Fifth Skandha

Chapter 5(1): 40 shlokas

Chapter 5(2): 23 shlokas

Chapter 5(3): 21 shlokas

Chapter 5(4): 18 shlokas

Chapter 5(5): 36 shlokas

Chapter 5(6): 19 shlokas

Chapter 5(7): 14 shlokas

Chapter 5(8): 32 shlokas

Chapter 5(9): 22 shlokas

Chapter 5(10): 26 shlokas

Chapter 5(11): 18 shlokas

Chapter 5(12): 16 shlokas

Chapter 5(13): 26 shlokas

Chapter 5(14): 46 shlokas

Chapter 5(15): 16 shlokas

Chapter 5(16): 29 shlokas

Chapter 5(17): 25 shlokas

Chapter 5(18): 39 shlokas

Chapter 5(19): 31 shlokas

Chapter 5(20): 69 shlokas

Chapter 5(21): 22 shlokas

Chapter 5(22): 19 shlokas

Chapter 5(23): 9 shlokas

Chapter 5(24): 51 shlokas

Chapter 5(25): 17 shlokas

Chapter 5(26): 54 shlokas

Chapter 5(1)

The king asked, ‘O sage! Priyavrata was devoted to the illustrious one and found delight in his own atman. Why did he find delight in the householder stage, which is the root cause behind the bondage of action and the reason for defeat? O bull among brahmanas! Those like him are certainly free from attachment. Why should a man like that be engaged in the householder stage? O brahmana rishi! Uttamashloka’s ¹ feet are indeed great. If a person’s intelligence is satisified with that stage, his mind cannot have any desire for a family. O brahmana! There is a great doubt that I have about this attachment to a wife, a home, sons and other things, when the mind is fixed and has found success in Krishna.’

Shri-Shuka replied, ‘What you have said is correct. A person tastes the nectar from the illustrious Uttamashloka’s beautiful lotus feet. Such a devotee of the illustrious one is a paramahamsa ² and his mind is immersed in his beloved account. However, sometimes, there are obstructions that prevent him from obtaining that most auspicious state, and generally, he has to abandon it. O king! Prince Priyavrata was indeed a supreme devotee of the illustrious one. Serving at Narada’s feet, he easily got to know about the supreme objective and truth. He wished to consecrate himself for worshipping the brahman. ³ But his own father ⁴ asked him to protect the earth, since he was the only one who possessed the aggregate of the excellent qualities mentioned in the sacred texts. Through meditation and yoga, he had already dedicated all his senses and all the rites completely to the illustrious Vasudeva. Therefore, he did not welcome the command, but it wasn’t one that could be refused. He did foresee that this act of ruling would lead to his defeat, since it would engage him with the transient. The illustrious original god, born from his own self, ⁵ knows the purpose behind the entire universe and its welfare, through the creation of the gunas. ⁶ He thinks about it. Surrounded by all the sacred texts and his own followers, he descended from his own residence. As he travelled through the firmament, along the path, he was praised by the leaders of the immortals, on their collection of vimanas. ⁷ Along the path, there were groups of Siddhas, ⁸ gandharvas, ⁹ Sadhyas, ¹⁰ charanas ¹¹ and large numbers of sages who worshipped him. He approached, illuminating the valley of Gandhamadana. Because of the vehicle drawn by the swan, the divine rishi recognized his father, the illustrious Hiranyagarbha. ¹² He quickly arose and offered him objects of worship. The father and son also joined their hands in salutation and worshipped him. ¹³ O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The illustrious one was an aggregate of qualities and was always victorious. Because of this and because of his descent, the original being was worshipped with those objects and highly praised through hymns and words. He smiled benevolently and spoke to Priyavrata.

‘The illustrious one said, “O son! Listen to the true words I am speaking. The god ¹⁴ is incomprehensible and you should not find fault with him. We, Bhava, this maharshi—all of us are incapable and only carry out his commands. No embodied being can use austerities, learning, yoga, valour, intelligence, dharma, or the power of himself or someone else, to counter what has been decreed by him. O dear one! Accept that the birth, death, deeds, the act of doing, grief, confusion, constant fear, happiness, unhappiness and association with the body of all living beings are the result of the commands of the one who is not manifest. His words are like a rope and the gunas and action are like strings that all of us are tied firmly to. O child! They cannot be severed. All of us are like offerings to the illustrious one. We are like quadrupeds, tethered to the nose for the sake of bipeds. O dear one! We are indeed bound to whatever is given to us by the lord, happiness, unhappiness and the attachment to gunas and action. We are tied to whatever existence the protector engages us in. We are like blind people, being led by a person who has eyes. Even a liberated person has to bear his body, until the store of his deeds has been exhausted, but without identifying himself with the body. This is like a person who wakes up and remembers what he experienced in dreams. However, in the next body, he should not enjoy material objects. Even if he goes to the forest, he may have six enemies ¹⁵ who will cause fear and distraction. But a learned person will have conquered his senses and will be satisfied within himself. No one can harm such a person, even if he happens to be in the householder stage. He must seek to conquer the six enemies and first enter the householder stage. This is like conquering the enemies in an extremely well-fortified place. When the desires have been exhausted, as a learned person, he can go elsewhere. ¹⁶ But you have already fortified yourself well and have conquered the six enemies, since you have sought refuge at the lotus feet of the one who has a lotus in his navel. Since the supreme being has commanded you, enjoy the objects of pleasure. Free of attachment, serve your own nature.”’

Shri-Shuka said, ‘The great devotee of the illustrious one was thus instructed by the illustrious preceptor of the three worlds. Since he was himself inferior, he bowed his head down and accepted the command given to him. With a great deal of respect, he agreed and carried out those instructions. Manu worshipped the illustrious one with whatever objects of worship he could muster up, while Priyavrata and Narada looked on calmly. He ¹⁷ then returned to where he had come from, his own supreme world, beyond the capacity of thoughts and words to grasp. Because of the supreme one, Manu accomplished his desire. With the permission of the divine rishi, he instated his son as the protector of the entire world. He was thus himself relieved from association with material objects. This store of senses is like a waterbody where the water is mixed with poison. In this way, through the wishes of the lord, he became the lord of the world and was engaged in all the acts he had the right to perform. The illustrious one, the original being, is supreme in his powers and can destroy the bondage of the entire universe. By meditating on his feet, he destroyed all the impurities in his heart. He ruled over the earth and enhanced the reverence towards the great one. He married the daughter of Prajapati Vishvakarma, named Barhismati. Through her, he obtained ten sons who were his equals in good conduct, qualities, deeds, beauty, valour and generosity. As the youngest, he also had a daughter, and her name was Urjasvati. All of them were named after Agni—Agnidhra, Idhmajihva, Yajnabahu, Mahavira, Hiranyareta, Ghritaprishtha, Savana, Medhatithi, Vitihotra and Kavi. Out of these, three held up their seed—Kavi, Mahavira and Savana. From their infancy, they pursued realization of the atman. They were familiar with, and achieved, the status of becoming a paramahamsa. They were supreme rishis who renounced. They sought refuge at the beautiful lotus feet of the illustrious one, Vasudeva, who resides in all embodied forms and who is the recourse for those who are scared. They remembered the supreme one and without any contamination, followed bhakti yoga. ¹⁸ Thus purifying their hearts, they perceived the illustrious one, who is in the atmans of all beings. Free from all differences, they realized the paramatman ¹⁹ in their own jivatmans. ²⁰ Through another wife, he ²¹ had three sons—Uttama, Tapasa and Raivata. Each became the lord of a manvantara. ²² While his sons were engaged in self-control, ²³ the lord of the earth uninterruptedly ruled over the earth for eleven arbudas. ²⁴ The entire earth was subdued by the loud twang of his bowstring, when it was drawn by those two powerful and well-endowed arms. The proponents of adharma were defeated. Every day, he found increasing pleasure with Barhismati. Her gentle femine behaviour, bashfulness, delicate smiles and beautiful sidelong glances conquered his sense of discrimination. The great-minded person enjoyed himself like one who was ignorant. When the illustrious sun god circles around the mountain of the gods, ²⁵ he illuminates half of the earth, while the other half is enveloped in darkness. He ²⁶ did not like this. Because he had worshipped and satisfied the illustrious one, he had obtained superhuman powers. Using a radiant chariot that was like the sun’s chariot in speed, he decided to turn night into day and like a second sun, followed the sun’s orbit seven times. The trails of his chariot left impressions that became the seven oceans and these divided the earth into seven dvipas known as Jambu, Plaksha, Shalmali, Kusha, Krouncha, Shaka and Pushkara. ²⁷ Each is twice as large as the one that precedes it. On the outside, each is surrounded by a body of liquid. The seven liquid bodies are made out of salt water, sugar cane juice, liquor, clarified butter, milk, curds and fresh water. ²⁸ They form boundaries around the seven dvipas. Progressively, each is equal in size to the dvipa it surrounds. Barhismati’s husband made each of his dutiful sons, Agnidhra, Idhmajihva, Yajnabahu, Hiranyareta, Ghritaprishtha, Medhatithi and Vitihotra, ²⁹ the lord of one of these dvipas. He bestowed his daughter, named Urjasvati, on Ushanas. ³⁰ Through her, Kavya had a daughter named Devayani. This kind of wonderful manliness is only possible for a man who seeks the dust of Urukrama’s ³¹ feet and conquers the six attributes. ³² Even if an inferior person performs the good deed of uttering the illustrious one’s name, he shakes off bondage. Thus, he was unlimited in his strength and valour. Despite having been instructed at the feet of the divine rishi, he succumbed to the attachment with the gunas. Once, he became dissatisfied and wanted to withdraw. Since he knew about the atman, he said, “Alas! I have been engaged in an act of wickedness. I have been immersed in the senses and in ignorance. By being submerged in this pit of material objects, I have caused hardships for myself. Enough of these trifles. I am like a domesticated animal in the hands of a woman. Shame on me. I am condemned because of this.” Through the favours of the supreme being, he obtained self-realization. He divided the earth equally among his obedient sons. He gave up his great prosperity. He had pleasured with his queen, but abandoned her, like a dead body. With renunciation in his heart, he again followed the path indicated by Narada, of devotedly following the pastimes of the illustrious Hari. There is a shloka about him. “But for the lord, who could have performed Priyavrata’s deeds? He destroyed the darkness and with his axle, created the seven oceans. To stop conflict among beings, he divided the earth into separate dvipas and created boundaries with oceans, mountains and forests. He loved those who were devoted to the supreme being. He regarded the greatness a man obtains through his deeds, on earth and in heaven, as equal to being in hell.”’

Chapter 5(2)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘When his father was thus engaged, Agnidhra followed his instruction. He ruled over the subjects who resided in Jambudvipa, protecting them and looking upon them as his own sons. Once, he desired to obtain the world of the ancestors. ³³ He went to the valley in the mountain ³⁴ that celestial women sport in. He collected all the required objects and with single-minded attention, worshipped the illustrious lord and creator of the universe. ³⁵ He performed austerities. The illustrious and original being discerned his intentions. There was an apsara named Purvachitti who was singing in his assembly. He sent her down to him. She went to an extremely beautiful grove in the hermitage. It was dense with many kinds of trees, with thick branches and golden creepers, vibrating because couples of land birds were perched there, singing in melodious tones. There were waterbodies filled with sparkling water, lotuses and karandavas, swans and many other aquatic birds which called out in response. She wandered around there. As she walked in that graceful and enticing way, her anklets tinkled. The prince’s eyes, which were like a pair of lotus buds, were closed in the yoga of meditation. Hearing the pleasing and tinkling sounds from the ornaments on her feet, he opened his eyes slightly and looked at her. Not very far from him, she was inhaling the fragrance of the beautiful flowers, like a bee. Her glances brought delight to the minds of gods and men. Her gait, playfulness, bashfulness, modest glances, sweet voice and limbs delighted the minds of men. Her mouth was like an opening for the one who has flowers as his weapon. ³⁶ Her mouth seemed to ooze out flows of amrita. Her smiles and speech were intoxicating. Swarms of bees, blind with intoxication, surrounded her. As she walked swiftly, her breasts, which were like pots, quivered. The burden of her hair hung down, up to the girdle. She was like a goddess and he looked at her. Seizing the opportunity, the illustrious Makaradhvaja brought him under his subjugation. Like a senseless person, ³⁷ he spoke to her. “O noble sage! Who are you and what do you want to do on this mountain? Are you a maya of the supreme divinity, the illustrious one? O friend! Are you wielding these two stringless bows ³⁸ for your own sake? In this desolate spot, which unwary animal do you wish to hunt? O glorious one! Your arrows are like the petals of lotuses. ³⁹ They are gentle and without tufts, but are extremely pointed at the tips. In this forest, we do not know whom you desire to aim these at? May your valour be for the benefit of foolish people like us. O glorious one! Your disciples are around you, ⁴⁰ reading and singing Sama hymns with their mysteries, as they glorify their lord. Flowers are falling down from the braids in your hair and all the large number of rishis are worshipping and seeking them, as if they are the branches of the Vedas. O brahmana! The tinkling of the bells on your feet are like the calls of tittira birds. ⁴¹ Though their forms cannot be seen, we can hear them. The girdle encircling your well-rounded hips is as beautiful as a kadamba flower, surrounded by a circle of flames. Where did you get this bark? O brahmana! What is inside these two beautiful mounds? ⁴² Though you are slender at the waist, you are carrying them and my eyes have been attracted to them. These mounds of yours are pinkish-red and their fragrance has permeated my hermitage. O extremely fortunate one! You have perfumed it. O best among friends! Show me the region where people are born with such beautiful limbs on their chest. You are agitating the minds of people like us. From your sweet words, gestures and the nectar in your mouth, those born there must possess many wonders. What do you eat to sustain yourself? O dear one! A fragrance, like that of oblations, is emanating from it. ⁴³ Since you do not blink, you are Vishnu’s portion. There are two makaras in your ears. ⁴⁴ Your eyes are like a couple of restless fish. Your teeth are as beautiful as an array of birds. ⁴⁵ Your face is like a pond and swarms of bees are buzzing around you. You are playing with a ball in your hand and your palm is like a lotus. As I follow its movement in different directions, my eyes have become agitated. You are not aware that the mass of your curly and matted hair is hanging loose. Like a lascivious person, the wind is trying to steal your lower garment. O store of austerities! Where did you get this form? It destroys the austerities of those who are trying to perform austerities? So as to obtain this, what kind of austerities did you perform? O friend! You should perform austerities in my company. Is the creator of the universe pleased with me? ⁴⁶ O beloved brahmana! You have been given to me by the gods and I will not let go of you. My mind and my sight will not let you go. O one with the beautiful mounds! Take me with you, as a follower, wherever you wish and these auspicious friends of yours can also follow.” He was accomplished in entreating women and was skilled in carnal pleasures. With an intelligence like that of the gods, he used such words to make the celestial lady become attached to him. Because of his intelligence, good conduct, beauty, age, prosperity and generosity, her mind was attracted to the lord of hordes of heroes. She spent ten thousand human years with the lord of Jambudvipa, enjoying heavenly pleasures. It is said that Agnidhra, supreme among kings, obtained nine sons through her—Nabhi, Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilavrita, Ramyaka, Hiranmaya, Kuru, Bhadrashva and Ketumala. She gave birth to these sons, one son a year. After this, leaving her home, Purvachitti again presented herself before the god Aja. Through the favours of their mother, Agnidhra’s sons naturally obtained well-formed bodies and strength. They were just like their father and he divided up the divisions ⁴⁷ of Jambudvipa for them to enjoy. King Agnidhra’s desires were still not satiated and, day and night, he remembered the apsara. Therefore, following the rites of the sacred texts, after death, he obtained the same world as her. This is the world that the ancestors enjoy. When their father died, the nine brothers married Meru’s nine daughters, known as, Merudevi, Pratirupa, Ugradamshtri, Lata, Ramya, Shyama, Nari, Bhadra and Devaviti.’

Chapter 5(3)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Merudevi did not have any sons and Nabhi wished to have offspring. Therefore, controlling themselves, they worshipped the illustrious lord of sacrifices. It is impossible to obtain the illustrious one through performing different types of rites, objects appropriate to the time and the place, mantras, rituals, dakshina ⁴⁸ and the invocation of many kinds of ordinances. However, he is affectionate towards his devotees and is pleased through pure words and faith. He manifests himself in his beautiful and unvanquished form to those who are his own and who worship him in the proper way, accepting him in their hearts. His beautiful form and limbs are a delight to the heart, mind and eyes and reveal themselves. Thus it was. He was radiant in his two-armed form. The supreme being was clad in a yellow silken garment. The shrivatsa mark was on his chest. He had a conch shell, a lotus, a garland of wild flowers, a chakra, the immortal jewel, ⁴⁹ a mace and other objects. His dazzling and excellent diadem, earrings, girdle, necklace, armlets, anklets and other ornaments decorated his body. On seeing him, the officiating priests, the assistant priests and the lord of the house ⁵⁰ were like poor people when they obtain a lot of riches. With a great deal of respect, they bowed their heads down and worshipped him with all the requisite objects.

‘The officiating priests said, “O most exalted among those who are worshipped! We are your servants. We are repeatedly bowing down before you. On your own, please accept our worship. Since you are incomprehensible, we cannot worship you. However, we have been instructed by virtuous ones. Which man, immersed in the transformations of the gunas of Prakriti, is capable of describing the lord who is beyond Purusha and Prakriti? The names, forms and qualities of the material world cannot determine your form. You are most auspicious and supreme in all the qualities. Even if one of your parts is worshipped, you destroy all the sins of people. Devotedly, your servants are worshipping you with faltering words, prayers, water, branches with new shoots, tulasi leaves and freshly sprouted durva grass. O supreme one! This should indeed satisfy you. We have worshipped you properly with many objects, without hoping to get anything in return. Your self is certainly the source of all the purusharthas. ⁵¹ They directly flow from you, continuous, uninterrupted and increasing. O protector! All this is only for the sake of obtaining your benedictions. ⁵² You should be pleased with our worship. O supreme among all supreme beings! We are supremely ignorant. We are foolish and do not know what is best for us. You are boundless in compassion. We have not worshipped you properly. However, because of your own greatness, you have sought to confer liberation on us and have revealed yourself to us, like an ordinary person. O supreme among those who should be worshipped and supreme among those who confer boons! At the sacrifice of the royal sage, you have shown yourself to your own devotees. This sight of you is itself a boon. O accumulation of qualities! There are sages whose non-attachment has increased. They have burnt down all their impurities through the fire of knowledge. Content in their own atmans, they have attained your state. They continuously chant about your qualities and even for them, this represents supreme bliss. Your qualities, deeds and names can destroy all sins. May we be able to utter them even when we stumble a bit, are hungry, are falling down, are yawning, are amidst hardships, or are incapacitated because of fever or impending death, so that we can’t remember them. Moreover, this royal sage desires offspring. O lord! He hopes for a son who will be exactly like you. Your blessings can yield heaven and liberation. With an offspring as the ultimate objective, he is worshipping you, like a person who approaches the lord of riches for a mere husk. Is there anyone in this world who has not been vanquished by your invincible maya, whose path cannot be determined? ⁵³ With the intelligence confounded, one therefore succumbs to material objects, which are like poison and suffuse one’s nature, even if one worships at the feet of great ones. O lord who performs many acts! You have indeed been invited here by wicked ones for a material objective. O lord of the gods! This shows disrespect towards you. We are ignorant. However, because of your amiability, please pardon everything.”’

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Thus the illustrious one, foremost among gods, was praised in prose ⁵⁴ by those at whose feet the lord of the varsha worships. ⁵⁵ Filled with kindness, he replied.

‘The illustrious one said, “O rishis! I am certainly pleased and your words will not be false. He has sought a son who is exactly like me and this boon is not easy to obtain. Since I am matchless, there can be no one who is like me. However, the words of brahmanas cannot be false. After all, the lineage of brahmanas is like my mouth. Therefore, it shall be that way. Since there is no one who is my equal, my portion will descend through Agnidhra’s son.”’

Shri-Shuka said, ‘The illustrious one said this to Merudevi’s husband, while she heard, and disappeared. O Vishnudatta! ⁵⁶ At the sacrifice, the supreme rishis pleased the illustrious one in this way. Wishing to do what would be agreeable to Nabhi, he descended in Merudevi. Desiring to exhibit dharma to mendicants ⁵⁷ who are naked and hold up their seed, he descended in a form that was pure.’

Chapter 5(4)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Thus, he was born with all the signs of the illustrious one. He was tranquil and impartial towards everyone. He possessed great powers and wasn’t attached to prosperity. Day by day, his powers increased. Ordinary people, subjects, brahmanas and gods greatly wished that he would rule over the surface of the earth. His bodily features were superior and were extolled in great shlokas. Because of his vigour, strength, beauty, fame, valour and prowess, his father gave him the name of Rishabha. ⁵⁸ The illustrious Indra was envious and did not rain down in this varsha. Ascertaining this, the illustrious Rishabhadeva, the lord of yoga, laughed. Using the maya of his yoga, he showered down on his own varsha of Ajanabha. ⁵⁹ As he desired, Nabhi obtained an excellent son and was filled with overwhelming jubiliation. He accepted the words of the illustrious and ancient being that he had himself accepted this form to follow the dharma of the world of men. Overcome by maya, he addressed him as “My child” and “My son”. He reared him affectionately and was exceedingly happy. King Nabhi knew that the citizens of the city and the countryside and the ordinary people loved his son. To protect the ordinances, he cheerfully instated him and entrusted him to accomplished brahmanas. With Merudevi, he went to Vishala and engaged in meditation. He worshipped the illustrious Vasudeva, known as Nara and Narayana. In the course of time, he attained his ⁶⁰ greatness. O Pandaveya! Two shlokas are cited about him. “Which man can undertake the deeds of the royal sage, Nabhi? Because of his pure deeds, he obtained Hari as his son.” “Who can be more devoted to brahmanas than Nabhi? Worshipped in auspicious ways, the brahmanas used their energies and the lord of sacrifices showed himself at his sacrifice.” The illustrious Rishabhadeva regarded his varsha as a place where he would undertake action. For instance, he resided in his preceptor’s house. He then obtained the permission of the preceptors to become a householder and gave them gifts. ⁶¹ Seeking to instruct about dharma by following it, he obtained Jayanti from Indra ⁶² and married her. He performed both types of deeds mentioned in the sacred texts. ⁶³ Through her, he had one hundred sons who were exactly like him. Among them, the eldest was the great yogi, Bharata. He was best in qualities. It is after him that this region came to be known as Bharatavarsha. Among the other ninety-nine, the foremost were Kushavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprik, Vidarbha and Kikata. There were also Kavi, Havi, Antariksha, Prabuddha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Chamasa and Karabhajana. These nine immensely fortunate ones were excellent in conduct and exhibited the dharma of following the illustrious one. Their greatness was enhanced by the illustrious one. I will describe this to you when I recount the conversation between Vasudeva and Narada. ⁶⁴ The younger eighty-one of Jayanti’s sons followed the instructions of their father. They were great in conduct and extremely learned. They were brahmanas who performed sacrifices, pure in their deeds. The illustrious one, known as Rishabha, was in control of his own self. He was always free from the progression of undesired objects. He only felt absolute bliss. Though he was like the lord himself, he acted in a contrary way. ⁶⁵ He followed and taught about the dharma that had become neglected over time. He was impartial, tranquil, friendly and compassionate. For the sake of dharma, artha, fame, joy and immortality of subjects who were in the householder stage in this world, he laid down rules. Whatever is undertaken by the best is followed by the world. ⁶⁶ He himself knew everything about the secret dharma of the brahman. ⁶⁷ However, he followed the path shown by brahmanas and ruled over the people in accordance with sama and other modes. ⁶⁸ As instructed, he performed one hundred sacrifices faithfully and worshipped, with all the objects appropriate to the time and the place. The officiating priests were young and appropriate to the place. When the illustrious one ruled over this varsha, there was no man who desired something for himself that did not exist. ⁶⁹ No one desired anything from anyone else. No one ever glanced at anything that belonged to the master. They found increasing affection within their own inner selves. While roaming around, the illustrious Rishabha once went to Brahmavarta. There was an assembly of the foremost among brahmana rishis there. His sons were well controlled, devoted and affectionate. However, he wished to instruct them. While the subjects heard, he spoke to them.’

Chapter 5(5)

‘Rishabha said, “O sons! Among those who bear bodies in this world, a person with a human body does not deserve to suffer hardships that result from desire, unlike those who survive on excrement. ⁷⁰ He should serve the divine truth through austerities and by purifying himself, obtain infinite association with the brahman. It is said that serving the great is the gate to liberation. Associating with those who are attached to women is the gate to darkness. The great are impartial in their intelligence and tranquil. They are without anger, fraternal and virtuous. There are those who think of me as the lord and think that affection towards me is the greatest objective. They are not happy with those who are obsessed with maintaining their bodies. They are not attached to homes, wives and sons and only want what is required to subsist in this world. When one engages in gratification of the senses, one is certainly distracted and performs contrary acts. I do not think it good that one should perform deeds ⁷¹ that make one undergo hardships in a new body. As long as one does not inquire the truth about the atman, there is ignorance and one remains vanquished. As long as one engages in tasks, the mind is also absorbed in deeds and binds down the body. In this way, as long as the mind succumbs to action, one is united with ignorance and the atman remains shrouded. Until one develops affection towards me, Vasudeva, a person is not freed from the identity with the body. Until one realizes that the qualities of this world are meaningless, one is selfish and distracted and does not quickly become learned. Such a person loses his memory and faces hardships. He is ignorant and obtains a home where he indulges in sexual intercourse. The man and the woman are attracted to sexual intercourse and it is said that this binds their hearts to each other. Thereafter, people are deluded by the home, the wife, sons and riches and notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. There is a firm bondage to deeds. ⁷² When these are loosened and the bonds of the mind and the heart weaken, people retreat from this. ⁷³ They give up the cause ⁷⁴ and proceed towards supreme liberation. I am Hamsa. ⁷⁵ I am the preceptor. I must be devotedly followed. There must be detachment and tolerance for the opposites. There must be realization that beings face hardships everywhere. There must be inquiry and austerities and withdrawal from the objects of this world. Actions must be for me. There must be constant recital of my accounts. There must be association with my devotees. My qualities must be chanted. O sons! There must be lack of enmity, impartiality and self-restraint. There must be a desire to give up the body, the home and the identification with the self. By resorting to a secluded place, the yoga of adhyatma ⁷⁶ must be pursued. The breath of life, the senses and the mind must be completely controlled. One must always observe brahmacharya ⁷⁷ faithfully. Through yama, ⁷⁸ speech must not be allowed to be confused. Through discrimination, one must always think of me. One will then be illuminated with jnana and vijnana. ⁷⁹ Through yoga, there will be perseverance and enterprise. Through this truth, one can give up the linga sharira ⁸⁰ and the limitation known as ahamkara. ⁸¹ The desire for action is brought about ignorance. If one is not distracted, through this yoga and by following the instructions, one can sever the bondage in the heart. For further progress, one should tend to give up this yoga. ⁸² Free of anger, ⁸³ a king or a preceptor who desires my world or seeks my favours as an objective, should instruct the ignorant disciples about this. Those foolish ones are deluded by karma and he should not urge them to undertake further karma. What benefit will a man derive from this? Bereft of insight, he will fall down into a pit. ⁸⁴ A person in this world is bereft of insight and does not know what is for his own good. He wishes for material objects and wishes to satisfy the senses. For the sake of a trifling bit of happiness, they injure each other. The foolish person does not know about the infinite unhappiness that will follow. If an evil-minded and ignorant person exists in this way and a compassionate, experienced and learned person sees this, why will he not direct him to the right path, like directing a blind man? If one does not deliver from this cycle of birth and death, one should not become a preceptor, a relative, a father, a mother, a divinity or a husband. This body of mine is inconceivable. My heart only has sattva and dharma. I have left adharma behind me, far away. That is the reason noble ones know me as Rishabha. All of you have been born from my heart. Therefore, with unadulterated intelligence, you should serve your great brother, Bharata. That service will be service to the subjects. Among living beings, plants are superior. Reptiles, which have developed intelligence, are superior to them. Humans are superior to them and pramathas ⁸⁵ are superior to humans. In turn, gandharvas and Siddhas are superior to them and the followers of the gods are superior to these too. The gods and the asuras, with Maghavan as the foremost, are superior to them. Daksha and the other sons of Brahma are superior to them. Since Bhava resulted from Virinchi’s seed, he is regarded as inferior to Virinchi. But I am superior to him. ⁸⁶ I, the god, regard brahmanas as my god. O brahmanas! I do not see any beings who are equal to brahmanas, not to speak of being superior to them. I do not desire and accept the oblations of agnihotra sacrifices as much as I do what men faithfully offer to them. It is they who have nurtured my unadulterated and ancient body, which consists of supreme and sacred truth. ⁸⁷ They possess control of the mind, control of the senses, truth, mercy, austerities, tolerance and realization. I am infinite in my powers and I am superior to the one who is the greatest. There is nothing I cannot bestow, heaven and emancipation, not to speak of anything else. They serve me faithfully and desire nothing from anyone else. O sons! I reside in all beings, mobile and immobile. Hence, they must be respected by you at every step. Since your insight is clear, know that this is like offering worship to me. Thoughts, words, deeds and everything that is undertaken in this world is directly my service. Without realizing this, a man cannot desire to free himself from the noose of death and this great delusion.”’

Shri-Shuka said, ‘In this way, the great being and great benefactor, known as the illustrious Rishabha, himself instructed his sons. Though they were learned, he wished to instruct the worlds. This was the virtuous path for those who withdraw from material objects and those who withdraw from deeds. These are the great sages, the paramahamsas, who are characterized by devotion, knowledge and non-attachment. He instructed his one hundred sons, the eldest of whom, Bharata, was devoted to the illustrious one and to devotees of the illustrious one. To protect the earth, he himself instated him. After this, though he remained at home, he renounced everything, except his body. The sky was his garment and his hair was dishevelled. He was like a person who was mad. He instated the ahavaniya fire ⁸⁸ within himself and left Brahmavarta, to travel around. His form was like that of an avadhuta, ⁸⁹ like one who was stupid, blind, dumb, deaf, mad, or a pishacha. ⁹⁰ Though people addressed him by such names, he adopted a vow of silence. Here and there, as he passed through cities, villages, mines, fields, gardens, habitations in valleys, camps, cow pens, settlements of cowherds, resting places, mountains, forests, hermitages and so on, the worst of society surrounded him, like a wild elephant surrounded by flies. They threatened him, beat him, urinated on him, spat on him, threw stones at him, hurled dust and foul odours at him and abused him. He ignored these, since the physical body might be called real, but was actually unreal. In his own greatness, he comprehended them both ⁹¹ and no longer accepted notions of “I” and “mine”. Undisturbed in his mind, he travelled around the world, alone. His hands, feet and chest were extremely delicate. His arms were long. His shoulders, neck, face and other limbs were well-formed. He was naturally beautiful, with a smiling and handsome face. His large eyes were beautiful, like the petals of a lotus that had just bloomed. The pupils seemed to take away all miseries. The forehead, ears, neck and nose were extremely beautiful, the face rendered charming by his deep smile. An abundance of curly, matted and tawny hair was spread around. He appeared like a great festival and stirred the god of love in the minds of the women who resided in the cities. Since his body was as dirty as that of an avadhuta, he seemed to be possessed by an evil planet. When the illustrious one saw that people in general were against this practice of yoga, he perceived that there was no point in directly opposing this resistance. He accepted the terrible vow observed by a python. He ate, drank, chewed and passed urine and excrement while he was lying down. Thus, his body was defiled with urine and excrement. But the smell of the excrement was overshadowed by a fragrance that the wind brought and this excellent fragrance spread in every direction, up to a distance of ten yojanas. ⁹² Thus, whether he was moving, standing, sitting or lying down, he followed the behaviour of cattle, deer and crows. He drank, ate and passed urine like crows, deer and cattle. In this way, the illustrious one performed many forms of yoga. Rishabha was a master of kaivalya. ⁹³ Immersed in the great and supreme one, he found constant bliss. The illustrious Vasudeva is manifested in all beings and he saw no difference between him and his own atman. Through the practice of yoga, he accomplished all the siddhis—travelling through the sky, travelling at the speed of thought, the ability to disappear, the ability to enter another person’s body, the ability to see things that are far away and other such powers. ⁹⁴ O king! However, though he automatically achieved these powers, his mind did not welcome them.’ ⁹⁵

Chapter 5(6)

The king said, ‘O illustrious one! Those who find delight in their own selves and obtain knowledge fanned by yoga, certainly burn down the seeds of karma. The powers that automatically arise should not lead to distress.’ ⁹⁶

The rishi ⁹⁷ replied, ‘What you have said is true. But there are some in this world who do not trust the fickle mind, like a cunning hunter. ⁹⁸ In this connection, it has been said, “The mind is fickle and one should never contract a friendship with it. Lords have performed austerities over a long period of time and those have become dislodged. ⁹⁹ Desire and other enemies always follow, looking for an opening. If a yogi creates friendship, ¹⁰⁰ he offers entry, like the unchaste wife of a husband. It is the root cause of desire, anger, pride, avarice, grief, confusion, fear and other things. Which learned person will accept this bondage of karma?” He was the ornament of all the guardians of the world. But because of the garb, speech and conduct of a foolish avadhuta, he was not noticed. The powers of the illustrious one went unnoticed. He wished to instruct yogis about the technique for giving up his own body. He wished to surrender himself, free from the flow of desires and undesirable ends. Considering this, he gave up the identification with the linga sharira. The illustrious Rishabha was freed from his linga sharira. Nevertheless, because of the maya of yoga, the physical body still roamed around the world and went to Konka, Venka, Kutaka and southern Karnataka. ¹⁰¹ He did not desire to travel to these regions. However, he reached a grove near Kutakachala. He held a piece of stone in his mouth and was like a mad man. His hair was dishevelled and he was naked. He wandered around in this form. Thereafter, the friction of bamboos rubbing against each other ignited a fire. Fanned by the wind, this forest conflagration, burnt down the forest and his body. In Konka, Venka and Kutaka, there will be a king by the name of Arhat. He will get to know about what he ¹⁰² had practised and taught. Because of the adharma of kali yuga, he will give up his own dharma, which dispels fear. Instead, using his own intelligence, the evil person will propagate the perverse path of a heretic. Because of this, in kali yuga, wicked people will be confounded by divine maya. They will be devoid of purity and character and abandon their own ordinances and rules. Because of kali yuga, they will not bathe or perform ablutions. They will be unclean and will pluck out their hair. With adharma pervading, their intelligence will be destroyed. They will generally condemn the brahman, brahmanas, sacrifices, the supreme being and the world. People will think of their own principles of conduct and deviate. There will be progressive encouragement of blind people. They will themselves descend into the darkness of ignorance. This descent was to instruct those who are full of rajas about kaivalya. A shloka is chanted about his qualities. “This earth has seven oceans and dvipas and this varsha ¹⁰³ is the most sacred. People there sing about Murari and about the auspicious deeds his incarnations undertake. This lineage of Priyavrata is famous. The ancient being, the original Purusha, descended there. He propagated the dharma that frees from undesired karma. Even in his mind, is there any other yogi who can follow the example set by the unborn one? They desire the powers that the maya of yoga brings. Though he didn’t make efforts, they manifested themselves and he spurned them.” The illustrious one, known as Rishabha, was the supreme preceptor of all the Vedas, the worlds, the divinities, the brahmanas and cattle. His activities were pure and reciting them cleanses all the wicked conduct of men. The great one is the supremely auspicious refuge. If a man listens to it with increasing attentiveness and devotion, or speaks about it to others, single-minded devotion towards the illustrious Vasudeva is developed in both. ¹⁰⁴ In samsara, ¹⁰⁵ one constantly faces many kinds of sins and is incessantly tormented by sufferings. The wise bathe themselves in supreme nivritti ¹⁰⁶ and seek liberation. However, though this is the greatest purushartha, it is not automatically obtained, even if one strives for it. But through devotion to the illustrious one, one transcends all these objectives. O king! He is the master and preceptor of all of you ¹⁰⁷ and the Yadus. The divinity loves you and is the master of your lineage. Indeed, he sometimes acted like your servant. O dear one! The illustrious Mukunda grants liberation to those who worship him, but rarely does he offer an opportunity to serve through bhakti yoga. He was always conscious of who he was. He was complete in himself and had no other desires. He wished to ensure benefit for people whose intelligence has been dormant for a long time. Because of his compassion, he wished to show people about the atman and grant them freedom from fear. He is known as the illustrious Rishabha. Let us bow down to him.’

Chapter 5(7)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Bharata was immensely devoted to the illustrious one and was instated by the illustrious one ¹⁰⁸ to rule over the earth. He ruled and married Panchajani, Vishvarupa’s daughter. Just as the five subtle elements give rise to the gross elements, ¹⁰⁹ through her, he had five sons who were exactly like him—Sumati, Rashtrabhrita, Sudarshana, Avarana and Dhumraketu. This varsha was earlier known as Ajanabha, but came to be known as Bharata after him. The lord of the earth was great in learning. Like his father and grandfather, he was affectionate towards the subjects, who were engaged in their own tasks. He followed his own dharma and protected them. He worshipped the illustrious one, who is the form of yajnas and kratus. ¹¹⁰ He faithfully performed many kinds of large and small kratus—agnihotra, darsha, purnamasa, chaturmasya, those performed with animals and those with soma. Through the four kinds of officiating priests he observed all the rituals, complete and partial. When these many kinds of sacrifices were commenced, with all the attendant rites and rituals, the apurva ¹¹¹ fruits of the sacrifice, known as dharma, were offered to the supreme brahman, the lord of sacrifices. His signs are manifest in all the gods. He is the object of all the mantras. He is the supervisor of all the objectives, the rules and the tasks. He is himself the doer. He is the origin of all the gods. He was the illustrious Vasudeva. He ¹¹² was accomplished in cleansing himself of all anger and sin and thought in this way, with the oblations offered by the adhvaryus ¹¹³ accepted as their shares by gods who were limbs of the supreme being. This is what the performer of the sacrifice thought. He purified his heart through such pure deeds. Day by day, greater devotion developed in him for the brahman. The great being, the illustrious Vasudeva, manifested himself in the inner recesses of his heart, with the signs of shrivatsa, Koustubha, a garland of wild flowers, a conch shell, a mace and the other signs. He is like a being who is etched in the hearts of his own people and the radiant form of the being showed itself in this form. He was thus engaged for ten million years and enjoyed himself. He understood that the time had come for his deeds to be extinguished. He divided up the kingdom of his father and grandfathers among his own sons. According to the rules of inheritance, he himself divided up all his possessions. He then left his own residence and went to Pulaha’s hermitage. It is said that there, Hari shows his affection towards his own devotees and displays himself in the forms that they desire. The river known as Chakranadi, supreme among rivers, ¹¹⁴ sanctifies everything in that hermitage, and leaves marks like a navel, seen above and below every stone. It is said that alone in a grove in Pulaha’s hermitage, he worshipped the illustrious one with many kinds of flowers, tender leaves, tulasi, water, roots, bulbs and fruits. Thus purified, he no longer had any desire for the objects of the senses. He was tranquil and obtained supreme bliss. Through such constant worship of the illustrious Purusha, his attachment increased and the burdens of his heart were loosened and melted away. The force of delight in his body made his body hair stand up. The intense longing led to tears of love flowing from his eyes and obstructing his vision. He meditated on the illustrious one’s lotus feet, loved by him. Through this bhakti yoga, he was overwhelmed with supreme bliss everywhere and this inundated the deep lake in his heart. His intelligence was submerged in this and he no longer remembered the rites of worshipping the illustrious one. He was thus firm in his vow to the illustrious one. He was attired in deerskin. The mass of curly, tawny and matted hair was wet because of bathing thrice a day and was beautiful. Through hymns dedicated to the sun god, he worshipped the illustrious being, whose golden form is manifested in the solar disc when it rises. He worshipped him and said, “Knowledge results from the sun god, who is beyond rajas. Everything was created by meditating on the self-radiant one. Having created it from his seed, he enters it and maintains it, protecting beings who hanker after material objects. I worship the bestower of intelligence.”’ ¹¹⁵

Chapter 5(8)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Once, after having performed his ablutions, he bathed in the great river and performed the general and specific rituals. He then seated himself on the banks of the river for three muhurtas ¹¹⁶ and chanted the syllable Oum. O king! At that time, a thirsty doe arrived near the water. While it was drinking water, from not very far away, a lord of deer ¹¹⁷ roared and this was terrifying to all the worlds. The doe was naturally timid. On hearing the sound made by the lion, fear entered and agitated its heart. Its eyes darted around, here and there. Though its thirst had not been satisfied, because of its fear, it leapt across the river. It was expecting and while it leapt in fear, it miscarried and the fawn was dislodged from its womb into the flow of the river. Because of the miscarriage, jumping across the river, fear, exhaustion and affliction, and because it was separated from the herd, the black antelope fell into a cave and died. Bharata, the royal sage, saw the helpless and innocent fawn being borne along by the current. Compassionately behaving like a friend, he picked it up and brought the motherless fawn back to his hermitage. It is said that he developed great affection for this fawn, treating it like his own child. Every day, he nurtured it, protected it, reared it and petted it. Because of this attachment, within a few days, he forgot about his own rituals, yama and even the worship of the supreme being. As days passed, all these suffered and were destroyed. He said, “Alas! Because of the force with which the lord’s chariot revolves, ¹¹⁸ this helpless fawn has been separated from its kin, well-wishers and friends. It has resorted to me as a refuge and looks upon me as a mother, a father, a brother, a kin and a member of the herd. It does not have anyone else and does not know anyone else. It depends excessively on me. I know what must be done towards someone who seeks refuge and I know about the sin of neglecting it. I must nurture it, protect it, rear it and pet it.” In this way, even if they have renounced, noble and virtuous ones feel affection and compassion and ignore their own selfish interests, even if they are more important. Having become attached, he lay down with it, walked with it, ate with it and so on. His heart was bound to the fawn in affection. When he entered the forest in search of kusha grass, flowers, kindling, leaves, fruits and roots, he was scared and worried lest wolves, jackals and wild dogs harm the fawn. Along the way, the childish fawn would dart around here and there. Since his heart was excessively burdened with love and affection, out of compassion, he would then carry it on his shoulders. ¹¹⁹ He placed it on his lap or on his chest. Fondling it in this way, he found great joy. Even when he was engaged in performing the rituals, he would repeatedly get up in between, to take a look at it. Thus reassured, the lord of the varsha would pronounce his benediction. “O child! May you be fortunate in every way.” At other times, he felt extremely anxious, like a miser who has lost his riches. He would be filled with pity and great anxiety at the prospect of being separated from the fawn. His heart would be agitated and tormented and he would constantly grieve about this. Because of this great illusion, he would say, “Alas! This fawn, the son of a dead doe, is pitiable. I am ignoble and deceitful, like a hunter. I have not done any good deeds. It has trusted me, taking me to be like its own self. Without thinking about this, will it behave like a good being and return to me? ¹²⁰ Protected by the god, will I see it safely roam around, grazing on the soft grass in the grove of the hermitage? I hope it is not devoured by a wolf, a jackal or a wild dog, by an animal that travels alone or in a herd. The illustrious one ¹²¹ arises for the welfare of the worlds. It represents the three Vedas and is about to set now. But the deer has still not returned. I have not performed any good deeds. Will the son of the king of deer return and bring me happiness? Will it undertake the many beautiful and charming frolicking that fawns indulge in and drive away the unhappiness of its kin? With my eyes closed, I would pretend to meditate. On seeing this, it would falteringly come forward, love mixed with anger. Like a gentle drop of water, it would nudge my body with the tips of its horns. When I placed oblations on kusha grass, it would pollute it. Scolded by me, extremely scared, it would stop its playing and sit down, like the son of a rishi who has conquered his senses. What austerities have I performed? This earth has performed more austerities. The son of the black antelope is small, fortunate, most auspicious and soft and its hoof prints can be seen on the ground. I am miserable, like a person who has lost his wealth, and the earth shows me how I can get that treasure back. Having ornamented herself with these marks on all sides, she indicates a spot where brahmanas who desire liberation can perform sacrifices. ¹²² The deer has lost its mother and is scared of the lion. The fawn has strayed away from its hermitage. Will the illustrious lord of the stars, who is compassionate towards people, take pity and protect it? I am separated from my own child. Like the flames of a forest conflagration, that is burning my heart, which is like a land lotus. The deer sought refuge with me. Out of love, the moon is showering down cool and peaceful beams on me from its mouth. They flow like amrita and are like water sprinkled on the face of someone who has fever.” In this way, his heart was aggrieved with futile wishes. It was his own past deeds that appeared to him in the form of a fawn. The ascetic, who had practised yoga, deviated from the practice of yoga and the objective of worshipping the illustrious one. How else could there be attachment to a fawn, a different species? It is extremely difficult to abandon the sons born from one’s own self. But because that would have been an impediment in achieving what was beneficial, he had previously given that up. However, now, the practice of yoga by the royal sage, Bharata, was obstructed by a fawn. In this way, nurturing, protecting, delighting, fondling and loving the fawn, he neglected his own atman. Finally, just as a snake dashes towards a rat’s hole, the time of death, terrible in its force, arrived. At that time, he glanced towards his side and saw the deer, grieving like his own son. With his mind fixed on it, he left this world and his body in the company of the deer. After death, he was born in the body of a deer and did not lose the memory of his past life. Even in that life, because he had worshipped the illustrious one in the past, he remembered why he had been born as a deer and was tormented by repentance. “Alas! This is a great hardship. I have fallen from the path of those who know about the atman. I gave up all attachment and was alone in an auspicious forest, seeking refuge with the atman who is in all atmans. I constantly heard, thought, chanted and worshipped the illustrious Vasudeva at all hours, completely absorbed in him. Over a period of time, my mind was completely established in him and completely fixed. But then again, I became attached to a fawn and fell down a great distance.” Thus, though it was hidden, he gave up all attachment and abandoned the doe, his mother. Not attached to any material objects, he went to the illustrious one’s region, loved by large numbers of virtuous sages, by the name of Shalagrama. From Kalanjara, he went to the hermitage of Pulastya and Pulaha. ¹²³ He was extremely anxious to avoid attachment and waited for the right time. The atman was his only companion. He survived on dry leaves, grass and herbs and waited for his time as a deer to be over. Counting his days, he gave up the deer’s body in the waters of the tirtha ¹²⁴ there.’

Chapter 5(9)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘There was a supreme brahmana born in the lineage of the supreme Angiras. He was in control of his mind and his senses and practised austerities. He recited and studied and possessed renunciation, contentment, tolerance, mildness, learning and lack of envy. He obtained delight from knowledge of the atman. He had nine sons who were exactly like him in qualities—learning, good conduct, behaviour, beauty and generosity. ¹²⁵ Through his younger wife, he had twins. It is said that the male was Bharata, supreme among royal sages, supremely devoted to the illustrious one. Having given up the body of a deer, he had obtained his last body as a brahmana. ¹²⁶ He was extremely anxious about being excessively attached to his relatives. He remembered the illustrious one, who severs the bonds of karma. He heard and remembered descriptions of his qualities. In his mind, he thought about his lotus feet and through the favours of the illustrious one, remembered the successive births he had been through. Scared that there would be impediments in the path of his realizing the atman, he presented himself to people as mad, foolish, blind and deaf. However, the brahmana was tied to his son through bonds of affection. As is prescribed in the sacred texts, he performed all the samskaras, up to samavartana. ¹²⁷ He also taught him the rules for cleansing, rites and rules, though he ¹²⁸ did not like these. However, a father must indeed instruct his son in this way. During the months of spring and those of summer, his father continuously tried to make him learn prosody and the savitri mantra, with its three padas, along with the vyahritis, and preceded by the syllable Oum. ¹²⁹ However, even in his father’s presence, he acted contrary to the instructions. His ¹³⁰ heart was filled with affection towards his own son. Even though the son wasn’t interested, he completely taught him about cleanliness, studying, vows, rules, service towards the sacrificial fire and the preceptor, the duties of a brahmachari and rites. Though the son wasn’t inclined to accepting this good behaviour, he instructed him himself. In this way, his wishes weren’t satisified. He was attached to the householder stage and negligent. Vigilant Time took him away. The brahmana’s younger wife entrusted the twins, her offspring, to her co-wife and followed her husband to the world he went to. The minds of his brothers were not submerged in supreme knowledge. They thought that knowledge of the three Vedas was everything. When their father died, they took their brother to be stupid and stopped trying to teach him anything. Ordinary people, who are nothing but animals in the form of bipeds, addressed him as mad, foolish, deaf and dumb and he replied in an appropriate way. When someone else wished that he should work, he undertook those tasks. He worked on forced labour ¹³¹ or because of wages. He begged for food, or ate whatever was given voluntarily. It could be a small quantity or a lot. It could be tasty or tasteless. He ate only that and did not seek to gratify his senses. Since he had himself accomplished perception about the transcendental bliss and had realized his own atman, he gave up all action for the sake of fruits. He no longer identified himself with his body and was indifferent towards unhappiness and happiness and everything caused by other opposite pairs. In the winter and in the summer, in the wind and in the rain, he wandered around with a bare body, like a bull. From lying down on the bare ground, he was strong and his limbs were well formed. He did not massage his body, nor did he take a bath. Covered in dirt, the radiance of the brahman was not discernible, like a hidden gem. His loins were covered in a filthy garment and his sacred thread was dark because of the dirt. He was disrespected by persons who did not know the truth and wandered around. Though born as a brahmana, he was known as a brahma-bandhu. ¹³² When he desired food, he looked for work from others against the payment of wages and even his own brothers engaged him in agricultural tasks in the field. He did it, without knowing whether the ground was plain or uneven and whether the payment was excessive or deficient. He ate broken grains of rice, oilcakes, husks, worm-eaten grain and charred rice stuck to a pot as if all this was amrita.

‘On one occasion, a lord of vrishalas ¹³³ desired a son and wished to sacrifice a man who was no more than an animal to Bhadrakali. ¹³⁴ Through chance, the animal intended for the sacrifice had escaped. The followers followed its footprints in the night. Everything was covered in darkness and by midnight, they were unable to find it. Suddenly, they chanced upon and saw the foremost son of the Angiras lineage. He was seated in virasana, ¹³⁵ protecting the fields from deer, boar and other animals. They recognized that he possessed all the requisite signs and thought that he could be used for their master’s task. They bound him with ropes and, with radiant faces, cheerfully brought him to Chandika’s temple. The robbers ¹³⁶ followed their own rituals and bathed him. They attired him in a new garment and adorned him with ornaments, pastes and garlands. He was decorated with a tilaka mark and fed. There were incense, lamps, garlands, parched grain, tender shoots, sprouts, fruits and other objects required for an animal sacrifice. There were loud songs and prayers. There was the sound of drums and kettledrums. Thus prepared, they made the man-animal sit down in front of Bhadrakali. Thereafer, the king of the vrishalas and panis desired to offer the man’s blood as a drink to the goddess Bhadrakali. He consecrated his sharp and extremely terrible sword with a mantra and picked it up. By nature, the vrishalas were dominated by rajas and tamas. Their minds were sprinkled with rajas and intoxication of wealth. They wished to cause injury to brave lineages born as portions of the illustrious one. They proceeded along their own wilful and perverse path, marked by violent and extremely terrible deeds. He had himself been born in a brahmana lineage, as the son of a brahmana rishi. He had no enemies. He was full of affection towards all beings. This was contrary to all codes. ¹³⁷ The goddess Bhadrakali’s body was scorched by the energy of the brahman, which is impossible to withstand. At the last instant, she burst forth from her image. She was filled with great rage and intolerance. Her arched eyebrows, like branches at the tips, were agitated and furrowed. Her teeth were curved. Her eyes were red at the ends. Her face was terrible. It was as if she desired to destroy the universe. Because of her rage, she emitted a loud roar of laughter. She emerged and with the same sword, severed the heads from the necks of those wicked sinners. With her companions, she drank the extremely warm blood that oozed out, as if it was liquor. She was overwhelmed and intoxicated from drinking such a lot. With her companions, she laughed out loudly. She sang and danced and played with those heads, as if they were balls. If someone commits a great transgression against a great person, he reaps all the consequences of his deeds. O Vishnudatta! This is not wonderful for paramahamsas who are devotees of the illustrious one. Even if the danger of a head being severed presents itself, they are not scared. They have severed the extremely tough bonds in their hearts and have freed themselves from their bodies. They are without enmity and are friendly towards all beings. Without any distraction and without any cessation, they are always protected by the thoughts of the illustrious one and this is a supreme weapon against all enmity. Having resorted to the feet of the illustrious one, they face no fear from anywhere.’

Chapter 5(10)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Rahugana was the king of Sindhu-Souvira. ¹³⁸ Once, he was proceeding along the banks of the River Ikshumati. At that time, the leader of the palanquin bearers was looking for another man who could be a palanquin bearer. They chanced upon this excellent brahmana. He was strong and young and his limbs were well proportioned. He was capable of bearing a load, like a bull or a donkey. Such a great-minded person did not deserve to bear a palanquin. However, along with the others who had already been forcibly seized to perform this task, he was also made to do this. The excellent brahmana only walked after glancing one arrow-length ahead. ¹³⁹ Therefore, he was not in tandem with the movements of the other men. Rahugana could see that his palanquin wasn’t moving smoothly. He told the men who were carrying it, “O bearers! Please walk properly. Why is the vehicle moving in this uneven way?” They heard the reproachful words of their master and were scared of the fourth mode ¹⁴⁰ being used. Hence they told him, “O lord of men! We are not inattentive and we follow your commands. We are bearing it properly. This one has just been engaged. He is not proceeding fast enough. Therefore, we are not capable of maintaining an even step with him.” He realized that contamination caused by a single person was capable of polluting everyone by association. King Rahugana had served the elders. Despite this, because of what had happened, his innate nature, ¹⁴¹ strength and rage were kindled a little. Like a fire covered in ashes, his ¹⁴² energy of the brahman was hidden. Having ascertained the reason, his ¹⁴³ mind was tainted by rajas and he said, “O brother! Alas! You are excessively exhausted. You have borne this alone, for an extremely long time. You are not stout, nor are your limbs well proportioned. O friend! You are suffering from old age, unlike these other bearers.” This body is the creation of ignorance and a store of gross elements, gunas and karma and is moved by these unreal aggregates. He had no sense of “I” and “mine” and had realized the brahman. Though addressed in these sarcastic words, he was silent and continued to carry the palanquin as before. The king was enraged that his own palanquin continued to move in this erratic way. He said, “What is this? Are you dead? Though you are alive, you are like one who is dead. Why are you ignoring the commands of your master? You are excessively distracted. I will treat you the way the one with the staff in his hand ¹⁴⁴ treats people. You will then come to your senses.” He was admonished in many ways by the king, who prided himself because of his rajas and tamas and therefore rebuked the innumerable devotees who are loved by the illustrious one. He prided himself on his learning and his intelligence was not sharp enough to understand the behaviour of the lords of yoga.

‘The brahmana had realized the brahman and was friendly towards all beings. Free of all pride, he smiled a little and spoke. The brahmana said, “What you have said is evident and is devoid of sarcasm. O brave one! Had I borne it, it would have been a burden. Had I moved towards the destination, I would have progressed along the path. Only the ignorant speak of this body as stout. ¹⁴⁵ Stoutness, weakness, physical disease, mental pain, hunger, thirst, fear, dissension, desires, old age, sleep, gratification of the senses, anger, ego, intoxication and lamentation are meant for those born with bodies. But these do not exist in me. O king! The attribute of being dead while alive is a rule of nature. Every material object, subject to transformation, has a beginning and an end. O respected one! The relationship between you and me is not permanent. ¹⁴⁶ These are temporary, created by destiny. We do not see the slightest bit of distinction between the two, except that created by convention. Who is the master and who is the one to be mastered? O king! However, if you still think that, tell us what we can do for you. O brave one! Despite being crazy, distracted and foolish, I have obtained and realized my real nature. That being the case, whom will you instruct? Punishing a crazy and distracted person is like grinding flour.” ¹⁴⁷ Thus, the great sage replied to everything that had been said to him. He was tranquil in conduct and did not identify with anything that was not the atman. He accepted that everything that happened to him was because of the bondage of karma. He stopped and continued to bear the king’s burden. O Pandaveya! Because of his complete faith, the lord of Sindhu and Souvira had obtained the right to inquire about the truth. He listened to the words the brahmana had spoken, respected by many texts on yoga and meant to sever the bonds of the heart. He swiftly got down, prostrated himself and bowed his head down at his feet. Having sought his pardon, he abandoned all pride about being a lord of men and spoke.

‘“Who are you? You wear a sacred thread. Are you one of the brahmanas who wander around in disguise? Which avadhuta are you? Whom do you belong to? ¹⁴⁸ Where have you come from? Why have you come here? Do you intend our benefit? Are you the pure one? ¹⁴⁹ I am not scared of the vajra of the king of the gods, or the trident of the three-eyed one, or Yama’s staff, or the weapons of the fire god, the sun god, the moon god, the wind god or the lord of riches. But I am extremely scared of showing disrespect to the lineage of the brahmanas. Therefore, please tell me. You are detached and are disguised in the form of a foolish person. You possess the supreme valour of vijnana, but are roaming around in this way. O virtuous one! Your words have yoga woven into them and we are unable to understand them, even in our minds. I am going to the lord of yoga, who knows the truth about the atman and is the supreme preceptor of all learned sages. ¹⁵⁰ I was going to ask the refuge who is Hari himself, descended from his portion as learning. Perhaps you are he. Perhaps you have hidden your signs and are wandering around with a view to scrutinizing people. A person who is bound to the householder stage is blind in his knowledge. How can he possibly know about the movements of lords of yoga? I have myself suffered exhaustion from action. That is the reason I thought you suffered from walking. You have said that the relationship between a master and a servant is unreal. But there must be a foundation to what is witnessed in usual conduct. Water may be unreal. However, when it is placed in a vessel, it is heated by the fire and so is the milk that is placed there. Because of the heat, the grains of rice are softened from the inside. Because the being is associated with the body and the senses, the experiencing of samsara must follow. The king is the chastiser and protector of the subjects. A servant does not grind flour that has already been ground. Following his own dharma and worshipping Achyuta, he can cleanse all his sins. ¹⁵¹ I am proud of being a lord of men. You are supreme among the virtuous and, thanks to my insolence, I have insulted you. O friend of those who are afflicted! Please show me that kind of friendship, so that I can overcome the sin of having slighted a virtuous person like you. You are a friend of the well-wisher of the universe, who does not undergo any transformations. Because of your tranquility, you have overcome all sense of the body. Through my own deeds, a person like me has certainly insulted a great person. Even if I am like the wielder of the trident, it is certain that I will soon be destroyed.”’

Chapter 5(11)

‘The brahmana said, “Though you are not wise, you are using the words of a wise person. Just because you have spoken in that way, you do not become the best among those who are extremely learned. O king! Sages who have examined the nature of the truth, do not discuss such relationships ¹⁵² or the attachment to the householder stage. They are interested in the knowledge that leads to an expansion. Those who speak about the Vedas have generally not purified themselves by speaking about the truth. They only appear to be virtuous. Even if those words ¹⁵³ are excellent, they do not directly enable one to accept the truth. For example, a person who is in a householder stage behaves as if in a dream. However, a learned person considers these to be inferior. As long as a person is polluted by sattva, rajas and tamas, his senses of perception and action expand the ambit of superior and inferior deeds, because these are not controlled. The mind is attached to material objects and has many desires. The flow of gunas affects the chief among the sixteen. ¹⁵⁴ It wanders around, accepting different names and different forms and superior and inferior physical bodies. ¹⁵⁵ There is the severe illusion of happiness and unhappiness. At the appropriate time, the fruits of action manifest themselves. The mind embraces the maya that has been created and the living being is whirled around in the wheel of samsara. The kshetrajna ¹⁵⁶ is always a witness. But as long as this goes on, there is the manifestation of stout and thin. Therefore, it is said that the mind is the cause of this, inferior gunas and the supreme, devoid of gunas. If the mind is attached to the gunas, the being suffers hardships. When it is no longer attached to the gunas, there is welfare. When the wick of a lamp is smeared with clarified butter, the flame is mixed with smoke. Otherwise, it regains its natural state. In a state where the mind is attached to gunas and karma, it resorts to different kinds of actitivies. Otherwise, it regains its natural state. There are eleven courses followed by the mind—five senses of action, five of perception and the ego. O brave one! It is said that the city ¹⁵⁷ is the field for karma to have these eleven kinds of courses. Besides smell, form, touch, taste, sound, evacuation and sexual intercourse, there is another kind of perception that is accepted and this is the sense of ‘mine’. Some have said that this is the twelfth action in this field. ¹⁵⁸ Material objects, nature, intention, karma and time cause transformations in those eleven courses of the mind and lead to crores and hundreds of crores of modifications. They are unreal and do not result from the kshetrajna, or from themselves. For a living creature, the powers of the kshetrajna always fashion maya. This manifests itself sometimes and sometimes vanishes. Though it is pure, it is sometimes perceived of as an impure doer. ¹⁵⁹ The kshetrajna is the ancient Purusha, present in all atmans. It is the supreme and unborn lord and can be perceived because of its own self-luminosity. It is the illustrious Narayana Vasudeva. He controls all atmans through his own maya. It is his own atman that enters and controls all mobile and immobile objects in the form of the wind. He is thus the supremely illustrious Vasudeva. He is the kshetrajna who enters all atmans. O Indra among men! As long as you have a body, as long as your body has maya that has not been dispelled, as long as knowledge has not awakened in you and as long as you are attached, you will not be able to defeat the six enemies ¹⁶⁰ and will not be able to know the truth about the atman. Till then, you will wander around. As long as the mind is taken to be an attribute of the atman, a person will be tormented in samsara, which is full of grief, confusion, disease, attachment, avarice, enmity and the sense of ‘mine’. It ¹⁶¹ is an adversary that is powerful in its valour. If one neglects it and is distracted, its power increases. Use the weapon of worshipping at the feet of Hari, the preceptor. Defeat what is false and find contentment in your own atman.”’

Chapter 5(12)

‘Rahugana said, “I bow down to you. You are the prime cause who has assumed this form. Through the assumption of this form, you have removed the contradictions of your own body. O avadhuta! I bow down before you, you who have assumed all the signs of a brahma-bandhu. I bow down before the one who has hidden his eternal self-realization. I am like a person afflicted by fever, cured by medicine. I am like a person scorched by the summer, revived by cool water. In this wicked body, I have been bitten by the snake that is ego and have lost my vision. O brahmana! Your words have been like the amrita of medication to me. I will submit my doubts to you later, so that my understanding can be excellent. What you have spoken is woven in the yoga of adhyatma. Right now, tell me about this. There is inquisitiveness in my mind. O lord of yoga! You have said that deeds and their consequences, though they are visible and seem to exist, only have a basis in custom. ¹⁶² If one examines the truth, they have no substance. My mind is in a whirl. Please explain this.”’

‘The brahmana replied, “The one known as ‘this person’ roams around the earth. O king! He is a modification of the earth. What is the cause behind this? Above the feet, he possesses ankles, calves, knees, thighs, a waist, a neck and two shoulders. He bears a palanquin made of wood on the shoulders. The person known as ‘the king of Souvira’ is seated on that. You are astride it, full of your own arrogance. Blind with evil insolence, you think that you are the king of Sindhu. You have no compassion. One should grieve over these people. ¹⁶³ They were miserable. But you have seized them by force and made them suffer a greater misery. Their lot is lamentable. You praise yourself, ‘I am a protector of the people.’ This is rash and does not deserve to be stated in an assembly of the wise. We know that the appearance of anything on earth, mobile or immobile, is always subject to destruction. Therefore, inferred from the way everything functions, let it be determined if there is anything other than customary usage. The word ‘earth’ is wrongly used, since its existence is unreal. It will be disintegrated into paramanus. ¹⁶⁴ It is through the ignorance of the mind that one has thought of something special that characterizes the aggregate entity. Similarly, skinny, fat, small, large, temporary, permanent, sentient, non-sentient and other things are brought about by material substances, inherent nature, inclination, time and karma. You should understand that such names result from material objects, past deeds and perceptions of duality. Unadulterated knowledge is alone the supreme objective. The brahman is the truth and has neither an interior nor an exterior. The tranquil one manifests himself and is known by the name of Bhagavat. Wise ones speak of him as Vasudeva. O Rahuguna! He cannot be reached through austerities, sacrifices, refraining from tasks, performing the tasks of a householder, hymns or water, fire and the sun. ¹⁶⁵ The only way is to sprinkle oneself with the dust from the great one’s feet. When the qualities of Uttamashloka are spoken about, there is no scope of obstruction from vulgar conversation. Those who desire liberation attentively hear this, every day. Pure intelligence then proceeds to where Vasudeva is. Earlier, I was a king named Bharata. I detached myself from everything seen or heard. I freed myself from all association. I always worshipped the illustrious one. However, because of my attachment for a deer, I deviated from my objective and was born as a deer. O brave one! Because of the power of my having worshipped Krishna, even in that body of a deer, my memory did not desert me. Therefore, I detached myself from all association and fearlessly wandered around, undetected. A man must associate with excellent ones who have freed themselves from attachment. Delusion will then be severed with the sword of knowledge. One must hear and recite Hari’s account. Thereby one regains one’s memory and reaches the ultimate end of this long journey.”’

Chapter 5(13)

‘The brahmana said, “If a person is submerged in the divisions of rajas, tamas and sattva and the consequent activities, this long journey is extremely difficult to traverse. Such a person only seeks that as an objective and is whirled around in the pursuit of artha. ¹⁶⁶ In this forest of birth and death, he does not find any happiness. O lord of men! There are six bandits, led by a wicked leader, who forcibly rob all the wealth. ¹⁶⁷ They are like jackals and wolves who enter when one is distracted and carry away lambs. It ¹⁶⁸ is dense with a copious mass of creepers, grass, clumps and hollows, where one is attacked with the stings of gnats and mosquitoes. Sometimes, a city of the gandharvas is seen. ¹⁶⁹ Here and there, evil spirits fleetingly appear, like meteors. The intelligence strives to find a resting place, water and wealth. Here and there, they rush around in the forest. ¹⁷⁰ Sometimes, smoke-coloured dust is raised by a whirlwind. Because of the dust, one is unable to discern the directions. ¹⁷¹ There is the sound of crickets that cannot be seen and this pains the ears. The mind is aggrieved by the hooting of owls. Suffering from hunger, one seeks refuge with unholy trees. Sometimes, he follows a mirage and runs around. Sometimes, he rushes towards a river that has no water. With no food left, they fall on each other. Sometimes, one approaches a conflagration and is scorched by the fire. Sometimes, while despondent, lives are plundered by yakshas. ¹⁷² For some, while the mind is despondent, one’s possessions are robbed by those who are braver. Grieving and confused, one loses one’s senses. Some enter a city of the gandharvas and are delighted for a while, like someone who has attained success. Sometimes, one has to walk when one’s feet are pierced by thorns and sharp stones. Distressed, one tries to climb a mountain. At every step, the person is afflicted from the inside and the outside. He becomes angry with the members of the family. Sometimes, a person is swallowed by a python. In that desolate spot, he is pierced and cannot understand anything. Sometimes, he lies down as one bitten by a poisonous snake. Blind, the person falls down into a dark pit. Sometimes, he searches for insignificant juices ¹⁷³ and is dishonoured and aggrieved, set upon by bees. Even if he obtains something with a great deal of difficulty, it is forcibly robbed by someone else. Sometimes, he is unable to do anything against the cold, the heat, the wind and the rain. Sometimes, they sell whatever they possess. Because they act deceitfully for the sake of wealth, they cause enmity amongst each other. Sometimes, they are bereft of all riches and cannot find a place to lie down, sit or stay. They seek it from others and unable to find success, cast their eyes on the possessions of others, thereby earning dishonour. Monetary transactions with each other increase the ties of enmity with each other. Sometimes, they enter into matrimonial alliances with each other. They travel along that long road, suffering hardships because of lack of money. They wander around, suffering from many kinds of disease. Here and there, there are types of distress. He has to abandon a newborn and take with him the ones who are alive. O brave one! Everyone is wandering around on this long road, because no one resorts to the yoga that enables one to cross over. The spirited ones vanquish the Indras among diggajas. ¹⁷⁴ All of them think that the earth is theirs and are tied to enmity. They lie down, dead in the battle. But they do not reach the spot reached by the person who has cast aside his staff and is bereft of enmity. Some resort to the arms of creepers. ¹⁷⁵ Resorting to these, one desires to hear the indistinct calling of birds. Here and there, one is terrified by the roars of lions. A person contracts friendship with cranes, herons and vultures. Deceived by them, he enters a flock of swans. But since their conduct doesn’t appeal to him, he approaches monkeys. These species are attached to gratification of the senses and satisfy their senses exceedingly well. They look at each others’ faces and forget that life has a limited span. He finds pleasure in the trees and is attached to a wife and sons. Distressed in heart, he is disabled by a bond he himself creates. Sometimes, because he is distracted, he falls into a cave in the mountain. Scared of the elephant, ¹⁷⁶ he hangs on, clinging to a creeper. O destroyer of enemies! Even if he somehow manages to free himself from this hardship, he again pursues artha. Submerged in illusion, he travels along that path of material pursuits. Such a wandering person never knows. O Rahugana! You are also proceeding along that path. Cast aside your rod and have friendship with all creatures. Conquer the false in your own self and heighten service towards Hari. Seizing the sword of knowledge, cross over to the other side.”’

‘The king replied, “Wonderful! Birth as a human is better than all other kinds of births. In the next life, other kinds of birth are inferior, unless there is abundant association with great-souled ones who have realized their atmans in the glory of Hrishikesha. It is not extraordinary that the dust of your lotus feet should generate unadulterated devotion towards Adhokshaja and destroy impurities. I suffered from vain arguments and lack of discrimination and even a momentary association with you now has severed their foundation. I bow down to the great ones. I bow down to infants, the young and the aged, to those brahmanas who bear the marks of avadhutas and roam around the earth. May all the kings be fortunate.”’

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘O Uttara’s son! The son of the brahmana rishi ¹⁷⁷ was supreme in his comprehension. Although Rahuguna had shown him disrespect, out of his great compassion, he instructed the lord of Sindhu the truth about the atman. He was like a full ocean where the waves of the senses had been quietened. After his feet had been worshipped by the pitiable one, ¹⁷⁸ he continued to wander around the earth. The lord of Souvira understood the truth about the paramatman from an excellent person and abandoned the ignorance in his intelligence of identifying his atman with his body. O king! This is the great realization of someone who seeks refuge with the illustrious one.’

The king ¹⁷⁹ replied, ‘O immensely fortunate one! There are many kinds of knowledge in what you have narrated, directly and indirectly, through your words—the path followed by living beings in this material world. This will not be easily understood by those who are ignoble in their minds, or by those who are not intelligent. This is very difficult to comprehend. Therefore, it must be instructed with complete explanations.’

Chapter 5(14)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Because of specific gunas like sattva and the others, there are those who confuse the body with the atman and undertake many types of superior, inferior and mixed deeds. They accept and give up a series of different bodies. The experience of samsara is without a beginning and the aggregate of the six senses ¹⁸⁰ are like gates. It is like a route that is extremely difficult to traverse and one loses one’s path in this wilderness, under the subjugation of the maya of the illustrious lord, Vishnu. The world of the living is like a caravan of merchants pursuing artha. This forest of samsara is like an inauspicious cremation ground and one experiences the karma one has undertaken earlier. Having entered, one is unsuccessful, even now. There are many kinds of hardships in this world and they can only be pacified by reaching the lotus feet of the preceptor, Hari. But unlike bees, they do not seek these out. Those that are known as the six senses act like bandits. Whatever little wealth a man obtains after a great deal of hardship should be used for accomplishing dharma, the signs of which are worship of the supreme being. From the point of view of the next life, this is what is said to be dharma. However, if a person does not control himself and is not determined in conduct, the riches that should have been spent on dharma are squandered on seeing, touching, hearing, tasting and smelling ¹⁸¹ and pandering to carnal pleasures, just as a caravan with a bad leader is destroyed. Those that are known as relatives, wives and sons are nothing but wolves and jackals in their deeds. Even if one does not desire it and even if one is miserly, as one looks on, the relatives steal the riches, which are like a well-protected lamb. Even if a field is ploughed every year, if the seeds ¹⁸² are not burnt down, at the time of sowing, it becomes thick with shrubs, grass, plants and pits. The householder’s field of karma is one where the seeds of past karma are not destroyed and remain stored in a reservoir of desire. There are inferior people who are like gnats, mosquitoes, locusts, birds of prey and mice, who cause impediments. Sometimes, one is whirled along this path, with the mind overwhelmed by ignorance, desire and deeds. The desired objective is not accomplished in the world of men and one sees a non-existent city of the gandharvas, as if it actually exists. Like looking for water in the heat, one pursues material objects, eager for drinking, eating, sexual intercourse and other addictions. A person looking for a fire pursues an ulmuka-pishacha. ¹⁸³ Like that, because of an unlimited store of sins, one sometimes pursues a special kind of excrement known as gold and one desires to get gold. Sometimes, one runs after dwelling places, drinks, riches and other objects regarded as necessary for subsistence. Absorbed in these, one wanders around in the forest of samsara. Sometimes, there is a beautiful woman who is like a whirlwind. Placing her on one’s lap, one succumbs to the rajas of desire and when it is night, crosses the ordinances of virtue. Blinded by desire, the person succumbs to excessive lust and does not know that the divinities in charge of the directions are watching. Sometimes, he realizes that material objects are futile and himself meditates about the supreme. However, that memory is generally destroyed and he rushes after objects that are like mirages. Sometimes, the extremely piercing calls of owls and crickets agitate his ears and heart. Direct and indirect enemies cause him great distress, like chastisement at the hands of the king’s servants. When the good deeds performed in earlier lives are exhausted, even though he is alive, he is like one who is dead. Even when he is about to die, he runs after riches, which cannot help him in this world or in the next. These objectives are like karaskara, karatunda, inauspicious trees and creepers and poisonous wells. ¹⁸⁴ Sometimes, because of association with wicked people, his intelligence becomes inferior and he approaches heretics. This leads to hardships, like jumping into a river that has no flow of water. Sometimes, he cannot ensure a means of subsistence, even after chasing others. Like a blind person devoid of intelligence, he eats grass that belongs to his father or to his son. It is as if he will eat up his own father or son. Sometimes, he reaches his home, but it is like a forest conflagration. He is eager to obtain some joy, but it is a place that leads to greater miseries. He is severely scorched by the fire of grief and faces disappointment. He loves his riches the most, but the king’s servants are like rakshasas and when time turns adverse, they plunder him. Though he is still alive, he seems to be dead and no signs of being alive can be seen in him. Sometimes, because of his wishes, though they do not exist, ¹⁸⁵ his father and grandfather appear before him and he experiences the pleasure felt when one has just experienced a dream. Sometimes, he wishes to climb the extremely heavy mountain that consists of a householder’s tasks. However, his mind is afflicted by the hardships of the material world. Entering a field that is filled with thorns and sharp pebbles, he laments. Sometimes, his inside is consumed by the fire that is extremely difficult to bear ¹⁸⁶ and, unable to tolerate it, he becomes angry with his own family members. Sometimes, the python of sleep devours him. Immersed in that blinding darkness, he lies down, as if in a desolate forest. Like a dead body that has been flung away, he does not know anything. Sometimes, the teeth of his pride are shattered by wicked people who are like poisonous snakes. He cannot sleep, not even for an instant. His heart is distressed and his consciousness becomes less and less. Blind, he falls down into a pit. Sometimes, he searches for drops of honey to satisfy his desire and seizes another person’s wife or property. The king or the husband kills him and he falls into fathomless hell. Therefore, it is said that both types of karma ¹⁸⁷ sow the seeds for the atman to remain in samsara. If the person manages to free himself from the bonds, ¹⁸⁸ Devadatta takes it away and Vishnumitra takes it away from him. These things do not remain in the same place. Sometimes, he cannot counter the cold and the wind, hardships that are adhidaivika, adhibhoutika and adhyatmika. ¹⁸⁹ Thinking endlessly about these, he becomes despondent. Sometimes, in business transactions, he acts deceitfully and takes away trifling bits of riches ¹⁹⁰ from others. Because of this deceit for the sake of riches, enmity results. There are many kinds of impediments along this path—happiness and unhappiness, attachment, hatred, fear, pride, distraction, madness, grief, confusion, avarice, jealousy, dishonour, hunger, thirst, mental disease, physical disease, birth, old age and death. Sometimes, driven by divine maya, a person embraces the arms that are like creepers ¹⁹¹ and loses all discrimination and knowledge. His heart is anxious to find a house for enjoyment. In that abode, he becomes attached to sons, daughters, wives and their pleasant conversations and glances. Thus, he loses his own self and flings himself into a blinding and limitless darkness. The illustrious Vishnu is the wielder of the chakra that has the characteristic of the incessant and progressive revolution of time, beginning with paramanu and ending with parardha. ¹⁹² In the twinkling of an eye and while they look on, he takes away all living creatures, from clumps of grass to Brahma. Their hearts are terrified of the lord whose own weapon is like the wheel of time. He is the illustrious lord of sacrifices. But a person ignores him and worships the gods of heretics, which are like herons, vultures and cranes on banyan trees. He accepts those who are discarded by the ordinances of noble ones. The heretics are deceivers and when he is deceived by them, he returns to the fold of brahmanas and amidst them, follows the rites of good conduct sanctioned in the shrutis and the smritis, upanayana and the others. He worships the illustrious one, the lord of sacrifices. However, if he does not find pleasure in the rites of the sacred texts, impure, he goes to the fold of shudras and like one born as a monkey, indulges in sex and the maintenance of the family. There, he behaves as he wishes, without any restrictions. Limited in his intelligence, he amuses himself. Looking at each other’s faces, they indulge in carnal acts and forget that time has a limited span. Sometimes, as a householder and like a monkey, he finds pleasure in the enjoyments of the body, which are like trees. He spends all his time in attachment to the wife and the sons. In this way, without any restriction, he proceeds along this path. Fearing the elephant that is death, he usually falls into a dark cave in a mountain. Sometimes, he cannot counter the cold and the wind and other adhibhoutika hardships that make the mind and the body suffer. He is anxious about material objects and becomes despondent. Sometimes, in business transactions, he is deceitful and obtains riches through such fraudulent conduct. Sometimes, when his wealth is exhausted, he cannot find a bed, a seat, or a means of satisfying material desires. When his wishes are not satisfied, his mind is made up that he should obtain these through unfair means and he is thus generally dishonoured by people. In this way, because of riches, enmity is increased. Because of former desires, ¹⁹³ he contracts a false marriage. Thus, in this material path of samsara, there are many kinds of hardships. A person gains and a person loses what someone else gains. Sometimes, he accepts a newly born and sometimes, abandons it. He is confused and laments. Sometimes, he is terrified and exclaims and weeps. At other times, he is delighted and laughs. He is bound and shunned by virtuous people. Following the road of material objectives in this world of men, the caravan has still not reached the ultimate objective and returned. That can only be achieved through the instructions of yoga, by sages who have cast aside their rods and are tranquil in conduct and self-controlled. They easily obtain the atman. Royal sages who have performed sacrifices and conquered the directions cannot reach it, not to speak of others. Because of the sense of “mine”, they enter into enmity and lay down their bodies in the field of battle. Killed, they give up their own lives. Sometimes, a person clings to the creeper of karma and somehow, manages to free himself from the miseries of hell. However, he again has to follow the path of samsara and joins the caravan in the world of men again. This is true even of those who have ascended upwards.

‘Therefore, a song is chanted there. “The son of Rishabha was a royal sage. His mind was great-souled. The king soared up to Garuda’s path, something a fly cannot aspire to. A wife, sons and well-wishers are close to one’s heart and are difficult to cast aside. However, wishing to serve Uttamashloka, even as a young man, he abandoned them, like excreta. It is difficult to cast aside the earth, sons, relatives, wealth and the wife. Nor did he hanker after Shri, sought after by the best among the gods, even though she always wanted his favourable glances. This is appropriate for a king who wished to devotedly serve Madhu’s enemy.” In the mind of such a person, these are insignificant trifles. When he cast aside his body in the form a deer, he happily chanted loudly. “I bow down to Hari Narayana. He is the fount of yoga and samkhya. ¹⁹⁴ He is the lord of Prakriti. He is the lord of sacrifices and dharma. He is the one who confers the accomplished rites.” This account of the royal sage Bharata’s conduct, qualities and deeds is revered by devotees of the illustrious one. It confers blessings, lifespans, wealth, fame, heaven and liberation to those who respect it, hear it and make it heard. Such people obtain all benedictions for themselves and do not hope for anything from anyone else.’

Chapter 5(15)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Bharata’s son was known as Sumati. In kali yuga, there will be some heretics who will follow in the footsteps of Rishabha. Wicked in their intelligence, those ignoble ones will think of him as a divinity, one who is not accepted in this way in the Vedas. Through his wife Vriddhasena, he had a son named Devatajit. His son, ¹⁹⁵ through Asuri, was Devadyumna. Through Dhenumati, Devadyumna had a son named Parameshthi. Through Suvarchala, Parameshthi had a son named Pratiha. He remembered the great being and having purified himself, taught about knowledge of the atman. Through Suvarchala, ¹⁹⁶ Pratiha had three sons, Pratiharta and others. Through Stuti, Pratiharta had two sons—Aja and Bhuman. Through Rishikulya, Bhuman had a son named Udgitha and through Devakulya, he had a son named Prastava. Through Niyutsa, Prastava had a son named Vibhu. Through Rati, Vibhu had a son named Prithusena. Through Akuti, Prithusena had a son named Nakta. Through Druti, Nakta had the excellent royal sage, Gaya, as his son. He was extensive in his learning. For the protection of the world, he was born as a portion of the illustrious Vishnu himself and assumed a form that was full of sattva. With the qualities of pure sattva, he obtained the status of a great being. He followed his own dharma and protected the subjects. He made them happy by providing a means of subsistence. He tended to them and chastised them, according to the norms. He performed sacrifices to the illustrious great being, the brahman, who is present in all atmans, superior and inferior. He surrendered himself and served at the feet of those who had signs of knowing about the brahman, the supreme objective. Through continuous bhakti yoga towards the illustrious one, his intelligence was suffused with extreme purity and he no longer identified with that which was not the atman. He himself realized the brahman in his own atman. In this way, without any pride, he ruled over the entire world.

‘O Pandaveya! Those who know about the ancient accounts sing a chant about him. “Which other king can perform the deeds of Gaya? He was revered because of his sacrifices. He was extremely learned and protected dharma. Shri came to him. He was the leader in an assembly of the virtuous. He was virtuous and served the virtuous. Who other than him has been born as a portion of the illustrious one? Extremely happy, the virtuous daughters of Daksha bathed him in the waters of the rivers and their benedictions are always true. ¹⁹⁷ He was himself without any desires. However, on seeing his qualities, the earth’s milk flowed out of her udders and she allowed herself to be milked, to satisy the desires of the subjects. He had no desires, but the hymns satisfied all his desires. When he followed dharma and fought against other kings, they offered him their tribute. The brahmanas pronounced their benedictions and in the next life, offered him one-sixth of their good merits. The illustrious one, the lord of sacrifices, came to attend his many sacrifices. Drinking the soma, Maghavan was greatly intoxicated. His faith was pure and he did not deviate from bhakti yoga. The illustrious one accepted the fruits of all that was offered. When he is pleased in a sacrificial arena, all the gods, inferior species, men, plants and trees and grass, beginning with Virinchi, are instantly pleased, because he is the seed of the universe. When the illustrious one was himself pleased, all of them were pleased with Gaya.” Through Gayanti, Gaya had three sons—Chitraratha, Sugati and Avarodhana. Through Urni, Chitraratha had a son named Samrat. Through Utkala, Samrat had a son named Marichi and through Bindumati, Marichi had a son named Binduman. Through Saragha, Binduman had a son named Madhu. Through Sumanas, Madhu had a son named Viravrata. Through Bhoja, Viravrata had sons named Manthu and Pramanthu. Through Satya, Manthu had a son named Bhouvana. Through Dushana, Bhouvana had a son named Tvashta. Through Virochana, Tvashta had a son named Viraja. Through Vishuchi, Viraja had one hundred sons. Of these, Shatajit was the eldest. There was also one daughter. There is a shloka about him. ¹⁹⁸ “Viraja was the ultimate son born in Priyavrata’s lineage. ¹⁹⁹ He performed a large number of deeds, just as Vishnu does among the large number of gods.”’

Chapter 5(16)

The king said, ‘You have specifically spoken about the expanse of the globe, heated by the sun, and where the moon and the large number of stellar bodies can be seen. Within that, the wheels of Priyavrata’s chariot created seven moats that became the seven oceans. O illustrious one! You have also said that this led to seven specific dvipas being created. I now wish to know everything about their measurements and characteristics. He is subtle and without gunas. The illustrious one is self-luminous and is the supreme brahman. He is known as Vasudeva, but it is difficult to absorb this form. Therefore, the mind focuses on the illustrious one’s gunas in his gross form. O preceptor! You should describe those to me.’

The rishi replied, ‘O great king! No man, even if he possesses the lifespan of the gods, can completely comprehend the illustrious one’s maya, gunas, powers and limits, through the mind or through words. Therefore, I will specifically expound to you the foremost names, forms, measurements and characteristics of the chief places in the globe. This world is like a lotus and this dvipa ²⁰⁰ is in its inner core. It extends for one hundred thousand yojanas and is circular, like the leaf of a lotus. There are nine varshas within it, each nine thousand yojanas in expanse. They are clearly separated from each other by eight mountain ranges that form the boundaries. The varsha that is in the centre is known as Ilavrita. In its navel is the king of all the kulachalas, ²⁰¹ Meru, which is golden everywhere. It is as tall as this dvipa. ²⁰² It is like the pericarp of the lotus that is the earth. The top extends for thirty-two thousand yojanas and the base is sixteen thousand yojanas. That much is entered within the earth. ²⁰³ To the north of Ilavrita, one after another, there are three mountain ranges—Nila, Shveta and Shringavan. These mountains form the boundaries between the varshas of Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Kuru. They extend eastwards and westwards, one after another, for two thousand yojanas, right up to the saltwater ocean. ²⁰⁴ Progressively, as one moves outwards, each mountain is one tenth in height from the one that preceded it. ²⁰⁵ In this way, to the south of Ilavrita are the mountain ranges Nishadha, Hemakuta and Himalaya. Like Nila and the other mountains, they extend towards the east. Each is ten thousand yojanas in height and these form the boundaries between the varshas known as Hari, Kimpurusha and Bharata. Similarly, to the west and east of Ilavrita, right up to the mountains Nila and Nishadha, are the mountains Malyavan and Gandhamadana. They are two thousand yojanas in expanse and form the boundaries of Ketumala and Bhadrashva. On the four sides of Meru are the four mountains Mandara, Merumandara, Suparshva and Kumuda. The length and height of each has been computed as ten thousand yojanas. There are four large trees that stand at the top of these mountains like flagstaffs—chuta, jambu, kadamba and nyagrodha. They are more than one thousand yojanas tall and the branches extend for the same expanse. Each has a trunk with a circumference of one hundred yojanas. O bull among the Bharata lineage! On each mountain, there are four lakes made out of milk, honey, sugar cane juice and fresh water. Large numbers of minor divinities drink these and easily develop their powers of yoga. There are also four divine gardens—Nandana, Chaitraratha, Vaibhrajaka and Sarvatobhadra. The best among the immortals go there, along with their wives, who are like ornaments for their husbands. They amuse themselves there, with their glories praised by large numbers of minor divinities. ²⁰⁶ On the slopes of Mandara stands the divine chuta tree and it is eleven hundred yojanas tall. Fruit, as large as summits of mountains and succulent as amrita, fall from this. They are crushed when they fall down and copious quantities of extremely sweet and extremely fragrant juice start to flow, creating a reddish river known by the name of Arunoda. Descending from the summit of Mandara, it flows to the east of Ilavrita. Bhavani’s attendants, the wives of the auspicious people, ²⁰⁷ savour this and their limbs become extremely fragrant from the contact. In every direction, the scent extends for ten yojanas. In this way, jambu fruits that are as large as elephants and possess very small seeds, fall down from a great height and are shattered. The juice results in a river named Jambu and it descends ten thousand yojanas from the summit of Merumandara, flowing through and flooding the south of Ilavrita. The mud on both banks of the river is saturated with this juice. When the wind and the sun react on this, a gold named Jambunada is created and this is always used for the ornaments of the immortals. This is indeed wonderful. The gods and their young wives wear ornaments like crowns, diadems, bracelets, girdles and other objects made out of this. There is a gigantic kadamba tree on Suparshva. From a hollow in this tree, five flows of sweet honey emerge and each is five vyamas wide. ²⁰⁸ These descend from the summit of Suparshva and flow and cause delight to the west of Ilavrita. There are those who savour these and the fragrant scent that emerges from their mouths spreads in every direction for one hundred yojanas. Similarly, there is a banyan tree named Shatavalsha on Kumuda. Streams of milk, curds, honey, clarified butter, molasses, food, garments, beds, seats, ornaments and every other object of desire flows from its trunk. Descending from Kumuda’s summit, these cause joy to the north of Ilavrita. Subjects who savour these flows never suffer from wrinkles, grey hair, fatigue, perspiration, bad odour, old age, disease, death, cold, heat, pale complexion or any other kind of hardship or torment. As long as they are alive, their happiness is unlimited. Like filaments that surround the core of a lotus, there are twenty mountains on all directions of Meru—Kuranga, Kurara, Kusumbha, Vaikanka, Trikuta, Shishira, Patanga, Ruchaka, Nishadha, Shinivasa, Kapila, Shankha, Vaidurya, Jarudhi, Hamsa, Rishabha, Naga, Kalanjara, Narada and another. The mountains Jathara and Devakuta are to the east of Meru. They are eighteen thousand yojanas long and two thousand yojanas in breadth and height. In this way, the mountains Pavana and Pariyatra are to the west, Kailasa and Karavira to the south and Trishringa and Makara to the north. ²⁰⁹ Surrounded by these eight mountains, the golden mountain shines like a circle of fire. The city of the illustrious one who is his own creator ²¹⁰ is located on Meru’s summit. It is square in shape and its area has been computed as ten thousand yojanas. It is spoken of as Shatakoumbhi. ²¹¹ All around it, depending on the direction, are the abodes of the eight guardians of the world. ²¹² These cities are similar in form, but one-fourth in size.’ ²¹³

Chapter 5(17)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘At the place where the sacrifice was held, the illustrious Vishnu himself appeared in the form of Trivikrama. ²¹⁴ The nails on the big toe of his left foot shattered the covering of the cosmic egg and entered inside. Through that opening, a flow of water emerged and covered it ²¹⁵ externally. While washing his lotus feet, the water turned red from the dust. It washed away all the sins of the world. But despite touching these, it remained pure. Thus, words described it as Bhagavat-padi. ²¹⁶ After a long period of time, measured in thousands of yugas, it descended on top of the celestial regions and is spoken of as Vishnu-pada. Uttanapada’s son ²¹⁷ was brave in his vows and supremely devoted to the illustrious one. Even now, with great reverence, he bears it on his head there, ²¹⁸ saying, “This is the water from the feet of our family deity.” Thus, his bhakti yoga towards the illustrious one is constantly increased and firmly saturates his heart. Because of the eagerness, he loses himself and tears spontaneously flow from his half-closed eyes, which are like the buds of lotuses. The unadulterated bliss is manifested in his body hair standing up. The saptarshis ²¹⁹ who are there certainly know about its powers, regarding it as the ultimate end of their austerities. They are always engaged in bhakti yoga towards the illustrious Vasudeva, who is in all atmans. Having achieved this, they are indifferent towards all other objectives, even liberation. It is as if their desired liberation has been obtained. With a great deal of respect, they bear it on their matted hair. Thereafter, it descends along the path of the gods, characterized by many thousands of crores of vimanas, to the lunar circle. After flooding this, it descends on Brahma’s abode. ²²⁰ There, it is divided into four streams that flow in four directions, with four names—Sita, Alakananda, Chakshu and Bhadra. These flow towards the lord of the male and female rivers. From Brahma’s abode, Sita flows downwards, through the summits of mountains like Kesara and descends on the peak of Mount Gandhamadana. It flows eastwards through Bhadrashva-varsha and enters the Kshara ocean. Similarly, Chakshu descends from the summit of Malyavan and flowing with great speed through Ketumala, enters the lord of the rivers in a western direction. To the north, Bhadra descends from the summit of Meru and passing from the summit of one mountain to the summit of another mountain, descends from the peak of Shringavan. It flows through Uttara Kuru and enters the ocean in a northern direction. Similarly, from Brahma’s abode, Alakananda flows southwards and passes through the summits of many mountains. Having reached Hemakuta, it descends with great force on the peaks of Himalaya. Almost plundering Bharatavarsha, it flows southwards and enters the ocean there. At every step, men who go to it for the sake of bathing obtain fruits that are extremely difficult to get through horse and royal sacrifices. In each varsha, there are hundreds of other male and female rivers. They are the daughters of Meru and other mountains. It has been designated that Bharatavarsha is the arena for performing karma. The remaining eight varshas are like heavens on earth, meant as places of enjoyment for those who have come down from heaven. There, the lifespan is ten thousand human years and inhabitants are like gods. They possess the strength of ten thousand elephants and can withstand the vajra. Their strength and youth enables them to enjoy and they indulge in a great deal of sexual activity. Conception results in the wives at the end of this sexual activity, in the last year. Time proceeds as if one is in treta yuga. ²²¹ In those places, the lords of the gods have their own respective designated followers and leaders and they worship them with extremely expensive gifts. There are bunches of flowers from all the seasons, fruits and an abundance of shoots. The trees and creepers bend down at the burden. There are beautiful groves, decorated with many trees. In those varshas, the valleys between the mountains have hermitages, mansions and waterbodies with sparkling water. There is the fragrance of many kinds of blooming lotuses. There are flocks of delighted swans, waterfowl, karandavas, chakravakas, cranes and other birds. There are echoes of bees buzzing. Beautiful divine women engaged in many kinds of water sports there, driven by desire. They freely engage in these pastimes, smiling and casting playful glances, enticing the mind and the eye. Even now, in each of the nine varshas, the great being, the illustrious Narayana, shows his favours to the residents by displaying himself to them in many different kinds of forms.

‘In Ilavrita, the illustrious Bhava is the only male. Because of a curse imposed by Bhavani, no one who knows about it enters there. A person who enters becomes female. I will tell you about the reason later. ²²² Bhavani’s lord is tended to by a hundred million thousand of female attendants. The illustrious great being has four forms. ²²³ The fourth is a tamas form that flows from himself and is known as Samkarshana. Bhava meditates on this form and worships him with this chant. The illustrious one says, “I bow down to the illustrious great being, the reservoir of all the qualities. You are infinite and not manifest. I bow down to you. I worship you. I worship Narayana’s lotus feet. You possess all the opulence. You are the supreme refuge. For your devotees, you manifest yourself in many kinds of forms. You are the one who removes the miseries of earth. You are the lord who is the origin of creation. Maya, guna, mind and action do not affect you. You are the one who witnesses, but is not affected even slightly by that sight. You are the controller. If a person desires to conquer the force of anger and vanquish the senses, why will he not worship you? Your maya shows itself to a person whose vision is imperfect, coppery eyed, like a person who is inebriated with madhu or asava. ²²⁴ The wives of the nagas ²²⁵ desired to worship you, but their modesty prevented them. Their senses were agitated on touching your feet. The rishis speak of you as the source of creation, preservation and destruction. But you are infinite and beyond these. The earth resides on one of your thousand heads, ²²⁶ but you do not even feel it, as if it is but a trifling mustard seed. Mahat was the first of your forms, based on the gunas. It was the reservoir of knowledge and the illustrious Aja was born from this. I was generated from him and with my own energy, created vaikarika and tamasika ahamkara ²²⁷ and the senses. O great-souled one! We are under your subjugation, like birds controlled on a string. It is through your favours that all these, Mahat, vaikarika and tamasika ahamkara and the senses were created by us. A person is confounded by maya and the accumulation of the gunas and does not know who has fashioned this knot of karma. He does not know how to get over it easily. Therefore, I bow down before you, the source of creation and destruction.”’

Chapter 5(18)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Dharma had a son named Bhadrashva and he was the chief of his lineage. All the residents of Bhadrasha-varsha were direct devotees of the illustrious one. They were supreme in their meditation of the beloved form of Vasudeva, full of dharma and also known as Hayashirsha. They worshipped him with a chant.

‘Bhadrashva said, “We bow down before the illustrious one, the source of all dharma. We bow down before the one who purifies. How wonderful are the exploits of the illustrious one! A person knows that death will come. But despite knowing, fails to recognize it. He thinks about what is impermanent and undertakes perverse deeds. Even after burning his father or his son, he wishes to remain alive. The wise speak of the world as destructible. The learned, who know about adhyatma, see it in this way. O one without origin! Nevertheless, they are confounded by your maya. O one without origin! This is extremely surprising. I bow down before what you have done. These deeds of yours are for creation, preservation and destruction. That is acknowledged, though you are not touched by any of this. It is not extraordinary that you should not be touched by cause and effect. You are in all atmans, but you are distinct from everything material. At the end of the yuga, the Vedas were robbed by darkness. You assumed a half-man half–horse form ²²⁸ and raised them up from rasatala. ²²⁹ You returned them to the wise one ²³⁰ who asked for them. I bow down before the one whose resolution never fails.”’

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘In Hari-varsha, the illustrious one exists in the form of Narahari. ²³¹ I will describe to you the reason for his adopting this form later. ²³² That beloved form is worshipped by the great person who possesses all the qualities. ²³³ He is a great devotee of the illustrious one and through his good conduct, brought salvation to all the daityas ²³⁴ and danavas ²³⁵ who were born in his lineage. Other than Prahlada, no one else indulges in such incessant bhakti yoga. With him, the residents of that varsha worship him and chant the following. “We bow down before the illustrious Narasimha. We bow down before the one who is the energy behind all energy. O one who possesses nails like a vajra! Please manifest yourself. O one whose teeth are like the vajra! Please destroy this reservoir of desire for karma. Devour it. Oum Svaha! Bring fearlessness to my heart. Oum Kshroum! ²³⁶ Let there be good fortune in the universe. Let the deceitful be pacified. Let creatures meditate on what will bring each other well-being. Let the mind be calm in the worship of Adhokshaja. Let our intelligence be immersed in him, without any motive. May we not be attached to homes, wives, sons, riches and relatives. If there is any attachment in us, let it be towards those who love the illustrious one. He who is content with whatever is necessary to sustain life becomes successful soon, but not a person who is addicted to the senses. Repeated association and ablutions in tirthas remove the dirt of the body. However, hearing about Mukunda’s valour has its own strength and power and listening to this cleanses the dirt of the mind. Who will not serve such devotees? If a person has motiveless devotion towards the illustrious one, all the qualities and all the divinities assemble in him. How can there be great qualities in a person who is not devoted to the illustrious one? His desires are running outwards, towards impermanent pursuits. Just as fish desire to live in water, the atmans of all embodied beings desire to directly reside in the illustrious Hari. If a great person abandons him and becomes attached to his house, that greatness is like the attachment of a young couple. ²³⁷ Rajas is the root cause of attachment, misery, anger, the desire for honour, fear and distress. Therefore, abandon the home and the cycle of samsara. Worship Narasimha’s feet, the source of freedom from fear.”’

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘With a desire to bring pleasure to Lakshmi, the illustrious one exists in Ketumala in his form of Kamadeva. The sons and daughters of the lord of the subjects there, and the leaders in that varsha, possess a lifespan where a day and a night for them are equal to a human year. ²³⁸ The women are terrified of the great weapon ²³⁹ of the great being and discharge their embryos at the end of a year. His ²⁴⁰ gait is extremely charming. His smiling face has playful glances. His beautiful eyebrows are slightly raised. His charming and auspicious face is like a lotus and delights Shri, while he finds pleasure in his pleasing senses. In the night, the goddess Rama, ²⁴¹ accompanied by the daughters of Prajapati Samvatsara, worships the form of the illustrious one, full of maya. She engages in the yoga of supreme meditation. During the day, accompanied by their husbands, she chants the following. “Oum. Hram. Hrim. Hrum. ²⁴² I bow down before the illustrious Hrishikesha. You are distinguished by all the special qualities. You are the lord of activities, knowledge, functions of the mind and their objects. You are the sixteen kalas. ²⁴³ You are the hymns. You are food. You are amrita. You are the powerful one who is omnipresent. You are energy, strength, beauty and desire. I bow down before you. Let there be good fortune at both times. ²⁴⁴ You are yourself the lord Hrishikesha, and women worship vows for you. They worship you in this world and do not ask for any other protector. Because they are themselves dependent, their husbands are incapable of protecting their offspring, beloved riches and lifespans. If he himself becomes the protector, how can there be fear from any direction? He saves people who are afflicted by fear. Without you, there will be fear from each other. It is thought that there is nothing superior to realizing your atman. Even if a woman possesses all the material desires, when she worships your lotus feet, she accomplishes all her desires. However, if you are worshipped with a specific desire in mind, you only grant that. O illustrious one! When that desired objective is lost, she is tormented. With their minds on the senses, Aja, Isha, the gods, the asuras and others tormented themselves through fierce austerities, so that they might obtain my favours. But with the exception of those who seek refuge at your feet, no one obtains me. O unvanquished one! I only look at those whose hearts are in you. O Achyuta! Your revered hand is like a lotus and you place it on the heads of those who are devoted to you. O one who is worshipped! You sustain me as a mark. ²⁴⁵ Who can understand the maya of the lord, the controller?”’ ²⁴⁶

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘In Ramyaka, the illustrious one manifests himself as the beloved matsya avatara. ²⁴⁷ This is the form in which he had shown himself earlier to the resident of that varsha, Manu. Even now, with great bhakti yoga, he chants the following. “I bow down before the illustrious one who is the foremost. I bow down to the one who is sattva. I bow down to the one who is the origin of life. I bow down to the source of strength. I bow down to the great matsya. You are the protector of all the worlds, inside and outside. Your form is not seen, but you roam around with a loud sound. You are the lord and you have brought everything under your subjugation. Men and women, known by different names, are like wooden puppets on a string. Indeed, the guardians of the world were filled with jealousy. Abandoning you, they strove, separately and collectively. But they were unable to save bipeds, quadrupeds, reptiles and everything immobile that can be seen. At the end of the yuga, there was an ocean with a garland of waves. This entire earth is the store of herbs and plants. With me, great in your energy, you roamed around. I bow down to you, the life of the universe. You are in all the atmans. I bow down before you.”’

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘In Hiranmaya, the illustrious one resides in the form of a kurma. ²⁴⁸ He manifests himself in this beloved form before Aryama, the lord of the large number of ancestors, and the other residents of that varsha. He worships him with the chant of this mantra. “I bow down before the illustrious one who is in the form of a tortoise. You are full of the specific traits of sattva guna. I bow down before the one whose position cannot be discerned. I bow down before the one who is beyond time. I bow down before the one who goes everywhere. I bow down before the one who is the foundation of everything. Through your own maya, you have given form to everything that appears in many different kinds of forms. Since this perception is false, their number cannot be enumerated. I bow down before the one whose form cannot be ascertained. You are one, but your manifestations are known by different names—born from a womb, born from sweat, born from an egg, plants, mobile, immobile, gods, rishis, ancestors, bhutas, ²⁴⁹ senses, heaven, sky, earth, mountains, rivers, oceans, dvipas, planets and nakshatras. ²⁵⁰ In samkhya, wise people have thought of a specific number for you, ²⁵¹ though your characteristics, names and forms are innumerable. When one knows the truth, such numbers vanish. I bow down before the one who reveals the truth behind these numbers.”’

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘In Uttara Kuru, the illustrious lord of sacrifices assumes the form of a boar. The goddess earth, accompanied by all the residents of Kuru, worship him through bhakti yoga. She repeatedly chants the following, through which one can approach the supreme one. “I bow down before the one whose truth can be known through different mantras. Your form is the great sacrifice of yajnas and kratus. I bow down before the great being whose deeds are pure. I bow down before the one who is the three yugas. ²⁵² Learned and wise ones can discern your own form, like the quality of fire hidden inside a piece of wood. Wishing to see, they use a churning rod in their minds. I bow down before the one who manifests his hidden form as a result of such acts. The objects of the senses, the activities of the senses, the divinities of the senses, the body, time and ego can indeed be seen to the result of maya and guna of your atman. There are those who carefully practise the limbs of yoga and sharpen their intelligence. They can discern your form, completely distinct from maya. I bow down before you. Though you do not desire it for your own self, you bring about the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Resorting to you and facing you, maya and the gunas wish to do this, like iron moved by a lodestone. I bow down before the one who is a witness to the gunas and karma. You are the original boar. When I was in rasatala, you crushed the daitya who was like an enemy elephant. ²⁵³ Placing me on the tip of your tusks, you emerged from the water of the ocean, playing like an elephant. I bow down before the powerful lord.”’

Chapter 5(19)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘In Kimpurusha-varsha, there is the supreme devotee of the illustrious one, Hanumat. Along with the kimpurushas, devotedly, he always worships the original being, Lakshmana’s illustrious elder brother and Sita’s beloved, Rama. He is constantly engaged in serving at his feet. Arshtishena and the gandharvas sing the supremely auspicious account of the illustrious one, his master. He listens attentively and chants himself. “I bow down to the illustrious Uttamashloka. I bow down to the noble one who possesses the signs and is virtuous in conduct. I bow down to the one who has controlled his mind and is worshipped by people. I bow down to the one who is a touchstone for identifying virtuous people. I bow down to the divinity who is devoted to brahmanas. I bow down to the great being. I bow down to the great king. I bow down to the one who is pure consciousness, the one who alone is knowledge. Through his energy, he destroyed all the states caused by the gunas. He is transcendental and tranquil, beyond names, forms and ego. He can be obtained by those who are pure. The lord’s avatara in the mortal world wasn’t only for the destruction of rakshasas, but also for instructing mortals. He takes delight in his own atman. How else could the lord have suffered miseries on account of Sita? The atman ²⁵⁴ is the best well-wisher for those who have realized their atmans. The illustrious Vasudeva is not attached to anything in the three worlds. He cannot have suffered hardships on account of a woman. Nor would he have cast aside Lakshmana. ²⁵⁵ Noble birth, greatness, good fortune, eloquence, intelligence and form do not cause any pleasure to him. Lakshmana’s elder brother contracted friendship with us, dwellers of the forest, who do not possess these qualities. Gods, asuras, apes and men should worship Rama, who is Hari in human form, with all their souls. He is best among those who are grateful. He conveyed all the residents of Uttara Kosala to heaven.”’

Shri-Shuka continued, ‘In Bharatavarsha, the illustrious one is known as Nara-Narayana. ²⁵⁶ His movements cannot be discerned. To show favours and compassion to those who wish to realize their atmans, till the end of the kalpa, ²⁵⁷ he practises austerities and these increase dharma, knowledge, non-attachment, powers, control of the senses and freedom from ego. The illustrious Narada desired to instruct Savarni about samkhya, yoga and the process of realizing the illustrious one. Therefore, with the residents of all varnas and ashramas ²⁵⁸ in Bharata, he ²⁵⁹ worshipped him with great devotion and chanted the following. “I bow down before the illustrious one who has conquered the senses. I bow down before the one who has no attachment for material objects. I bow down before the one who represents riches for those in penury. I bow down before the one who is a bull among rishis from among all the rishis, Nara-Narayana. He is the supreme preceptor for those who are paramahamsas. I bow down before the one who is the lord of those who have realized their atmans. He is the cause behind creation, preservation and destruction, but those do not bind him down. Though he is in the body, bodily ailments do not affect him. He is a witness whose vision is not tainted by the gunas. I bow down before the one who is non-attached and is an impartial witness. O lord of yoga! The illustrious Hiranyagarbha ²⁶⁰ spoke about the greatest proficiency in yoga. At the time of death, one must give up identification with the body and devotedly turn one’s mind towards the one who is nirguna. ²⁶¹ A person addicted to sensual pleasures in this world and in the next thinks about sons, wives and wealth. If like that, a learned person only thinks about the loss of this wicked body, his efforts have been futile. O lord! O Adhokshaja! With your maya, you have given us this wicked body and the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. These are difficult to give up. Give us the yoga, your natural attribute, so that we can quickly sever these. In this Bharatavarsha, there are rivers and many mountains—Malaya, Mangalaprastha, Mainaka, Trikuta, Rishabha, Kutaka, Kollaka, Sahya, Devagiri, Rishyamukha, Shrishaila, Venkata, Mahendra, Varidhara, Vindhya, Shuktiman, Rikshagiri, Pariyatra, Drona, Chitrakuta, Govardhana, Raivataka, Kakubha, Nila, Gokamukha, Indrakila, Kamagiri and other hundreds and thousands of mountains. Innumerable male and female rivers are born on the slopes of these mountains. The subjects of Bharata touch these waters. Even their names purify the mind—Chandravasa, Tamraparni, Avatoda, Kritamala, Vaihayasi, Kaveri, Veni, Payosvini, Sharkaravarta, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Venya, Bhimarathi, Godavari, Nirvindhya, Payoshni, Tapi, Reva, Surasa, Narmada, Charmanvati, Sindhu, the river Shona, Mahanadi, Vedasmriti, Rishikulya, Trisama, Koushiki, Mandakini, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Drishadvati, Gomati, Sarayu, Rodhasvati, Saptavati, Sushoma, Shatadru, Chandrabhaga, Marudvridha, Vitasta, Asikni, Vishva and other great rivers. In this varsha, depending on the white, red and dark acts ²⁶² they have themselves performed, they progressively obtain many divine, human or hellish births that are destined. Different varnas are ordained for them. Emancipation is also possible. The illustrious one is in the atmans of all beings. He is beyond attachment and beyond words and does not depend on anyone else. He is Vasudeva, the paramatman. The bond of ignorance is the reason behind these many kinds of births and can be severed through association with people who are devoted to the great being, with traits of bhakti yoga. That is the reason the gods chant, ‘These residents ²⁶³ must have done something wonderful. Hari himself is kindly disposed towards them. They have obtained birth as humans in the land of Bharata and can serve Mukunda. For us, that only remains a wish. It is through difficult deeds like sacrifices, austerities, vows, donations and such things that we have obtained this trifle of heaven for ourselves. There, because of excessive addiction to the senses, memories of Narayana’s lotus feet have been lost. It is better to have a limited lifespan and be born in Bharata than to obtain a state for the lifespan of a kalpa, after which, one has to be born again. In an instant, a spirited mortal person can renounce everything and proceed to a fearless state near Hari’s feet. It is not worth residing in the world of the lord of the gods. The flow of nectar about Vaikuntha’s account does not exist there. Nor are there virtuous ones who seek refuge with the illustrious one. There aren’t great festivities where sacrifices are performed to the lord of sacrifices. However, there are beings who obtain lives as humans in this world. They possess knowledge, rites and an accumulation of objects. Through these, they are not born again. That is like a bond a forest-dwelling bird heads towards again. ²⁶⁴ They faithfully perform sacrifices, with appropriate mantras and objects, and offer shares of oblations to desired divinities. It is the single one who is separately worshipped under different names. The lord who is complete himself accepts them and bestows benedictions. When men ask him for a desired objective, it is true that he grants them that objective. But since they have to again ask him for something else, he does not confer on them the true objective. When people worship him without any objective, he himself grants them the desired objective, his tender feet, as gentle as foliage. When something is left over after we have enjoyed happiness in heaven, because of a good sacrifice, good studies or a good deed, we desire a birth in Ajanabha-varsha ²⁶⁵, with our memories intact. There, Hari grants benedictions to those who worship him.’” ²⁶⁶ O king! Some have instructed that there are eight smaller dvipas in Jambudvipa. When searching for their lost horse, Sagara’s sons dug up the ground and created these. ²⁶⁷ They are Svarnaprastha, Chandrashukla, Avartana, Ramanaka, Mandaraharina, Panchajanya, Simhala and Lanka. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! I have told you about the divisions of Jambudvipa into varshas, exactly as I was instructed.’

Chapter 5(20)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘After this, I will describe the dimensions and characteristics of Plaksha and the others and their divisions into varshas. Just as Meru is surrounded by the region named Jambu, Jambudvipa is surrounded by the salty ocean, which has the same length and breadth as Jambudvipa. ²⁶⁸ Like a grove is surrounded by a moat, the region known as Plaksha surrounds the salty ocean and is double its size. ²⁶⁹ As tall as the jambu tree in Jambudvipa, there is a plaksha tree and this gives the region its name. It is made out of gold and rises up. The seven-tongued Agni is worshipped there. Priyavrata’s son, Idhmajihva, is the lord of the region and he divided his dvipa into seven varshas. He bestowed them on his sons and retiring from a material existence, immersed himself in yoga. The names of these varshas are Shiva, Yavasa, Subhadra, Shanta, Kshema, Amrita and Abhaya. It is said that there are seven famous rivers and mountains in each. The mountains that form the boundaries are Manikuta, Vajrakuta, Indrasena, Jyotishman, Suparna, Hiranyashthiva and Meghamala. The great rivers are Aruna, Nrimna, Angirasi, Savitri, Suprabhata, Ritambhara and Satyambhara. The four varnas are Hamsa, Patanga, Urdhavayana and Satyanga and they use the waters of these rivers to wash away rajas and tamas and purify themselves. The inhabitants live for one thousand years and they have offspring who are like the gods. They follow the three Vedas and in the form of the sun god, the gateway to heaven and who is his atman, they worship the illustrious one and obtain him. “We seek refuge with the sun god, his atman. ²⁷⁰ This is the form of the ancient Vishnu, the brahman who is true dharma. He is the origin of immortality and death.” ²⁷¹ In Plaksha and the other five dvipas, without any distinction, all men possess long lifespans, sound senses, physical strength, mental strength, intelligence and valour, right from birth. Plaksha is surrounded by an ocean of sugar cane juice that is equal to itself in size.

‘Shalmali-dvipa is double that in size and is surrounded by an ocean of liquor. There is a shalmali tree ²⁷² there and its dimensions are the same as that of the plaksha tree. This tree is said to give the dvipa its name. It is said that this is the abode of the king of the birds, ²⁷³ who worships the illustrious one who is worshipped through hymns. The lord of the dvipa is Yajnabahu, Priyavrata’s son. He divided the region into seven varshas among his seven sons and they gave these their names—Surochana, Soumanasya, Ramanaka, Devavarsha, Paribhadra, Apyayana and Avijnata. In each of those varshas, the number of mountains and rivers is known to be seven. The mountains at the boundaries are Svarasa, Shatashringa, Vamadeva, Kunda, Mukunda, Pushpa-varsha and Sahasrashruti, while the rivers are Anumati, Sinivali, Sarasvati, Kuhu, Rajani, Nanda and Raka. The men in the varsha are Shrutadhara, Viryadhara, Vasundhara and Ishandhara. ²⁷⁴ Using the Vedas, they worship the illustrious one who is full of the Vedas and whose atman is the moon god. “By using the illumination of his beams, Soma divides into krishna paksha ²⁷⁵ and shukla paksha ²⁷⁶ and ensures food for the gods, the ancestors and the subjects. ²⁷⁷ Let him be our king.”

‘Beyond the ocean of liquor there is an ocean of clarified butter that is double in dimensions. As before, this surrounds Kusha-dvipa. In that dvipa, there is a clump of kusha grass that was created by the divinity and this gives the region its name. Because of its own radiance, it is like another fire and illuminates the directions. O king! The lord of that dvipa is Priyavrata’s son, known as Hiranyareta. He proportionately divided his own dvipa into seven varshas among his seven sons and they gave these their names—Vasu, Vasudana, Dridharuchi, Nabhigupta, Stutyavrata, Vivikta and Vamadeva. After the division, he himself resorted to austerities. In that varsha, the boundary mountains and the rivers are each said to be seven. The mountains are Chakra, Chatuhshringa, Kapila, Chitrakuta, Devanika, Urdhvaroma and Dravina, while the rivers are Rasakulya, Madhukulya, Mitravinda, Shrutavinda, Devagarbha, Ghritachyuta and Mantramala. The residents of Kusha-dvipa are Kushala, Kovida, Abhiyukta and Kulaka. ²⁷⁸ Accomplished in rites, with these waters, they worship the illustrious one in the form of the fire god. “O bearer of oblations! ²⁷⁹ O fire god! You are the supreme brahman himself. By worshipping the gods, we worship the being whose limbs are part of the sacrifice.”

‘Similarly, beyond the ocean of clarified butter there is an ocean of milk that is double in dimensions. Just as the ocean of clarified butter surrounds Kusha-dvipa, this surrounds Krouncha-dvipa. This dvipa obtains its name because of Krouncha, king among mountains. The trees on the slopes were shattered by Guha’s weapon. ²⁸⁰ However, it was protected by Varuna and sprinkled with milk, thus obtaining freedom from fear. The lord there is Priyavrata’s son, named Ghritaprishtha. He divided his own dvipa into seven varshas among his seven sons and they gave these their names. After instating his sons in those varshas, he himself became a devotee of the illustrious one, the bestower of supreme benefit and fame. He immersed himself in him and obtained Hari’s lotus feet. The sons are Ama, Madhuruha, Meghaprishtha, Sudhama, Bhrajishtha, Lohitavarna and Vanaspati. The boundary mountains and the rivers are each said to be seven. The mountains are Shukla, Vardhamana, Bhojana, Upabarhina, Nanda, Nandana and Sarvatobhadra, while the rivers are Abhaya, Amritougha, Aryaka, Tirthavati, Rupavati, Pavitravati and Shukla. The inhabitants of the varsha are known as Purusha, Rishabha, Dravina and Devaka. ²⁸¹ Using those sacred and sparkling waters, with cupped hands full of water, they worship the god of waters ²⁸² in the form of water. “O water! You are the valour of the supreme being. You purify heaven, earth and the intervening region. You purify and destroy all sin. As we touch you, may we also be purified.”

‘Shaka-dvipa is beyond the ocean of milk and its dimensions are thirty-two lakh yojanas. It is surrounded by an ocean of churned curds that has the same size. There is a gigantic tree named Shaka there and it has given the region its own name. It is extremely fragrant and the smell spreads throughout the dvipa. The lord of this region is Priyavrata’s son, named Medhatithi. He divided it into seven varshas among his seven sons and instated them, and they gave these their names—Purojava, Manojava, Pavamana, Dhumranika, Chitrarepha, Bahurupa and Vishvadhara. Immersing his mind on Ananta, he himself became a devotee and entered a hermitage. The boundary mountains and the rivers are each seven. The mountains are Ishana, Urushringa, Balabhadra, Shatakesara, Sahasrasrota, Devapala and Mahanasa, while the rivers are Anagha, Ayurda, Ubhayasprishti, Aparajita, Panchapadi, Sahasrastuti and Nijadhriti. The men in that varsha are named Ritavrata, Satyavrata, Danavrata and Anuvrata. ²⁸³ Through pranayama, ²⁸⁴ they cleanse the rajas and the tamas and use supreme meditation to worship the illustrious one, whose atman is in the wind god. “He is inside all beings. ²⁸⁵ He is the one who maintains the breath of life. He is the lord who is inside. Everything is his manifestation. May he protect us.”

‘In this way, the ocean of churned curds is surrounded by Pushkara-dvipa, which is double its dimensions. It is surrounded on the outside by an ocean of sweet water that has the same size. There is a gigantic lotus ²⁸⁶ there and it possesses one hundred million petals that are made out of polished gold. This blazes like a fire and was created as seat for the one who is seated on a lotus. ²⁸⁷ There is a mountain named Manasottara in the middle of the dvipa and it is the boundary between the varsha on the east and that in the west. Its height and length are ten thousand yojanas. The cities of Indra and the other guardians of the world are in the four directions. Atop this mountain revolves the chariot of the sun, in the form of a year, as it goes around Meru. As it circles, this is one day and one night for the gods. The lord of the dvipa is Priyavrata’s son, named Vitihotra. His two sons were Ramanaka and Dhataki. He instated them as the lords of the varshas and like his elder brothers, engaged himself in rites for the illustrious one. The inhabitants of these varshas undertake rites and use these rites to worship the illustrious one in the form of Brahma. They chant, “His manifestation is in the form of the rites and the rituals. With the signs of the brahman, he should be worshipped by people, tranquil and devoted to him and to no other. We bow down to the illustrious one.”’

The rishi ²⁸⁸ continued, ‘Beyond this ²⁸⁹ and surrounding it, there is a mountain named Lokaloka. This divides the region that is illuminated by the sun from the region that is not illuminated by the sun. This land is as extensive as that between Manasottara and Meru. Beyond this is a region made out of gold, like the surface of a mirror. If something is dropped into it, it can never be regained. Therefore, all living entities avoid this place. This mountain is known as Lokaloka because it is between the region that is illuminated by the sun and the region that is not illuminated by the sun. ²⁹⁰ The lord has fashioned this beyond the three worlds. Such is the height of the mountain that the rays of the sun, Dhruva and minor stellar bodies can illuminate the worlds on one of its sides, but are unable to penetrate to the other side. Wise people have thought about the placing of the worlds, their dimensions and attributes. The size of the globe has been computed as five crore yojanas. One-fourth of this is the expanse from Meru to Mount Lokaloka. For the welfare of all the worlds, the one who created himself, the preceptor of the entire universe, ²⁹¹ instated four lords of elephants in the four directions atop it. ²⁹² They are Rishabha, Pushkarachuda, Vamana and Aparajita. The illustrious and supreme one is the great being. He is the lord of all great powers and he is the one who is inside atmans. He is pure sattva and possesses dharma, knowledge, opulence and the eight great siddhis. He manifests himself as Vishvaksena and other forms. He is surrounded by his own prominent attendants. His powerful arms are ornamented with many kinds of weapons. For extending his powers to the elephants and the guardians of the worlds and for the benefit of the worlds that exist all around it, he manifests his form on that great mountain. Using the yoga of his maya, the illustrious one will assume this form till the end of the kalpa. He has fashioned this form for the sake of the maintenance and progress of the many kinds of worlds. The side that is to one side of Mount Lokaloka, right up to the end, has been said to be the expanse of Aloka. ²⁹³ It is said that pure lords of yoga are the only ones who can travel to these parts. The sun is in the middle of the egg, in between the earth and the vault of the sky. The distance between the sun and the circumference of the universe is twenty-five crore yojanas. Since the sun was inside this inanimate egg, it is referred to as Martanda. ²⁹⁴ Since it was born from the golden egg, it is known as Hiranyagarbha. ²⁹⁵ Indeed, it is the sun that divides the directions, the sky, the firmament, the earth, heaven, the worlds of emancipation, hell and all the nether regions like rasatala. The sun is in the atmans of the gods, inferior species, humans, reptiles, herbs and plants and all categories of living beings. It is the lord of sight.’

Chapter 5(21)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Thus, the dimensions of the terrestrial sphere, attributes and placement have been described. The dimensions of the heavenly sphere are described with reference to this. It is in two halves, ²⁹⁶ like the two parts of a bean and the intervening space, which joins the two, is known as antariksha. In the midst of these, is the illustrious sun god, the lord of bodies that heat the three worlds. It heats and lights them with its rays. Its slow, swift and equal movements, positions of rising, setting and staying in the middle, occur according to the seasons and are known by names like uttarayana, dakshinayana and vaishuvata. ²⁹⁷ As it passes through Makara ²⁹⁸ and the other rashis, ²⁹⁹ day and night become longer or shorter, or are equal. When it passes through Mesha and Tula, ³⁰⁰ day and night are equal. When it passes through Vrisha and the five other rashis, every month, day increases by one ghatika and night decreases by the same amount. ³⁰¹ When it passes through Vrishchika and the other five, day and night move in the opposite direction. Days increase until dakshinayana and nights increase until uttarayana. It is said that in revolving around Mount Manasottara, the sun traverses nine crore and fifty-one lakh yojanas. Indra’s city is to the east of Meru and is known as Devadhani, Yama’s city is to the south and is named Samyamini, Varuna’s city is to the west and is known as Nimlochani, while Soma’s city is to the north and is named Vibhavari. When the sun passes through these four directions of Meru, it is sunrise, midday, sunset and midnight. These indicate the times for living beings to begin and cease activities. For those who reside there, ³⁰² it is always midday and the sun heats, to the left of the mountain and to the right. ³⁰³ The sun sets at a point that is diametrically opposite the point at which it rises. When it heats people and makes them perspire, at a diametrically opposite point, it makes them sleep. When it has set, those people are no longer able to see it. When it travels from Indra’s city to that of Yama, it traverses two and a quarter crore, twelve lakh and a half and twenty-five thousand yojanas ³⁰⁴ in fifteen ghatikas. ³⁰⁵ In this way, it goes to Varuna’s city, Soma’s city and back to Indra’s city. Planets, the moon, nakshatras and other stellar bodies also rise and set together. The chariot of the sun, which is full of the three Vedas, passes through the four cities. In one muhurta, it traverses thirty-four lakh and eight hundred yojanas. It is said that the chariot has one wheel, which is the year, twelve spokes, six segments of the rim and three naves. ³⁰⁶ At one end, the axle is fixed on the summit of Meru and at the other end, on Manasottara. Thus fixed, like the wheel of an oil press, it revolves around Mount Manasottara. Just like an oil press, a second axle, which is one-fourth the size of the first, is attached to the first axle. The upper end of this axle is attached to Dhruva. The seat of the chariot is thirty-six lakh yojanas in size and its width is one-fourth that. Yoked by Aruna, ³⁰⁷ the sun’s chariot is yoked to seven horses that bear along the god Aditya and have the names of chhandas. ³⁰⁸ Since he is engaged in the task of a charioteer, Aruna sits in front of the sun god, but his face is turned towards the rear. ³⁰⁹ The valakhilya rishis ³¹⁰ are the size of a thumb. Sixty thousand of these are engaged in front of the sun and praise him with their words, chanting hymns. Other rishis, gandharvas, apsaras, nagas, yakshas, yatudhanas and many other categories of gods possess many kinds of names and are divided into fourteen, or seven pairs. Under these different names, from one month to another month, they perform their duties in pairs, worshipping the illustrious sun god, who is a form of the atman. ³¹¹ The circumference of the terrestrial sphere is nine crore and fifty-one lakh yojanas. In a kshana, the sun traverses two thousand yojanas and one gavyuti.’ ³¹²

Chapter 5(22)

The king asked, ‘O illustrious one! When the illustrious sun god revolves facing the rashis, you have described that he keeps Meru and Dhruva on his left, but it appears as if they are on his right. How will we interpret this statement?’

He ³¹³ replied, ‘When a potter’s wheel rotates, the motions of ants and other things that are on it are experienced to be different, because they are on different parts of the wheel. Similarly, when the wheel of time, consisting of the nakshatras and the rashis, revolves, Meru and Dhruva are on the right, but the progress of the sun, the planets and other things that are based on it are different, since these are observed in different nakshatras and rashis. He ³¹⁴ is the illustrious original being, Narayana, himself. He consists of the three Vedas and the wise inquire about him. For the welfare of the worlds and the purification of rites, he divided himself into twelve and arranged vasanta and the other seasons, along with the qualities of these seasons. In this world, men who follow the three Vedas and the conduct and path of the varnas and ashramas, faithfully worship him with superior and inferior rituals passed down through yoga. They obtain what is beneficial. He is the atman of the worlds. He is in the the sky, in between earth and the vault of heaven. Following the wheel of time, he enjoys the twelve months named after the rashis. This is the form of the year. The learned say that a month consists of two pakshas, a day and a night, which ³¹⁵ is the period required to cross two and a quarter rashis. It is also instructed that a season is the time required by the sun to traverse one-sixth of a year. The period taken by the sun to traverse half of space is said to be ayana. The sun travels at a fast, slow or moderate speed. The time taken to orbit the sky, the earth and the vault of heaven is known as samvatsara, parivatsara, idavatsara, anuvatsara and vatsara. In this way, the moon is seen to be located a hundred thousand yojanas above the sun’s rays. Its speed is faster than that of the sun and it moves on ahead. In two fortnights, it covers what the sun traverses in a month and in one day, it covers what the sun takes a fortnight to traverse. When the kalas of the moon increase, it is day for the immortals and night for the ancestors. When the kalas of the moon decrease, it is day for the ancestors and night for the immortals. Thus, in the first paksha and the next paksha, the moon distributes the breath of life for all living creatures and is known as life itself. One after another, it is in conjunction with a nakshatra for thirty muhurtas. This illustrious one possesses sixteen kalas and is the divinity for the mind, food and amrita. He is spoken of as the breath of life for gods, ancestors, humans, bhutas, animals, birds, reptiles and herbs and plants and as the one who pervades everything. In the wheel of time, the lord has fixed twenty-eight nakshatras, along with Abhijit, ³¹⁶ three lakh yojanas above the moon. They revolve with Meru on the right. Ushana ³¹⁷ is observed two lakh yojanas above this. It has a slow, fast or moderate motion and is seen to be ahead of, behind, or along with the sun. It moves like the sun, always favourable to the worlds and generally bringing rain. As it moves, it is seen to counter planets that obstruct rain. ³¹⁸ The orbit of Budha ³¹⁹ is described as being two lakh yojanas above that of Ushana. Budha is Soma’s son and is generally perceived to be favourable. However, if it does not move along with the sun, there are always storms, clouds, droughts and other such reasons for fear. Angaraka ³²⁰ is seen to be two lakh yojanas above Budha. Unless it moves in a retrograde way, it progressively passes through each rashi in three pakshas and traverses all twelve. In general, it is an inauspicious planet, causing calamities. Two lakh yojanas above Angaraka is the auspicious Brihaspati. ³²¹ Unless it moves in a retrograde way, it passes through each rashi in a samvatsara. It is generally favourable to those from the brahmana lineage. Shanaishchara ³²² is seen to be two lakh yojanas above Brihaspati. It remains in a single rashi for thirty months and thus requires many anuvatsaras to cover all of them. ³²³ It generally causes troubles for everyone. Eleven lakh yojanas above Shanaishchara are seen to be the rishis. ³²⁴ They always think of tranquility for the worlds and revolve around Vishnu’s supreme abode, keeping it to the right.’

Chapter 5(23)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Thirteen lakh yojanas above the rishis is Vishnu’s supreme abode. The great devotee of the illustrious one, Dhruva, Uttanapada’s son, is said to reside there. His devotion has already been described earlier. Agni, Indra, Prajapati Kashyapa and Dharma simultaneously go around him, showing him great reverence and keeping him to their right. He is worshipped even now, because he sustains the lives of those who will live till the end of the kalpa. He shines constantly. The force of the unmanifest and illustrious one has earmarked him like a stable pillar and all the large number of stellar bodies, planets and nakshatras incessantly use him as a pivot, thus ordained by the lord. Bulls used in threshing corn are yoked to the pivotal post in the middle, using three kinds of ropes—short, medium and long. In their respective places, they walk around in three circles. Similarly, stellar bodies and the planets are fixed to the wheel of time in inner and outer circles. Using Dhruva as the pivot and impelled by the force of the wind, they revolve until the end of the kalpa, like clouds and hawks in the sky, propelled by the wind. The charioteers of the large number of stellar bodies are their past karmas, revolving because of the union between Purusha and Prakriti. It is because of their past good karmas that they do not fall down on the ground. Some imagine this large number of stellar bodies to be in the form of a dolphin. ³²⁵ It is described as being supported by the illustrious Vasudeva’s yoga. The body of the dolphin is coiled, with the head downwards, and Dhruva is at the tip of the tail. Prajapati, Agni, Indra and Dharma are imagined to be at the tip of the tail. Dhatri, Vidhatri and the saptarshis are on the hip. The body is coiled from left to right. On the right side are located the nakshatras that mark the northern course, while on the left side are the nakshatras that mark dakshinayana. ³²⁶ It is as if the coiled body of the porpoise has an equal number of limbs on either side. Ajavithi is on the back and Akasha-Ganga is on the stomach. ³²⁷ Punarvasu and Pushya are on the right and left hips. Ardra and Ashlesha are on the right and left feet, to the rear. Abhijit and Uttarashadha are numbered on the right and left nostrils. Shravana and Purvashadha are numbered on the right and left eyes. Dhanishtha and Mula are on the right and left ears. The eight nakshatras that mark the progress of dakshinayana, Magha and the others, are on the ribs to the left. ³²⁸ The eight nakshatras that mark the progress of uttarayana, Mrigashirsha and the others, are on the ribs to the right, but in the reverse direction. ³²⁹ The others, Shatabhisha and Jyeshtha, are on the right and left shoulders. Agasti ³³⁰ is on the upper jaw and Yama is on the lower jaw. Angaraka is on the mouth, Shanaishchara is on the genitals, Brihaspati is on the hump, the sun is on the chest, Narayana is in the heart, the moon is in the mind, Ushana ³³¹ is in the navel, the Ashvins are on the nipples, Budha is in the prana and apana breath, ³³² Rahu is on the throat, Ketu is in all the limbs and the large number of stars are all in the body hair. This is the form of the illustrious Vishnu and all the gods are in him. Every day, at the time of sandhya, ³³³ one should control oneself and watch this form, meditating and worshipping it. “We bow down before the one in whom the stellar bodies rest. He is the wheel of time. He is the lord of the gods. He is the great being. We meditate on him.” This adhidaivika form consists of the planets, nakshatras and stars. If this mantra is chanted thrice, ³³⁴ all sins are cleansed. If one bows down, remembers it and chants it thrice, all sins are swiftly and instantly destroyed.’

Chapter 5(24)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘Those who are learned say that, ten thousand yojanas below the sun, Svarbhanu revolves like a nakshatra. O son! He was himself a wicked asura, Simhika’s son, and certainly did not deserve it. However, through the favours of the illustrious one, he obtained the immortal status of a planet. I will tell you about his birth and deeds later. ³³⁵ The sun’s globe radiates heat and is said to extend for ten thousand yojanas, while that of the moon is for twelve thousand yojanas. Rahu’s extends for thirteen thousand yojanas. Because they created an obstruction for him, ³³⁶ he is bound in enmity towards Surya and Chandra and rushes after them on the night of the new moon and the full moon. When he hears about this, to save them from the fear, the illustrious one deploys the beloved weapon that devotees know as Sudarshana. As it revolves around them, ³³⁷ its incessant energy is impossible to withstand and he can only tolerate it for a muhurta. Anxious in his heart, he then withdraws some distance away. People speak of this as an eclipse. The same distance below ³³⁸ are the abodes of the Siddhas, charanas and vidyadharas. ³³⁹ Below this are the worlds where yakshas, rakshasas, pishachas and large numbers of bhutas find pleasure. This space extends as long as clouds are seen and as long as winds blow. The earth is one hundred yojanas below this and its upper limits are as far as the best among birds, swans, eagles and hawks can fly. The location of the earth and the different divisions of the earth has already been described.

‘Below this are the seven nether regions, each progressively ten thousand yojanas below the preceding one. They are atala, vitala, sutala, talatala, mahatala, rasatala and patala and their length and breadth are similar. ³⁴⁰ These are heavens of the nether regions. Even more than heaven, there are objects for gratifying the senses, affluence, bliss, prosperity and power. There are excellent houses, groves and pleasure grounds. Daityas, danavas and Kadru’s progeny ³⁴¹ reside there, always happy because of the attachment of wives, offspring, relatives, well-wishers and followers. The heads of the households are more powerful than the gods. Their pursuit of the senses is unobstructed. They happily reside in this maya. O great king! Using his maya, Maya constructed many kinds of cities there. The wonderful and excellent houses were constructed with the best of jewels. There are walls, gates, assembly halls, chaityas, ³⁴² quadrangles and mansions. There are couples of nagas and asuras. The place is full of pigeons, parrots and sarikas. The lords of these regions crowd the artificial grounds. The decorated and excellent houses are radiant. The gardens bring great pleasure to the mind and the senses. There are flowers, bunches of fruit and beautiful new sprouts on the branches of the trees in the groves, embraced by handsome creepers. Couples of beautiful birds frequent the waterbodies, full of sparkling water. Fish leap around and agitate the water. There are lilies, lotuses, white lotuses, blue lotuses, red lotuses and lotuses with a hundred petals, and birds have made their homes in their midst. They find uninterrupted pleasure there and there are the sounds of many kinds of melodious calling that cause delight to the senses. The beauty surpasses that of the world of the immortals. No fear caused by the division of time is discerned there and there is no night or day. Giant serpents reside there and the gems on their hoods dispel all the darkness. Because of the divine herbs, juices, medicines, drinking, eating and bathing, the residents do not suffer from any mental or physicial disease. There are no wrinkles, grey hair or old age. The physical complexion does not fade. There is no bad odour, perspiration, fatigue, lack of energy, or any misery caused by old age. The worlds are auspicious and fortunate, without fear of death. The only fear is from the illustrious one’s chakra. When it penetrates there, the pregnant wives of the asuras have miscarriages and abortions because of their fear. Maya’s son, Bala, resides in the region of atala. Indeed, it is said that he created ninety-six kinds of maya. Even today, magicians practise some of those. When he yawned, three types of women were created from his mouth—svairinis, kaminis and pumshchalis. ³⁴³ If a man enters the nether regions, they offer him a juice extracted from a herb known as Hataka and this makes him capable, so that they can gratify their own desires. They pursue their urges and seduce him with loving glances, smiles, conversation and embraces. Because of that juice and the enjoyment, a man feels that he is like a god. He takes himself to be extremely powerful, endowed with the strength of ten thousand mighty elephants. Blinded by intoxication, he praises himself. Below this ³⁴⁴ is vitala. The illustrious Hara, Hatakeshvara, resides there, surrounded by his own companions, the large number of bhutas. With the object of increasing the number of Prajapatis, Bhava is united there with Bhavani and from him flows the supreme river known as Hataki, which possesses both their energies. The fire, fanned by the wind, drinks the strength of that river and spits out the gold that is known as Hataka. In the homes of the Indras among asuras, men and women wear ornaments that are made out of this. Below this ³⁴⁵ is sutala. Great in his fame and chanted about in shlokas, Virochana’s son, Bali, resides there. The illustrious one wished to bring pleasure to the great Indra, Aditi’s son. Therefore, he approached Bali in the form of a brahmachari who was a dwarf and thus robbed him of the three worlds. It was through the favours of the illustrious one that he was then allowed to enter this place, possessing a great prosperity and beauty that Indra and the others do not have. Even now, he follows his own dharma and worships the illustrious one, with all his hardships removed. He did not obtain this because he directly donated land to the illustrious one, who is the infinite refuge for all living beings. His atman is in the atmans of all living beings. He is Vasudeva, the paramatman, the supreme tirtha and refuge. He ³⁴⁶ resorted to him with great devotion and great affection, concentrated in his mind. That is the reason he obtained this direct gate to emancipation and this world and residence, full of prosperity. If a man suffers from hunger, stumbles and falls down, helpless, if he chants his name, his bonds of karma are severed and his sins are instantly washed away. Those who desire emancipation cannot obtain it through any other means. His atman is in all atmans. He is the supreme atman. It is in this way that his devotees realize the atman. ³⁴⁷ The illustrious one did not really bestow any favours on him by giving him this prosperity and objects of pleasure, which are full of maya, and unsatisfactory, but conferred on him constant remembrance of his name. The illustrious one perceived that there was no other means, except deceit, to take away the three worlds, which are his own body. Therefore, it is said that he bound him in Varuna’s noose and confined him in a cave in a mountain. He ³⁴⁸ exclaimed, “Indeed, Indra is said to be learned and experienced, surrounded by advisers who offer him counsel, like Brihaspati, appointed to advise him in private. However, he does not know what is good for him. He ignored Upendra and did not seek service to him as a benediction. Time has a long duration. What is the point of being surrounded by the three worlds, which will end at the end of a manvantara? Indeed, our grandfather ³⁴⁹ valued service to him. He did not accept his father’s ancestral kingdom, which was free from fear, after his own father ³⁵⁰ had been killed by the illustrious one. Though that status was offered to him, he only accepted service to the illustrious one. He was great in his sentiments. A person like me is contaminated by desires and cannot follow his path, even if I wish to. Bereft of the favours of the illustrious one, what can those like us do?” His ³⁵¹ conduct will be narrated later. The illustrious Narayana is the preceptor of all the worlds. With compassion towards his devotees, he is himself stationed there, at the gate. ³⁵² With a desire to conquer the world, the one with the ten shoulders came there and was flung ten crore yojanas away, with a flick from the toe of his foot. ³⁵³ Below this ³⁵⁴ is talatala. The Indra among danavas, named Maya, the lord of Tripura, resides there. With a desire to bring welfare to the three worlds, the illustrious Isha, ³⁵⁵ the enemy of these cities, burnt them down. With his own city destroyed, he obtained this world through his grace. ³⁵⁶ He is the preceptor of all kinds of maya. Protected in his greatness by Mahadeva, he has no fear from the Sudarshana. Below this ³⁵⁷ is mahatala, inhabited by the serpents who are Kadru’s descendants. They have many hoods and are known as Krodhavashas. ³⁵⁸ They are gigantic in size and the foremost ones are Kuhaka, Takshaka, Kaliya, Sushena and others. They are constantly afraid of the lord of birds, who bears the great being. They find pleasure there, with their wives, offspring, well-wishers and relatives, often intoxicated. Below this ³⁵⁹ is rasatala. Daityas and danavas reside there. Their names are Panis, Nivatakavachas and Kaleyas. They inhabit a golden city. From the time of their births, these enemies of the gods are extremely energetic and extremely brave. Hari brings benefit to all the worlds. They dwell in that world and their strength and insolence is only contained through his energy. When Indra sent Sarama as a messenger, the words of that mantra caused them to be afraid of Indra. ³⁶⁰ Below this ³⁶¹ is Patala, the world of the nagas. With Vasuki as the foremost, the leaders like Shankha, Kulika, Mahashankha, Shveta, Dhananjaya, Dhritarashtra, Shankhachuda, Kambala, Ashvatara, Devadatta and the others reside there. They are gigantic in size and extremely intolerant. They possess five, seven, ten, one hundred and one thousand hoods on their heads and the great jewels on these filled the world of Patala with radiance. With their own illumination, they disperse all the darkness.’

Chapter 5(25)

Shri-Shuka said, ‘At the foundation of this, ³⁶² and thirty thousand yojanas away, there is a portion of the illustrious one, full of tamasa. ³⁶³ He is known as Ananta by those who follow Satvata. Because he draws together the seer and the seen, “I” and the sense of pride, those who know the signs describe him as Samkarshana. ³⁶⁴ In the form of Ananta, with one thousand hoods, the illustrious one bears the globe of the earth on a single hood and it appears like a white mustard seed. At the right time, when he desires to destroy it, his extremely beautiful eyebrows are furrowed in intolerance and from between them appears Rudra, known as Samkarshana. He is three-eyed and arises in eleven different forms, each wielding a trident. The lords of the serpents and devotees of Satvata are single-minded in bhakti yoga. They bow down, their own faces glittering because of the radiance of the earrings that adorn them. Their cheeks are extremely beautiful. Delighted in their minds, they see his two lotus feet, with round and red nails that shine like gems. The daughters of the king of the nagas hope to obtain his blessings. The sphere of his beautiful body is radiant, spotless, long and fair, with beautiful arms that are like pillars made of silver, anointed with sandalwood and aloe paste and kunkuma. When they touch his body, their minds are agitated and the one with the makara on his banner enters their hearts. Those beautiful and delicate ones smile with the intoxication of love and glance bashfully at his face, which is like a lotus. His red eyes roll because of the inebriation and he casts merciful glances towards them. He is the illustrious Ananta, an ocean of qualities. He is the original divinity who has withdrawn his intolerance and the force of his rage, for the sake of the welfare of the worlds. The gods, the asuras, the serpents, the Siddhas, the gandharvas, the vidyadharas and large numbers of sages meditate on him. Because of the constant delight of intoxication, his eyes are restless and roll around. The amrita of his speech is excellent, causing delight to his own companions and the leaders of different groups of gods. He wears the vaijayanti necklace, whose shine does not fade, and a garland of fresh tulasi leaves. ³⁶⁵ The fragrance of his garland made out of wild flowers is enhanced by the smell of madhu and asava and is rendered more beautiful by the intoxicated bees that surround him and the sweet sounds of melodious singing. He is attired in blue garments and wears a single earring. His beautiful and auspicious hand is placed atop the plough. Just as the great Indra’s gigantic elephant wears a golden harness, engaged in his pastimes, he wears a golden girdle. It has been heard that, since the beginning of time, those who desire emancipation meditate on him, so that they can be freed from the bondage of karma, desire and the noose of ignorance that ties down the heart. He swiftly severs the sattva, rajas and tamas that is in the core of the heart. The illustrious Narada, born from Svayambhu, chanted his glories in Brahma’s assembly hall, accompanied by Tumburu, ³⁶⁶ and composed a shloka. “He is the cause behind creation, preservation and destruction. It is through his glances that sattva and the other gunas of Prakriti manifested themselves. His form is permanent and without an origin. He is alone the atman who has been manifested in many forms. How can we know him or understand his movements? Because of his great compassion, he assumed a form that was made out of pure sattva. The manifest and the unmanifest appeared from this. His unmatched exploits are like that of a king of animals. Pervasive in his valour, he engages in these for the sake of delighting the minds of his own devotees. Even if one accidentally hears his name or chants it, even in jest, a distressed person who has fallen down instantly destroys sins, even those of other men. If a person desires emancipation, what refuge other than the illustrious Shesha can he resort to? The globe of the earth, with its mountains, rivers, oceans and living beings is like an anu ³⁶⁷ on the head of the thousand-hooded one. The powerful one is infinite and unlimited in his valour. Even if one possesses one thousand tongues, how can one enumerate his powers? These are the powers of the illustrious Ananta. He is unparalleled in his valour. His qualities and traits are limitless. Completely independent, he is stationed at the foundation of the nether regions. Through his pastimes, he maintains and sustains this universe.” Depending on their deeds, those who are in the form of men and wish to satisfy their desires, go to these destinations. I have described them as I have been instructed. O king! These are the different destinations for men, superior and inferior, depending on their inclinations, attributes and proclivity towards dharma. As you asked, I have explained them to you. What else will I speak about?’

Chapter 5(26)

The king asked, ‘O maharshi! Why are there so many different kinds of worlds?’

The rishi replied, ‘There are different combinations of the three gunas in the doer, differences in devotion and varied consequences of karma. Thus, all of these result for everyone. For example, there are prohibited acts characterized by adharma. However, because the doer’s faith varies, there may be differences in the consequences of karma. Right since the beginning, those who are ignorant have performed acts out of desire. As a consequence, there are thousands of different kinds of hell and they vary widely. I will describe them to you.’

The king asked, ‘O illustrious one! Do the regions known as hell belong to a specific place, or are they beyond the three worlds? Are they somewhere in the intervening space?’

The rishi replied, ‘They are in the intervening space within the three worlds. However, they are in the southern direction, below the earth and just above the waters. The ancestors known as the Agnishvattas and the others also dwell in this direction. Engaged in supreme meditation, they hope for true benedictions for those born in their gotras. Indeed, the illustrious Vaivasvata is the king of the ancestors. He never transgresses the rules set by the illustrious one. His messengers make living beings reach his own dominion. With his companions, he executes the punishment, depending on the kind of karma they have undertaken and their sins. O king! It has been enumerated that there are twenty-one different kinds of hell. I will progressively describe their names, forms and attributes to you. They are Tamisra, Andha-tamisra, Rourava, Maha-rourava, Kumbhipaka, Kalasutra, Asipatra-vana, Sukara-mukha, Andha-kupa, Krimi-bhojana, Sandamsha, Tapta-surmi, Vajra-kantaka-shalmali, Vaitarani, Puyoda, Prana-rodha, Vishasana, Lala-bhoksha, Sarameya-adana, Avichi and Ayoh-pana. However, there also are ³⁶⁸ Kshara-kardama, Raksha-gana-bhojana, Shulaprota, Dandashuka, Avata-nirodhana, Paryavartana and Shuchi-mukha. These twenty-eight hells are regions where one suffers from many kinds of miseries.

‘If a person steals another person’s riches, children or wife, he is bound by the noose of destiny. Yama’s terrible messengers forcibly hurl him into the hell known as Tamisra. He does not get food or water. He is beaten with rods, scolded and terrible punishments are inflicted on him. Suffering from these miseries there, sometimes, the living entity loses consciousness in a place that is almost entirely dark. ³⁶⁹ In this way, if a person deceitfully enjoys another person’s wife or other possessions, he is forcibly hurled into Andha-tamisra. There, the living entity suffers misery and pain. He loses his sight and loses his intelligence. Because of this, he is like a tree whose roots have been severed. That is the reason this is known as Andha-tamisra. ³⁷⁰

‘A person may be full of “I” and “mine” and identify himself with his body. Seeking to only maintain and support himself and his family every day, he causes injury to beings. Because of this, when he gives up this world and his body, he falls into the inauspicious Rourava. In this world, there are creatures to whom he has caused injury. In the other world, when he faces hardships from Yama, they become rurus and cause him injury. ³⁷¹ Rurus are creatures who are more vicious than snakes. It is because of this that the region is known as Rourava. In this way, if a person only nurtures his own body, he falls into Maha-rourava. The rurus eat flesh there and they kill him for the sake of his flesh.

‘For the sake of sustaining life in this world, a cruel-hearted and fierce person may cook birds and animals while they are still alive. Because of this condemned deed, in the next world, Yama’s followers cook him in boiling oil in Kumbhipaka. ³⁷²

‘In this world, if a person causes injury to the parents or to a brahmana, he goes to the hell known as Kalasutra. There is a plate made out of copper there and its dimensions are ten thousand yojanas. It is heated by the sun from above and by the fire from below. He enters that extremely hot place and suffers from hunger and thirst. The inside and outside of his body is scorched. Sometimes, he lies down. Sometimes, he moves. Sometimes, he remains stationary. And sometimes, he runs. He remains there for as many thousand years as there are body hair on an animal’s body. ³⁷³

‘In this world, even if there is no calamity, a person may deviate from the path of the Vedas and seek refuge with heretics. ³⁷⁴ When he reaches, he is made to enter Asipatra-vana. He is beaten there with whips. He runs around, here and there. However, on both sides, there are forests of palm trees, with leaves like swords. ³⁷⁵ All his limbs are sliced by these. “Alas! I have been killed.” Exclaiming in this way and suffering from great pain, he loses his consciousness and falls down at every step. Having destroyed his own dharma and having followed heretics, he suffers these fruits as a consequence.

‘In this world, a king, or a king’s servant, may inflict punishment on someone who should not be punished. Corporal punishment may be inflicted on a brahmana. In that world, such a wicked person falls into the hell known as Sukara-mukha. Like a piece of sugar cane is crushed in this world, extremely powerful hands crush his limbs there. He cries and laments in a piteous tone. Sometimes, overcome by hardship, he falls down, senseless, just as innocent people who have been imprisoned do in this world. ³⁷⁶

‘In this world, the means of subsistence of creatures have been ordained by the lord. Without understanding this and without understanding the pain caused to others, without understanding what the great being has ordained for a creature and without comprehending the pain his action causes to others, a person may still indulge in acts of causing pain. In the next world, because of this violence, he falls into Andha-kupa. ³⁷⁷ There, those creatures, domestic animals, wild animals, birds, reptiles, gnats, lice, worms, flies and others persecute him from all directions. Agitated and suffering in that darkness, he cannot find any peace or sleep. The being is whirled around, like a creature in a diseased body.

‘In this world, a person may eat something without sharing it with others. He may eat whatever he gets, without performing the five yajnas. ³⁷⁸ He is spoken of as being no better than a crow. In the next world, he falls into the worst of hells, known as Krimi-bhojana. There is a pit full of worms there, extending for one hundred thousand yojanas. He becomes a worm there and survives on other worms, himself eaten by other worms. ³⁷⁹ If a person eats without sharing it and offering it to others, he remains there until his sins have been atoned for, for as many years as there are yojanas in that pit.

‘In this world, without there being a calamity, a person may forcibly steal the gold or jewels of a brahmana, or of someone else. O king! In that other world, Yama’s servants, use red-hot iron balls or tongs to tear out that person’s skin. ³⁸⁰

‘In this world, a man may have intercourse with a woman he should not have intercourse with, or a woman may have intercourse with a man she should not have intercourse with. In that world, they are beaten with whips. The man, or the woman as the case may be, is made to embrace a red-hot iron image of a woman, or a man as the case may be. ³⁸¹

‘In this world, a person may have intercourse with anyone. ³⁸² In the next world, he is in the hell known as Vajra-kantaka-shalmali. He is impaled there and torn down. ³⁸³

‘In this world, there are those who are from royal lineage, or are the servants of kings. However, though born in lineages that are not heretical, they transgress the ordinances of dharma. After death, they are hurled into Vaitarani. ³⁸⁴ That river is like a moat around that hell and is populated by large numbers of ferocious aquatic creatures. Without losing his breath of life, a man who has transgressed the ordinances thus finds his body devoured by them. Because of his own sins and his wicked deeds, he is borne along this river, full of excrement, urine, blood, hair, nails, bones, marrow, flesh and fat. Suffering, he remembers his deeds.

‘In this world, there are the husbands of vrishala women. Their purity and conduct has been destroyed. They have abandoned rituals and shame. They follow the conduct of animals. After death, they fall down in an ocean that is full of pus, excrement, urine, mucus and dirt and eat nothing but these extremely terrible things. ³⁸⁵

‘In this world, brahmanas and others may maintain dogs and donkeys, using them to hunt for pleasure and hunting and killing for other than sanctioned purposes. After dying, they become targets for Yama’s servants, who pierce them with arrows. ³⁸⁶

‘In this world, there are insolent people. Because of insolence alone, they kill animals. In that world, they fall into the hell known as Vaishasa. ³⁸⁷ When they fall into that hell, they are made to suffer and are killed.

‘In this world, there may be a dvija. ³⁸⁸ Despite his wife belonging to the same varna, confounded by desire, he may make her drink his semen. Because of this wicked deed, in the next world, he is made to fall into a river of semen and forced to drink this semen. ³⁸⁹

‘In this world, there are bandits, arsonists and poisoners. Alternatively, kings and servants of kings plunder villages and caravans. After death, Yama’s messengers make them confront seven hundred and twenty hounds, which are ferocious and possess teeth that are like the vajra. They eat them up. ³⁹⁰

‘In this world, a person may bear false witness, or lie somehow, while transacting objects and donating. After death, such a person goes to the hell named Avichi. He is taken to the summit of a mountain that is one hundred yojanas in height and without any support, is hurled down, face downwards, towards a flat and rocky surface that seems to be made out of water. Since there are no waves, ³⁹¹ his body is shattered into fragments that are as small as sesamum seeds. If he does not die, he is raised up and flung down again.

‘In this world, a brahmana, a king or a vaishya may drink soma, though he is not entitled to do so. Or being confused, may drink liquor while observing a vow, or make his wife drink it. Such people are conveyed to a hell. Their chests are crushed with feet. Iron molten by the fire are poured into their mouths. ³⁹²

‘In this world, a person may know himself to be inferior, because of birth, austerities, learning, conduct, varna or ashrama. However, because of his own nature, he may not show great respect to those who are superior. He is as good as dead. When he dies, he is conveyed to the hell known as Kshara-kardama. ³⁹³ With his head facing downwards, he is hurled down and faces many kinds of terrible hardships.

‘In this world, there are men who worship with human sacrifices. There are also women who eat the flesh of men thus sacrificed. These people are like animals. People who kill in this way are tormented in Yama’s abode. Those killers are sliced to bits by large numbers of rakshasas, who drink their blood and happily dance and sing, just like those cannibals did in this world. ³⁹⁴

‘In this world, in forests and in villages, there are those who approach and create trust in innocent people who wish to be protected. Thereafter, they play with them with spears, or tie them up with ropes, thus causing them pain. After death, such people are tormented by Yama and their bodies are transfixed with spears. ³⁹⁵ They are afflicted by hunger and thirst. They are tormented by birds like herons and vultures, possessing sharp beaks. In this state, they remember their own wicked deeds.

‘In this world, there are men who are naturally angry, causing pain to living creatures. They are like dandashukas. ³⁹⁶ After death, they fall into the hell named Dandashuka. There are five-heaed and seven-headed dandashukas there. They approach and devour them like mice.

‘In this world, there are people who confine creatures into blind holes, granaries and caves. When they enter the next world, they are confined in a similar way, suffering from fire and poisonous fumes. ³⁹⁷

‘In this world, the master of a household may often be angry if unexpected guests turn up, desiring to burn them down with his angry glances. He glances at them with wicked eyes. In hell, there are vultures, herons, crows and other birds that possess beaks like the vajra. With great force, they violently pluck out his wicked eyes. ³⁹⁸

‘In this world, a person may be proud because of his wealth, and insolent. His vision is crooked and he suspects everyone, thinking about his wealth being spent or destroyed. His heart and mouth dry up at the prospect. Not being able to find peace, he guards his wealth like an imp. After death, he becomes an imp, because earning, increase and protection of the wealth has led to an accumulation of sins. As an imp that seeks to seize wealth, he falls down into the hell known as Shuchi-mukha. ³⁹⁹ Like skilled tailors, Dharmaraja’s servants stitch all the limbs on his body with thread.

‘O lord of the earth! In this way, there are hundreds and thousands of hells in Yama’s abode. All of them are for all those who follow the path of adharma. Some have been described and some have not been mentioned. Depending on the degree, all such people progressively enter there. After this world, those who follow dharma are again born in this world, when their good and bad deeds are exhausted. The attributes of the path of nivritti have been described towards the beginning. ⁴⁰⁰ These are the dimensions of the cosmic egg. The Puranas have thought of them as being divided into fourteen worlds. They have been described as the gross form of the great being himself, the illustrious Narayana. This form results from his own maya and gunas and has been narrated. If a person faithfully reads, hears, explains it to other people, or chants about the illustrious one, his intelligence becomes purified. Devotion and faith develop in him. He comprehends the paramatman, who is so very difficult to grasp. After having heard about the gross and subtle forms of the illustrious one, a person who has controlled himself must concentrate on the gross form. When he has control over his atman, his intelligence will gradually convey him towards the subtle form. O king! I have thus described the earth, dvipas, varshas, rivers, mountains, the sky, oceans, nether regions, directions, hells, stellar and other regions to you. The gross form of the lord is extraordinary. He is the refuge for all the living creatures.’

This ends the Fifth Skandha.