Chapter 5 - Description of Fifth and Sixth Manvantaras—Brahmā Hymns the Lord

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. I have narrated to you, Oh King, the sacred story of the liberation of the Lord of elephants which destroys all sinful deeds. Now listen to the account of the Manu-period presided over by Raivata.

2-3. The fifth Manu, Raivata by name, was the brother of Tāmasa. Bali, Vindhya and others, the eldest of whom was Arjuna, were his sons. Vibhu was the Indra, Bhūtaraya and others were the gods, while Hiraṇyaromā, Vedaśiras, Ūrdhvabāhu and others were the Sages^[1], Oh king.

4. Vikuṇṭhā was the wife of Śubhra; with a portion of his energy, Lord Vaikuṇṭha was born of these of his own accord, along with great gods known as Vaikuṇṭhas.

5. It was at the request of his spouse, the goddess Ramā (Lakṣmī) and with a view to please her that he created his realm known as Vaikuṇṭha^[2] which is highly respected by all the worlds.

6. His prowess (viz. restoring to their original position his attendants who, by the curse of Sanatkumāra, became demons called Hiraṇyāksa and Hiraṇyakaśipu—vide Skandha III), excellences (such as friendliness to Brāhmaṇas), and his great prosperity have been described to you. (But I could not do so adequately as) he who would be able to describe the excellences of Viṣṇu fully may as well count all the particles of the dust on the entire earth.^[3]

7. 8. The sixth Manu was known as Cākṣuṣa, the son of Cakṣus; his sons were Puru, Puruṣa, Sudyumna and others. Mantradyumna was the Indra, and the hosts of gods were headed by Āpya. The (seven) Sages were, Oh king, Haviṣmat, Vīraka and others (viz. Sumedhas, Anuttama, Madhu, Atināman, Sahiṣṇu).

9. In this Manvantara, the glorious Lord of the worlds appeared, by a ray of his essential nature, as Ajita, the son of Vairāja and Sambhūti.

10. By him, the nectar as secured for gods, by getting the sea (of milk) churned, while he supported, in the form of the (Divine) Tortoise, the Mount Mandara while it was whirling in the waters of the sea.

The King enquired:

11-12. Be pleased to describe to me Oh Brāhmaṇa Sage, this most wonderous deed of the glorious Lord: as to how the ocean of milk was got churned by the Lord, as also the object (said) of doing so, and why he had to support the mount (Mandara) assuming the form of an acquatic animal (a tortoise); how the nectar was obtained by gods and what else happened at that time (in connection with this event).

13. My heart which has been tormented for a long time by afflictions (of three types) does not get satiated, when you describe in details, the great glory of the Lord of Sātvatas (Kṛṣṇa).

Sūta said:

14. Being thus respectfully requested, the venerable son of Vyāsa (viz. Śuka) appreciated the (king’s) query and began to describe in details the prowess of Lord Hari, Oh Brāhmaṇas.

Śrī Śuka said:

15. 16. When formidably assailed with sharp weapons by Asuras in battles, gods were killed in large numbers, and they did not revive, and when due to the curse of the sage Durvāsas,^[4] the three worlds along with Indra were deprived of their glory and wealth, all sacrificial performance and other religious rites ceased to be performed.

17. Seeing this (state of affairs), the hosts of gods headed by the great Indra and Varuṇa met in a conference for mutual consultations, but failed to arrive at a conclusion.

18. All of them went to the court of Brahmā, situated on a crest of mountain Meru. Bowing god Brahmā humbly, they submitted to him all their grievances.

19. 20. Observing that gods like Indra, Vāyu and others are bereft of power, energy and splendour and the people (practically) devoid of auspiciousness, and the Asuras (proportionally) better-off, he, with a concentrated mind contemplated the Supreme Person, and with a cheerful countenance, the great Venerable Brahmā addressed the gods as follows:

21. “Let us all—I who am but a portion of the Lord, and Asuras, human beings, sub-human creation like birds, beasts, trees and sweat-born beings (like lice, bugs etc.) who are the progeny of Marīci (and others) who in turn are just a modicum of his energy approach for refuge to him, the imperishable Lord.

22. According to his view-point, none deserves to be killed or protected; no party is worth neglecting or supporting. It is for the creation, subsistence and destruction of the world that he assumes the attributes sattva, rajas and tamas at the proper time.

23. And the present is an opportune time for his creation and protection of the universe for which he has assumed the Sattva attribute for the creation of embodied beings. Let us therefore, approach the Preceptor of the world for protection. Being beloved of gods, he will do whatever is good for us, his devotees.”

Śrī Śuka said:

24. Having thus spoken to the gods, god Brahmā, accompanied by celestials, went directly to the abode of the unconquerable Lord which lies beyond the region of darkness, Oh destroyer of enemies.

25. There, with the concentration of all his senses (including the mind), he, in the divine (or Vedic) language, addressed the following hymn of praise, to him whose essential form was not seen as yet, but about whom much was heard formerly, Oh king.

Brahmā said;

26. “We bow to the Supreme God, Who is changeless, eternally true, infinite (in time and space), beginningless, present in (everybody’s) heart, unconditioned, incomprehensible quicker than the mind and beyond the range of words (indescribable).

27. We go (as a refuge) to him Who is the knower of the vital airs, the mind, the intellect and the soul; Who appears as senses and their objects; Who is devoid of sleep and is bodyless (and hence) imperishable; Who is all-pervasive like the sky, and is unaffected by the darkness of avidyā and the sunshine of Vidyā;^[5] Who is free from desire and other attributes of Jīva and who manifests himself in every Yuga.

28. I seek asylum in that Deity, the Truth, which the Vedas call as the axle (the main support) of the lightening-like fast rotating wheel of life (i.e. This ever-changing body and other accessories of the Soul), owned by the Jīva (who is, in reality birthless). The wheel is propelled by Māyā (the beginningless deluding potency of the Lord), It (the wheel) has mind as its chief component and consists of fifteen spokes (viz. Ten sense organs and five vital breaths—prāṇas), three naves (viz. the three guṇas—sattva, rajas and tamas) and eight fellies^[6] (in the form of eight-fold Prakṛti consisting of five elements, the mind, the intellect and the ego).

29.^[7] Let us bow to him Who has seated himself by the side of Jīva (as the Inner controller) or Who is seated on Garuḍa^[8] ever ready to protect his devotees; Who is essentially pure bliss or knowledge^[9], beyond the range of darkness or Prakṛti; Who is invisible, beyond the range of all lokas; Who is changeless and limitless in time and space; to whom wise men resort through (the chariot in the form of) the discipline of Yoga.

30. Let us pay obeisance to the Supreme Ruler Who treats all beings alike (without any partiality); Who has subdued his Māyā along with the (three) guṇas—the Māyā which nobody could cross and which has deluded the people so much (that identifying themselves with their bodies) they do not know their true self.

31.^[10] Even we, gods and sages who are created by his favourite body consisting of pure sattva, are unable to comprehend his subtle essence, though it is manifest as Light within and as existence without. How (is it possible that) Asuras and others who are dominated by other attributes viz. rajas and tamas can do so?

32. (Henceforth the vairāja form of the Lord is eulogised). May that Lord, the Supreme person, the veritable, absolute Brahman itself, be propitious unto us—The Lord who has created as his feet, this earth which supports the four-fold creation of beings^[11] and yet is completely self dependent, and the Master of infinitely great powers.^[12]

33. May that absolute and perfect Brahman of immense spiritual powers be gracious unto us—The Brahman whose seminal fluid is water, of so much enormous power that it became the source of existence, subsistence and prosperity of the three worlds, as well as all guardian deities.

34. May that Lord of unlimited spiritual glory be propitiated unto us—The Lord whose mind (as declared by the Vedas) is Soma, Who is the food and hence the strength and life of celestials, and Who (due to the nourishing power of his ambrosial rays) is the ruler of the vegetable kingdom and the creator of all living beings (as they subsist on the vegetables and plants).

35. May that most glorious Lord bestow his grace unto us—the Lord whose mouth is the Fire; Who is the source (and hence the bestower) of wealth, (or who takes to gods their respective oblations offered in sacrifices), and Who is engendered for (the performance of) sacrificial rituals (prescribed in the Vedas), and Who abides in the stomach (as the gastric fire) digesting the food, and in the sea (as submarine fire) consuming its (watery) subsistence.

36. May that Lord of infinite glory be propitious unto us—The Lord whose eye is the sun-god; Who is the presiding deity of the path of gods (devayāna) leading ultimately to Liberation; Who is the very personification of the triad of Vedas (viz. ṚK, Yajus and Sāman); Who is regarded as the seat of Brahman (as Brahman is meditated upon in relation to the Sun); Who represents not merely the entrance to the path of Liberation but to immortality itself; Who (however as a symbol of Time) is death incarnate (as Time terminates everything.)

37. May the Lord of unlimited powers be graciously inclined towards us—The Lord from Whose breath was born Vāyu (the air) which is the vital air (Prāṇa), who animates the mobile and immobile creation, and became their mental energy, physical power and potency of the sense-organs, and to whom, we, the presiding deities (of cognitive and conative senses) follow as the retinue goes after an emperor.

38. May that Deity of infinite glory confer favour upon us—The Deity from whose ears were evolved the cardinal points; from whose heart, the pores in the body, and from whose navel were created the (five) vital airs (Prāṇa), the senses and organs of the body (Indriyas), the mind and the other (five semi-vital airs^[13] carrying on) the functions of the body and the sky which supports these all.

39. May the Lord of unlimited glory be favourably disposed to us—the Lord from Whose strength was born the great Indra, from Whose grace the (various) gods; from Whose wrath sprang up god Śiva, the Lord of mountains; from Whose intellect came forth god Brahmā; from the appertures in Whose bodies were created the Vedas and the sages, and from whose generative organ, the god Prajāpati.

40. May that most glorious Lord be propitious unto us—The Lord from Whose bosom came forth the goddess Śrī (the goddess of wealth and beauty); from Whose shadow, the manes (Pitṛs); from Whose breast, Dharma (the presiding Deity of righteousness) and from Whose back was born Adharma (the evil spirit of unrighteousness); from Whose head evolved the heaven (svarga), and from Whose sportive actions, the celestial damsels (apsaras).

41. May the Lord of supreme glory bestow his grace on us—The Lord from Whose mouth sprang up the Brāhmaṇas and Vedas of mystic significance; from Whose arms were born Kṣatriyas and the power (to govern); from Whose thighs came forth Vaiśyas and skill in business of agriculture and from Whose feet were born the Śūdras and the vocation of service (other than Vedic studies)^[14]

42. May the Lord of infinite powers be gracious unto us—the Lord from Whose lower lip came forth avarice, from Whose upper lip affection; from Whose nose emanated splendour, from Whose touch, the desire to rear up and to tend animals; from Whose eye-brows sprang up Yama, the god of death; from Whose eye-lashes was born the Time-spirit (Kāla).

43. May that most glorious Lord be graciously disposed towards us—The Lord by Whose yoga-māyā, the śāstras declare are created the five gross elements, the Time (Life-Span), the destiny (effects of acts of past life), qualities^[15] (or the modes of Prakṛti e.g. Sattva, rajas) and this phenomenal world all of which are too difficult to comprehend, and which should be renounced by the wise as mere māyā.

44. I bow to him Whose energy (in the form of guṇas like Sattva etc.) is quiescent; Whose mind is thoroughly full of his natural supreme bliss, and hence Who is not attached (even in his mind) to the products of the guṇas created by Māyā and Whose sportive activities are like the air (which moves everywhere but is attached to nothing anywhere).

45. You being such (as described above), be pleased to reveal to us your lotus-like smiling countenance in such a way as it will come within the range of our sense of perception, for we have completely surrendered ourselves to you and are eager to have a look at you.

46. For the glorious Lord assumes different forms from time to time, according to his will (or the will of his devotees), and accomplishes feats which are beyond our capacity, Oh Omnipresent God.

47. In the case of embodied beings whose minds are attached to pleasures, their acts require great trouble (for performance) but bear little or no fruit at all (in return). But that is not the case with us who dedicate all our actions to you (We require less trouble to perform the act, and get substantial fruit in return, and it is never futile).

48. Even the slightest resemblance of action, if dedicated to the. Lord, never becomes futile (but brings substantial results); for the Lord loves and wishes well of such person (who has resigned himself to him and his actions, therefore, will not be futile).

49. Just as watering the root of trees proves nourishing to its trunk and branches, similarly the propitiation of Lord Viṣṇu leads to the propitiation of all gods and of one’s self also.

50. I bow to you, the infinite Lord whose nature and deeds are extremely difficult to comprehend; you are devoid of all attributes, and yet are the master of all qualities, and who at present are established in sattva.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Anvitārthaprakāśikā quotes Harivaṃśa and gives Devabāhu, Sudhāman, Parjanya and Mahāmuni as the names of the remaining (seven) Sages of the Raivata Manvantara.

[2]:

Anvitārthaprakāśikā adds: The Vaikuṇṭha region being eternal, its ‘creation’ is ‘manifestation’ only.

[3]:

An echo of Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. 1.154. Vide infra 8.23.29.

[4]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā & Anvitārthaprakāśikā mention the following incident (from the Brahmavaivarta-purāṇa) as the cause of the curse. Once while the sage Durvāsas was wearing a garland gifted to him by Lord Viṣṇu, Indra riding bis Airāvata elephant, passed by him. Out of courtesy and with a view to bless Indra with permanent sovereignty of the three worlds, Durvāsas presented the garland to him. Out of arrogance, Indra threw it on the head of his elephant. The animal in its turn, lifted it from its head and trampled it under its feet. Seeing the gift of the Lord so treated, Durvāsas got enraged and cursed him to be bereft of wealth along with his kingdom of the three worlds.

[5]:

Padaratnāvalī—gṛdhra—covetous of everything, hence jha who like vulture has two wings, viz. Vidyā and Avidyā.

[6]:

Padaratnāvalī regards Deva, Asura, Humans and other classes of beings as the fellies.

[7]:

Padaratnāvalī: I seek refuge in the supreme Deity Who is represented by the syllable (OM); Who is beyond the darkness of ignorance and prakṛti. It is beyond the ken of the world, un-revealed and limitless (or comprised of innumerable syllables). Intelligent persons worship and meditate upon Him with great devotion. He is seated on His vehicle the jīva.

ananta-pāram (i) Being an embodiment of the Vedas He cannot be comprehended by words and their connotations (ii) He is all pervading yet cannot be seen anywhere by all. They contemplate Him as an antar-yāmin (inner controller)—Siddhāntapradīpa SD interprets a-Loka as ‘The realm of A i.e. Viṣṇu, Hence Vaikuṇṭha.

[8]:

upa-suvarṇa [suvarṇam]—who occupies a region full of light like gold—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[9]:

eka-varṇa [varṇam]—

(i) Constituted of Pure Sattva—Bhāgavata Candrikā, Kramasandarbha.

(ii) Who is constituted of the only one syllable OM—Padaratnāvalī, VC.

(iii) Constituted of Pure Bliss—Bālaprabodhini

[10]:

Though out of His grace He created us both inside and outside with His sattva attribute, we, the gods and sages, are unable to comprehend—Padaratnāvalī

[11]:

caturvidha-sarga [sargaḥ]—The four categories of beings are viviparous, oviparous, the sweat-born and the plant-world.

[12]:

mahā-vibhūti [vibhūtiḥ]—Having power over Mahā-Lakṣmī, the presiding deity of wealth. May all of us be affluent in every respect—Bālaprabodhini

[13]:

These are Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkala, Devadatta and Dhanañjaya (vide Supra 3.6.9).

[14]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā notes v.l. urvor viśoṅghrer abhavaṃśca śūdrāḥ—‘The Vaiśya class was born from His thighs and the Śūdras from His feet.’

[15]:

Padaratnāvalī guṇāḥ etc.: devotion etc., or colours. The v.l. vāśeṣam—The Nature, Jīva, time etc.—Padaratnāvalī