A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 14

Atri made severe Tapas for one hundred years for a son like unto the Lord of the Universe. The ascetic fire at last broke forth from his head and instantly Brahma, Vishnu and Siva appeared before him.

"Lords!" said Atri, "I had only one of you in my mind, but you have all Three come to me!"

The Trinity replied: - "We are three in one. You shall have three sons, one after each of us."

Anasuya begot Soma or the Moon after Brahma, Datta or Dattatreya after Vishnu and Durvasas after Siva.

[The Moon is thus a sort of Brahma or creator to the present Kalpa.]

Atri represents the Creative, the Preservative and the Destructive Intelligence in the individual, all united to carry out the complex process of evolution.

The Brihat Aranyaka certainly refers to one of his aspects in the following pa.s.sage: -

"Speech is Attri; for by speech food is consumed; for Attri is verily derived from the root Attih (to eat, consume); he is the consumer of all." II-2-4.

TABLE E.

"Where was he, who thus established us? He Is within the mouth; hence is Ayasya. He is Angirasa, because he is the essence of the members."

Brihat Aranyaka I-3-8.

Commenting on this pa.s.sage Sankaracharya says: "Life is also called Angirasa, the essence of causes and effects. Angirasa is a compound of Anga and Rasa - Anga meaning members, causes, and effects, and Rasa essence, substance; the whole meaning therefore is the substance, upon which causes and effects depend - It is the essence of every thing, because unless it were present, all would become without effect."

"He who abides in the mouth is Angirasa, for he is the essence (Rasa) of the members (Anga). Life is the essence of the members. This is also Brihaspati. Speech is Brihati. Life is the preserver (_pati_) of Brihati, therefore it is Brihaspati."

B.A. I-3-19 and 20.

Brihaspati or the presiding deity of the planet Jupiter is called Angirasa _i.e._ the son of Angiras. The wife of Angiras is, according to the Bhagavata, Sraddha or Faith, and, according to Vishnu Purina, Smriti or Memory. The latter is a more suggestive name. Brihaspati or Jupiter is the essence of all beings and of the Universe and is connected with the memory of the past.

Angirasa is the Ris.h.i.+ of the 5th Mandala of the Rig Veda. The Mantras of that Mandala are composed in the Brihati or big Metre. This accounts for the name Brihaspati (Brihati+pati).

Brihaspati or Jupiter, as the guide of the Devas, has to play a most important part in bringing about the life evolution of the present Kalpa according to the records of the past and the essence or Rasa of all beings. The aranyaka therefore calls him life itself.

Utathya, another son of Angiras, is _u+tathya_. _U_ is an interjection, used as an expletive - _Tathya_ means reality, truth - Utathya is said to be an incarnation of Vishnu. Both the brothers are said to have distinguished themselves in the Second Manvantara. _Sinivali_ is the day preceding that of new moon or that day on which the moon rises with a scarcely visible crescent. Kuha is new moon day when the moon is altogether invisible.

_Raka_ is the full moon day.

_Anumati_ is the 15th day of the moon's age on which she rises one digit less than full.

The full moon and new moon days have thus a mysterious connection with the essence of all beings. On those days the herbs have their medicinal properties in full and even men have mysterious potencies, which have formed the subject of occult study.

TABLE F.

Pulastya = Pula + Stya.

_Pula_ is large, wide. It also means a thrill of joy or fear.

_Stya_ is he who collects, is connected with, remains in. Agastya = Aga + Stya.

_Aga_ is mountain, unable to walk, fixed.

According to a Pauranik legend, the Vindhya mountain began to rise higher and higher so as to obstruct the path of the sun and moon. The G.o.ds being alarmed sought the aid of Agastya who was the teacher of Vindhya. The Ris.h.i.+ approached the mountain and asked it to bend down and give him an easy pa.s.sage to the south and to retain the same position till his return. Vindhya obeyed the order of his teacher, but Agastya never returned from the south and Vindhya never attained the height of Meru.

According to the Bhagavata, Agastya is the digestive fire of the stomach.

Visravas = Vi (signifying intensity) + Sravas (ear).

Kubera is literally deformed. He is the G.o.d of riches and Regent of the North. He is the king of the Yakshas and Kinnaras and a friend of Rudra.

His abode is Kailasa. He is represented as having three legs, only eight teeth and a yellow mark in place of one eye.

Ravana, k.u.mbhakarna and Vibhishana are Rakshasas made famous by the Ramayana.

Ravana is one who makes a loud noise. The Rakshasas reached the height of their power in his time. The Yakshas, before his time, had occupied Lanka or Atlantis under Kubera, but Ravana propitiated Siva by his loud hymns, and acquired easy mastery over his kindred elementals. He ousted the Yakshas from Lanka and made it his own capital. Ravana also controlled the higher Devas of Triloki.

k.u.mbha karna = k.u.mbha (pitcher) + Karna (ear). This pitcher-eared brother of Ravana is said to have devoured thousands of beings including sages and heavenly nymphs. He slept for six months at a time. He was ultimately slain by Rama.

Vibhisana, meaning the Terrible, left his brother Ravana and joined Rama. After the death of Ravana, Rama installed him on the throne of Lanka. He is said to be still living.

The Rakshasas are said to have possessed Kama Rupa _i.e._ they could a.s.sume any body at will.

In the line of Pulastya we have this strange combination - the digestive fire of stomach, ears, Yakshas and lastly the Rakshasas who could change their body at will. Altogether we may say, Pulastya is Intelligence which governs animal pa.s.sions and Kama.

TABLE G.

Pulaha = Pula + ha. _Ha_ is one who gives up.

_Gati_ is motion.

_Karma-Srestha_ is one most skilled in karma or work.

_Variyas_ is excellent, preferable.

_Sahishnu_ is patient, enduring.

Pulaha seems to be the higher aspect of Kama - the impulses pure and simple, apart from their Kamic generator, or perhaps Pulaha may represent Pranic activity.

TABLE H.

Kratu is a Vedic sacrifice, intelligence, power, ability. Kriya is action.

Balakhilyas - are a cla.s.s of Ris.h.i.+s 60,000 in number, of the size of the thumb, and are said to precede the sun's chariot. The word literally implies stunted in growth like infants. These Ris.h.i.+s are said to burn brightly with the spiritual fire of asceticism. The number 60,000 is significant. It indicates a correspondence.