Reading section 15

"The residence of Pulastya was at Viranagara, a big, beautiful city, situated on the banks of the river Devika. And there lived in a beautiful grove near this river, Nidagha, the disciple of Ribhu, acquainted with all devotional practices. After a thousand divine years Ribhu went to the city of Pulastya to see his pupil who stood at the gate after the completion of the sacrifice to Viswadevas. He was beheld by his pupil who came there specially to offer him Arghya, (the usual present) and led him into the house. And when his hands and feet were washed and he was seated Nidagha requested him respectfully to eat.

"Ribhu said—‘O foremost of Brahmins, tell me what food is there in your house? I do not like wretched food.'

"Nidagha said—‘There are cakes, of meal, rice, barley and pulse in my house. Eat, O reverend Sir, whatever pleases you best.'

"Ribhu:—O twice-born one, these are wretched viands. Give me sweet meats. Give me rice boiled with sugar, wheaten cakes and milk with curd and molasses.'

"Nidagha said—'O dame, quickly prepare whatever is most excellent and sweet in my house and satisfy him therewith.'

"Having been thus addressed the wife of Nidagha in consonance with her husband's behest prepared sweet food and placed it before the Brahmin. And, O king, he then, spoke humbly to the great Muni, who was delightedly eating the meal.

"Nidagha—‘Have you been greatly delighted with this meal, O twice-born one? Has your mind obtained contentment? Where is your residence, O Brahmin and where are you going? And tell me, whence art thou coming, O twice-born one?'

"Ribhu said:—‘O twice-born one, he, who has got appetite, is pleased with his meals. I have got no appetite and hence have got no satisfaction: why do you question me in vain? Hunger is created, when by fire the earthly element is dried; and thirst is produced when the moisture of the body is absorbed by internal heat. These are the the functions of the body, O twice-born one, not mine—I am satisfied with that by which they are removed. And pleasure and contentment are the faculties of the mind, O twice-born one; ask those men about it whose minds are affected by them. As regards your three other questions—Where I dwell, wither I go and whence I come, hear my reply.

"'Man goes everywhere and penetrates everywhere like the ether. Then is it rational to ask "Where is thy residence? Whence are you coming? And where will you go?" I am not coming from anywhere. I shall not go anywhere and I do not live in one place. Such is the case with you and other men. What people see of you is not real you; what people see of other men are not real they, and what people see of me is not real I. I made distinction between the sweetened and not sweetened food only to hear of your opinion about that: do thou hear my explanation about this, O twice-born one. Is there anything really sweet and not sweet to him who takes meals? That which is considered sweet is no longer so when it causes the sense of repletion, and that which is not sweet, becomes so when a man considers it as such. What food is there which is equally delightful from the first to the middle and last? As a house built of clay is strengthened by fresh plaster so this earthly body is maintained by earthly atoms. And barley, wheat, pulse, butter, oil, milk, curds, treacle, fruits and the like are made of earthly atoms. You have now understood what is sweet and what is not; do you so act that you may be impressed with the notion of identity which leads to final liberation.'

"Having heard those words explaining the true end of life, the illustrious Nidagha humbly bowed to him and said—'Be then propitiated with me, O twice-born one. Thou hast come here for my welfare. Tell me whence thou hast come? Hearing thy words the infatuation of my mind is removed'.

"Ribhu said:—'O twice-born one, I am thy preceptor Ribhu. I have come here to confer upon thee the true knowledge. Now I depart; for you have been acquainted with the true end of life. Consider again this universe to be one undivided nature of the supreme spirit Vāsudeva'.

"Having said 'so be it' Nidagha reverentially bowed to and worshipped him. And Ribhu too repaired to his wished-for quarter".

SECTION XVI.

"After the expiration of another thousand years Ribhu again repaired to that city for conferring knowledge upon him. The ascetic beheld Nidagha at the outside of the city when the king was about to enter it with a huge army and a host of relations. He saw his illustrious pupil standing at a distance avoiding the crowd—his throat was parched with hunger and thirst consequent upon carrying thicket fuel and holy grass. Beholding Nidagha and saluting him Ribhu said—'Why are you standing aloof, O twice-born one?'

"Nidagha said:—'There is a great rush of people for the lord of men is entering this huge and picturesque city; I am staying to avoid the crowd'.

"Ribhu said 'O foremost of twice-born one, who is the king amongst these? And who are his attendents. Methinks you know all these. Tell me'.

"Nidagha said:—'He, who is seated on the infuriated elephant, huge as a mountain, is the king: and all others are his attendents'.

"Ribhu said;—'You have simultaneously pointed out to me both the king and the elephant, but you have not particularly said, who is the king and which is the elephant. Therefore O illustrious one, tell me in particular, who is the king and which is the elephant; I am anxious to know it'.

"Nidagha said:—'That which is under is the elephant and one who is above is the king. Who is not aware, O twice-born one, of the relation between that which bears and that which is borne?'

"Ribhu said:—'Explain to me in the way in which I can understand it. What is meant by the word underneath and what is meant by the word above?'

"As soon as he had said this Nidagha jumped upon Ribhu and said—'Hear what you have asked of me. I am above like the king, you are underneath like the elephant. I show this example, O Brahman, for your better information'.

"Ribhu said—'O foremost of Brahmins, it seems that you are as if the king and I am the elephant and tell me now which of us two is you and which is I'.

"Ribhu having said this, Nidagha speedily got down and falling at his feet said, 'Sure thou art my saintly preceptor Ribhu. The mind of no other person is so much acquainted with the principles of unity as that of the mind of my preceptor. Therefore I know that thou art he'.

"Ribhu said:—'O Nidagha, I am your preceptor Ribhu. Pleased with the attention which you had shown to me before, I have come here to give you instructions O you gifted with a high mind. I have briefly described to you the divine truth, the essence of which is the none-quality of all'.

"Having said this the learned Ribhu went away. Nidagha, too by his instructions, was impressed with belief in unity. He began to observe all beings in no way distinct from him. And being devoted to Brahmā he obtained final liberation.

"Therefore, O king, O thou, conversant with duty, do thou, consider thyself as one with all beings, regarding equally friend or foe, the same sky looks apparently as white or blue so Soul, which is in reality one, appears diversified to erroneous vision. That, which exists in the universe, is one which is Achyuta. There is nothing distinct from Him. He is I. He is thou. He is all. This universe is His form. Give up therefore the misconceived notion of distinction".

Parāçara said:—The Brahmin having uttered this the king became cognizant of the true end of life. He renounced all idea of distinction and the Brahmin, who, on account of the recollection of former lives, had obtained perfect knowledge, now acquired liberation from future births.

He, who will reverentially hear this story of Bharata or narrate it, will have his mind illuminated and will not mistake the nature of individuality. And he who remembers it even shall be considered an object of reverence.

THE END OF PART II.

PART III.

SECTION I.

Maitreya said:—The situation of the earth and of seas the spurn of the sun and the other planets, the creation of the celestials and the rest and of the Rishis, the origin of the four castes and of the brute creation and the stories of Dhruva and Prahlād have been fully described by thee, my preceptor. Do thou describe to me, O Venerable Sir, all the Manwantaras and all the presiding deities with Sakra as their chief. I wish to hear this from you.

Parāçara said:—I shall serially describe to you all the Manwantaras that had passed away and all that shall take place.

The first Manu was Swayambhuva. Then came Swārochisha then Auttami, then Tāmasa, then Raivata, then Chākshusa: these six Manus have passed away. Vaivaswata, the son of the sun now presides over the seventh Manwantara, which is the present period.

The era of Swayambhuva Manu, which took place in the beginning of Kalpa together with the celestials, saints and other personages, has been related by me. I will now describe to you the period of Swārochisha Manu together with the presiding deities, saints and his sons.

There flourished two classes of celestials in the Manwantara of Swārochisha named Pārāvatas and Tushitas—and the king of the celestials was the powerful Vipascbit; the seven Rishis were Urja, Stambha, Prāna, Dattoli, Rishabha, Nischara, Arvarivat; and the sons of the Manu were Chaitra, Kimpurusha and others. I have thus described to you the second Manwantara. In the third Manwantara of Uttami, Susānti was the king of the celestials, who were severally denominated as the Sudhāmas, Satyas, Sivas, Pradersanas and Vasavertis and each of these orders consisted of twelve deities. The seven sons of Vasishtha were the seven celestial saints and Aja, Parasu, Divya and others were the sons of the Manu.

In the reign of Tāmasa the fourth Manu, the Surupas, Haris, Satyas and Sudhis were the orders of the celestials each consisting of twenty-seven. Sivi was their king who was named Satakratu by his performance of hundred sacrifices; the seven Rishis were Jyotirdhāmā, Prithu, Kāvya, Chaitra, Agni, Vanaka and Pivara. The sons of Tāmasa were the powerful kings Nara, Khyāti, Sāntahaya, Jānujangha and others.

In the fifth Manwantara Raivata was the Manu: Indra was their king and the celestials were Amitābhas, Abhutarajasas, Vaikunthas, and Sumedhasas each consisting of fourteen divinities. The seven Rishis were Hiranyaromā, Vedasri, Urddhabāhu, Vedabāhu, Sudhāman, Parjānya and Mahāmuni. The sons of Raivata were Balabandhu, Susambhavya, Satyaka and other brave kings.

These four Manus, Swārochishas, Uttami, Tāmasa and Raivata were born in the race of Pryavrata who propitiated Vishnu by his devotions and obtained in consequence thereof these rulers of Manwāntaras as his son.

In the sixth Manwantara Chākshusha was the Manu, when Manojava became the king of the celestials who were grouped as Adyas, Prastutas, Bhavyas, Prithugas, and the high-minded Lekhas each consisting of eight divinities; the seven Rishis were Sumedhas, Virajas, Havishmat, Uttama, Madhu, Abhinaman and Sahishnu. The sons of Chakshusha were the mighty Uru, Puru, Satadyumna and other kings of the earth.

O twice-born one, the Manu, who reigns in the present period is the wise and illustrious lord of obsequies the offspring of the sun. The celestials are the Adityas, Vasus and Rudras. Their king is Purandara. Vasishtha, Kasyapa, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Viswamitra and Bharadwaja are the seven Rishis. And the nine pious sons of Vaivaswata Manu are the kings Ikshawku, Nabhaga, Dhrista, Sanyati, Narishyanta, Nabhanidishta, Karusha, Prishadhra and the well known Vasumat.

The incomparable energy of Vishnu, at one with the quality of goodness and preserving all created things, rules overall the Manwantaras in the shape of divinity. From a part of that divinity Yajna was born in the Swāyambhuva Manwantara the will-begotten child of Akuti. And at the arrival of the Manwantara of Swārochisha the irrepressible Yajna was born as Ajita along with Tushitas the sons of Tushitā. And at the advent of the Manwantara of Auttama, Tushitas were born as the excellent Satyas, of Satya. In the Manwantara of Tāmasa, Satya became Hari along with the Haris, the children of Hari. And in the Raivata Manwantara of Sambhuti the excellent Hari was born as Manasa along with the celestials called Abhutarajasas.

In the next Manwantara Vishnu was born of Vikunthi, as Vaikuntha along with the celestials called Vaikunthas. In the present period Vishnu was again born as Vamana the son of Kasyapa by Aditi. With three paces he conquered the worlds and having released them from all disturbances he gave them to Purandara. By these seven persons, in the various Manwantaras, the created beings have been preserved. He is called Vishnu because his energy pervades the whole world from the root Vis to 'enter' or 'pervade:' and all the celestials, the Manus, the kings of the gods are but the impersonations of the power of Vishnu.

SECTION II.

Maitreya said:—O foremost of Brāhmins, you have described to me the seven Manwantaras that have passed away. It behoves you to describe now the Manwantaras that shall take place in future.

Parāçara said Sanjnā, the daughter of Viswakarman, was the wife of the sun, and bore him three children, the Manu Vaivaswata, Yama and the goddess Yami. Being unable to endure the fervours of her husband, she engaged Chāya in his attendance and repaired to the forest to practise devout austerities. Considering that Chāya as Sanjnā, he got upon her three other children—Sanaischra (Saturn) another Manu Sāvarni and a daughter Tapati. Once on a time being offended with Yama, the son of Sanjnā, Chāya imprecated a curse upon him and gave out to Yama and the sun that she was not in reality Sanjnā the mother of the former. (Having heard this) the sun, by his meditation saw her as a mare in the region of Uttara Kuru.

Thereupon assuming the shape of a horse the sun begot upon Sanjnā three other children, the two Aswins and Revanta, and brought her back to his own house. To diminish his fervours Viswakarman placed him on his lathe and reduced some of his effulgence; to the eighth portion, for more than which was insperable. The portions of the divine Vaishnava effulgence that were in the sun being filed off by Viswakarman, fell down shining on the earth and the artist constructed of them the discus of Vishnu—the trident of Siva, the weapon of the god of wealth, the lance of Kartikeya, and the weapons of the other celestials: all these Viswakarman made from the additional rays of the sun.

The son of Chāya, who was also called a Manu, was Sāvarni on account of his belonging to the same caste as his elder brother the Manu Vaivaswata. He rules over the coming or eighth Manwantara, the details whereof and of those following I shall now describe.

In the era when Sāvarni shall be the Manu the orders of the celestials will be Sutapas, Amitabhas and Mukshyas, each consisting of twenty-one divinities. The seven Rishis will be Diptimat, Gālava, Rāma, Kripa, Drauni: my son Vyāsa will be the sixth and the seventh will be Rishyasringa. The chief of the celestials will be Bali—the innocent son of Virochona who, on account of Vishnu's favour, is the king of a portion of Patala. The sons of Sāvarni will be Virajas, Arvarivas, Nirmoha and others.

O Maitreya, Daksha-Savarni will be the ninth Manu. The Paras, Marichigarbhas and Sudharmas will be the three orders of the celestials each consisting of twelve divinities. Indra Adbhuta will be their mighty king. Savana, Dyutimut, Bhavya, Vasu, Medhatithi, Jyotishman and Satya will be the seven Rishis. Dhritaketu, Driptiketu, Panchahasta, Niramaya, Prithusrava and others will be sons of the Manu.

In the tenth period Brahmā-Savarni will be the Manu: the celestials will be the Sudhamas, Viruddhas and Satasankhyas: their king will be the powerful Santi. The Rishis will be Havishman, Sukriti, Satya, Apammurtti, Nabhaga, Apratimaujas and Satyaketu and the ten sons of the Manu will be Sukshetra, Uttamaujas, Harishena and others.

In the eleventh period Dharma-Savarni will be the Manu and the leading celestials will be Vihangamas, Kamagamas and Nirmanaratis each consisting of thirty; Vrisha be their king. The Rishis will be Nischara, Agnitejas, Vapushman, Vishnu, Aruni, Havishman and Anagha. Savarga, Sarvadharma, Devanika and others—the kings of the earth—will be the sons of the Manu.

In the twelfth period Savarni, the son of Rudra, will be the Manu. Ritudhama will be the king of the gods who will be Haritas Lohitas, Sutnanasas, and Sukarmas, each consisting of fifteen divinities. The Rishis will be Tapaswi, Sutapas, Tapomurtti, Taporati, Tapodhriti, Tapodyuti and Tapodhana. And the Manu's sons will be Devayan, Upadeva, Devareshta and others—who will be the powerful kings of the earth.

In the thirteenth period Rauchya will be the Manu. The gods will be the Sudhmanas, Sudharmans and Sukarmans each consisting of thirty-three. Their king will be Divaspati. The Rishis will be Nirmoha, Tatwadersin, Nishprakampa, Nirutsuka, Dhritimat, Avyaya, and Sutpas. The sons of the Manu will be Chitrasena, Vichitra, and others who will be the kings of the earth.

At the fourteenth period Bhautya will be the Manu and Suchi will be the king of the celestials who will be the Chakshushas, Pavitras, Kanishthas, Bhrājiras and Vavriddhas. The seven Rishis will be Agnibahu, Suchi, Sukra, Megadha, Grighra, Yukta and Ajita. Uru, Gabhira, Bradhna and others will be the sons of Manu who will be the kings of the earth.

At the end of every four Yugas the Vedas disappear. And the seven Rishis descending on the earth again establish them. In every Krita age the presiding Manu becomes the legislator and during the Manwantaras the celestials of the various classes receive sacrifices. And those born in the race of Manus lord over the earth for that period. In every Manwantara, the Manu, the seven Rishis, the king of the gods and the sons of the Manu rule over the earth. In this wise, O Brahmin, fourteen Manwantaras constitute a Kalpa. And it is succeeded by a night of similar duration.

And the glorious Jannardana, wearing form of Brahmā, the essence of all things, the lord of all, the creator of all, involved in his own illusions and having swallowed up three spheres, sleeps upon the serpent Sesha in the midst of the ocean. And awaking after sleep the undecaying Hari, resorting to the quality of foulness, creates all things as they were before. And by virtue of a part of his essence which is identical with the quality of goodness he, as the Manus, the celestials, their chiefs, kings, as well as the seven Rishis, preserves the universe. I will now explain to you, O Maitreya, how Vishnu, who is regarded as Providence all through the four ages, preserved (the universe).

In the Krita Yuga, He, for the behoof of all creatures, was born as the great ascetic Kapila and imparted to them true wisdom. In the Treta Yuga he was born as the Lord Paramount and repressed the wicked and protected the three worlds. In the Dwapara Yuga He was born as Vyāsa and divided the Vedas into four divisions which were again divided into various branches; which were again divided into diverse sections. And at the end of Kali the fourth Yuga, He shall be born as Kalki and shall lead again the wicked to the paths of piety. Thus the endless Vishnu creates, preserves and destroys the universe. And there is none else but Him. I have thus described to you, O Brahman, the real nature of that Great Being who is at one with all things, and besides whom there is nothing else, nor has there been, nor will there be either here or elsewhere. I have also described to you all the Manwantaras with their presiding deities. What else do you wish to hear?

SECTION III.

Maitreya said:—I had been informed before by you that this universe is but the manifestation of Vishnu, that it exists in Him and that there is nothing else distinct from Him. I wish now to hear how the illustrious Vedvyāsa divided the Vedas into various sections in diverse Yugas. Describe to me, O great Muni, who were the Vyāsas in different eras, and what were the various divisions of the Vedas?