Fourth Skandha

Chapter 4(1): 66 shlokas

Chapter 4(2): 35 shlokas

Chapter 4(3): 25 shlokas

Chapter 4(4): 34 shlokas

Chapter 4(5): 26 shlokas

Chapter 4(6): 53 shlokas

Chapter 4(7): 61 shlokas

Chapter 4(8): 82 shlokas

Chapter 4(9): 68 shlokas

Chapter 4(10): 30 shlokas

Chapter 4(11): 35 shlokas

Chapter 4(12): 52 shlokas

Chapter 4(13): 49 shlokas

Chapter 4(14): 46 shlokas

Chapter 4(15): 26 shlokas

Chapter 4(16): 27 shlokas

Chapter 4(17): 36 shlokas

Chapter 4(18): 32 shlokas

Chapter 4(19): 42 shlokas

Chapter 4(20): 38 shlokas

Chapter 4(21): 52 shlokas

Chapter 4(22): 63 shlokas

Chapter 4(23): 39 shlokas

Chapter 4(24): 80 shlokas

Chapter 4(25): 62 shlokas

Chapter 4(26): 27 shlokas

Chapter 4(27): 30 shlokas

Chapter 4(28): 65 shlokas

Chapter 4(29): 87 shlokas

Chapter 4(30): 51 shlokas

Chapter 4(31): 31 shlokas

Chapter 4(1)

‘Maitreya said, “Through Shatarupa, Manu had three daughters. They were known as Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti. Though Akuti had brothers, with Shatarupa’s permission, the king bestowed her on Ruchi, on the condition that putrika dharma should be followed. ¹¹⁸⁶ The illustrious Prajapati, Ruchi, was full of the radiance of the brahman, because of his supreme meditation. Through her, he had offspring who were twins. Of these, the male was Vishnu himself, the one who assumes the form of a sacrifice. The female was Dakshina. ¹¹⁸⁷ She was a portion of the goddess of riches, the one who is never separated. ¹¹⁸⁸ Svayambhu Manu brought his daughter’s son, full of great beauty, to his own home, while Ruchi happily accepted Dakshina. She desired him ¹¹⁸⁹ and the illustrious Yajna, the lord of sacrifices, married her. Satisfied with her, he had twelve sons through her. These twelve were Tosha, Pratosha, Santosha, Bhadra, Shanti, Idaspati, Idhma, Kavi, Vibhu, Svahna, Sudeva and Rochana. During Svayambhuva manvantara, they were the gods, named Tushitas. Marichi and the others were the rishis and Yajna was the lord of the large number of gods. ¹¹⁹⁰ Manu’s two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada, were greatly energetic. During that period, their sons, grandsons through sons, grandsons through daughters and subsequent descendants proliferated. O son! Manu bestowed his daughter, Devahuti, on Kardama. I have already spoken to you about them and you have heard it. The illustrious Manu bestowed Prasuti on Daksha, Brahma’s son. The large number of his descendants spread throughout the three worlds. I have already told you about Kardama’s nine daughters, who became the wives of brahmana rishis. I will now tell you about their sons and grandsons. Listen to me. Kardama’s daughter, Kala, was Marichi’s wife and she had children known as Kashyapa and Purniman. Their descendants filled the world. O scorcher of enemies! Purniman’s sons were Viraja and Vishvaga. His ¹¹⁹¹ daughter, Devakulya, washed Hari’s feet and became the celestial river. ¹¹⁹² Anasuya, Atri’s wife, gave birth to three extremely famous sons—Datta, Durvasa and Soma. They were born from the atman, Isha and Brahma.” ¹¹⁹³

‘Vidura asked, “What was the reason for these best among the gods, the cause of creation, preservation and destruction, to be born in Atri’s house? O preceptor! They must have been born because they desired to do something. Please tell me.”

‘Maitreya replied, “Atri, supreme among those who knew about the brahman, was urged by Brahma to create. With his wife, he went to the kulachala Riksha and started to perform austerities. ¹¹⁹⁴ There were clusters of palasha and ashoka flowers in the groves there. In every direction, there was the sound of water flowing along River Nirvindhya. ¹¹⁹⁵ For one hundred years, the sage controlled his mind and engaged in pranayama. He stood on one foot and was without the opposite pair of sentiments. He survived on air. He thought, ‘O lord of the universe! I seek refuge with you. Please grant me a son who is exactly like you.’ The three worlds were scorched. Because of the pranayama, a fire emerged from the sage’s head and the three ¹¹⁹⁶ witnessed its powers. The three, whose fame was praised by apsaras, sages, gandharvas, Siddhas, vidyadharas and serpents, went to the hermitage. The sage’s mind was illuminated by their simultaneous appearance. On seeing the bulls among the gods, he stood up on that one leg. He prostrated himself on the ground before the ones who should be worshipped, like a rod, and with his hands joined in salutation. They were respectively on a bull, a swan and Suparna, ¹¹⁹⁷ and had their own respective signs. Their glances were favourable and their smiling faces were satisfied. Dazzled by their radiance, the sage closed his eyes. His mind was fixed on them and his hands were joined in salutation. In gentle words, he prayed to those who were the greatest in the worlds. Atri said, ‘You have divided up the task of the creation, the preservation and the destruction of the universe. Depending on the yuga, you use the attributes of maya to assume different forms. O Brahma, Vishnu and Girisha! I bow down before you. You are the ones who have come here because I have invoked you. For the sake of a son, I used different methods to concentrate on the single illustrious one. It is a great surprise to me that all of you have come here. It is impossible for the minds of embodied beings to perceive you. Show me your favours and tell me about this.’ O lord! Hearing his words, those bulls among the gods laughed. In gentle words, they replied to the rishi. The gods said, ‘O brahmana! It shall be as you have desired it and not contrary to it. You are right in your determination. We are the one you have meditated upon. O dear one! O beloved one! Therefore, our portions will be born as your sons and they will be famous in the worlds. They will also extend your fame.’ Having granted the desired boon, the lords of the gods, who had been worshipped properly, departed while the couple looked on. Soma was born from Brahma’s portion, Datta, who knew about yoga, from Vishnu and Durvasa from Shankara’s portion. Now hear about the offspring of Angiras. Shraddha, Angiras’s wife, had four daughters—Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka and Anumati as the fourth. ¹¹⁹⁸ He also had two other sons, famous during the Svarochisha manvantara—Utathya, who was the illustrious one himself, and Brihaspati, who knew about the brahman. Through his wife Havirbhu, Pulastya had a son named Agastya, who used to be Daharagni ¹¹⁹⁹ in another birth, and the great ascetic, Vishrava. Through him and Idavida, ¹²⁰⁰ were born the sons Kubera, the god who was the lord of the yakshas, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana, through another wife. ¹²⁰¹ O immensely intelligent one! The virtuous Gati, Pulaha’s wife, had three sons—Karmashreshtha, Variyan and Sahishnu. Kratu’s wife, Kriya, gave birth to the valakhilya rishis. There were sixty thousand of them and they blazed with the energy of the brahman. O scorcher of enemies! Through Urja, ¹²⁰² Vasishtha had seven unblemished sons who were brahmana rishis, Chitraketu being the foremost. They were Chitraketu, Surochi, Viraja, Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhridyan and Dyuman. Through another wife, his sons were Shakti and the others. Chitti, Atharvan’s wife, obtained a son who was firm in his vows. He was Dadhichi or Ashvashira. Now hear from me about Bhrigu’s lineage. Through his wife, Khyati, the immensely fortunate Bhrigu had two sons named Dhatri and Vidhatri. He also had a daughter, Shri, who was devoted to the illustrious one. Meru bestowed his daughters, Ayati and Niyati, on these two sons and Mrikanda and Prana were born from them. ¹²⁰³ Markandeya was Mrikanda’s son and the sage Vedashira was Prana’s son. Kavi, from the Bhrigu lineage, had the illustrious Ushanas ¹²⁰⁴ as a son. O Kshatta! All these sages populated the world with their offspring. I have spoken to you about Kardama’s descendants through his daughters. If one faithfully listens to this account, all great sins are instantly destroyed. Daksha, Aja’s son, ¹²⁰⁵ married Prasuti, Manu’s daughter. Through her, he had sixteen daughters whose eyes were unblemished. The lord bestowed thirteen of these on Dharma and one on Agni. One was bestowed on all the ancestors combined. One was bestowed on Bhava, ¹²⁰⁶ who removes the afflictions of the world. Shraddha, Maitri, Daya, Shanti, Tushti, Pushti, Kriya, Unnati, Buddhi, Medha, Titiksha, Hri and Murti—these were Dharma’s wives. Shraddha’s son was Shubha, Maitri’s was Prasada, Daya’s was Abhaya, Shanti’s was Sukha, Tushti’s was Muda, Pushti’s was Smaya, Kriya’s was Yoga, Unnati’s was Darpa, Buddhi’s was Artha, Medha’s was Smriti, Titiksha’s was Kshema and Murti’s was Prashraya. Murti, a store of all the qualities, also gave birth to the two rishis, Nara and Narayana. When these two were born, the universe was filled with great delight. The minds, directions, winds, rivers and mountains were pleased. Celestial trumpets were sounded and showers of flowers rained down. The sages uttered words of praise. Gandharvas and kinnaras sang words of praise. Divine women danced and there were excellent auspicious signs. All the gods, Brahma and the others, assembled and uttered words of praise. The gods said, ‘He has fashioned everything with his own maya, just as all these forms have appeared in the sky. He has now appeared in the forms of the rishis in Dharma’s house. We bow down to the supreme Purusha. He is the one who is responsible for creation, calamities and destruction. He has used sattva to create the large number of gods and he can be perceived through the tattvas. His merciful glances are full of compassion and surpass the lotus, the unblemished abode of Shri.’ O son! In this way, the illustrious one was praised by the large number of gods. Having been worshipped and having glanced favourably at them, they left for Gandhamadana. Those two illustrious ones manifested themselves as Hari’s portions. For the sake of reducing the earth’s burden, they were born as the two Krishnas, the extenders of the Yadu and Kuru lineages. ¹²⁰⁷ Through his wife, Svaha, Agni had three sons—Pavaka, Pavamana and Shuchi. They preside over the fire and subsist on the oblations that are offered. Through them, Agni had forty-five descendants. Thus, including the grandfather and the fathers, there are forty-nine. Those who know about the brahman offer oblations into the fire in their names. These divinities of the fire are the objective in agneya rites and sacrifices. The ancestors are Agnishvatta, Barhishad, Soumya and Ajyapa. ¹²⁰⁸ Some receive oblations through the sacrificial fire, others without the sacrificial fire. Their common wife is Svadha, Daksha’s daughter. The maiden who was bestowed on them ¹²⁰⁹ had two daughters, Vayuna and Dharini. Both of them were knowledgeable about the brahman and were accomplished in jnana and vijnana. Bhava’s wife was Sati and she followed the god Bhava. However, she could not obtain a son who was like him in qualities and conduct. Her father was against the innocent Bhava and in rage, while she was still young, she engaged in yoga and gave up her body.”’

Chapter 4(2)

‘Vidura asked, “Bhava was best among those who possessed good conduct and Daksha was affectionate towards his daughter. Why did he hate him and neglect his own daughter, Sati? He is the preceptor of mobile and immobile objects. He shows no enmity and is tranquil in his attitude. He is satisfied within himself. He is a great divinity to the world. Why did he hate him? O brahmana! Tell me about the reason for the enmity between the father-in-law and son-in-law, which led Sati to give up her life, something that is very difficult to give up.”

‘Maitreya replied, “In ancient times, the creators of the universe ¹²¹⁰ performed a sacrifice where all the supreme rishis assembled. All the large number of immortals, along with their followers, and the sages, with their sacrificial fires, went there. The rishis saw him ¹²¹¹ enter that great assembly, blazing like the rays of the sun. His radiance dispelled the darkness. Their senses were overwhelmed and those who were at the assembly, including the sacrificial fires, arose from their seats. The sole exceptions were Virinchi and Sharva. ¹²¹² The illustrious Daksha was properly honoured by the lords of the assembly. He bowed down before Aja, the preceptor of the worlds, and taking his permission, sat down. He saw that Mrida ¹²¹³ was already seated and did not show him respect. Unable to tolerate this, he looked at him with an adverse glance in his eyes, as if to burn him down. He said, ‘O brahmana rishis, gods and sacrificial fires! Listen to me. I am speaking about virtuous conduct and this is not because of ignorance or envy. This one is shameless and has diminished the fame of the guardians of the worlds. He has defiled and deviated from the path followed by those who are virtuous in conduct. Since he has accepted my daughter, he is like my disciple. In front of brahmanas and the sacrificial fire, behaving like a virtuous person, he accepted the hand of my daughter, who is like Savitri. His eyes are like those of a monkey, but he accepted the hand of someone who has the eyes of a fawn. Though I deserved it, he did not stand up and honour me. Nor did he address me with appropriate words. He does not follow the rites. He is impure. He is insolent and violates the norms. I bestowed this child on him unwillingly, like conferring sacred words ¹²¹⁴ on a shudra. He resides with terrible pretas. ¹²¹⁵ He is surrounded by large numbers of pretas and bhutas. He wanders around naked, like one who is mad. His hair is dishevelled. Sometimes, he laughs. And sometimes, he cries. He bathes himself in the ash from cremation grounds. He garlands himself with skulls and bones from the dead bodies of men. He is spoken of as Shiva, but is not Shiva. ¹²¹⁶ He is mad and is loved by people who are mad. He is the lord of large numbers of pramathas and those who have immersed themselves only in tamas. He is the lord of those who are crazy. He destroys purity and is evil in his heart. Urged by Parameshthi, ¹²¹⁷ I bestowed this virtuous one on him.’ Daksha censured Girisha, who sat quietly, in his way.

‘“He then touched water and started to angrily curse him. ‘This Bhava is worst among the large number of gods. When there are sacrifices to the gods, the gods, Indra, Upendra and the others, obtain their shares. But he will not get a share.’ The foremost among those who were at the assembly tried to restrain him. However, Daksha invoked this curse on the lord of the mountains. O Kouravya! With increasing intolerance, he left and went to his own residence. Nandishvara, foremost among those who followed Girisha, got to know about his curse and he became blind with rage. He invoked a terrible curse on Daksha and on the brahmanas who had approved the words spoken against Shiva. ‘The illustrious one does not bear enmity towards anyone. Therefore, if any mortal person hates him, his insight will be coloured by differentiation and he will not realize the truth. He will be addicted to the deceitful dharma of a householder and will desire to engage in ordinary sensual pleasures. His intelligence will be lost in what is said about the Vedas and he will engage in tasks for the sake of the fruits. Daksha is an animal. He has forgotten the nature of the atman and has accepted the body to be supreme. He will be excessively addicted to women and will soon have the head of a goat. His knowledge and intelligence are clouded by ignorance. He is dumb and thinks that everything is about rites. Those who follow him and disrespect Sharva will circle around in samsara. Those who hate Hara will be attracted to the flowery words of the sacred texts and will repeatedly churn those fragrant scents. However, they will be confounded and will not be able to churn their own atmans. The brahmanas will eat everything. They will resort to learning, austerities and vows only for the sake of maintaining themselves. They will roam around and beg in this world, seeking wealth and the gratification of the senses in their bodies.’ On hearing the words invoking a curse on the lineage of brahmanas, Bhrigu invoked a counter-curse. Like Brahma’s staff, this was impossible to violate. ‘If a person adopts Bhava’s vows, or follows those who do so, that person will be a heretic. ¹²¹⁸ His path will be contrary to the virtuous one. He will lose all purity. His intelligence will be foolish. His hair will be matted and he will decorate himself with ashes and bones. He will consecrate himself for worshipping Shiva and sura and asava will be his divinities. ¹²¹⁹ Since you have censured the Vedas and brahmanas and the ordinances meant to direct men, you have resorted to the way of heretics. This ¹²²⁰ is the eternal and auspicious path for the worlds. It has been followed earlier and Janardana has laid down the yardstick for it. This is the eternal and virtuous path for attaining the pure and supreme brahman. By condemning it, you will become a heretic. For them, the king of the bhutas is the divinity.’ When Bhrigu was uttering this curse, the illustrious Bhava, somewhat distressed in his mind, left the place, along with his followers. The creators of the worlds continued with the sacrifice, which lasted for one thousand years. O great archer! At this, the bull, Hari, was worshipped. After this, they bathed at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna. Thus purifying themselves, all of them returned to their own abodes, where they had come from.”’

Chapter 4(3)

‘Maitreya said, “In this way, the enmity between the son-in-law and the father-in-law constantly continued for an extremely long period of time. Brahma Parameshthi instated Daksha as lord over all the Prajapatis and he became conceited. He disregarded those who knew about the the state of the brahman ¹²²¹ and performed a vajapeya sacrifice. After this, he started an excellent sacrifice known as brihaspati-sava. At this, all the brahmana rishis, all the divine rishis and the ancestors and the gods were welcomed with auspicious benedictions, and along with the husbands the wives also came. While travelling through the sky, they conversed about this. Thus, the goddess Sati, Daksha’s daughter, came to know about the great festivities on the occasion of her father’s sacrifice. All of them, the women of the minor divinities, were headed there from all the directions. With golden necklaces and excellent garments, they were proceeding in their vimanas, along with their husbands. With polished earrings and beautiful eyes, they passed above her own residence. On seeing this, she anxiously went to her husband, the lord of the bhutas, and spoke to him. Sati said, ‘Prajapati, your father-in-law, has now started great festivities in connection with a sacrifice. O beloved! The gods are going there. If you so desire, let us also go there. Wishing to meet their well-wishers, I am certain that my sisters are also going there, along with their husbands. With you, I also wish to receive the presents that will be given there. My sisters are respected by their husbands. My mother’s sisters and my beloved mother will be there. O Mrida! My mind is anxious to meet them and see the flags raised by the maharshis at the sacrifice there. O Aja! ¹²²² Through your own maya, you have manifested everything, consisting of the three gunas. But I am an ordinary woman who does not know about the truth. O Bhava! I am miserable and wish to see the place where I was born. O one without birth! Behold those other women proceeding in large numbers, ornamented and decorated, and with their husbands and friends. O Shitikantha! ¹²²³ They are proceeding through the sky in the vimanas, like a flock of white swans that are calling. O noble god! After hearing about a festival in her father’s house, how can the body of a daughter not be agitated? Even if not invited, people go to the houses of their well-wishers, husbands, preceptors and fathers. O immortal one! I desire this boon from you. O lord! You should show me this compassion. I am located in half of your own self and you possess unrestricted insight. I wish that you should show me this kindness.’ The lord of the mountain was thus addressed by his beloved.

‘“Affectionate towards his well-wishers, he laughed and replied. However, he remembered the wicked and malicious words that pierced the inner organs, uttered in front of the creators of the worlds. The illustrious one replied, ‘O beautiful one! What you have spoken is indeed true. Even if uninvited, one should go to one’s relatives, as long as their outlook is not tainted by an intent to find fault. Anger and arrogance can be stronger than relationships. Learning, austerities, wealth, physical beauty, youth and lineage are six good qualities for the virtuous, but not for those who are perverse and wicked. Because of their arrogance, they cannot see the superiority of others. One should disregard such relatives. If one does not wish to be disturbed, one should not go to their houses. They will look upon visitors with a crooked intelligence. Their eyebrows will be furrowed and their eyes will be intolerant. If a person is hurt by the stone-headed arrows of enemies, one is not hurt as much as one is by the wicked words spoken by a relative who is crooked in intelligence. One then lies down, afflicted in all one’s limbs, and with one’s heart grieving. With the inner organs suffering, one is tormented day and night. O one with the beautiful eyebrows! It is evident that amongst Prajapati’s daughters, you are loved because of your good behaviour. But it is my view that because of your relationship with me, about which he repents, you will receive no honour from your father. If the heart burns with wickedness and if the senses are afflicted at the prosperity of those who possess the intelligence to behold the Purusha, because of one’s own inability, one hates people who can use their energy to rise to the supreme state, just as asuras hate Hari. O slender-waisted one! Mutual rising up, welcoming and obeisance is indeed recommended for the virtuous. However, wise people who possess the intelligence only do it for the one who is inside all hearts, and not for those who take pride in the body. He is pure sattva and is spoken of as Vasudeva. In sattva, the illustrious Purusha, Vasudeva, is manifested in his unveiled form. I think it is proper that I should bow down to Adhokshaja. That being the case, you should not look at Daksha and those who follow him, even though he gave you your body. Daksha is envious of me. O one with the beautiful thighs! At the sacrifice of the creators of the universe, even though I was innocent, he uttered vile words against me. If you disregard my words and go there, I do not think anything good will come out of it. When a respected person is insulted by one’s own relatives, it is described as instant death.’”’

Chapter 4(4)

‘Maitreya said, “After saying this, Shankara stopped. In either case, ¹²²⁴ he thought about the possibility of his wife’s death. She wished to see her well-wishers, but was uncertain. She left, but returned to Bhava. She was caught in two minds. She was miserable that she would be prevented from seeing her well-wishers. Because of her affection, she wept. She was distressed and tears began to flow. She glanced towards the unmatched Bhava and, trembling, glanced at him in rage, as if she would burn him down. With her heart shattered by sorrow and rage, Sati sighed and left him. Her feminine nature made her lose her judgement. She abandoned the beloved and virtuous one, who had affectionately given her half of his body, and went to her father’s house. When Sati left alone, thousands of the three-eyed one’s followers, the yakshas Maniman and Mada, with their followers, and with the Indra among bulls ¹²²⁵ at the forefront, swiftly followed, quick in their valour and without any distress. They made her sit on the Indra among bulls, who was decorated. There were sarikas, ¹²²⁶ balls, ¹²²⁷ mirrors, lotus flowers, a white umbrella, whisks and garlands. There was singing and music from drums, conch shells and flutes. The sacrificial arena was ornamented with sounds of the brahman being chanted by large numbers of brahmana rishis. There were gods in every direction. There were sacrificial vessels made out of clay, wood, iron and gold and darbha grass and hides were laid out. She entered. The people were scared of the performer of the sacrifice. ¹²²⁸ Therefore, when she arrived, no one received and honoured her, with the exception of her sisters and mother. With eyes and throats full of affectionate tears, they respectfully welcomed her and joyfully embraced her. She saw that there was no share of the sacrifice meant for Rudra and that her father had ignored the lord and god. The goddess was herself ignored at the sacrificial assembly. Therefore, she became angry, as if she would burn down the worlds in her rage.

‘“The large number of bhutas sprang up. But, using her own energy, she restrained them. In the hearing of the universe, in a voice that stuttered because of her rage, she condemned the one who hated Shiva, the one who had resorted to the path of the smoke. ¹²²⁹ The illustrious goddess said, ‘He is extremely loved by the worlds. Those who possess bodies love him as much as they love themselves. He is in all atmans and is free from enmity. Barring you, who will be envious of him? O brahmana! Barring you, who will search for taints in the virtuous qualities of others? Good people play down small faults and magnify qualities, while the greatest ignore the faults. However, you only find faults. ¹²³⁰ Among those wicked ones who look upon this inert body as the atman, it is not surprising that there should be this condemnation of the great. Indeed, this is good, because their own energy is thus diminished by the dust on the feet of those great beings. His deeds are sacred and his commands are inviolate. Even if the two aksharas in his name ¹²³¹ are inadvertently uttered by men once, they instantly destroy all sin. Alas! Because you hate Shiva, you have become worse than auspicious. He is a friend to the universe. Like bees, great ones who desire to savour the essence of the brahman seek out his lotus feet in their minds. However, he is the one you hate. You say that Shiva is inauspicious, but others do not think that. His dishevelled hair is matted. He smears himself with ashes from cremation grounds and wears garlands of human skulls. He resides with pishachas. But Brahma and the others touch what has fallen from his feet with their heads. If wicked people vilify the lord, one must block one’s ears. If unable to do so, one must leave. He is the one who protects the path of dharma. If men show him disrespect, if one is able, one must forcibly sever those tongues and even give up one’s life in the process. You have censured Shitikantha. Therefore, I will not retain this body, which has been obtained from you. It is said that if one is blinded and has imbibed poision ignorantly, it must be vomited out. Great sages find delight in their own selves and do not have to follow the views of what is stated in the Vedas. Just as the paths followed by gods and men are different, one should follow one’s own dharma and not criticize others. It is true that karma can be driven by pravritti or nivritti. The signs of both have been described in the Vedas. But the signs of both cannot simultaneously be found in the same agent. However, if a person is immersed in the brahman, he need not undertake either kind of action. O father! You should not be arrogant about your prosperity, this sacrificial arena, or the path of the smoke. Nor should one be satisfied and praise the food from sacrifices, enhancing the body. The signs of what avadhutas obtain are not manifest. Enough of this body, obtained from someone like you, who has injured Hara. Enough is enough. I am ashamed because I was created from a wicked person. Shame on this birth from a vile person who reviles the great. The illustrious one, with the bull on his banner, refers to your gotra and calls me Dakshayani. ¹²³² This causes great distress to me. I instantly lose my joy and my smiles. I will give up this inert body that has been obtained from your limbs.’ O slayer of enemies! In the sacrificial arena, she spoke to Daksha in this way. She silently sat down on the ground and faced the northern direction. Attired in yellow garments, she touched water. Closing her eyes, she immersed herself in the path of yoga. She controlled her posture and brought equilibrium in her breath of life. ¹²³³ She made udana rise up from the chakra at the navel, ¹²³⁴ gradually brought it up and used her intelligence to stabilize it near the heart. The unblemished one then raised it up through the throat to in between the eyebrows. Her body repeatedly rested on the lap of the greatest among the great. ¹²³⁵ Because of her anger at Daksha, the spirited one wished to give it up. She used dharana to generate wind and fire in her body. She thought about the intoxicating lotus feet of her husband, the preceptor of the worlds, and about no one else. Sati saw that all the impurities in her body had been destroyed. That samadhi instantly ignited a blazing fire. On seeing that great and extraordinary sight, extremely great sounds of lamentation arose in the firmament and on earth. ‘Alas! Enraged at him, the goddess, loved by the god, has given up her life. Alas! Behold the great disregard by Prajapati, the creator of mobile and immobile objects. Because of that dishonour, his daughter, Sati, has given up her life. The spirited one sought the respect that she deserved. With extreme intolerance in his heart, this one is a hater of the brahman. He will reap great ill repute in the worlds. Because of his crime of hatred towards Purusha, his own daughter prepared to die, but he did not restrain her.’ Witnessing Sati’s extraordinary act of giving up her own body, people spoke in this way.

‘“Her attendants raised their weapons and rushed towards Daksha, intending to kill him. The illustrious Bhrigu saw that they were descending with force. Desiring to kill those who were going to destroy the sacrifice, he used hymns from the Yajur Veda to offer oblations into the dakshinagni. ¹²³⁶ When the adhvaryu offered these oblations, thousands of gods named Ribhus manifested themselves. They were powerful, possessing their energy from the austerities of the soma sacrifice. They raised flaming firebrands as weapons and using their brahmana energy, slaughtered and routed the pramathas and guhyakas in different directions.”’

Chapter 4(5)

‘Maitreya said, “From Narada, Bhava got to know that Bhavani ¹²³⁷ had died because of the dishonour shown by Prajapati and that his own attendants and soldiers had been driven away from the sacrificial arena by the Ribhus. He was filled with great rage. Dhurjati ¹²³⁸ bit his lips in anger. Rudra rose up violently and laughed loudly. He plucked out a lock from his matted hair, fierce like the fire and blazing like lightning, and flung it down on the ground. An extremely gigantic being arose and he seemed to touch the firmament. ¹²³⁹ He possessed one thousand arms and was as dark as a cloud. His three eyes blazed like the sun. His teeth were terrible and the hair on his head flamed like the fire. He wore a garland made out of skulls and held up many kinds of weapons. He joined his hands in salutation and asked, ‘O illustrious one! What will I do?’ The lord of the bhutas replied, ‘O Rudra! O soldier! You are my portion and are foremost among my soldiers. Destroy Daksha and his sacrifice.’ Thus commanded by the angry and intolerant lord, he circumambulated the god of the gods. O son! He took himself to be a part of his powers and therefore, able to withstand the greatest. He was followed by Rudra’s attendants, who roared loudly. He himself roared in an extremely terrible voice. He raised his trident, which was capable of even destroying the destroyer of the universe. ¹²⁴⁰ With the ornaments on his feet announcing his arrival, he rushed forth.

‘“The officiating priest, the performer of the sacrifice ¹²⁴¹ and those at the assembly saw a storm of dust in the northern direction. ‘What darkness is this? Where has this storm of dust come from?’ The brahmanas and the wives of the brahmanas speculated in this way. ‘The winds are not blowing. Nor can these be bandits, since Prachinabarchi, ¹²⁴² whose staff of chastisement is terrible, is still alive. Nor is this the time for cows to be driven home. Where has this dust come from? Is it time for the worlds to head towards destruction?’ The women, with Prasuti ¹²⁴³ as the foremost, were anxious in their minds. They said, ‘This is a calamity that has been brought about by his sin. While her sisters looked on, the lord of subjects insulted his innocent daughter, Sati. At the time of destruction, his ¹²⁴⁴ matted and dishevelled hair is spread around. He uses his trident to pierce the Indras among elephants who are in charge of the directions. He dances, with his hands, which are like standards, holding up his weapons. He laughs loudly and the thunder of that sound shatters the directions. When he is intolerant, his energy is impossible to withstand. When he is overcome with rage and knits his eyebrows, he is impossible to behold. His terrible teeth scatter the stellar bodies. When the lord is enraged, even Vidhatri ¹²⁴⁵ cannot ensure good fortune.’ Glancing in agitation, the people uttered many such words. Ominous and fearful portents repeatedly appeared in their thousands, from all sides in the sky and on earth, signifying calamity to Daksha and to themselves.

‘“O child! At that time, the great sacrificial arena was attacked by Rudra’s attendants. There were dwarves wielding many kinds of weapons. There were others wielding many kinds of weapons and they were brownish and darkish in complexion. Their faces and stomachs were like makaras. O Vidura! They ran around and surrounded the place from all sides. Some shattered the pillars towards the east, others the quarters meant for the wives. Still others devastated the assembly hall, the storehouse for sacrificial offerings, the residence of the performer of the sacrifice and the large kitchen. Some broke the sacrificial vessels, others extinguished the sacrificial fire. Some urinated on the sacrificial pits. Some destroyed the boundaries around the sacrificial altar. Some bound the sages, others threatened their wives. Some seized the gods who were nearby and were trying to run away. Maniman tied up Bhrigu and Virabhadra tied up Prajapati. Chandisha tied up the god Pushan and Nandishvara seized Bhaga. All the officiating priests, all those assembled at the sacrifice and all the residents of heaven saw this. They suffered a great deal from the stones that were hurled at them and fled in different directions. In the middle of the assembly, Bhrigu had laughed, brandishing his beard. ¹²⁴⁶ Therefore, the illustrious Bhava ¹²⁴⁷ plucked out his beard, while he was using the sacrificial ladle to offer oblations. In rage, the illustrious one flung Bhaga down on the ground and plucked out his eyes, because in the middle of the assembly, he had moved his eyes and encouraged Daksha while he was cursing. While the great one ¹²⁴⁸ was being cursed, Pushan had smiled, displaying his teeth. Therefore, he ¹²⁴⁹ extracted his teeth, just as Bala had done to Kalinga. ¹²⁵⁰ After this, Tryambaka ¹²⁵¹ sat down on Daksha’s chest and tried to sever his head with a sharp-edged weapon. But he was unsuccessful. Hara Pashupati ¹²⁵² again tried to sever it with weapons invoked with mantras. However, the skin was tough and couldn’t be cut. He was extremely surprised and thought for a long time. The lord of animals ¹²⁵³ then noticed the way animals were slaughtered on the sacrificial stake. He used this to sever the head from the body of the one performing the sacrifice. ¹²⁵⁴ On beholding this deed, the bhutas, pretas and pishachas applauded, while the others lamented the calamity. Full of rage, he then offered the head as an oblation into the dakshinagni. Having burnt down the sacrificial arena, he left for the abode of the guhyakas.”’ ¹²⁵⁵

Chapter 4(6)

‘Maitreya said, “All the large number of gods were defeated by Rudra’s soldiers. All their limbs were severed and mangled by spears, lances, swords, maces, bludgeons and clubs. Filled with fear, the officiating priests and those at the assembly went and bowed down before Svayambhu. They told him everything. The illustrious one, born from the lotus, and Narayana, the atman of the universe, had already seen that this would happen. Therefore, they did not go to the sacrifice. Hearing this, the lord said, ‘An offence has been perpetrated against a more energetic person. In general, if one does this, one can never obtain peace. You have committed a crime against Bhava. He was entitled to a share in the sacrifice, but you excluded him. With purified hearts, you should go to his lotus feet and seek his favours. He is quickly propitiated. You hope that the sacrifice should be revived. However, if he is angry, the worlds and their guardians will not exist. You should swiftly beg his forgiveness. His heart has been pierced by harsh words and the god has recently lost his beloved. I, Yajna, ¹²⁵⁶ you, others, those who possess material bodies and the sages do not know the true measure of his strength and energy. He is self-dependent. Who but he can think of a means?’ Aja instructed the gods in this way.

‘“He took them, the ancestors and the Prajapatis with him and left his own residence to go to that of the enemy of Pura. ¹²⁵⁷ This was Kailasa, supreme among mountains, and loved by the lord. This is the birthplace of herbs and is enjoyed by Siddhas and others by virtue of their austerities, mantras and yoga. It is always inhabited and surrounded by kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras. The summits are made out of many kinds of gems and are coloured with diverse kinds of minerals. There are many kinds of trees, creepers and shrubs. It is surrounded by many kinds of animals. There are many sparkling waterfalls. There are diverse kinds of caverns and peaks. It is a place for pleasure and Siddha women sport there, along with their lovers. There are the sounds of peacocks calling. There is the humming of intoxicated and senseless bees. There is the singing of cuckoos and the chirping of birds. Trees that yield every object of desire raise up their lofty branches, like hands, and seem to summon the birds. Elephants seem to make the mountain whirl and the waterfalls seem to make it sing. It is adorned with trees like mandara, parijata, sarala, tamala, shala, tala, kovidara, asana, arjuna, chuta, kadamba, nipa, naga, punnaga, champaka, patala, ashoka, bakula, kunda and kurabaka. ¹²⁵⁸ There were golden-hued lotuses of a species with excellent pollen and the place was decorated with kubjas, ¹²⁵⁹, mallikas ¹²⁶⁰ and madhavis. ¹²⁶¹ There were trees like jackfruit, udumbara, ¹²⁶² ashvattha, ¹²⁶³ plaksha, ¹²⁶⁴ nyagrodha, ¹²⁶⁵ fennel plants, birch, herbs, areca nuts, areca nut palms and jambus. There were date palms, hog plum trees, mango trees, chironji trees, ¹²⁶⁶ madhukas ¹²⁶⁷ and ingudas. ¹²⁶⁸ There were other kinds of trees and it was bright with bamboos and hollow reeds. There were many kinds of lotuses—kumudas, utpalas and shatapatras. Along the shores of the lakes, full of lotuses, there were the pleasant sounds of flocks of birds singing. There were deer, monkeys, boar, lions, bears, gavayas, ¹²⁶⁹ sharabhas, ¹²⁷⁰ ruru antelopes, buffaloes and other animals. There were animals with their ears near their entrails, with one leg, with faces like horses, and wolves and musk deer. The sandy shores of the lakes were beautiful because of clumps of plantain trees. It was surrounded by the Nanda, with the waters rendered sacred because Sati had bathed there. Beholding this mountain of the lord of the mountains, the gods were filled with wonder. There, they saw the beautiful city known as Alaka. There was a grove named Sougandhika ¹²⁷¹ and the lotuses in it had the same name. The two rivers, Nanda and Alakananda, flowed outside the city. They were sanctified by the dust raised from the lotus feet of the one whose feet are tirthas. ¹²⁷² O Kshatta! When their desires are exhausted, celestial women descend from their own vehicles and sport there. They immerse themselves and sprinkle their men with water. When they go and bathe there, the fresh kunkuma powder falls from their bodies and turns the water saffron. Even if they are not thirsty, the male and female elephants drink this water. There are hundreds of vimanas, made out of silver, gold and extremely expensive jewels. The wives of sacred people assemble there, making it look like the sky, with clouds tinged with lightning. They passed beyond the city of the lord of the yakshas ¹²⁷³ and Sougandhika forest, filled with trees that yielded every object of desire and colourful garlands, fruits and leaves. There were many red-necked birds ¹²⁷⁴ that sang sweetly and there was the melodious humming of bees. There was the calling of the best among swans and there were beds of lotuses in the waterbodies. The wind bore the scent of yellow sandalwood and agitated the wild elephants, which rubbed themselves against each other. Thoughts of desire again sprung up in the minds of the wives of the sacred people. The lakes had steps that were made out of lapis lazuli and there were garlands of lotuses. It was inhabited by kimpurushas.

‘“After seeing this, not very far away, they saw a banyan tree. It was one hundred yojanas in height. Its branches extended for seventy-five yojanas. The shade always extended in every direction. Therefore, there was no heat and there were no nests. This was a tree where people engaged in great yoga, the refuge of those who sought emancipation. The gods saw Shiva, who had abandoned his rage, seated there, like Death. Tranquil in his form, he was tended to by serene and great Siddhas, Sanandana and the others. He was being worshipped by his friend, the master of the guhyakas and the rakshasas. ¹²⁷⁵ The lord of intelligence and knowledge was immersed in the path of yoga. Because of his affection and desire to ensure the welfare of the worlds, the friend of the universe was practising it. His signs were those desired by ascetics—ashes, a staff, matted hair and deer hide. The complexion of his body was like that of an evening cloud. The crescent moon dazzled on his forehead. He was seated on a mat of darbha grass and was speaking to Narada, who had asked, about the eternal brahman, while other virtuous ones listened. The left one of his lotus feet was placed on his right thigh and his left hand was on his left knee. ¹²⁷⁶ A garland of rudraksha beads was around his right wrist and he was seated in tarka mudra. ¹²⁷⁷ He was in samadhi, in a position of nirvana and being one with the brahman. Girisha had the support of a yogakaksha. ¹²⁷⁸ The guardians of the world and the sages joined their hands in salutation and bowed down before the one who was the first thinker among all thinkers.

‘“He saw that the one who created himself ¹²⁷⁹ had come, along with the gods and the lord of the gods. ¹²⁸⁰ The one who is worshipped arose and bowed down to them by lowering his head, like the revered Vishnu did to Kashyapa. ¹²⁸¹ After this, the large number of Siddhas and the maharshis who were all around Nilalohita also bowed down. After he had been worshipped, the one who created himself smilingly spoke to the one who had the moon on his forehead. Brahma said, ‘I know you as the lord of the universe. You are both the womb and the seed of the universe. You are Shakti and Shiva and the eternal brahman. O illustrious one! Both Shiva and Shakti are your own forms. Just as a spider plays with its web, you create, preserve and destroy the universe. Through Daksha’s sacrifice, you have instituted a system for milking sacrifices, so that dharma and artha can be protected. It is you who have determined the ordinances revered by brahmanas who are firm in their vows. O auspicious one! You are the one who expands and confers the world of heaven, and worlds that are superior to heaven, on those who perform auspicious deeds. For those who perform inauspicious deeds, you assign the terrible tamisra. Why should there be anything contrary to this? ¹²⁸² Virtuous ones who have completely surrendered themselves to you see you in everything and do not differentiate between beings. However, there are also beings who differentiate between others and their own selves. Like animals, they generally succumb to rage. ¹²⁸³ Those who are differentiated in their intelligence perform such acts. Such wicked people always harbour anger in their hearts at the prosperity of others. By using harsh and piercing words, they cause pain to others. There is no need for someone like you to kill them. They have been killed by destiny. There are some who suffer from the insurmountable maya of the one with the lotus in his navel. Touched by this, their intelligence is differentiated. If someone acts in this way, he deserves pity, because this is due to destiny. Virtuous ones show compassion towards such a person and do not use force against him. O one who can see everything! Your intelligence has not been touched by the insurmountable maya of the supreme Purusha. But they have been destroyed by this. Their minds follow the path of action for fruits. O lord! You should show them your own favours. O intelligent one! Let Prajapati’s destroyed sacrifice be revived. Inferior priests did not offer you a share, though you deserve a share when the sacrifice is completed. Let the performer of the sacrifice become alive again. Let Bhaga get back his eyes. Let Bhrigu’s beard grow back again. As earlier, let Pushan get his teeth back. The bodies of the gods and the officiating priests have been mangled by weapons and stones. O intelligent one! Through your favours, let them quickly recover again. O Rudra! Whatever is left after the sacrifice is over is your share. O destroyer of the sacrifice! From now on, a sacrifice will have a share for Rudra.’”’

Chapter 4(7)

‘Maitreya said, “O mighty-armed one! Thus entreated by Aja, Bhava was satisfied. He smiled and said, ‘Listen.’

‘“Mahadeva said, ‘O lord of subjects! I do not take offence, pay any attention, or think about what has been done by the ignorant. They have been overwhelmed by the god’s maya. I only wielded the rod of chastisement. Prajapati’s head has been burnt down and he will have the head of a he-goat. Bhaga will see his share of the sacrifice through Mitra’s eyes. Pushan will use the teeth of the one who performs the sacrifice to chew and will eat only flour. The gods, who have agreed to give me a share of the leftovers, will regain their natural limbs. The adhvaryus and others who have lost their arms will use the arms of the Ashvins, while those whose hands have been severed will use those of Pushan. Bhrigu will have the beard of a he-goat.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “O son! All the beings heard the words spoken by the generous Mrida. They were satisfied and uttered words of praise. Along with the rishis, the gods ¹²⁸⁴ invited Mrida. Along with Mrida and Brahma, they went to the place where the sacrifice was being held. Everything was done as the illustrious Bhava had indicated. Ka’s body was fixed to the head of the animal meant for the sacrifice. ¹²⁸⁵ When Daksha’s head was being fixed, Rudra glanced at him. Waking up as if he had been asleep, he saw Mrida standing in front of him. Prajapati’s heart was polluted with hatred for the one with the bull on his banner. However, as soon as he saw Shiva, it became as clean as a lake in the autumn. He wished to utter words of praise to Bhava. But since he remembered his daughter and his voice choked with tears of affection and anxiety, he was incapable of doing this. Overwhelmed by affection, he calmed his mind with great difficulty. With his intelligence restored and without any duplicity in his sentiments, he praised the lord.

‘“Daksha said, ‘You have shown a great favour to me. Deceived by me, you invoked a punishment on me. O illustrious one! You and Hara do not ignore brahma-bandhus, not to speak of those who are firm in their vows. From your own mouth you first created brahmanas who know about the brahman, for the sake of upholding learning, austerities and vows. O supreme one! O lord! That is the reason you protect brahmanas from all calamities, like a herdsman using a rod to protect a herd of animals. Since I did not know about the truth, in the assembly hall, I hurled harsh words that were like arrows, but you ignored them. Because I censured someone who was the greatest, I was headed downwards. However, the illustrious one looked at me with compassion and saved me. Let him be satisified with what he has done.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “He thus sought his forgiveness from Mrida. With the permission of the brahmanas and with the preceptors, the officiating priests and the others, he started the rites again. The place had been contaminated by the touch of the brave ones. ¹²⁸⁶ Therefore, to purify it and continue with the sacrifice, the best among brahmanas tendered three offerings of cakes to Vishnu. O lord of the earth! As the adhvaryu held the oblations, the performer of the sacrifice purified his intelligence and offered them to Hari, who manifested himself. He illuminated the ten directions with his radiance, making their energy fade. He was brought there by Tarkshya, whose wings are the two stotras. ¹²⁸⁷ His complexion was dark and his garments were golden. His diadem dazzled like the sun. His face was adorned with blue locks that were like dark bees and earrings. He wielded a conch shell, a lotus, a chakra, an arrow, a bow, a mace, a sword and a shield in arms decorated with golden ornaments. He was like a blossoming karnikara tree. His wife ¹²⁸⁸ and a garland of wild flowers were on his chest. Even a tiny bit of his smiling glance delighted the universe. There were whisks made out of yak hair, resembling swans, fanning his sides. He was beautiful, with a white umbrella resembling the moon held aloft his head. All the large number of gods saw him arrive. With Brahma, Indra and the three-eyed one ¹²⁸⁹ leading, they instantly arose and bowed down to him. His radiance robbed them of their energy. Awed by him, their tongues were silent. They joined their hands in salutation above their heads and presented themselves before Adhokshaja. His greatness was beyond the mental comprehension of the self-creating one ¹²⁹⁰ and the others. But out of compassion, he had manifested himself in that form and according to their intelligence, they chanted his praises. Daksha tendered the deserved offerings in an excellent vessel. Extremely delighted, he controlled himself. Joining his hands in salutation, he chanted the praise of the lord of sacrifices, the supreme preceptor of the creators of the worlds, ¹²⁹¹ the one who is served by attendants like Nanda and Sunanda.

‘“Daksha said, ‘You are pure. You are in your own abode. You are beyond everything that is a mental state. You are consciousness alone. You are without a second. You are beyond fear. You control maya. But when you enter it as Purusha, you seem to be contaminated by it, though you are self-dependent.’

‘“The officiating priests said, ‘O one who is not tainted! O illustrious one! Because of Rudra’s curse, our intelligence became attached to action for fruits. We did not know the truth about you. We have known this sacrifice, with its three parts, ¹²⁹² as something that bears the signs of dharma. We knew the ordinances of sacrificing to the gods as the truth.’

‘“The assistant priests said, ‘O one who grants refuge! We do not have a refuge along this path of birth and death. There is a heavy burden and it is difficult to pass, with Death looming in front. When one searches for material satisfaction, there are predatory beasts. It is like a mirage and homes are heavy with the burden of opposite sentiments. One is scared of these ditches. There are carnivorous beasts, with a circle of a forest conflagration around it. Those who are ignorant about the meaning suffer from this. When will those who have been touched by desire seek out your feet?’

‘“Rudra said, ‘O granter of boons! Even in this world, your excellent feet deliver all the objectives that are desired. They deserve to be lovingly worshipped, even by sages who possess no attachment. Though my intelligence is fixed on them, the ignorant ones in this world say that I am not purified. However, because of your supreme favours, I attach no value to what they say.’

‘“Bhrigu said, ‘Because of your maya, Brahma and the other embodied beings have been deprived of their knowledge of the atman. They sleep in the darkness of ignorance. Even now, they do not understand your true nature, which is inside their atmans. You are the atman and a friend to those who bow down before you. Show me your favours.’

‘“Brahma said, ‘If a man looks at you with eyes that differentiate between various kinds of knowledge, he does not realize your true nature. You are the store of knowledge, artha and the gunas. You are regarded as distinct from what is made out of maya.’

‘“Indra said, ‘O Achyuta! This form of yours, which leads to the creation of the universe, brings delight to the mind and the eyes. Your eight arms possess upraised weapons, meant to punish and chastise those who hate the gods.’

‘“The wives ¹²⁹³ said, ‘This sacrifice was devised by the creator as a sacrifice dedicated to you. However, because he was enraged at Daksha, Pashupati destroyed it today. The sacrificial animals are quiet and their dead bodies are lying down. O one whose atman is the sacrifice! O one with beautiful eyes like a lotus! Let it be purified by your glance.’

‘“The rishis said, ‘O illustrious one! Your activities are incomprehensible. You execute them yourself, but are not touched by the action. Ishvari ¹²⁹⁴ is worshipped for prosperity. She herself follows you, but you do not pay any attention to her.’

‘“The Siddhas said, ‘This account of your pastimes is a river that is full of pure nectar. Our minds are like elephants, suffering because they have been burnt in forest conflagrations. Thirsty, we immerse ourselves in it and do not remember the conflagration of samsara. Having merged with the brahman, we do not desire to come out.’

‘“The wife of the person performing the sacrifice ¹²⁹⁵ said, ‘O lord! Welcome. I bow down to you. Show me your favours. You are Shri’s abode. May you and your beloved Shri save us. O supreme lord! Like a body without a head, the sacrifice is not beautiful without you. It is like a man who is a headless torso.’

‘“The guardians of the world said, ‘You have been seen by us with eyes that are imperfect in sight. ¹²⁹⁶ You are like a seer within and see this universe. O infinite lord! It is indeed because of your maya that you manifest yourself as a sixth, along with the five elements.’

‘“The lords of yoga said, ‘O lord! To you, there is no one more loved than a person who does not see himself as different from you, the atman of the universe. There are those who faithfully worship you, without deviating and without following anything else. O gracious one! Show them your favours. He is the destiny behind the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Through his maya, he manifests many kinds of gunas. Using his powers, he has created this differentiation between living beings. However, in his own atman, the interaction between these gunas ceases. We bow down before you.’

‘“Brahma said, ‘I bow down before the one who is the refuge of sattva, the source of dharma and everything else. You are nirguna. Your state is not known to me and certainly not to others.’

‘“Agni said, ‘It is because of your energy that my energy blazes in the kindling. In every good sacrifice, I bear the oblations that are soaked in ghee. You are the one who protects the sacrifice. You have five forms and are worshipped properly through the five hymns of the Yajur Veda. ¹²⁹⁷ I bow down to the sacrifice.’

‘“The gods said, ‘After the last kalpa, you withdrew everything that you caused inside your own stomach. You are the Purusha who lay down in the waters on the excellent bed that was Shesha, Indra among serpents. You are the path towards adhyatma, which Siddhas search for, and meditate on, in their hearts. You are now moving around in the range of our visions. We are your servants.’

‘“The gandharvas said, ‘O god! Marichi and the others, Brahma, Indra and the others, the large number of gods, with Rudra at the forefront, are your portions. O supreme lord! This entire universe is a receptacle that you are playing with. O protector! Therefore, we always bow down before you.’

‘“The vidyadharas said, ‘Having obtained this body, ¹²⁹⁸ an evil-minded person sticks to the wrong path because of your maya and has notions of “I” and “mine”. He is distracted by his desire for material objects and confounds himself. A person who finds delight in the amrita of your account will be delivered from this.’

‘“The brahmanas said, ‘You are the sacrifice. You are the oblations. You are yourself the sacrificial fire. You are the mantras, the kindling, the darbha grass and the sacrificial vessels. You are the supervising priest and the officiating priests. You are the couple ¹²⁹⁹ and the divinity. You are agnihotra, svadha, soma, clarified butter and the sacrificial animal. In the past, in the form of a giant boar, you roared and playfully raised the earth from rasatala on your tusks, like an Indra among elephants picking up a lotus, and were praised by the yogis. Your body consists of the three. ¹³⁰⁰ You are the rites of the sacrifice. May he show us his favours. We have deviated from a virtuous act ¹³⁰¹ and all of us desire to see him. O lord of the sacrifice! When your name is chanted by men, all obstructions to a sacrifice head towards their destruction. We bow down to him.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “O fortunate one! While Hrishikesha, the protector of the sacrifice, was thus being praised, the wise Daksha started the sacrifice that had been destroyed by Rudra. The illustrious one is in all atmans. Though he enjoys all the shares of the sacrifice, he was satisfied with his own share. O unblemished one! He addressed Daksha and said the following.

‘“The illustrious one said, ‘I am Brahma and Sharva ¹³⁰² and the supreme cause behind the universe. I am the lord of the atman. I am the witness. My own insight is without any differentiation. O brahmana! I have entered my own maya, full of the gunas. I create, preserve and destroy the universe and have a different name, depending on the action. There is no one second to the brahman and I am the paramatman. Those who see differences between Brahma and Rudra, or between living beings, are ignorant. A man sometimes thinks that his own limbs, head, hands and other parts are different. But if a person is devoted to me, his intelligence is not differentiated in this way. If a person does not see the three ¹³⁰³ as one and perceives differences, he does not find peace. The brahman is in the atmans of all living beings.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “The lord of all the Prajapatis was instructed by the illustrious Hari in this fashion. He first worshipped him through rites and then worshipped the other gods in both ways. ¹³⁰⁴ He controlled himself and worshipped Rudra, offering him his own share. When the concluding rites of the sacrifice were over, he offered soma to the ones who were entitled and to others. Having done this, with the priests, he bathed. ¹³⁰⁵ Through this worship, on his own, he obtained powers. However, the gods also conferred the boon that his intelligence would be on dharma and went to heaven. We have heard that in this way, Dakshayani Sati gave up her former body. She was then born through Himalaya and his wife, Mena. Ambika again accepted her beloved as her husband. She was single-minded in her devotion towards him and to no one else, just as Shakti is dormant inside Purusha. Thus, the illustrious Shambhu performed the act of destroying Daksha’s sacrifice. I heard this from Uddhava, who was devoted to the illustrious one and was Brihaspati’s disciple. This is the sacred account of what the supreme lord did. If a man always devotedly listens to it and narrates it, he obtains fame and a long lifespan. His sins are cleansed. O Kourava! All his taints are purged.”’

Chapter 4(8)

‘Maitreya said, “Brahma’s sons, Sanaka and the others, Narada, Ribhu, Hamsa, Aruna and Yati, did not resort to the life of a householder. They held up their seed. O destroyer of enemies! Adharma’s wife was Mrisha and she gave birth to twins—Dambha and Maya. Since Nirriti had no offspring, she accepted that couple. ¹³⁰⁶ O immensely intelligent one! From them were born Lobha and Nikriti. From these were born Krodha, Himsa, Kali and his sister, Durukti. ¹³⁰⁷ O excellent one! Through Durukti, Kali had Bhaya and Mrityu as offspring. Through this couple, Yatana and Niraya were born. ¹³⁰⁸ O unblemished one! I have briefly told you about the secondary creation, after destruction. If a man hears this sacred account thrice, all impurities are cleansed from his soul. O extender of the Kuru lineage! I will now describe the lineage of Svayambhuva Manu, who was auspicious in his deeds and was born as Hari’s portion. Through Shatarupa, he had sons named Priyavrata and Uttanapada. They were born from Vasudeva’s portion and were established as protectors of the universe. Uttanapada had two wives, Suniti and Suruchi. Suruchi was the one who was loved more. The other wife’s son was Dhruva.

‘“Once, the king was fondling Suruchi’s son, Uttama, on his lap. Dhruva tried to clamber up, but the king did not welcome this. When Dhruva, her co-wife’s son, tried to do this, in the king’s hearing, Suruchi became envious and spoke proudly. ‘O child! You do not deserve to ascend on to the king’s lap. Though you are a king’s son, you have not been born from my womb. Since you are a child, you do not know that you have been born from another woman’s womb. Therefore, know that what you are trying to get is impossible to obtain. Your wishes will be in vain. If you desire the king’s throne, worship Purusha through austerities. Through his favours, you may then be born through my womb and be successful.’ He was thus pierced by the harsh words of his mother’s co-wife. He sighed like an angry serpent that had been beaten with a stick. He saw that his father was silent and did not say anything. Therefore, he left his presence and weeping, went to his mother. He was sighing and his lips were trembling. Suniti picked up the child on her lap. From the mouths of the residents of the city, she heard what her co-wife had said and was distressed. She lost her patience and lamented in grief. The maiden was like a creeper burnt down in a forest conflagration. She remembered the words of her co-wife. Her face was like a lotus and tears flowed from her beautiful eyes. She sighed deeply and could not see an end to her miseries. The maiden spoke to the child. ‘O son! Do not blame others for this inauspicious state. A person who inflicts pain on others has to himself suffer it. Suruchi spoke the truth. You were born from me. An unfortunate person like me bore you in her womb. You were reared on the milk of someone my husband is ashamed about. He does not accept me as his wife. O son! Remain above jealousy. What your stepmother has said is true. Abide by that path. If you desire an excellent seat, worship Adhokshaja’s lotus feet. By worshipping his lotus feet, Aja obtained the qualities required for creating the universe and obtained the status of Parameshthi. His feet deserve to be worshipped by those who have controlled their atmans and their breath of life. The illustrious Manu was your grandfather. Single-minded in devotion to him, he performed sacrifices with copious amounts of dakshina. Through this worship, he obtained a status that is difficult to get. He obtained happiness on earth, and divine liberation thereafter. O child! Seek him out as a refuge. He is devoted to his devotees. Those who search for liberation seek out the path to his lotus feet. With no one else in mind, think of your own dharma. Placing him in your mind, worship Purusha. Other than the lotus-eyed one, I cannot think of anyone else who can dispel this unhappiness. Though she is sought after by others, Shri, with a lotus in her hand, seeks him out.’ These words, uttered by his mother, were full of great import and entered his ears. He thought about them. Using his will to control his mind, he left his father’s city.

‘“Narada got to know about his desires. He approached and touched his head with his purifying hand. Surprised, he exclaimed, ‘The energy of kshatriyas is wonderful. It does not tolerate the slightest bit of disrespect. Even though he is a child, he has taken to heart the harsh words spoken by his stepmother.’ Narada said, ‘O son! We notice that boys are attracted to playing and similar things. The sense of respect or disrespect is not developed. Even if that sense is developed, other than being confounded, there is no reason for a man to be dissatisfied. In this world, people are different because of their own karmas. O son! Therefore, a wise man should be satisfied with that alone. One must witness the progress of the lord and of destiny. Your mother has instructed that you must seek to elevate yourself through yoga, so that you can obtain his favour. However, it is my view that this is very difficult for men to pursue. Non-attached, sages have followed this path across many births. They have meditated, resorting to fierce yoga. However, they have not been able to find what they were searching for. Therefore, return. This determination of yours is bound to fail. In due course of time, you should strive for what will bring you benefit. This happiness and unhappiness are determined by destiny. If an embodied person wishes to cross over to the other side of darkness, he should satisfy himself with this. One should take delight at someone who possesses superior qualities. One should have compassion for one who has inferior qualities. One should seek friendship with equals. Thereby, one will not succumb to the torment.’ Dhruva replied, ‘O illustrious one! For those who suffer from happiness and unhappiness, driven by compassion, you have spoken about equanimity. But men like us find this extremely difficult to perceive. My heart has been shattered by Suruchi’s harsh words, which are like arrows. I am not humble. I am a kshatriya and have not achieved that kind of tolerance. I desire to obtain a state that is best in the three worlds, one that has not been obtained by my forefathers, or by anyone else. O brahmana! Tell me about that virtuous path. O illustrious one! Indeed, you have been born from Parameshthi’s limbs. For the welfare of the world, you roam around like the sun and play on your veena.’ Hearing this, the illustrious Narada was delighted. Out of compassion towards the child, he spoke these excellent words. Narada said, ‘The path indicated by your mother is most beneficial for you. With a mind that is completely absorbed, worship the illustrious Vasudeva. If one desires the benefit known as dharma, artha, kama, moksha, the only means of accomplishing that is by serving at Hari’s feet. O son! O fortunate one! Therefore, go to the banks of the Yamuna. The pure and sacred Madhuvana is there and Hari is always present there. Thrice a day, have a bath in Kalindi’s auspicious waters. Perform the indicated rites. Think of a suitable asana for yourself and be seated there. Perform the three kinds of pranayama ¹³⁰⁹ and gradually purify your breath of life, senses and mind, giving up all impurities. With a steady mind, meditate on the preceptor of all preceptors. He is ready to show his favours. His face and glance are always pleasant. He possesses an excellent nose and excellent eyebrows. His forehead is beautiful and he is the most handsome among the gods. He is youthful and his limbs are beautiful. His lips and eyes are red. He is the only refuge one should bow down to. He is the pleasant refuge and an ocean of compassion. He bears the mark of shrivatsa. He is dark blue in complexion. He is Purusha, wearing a garland of wild flowers. He manifests four arms that hold a conch shell, a chakra, a mace and a lotus. He wears a diadem, earrings, armlets and bracelets. The Koustubha gem adorns his neck. He is attired in yellow silk garments. His girdle is ornamented with tinkling bells. There are golden anklets around his feet. He is beautiful to behold and serene. He is a delight to the mind and the eyes. His feet are radiant because of an array of nails that are like jewels. He is stationed in this form in the hearts of his devotees, like the stamen in a lotus. One should meditate on this smiling form, which looks benevolently at his devotees. One must control one’s mind and single-mindedly immerse oneself in him, supreme among those who grant boons. Thus, in one’s mind, one must meditate on the extremely fortunate form of the illustrious one. One will soon be filled with supreme nivritti. Enriched in this way, one will not return. ¹³¹⁰ O son of a king! Listen to this extremely secret japa. ¹³¹¹ If a man recites this for seven nights, he can see beings who travel through the skies. ¹³¹² “Oum! I bow down before the illustrious Vasudeva.” ¹³¹³ Using this mantra, a learned person must worship the god with different objects. A person who knows about the time and the place, will accordingly use different objects and different modes. He will offer pure water, garlands of wild flowers, roots, fruits, fresh grass, buds and bark that are approved for worship and tulasi, loved by the lord. If one can get it, one can use an image for the worship. If not, one can worship him by using earth and water. The sage must be tranquil and control his mind and speech. He must frugally eat whatever is available in the forest. Uttamashloka uses his own incomprehensible maya to voluntarily assume avataras and undertake many kinds of deeds. In one’s heart, one must meditate on these. Those who have worshipped him earlier have used many kinds of objects and forms. With the mantra in one’s heart, one must use these. He is the embodied form of the mantra. In this way, the illustrious one, who is in the mind, must be worshipped with body, mind and words. A man must properly worship him with faith and devotion. He increases their faith and bestows on these embodied beings, the benefit that they desire, dharma and the other objectives. One must be indifferent towards the objects of the senses and practise bhakti yoga in earnest. For the sake of liberation, one must worship him constantly and attentively.’ Thus addressed, the king’s son bowed down before him and circumambulated him. He went to sacred Madhuvana, decorated with Hari’s footprints.

‘“When he had entered the forest for austerities, the sage went to the inner quarters. The king welcomed him with objects of honour. When he was comfortably seated, he spoke. Narada asked, ‘O king! What have you been thinking about for a long time, with a face that is dry? Has your pursuit of kama, dharma or artha been obstructed?’ The king replied, ‘O brahmana! My son is a child. He is only five years old, but is great and wise. I and my wife have been cruel in our hearts and have exiled him, along with his mother. O brahmana! He is without a protector in the forest. I hope my son has not been devoured by wolves. He is hungry and exhausted and is lying down. His face is like a lotus and must have faded. Alas! Look at my evil conduct, having been vanquished by a woman. The excellent one wished to affectionately climb on to my lap, but I did not welcome him.’ Narada said, ‘O lord of the earth! Do not grieve. Your son has been protected by the god. You do not know about his powers. His reputation pervades the universe. O king! The lord ¹³¹⁴ will perform a task that is extremely difficult for even the guardians of the worlds to achieve. He will soon return here and bring great fame to you.’ The lord of the earth heard what the devarshi said. He disregarded the prosperity of the kingdom and only thought about his son.

‘“Having arrived there, he ¹³¹⁵ bathed. He controlled himself and fasted during the night. As instructed, he attentively worshipped Purusha. He spent one month in worshipping Hari. He only ate at the end of every third night and ate wood apples and jujube berries, only enough to sustain himself. In the second month, the boy continued to worship the lord. He only ate every sixth day and his food consisted of dry blades of grass and leaves. In the third month, he meditated and worshipped Uttamashloka. He subsisted on water, that too, on every ninth day. In the fourth month, he meditated on the god and worshipped him. He controlled his breathing and subsisted on air, that too, on every twelfth day. When the fifth month arrived, the son of the king conquered his breath of life. Standing on a single foot, he meditated on the brahman. He was as immobile as a post. He withdrew his mind from all elements and objects of the senses. In his heart, he meditated on the form of the illustrious one and looked at nothing else. He thus fixed his dharana on the brahman, the foundation of Mahat and the others, and the lord of Pradhana and Purusha. At this, the three worlds started to tremble. The son of the king stood on one leg and the earth was pressed down by his big toe. Half of the earth bent down, just as a boat carrying a large elephant is rocked, depending on whether the elephant raises its left leg or its right. He meditated on the one who is the atman of the universe. Unwavering in his intelligence, he obstructed the gates in his body and his breath of life. The worlds could not breathe and suffered severely. With the guardians of the world, they went and sought refuge with Hari. The gods said, ‘O illustrious one! O abode of sattva! We do not know why the breath of life of every mobile and immobile object has been restricted. Therefore, do what is necessary to save us from this danger. You are the refuge and we have come to you, seeking refuge.’ The illustrious one replied, ‘Do not be frightened. The child is performing extremely difficult austerities and I will ask him to refrain. Return to your own abodes. Uttanapada’s son has identified his atman with mine. That is the reason your breath of life has been obstructed.’”’

Chapter 4(9)

‘Maitreya said, “Urukrama spoke to them in this way and dispelled their fears. They bowed down to him and returned to heaven. The one with the thousand heads wished to see his devotee and, astride Garuda, went to Madhuvana. With a purified intelligence, he ¹³¹⁶ was immersed in fierce yoga, with the lord’s form manifested in the lotus of his heart, as resplendent as lightning. He suddenly discovered that this form vanished. Instead, he saw that identical form stationed outside. On seeing him arrive before him, he bent his body down and prostrated himself on the ground, like a rod. The boy looked at him, drinking him in with his eyes. It was as if he was kissing him with his mouth and embracing him with his arms. Hari is situated in everyone’s heart. He saw him standing there, hands joined in salutation, full of the brahman and wishing to praise him, but not knowing how. Out of compassion, he touched the child on the forehead with the conch shell. As soon as this was done, he got back his speech. He realized the true nature of the divine paramatman. Full of sentiments of devotion, whose status had been determined, he started to quickly chant the praises of the glorious one whose fame is pervasive.

‘“Dhruva said, ‘O lord who is inside! O one who possesses infinite powers! You have used your powers to penetrate me and revive my power of speech, which was asleep, and also my hands, feet, ears, skin and breath of life. O illustrious Purusha! I bow down to you. O illustrious one! You are one. You have used your own great powers, known as maya, and its gunas, to create Mahat and all the others. You are Purusha and you enter and manifest yourself in the form of the different temporary gunas, like fire in different kinds of wood. Like a man who wakes up from sleep, he ¹³¹⁷ sought refuge with you as a protector. Through the knowledge you gave him, he could see the universe. ¹³¹⁸ Those who desire liberation seek refuge at your feet. You are a friend of the afflicted. How can a person who is accomplished in learning forget you? Your maya has certainly confounded the intelligence of those who worship you for reasons other than to be liberated from this cycle of birth and death. You are like a tree that yields every object of desire. But they worship you to satisfy desires in a body that is like a corpse. Such men desire the pleasure of the touch, ¹³¹⁹ available even in hell. O protector! The delight that embodied beings find from meditating on your lotus feet and hearing the account of your greatness from your devotees, is not there in the brahman. ¹³²⁰ What need be said about those who fall down from their vimanas, struck by the sword of Death? Let me have repeated association with those in whom devotion towards you is flowing. O infinite one! Let me be with great ones whose hearts are unsullied. In that way, I will easily overcome the terrible and great hardships of this ocean of life and cross it. I will drink the amrita of your qualities and become intoxicated. O lord! O one with a lotus in the navel! As a result of an association with them, one does not remember this beloved mortal body and sons, well-wishers, houses, riches and wives. This is what happens from association with those whose hearts are eager for the fragrance of your lotus feet. O one without birth! I know your gross form, consisting of inferior species, trees, birds, reptiles, gods, daityas, mortal beings and the others. This has manifest and unmanifest dimensions, based on Mahat and other principles. O supreme one! I do not know your supreme form, which is beyond words. O supreme being! At the end of the kalpa you lie down, withdrawing everything into your stomach. O friend of Ananta! You look at yourself, lying down on his ¹³²¹ lap. From the ocean in your navel sprouts a golden lotus and the radiant one ¹³²² is manifested from this lotus. I bow down to the illustrious one. You are eternally free and pure. You are the omniscient atman. You are the immutable original being. You are the illustrious lord of the three. ¹³²³ Through your own unobstructed vision, you comprehend the state of different kinds of intelligence. You are the witness, stationed as the lord of sacrifices. You are beyond all this. There are always two kinds of contrary manifestations in you, knowledge and ignorance. There are many kinds of progressive powers. You are the brahman, the cause of the universe. You are one, infinite and original. You are only bliss and without change. I worship you. O illustrious one! Compared to other blessings, true benediction is in your lotus feet. For those who worship you, you are the embodied form of all objectives. O noble one! O illustrious one! Hence, you nurture those who are distressed, like a cow which takes care of a calf. Show your compassion towards miserable ones like me.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “He was thus worshipped by the intelligent one, whose resolution was true. The illustrious one is devoted to his servants. He applauded these words and said the following.

‘“The illustrious one replied, ‘O son of a king! I know the determination in your heart. O fortunate one! O one who is excellent in vows! I will give it to you, though it is extremely difficult to obtain. O fortunate one! I will confer on you the brilliant and eternal world, ¹³²⁴ which has not been obtained by anyone else. The planets, nakshatras, stars and luminous bodies circle around it. They are like a group of cows circling around a central pole. ¹³²⁵ It is beyond those who reside in a kalpa. ¹³²⁶ The stars presided over by Dharma, Agni, Kashyapa, Shukra and the sages ¹³²⁷ who are residents of the forest circle around it, keeping it to their right. When your father leaves for the forest, he will give you the earth and based on dharma and with your senses unimpaired, ¹³²⁸ you will protect it for thirty-six thousand years. While out on a hunt, your brother, Uttama, will be killed. Her mind distressed by this, his mother will go to the forest to search for him and will enter a forest conflagration. I am the heart of sacrifices. You will perform sacrifices dedicated to me and offer a lot of dakshina. Having enjoyed a lot of blessings in this world, at the end, you will turn to the truth and remember me. You will then go to my abode, worshipped by all the worlds. It is located above that of the rishis. ¹³²⁹ Having gone there, no one returns.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “The illustrious one, with Garuda on his banner, was thus worshipped and offered to bestow his own state. While the child looked on, he returned. Having served at Vishnu’s feet, he ¹³³⁰ obtained his desired objective. However, though he obtained what he wished, he wasn’t extremely happy. He returned to the city.

‘“Vidura asked, ‘Hari’s supreme state is extremely difficult to obtain. This can only be earned by those who worship his feet without being distracted by maya. He obtained this and accomplished his objective in a single life. Why did the one who knew about the truth think that he was unsuccessful?’”

‘Maitreya replied, “He remembered his stepmother’s words, which had pierced his heart like arrows. He did not desire emancipation from the lord of emancipation. Therefore, he suffered from repentance.

‘“Dhruva thought, ‘Through meditation, I obtained his feet in a single life. I obtained those feet within six months, something that Sananda and the others, who hold up their seed, seek to realize. Having obtained that refuge, I retreated from it because of the differentiation in my intelligence. Alas! Behold an unfortunate person like me. I did not understand the atman. Having obtained the feet of someone who can sever the cycle of existence, I asked for something temporary. My intelligence was polluted by gods who have positions lower than mine. As a wretched person, I did not accept Narada’s words. Divine maya took hold of me. Like a person asleep, my vision was differentiated. I tormented myself, thinking of a second that is non-existent. ¹³³¹ I lament because I took my brother to be an enemy. Like treating a person who is dead, everything that I sought for is futile. Through austerities, I pleased the atman of the universe, who is extremely difficult to please. I should have asked for the severance of this cycle of life. However, abandoned by fortune, I sought this cycle of life. He wished to confer on me his own state. But foolishly, with my merit exhausted, I asked him for honours, like a person without riches seeking unhusked grains from an emperor.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “O son! People like you are eager to touch the dust on Mukunda’s lotus feet. Other than servitude to him, they do not desire anything for themselves. Satisfied with whatever has been obtained, they take themselves to be prosperous. When the king heard that his son was returning, as if returning from the world of the dead, he did not believe it. ‘How can an unfortunate person like me be so fortunate?’ He was overwhelmed by a great tide of joy and had faith in the worlds of the devarshi. He was extremely happy with the person who had brought him the news and gave him an extremely valuable necklace. He mounted a chariot made out of molten gold, yoked to excellent horses. He was surrounded by brahmanas, the elders of his family, advisers and relatives. There was the sound of conch shells, drums being played, flutes, and recitations of the brahman. Anxious to see his son, he quickly emerged from the city. The queens, Suniti and Suruchi, were ornamented in gold. With Uttama, they ascended a palanquin and advanced. On seeing him approach from the grove, the king swiftly got down from his chariot. Distracted by affection, he approached him. With a mind that had been anxious for a long time, he sighed deeply and embraced the one born from his body in his arms. Having touched Vishvaksena’s feet, he ¹³³² had been cleansed of all the bonds of sin. With his cherished desire satisfied, he repeatedly inhaled the fragrance of his son’s head and bathed it with cool tears that flowed from his eyes. He first worshipped his father’s feet and obtained his benedictions. He bowed his head down before his two mothers and was honoured by the foremost among the virtuous ones. Suruchi raised her son, ¹³³³ who was prostrate at her feet. In a voice that choked with tears, she embraced him and said, ‘May you live for a long time.’ If the illustrious one is pleased with someone and bestows qualities on him because of friendliness, all creatures bow down before him, like water automatically flowing downwards. Overwhelmed by affection, Uttama and Dhruva embraced each other’s bodies. Delighted, they shed tears and their body hair stood up. His mother, Suniti, embraced her beloved son, whom she loved more than her own life. She touched his body and was not satisified. But she abandoned all grief. O brave one! Copious flows of milk flowed from her breasts, which were incessantly bathed by auspicious tears of joy that flowed from the eyes of someone who had given birth to a brave person. People praised the queen. ‘It is good fortune that your son has dispelled your grief. After having been lost for a long time, he has been regained and will protect the circle of the earth. You must have worshipped the illustrious one, who dispels the sorrows of those who bow down before him. Patient people constantly meditate on him and conquer death, which is extremely difficult to vanquish.’ The people praised and cherished Dhruva in this way.

‘“Happy, the king made him and his brother climb on to a she-elephant and entered the city. Here and there, dazzling arches that were in the shape of makaras had been constructed. There were pillars made out of plantain trees and young areca nut trees, with branches laden with fruit. Every door had pots filled with water, with burning lamps on them. There were decorations of mango leaves, garments, garlands and strings of pearls that hung downwards. The ramparts, gates and houses were decorated with molten gold. Everything was ornamented and the tops of the mansions were as radiant as vimanas. The quadrangles, highways, seats and roads were cleaned with sandalwood water. Everywhere, fried, unhusked grain, flowers, fruits, rice and offerings were strewn around. Here and there, as Dhruva passed along the road, the women of the city showered white mustard, unhusked grain, curds, water, durva grass, flowers and fruits on him. Out of their affection, those virtuous ones pronounced benedictions over him. Listening to melodious songs, he entered his father’s residence. That supreme of residences was decorated with collections of extremely expensive jewels. Always nurtured by his father, he lived there, like a god in heaven. The couches were made out of ivory and had the complexion of the froth of milk. They were covered with golden spreads. There were extremely expensive seats and the cushions were decorated with gold. The walls were made out of crystal and extremely expensive emeralds. There were dazzling lamps made out of jewels, held by statuettes of women, also made out of jewels. The beautiful gardens were full of colourful and celestial trees. Pairs of birds sang there and intoxicated bees buzzed. The steps leading down into the lakes were made of lapis lazuli and the lakes were full of blue lotuses and lilies. They were inhabited by flocks of swans, karandavas, chakravakas and cranes. Uttanapada, the royal sage, heard about, and also saw, his son’s wonderful powers and was greatly surprised. He saw that he had come of age. With the approval of the ordinary people, who loved Dhruva, the king made him the lord of the earth. The lord of the earth saw that he himself was old. He perceived the progress of the atman and devoid of attachment, left for the forest.”’

Chapter 4(10)

‘Maitreya said, “Dhruva married the daughter of Prajapati Shishumara. Her name was Bhrami and her sons were Kalpa and Vatsara. He had another wife named Ila, Vayu’s daughter. Through her, the extremely strong one had a son named Utkala, whom women loved like a jewel. ¹³³⁴ Uttama did not marry. While out on a hunt on a mountain, he was killed by an auspicious person who was stronger. ¹³³⁵ His mother followed the path her son took. Hearing about his brother’s death, he was filled with rage, intolerance and grief. He ascended his victorious chariot and went to the abode of those auspicious people. The king went to the northern direction, frequented by Rudra’s companions. In a valley in the Himalayas, he saw the city, inhabited by guhyakas. The large-armed one blew on his conch shell and this echoed in the sky and in the directions.

‘“O Kshatta! Hearing this sound, the minor goddesses ¹³³⁶ were anxious and extremely scared. The minor gods, powerful and great warriors, emerged. They were unable to tolerate that sound. Raising their weapons, they attacked him. When they descended, the brave maharatha, fierce in wielding the bow, simultaneously struck each of them with three arrows. Those arrows were stuck to each of their foreheads. Though they thought that they would be repulsed, they praised this action of his. They were also angry, like snakes struck with the foot. They sought to hit back by simultaneously striking him with double the number of arrows. ¹³³⁷ There were one lakh and thirty thousand of them and they wished to retaliate. They angrily showered down clubs, swords, spears, javelins, battle-axes, spikes, broad swords, bhushundis ¹³³⁸ and colourfully tufted arrows on him, his chariot and his charioteer. Enveloped by that copious shower of weapons, Uttanapada’s son could not be seen, like a mountain during the rains. The Siddhas were watching from the sky and cries of lamentation arose among them. ‘Alas! Like a submerged sun, Manu’s son has been destroyed in this ocean of auspicious people.’ The yatudhanas roared, proclaiming that they had been victorious in the battle. However, the chariot emerged, like the sun from behind a cover of mist. Causing distress in the minds of the enemy, he twanged his divine bow. Like the wind dispelling an army of clouds, he shattered the torrents of their weapons with a flood of arrows. Released from his bow, they pierced the armour of the rakshasas. The sharp arrows penetrated their bodies, like the vajra shattering mountains. The broad-headed arrows severed heads beautiful with earrings, thighs that were like golden palm trees, arms ornamented with bracelets and bodies with necklaces, armlets, crowns and extremely expensive headdresses. This resplendence in the field of battle delighted the minds of the brave. There were some from the horde of rakshasas who were not killed by the arrows of the noble kshatriya in that field of battle. Like herds with whom a king of animals ¹³³⁹ has played, the bodies of most of them were mangled and they fled. In the great field of battle, Manu’s supreme descendant did not see any more assassins. Though he wished to see the city of the enemy, he did not enter. ‘One does not know what those skilled in maya intend.’ The one with the colourful chariot spoke in this way to his charioteer, remaining vigilant about what the enemy might do. At this time, he saw a great storm of dust cover the directions and the sky and heard a sound like the roaring of the ocean. In an instant, in every direction, the sky was shrouded by an army of clouds. There were flashes of lightning and the clap of thunder, terrifying all the directions. O unblemished one! Floods of blood, mucus, pus, excrement, urine and fat showered down from the sky in front of him, along with headless torsos. From every direction, clubs, maces, swords, bludgeons and stones showered down. A mountain appeared in the sky. Snakes with lightning in their breath, vomiting fire and with angry eyes, rushed at him. So did herds of mad elephants, lions and tigers. An ocean with terrible waves flooded the entire earth. It emitted a loud roar and was terrible, like at the end of a kalpa. There were many such things that would have caused terror to those less spirited. The asuras used the fierce maya of asuras to generate these. The sages heard that the asuras had used maya, extremely difficult to withstand, against Dhruva. They assembled, desiring his welfare. The sages said, ‘O son of Uttanapada! The illustrious god, the wielder of the Sharnga bow, destroys the enemies of those who are devoted to him and removes their afflictions. On uttering his name, or hearing it, people completely overcome death, which is so very difficult to vanquish. He will do it to you too.’”’ ¹³⁴⁰

Chapter 4(11)

‘Maitreya said, “Hearing the words of the rishis, Dhruva touched water and affixed the weapon fashioned by Narayana to his bow. O Vidura! Just as hardships are dispelled by the onset of knowledge, as soon at it was affixed, all the maya devised by the guhyakas was destroyed. The rishi’s ¹³⁴¹ weapon was affixed to the bow, with golden shafts and tufts made out of the feathers of swans. Like peacocks call in terrible tones and enter a forest, it emerged and penetrated the army of the enemy. Here and there in the field of battle, the auspicious people were afflicted by sharp arrows sharpened on stone. Enraged, like serpents raising their angry hoods against Suparna, they raised their weapons and attacked him. As they attacked him in the field of battle, he severed their arms, thighs, necks and stomachs with those arrows. Piercing through the solar circle, he dispatched them to the supreme world that is frequented by those who hold up their seed. In large numbers, the innocent guhyakas were slaughtered by the one with the colourful chariot. Dhruva’s grandfather ¹³⁴² was overcome by pity. With the rishis, Manu approached.

‘“Manu said, ‘O child! Enough of this excessive rage. This is the wicked gate to darkness. Overwhelmed by this, you have killed the auspicious people who are innocent. O son! This is not proper for our lineage. This is a deed condemned by the virtuous. You have started this act of killing the minor gods who are innocent. O dear one! O one who is devoted to one’s brother! You are tormented at your brother’s death. But because of the crime of a single person, many are being killed because of association. This is not a path for virtuous ones who follow Hrishikesha. Though they are like your own self, you are seizing others and slaughtering them like animals. You have worshipped Hari with the sentiment that his abode is in all beings and that all creatures are like your own self. You have obtained Vishnu’s supreme state, which is so very difficult to obtain. Hari remembers you and men revere you because of that. How have you acted in this way? Instead, you should teach others about virtuous vows. The illustrious one is pleased through tolerance, compassion, friendliness towards all creatures and equality, because he is in all atmans. When the illustrious being is pleased, one is freed from the gunas of Prakriti. Freed from the jivatman, ¹³⁴³ one obtains nirvana in the brahman. The bodies of men and women are formed out of the five elements. In this world, further creation occurs from association between men and women. O king! In this way, through the maya of the paramatman and the interaction of the gunas, creation, preservation and destruction take place. The supreme being is nirguna and is only an apparent instrument. This manifest and unmanifest universe whirls around, like a lump of iron. ¹³⁴⁴ Indeed, the illustrious one’s powers are in time, the flow of the gunas and the various kinds of energy. He is the agent, but is also not the agent. He is the destroyer, but is also not the destroyer. Indeed, the lord’s actions are impossible to comprehend. He is infinite. He is the annihilator. He is time. He is without beginning. He is the beginning of everything. He is without change. He uses people to create other people. As an annihilator, he uses death to destroy. There is no one who is his ally. There is no one who is his adversary. As death, the supreme one equally enters all beings. Just as dust particles follow the wind, the large number of creatures move and follow the lord. The lord enhances, or diminishes, the lifespans of living entities. He confers good fortune and misfortune, but is himself beyond these two states. O king! Some speak of this as karma. Others say that this is nature. Some say this is time. Others say that this is destiny. Still others say that this is because of men being prone to desire. The immutable and immeasurable one gives rise to many kinds of powers. O son! Who is capable of knowing the intentions of the one who creates himself? O son! These followers of Dhanada are not your brother’s slayers. O son! It is indeed destiny which is the reason behind the birth and death of men. He is the one who creates the universe. He is the one who destroys it. Despite this, he is not touched by ahamkara, or gunas and actions. He is in the atmans of all beings who have been created. He is the lord of creatures. He is the creator of creatures. United with the maya of his powers, he creates, preserves and destroys. O son! He is death. He is immortality. He is destiny. Surrender to the one who is in all atmans. He is the refuge of the universe. He is the one to whom the creators of the universe ¹³⁴⁵ render offerings, like a bull controlled by its master through a rope around the nose. When you were five years old, your heart was shattered by the words of your stepmother and you left for the forest, abandoning your mother. You performed austerities and worshipped the one who cannot be realized through the senses. You obtained a state that is above the three worlds. O dear one! Free yourself from this enmity. Base your atman on the nirguna and immutable one, who is without a second. Search your atman and look towards your atman. Free yourself from this sense of differentiation, which is non-existent, but appears to exist. In your atman, realize the illustrious and infinite one. He is bliss alone and possesses all the powers. Through devotion to the supreme one, you will slowly sever the bond of ignorance, the strong sense of “I” and “mine”. O fortunate one! Control your rage, which is an impediment to supreme welfare. O king! Constantly resort to learning, just as one uses medication to treat a disease. If a man is overwhelmed by this, ¹³⁴⁶ people are greatly terrified of him. A learned person who desires fearlessness for himself does not succumb to it. Since you were intolerant towards those who killed your brother, you have shown disrespect towards Girisha ¹³⁴⁷ and Dhanada, by killing the auspicious people. O child! Quickly pacify the great one ¹³⁴⁸ through respectful and reverential words, so that he does not use his energy to destroy our lineage.’”

‘Maitreya concluded, “In this way, Svayambhuva Manu instructed his grandson Dhruva and was worshipped by him. With the rishis, he ¹³⁴⁹ returned to his own city.”’

Chapter 4(12)

‘Maitreya said, “Having learnt that Dhruva’s rage had subsided and that he had refrained from killing, the illustrious lord of riches arrived there, praised by charanas, yakshas and kinnaras.

‘“Dhanada joined his hand in salutation and said, ‘O heir of a kshatriya! O unblemished one! I am satisfied with you, since you have listened to the instructions of your grandfather and have abandoned enmity, which is extremely difficult to cast aside. You did not kill the yakshas. Nor did the yakshas kill your brother. Time is the lord over the creation and destruction of living beings. Misconceptions of “I” and “you” persistently exist because of a man’s ignorance. Because one thinks about it, ¹³⁵⁰ one is bound to hardships and they appear like dreams to a person who is asleep. O Dhruva! O fortunate one! Therefore, go to the illustrious Adhokshaja. Think that he is in the atmans of all creatures. He is embodied in the atmans of all creatures. For deliverance and your severing the cycle of existence, worship the one whose feet deserve to be worshipped. Through the power of his own maya, he attaches himself to the gunas, but remains detached. O king! O Uttanapada’s son! Without any hesitation, ask me for a boon, for whatever desire exists in your heart. Since you are constantly devoted to his lotus feet, you deserve to be granted a boon. O dear one! That is what we have heard about you.’”

‘Maitreya continued, “The immensely fortunate and immensely intelligent Dhruva was urged by Rajaraja ¹³⁵¹ to accept a boon. He asked that Hari’s memory should always be with him and that he might easily cross the darkness, ¹³⁵² which is so very difficult to cross. With a cheerful mind, Aidavida ¹³⁵³ granted him the boon and vanished, while he looked on. Then he ¹³⁵⁴ also returned to his own city. There, he performed sacrifices to the lord of sacrifices, with copious quantities of dakshina. He also performed sacrifices with objects for the gods ¹³⁵⁵ and rites meant to lead to the fruits of these rites. His entire soul was on Achyuta and there were strong flows of devotion towards him. He saw himself in all creatures and saw the lord also established there. The subjects thought that he possessed good conduct. He was devoted to brahmanas and to the distressed. He protected the ordinances of dharma. They thought he was like their father. He ruled the globe of the earth for thirty-six thousand years. He enjoyed until his store of good deeds was exhausted. He refrained from enjoyment, so that his store of bad deeds was also exhausted. In this way, the great-souled one was not disturbed by his senses for a period that lasted for many years. After spending this time in the pursuit of the three objectives, ¹³⁵⁶ he handed over the royal throne to his son. He then thought that this universe was fashioned by the maya of the atman. ¹³⁵⁷ It was fashioned out of ignorance, like a city of the gandharvas. ¹³⁵⁸ He thought that he himself, his wife, his children, his well-wishers, his forces, his prosperous treasury, his inner quarters, the beautiful pleasure gardens to roam around in and the surface of the earth, girdled by the ocean, were temporary and were the creatures of time. He left for Vishala. ¹³⁵⁹ He purified himself there, bathing in the auspicious waters. He steadied himself in an asana and controlled his breath of life, using his mind to control his senses. He incessantly meditated on the illustrious one’s gross form, thus entering a state of samadhi. Because he was constantly devoted to the illustrious Hari, he was overwhelmed and tears of joy repeatedly flowed from his eyes. His heart seemed to melt and his body hair stood up. He no longer remembered who he was and was freed from his linga sharira.

‘“Dhruva then saw a vimana from the sky descend in front of him. It illuminated the ten directions, as if the lord of the stars had arisen. He saw two gods there. They possessed four arms and were dark and young. Their eyes were red, like lotus flowers. They stood there, leaning on their maces and attired in excellent garments. They were adorned in diadems, necklaces, armlets and beautiful earrings. He understood that they were the servants of the famous one. ¹³⁶⁰ He stood up. But because he was bewildered, he forgot how to receive and worship them in the proper way. He only chanted the names of Madhu’s enemy. ¹³⁶¹ He respectfully joined his hands in saluation to those two foremost attendants. His mind was focused on Krishna’s feet. He joined his hands in salutation and humbly bowed down his head. Smiling, Sunanda and Nanda, revered by the one with the lotus in his navel, approached and said, ‘O king! O extremely fortunate one! Listen attentively to our words. When you were five years old, you satisfied the divinity with your austerities. We are the attendants of the god who wields the Sharnga bow. He is the creator of the entire universe. We have come here to take you to the illustrious one’s world. You have conquered Vishnu’s region for yourself, something that is extremely difficult to obtain. It is beyond what the gods ¹³⁶² can reach and they can only look at it. Ascend to the place that the moon, the sun, the planets, the nakshatras and the stars circle around, keeping it to their right. O dear one! This is a place that none of your forefathers has been able to reach. Ascend to Vishnu’s supreme state, worshipped by the universe. This excellent vimana belongs to Uttamashloka, the foremost one. O long-lived one! It has presented itself and you are worthy of climbing on to it.’ The one loved by Urukrama heard the sweet words, which were like drops of honey, spoken by the two foremost attendants of Vaikuntha. He performed his ablutions and performed the daily auspicious rites. He bowed down to the sages and received their benedictions. He circumambulated that excellent vehicle and worshipped it. He greeted the two attendants. Assuming a dazzling and golden form, he tried to climb on.

‘“However, Uttanapada’s son saw that Death had arrived. He placed his feet on Death’s head and mounted that extraordinary residence. ¹³⁶³ Drums, kettledrums and smaller drums were sounded. The foremost among gandharvas sang his praise and showered down flowers. As he was about to ascend to the world of heaven, Dhruva suddenly remembered his mother, Suniti. ‘How can I abandon the miserable one and go to heaven?’ Those two excellent gods ¹³⁶⁴ discerned his thoughts and showed him that the goddess was already proceeding ahead of him, in another vehicle. As he proceeded, the gods, on their own vimanas, praised him and showered down flowers. One after another, he saw that he passed by all the planets. In that celestial vehicle, he went past the three worlds and that of the sages. ¹³⁶⁵ Beyond all of them, Dhruva reached Vishnu’s abode. In every direction, the place was resplendent because of its own illumination, indeed also providing illumination to the three worlds. This place cannot be reached by those who are not compassionate towards other creatures. Those who always perform beneficial acts reach there. Those who are tranquil, look upon everyone as equals, are pure and please all creatures; and those who look upon Achyuta as a beloved relative, can easily go to Achyuta’s abode. In this way, Dhruva, Uttanapada’s son, was devoted to Krishna and became a sparkling jewel on the crest of the three worlds. O Kouravya! The stellar bodies ceaselessly circle around this spot with great speed, like a herd of tethered bulls circle around a threshing post. The illustrious rishi, Narada, witnessed his greatness. He played on his stringed instrument and chanted this shloka at the sacrifice organized by Prachetas. Narada said, ‘Suniti was certainly devoted to her husband. Through the power of his austerities, her son obtained this destination. Those who speak about the Vedas know about the means to reach it, and can see it, but do not possess the powers to reach it, not to speak of kings. When he was five years old, his heart was shattered by the words, which were like arrows, of his father’s wife. Following my instructions, he went to the forest and obtained the lord’s abode, a status that can be obtained only by those who possess the qualities of devotion. There is no kshatra-bandhu ¹³⁶⁶ on earth who can aspire to ascend to this status, even after many years. As a child who was five or six years old, he obtained this state within a few days, after pleasing Vaikuntha.’ I have told you everything that you had asked me. This is the excellent account of Dhruva’s conduct and fame, revered by the virtuous. This account brings fortune and fame and increases lifespans. It is auspicious and brings great benedictions. It helps attain heaven and the eternal worlds and is extremely pleasing to the mind. It is praiseworthy and destroys all sin. His deeds are loved by Achyuta. If one repeatedly listens to them with faith, one develops devotion towards the illustrious one. Thereby, there is a destruction of all kinds of hardships. If one desires greatness, this account is a tirtha. The hearer develops good conduct and other qualities and the account is for those who wish for energy. Thereby, spirited ones obtain honour. Controlling oneself and in the company of brahmanas, one should recite the great conduct of Dhruva, who is chanted about in excellent shlokas, in the morning and the evening. One should make the faithful listen to it on the day of the full moon, on sinivali, ¹³⁶⁷ on the twelfth lunar day, ¹³⁶⁸ when the nakshatra Shravana is in the ascendant, at the end of the day, at the time of vyatipata, ¹³⁶⁹ at the time of sankramana ¹³⁷⁰ and on Sunday. Such a person should desire nothing other than seeking refuge with the one whose feet are tirthas. There, one will find the atman in one’s own atman and will be successful and contented. If a person bestows the truth about this knowledge on the ignorant, he is on the virtuous path towards immortality. The god who is the lord of the distressed will take compassion on him and show him his favours. O extender of the Kuru lineage! I have thus described to you Dhruva’s famous account. His deeds were pure. As a child, he abandoned playthings and his mother’s house and went and sought refuge with Vishnu.”’