A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 84

Ris.h.i.+ Narayana first related the Purana to Narada, Narada related it to Vyasa and Vyasa to Suka. Suta heard the Purana from Sukadeva, when he related it to Raja Pariks.h.i.+t, and he expounded it to the a.s.sembly of Ris.h.i.+s at Naimisha, headed by Sounaka.

Prakriti changes its forms and states. The body disintegrates into particles, particles into molecules, and molecules into atoms. Solid becomes liquid, liquid becomes gaseous and gaseous becomes ultra-gaseous. Life manifests itself through the endless varieties of Prakriti and becomes manifold in its manifestations. The hard mineral matter does not admit the mineral life to be expressed in any other way than by a fixed form. The more plastic vegetable matter shews vegetable life in all the activities of life and growth. Subtler matter appears in the animals and makes the sensing of the object world possible. Even sublter matter becomes the basis of brain activities. The Prakritic basis of the mind is two-fold in its character Ahankara and Mahat. When the mind is capable of thinking only from the standpoint of one life and one birth only, it is limited by Ahankara matter. When that limit is overcome, mind is on the plane of Mahat. Individuality is not lost, but the individual has consciousness of all births, _i.e._ consciousness on the plane of the universe. Such consciousness does not normally exist in Triloki. When a man becomes normally conscious on the plane of Mahat, he is carried to Mahar Loka and becomes a Ris.h.i.+. Bhrigu is such a Ris.h.i.+.

The acquirement of such consciousness is the object of life evolution in our solar system. When the solar system is destroyed, it is the Manasic consciousness that alone survives. The three Lokas - Bhur, Bhuvar and Svar are destroyed, The Prakritic forms and states of these three Lokas become destroyed and the different states of consciousness corresponding to those forms and states finally disappear. The harvest of Manasic evolution, which is the only harvest reaped by means of one solar system is stored in Mahar Loka. But when the three lower Lokas are destroyed, the flames of dissolution reach even Mahar Loka and all the gains of a Kalpa's evolution are transferred to the higher plane of Jana Loka. This is therefore the highest plane of our consciousness. The highest evolved beings of the previous solar system could not after Pralaya go beyond Jana Loka, and their consciousness was the consciousness of Jana Loka.

When our earth was formed and when they came down in time for further evolution, they brought down their highest consciousness with them as a possibility, for it was obscured in their entrance to Triloki. As the soul gathers spiritual strength in Svarga Loka after death, so the disembodied soul after Prayala gathers spiritual strength in Jana Loka or the Loka of k.u.maras. "When the three Lokas are consumed by fire from the mouth of Sankarshana, afflicted by the heat, Bhrigu and others go to Jana Loka" III-II-x.x.x. The Lord of Yoga goes by means of Sushumna through the radiant path in his subtle body and at last reaches Mahar Loka, where Bhrigu and other Ris.h.i.+s who live for one Kalpa remain. "Then seeing the Triloki consumed by fire from the mouth of Ananta he goes towards that supreme abode, which is adorned by the chariots of great Siddhas, and which lasts for the whole life period of Brahma."

(II-2-XXVI).

Those who did not reach the Manasic state, in the last Kalpa were no acquisitions to the higher planes of Brahmanda, which stand over the three mortal planes, where all experience is to be gathered. Those who developed the Manasic state were gathered to the third of the higher planes, Jana Loka, because further development was possible, nay it was a necessity, in the Triloki that was to come. But there were others, who did not quite reach the Manasic state, but they were still on the way to acquire such state, and in fact they acquired the human form. They were also preserved to carry out a certain purpose in the life evolution of the coming Kalpa which will be shortly mentioned. How they were preserved, the Puranas do not speak of. They became the Pitris of the present Kalpa. The Pitris reached different states of development and were therefore cla.s.sed under seven heads. Some of them had developed the fire in them and some were without the fire. "Agnishvatta, Barhishad, Somapa, and Ajyapa are Pitris with fire; the others are without fire.

They were all wedded to Svadha, the daughter of Daksha." IV-1-III.

The mention of the word "fire" requires a little explanation. The Upanishads say that the three mortal Lokas of form Bhur, Bhuvar and Svar are the transformations of "Tejobanna" _i.e._ of fire, water and earth.

The other two elements do not enter into the const.i.tution of forms. The element earth predominates on the plane of Bhur or the material plane.

Water is supreme on Bhuvar or the Astral plane. Our Kamic tendencies proceed from the presence of water in us. Fire is the element of Svarga or the Mental plane. Fire devas are therefore the highest devas of Triloki. The forty-nine forms of fire are therefore so many forms of consciousness. Some of the Pitris developed fire in them, _i.e._ they developed the principle of mind in them, in however rudimental a form it might be.

Devas and Ris.h.i.+s were also preserved. Jana Loka is the Loka of k.u.maras.

We shall therefore call the souls preserved in Jana Loka as k.u.maras, or k.u.maric souls.

Commenting on the fourth sloka, twelfth chapter, Third Skandha, Sridhara says: - "Sanaka and others are not created in every Kalpa. The mention of their creation has reference to the Brahma Kalpa, _i.e._ the first Kalpa. In fact the objects of Mukhya creation and others are brought into existence in every Kalpa. Sanaka and others are only created in the Brahma Kalpa and they follow the other Kalpas." The Mukhya creation has reference to chapter 10, Skandha III. It is the same as Urdha Srotas (p.

25). Sridhara means to say that plants, animals and men are only created in every Kalpa.

The k.u.maric souls of the last Kalpa that went to Jana Loka have to play the most prominent part in the present Kalpa and they are the heroes of our solar system. Their stay at Jana Loka was only a fitting preparation for the most responsible work of the present Kalpa. The ishvara of our system, addressing Puranjana, said: - "Wis.h.i.+ng to have an abode, drawn to earthly enjoyments, thou didst leave me. But, o great one, both I and thou were swans (Hansa) and friends in the Manas Lake. We dwelt there without any abode, for one thousand years." IV. 28 LIV. "One thousand years" is indicative of Pralaya, which lasts for one thousand yuga cycles. In Pralaya, the k.u.maric soul had no body _i.e._ no abode. The body separates Jiva from ishvara. Without the impediment, the obstacle of the body, without any obscuring agency, the Jiva meets ishvara face to face in Jana Loka, and being both essentially alike become friends.

Narada says, esoterically the Manasa Laka is the heart and Hansa means the pure. But in Pralaya, the heart of the Jiva is in Jana Loka, which is the Manasa or mental Lake. This friendly union of Jiva and ishvara gives all the promise of the future for the Jiva.

What is not preserved in Naimittika Pralaya, the forms of the past kalpa, are all borne in the mind of Brahma as images. It is the mind of Brahma that reproduces the forms of the previous creation. The image of all that was remains in the mind of Brahma. Creation in Brahma Kalpa is not the same as creation in the succeeding Kalpas. In Brahma Kalpa, all the seven Lokas, and the dwellers of all the planes are created. In the succeeding Kalpas, the three Lokas and their dwellers only are created.

The Naimittika Pralaya comes on, as Brahma sleeps.

This Pralaya corresponds to our physical death. When we die, the body is destroyed. Just as when the universe bodied Brahma goes to sleep, His Triloki body is destroyed. Men go after death first to Bhuvar Loka, and then to Svarga Loka. At Pralaya, the Manasika Jivas first go to Mahar Loka and then to Jana Loka.

The Naimittika Pralaya affords the greatest relief to Jivas. It makes up for all the ups and downs of manifested life, for all miseries, all sorrows, all sufferings and all disappointments. ishvara can do more for Jivas in Pralaya, than in manifestation. He gives company to those, who by their advancement reach Jana Loka, There is the ishvara of our system or Brahmanda and there is the ishvara of many systems.

The ishvara of many systems, "Bhagavan Himself" is the First Purusha. He is the manifestor of the Tatvas, the first Principles, the Karan or causal creation, which enter into the const.i.tution of all the solar systems or Brahmandas. When He wishes to become many, to appear through many manifestations, to bring up all unto Himself and His own state, through ons and ons of cosmic manifestation, though it might be, the Tatvas start forth into activity and form an ocean by themselves. Many solar systems are evolved out of this Karan Samudra or the ocean of the causes and each system gets its ishvara, the Second Purusha. That Second Purusha becomes three fold - Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, for the Creation, Preservation and Dissolution of His own Universe. He is Virat Purusha or the universe bodied, Narayana seated on the waters of Karana Samudra, and Sahasra Sirsha Purusha or the thousand headed Purusha of the Upanishads. "All this, the past, present and future is this Purusha. The universe is pervaded by Him As Prana (_i.e._ the sun, for Prana is the solar deity according to the Sruti. _Sridhara_) by illumining his own circle illumines the outside as well, so Purusha by illumining his Virat body illumines the inside and outside of this Brahmanda as well. I (Brahma) create by His direction, Siva destroys, under His control, as Vishnu, He preserves this universe He is the primal Avatara." II. 6.

"First of all, Bhagavan took form as Purusha for the creation of the Lokas form made by Mahat and others, having 16 parts. (_Mahat and others_ - Mahat, Ahankara, and the Tanmatras. 16 parts the eleven Indriyas and the 5 elements. Though this is not the form of Bhagavan meaning the First Purusha still for the Upasana in Virat form of the Virat Purusha who indwells all Jivas, this is given. _Sridhara_). (In the Padma Kalpa), Brahma, the Lord of Praj.a.patis, appeared in the lotus that rose out of the navel of (this Purusha), who while lying down on the ocean, spread the sleep of Samadhi all round. The Lokas are but parts of His body. His form is pure and intensified Satva. The Yogins perceive Him by their vision of wisdom, as one looking wonderful with a thousand feet, thighs, hands and mouths, with a thousand heads, ears, eyes and noses, glittering with a thousand crowns, and ornaments. This (Virat Purusha) is the immutable seed and final resort of the many Avataras. Brahma is His part. Marichi and other Praj.a.patis are parts of Brahma. So through parts of His part, Devas, animals and men are created. (He does not appear and disappear like other Avataras. He is the end not only of the Avataras, but of all beings. _Sridhara_.)" I-3.

Brahma appeared in the lotus, it is said, in the last Kalpa, which from this event is named Padma Kalpa. How Brahma appeared out of Narayana in the previous Kalpas is not given. That he appeared in our Kalpa in the same way as in the last Kalpa is evident, as no difference is noted.

Brahma took up the creation, which was two-fold - direct or Manasa and indirect or through Praj.a.patis and Manu. The creation or bringing into manifestation of those that had been preserved at Pralaya is direct or Manasa. The mind born sons of Brahma took up positions in the universe of duty and responsibility and in this Kalpa they have not to look to themselves, but to others. Their own evolution is not a matter of their concern. The innumerable Monads were created through Manu and the real history of the Kalpa is the history of their evolution.

First there was the process of involution. There was no form and forms had to be first brought forth. Limitation after limitation had to the imposed, to chain life in forms. For when set forms were arrived at with set organs, Jivas could be trusted with independent action.

No energy is spent in vain in the economy of the universe. Each monadic flow as it appeared in the universe could he carried on to a certain stage, by one common guiding influence. This requires a little explanation.

Each particle of each Tatva is alive. The Tatvic life is the life of the first Purusha. But the particles combine, and the power of combination proceeds from the life of the second Purusha, the ishvara of our system.

Every combination however large has the life of ishvara in it and it is that life which keeps up the combination. Each combination for the time being has its ruler, who is the viceroy of ishvara, and who is called the Monad of that combination. Monad is Jivatma or Jiva atma or atma as limited by every Jiva.

The combination transforms, but the Monad remains constant. The vegetable becomes animal, and the animal becomes man, but one Monad runs through all these transformations.

By rulers.h.i.+p over higher and higher combinations the Monad or Jivatma, ultimately approaches the state of ishvara Himself and that is the goal of evolution in this universe.

Whenever a combination is formed, there is one life governing that combination - the life of the ruler of that combination. Ail other lives have to surrender themselves completely and entirely to that one life.

This is the law and we have to bow down our heads to the inevitable.

There is life in every cell that composes the human body. But the cell lives are all subordinated to the life of the man, the Jivatma ruling the combination that forms the man. So long as the cell is attached to the human combination, it has no independence whatsoever. And this is to the immense benefit of the cells themselves. They receive the impress of souls much more evolved than their own and are able to evolve themselves at a much more rapid rate, than if they had been left to themselves.

This is the law of giving and taking, the law of sacrifice, the Yajna which is the essence of creation. And even as men approach the state of ishvara, they have to surrender themselves completely to Him and to merge themselves in His existence.

The Jivic or Monadic flow first appears on the plane of Svarga, it comes down to Bhuvar and then to Bhur, to appear finally in the mineral Kingdom of our Earth. This process of coming down does not require separate guidance for separate combinations. The downward flow is h.o.m.ogeneous. It is carried on under the guidance of the Praj.a.patis. It is all involution during this process taking in grosser and grosser matter and not rejecting anything. Rudra had no work to do during the earliest stages of monadic life. The mineral Kingdom appeared and the Himalayan chain reared up its head. The legend says the sons of Himalaya had wings on and they could move about but the Devas cut down their wings and they became fixed. No doubt the mineral Kingdom hardened and became immobile in time. The immobility of the mineral Kingdom, the final reach of matter in its downward course was the turning point in the life history of Jivas. Their foetal stage was over and they were now born into the Kalpa, as it were.

There was need for separation now, for the rejection of particles and the drawing in of new ones, and Durga appeared as the daughter of Himalaya.

She became wedded to Siva once more and since then there was change continually going on in all forms of life, that evolved out of the mineral Kingdom. There was continual adjustment of external and internal conditions, called life. The vegetable appeared, the animal appeared and the man appeared. The life process means continual transformation. Forms changed and dissolved. Change is continually going on all round and is called Nitya Pralaya.

During the transformation that goes on, combinations are guided by rulers, who are the Pitris. They lead the combinations on till the human form is reached. When the human form is reached each combination is a man. The highest of the Pitris can give only germinal Manas. When the Pitris give to the combination, all that they could give, their work is over, for this Kalpa.

Then come the k.u.maric souls, the Puranjanas from the Manasa Laka (P.

89). They find the abode ready made and leaving their friend and companion they enter their chosen abodes. There are nine gate ways in that abode, and every enjoyment reaches Puranjana through those gate ways. He becomes mad in the pursuit of enjoyments. He forgets himself.

He forgets his friend the eternal companion of Jiva. He identifies himself with the abode. He thinks that he is inseparable from that abode. So he goes on and on hopelessly in his course of riotous joy and the Friend whom he forgets gives him rebuff for every joy that he meets.

The rebuffs at last make him a little attentive. The friend then speaks through the Vedas, the Smritis through sages and at last He comes down Himself as an Avatara.

The Eternal Friend first allows Puranjana to run on in the midst of enjoyments, just as he likes. If he goes beyond the limits of temperance and moderation he gets some unpleasant experience. If he does something wrong, he feels the painful consequence. The sting of pain makes Puranjana ponder over what he does. He registers the pleasurable and painful experiences and reasons about the causes and effects. He tries to know what is right and what is wrong.

With the power of discrimination in its infancy, with the "enjoyment"

nature or the self-seeking Asuric element too strong in him, Puranjana, the k.u.maric soul, is helpless. He is drifted away, though sometimes much against his will.

The Friend comes to the rescue. The Devas and Asuras combine and with their joint efforts, the ocean of Milk is churned, and the G.o.ddess of Evolution, the Energy of Vishnu, makes Her divine appearance in our universe. The Devas become more than a match for the Asuras. The Vaivasvata Manvantara steps in, the Manvantara teeming with the fate of man and of the universe. ishvara, the eternal friend of Puranjana, is most busy in the Vaivasvata Manvantara. Every effort is made to raise humanity to a higher level and to open out all the possibilities of man.

First, the enjoyments of Svarga are held out before the rising vision of men as an allurement. Man admires those enjoyments and makes every effort to attain them. The Vedic sacrifice is revealed to Pururavas, who becomes mad after Urvasi, the nymph of Svarga. Later on, the heavenly cow, Surabhi, attracts Visvamitra. And he becomes the chief actor in the promulgation of Vedic sacrifice. In the firmness of resolve, in the bold and determined pursuit of objects, and in the intolerance of inferiority, Visvamitra stands prominently out as an example to humanity, for all ages to come and it is meet and proper that in the next Manvantara, he will act as one of the seven sages guiding the affairs of the universe.

The Karma Kanda of the Vedas is a monument of Visvamitara's gigantic efforts for the good of humanity. ishvara made revelations. He prompted the sages.

If the Karma Kanda holds out the allurements of Svarga life, it lays down rules and restrictions at the same time, that regulate life and beget temperance and moderation. Meritorious acts are enjoined and acts that r.e.t.a.r.d evolution are prohibited. Men do what is good and avoid what is evil, that they may attain heavenly things. They do what is right and shun what is wrong, not because that is the Law, the divine will, but because it gives them some reward. All the same, the mind is trained, the man curbed and regulated. The bitter pill is taken and if the child thinks that it is for the sweetmeat he is only mistaken. When the child grows he knows, that he takes the bitter pill as it is the law of nature that he should do so. Do what is right, because that is the law. Shun what is wrong, because it is against the law. We are all carried forward by the law, and we must willingly give ourselves up to that law. When we do that, we partake ourselves of divine life. The ground had to be prepared for further teachings.

Events in Svarga foreshadow and forestall events that are to transpire on the earth. The Devas and Asuras by their mutual fight in Svarga bring about a state of things which casts its shadow on the earth below.

Two great events happened in Svarga the killing of Vritra, and the deposition of Bali.

Vritra, though an Asura was a votary of Sankarshana, the Shankara aspect of Vishnu. Vritra was great in all respects and his wisdom extracted the admiration of Indra. But he represented the idea of personal self in Jiva, which is so strong-rooted, and which is the hardest thing to over come. Vritra was killed by a weapon, which is no other than the most willing and ready sacrifice of personal self by Dadhichi.

Bali, the Asura king, ungrudgingly gave all that he had to Vamana. The Asura had become so great both in intellect and in spirituality, that there was no question of killing him or of his being overpowered by the Devas. The Asuras and Devas both combined to make Svarga, the store-house of spiritual life. The Asuras by their willing surrender permitted the Devas to have entire hold of Svarga. By this sacrifice, they established their indisputable right to Svarga, in the broad dispensation of providence and in the succeeding Manvantara, Bali is to become the Indra of the Devas.

Vamana was the same as Lord Sri Krishna on our earth. If diplomacy had succeeded so easily below as above, if the Asura chiefs on earth had behaved as splendidly as Bali in Svarga, the horrors and heartrending scenes of Kurukshetra could have been avoided. The same result was however brought about in Svarga as it was subsequently brought about on the Earth. The actor was the same, the diplomacy was the same, only the result of diplomacy was different on the different planes. The deposition of Bali was bloodless while the deposition of Duryodhana was a b.l.o.o.d.y one.

Coming down to Earth let us see how events in Svarga were followed up on the terrestrial plane.

Two great human Avataras came, one the ideal and the other the apostle of unselfishness. But we must take a running survey of the Avataras as a whole.

Vishnu appeared on Earth Himself, through His direct manifestations called Avataras. Ten of them have been specially picked out as Great Avataras, though no specification has been made in the Bhagavata Purana.

There were three great Asuric movements in this Kalpa, caused by the three successive incarnations of Jaya and Vijaya. And these gave our four great Avataras.

Hiranyaksha was killed by Varaha, Hiranyakasipu was killed by Nrisinha.