A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 77

8. _Kamavasayita_, the power of attaining all desires.

These are My eight Siddhis and they normally exist in Me.

1. The cessation of hunger and thirst.

2. The hearing from a distance.

3. Seeing from a distance.

4. Motion of the body with the velocity of the mind.

5. a.s.sumption of any form at will.

6. The entering into another's body.

7. Death at one's own will.

8. Play with Deva girls.

9. The attainment of desired for objects.

10. Irresistible command.

These are the ten Siddhis that relate to the Gunas. There are also five smaller Siddhis.

1. Knowledge of the present, past and future.

2. Control over the Pairs, such as heat and cold &c.

3. Knowledge of other's minds.

4. Suspending the actions of fire, sun, water, poison &c.

5. Invincibility.

These are only ill.u.s.trative of the Siddhis.

Now about Dharana or the modes of concentration of the mind.

Those that fix their mind on Me as pervading the Tanmatras acquire the power of becoming an atom.

Those that concentrate their mind on Me as pervading Mahat Tatva acquire _Mahima_.

The object of Dharana ... ... The power acquired

The Lord pervading the atoms ... Laghima.

Do. Do. Satvic Ahankara ... Prapti.

Do. Do. Sutra or Mahat ... Prakamya.

Vishnu the Lord of the three Gunas ... isita.

Narayana, the Fourth, Bhagavat ... Vasita.

Nirguna Brahma (Brahma without attribute) ... ... ... Kamavasayita.

Lord of Sveta Dvipa (White Island) ... Cessation of hunger and thirst.

Akasa ... ... ... Distant hearing.

Sun ... ... ... Distant vision.

&c. &c. &c.

THE VIBHuTIS OR POWERS OF THE LORD.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 16.*

The Sixteenth Chapter deals with the Vibhutis of the Lord, much in the same way as the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

VARNA AND ASRAMA RULES.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 17-18.*

The seventeenth and eighteenth chapters deal with Varna and asrama rules.

WHAT ONE IS TO DO FOR MOKSHA.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 19.*

Jnana (knowledge), Vairagya (dispa.s.sion), Vijnana (direct knowledge), Sraddha (faith) Bhakti (Devotion), these are the requisites of Moksha.

The nine (Prakriti, Purusha, Mahat. Ahankara and the five Tanmatras), the eleven (five Jnanendriyas, five Karmendriyas and Manas), the five Bhutas, the three (Gunas), that knowledge by which one knows that these const.i.tute all beings and that the One underlies all these is _Jnana_.

(The first training of the mind is to break up the objects into their component elements. Thus we can mentally resolve any object into its chemical elements and this Universe into a ma.s.s of h.o.m.ogeneous nebula.

The process is to be carried further, till we get the Tatvas or the ultimate principles of the Sankhya philosophy. Then the next step is to realise the one Purusha as underlying all the Prakritic principles.)

Vijnana is the direct knowledge of the One by itself and not as pervading all Prakritic forms. (Jnana is indirect knowledge and Vijnana is direct knowledge of Brahma).

All the existing things being formed of the three Gunas have their growth, existence and end. What follows the transformation from one form into another, at all the three stages of beginning, middle and end, and what remains behind after the destruction of all forms - that is the existing (Sat).

The Vedas, direct perception, the sayings of great men and logical inference are the four Pramanas or evidences. The world of transformations does not stand the test of any of them (_i.e._ there is only one real existence, the existence of the transformable and transformed world being only relative and unreal. This is the conclusion arrived at from all sources. Therefore the wise man becomes dispa.s.sionate to all things.

Transformation is the end of all actions. Therefore the wise man sees all the regions that may be attained by actions from that of Brahma downwards, as miserable and transitory even like the worlds that are seen. This is Vairagya or Dispa.s.sion.

I have told you already of Bhakti yoga. Hear again what I say. _Sraddha_ or faith in the nectar like sayings about Me, constant recitals about myself, steadiness in wors.h.i.+pping Me, the chanting of devotional hymns, the hearty performance of divine service, adoration by means of the body, wors.h.i.+p of my votaries, the realisation of my existence in all beings, the directing of the daily actions and of the daily talks towards Me, the offering up of the mind to Me, the giving up of all desires, of all objects, of all enjoyments and of all joys for my Sake, the performance of Vedic karma all for Me - by all these, Bhakti grows up towards Me.

THE SADHANAS OR EXPEDIENTS.

*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 19.*