation. The undecaying one does not move out of the spaces in their hearts. He removes all the impurities in their atmans. He does not accept the offerings of those who are evil-minded. Hari loves those who possess no riches, but know that he is the essence of the wealth they should love the most. There are some wicked people who despise the virtuous because of their learning, riches, noble birth, deads and pride. But he does not accept their worship. Though Shri follows him, he is not attached to her. Nor does he care for the lords of men and gods who regard themselves as self-sufficient. He loves the large number of his servants, who are dependent on him. How can any grateful person give up such a being?’”
‘Maitreya continued, “O king! The sage, Svayambhu’s son, thus made the Prachetas and others hear the account of the illustrious one and went to Brahma’s world. This glory of Hari emerged from his mouth and removed the impurities of the world. Having heard, they meditated on his feet and went to his abode. O Kshatta! I have thus told you everything that you had asked about, the conversation between the Prachetas and Narada and Hari’s praise.”’
‘Shri-Shuka said, “O supreme among kings! The lineage of Uttanapada, Manu’s son, has been described to you. Now hear about Priyavrata. He obtained knowledge of adhyatma from Narada, but returned to earth. After enjoying it, he divided it among his sons and obtained the lord’s abode. Kshatta heard the virtuous account about the glorious and unvanquished one, described by Kousharava. His delight increased and tears flowed from his eyes. He bowed his head down at the sage’s feet and held Hari’s feet in his heart. Vidura said, ‘O great yogi! You have shown me compassion today. You have shown me the shore beyond the darkness, where Hari can be reached by those who are not interested in trifles.’ Having bowed down to him and having taken his leave, Vidura went to Gajasahvya. Though he no longer possessed any desires, he wished to see his relatives and kin. O king! If one hears this account of kings who have offered themselves up to Hari, one obtains a long lifespan, wealth, fame, good fortune, the destination of life and prosperity.”’
This ends the Fourth Skandha and Volume 1.
1 For example, shlokas 2.4.10, 4.1.2 and 4.5.11 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad use the two expressions together.
2 Chandogya Upanishad, 7.1.2.
3 Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, F.E. Pargiter, Oxford University Press, London, 1922.
4 Sutas were bards, minstrels, raconteurs.
5 Ugrashravas was a suta.
6 The Critical Edition of the Valmiki Ramayana was brought out by the Baroda Oriental Institute, now part of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata was brought out by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.
7 The Bhagavad Gita translation was published in 2006, the translation of the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata in ten volumes between 2010 and 2014 (with a box set in 2015) and the translation of the Critical Edition of the Valmiki Ramayana in 2017. The translations are by Bibek Debroy, and in each case, the publisher is Penguin.
8 The Bhagavatamahapuranam, Nag Publishers, Delhi, 1987. This is a reprint of the Kshemaraja Shrikrishnadass, Venkateshvara Press, Bombay, text.
9 https://web.archive.org/web/20081012022829/http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil/1_sanskr/3_purana/bhagp/bhp1-12u.htm
10 http://www.ochs.org.uk/research/bhagavata-purana-research-project
11 The Bhagavata Purana, Selected Readings, Ravi M. Gupta and Kenneth R. Valpey, Columbia University Press, 2016.
12 Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God (Srimad Bhagavata Purana Book X), Edwin Bryant, Penguin Classics, 2004.
13 A Prose English Translation of Srimad Bhagavatam, Manmatha Nath Dutt, H.C. Dass, Calcutta, 1896.
14 Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1970 to 1977.
15 The Bhagavata Purana, translated and annotated by Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 1976.
16 Srimad Bhagavada, Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, 1980.
17 Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana with Sanskrit Text and English Translation, C.L. Goswami and M.A. Shastri, Gita Press, 2006.
18 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism, Purnendu Narayana Sinha, Freeman and Company, Benares, 1901.
19 Two of the six Indian schools of darshana (philosophy).
1 Protection and destruction.
2 With knowledge of the Vedas.
3 Meaning the three qualities (guna) of sattva, rajas and tamas.
4 This first shloka has considerable scope for interpretation. Therefore, translations vary widely, depending on interpretations chosen. We have deliberately kept it simple. Although we have said this about this shloka, the same statement can also be made about all the other shlokas in this first paragraph. Indeed, this can be said about the first three chapters.
5 Bhagavata Purana.
6 Vedavyasa, although there is also the belief that it was originally composed by Narayana. Vedavyasa (or Vyasadeva) is more like a title. There is a Vedavyasa in every great age, the title being conferred on someone who collates and classifies the Vedas. This Vedavyasa’s name was Krishna Dvaipayana, Krishna because he was dark and Dvaipayana because he was born on an island (dvipa). Vedavyasa is the composer of the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
7 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny), adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one’s own nature).
8 The Naimisha forest, or
Naimisharanya. There is a play on words, with animisha being used as an adjective. We have translated this as open, the obvious meaning. But it has also been interpreted as sacred.
9 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.
10 Specifically, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
11 The author of the Brahma-sutras, identified as Vedavyasa.
12 Interpreted as knowledge about the physical and the metaphysical.
13 Vedavyasa’s.
14 The four yugas are satya (krita) yuga, treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga and dharma progressively declines as one moves down the yugas.
15 The Yadavas.
16 Incarnation as avatara.
17 Ganga.
18 The Ganga does it first-hand, these sages can do it second-hand.
19 Powers of illusion.
20 The word used is pada, which means step. However, in the context of a shloka, it also means a quatrain, a shloka formed out of four padas.
21 Balarama.
22 The supreme soul.
23 The sage in question is Shuka, the son of Vedavyasa. The reference to the sacred thread needs explanation. The stage (ashrama) of sannyasa is the fourth stage and one embarks on this after the sacred thread ceremony has been performed, much earlier. However, desiring moksha, Shuka left on his pursuit and exile. The grieving Vedavyasa followed him and called out to him. Since Shuka had already merged into everything, only the trees answered back.
24 Spiritual truth.
25 Jaya is usually a name for the Mahabharata. But here, it is being used for the Bhagavata Purana. Narayana (one who lies down on the water) is one of Vishnu’s names. Nara and Narayana were also ancient sages. In the Mahabharata, Narayana is identified with Krishna and Nara with Arjuna. Sarasvati is the goddess of learning and speech.
26 Vishnu and Krishna’s name.
27 Bhakti yoga.
28 Vishnu and Krishna’s name.
29 The four classes and four stages of life, respectively.
30 Places of pilgrimage.
31 The obvious meaning is the Bhagavata Purana, though indirectly, one might also mean Krishna.
32 Meaning, one or the other of mind (mana), intelligence (buddhi) and ego (ahamkara).
33 For present purposes, prakriti can be taken as nature, though it is used in samkhya philosophy in a specific sense.
34 Respectively, Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, the preserver, the creator and the destroyer.
35 By implication, Vishnu, since Vishnu is being identified with sattva, Brahma with rajas and Shiva with tamas.
36 Ahavaniya, garhapatya and dakshinatya (the fire that burns in a southern direction), the three sacrificial fires.
37 Bhutas.
38 Though we have translated it in this way, this is usually interpreted as cause and effect.
39 The qualities are sattva, rajas and tamas. The possession of qualities leads to manifested forms. The lack of qualities leads to things that are not manifest.
40 We have translated vijnana as self-knowledge, the transcendental consciousness. We will use jnana for knowledge.
41 The individual soul or jivatman.
42 Kala means part. The sixteen kalas are usually identified as the five organs of the senses (eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin), the five objects of the senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch), the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, space) and the mind. But this is subject to interpretation and this is not the only possible listing.
43 The great cosmic principle.
44 Brahma created Prajapatis, who went on to create other beings.
45 The form of Purusha. Alternatively, this is also interpreted as the second form of the Purusha.
46 Kumara means youth. These were sages who were born through mental powers, Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara. However, they were not interested in the act of creation.
47 Celibacy.
48 There are seven nether regions—atala, vitala, sutala, rasatala, talatala, mahatala and patala. The earth had been dragged down there by the demon Hiranyaksha. To save the earth, Vishnu adopted the varaha (boar) incarnation.
49 Meaning Narada.
50 Also known as the Satvata Samhita or the Pancharatra Agama, texts followed by the Satvatas.
51 Daksha Prajapati had a daughter named Murti and she was married to Dharma. Nara and Narayana were the sons of Dharma and Murti.
52 Siddhas are sages who have been successful in attaining their objectives.
53 One of Kapila’s disciples.
54 One of the schools of darshana (philosophy).
55 Anasuya was the sage Atri’s wife. Anasuya had three sons, Dattatreya (born as Vishnu’s portion), Durvasa (born as Shiva’s portion) and Soma (born as Brahma’s portion). Alarka was the king of Kashi and Prahlada was the son of the demon Hiranyakashipu. Dattatreya taught both Alarka and Prahlada.
56 Ruchi was one of the Prajapatis.
57 Each manvantara (era) is presided over by a Manu. Fourteen manvantaras equal one of Brahma’s days. In the present cycle (kalpa), we are in the seventh manvantara, presided over by a Manu known as Vaivasvata. However, in the present cycle, the first Manu was Svayambhuva. The rishis, gods and Indra change from one manvantara to another. At the time of Svayambhuva Manu, the title of Indra was held by Yajna, the son of Ruchi and Akuti.
58 One with long strides, Vishnu’s name. As the son of Nabhi and Meru, his name was Rishabha or Adinatha.
59 King Prithu levelled the earth and made it attractive. Hence, the earth is known as Prithvi or Prithivi, after this name.
60 The sixth Manu in the present cycle.
61 The tenth, matsya (fish), incarnation.
62 The kurma (tortoise or turtle) incarnation, Mount Mandara was used as the rod for churning.
63 The physician of the gods.
64 Mohini means someone who allures and deludes. The gods and the asuras fought over the amrita. Assuming the form of Mohini, Vishnu gave the gods the amrita and deceived the asuras.
65 Daityas are a specific category of demons, the progeny of Diti.
66 The half-man half-lion (narasimha) incarnation, when Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu.
67 Bali, Virochana’s son and Prahlada’s grandson, dislodged the gods from heaven. Since Bali was generous, Vishnu assumed the dwarf (vamana) incarnation and sought the territory that could be covered in three of his steps. In three strides, Vishnu covered the three worlds and Bali was banished to the nether regions.
68 In the form of Parashurama.
69 As Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa.
70 Eighteenth, as Rama, to kill Ravana.
71 Rama (Balarama) was the nineteenth and Krishna was the twentieth.
72 The Kikata region is the territory around Magadha. Jina is one of Buddha’s names. Alternatively, jina may be an adjective, being applied to Shuddhodhana (Siddhartha’s father) in the sense of someone who was victorious.
73 There is a period of conjunction or interregnum between two yugas, referred to as sandhya (the twilight zone). This is the sandhya between the present kali yuga and the next satya yuga.
74 From what is true.
75 The six characteristics are knowledge, power, strength, prosperity, valour and energy. The six qualities are the five senses and the mind.
76 The wheel of the chariot, as a metaphor for the chakra.
77 Of life and death.
78 Shuka.
79 Act of giving up one’s life by fasting to death.
80 Shuka.
81 Krishna means Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa. We have deliberately retained the word samhita here. It means a text consisting of a collation of verses.
82 The expressions used are interpreted in different ways. For instance, samadrik (impartial) is interpreted as someone who is impartial between the jivatman and the paramatman and has therefore realized the paramatman/brahman. Nirvikalpa (without discrimination) is interp
reted as someone who has no sense of duality.
83 The sleep of ignorance.
84 When Shuka left in search of liberation, Vedavyasa followed him. Along the way, some naked apsaras were bathing. On seeing Shuka, they did not bother. However, on seeing Vedavyasa, they covered themselves. The story is recounted in the Mahabharata.
85 When Shuka arrived in Hastinapura. Kurujangala is the area around Kurukshetra, Parikshit’s kingdom. The capital was Hastinapura, also known as Gajasahvya or Nagasahvya.
86 Rajarshi means royal sage. Pandaveya means a descendant of the Pandavas and is a term being applied to Parikshit. The Satvata text means the Bhagavata Purana.
87 By sanctifying it.
88 Vasavi means Satyavati. Though she was brought up in a fisherman’s house, she was actually the daughter of King Uparichara Vasu. Hence, Vasavi. Vedavyasa was the son of Parashara and Satyavati.
89 The word used is dvija-bandhu, meaning those who are brahmanas only in name.
90 The Mahabharata.
91 The one who is permanent, Vishnu’s name.
92 Vedavyasa’s.
93 Divine sage.
94 Dharma, artha, kama and moksha.
95 Vedavyasa is also identified as the author of the Brahma-sutras.
96 Brahma.
97 Vishnu.
98 Kama and moksha.
99 Without a desire for the fruit.
100 The description of Vishnu.
101 Since they will be misled and will realize the purport of true dharma.
102 Obtained through material objects.
103 This can be interpreted as superior and inferior births, or superior and inferior worlds.
104 Vishnu’s name.
105 Vishnu’s.
106 Alternatively, the gross and the subtle.
107 This is interpreted as thrice a day, morning, noon and evening.
108 Adhidaivika (destiny), adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one’s own nature).