by Bibek Debroy
651 Yoga leads to eight siddhis or powers. These are anima (becoming as small as one desires), mahima (as large as one desires), laghima (as light as one wants), garima (as heavy as one wants), prapti (obtaining what one wants), prakamya (travelling where one wants), vashitvam (powers to control creatures) and ishitvam (obtaining divine powers). These are minor and temporary powers. His personal powers are his knowledge, power, strength, prosperity, valour and energy.
652 Brahma’s.
653 The lord.
654 Tapa (tapas).
655 Before creation.
656 After creating the universe.
657 This can be taken to mean either the elements, or the created beings.
658 Brahma created so that it was just as it was in the previous kalpa.
659 In the Bhagavata Purana. These are thus the ten characteristics of the Bhagavata Purana. The text doesn’t have a numbering though. The ten are listed, sarga, visarga, sthana, poshana, uti, manvantara, isha-anukatha, nirodha, mukti and ashraya.
660 As the brahman.
661 This shloka has many complicated interpretations.
662 This water is known as garbhodaka, the water that was the womb.
663 Virat Purusha, in the form of Brahma.
664 Purusha is Nara (man) and since water was created from Nara, it is Naara. Ayana is resting place. Since his resting place was water (Naara), he is Naaraayana (Narayana).
665 As a separate organ of the body.
666 The skin.
667 Through offspring.
668 The genital organs and the presiding deity, Prajapati.
669 The presiding deity.
670 Apana and Mrityu.
671 These are the presiding deities.
672 The presiding deity.
673 The other seven are made out of water, fire, air, space, Mahat, ahamkara and Prakriti.
674 These are different categories of beings, some semi-divine. Some are benevolent, others are malevolent.
675 Mobile and immobile.
676 Born from wombs, eggs, sweat (insects) and trees and herbs.
677 Sattva dominated by sattva, sattva dominated by rajas, sattva dominated by tamas and so on.
678 And preservation and destruction.
679 The present kalpa is known as Shveta Varaha Kalpa.
680 Vidura.
681 Maitreya.
682 Maitreya was the son of Kusharava and Mitra. Therefore, he is referred to as both Kousharava and Maitreya. He was Parashara’s disciple.
683 Krishna. This refers to Krishna’s role as an ambassador soliciting peace, at King Duryodhana’s court. Rebuffed, he stayed in Vidura’s house, not in Duryodhana’s palace.
684 Shuka.
685 Yudhishthira.
686 Dhritarashtra.
687 Probably Dhritarashtra, but could mean Duryodhana too.
688 Vidura.
689 Often known as Vidura niti.
690 This is what Vidura said.
691 The brahmanas and the kshatriyas.
692 Krishna.
693 Duryodhana.
694 Duhshasana.
695 Shakuni.
696 These are Duryodhana’s words.
697 The words, which were like arrows.
698 Krishna.
699 Yudhishthira.
700 The emperor’s umbrella.
701 Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti, who were burnt down in the forest.
702 And the friction results in a fire.
703 Cows.
704 Earlier, Uddhava had been Brihaspati’s disciple.
705 Krishna and Balarama.
706 Brahma.
707 Shurasena’s.
708 Meaning Vasudeva, Krishna’s father. Kunti was Vasudeva’s sister.
709 Ugrasena.
710 Krishna. Kamsa had ousted Ugrasena.
711 Kartikeya.
712 Satyaki. Satyaki was Arjuna’s student.
713 Akrura.
714 Meaning Devaki.
715 Rig, Sama and Yajur Veda.
716 Meaning the Vedas.
717 This requires interpretation. The four aspects are Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, respectively presiding over consciousness, ego, intelligence and the mind.
718 Satyabhama’s son.
719 Krishna.
720 Yudhishthira.
721 Arjuna.
722 Garuda/Suparna snatched amrita from Indra.
723 Pandu.
724 Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively.
725 Caused by false sense of learning, wealth and noble birth.
726 Uddhava.
727 As a child, Uddhava preferred serving Krishna to having breakfast.
728 For Krishna.
729 Ajagara. Alternatively, python, a metaphor for time.
730 Before the churning of the ocean, the moon used to be in the ocean.
731 Yudhishthira.
732 The text uses the word vidhatri, meaning creator.
733 Alternatively, cause and effect, or this world and the next.
734 The metaphor of fire being hidden in the wood, until it is ignited through friction.
735 The city means Mathura.
736 Chedi means Shishupala. Killed by Krishna, he was liberated at the royal sacrifice.
737 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
738 Putana, in the form of a crane.
739 After being killed by Krishna.
740 Sudarshana chakra.
741 Garuda.
742 Kamsa.
743 Brahma.
744 Balarama.
745 To kill Krishna.
746 Kaliya, who inhabited the Yamuna and poisoned the water.
747 From the water.
748 The gopas were cowherds and their king was Nanda. This sacrifice was performed instead of Indra’s sacrifice.
749 A demon named Panchajana had swallowed Sandipani’s son. Krishna brought him back to life.
750 Bhishmaka’s daughter was Rukmini, an incarnation of Lakshmi. Thus, Rukmini was Krishna’s share.
751 Meaning the gandharva form of marriage, one of the eight different forms of marriage. King Bhishmaka had expected it to be svayamvara, where the prospective bride chooses her groom from amidst assembled suitors.
752 Just as Garuda took away his share of amrita.
753 Usually known as Satyabhama.
754 The Parijata tree, desired by Satyabhama.
755 Shachi, Indra’s wife, urged him to bring the tree back.
756 The earth’s son was Narakasura, killed with the use of the sudarshana chakra.
757 Naraka’s son.
758 Naraka’s name.
759 As a husband.
760 Kalayavana.
761 The king of Magadha, Jarasandha.
762 Mathura.
763 Krishna did not kill them himself, but got them killed through Muchukunda and Bhima.
764 He killed Shambara, Mura and Dantavakra himself. Dvivida and Balvala were killed by Balarama. Bana was defeated by Krishna, but was allowed to live.
765 On the sides of the sons of Dhritarashtra and of Pandu.
766 These are Krishna’s thoughts.
767 Dharma’s son, Yudhishthira.
768 Permitted by the brahmanas, the Yadavas drank the liquor.
769 Maireya is liquor made from molasses or grain.
770 Maitreya.
771 Krishna.
772 Uddhava was a Vasu in a former life.
773 The Prajapatis.
774 Brahma.
775 Dharma, artha, kama and moksha.
776 In the householder stage of garhasthya.
777 Brahma.
778 Uddhava. Uddhava’s father is usually referred to as Devabhaga. It is possible that Aupavaga is being used as an adjective, derived from upagu, meaning, something or someone near a cow.
779 The three worlds.
780 Vidura.
781 Uddhava.
782 Another name for the Yamuna.
783 Ganga.
> 784 Maitreya.
785 The heavenly river is Ganga and the spot is therefore identified as Haridvara.
786 The three worlds.
787 Krishna’s account.
788 Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa.
789 Yama had inflicted an excessively harsh punishment on the sage and had been cursed by Mandavya.
790 Vichitravirya had a servant-maid and Vidura was the son of Vedavyasa and this servant-maid.
791 The universe had not been created.
792 This is interpreted in many different ways. Purusha is manifested from Vishnu and impregnates maya, or Purusha impregnates Prakriti.
793 Purusha.
794 Interpreted as ahamkara. Alternatively, Mahat tattva led to ahamkara.
795 Who preside over the senses.
796 Tanmatras.
797 Air possesses its own attributes, as well as that of space and so on.
798 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny), adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one’s own nature).
799 Ganga.
800 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
801 Vishnu and Lakshmi entered Kala (time), or entered Prakriti (being referred to as Kala).
802 Mahat, ahamkara, five gross elements, five subtle elements, five organs of senses, five organs of action and mind.
803 Ten means the ten vital airs (prana)—prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana, naga, kurma, krikala, devadatta and dhananjaya. The three are adhibhuta, adhidaiva and adhyatma.
804 Virat Purusha.
805 Vishnu was inside Virat Purusha. The divinities had entreated Vishnu earlier.
806 Virat Purusha’s.
807 Virat Purusha’s.
808 Vayu.
809 Two different kinds of skin are mentioned. The earlier skin was charman, the outside skin. This skin is tvach, which means either the inside skin, or both the outside and inside skin taken together.
810 Prajapati.
811 Brahma.
812 Abhimana is pride/haughtiness, the false sense of ego. The lord is Rudra.
813 Depending on their combinations of gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas), gods, humans and inferior beings occupy these worlds.
814 Humans remained on earth and have transactions with the gods in the form of performing sacrifices to them.
815 Tamas.
816 The heavenly planets and earth.
817 Interpreted as the Vedas.
818 That is, miscreants.
819 Brahma.
820 Meaning Rudra.
821 Someone asks the child to play, or the child comes across an object it can play with.
822 The illustrious one.
823 In a dream.
824 This has been interpreted in different ways—the independence of the illustrious one and the dependence of living creatures on him; listening to his account and serving him; Hari and attachment to material objects; and knowledge and devotion.
825 In maya, but inside Hari.
826 Vishnu killed a demon named Madhu.
827 Of the devotees.
828 Virat.
829 Organs of sense, objects of the senses and organs of action.
830 Each avatara had a different composition of gunas.
831 Literally, abstention from acts, interpreted as non-attachment to the fruits of the acts.
832 Pratiloma means against the natural order and applies to progeny where the mother is superior in varna to the father. Anuloma applies to progeny where the father is superior in varna to the mother.
833 Student.
834 Kings born in the Puru lineage.
835 Sanatkumara.
836 Ganga.
837 Balarama (Samkarshana) is identified with the serpent Ananta-Shesha.
838 Detachment from fruits and renunciation of action.
839 A sage in the Vasishtha lineage.
840 Parashara wished to destroy the rakshasas. In an attempt to save his progeny, Pulastya dissuaded him. When Parashara complied, Pulasyta blessed him that he would recite the Puranas. There are different accounts of how the Bhagavata Purana was disseminated over time and they don’t always agree.
841 He was sleeping on Ananta-Shesha.
842 The four yugas make up a mahayuga and he slept for one thousand mahayugas.
843 Brahma.
844 Inside the lotus.
845 One hundred years.
846 Vishnu was attired in a yellow garment.
847 The image of Vishnu continues, but is not stated explicitly. The golden peaks are compared to his diadem and the garland of trees to the garland of flowers he wears. Vishnu’s arms and feet are compared to those of the mountain, Vishnu being superior in beauty.
848 Brahma.
849 The darkness of ignorance.
850 Atheists and heretics.
851 Vata, pitta and kapha. These can be loosely translated as wind, bile and phlegm. In ayurveda, these are the three doshas or humours in the body and they are always striving against each other.
852 This part uses the third person.
853 Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.
854 Of time.
855 There are various listings of the five, such as—anger, confusion, hatred, lack of perseverance and vanity.
856 Before the destruction.
857 Lakshmi.
858 So that I am not attached to the fruits of the action.
859 As the power to know, the presiding deity of speech, intelligence and the Vedas.
860 Brahma.
861 One in whom the Vedas are vested, Brahma.
862 Vidura’s.
863 Brahma.
864 This can also be translated as the calyx.
865 Three means above the earth, the earth and under the earth. Fourteen means the fourteen lokas mentioned earlier.
866 Brahma’s world.
867 Time.
868 This gets into interpretation. Creation due to Prakriti is interpreted as creation that takes place outside the cosmic egg, while creation due to vikriti is interpreted as creation that takes place inside the cosmic egg.
869 The three kinds of destruction are regular ones caused by time (known as nitya), that resulting from a fire in Ananta’s mouth (known as naimittika) and that resulting from interaction between the gunas (known as prakritika).
870 Meaning Brahma.
871 Osadhi, more accurately, trees and herbs that die after yielding fruit.
872 Like bamboo.
873 The first kind of creeper is lata, which requires support to grow. This kind of creeper is virudha, not requiring support from another tree/plant to grow.
874 The first kind of tree is vanaspati, which has fruits, but without visible flowers. This kind of tree is druma, which has fruits and visible flowers.
875 Kind of ox.
876 These are cloven-hooved.
877 Uncloven-hooved.
878 Kind of buffalo.
879 Sharabha has many meanings—young elephant, camel. It is also a mythical animal with eight legs, believed to be stronger than a lion. In this context, one probably means the mythical animal.
880 Mythical aquatic creature, can loosely be translated as crocodile.
881 A different kind of vulture.
882 A different kind of crane.
883 A different kind of owl.
884 Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara.
885 Resulting from both Prakriti and vikriti.
886 Learned ones, gods.
887 This is a total of nine. Therefore, siddhas probably is an adjective and means that any of the other categories can become a Siddha.
888 If one counts the earlier list as nine, one does have ten categories.
889 With other paramanus or atoms.
890 There are many difficulties in translating and interpreting this shloka. The meaning is not immediately obvious.
891 A pala is a measure of weight, but its stated weight varies across sources. 30 grams is a rough indication. Angula is the length of a finger. Masha is just short of one gram.<
br />
892 Season. There are six seasons—vasanta (spring), grishma (summer), varsha (monsoon), sharad (autumn), hemanta (just before winter) and shishira (winter).
893 Uttarayana is the movement of the sun to the north of the equator, the period from the winter to the summer solstice. Dakshinayana is the movement of the sun to the south of the equator, the period from the summer to the winter solstice.
894 Uttarayana is day and dakshinayana is night.
895 Samvatsara is the solar year, anuvatsara is the lunar year, parivatsara seems to have been calculated on the basis of Jupiter’s orbit and vatsara was calculated on the basis of the nakshatras. Since idavatsara occurred once every five years, it probably had an intercalary month.
896 Meaning the sun god.
897 One hundred years, according to their respective measurements of time.
898 Those who are beyond the three worlds.
899 Measured as years of the gods, krita yuga is four thousand years, treta yuga is three thousand years, dvapara yuga is two thousand years and kali yuga is one thousand years. This cycle is known as a mahayuga, but a mahayuga is more than ten thousand years. Each yuga has a sandhi at the beginning and an amsha at the end of the yuga. This is 400 years for krita yuga, 300 years for treta yuga, 200 years for dvapara yuga and 100 years for kali yuga. Hence, two thousand years are added to get twelve thousand years.
900 There were three feet in treta, two in dvapara and one in kali.
901 That is, mahayugas.
902 One of Brahma’s days.
903 One thousand divided by fourteen is 71.43.
904 These, including the lord of the gods (Indra) vary from one manvantara (the period of a Manu) to another.
905 Depending on the measure of time in the place one resides in. Alternatively, this may specifically refer to Brahma.
906 Brahma’s.
907 The present parardha.
908 For Hari.
909 Time.
910 Yojanas, though yojanas is not explicitly stated.
911 Covering the universe.
912 To Hari, the universe is like a paramanu.
913 Brahma’s.
914 Respectively, the darkness that makes one blind, darkness, great confusion and confusion. These have different nuances of interpretation in samkhya.
915 Nilalohita, nila (blue) and lohita (red).
916 Rud means to cry or weep.
917 That is, these are your names.