A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 72

"These are the duties of a Bhagavata and by practising these, he may easily cross over Maya."

V. Nimi asked: - "How can one be fixed in devotion to Narayana?"

Pippalayana replied: -

"When through the desire of attaining the feet of Vishnu, one has strong devotion, the impurities of one's mind are destroyed. When the mind is purified, it becomes fixed in atma."

VI. Nimi asked: - "Tell me about Karma Yoga, by the performance of which Karma is speedily destroyed."

avirhotra replied: -

"Vedic Karma does not directly lead to Moksha. Offer up your Vedic Karma to ishvara, and perform it, without any worldly attachment, however.

"He who wants speedily to cut asunder the tie of Ahankara shall wors.h.i.+p Vishnu in the way prescribed in the Tantras or agama. (Vedic Karma at first consisted of Vedic Yajna. The Gita gave a death blow to the performance of Vedic Yajnas. _Nishkama_ Karma took the place of _Kamya_ Karma, The Vedic Karma however survived in the Sandhya Mantras, which conform themselves to the Path of Upasana.

"The Vedic Sandhya is however meant only for Brahmanas.

"The Tantric Sandhya is an imitation of the Vedic Sandhya, adapted to all cla.s.ses of men, and it supplements the Vedic Sandhya by laying down a method of wors.h.i.+pping the Lord in the heart and of wors.h.i.+pping His image. Mantras are also prescribed. Devotion is the chief element in Tantric Upasana and this Upasana is enjoined for all Bhagavatas or Vaishnavas. There are Siva Tantras, Sakti Tantras, Ganapati Tantras, Surya Tantras as well as Vaishnava Tantras. There are black rites prescribed in some of the Sakti Tantras and the Tantras have therefore got a bad name with many. But the Tantras as a whole form the only science of practical occultism in Sanskrit, and the Vaishnava Upasana is strictly a Tantric Upasana."

(I do not enter here into the details of that Upasana, though some details are given in the text.)

VII. Nimi said: - "Tell me about the _Avataras_ and Their deeds O Ris.h.i.+s." Drumila gave a short account of the Avataras, commencing from the First Purusha. As this is nearly a repet.i.tion of what has been said before, no attempt is made to reproduce it.

VIII. Nimi asked what is the _destiny of those that do not wors.h.i.+p Bhagavat, those that have no control over their mind and their senses_.

Chamasa replied: - "They enter the regions of darkness (Tamas)."

IX. Nimi asked:

"What is the Color of the manifestation of Bhagavat at each period, how does he manifest Himself, by what name is He known and in what way is He wors.h.i.+pped?"

Karabhajana replied: -

"In Satya Yuga, Bhagavat becomes white, with four hands, with tufts of braided hair, with bark round His waist. He bears a black deer-skin, the sacred thread and beads, and has Danda (the rod of an ascetic) and Kamandalu (the water-pot of an ascetic) in his hands. (_i.e._ He looks like a Brahmacharin).

"Men are then peaceful and friendly towards one another. There are no differences amongst them. They wors.h.i.+p the Lord by means of Tapas, by control of the senses and of the mind.

"Bhagavat is then known by the following names: - Hansa, Suparna, Vaikuntha, Dharma, Yogesvara, Amala, isvara, Purusha, Avyakta, and Paramatman.

"In Treta, Bhagavat becomes Red. He has four hands and golden hair. His form is that of Yajna. Men are pious at the time. They wors.h.i.+p Bhagavat by Vedic Yajna.

"Bhagavat is known by the following names: -

"Vishnu, Yajna, Prism-garbha, Sarvadeva, Uru-krama, Vrisha Kapi, Jayanta and Urugaya.

"In Dvapara, Bhagavat is _Syama_. (The word Syama ordinarily means dark-blue. But Sridhara explains the word here as the color of an Atasi flower, which is generally yellow. This is because the Bhagavat speaks before of white, red, yellow and black as the colors of Yuga Avataras.) His cloth is yellow.

"Men wors.h.i.+p Him both by Vedic and Tantric methods.

"Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Narayana, Visvesvara and Visva are his names.

"In Kali, wors.h.i.+p is made according to the Tantras, which are various.

"Bhagavat is black (Krishna). Men wors.h.i.+p Him, His Symbols and attendants mostly by loud recitals of names and prayers (Sankirtana).

Wise men praise Kali because wors.h.i.+p is so easily made by mere Sankirtana. Even men in Satya Yuga wish to be born in Kali Yuga."

Nimi respected the nine Ris.h.i.+s and they disappeared in the presence of all men.

Vasudeva and Devaki heard this story from Narada. They realised Krishna as isvara and they acquired wisdom.

KRISHNA AND UDDHAVA.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 6.*

Brahma and other Devas went to Dvaraka. Addressing Krishna; Brahma said: - "All that we prayed for has been done. One hundred and twenty-five years have pa.s.sed away since thou didst appear in the line of Yadus.

That line is also well nigh extinguished. Now go back to thy own abode, if it pleases thee."

Sri Krishna replied: - "The extinction of the Yadavas has been set on foot by the curse of the Ris.h.i.+s. I shall remain on Earth, till it is completely brought about." There were unusual phenomena at Dvaraka. The elders came to Krishna. He proposed a pilgrimage to Prabhasa. So the Yadavas made preparations for going to Prabhasa. Uddhava saw the evil portents and he heard what Sri Krishna said. "I see, O Lord," said he to Sri Krishna, "thou shalt leave this earth, as soon as the Yadus are destroyed. I can not miss thy feet even for half a moment. So take me to thy own abode."

Sri Krishna replied: - "It is true as you say. My mission is fulfilled.

The Devas ask me to go back. The Yadavas shall be killed by mutual quarrel. On the seventh day from this, the sea shall swallow up this seat of Dvaraka. As soon as I leave this earth, Kali shall overtake it and men shall grow unrighteous. It will not then be meet for you to remain here. Give up all and free yourself from all attachments and roam about over this earth, with your mind fixed on me, looking on all beings with equal eyes. Whatever is perceived by the senses and the mind, know all that to be of the mind, and so Mayic and transitory. "This is this"

and "this is that" this conception of difference is only a delusion of him whose mind is distracted (_i.e._ not united to Me). It is this delusion which causes experiences of right and wrong. It is for those that have got notions of right and wrong that (the Vedas speak) differently of the performance of prescribed work (Karma), the non-performance of prescribed work (Akarma), and the performance of prohibited work (Vikarma). (This has reference to Varna and asrama duties. As long as a man identifies himself with some Varna or asrama he looks upon others also as belonging to some Varna or asrama. He therefore makes a distinction between men and men. The Varnasrama duties are prescribed by the Vedas for a man, so long as he entertains ideas of difference. When he looks equally upon a Brahmana and a Chandala, when he finds his Lord every where and finds all beings in the Lord within himself, he becomes a man of the Universe, a Bhagavata. For him the Vedas do not make any rule. He is above all rules and restrictions. But the Varnasrama duties are to be respected, so long as one makes any difference between man and man.) Control thy senses and control thy mind. See the wide-spread Universe in thyself and see thyself in Me, the Lord. Learn and digest all that is given in the scriptures. Contented with self perception, the very self of all other beings, you shall have no danger from others. You will do no wrong but not because it is prohibited by the Scriptures, and you will do what is prescribed but not because it is so prescribed (_i.e._ the sense of right and wrong will be natural in you, independently of Sastric teachings.) You will exceed the limits of both right and wrong and do things just like a child. The friend of all beings, calm and quiet at heart, fixed in wisdom and direct knowledge, you will see the Universe full of Me and you will not be drawn back to births."

Uddhava said: -

"Lord of Yoga, what thou sayest for my final bliss is a complete renunciation of all worldly attachments. It seems to me however that the giving up of desires is not possible for those that have their mind filled with the object world, unless they are completely devoted to Thee.

"I have not yet got over the sense of 'I' and 'Mine.' Tell me how I can easily follow out Thy teachings."

Sri Krishna replied: -

"Generally those men that are skilful in discrimination rescue self from worldly desires by means of self, (_i.e._ they may do so, even without the help of a Guru, by means of self discrimination.) Self is the instructor of self, specially in man (Purusha.)" (Even in animals, preserving instincts proceed from self. So self is the instructor.

_Sridhara_) "For it is self that finds out final bliss by direct perception and by inference. Wise men, well versed in Sankhya and Yoga, look upon Me as Purusha pervading all beings, and possessing all powers.

(This is according to Sridhara, the direct perception by which final bliss is attained. The word Purusha here has something like the sense of a Monad in Theosophical literature. The pa.s.sage quoted by Sridhara from the Upanishads to ill.u.s.trate the idea of Purusha also shews this.) There are many habitations created for life manifestation, some, with one, two, three or four feet, some with many feet and some with no foot. Of these, however, that of man (Pourus.h.i.+) is dear to me. For in this form of Man those that are fixed in meditation truly find me out, the Lord, though beyond all objects of perception, by the indications of perceived attributes as well as by inferences from the same." (_Indications_.

Buddhi, Manas and others, the perceived attributes, are in their nature manifestless. The manifestation is not possible except through one that is self manifest. Therefore Buddhi and others point to Him.

_Inferences_. Whenever there is an instrument, there is some one to use it. Buddhi and others are instruments. There is therefore one who guides these. _Sridhara_.) In this matter of self instruction, hear the story of an Ava-dhuta (an ascetic who renounces all worldly attachments and connections.)

SELF-INSTRUCTION.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 7-9.*

Yadu asked an Ava-dhuta how he could get that clear spiritual vision, by which he was able to give up all attachments, and roam like a child in perfect bliss.