S'RÎMAD BHÂGAVATAM

'The story of the fortunate one'

CANTO 3a   -  The Status Quo

Chapter 1  Questions by Vidura

Chapter 2 Remembrance of Lord Krishna.

Chapter 3  The Lord's Pastimes Outside of Vrindâvana

Chapter 4  Vidura Approaches Maitreya

Chapter 5  Vidura Talks with Maitreya

Chapter 6  The generating of the Universal Form

Chapter 7  Further Inquiries by Vidura.

Chapter 8  Manifestation of Brahmâ from Garbhodakas'âyî Vishnu.

Chapter 9 Brahmâ's Prayers for Creative Energy.

Chapter 10  Divisions of the Creation.

Chapter 11  Division of time expanding from the atom.

Chapter 12 Creation of the Kumâras and Others

Chapter 13 The Appearance of Lord Varâha

Chapter 14 The Impregnation of Diti in the Evening

Chapter 15 Description of the Kingdom of God

Chapter 16 The Two Doorkeepers of Vaikunthha, Cursed by the Sages

Chapter 17 Victory of Hiranyâksha over All the Directions of the Universe

Chapter 18 The Battle Between Lord Boar and the Demon Hiranyâksha 

Chapter 19 The Killing of the Demon Hiranyâksha

Chapter 1 

Questions by Vidura

(1) S'uka said: 'This is what formerly Vidura asked His Grace Maitreya Rishi when he entered the forest after renouncing his prosperous home: (2) 'What to say of the house [of the Pândava's] I am identified with? S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Lord and master of all, was accepted as the minister of its people and had given up entering the house of Duryodhana.'

(3) The king said: 'Please tell us master, where and when did Vidura meet with His Grace Maitreya Muni to discuss this? (4) Certainly the questions Vidura asked the holy man cannot have been unimportant, they must have been full of the highest purpose as approved by the seekers of truth.'

(5) Sûta said: "He, the great sage S'ukadevathus being questioned by King Parîkchit, fully satisfied replied him from his great expertise: 'Please listen to this'.

(6) S'rî S'ukadevasaid: 'At the time when King Dhritarâshthra was nourishing his dishonest sons he, never being on the right path, had lost his sight with the sons of his younger brother [the deceased Pându, see family tree] in being their guardian. He made them enter the laquer house which he set on fire [see Mah. I 139-148]. (7) When in the assembly the wife of the saintly Kuru's [Draupadî] was insulted by his son [Duhs'âsana] who grabbed her by her hair, the king did not forbid this although his daughter-in-law shed tears that washed the red dust of her breast [see Mah. II 58-73]. (8) When by unfair means he who was without an enemy [Yudhishthhira] was defeated in a game of gambling and as one loyal to the truth went to the forest, he upon returning in due course never was given his right share by him who was overcome by illusion [Dhritharâshthra]. (9) Also Lord Krishna, when He on the plea of Arjuna came for them into the assembly as the teacher of the world, was, with His words as good as nectar, of all men of sense by the king not taken seriously in the dwindling of the last of their piety.

(10) When [formerly] called to the palace Vidura entered there for consultation upon the request of of course the elder brother [Dhritarâshthra] and the advice that he then gave was exactly suitable for what the ministers of state with his instructions knew to appreciate: (11) 'Return now the legitimate share to the one who has no enemy [Yudhishthhira] and who was so forbearing to your unbearable offenses. Of him together with his younger brothers, among which Bhîma wrathful like a snake of anger, you should verily be afraid. (12) The sons of Prithâ have now been taken up by the Supreme Lord of Liberation who with the brahmins and the godly is now here along with His family, the worshipful Yadu dynasty, that conquered with Him an unlimited amount of kings. (13) He [Duryodhana], this offense in person, envious of the Original One, has by his existence entered your household thinking he is your son maintaining opposition to Krishna while being bereft of all goodness - that inauspiciousness you must for the sake of the family give up as soon as you can.'

(14) After Vidura spoke thus he was there addressed by Duryodhana who swollen with anger and with trembling lips insulted the respectable one of good qualities in the company of Karna, his younger brothers and S'akuni [a maternal uncle]: (15) 'Who asked him to be here, the crooked son of a mistress, who grew up living on the subsistence of those with whom he's taking the position of an enemy spy? Throw him immediately out of the palace to be left with his breath only!' (16) Vidura himself consequently put his bow at the door and left the palace of his brother being afflicted in the core of his heart with the external energy, but despite of these severe arrows to the ear, about which he didn't feel sorry, he felt great.

(17) After having quit the Kaurava's, going from Hastinâpura, he achieved the piety of the Supreme Lord in taking shelter in pilgrimages, desiring only the high grade of devotion as established by all those thousands of idols. (18) He traveled to holy places of devotion where the air, the hills and the orchards, waters, rivers and lakes are pure with temples decorated with the forms of the Unlimited. Thus he proceeded alone through the holy lands. (19) Traversing the earth pure and independent, he was sanctified by the ground he slept on and without his familiar dress one could not recognize him being dressed like a mendicant performing to the vows to please the Lord. (20) Traveling this way through India only, he came to the holy land of Prabhâsa, which at the time was under the reign of King Yudhishthhira who by the mercy of the Invincible Lord ruled the world under one military flag [see C.1-13]. (21) There he heard how all his kinsmen had perished [at Kurukshetra] in violent passion like a bamboo forest burnt of igniting through its own friction, upon which he, silently thinking to himself, went westward towards the river Sarasvati. (22) There at the bank of the river he visited and duly worshiped the holy places called Trita, Us'anâ, Manu, Prithu, Agni, Asita, Vâyu, Sudâsa, Go, Guha and S'râddhadeva. (23) There were also other places there established by the godly twice-born and devotees of the various forms of Lord Vishnu, who as the chief marked each and every part of the temples - which already seen from a distance reminded one of Lord Krishna. (24) From there passing through the wealthy kingdom of Surat, Sauvira and Kurujângala (west of India), did he, as he after some time reached the Yamunâ river, also happen to see Uddhava, the Supreme Lord His greatest devotee [see Canto11].

(25) He embraced the sober and gentle constant companion of Vâsudeva who was formerly a student of Brihaspati, the master of all ritual, and with great love and feeling he questioned him about the family of the Supreme Lord: (26) 'Are the original personalities of Godhead [Krishna & Balarâma], who, on the request of the Creator who was born from the lotus, descended in the world for the elevation and well-being of every one, all well in the house of S'ûrasena [the father of Queen Kunti, aunt Prithâ ]? (27) And, o Uddhava, is our greatest Kuru and brother-in -law, Vasudeva [father of Lord Krishna], who is truly like a father to his sisters and so generous in providing his wives to their pleasure with everything they desire, happy? (28) Please, tell me whether the military commander-in-chief of the Yadus, Pradyumna, is all happy, o Uddhava - he was in his previous life the God of Love and is now the great hero whom Rukminî bore as prince from the Supreme Lord after pleasing the brahmins. (29) And is Ugrasena all well, the king of the Sâtvatas of the Vrishni family from the Dâs'ârha race in the Bhoja-dynasty? He is the one to whom Lord Krishna restored the hope of the throne after he had to give it up being put at a distance [because of Uncle Kamsa's reign]. (30) O grave one, is the similar son of the Lord faring well that is the foremost and best behaved among the warriors, Sâmba, whom Jâmbavatî [another wife of Krishna] so rich in her vows gave birth to after his previous life as the godly Kârttikeya who was born unto the wife of S'iva? (31) And how is Yuyudhâna [Sâtyaki], he who learned from Arjuna and achieved as one understanding the intricacies of the military art and as well surely of service attained to the destination of the Transcendental that even by the great renouncers is so difficult to achieve? (32) And the well learned faultless son of S'vaphalka, Akrûra, how is he - he is the one who in his surrender on the path of Krishna's lotus feet fell in the dust showing symptoms of transcendental love having lost his equilibrium. (33) Is everything well with the daughter of King Devaka-Bhoja; the way from the Veda's came about the purpose of sacrifice did she [Devakî], just like the mother of the demi-gods [Aditi] who gave birth to the Godhead, give birth to Vishnu. (34) And is also He, the Personality of Godhead all happy who of you all is the one devotee that is the source of all desires, Aniruddha, who from a long time past is accepted as the birth channel of the Rig-Veda, the creator of mind and the transcendental fourth plenary expansion of the Reality Principle [Vishnu-tattva]? (35) And o sober one, are others like Hridîka, Cârudeshna, Gada and the son of Satyabhâmâ, who accept the Divine of their own self as the soul in following with absolute faith, also all well passing their time?

(36) Does Yudhishthhira, heartening the principles of humanity, maintain the respect of religion under the protection of the arms of Arjuna and the Infallible One, which, with the opulence of his royal entourage and the service of Arjuna, so envied Duryodana? (37) And did the unconquerable Bhîma, who is like a cobra, release his long-cherished anger upon the sinners? The battlefield could not bear his stepping up on the path of the wonderful play of his club. (38) Arjuna, the famous one among the chariot warriors with his bow the Gândîva who vanquished so many enemies, is he doing well? Once he satisfied Lord S'ivacovering him with arrows when S'ivaunrecognizable presented himself as a false hunter. (39) And do the twin sons of Prithâ [Nakula and Sahadeva] play carelessly who protected as they are by their brothers as the eyelids do the eyes in their snatching back their own property in the fight with the enemy like Garuda [the carrier of Vishnu] did [with the nectar] from the mouth of Indra? (40) O dear one, is Prithâ still alive; she dedicated her life to the care for the fatherless children, living without King Pându, who alone as a commanding warrior could conquer the four directions with a second bow only.

(41) O gentle one, I am just lamenting him [Dhritarâshthra] who gliding down on his brothers [Pându's] death revolted and drove me, his well-wisher, out of my own house in adopting the same line of action as his sons. (42) Therefore I travel without being recognized by the eyes of the common man through this world of the Lord, which is so bewildering for others to manage, to the grace of His feet, which I never missed to see being doubtless in this matter. (43) Of course, to the kings going astray out of the three kinds of false pride [from the hindrances of the self, others and the wordly influence] who constantly agitated the earth through the movement of their troops, He, being the Supreme Lord of the Kuru's and willing to relieve the distress of the surrendered, waited to kill them despite of their offenses. (44) As the appearance of the unborn He operates for the annihilation of the upstarts without another motive than to make all understand; who otherwise than Him is the deserve of the body united in transcendence to the three modes or what to say of [the command of] the law of karma. (45) O my friend, sing the glories of the Lord of all the sacred places who for the interest of the unborn was born in the family of the Yadus and to whom all rulers of the universe surrendered in the control of His own Self.

Chapter 2

Remembrance of Lord Krishna.

(1) S'uka said: 'The great devotee [Uddhava] questioned by Vidura about what could be said regarding the dearest, at first, eager as he was, could not reply because of his great anxiety at the remembrance of the Lord. (2) He was one who in his childhood at five years old, being called by his mother for breakfast, did not like to have it because he was in the play of service [of Lord Krishna]. (3) That way Uddhava grew up in service and in the course of time it had never slackened; when he was just asked to tell about Him, he remembered all of the Lord His lotusfeet. (4) For a moment he fell in deadly silence by the nectar of the Lord His feet; strong as he was and well matured in the union of devotion, he became fully absorbed in the love of its goodness. (5) Every part of his body showed the signs of transcendental ecstasy and with his checking the tears from his eyes out of missing Him, Vidura came to see that he had fully assimilated His extensive love. (6) Slowly He came back down to earth from the abode of the Lord and wiping his tears away Uddhava spoke affectionately to Vidura from all those recollections.'

(7) Uddhava said: 'The sun of Krishna has set being swallowed by the great snake of what is the past. What else can I say about our wellbeing with the disappearance of the house of my family? (8) How unfortunate is this world and especially the Yadu-dynasty who living together didn't recognize the Lord any more than the fishes do recognize the moon. (9) Well acquainted with the knowledge and highly experienced, His own men were His devotees who relaxed with Him as the head of the family and could [only] think of Him as He who was behind everything. (10) The outer illusion of the Godhead infected all those and others who took to the untrue with the bewilderment of their intelligence - but the words of those never do work that way in the souls of the ones in full surrender to the Lord. (11) By exhibiting Himself to persons that went without penance and the fulfillment of ideals he took to the feat of His disappearance, withdrawing His own form from public vision. (12) His perishable was just suitable for His pastimes showing the power of His inner magic leading to the discovery of His wonders, His supreme opulence and the ultimate ornament of ornaments of His feet.

(13) It is the form which certainly of King Yudhishthhira's royal sacrifice [râjasûya] became the sight pleasing the sum total of the three worlds by which He thus today in the world has surpassed the contemplated intelligence [Brahmâ], taking the position of the people in the material world. (14) After having obtained the attachment to Him, that was powered by laughter, funny games and glances, the anguished damsels of Vraja who had followed Him with their eyes, indeed sat in silent contemplation without completing their household duties. (15) For the devotees harassed by others who live to the material conception, the all-compassionate Lord and controller of the spiritual and material, accompanied by the complete of His association, certainly as the Unborn One appears as the Supreme Lord like being fire.

(16) With this bewildering birth of the unborn I am distressed about how from the home of Vasudeva he lived in Vraja as if He feared the enemy [uncle Kamsa] and how He, the unlimitedly powerful one, fled from Mathurâ city [the capital Krishna resided in after defeating Kamsa]. (17) It hurts me in the heart thinking of how He just like Baladeva [Balarâma] had to worship the feet of his parents saying: ' O father, o mother, please excuse us for not doing our duties to you out of our great fear for Kamsa'. (18) Who, once having smelled the dust of His lotusfeet, is able to forget Him who by the mere raising of His eyebrows gave the deathblow to the burden of the earth? (19) Of course, you from your own good self could see how during Yudhishira's royal sacrifice the king of Cedi [S'is'upâla] despite of being envious of Krishna, attained to the perfection which to its full is verily desired by the yogîs who by their yoga can tolerate being separated from Him. (20) And also others who certainly were fighters in the human society and who saw Krishna's very pleasing lotus-like face and eyes on the battlefield that was purified by Arjuna's arrows, have achieved His heavenly abode. (21) He is but the unique and greater Lord of the threefold reality by whose independence supreme fortune is achieved and to whose feet all desires with their millions of helmets bow in the worship of paraphernalia as led by the eternal maintainers of order. (22) Therefore being servitors in His service it of course gives us pain, o Vidura, how He before King Ugrasena [the one ruled out by Kamsa], who was sitting on his throne awaiting, submitted Himself saying: 'O my Lord, please see it this way'.

(23) Alas to the shelter of whom else shall I take that is assuredly more merciful than He who despite of the unfaithful of the she-demon [Putânâ], who out of envy poisoned her breast deadly for nourishing, granted her the position of a mother. (24) I think that the opponents, who maintain enmity towards the Lord of the threefold, are great devotees, the way they are absorbed in thought in the fight, as they could see Him on His carrier [Garuda, the son of Târkshya - Kas'yapa] coming forth with His wheel. (25) Born of Devakî in the prison house of the king of Bhoja [Kamsa], the Supreme Lord came to bring welfare on earth as being prayed for [by the Creator]. (26) Thereafter He was brought up on the cow-pastures of His [foster] father Nanda, where He out of fear for Kamsa, together with Baladeva [Balarâma] was kept eleven years like one covers a flame. (27) Surrounded by cowherd boys and herding calves the Almighty roamed the shores of the Yamunâ through gardens that vibrated the chirping of heavenly birds in its many trees. (28) While showing of His youth His activities could only be appreciated by the inhabitants of Vraja, the land of Vrindâvana, where He just like other kids cried and laughed and was struck with wonder looking like a lion cub. (29) Certainly being the love of the wealth of cows and the reservoir of beauty, He, while tending them beauties, enlivened the cowherdboys by playing His flute. (30) The great wizards who were engaged by the King of Bhoja to take any form they liked were in the course of His pastimes killed as they came there, just like a child does with dolls. (31) [To help the inhabitants of Vrindâvana] being perplexed by the great trouble of drinking poison [from the snake Kâliya in the Yamunâ], He subdued the chief of the reptiles and after coming out of the water He caused the cows to drink it to prove it natural again. (32) Desiring the proper use of the wealth of Nanda, the king of the cowherds his opulence, He with the help of the brahmins made them to perform the worship of the cows and the land [instead of that of Indra]. (33) Indra angry on being insulted highly perturbed made heavy rains pour down on Vraja from which the cowherds were protected by the merciful Lord with His pastime of the [Govardhana] hill that served as an umbrella, o sober Vidura. (34) In autumn He in the night brightened by moonshine thought it to sing pleasing songs to enjoy the women, being the beauty in their midst.'

Chapter 3 

The Lord's Pastimes Outside of Vrindâvana

(1) Uddhava said: 'After that time when the Lord came to the city of Mathurâ, He wished His parents all well [freeing them from imprisonment], after together with Baladeva having dragged down from the throne the leader of public enmity [Kamsa] and having killed him by pulling him to the ground with great strength. (2) He learned all of the Veda's after only once having heard about them, having studied them in detail under the instruction of His teacher Sândîpani Muni, whom He rewarded the benediction of bringing back his own deceased son from the region of the departed souls [Yamaloka] that is within. (3) Invited by the daughter of the king of Bhîshmaka [Rukminî], all those who according custom were candidates to marry her and likewise had come expecting that fortune, Lord Krishna took away His own share by carrying her away like Garuda does with the feet of the Lord on his head. (4) In an open competition for the selection of the bridegroom for Princess Nâgnajitî He subdued seven wild bulls and won her hand, but the fools who nevertheless wanted her in their disappointment, He killed and wounded without getting hurt Himself well equipped as He was with all weapons. (5) Because of the fact that He, like an ordinary living being just tried to please His dear wife, who wished that He brought the Pârijâta flower shrub [from heaven], went Indra the King of Heaven with all his strength against Him, being blind of anger, henpecked of course by his own wives.

(6) The son of Narakâsura who physically wanted to rule the sky was killed by His Sudars'ana Cakra [the disc], but being prayed for by mother earth, He returned what was taken from him to his son and then entered his house. (7) There all the princesses that were kidnapped by the demon, upon seeing the Lord, the friend of the distressed, at once got up from there and accepted Him joyfully and shy in the attachment of their eager glances. (8) He accepted the hands of all women at the same time, although they lived in different apartments, with perfect ritual matching with them exactly through His internal potency. (9) Desiring to expand Himself, from each and every one of them He begot about ten children that were all alike Himself in all respects.

(10) Kâlayavana, the king of Magadha [Jarâsandha], King S'âlva and others who with their soldiers had encircled Mathurâ, He, personally proving the power of His kind, did not kill. (11) Of S'ambara, Dvivida, Bâna, Mura, Balvala and others like Dantavakra and assorted as well, He killed some, while others He caused to be killed [by Balarâma e.g.].

(12)  Thereafter were of both parties of the nephews in the battle of Kurukshetra the kings killed of whom the earth shook by the strength of their traversing. (13) He did not take pleasure in the sight of seeing Karna, Duhs'âsana and Saubala, who were bereft of fortune and lifespan by the ill advice of Duryodhana, with their followers and all of their power lying down with broken limbs. (14) 'What is this', the Lord said when with the help of Bhîshma, Drona, Arjuna and Bhîma and eighteen akshauhinî's [an army consisting of ten anikinis, or 21,870 elephants, 21,870 chariots, 65,610 horse, and 109,350 foot.] He had abated the earth's enormous burden,'There is still the unbearable of the great strength of the Yadu-dynasty. (15) They will disappear when intoxicated from drinking a quarrel among them will take place which turns their eyes red like copper; there is no other alternative to ensure this on My disappearance.' (16) Thus thinking to Himself the Supreme Lord installed Yudhishthhira to his own kingdom, gladdening His friends by indicating the path of the saints.

(17) The descendant of Pûru [Parîkchit] conceived from the womb of Uttarâ by the hero Abhimanyu, surely would have been burnt by the weapon of the son of Drona if the Supreme Lord wouldn't be protecting against it for the second time [see S.B. C.1-ch 7 & 8]. (18) The Almighty induced the son of Dharma [Yudhishthhira] to perform also three horse-sacrifices and with that assisted by his brothers he protected and enjoyed the earth as a constant follower of Krishna.

(19) The Supreme Lord and Supersoul of the Universe customary following the path of vedic principles, enjoyed the lusts of life in the city of Dvârakâ, without getting attached deriving from the analytical of yoga [Sânkhya]. (20) Gentle and with His sweet glances and words compared to nectar, He, with His flawless character, resided there in fortune by His transcendental body. (21) He, pleasing the Yadus, enjoyed this earth and certainly also the other worlds, in the leisure of the night giving friendship in conjugal love with the women. (22) Thus, for many many years, He enjoyed household life to the [sensual] union of which His detachment awakened. (23) Like with Himself, is the enjoyment of the senses of whatever living entity controlled by the divine, in which one can have faith through joining oneself in the service of the Lord of Yoga.

(24) In the city of Dvârakâ once the princely descendants of Yadu and Bhoja had been sporting and thus had angered the wise who then cursed them as was desired by the Supreme Lord. (25) A few month's later the descendants of Vrishni, Bhoja and others like the sons of Andhaka went, bewildered by Krishna, to the place of pilgrimage called Prabhâsa with great pleasure. (26) There they took a bath and also were sure to offer by that water their respects to their forefathers, the gods and the great sages. Then they gave in royal charity cows to the brahmins. (27) For their livelihood they also provided them with gold, gold coins, bedding, clothing, seatcovers, blankets, horses, chariots, elephants, girls and land. (28) After supplying the brahmins with highly delicious food that was first offered to the Supreme Lord, the valiant representatives offered, for the sake of their good life, the cows and the brahmins their obeisances by touching the ground with their heads.

Chapter 4 

Vidura Approaches Maitreya

(1) Uddhava said: 'After, with the permission of the brahmins, partaking of the offerings they [the Yadus] drank liquor of which they spoilt their minds and touched each others hearts with harsh words. (2) At sunset, they who lost their balance of mind because of the faults of that intoxication, saw the destruction of the bamboo's [with which they started fighting oneother] take place. (3) The Supreme Lord, who from His internal potency foresaw the end, went to the river the Sarasvatî and after sipping water He sat down underneath a tree. (4) I was told by the Lord of the Surrendered who vanquishes all distress, that indeed I should to go to Badarikâs'rama to see you about Him who desired to destroy His own family. (5) Yet in spite of His wish I, o subduer of the enemy [Vidura], followed behind the master not able to bear separation from His lotus feet. (6) I saw Him, my patron and master, sitting alone thinking deeply taking shelter of the goddess at that riverbank, while He doesn't have to take shelter. (7) Beautiful with His blackish color, of pure goodness and peaceful with His reddish eyes, He could be recognized as having four arms and yellow silken garments [Vishnu]. (8) Resting with His right foot on His thigh against the young Banyan tree He looked quite cheerful having left His household comforts.

(9) At that time [Maitreya,] a great devotee and follower of Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa [Vyâsadeva], a well-wisher and friend traveling the three worlds, on his own accord [also] arrived at that place. (10) Although attached to the Lord of Salvation was the sage in a pleasing attitude attending with a lowered shoulder, while He, kindly smiling particularly seeing me, allowed me to rest and spoke to me. (11) The Supreme Lord said: 'I know from within what you desired in the days of yore when the wealthy ones who built this world were sacrificing. I give you that which is so difficult to achieve by the others, o wealthy one: the association with Me you desire as the ultimate goal of life. (12) This life now is of all your incarnations, o honest one, the ultimate one because you achieved My mercy; as it is because of Me that in the seclusion of quitting the worlds of man you came to see what you saw in your unflinching devotion [:Vaikunthha]. (13) Long ago, in the beginning of creation, I told Brahmâ on the lotus that came out of My navel of the knowledge of the supreme of My transcendental glories, clarifying that which the theists call the Bhâgavatam.'

(14) Thus being favored by His addressing me, I at each instant being the object of the Supreme Personality His mercy, out of my own affection saw my hairs standing on end and with my eyes hazy of smearing my tears, I with folded hands said: (15) 'O my Lord, for those who live to Your feet, which are so difficult to obtain, it is in this world all a matter of the four goals of life [dharma, artha, kâma, moksha; religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation], but yet I have no preference for them, o Great One, as I am anxious to serve Your lotusfeet only. (16) Although without desires You engage in all kinds of activities, although unborn You still take birth, although the controller of eternal time, You take shelter of the fortress out of fear for Your enemies and although You enjoy in Yourself You lead a household life in the association of women; this bewilders the intelligence of the learned in this world. (17) Although You are never divided under the influence of time, You call me in for consultation asking me in Your eternal intelligence o master, as if You are bewildered while that is never so; that is boggling my mind, o Lord. (18) If You think my competence sufficient, then please, my Lord, tell me in detail about the sum total of the knowledge, the mystery and supreme enlightening of Your own Self, the way You told it Brahmâji, as the Supreme Lord for crossing over the ocean of miseries.'

(19) Thus being prayed to by me from the core of my heart, He, the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord of the beyond, instructed me on His transcendental situation. (20) So I thus worshiped under the instruction of the master and studied the reality of the soul, understanding the path by respecting His lotusfeet and reached, after circumambulating Him, this place with sadness in my heart due to being separated. (21) Thus, my best one [Vidura], I am now in pain without the pleasure of seeing Him and will go as instructed by Him to Badarikâs'rama [in the Himalaya s] for association. (22) There Narâyana in the incarnation of His humanity and Supreme Lordship [Nara and Narâyana] as a sage amiable to everyone did severe penance for a long time for the welfare of all living beings.

(23) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing from Uddhava about the unbearable of the annihilation of his friends and relatives, the learned Vidura pacified, by means of transcendental knowledge, his rising bereavement. (24) As the great devotee of the Lord and best among the Kaurava's was leaving, Vidura in confidence submitted the following to the chief in the devotional service of Krishna. (25) Vidura said: 'The Lord of Yoga enlightened you on the mystery of the transcendental knowledge of one's own soul - now of your own good self please tell it to me for the reason of being worth of Vishnu and the servants who wander for the interest of others.' (26) Uddhava then said: 'Turn yourself to the worshipable sage, the son of Kushâru [Maitreya] who stays nearby and who was directly instructed by the Supreme Lord while quitting the mortal world.

(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus discussing with Vidura the nectar of the Universal Person His qualities, he was greatly overwhelmed thereof at the bank of the Sarasvatî river and after passing the night that way as in a moment, the son of Aupagava went away.'

(28) The king [Parîkchit] asked: 'How could it be that after the destruction that came over the Vrishni and Bhoja dynasty, the great leader in command among them, the prominent Uddhava was the only one to remain after the Lord completed His pastimes as the Master over the three worlds?

(29) S'rî S'uka said: 'The cursing of the brahmins [of the Yadu-dynasty] was only a plea, factually it was the [Lord His] unfailing desire to end the excess of His own family after which He gave up His universal appearance and thought to Himself: (30) 'Having disappeared from this world the knowledge of Myself and My shelter will certainly befall Uddhava directly, who is at present the foremost of the devotees. (31) Uddhava is not in the least inferior to Me as he is never affected by the material modes and therefore as the master of the knowledge of Me may remain to disseminate it in this world'. (32) Thus being perfectly taught by the spiritual master and source of all vedic knowledge of the three worlds he [Uddhava] reached Badarikâs'rama and was fulfilled in being absorbed in the Lord. (33) Vidura also heard from Uddhava about how Krishna, the Supersoul, extraordinarily assumed a form for the ways of the world and also most gloriously worked Himself above it. (34) His entering the body is for as well the persevering great sages as for others very difficult to understand and for the beastly ones simply a mental disturbance. (35) This was also true for Uddhava himself, o best amongst the Kuru's, when he thought of how Krishna had remembered him, and having left, the devotee cried out loud overwhelmed by the joy of ecstasy.

(36) O best of the Bharata's, Vidura thus having passed his days on the bank of the Yamunâ [see 3:1.24], thereafter reached the holy waters of the Ganges where he, the son of Mitra [in the sense of being the incarnation of Yamarâja as the son of a s'ûdra, see 1.13:15], met the sage Maitreya. 

Chapter 5 

Vidura Talks with Maitreya

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'At the source of the celestial river [the Ganges], the best of the Kuru's, Vidura who had come closer to the Infallible One, sat before Maitreya Muni, whose knowledge was fathomless, and with perfect respect he politely inquired from his satisfaction in transcendence. (2) Vidura said: 'For the sake of happiness everyone in this world engages in fruitive activities, but by those activities one never attains to happiness or another idea of contentment, on the contrary, one certainly finds misery that way. Please, o great one, kindly enlighten us on what would be the right course under which circumstances. (3) Because of their compassion towards the common man, who turned his face against Lord Krishna and who under the influence of the material world is always unhappy in neglect of his duties to God, the great souls of sacrifice wander around for the sake of the Lord of the three worlds. (4) Therefore o greatest among the saints, please instruct me on the path that is favorable for our serving perfectly the Supreme Lord who, residing in the heart of the living being, awards the unalloyed devotee the knowledge of the principal reality by which one learns from history [the Veda]. (5) How does the selfsufficient Supreme Lord and ruler of the three worlds, although desireless, by accepting incarnations arrange, through His transcendental activities in the created universe, the regulative principles for its maintenance? (6) How can He, returning back to His form in the universe, lie down within it without concerns about His existence as the Lord of Unification that is the one and only original proprietor after whom innumerable others enter existence likewise? (7) Why is it that, manifesting His pastimes for the welfare of the twiceborn, the cows and the devoted ones, and with His operating in different incarnations, the mind is never satisfied in spite of continuously hearing about the underlying auspicious characteristics of the Lord? (8) By the reality of which differentiation does the King of all kings and worlds from the lowest on together with them plan therein for certain the existence as it appears to be of the living entities in their different occupations? (9) And, please describe us o chief among the brahmins, how the Lord of man, Nârâyana, did settle, for those who are born, the differentiation of their engagements, their specific forms as also their dispersed cultures.

(10) O my Lord, I heard from the mouth of Vyâsadeva repeatedly about the higher and lower of these occupations, but I am little satisfied about the happiness derived from that without hearing the nectar of the talks about Krishna. (11) Who can find satisfaction [without the nectar]; from the talks entering one's ears about the journey for the feet, is, by the One who in human society is worshiped so by the great devotees, a man's bondage by the affection for his family cut off! (12) The sage Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa, who is your friend too, has described the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord in the Mahâbhârata which is just there to draw the attention of the people that take pleasure in attending to worldly topics towards the stories of the Lord. (13) That interest of belief will bring about indifference to other things; the one in constant remembrance of the Lord His feet has achieved the bliss that vanquishes all miseries without delay. (14) I pity all those ignorant pitiable of the pitiable who of their sins are in decay of vigilance towards God and who waste the length of their lives with useless philosophical exercises, imaginative ultimate goals and a diversity of rituals. (15) Therefore, o Maitreya, heartening the good fortune of everyone, please describe us of all topics the essence: the talks about the Lord that like the nectar of flowers are the glorious of pilgrimaging. (16) Please recite all pertaining to the transcendental superhuman activities accomplished by the Lord through His acceptance of incarnations centering on the maintenance of the created of His universe. '

(17) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus the great sage His lordship Maitreya as requested did Vidura the great honor to expound on this to him for the ultimate welfare of all. (18) S'rî Maitreya said: ' All blessings to you, o good one, your asking me for the sake of all is proof of the goodness of your mercy to broadcast the glories of the soul in the Transcendental of the mind in this world. (19) It does not astonish me to find you in this, without deviation of thought, in acceptance of the Supreme Personality our Lord, o Vidura, as you were born from the semen of Vyâsa. (20) You are the one born from the curse of the powerful sage Mândavya Muni as the incarnation of Yamarâja, the controller of death, from the maidservant of the brother [Vicitravîrya] and the son [Vyâsadeva] of Satyavatî [see family tree]. (21) You, your goodness, are recognized as one of the eternal associates of the Supreme Lord, who, on His return to His abode, has given me the knowledge and order to instruct you. (22) Therefore I shall describe to you systematically the pastimes pertaining to the Supreme Lord His greatly extended external energy for the maintenance, creation and dissolution of the cosmic reality.

(23) The one and Supreme Lord was there prior to the creation as the soul of the living entities mastering the self and being merged in its longing He is seen as being different with different characteristics. (24) At that time He was with all of these not seen as the undisputed proprietor in the cosmic creation and was thought to be nonexistent with His plenary portions unmanifested to the power of His manifest internal potency. (25) The external energy is of the perfection of the seer, that is the Lord, seen as the power of the operation of cause and effect and is called mâyâ [or the deluding influence of matter], o fortunate one, of which the Almighty has constructed this world. (26) The Supreme Living Being, by the incarnation of the Original Person, which is the plenary expansion of the original soul, impregnated through the seeds of the living entities, under the influence of time, the external energy in being the Transcendence to the modes of mâyâ. (27) Thereafter came about, by the interaction of time, from the unmanifested, the sum total of unalloyed goodness that could root in the embodied to manifest the supreme light of complete universes. (28) That sum total, which must as well be considered a plenary expansion of the soul to the mode and time, differentiated as the reservoir of the becoming entities into the many different forms of the range of sight of the Personality of Godhead and of this one saw the generation of its falsification.

(29) The great of the causal truth [mahâtattva], transformed into the material reality of false ego, gave rise to effects, the material cause and the doer and thus sprouted to the self its senses the material ingredients of the three kinds of false ego known as the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance that one finds on the mental plane. (30) By transformation from this reality, through interaction with the mode of goodness, the mind generated and also through this interaction the phenomenon of all the godly came about that are the source of material knowledge. (31) The senses are certainly of the mode of passion and thus are its predominating knowledge and fruitive activities likewise. (32) From slowness then the subtle sense objects [of sound] were realized and from that the sky can be considered the symbolic representation of the Supreme Soul. (33) The Supreme Lord glancing over the sky as [cyclic] time mixing the external energy, created from the touch of contacting with the sky the air. (34) The air, also transformed by the extremely powerful sky then gave rise to the lightening [bio-electricity] of sense perception and thus the light of the world to see. (35) The interacting of the air and the glance of the Supreme with that electricity created of the time mix of the material energy the taste [of life] in water. (36) Electrified water subsequently, due to the transforming glancing over by the Supreme of the earth, achieved the quality of smell in the partial mixture of cyclic [eternal] time with the external energy.

(37) Beginning from the sky, all the material elements, and o gentle one, the great number of their superior and inferior qualities, you may see as [due to] the final touch of the Supreme. (38) The godly of all these physical elements are part and parcel of Vishnu and are embodied as part and parcel of the cyclic of time to the external energy. Because of their different duties being not capable [of the complete] they utter fascinating prayers to the Lord. (39) The godly ones said: 'Our obeisances to your lotusfeet, o Lord, in distress we surrendered us to them as they are the protecting umbrella giving shelter to the great sages that forcibly throw out all the great miseries of material life completely. (40) O Father, because of the fact that in this material world, o Lord, the individual souls are always embarrassed by the three miseries [born from oneself, others and nature] they are never happy, but gaining to your (Super-)soul, o Supreme One, to the shade of your lotusfeet, they are full of knowledge and find shelter. (41) At every step taking shelter of the feet of pilgrimage, they who search after Your lotuslike face find its protection carried by the wings of the vedic hymns of the sages at the best of rivers [the Ganges], whose clarity of mind liberates one from the reactions to sin. (42) The meditation that with belief and from simply hearing and in devotion as well is cleansing the heart by the strength of the knowledge of detachment, obliges the pacified to go for the sanctuary of Your feet. (43) For the birth in, the fortitude with and internalization to the paining material reality, let us all take shelter of the incarnations of Your lotusfeet that are the refuge, o Lord, that awards the courage of the devotees with remembrance. (44) Because of getting entangled and thus being of the material body in the mind of I and mine, we as persons are immersed in undesirable eagerness and see You as being far from us although we are present in Your [Universal] body; let us therefore worship Your lotusfeet, o Lord.(45) They [Your feet] are certainly there for the ones under the material influence who from their sense-perception are alienated from the internal vision, o Supreme One, and therefore can never see Your greatness, but to those who do see your divine action there is the enjoyment of the transcendental. (46) O Lord, those who are of a serious attitude simply by drinking of the nectar of the talks attain to enlightened devotional service, the full purport of renunciation and the intelligence in which they quickly achieve the spiritual sphere where there is no fear [Vaikunthha]. (47) For others of the transcendental realization of unifying by the strength of powerfully conquering over the material nature, You are also that one pacifying original person they enter into, but for them it is a lot of work whereas that is not so for the ones who serve You. (48) O Original One, therefore we are [now] all Yours; as for the sake of the creation of the world we were created one after another and in the past were separated by our own actions to the three modes and thus, in the network of our own pleasures, couldn't manage in respect of You. (49) O Unborn One, direct us in our efforts of offering to You at the right time so that we can share as well the meals as the amenities for You and surely also all the ones we live with, and that we, with our sacrifices, therewith may enjoy the food in peace. (50) O Lord, You are of us, the god-conscious and our orders, the one and the same original founder; You o Lord, although You are unborn, are to the energy, the cause of the material modes and the activities indeed as the initiated seed for begetting the variety. (51) O Supreme Soul, tell us what we, who were all created from and for the totality of the cosmos, should do for You, and specifically grant us the vision of Your personal plan and the ability to work, o Lord, and act according our different departments [statusorientations and their transcendence].'

Chapter 6 

The generating of the Universal Form

(1)The wise [Maitreya] said: 'Thus the Lord came to know that in the progress of the universal creations His own potency was in suspension due to non-combination. [see 3.5.24] (2) At that time the supremely powerful potency all at once entered the twenty three elements [the five elements and their qualities, the five organs of action and the senses and the three forms of individual consciousness: mind, intelligence and ego; compare 2.4:23] and was known as Kâlî, the goddess of destruction. (3) That entering later on of the Supreme Lord in the form of the force of matter, Kâlî, separately engaged all the living beings in work awakening them from their unconscious state to their karma. (4) Induced by the combination of the twenty-three principal ingredients the will of the Supreme thus awakened the activities by His personal plenary expansion of the Universal Form. (5) The Lord entering by a plenary portion of His own self [Kâlî] all the elements of creation, transformed that way into the forms that He came to in combination, in which all the moveable and immovable [of the creations] of the worlds finds its peace. (6) He, this Vishnu Hiranmaya, the original person, so spread Himself for a thousand celestial years [one such day is a year to man] within the world residing in the water with all that was of His goodness.

(7) From the active soul full of potency that totality of the living energy of the gigantic form certainly divided the divine self to itself as the oneness that relates to the three- and tenfold. (8) This certainly unlimited of the living entities their souls that are part of the Supersoul, is the first incarnation whereupon the aggregate of all those beings flourishes. (9) To the complete of the self, the divine and all the rest about it [body, mind and senses] thus the threefold of the gigantic moving force of the living energy was seen as being in ten as also as being of one kind only. (10) The remembrance of the entrusted beings of the Lord who prayed for Him as the Transcendence thus considered of the gigantic form the splendor that was there for their understanding. (11) Now just hear of my describing you how many embodiments of demigods therefore there were as the separated parts in this contemplation of His.

(12) From the mouth of His fire [Agni] thus were separated the local directors of material life and in their relating to the ideas of their own department the speech originated by which they express themselves. (13) Varuna, the godly one controlling the air separated himself as the palate from these worldly directors and entered of the Lord [His potency] the portion of the tongue and gave the living entity the expression in taste. (14) The two As'vinî Kumâra's were separated as the two nostrils of Vishnu and by entering that position the respective experience of odors thereupon came into being [see also 2.1:29 and 2.5:30]. (15) As His eyes, the sun, the local ruler of light entered the gigantic of which to the forms the experience of the part of the eyesight came into being. (16) The skin separated of the gigantic form, as the local ruler of the air [Anila] and so entered as the part of the breathing of which the living entity is able to experience touch. (17) From the ears of the gigantic form then were separated the controllers to the original directions that entered with the principles of hearing by which the perfection of sound is experienced. (18) With the separate manifestation of the skin of the universal form the rulers of sensation and their departments entered of which by the hairs on the body [or the vegetation] the living entity experiences itching. (19) When the genitals of the gigantic form were being separated the first One [Brahmâ, the Prajâpati] came to his position and thus the part of the semen entered existence by which the beings experience the pleasure [of sex]. (20) The evacuation outlet separately manifested by which its local ruler with the name of Mitra entered with the part of the evacuation process [death] and thereof the living entity performs his passing of excrements. (21) To the separate manifestation of the hands of the gigantic form, Indra the ruler of the authentic [of heaven] came in existence with the part of the mercantile principles of which the living entity is transacting his business. (22) With the legs of the form that then came separately into being, the local rule of Vishnu entered with his own part of the power of movement by which the living being moves towards its destination. (23) With the separating of the intelligence of the universal, the Lord of the spoken word [the Veda] came into being as the controlling power that entered as that part of the intelligence by which the experience of understanding things could be realized. (24) Also the heart of the Universal Being was manifested separately as Candra, the rule of the moon, which entered as the controlling power over the part of the mental activity by which the living entity decides and transacts. (25) The ego of identifying with the [matter of the] universal form also separately manifested entering the position [as Rudra, Lord S'iva] with the part of the activities by which the living entity undertakes in objective actions. (26) When also the goodness separately manifested itself from the gigantic form, the control over the complete of the energy entered existence as the part of His consciousness by which the living entity cultivates specific knowledge.

(27) Of the head of the Universal Form with the heavenly worlds, the earth worlds as His legs and the interest of the sky from His abdomen, the reactions to the three modes came about by which the demigods and others manifest themselves. (28) In the excess of the mode of goodness the godly have been situated in the higher places whereas all those human beings who live by the nature of their passion are subordinated to them on earth. (29) All those who, in the excess to the third mode, of the nature [of slowness] are situated in between the two [of heaven and earth], belong by the sky of His navel to the population as associates of Rudra.

(30) The leaders to the vedic wisdom, which generated from the mouth of the Universal Form, o chief of the Kuru-dynasty, in their inclination towards the orders of society [the vocations] became the so-called brahmins, the recognized teachers or spiritual spokesmen. (31) Those who then manifested from the arms [of the gigantic form] were the followers [of the brahmins] in relation to the power of protection [the kshatriyas or rulers] who, as representatives of the Supreme Personality, deliver the other occupations from the mischief of disturbing societal elements. (32) From His thighs the Almighty, for the production and distribution of the means of livelihood, generated the mercantile community [the vais'ya's] whose occupation it is to take charge of the provision of all men. (33) For perfecting the duties from the legs of the Supreme Lord was manifested the service to which the prime interest of the occupation of the laborers [s'ûdra's] was generated by which the Lord is satisfied. (34) All these orders of society to the individual duties worship with the teachers themselves the Lord by whom with faith and devotion a soul along with its occupational duty gets purified.

(35) Who can estimate, o Vidura, the totality of this form of the divine operating soul of the Supreme Lord that manifested by the strength of the deluding material oneness [of His internal potency]? (36) Therefore I do describe, o brother, despite of this fact the intelligence as far as gathered from hearing about the glories of the Lord in talks of purity, otherwise the mind will turn to the untrue. (37) The Incomparable One is won by discussions about the Supreme Person His pious activities, which in their glorification are said to be as nectarine transcendence to the ear and which, being put in writing by the learned, also serve the real purpose of bringing one nearer. (38) The glories of the Supreme Soul are, my son, by the original poet [Brahmâ] after a thousand celestial years of meditation [still] known as a fruit of magic. (39) Therefore is that which is even for the manipulative an enchanting godly potency, also by the self-sufficient soul not known; and what to say of others? (40) Of whom we, unable to measure, have ceased to try with words and the mind, ego and all these other gods; unto Him, the Supreme Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances.

Chapter 7 

Further Inquiries by Vidura.  

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus speaking with Maitreya Muni, the learned son of Dvaipâyana Vyâsa,Vidura, respectfully expressed a request. (2) Vidura said: 'O brahmin, how can of the Supreme Lord, although He is of the complete whole and the unchangeable, his pastimes take place of acting with the modes of nature while He himself is outside of them? (3) Boys willing to play with other boys are enthused in the matter of playing, but how is that different for one who is self-satisfied and at all times detached? (4) The Supreme Lord gave rise to the universe endowed with its three modes; by the potency of her soul are all these maintained and again conversely dissolved as well. (5) How can it be that that pure self under the circumstances of time in the position of a living entity, being of dreams and others, devoid of consciousness can be engaged in nescience? (6) The One Supreme Lord is situated in all these living entities; by what kind of actions is there either the misfortune or the obstruction of the living beings? (7) On this, o learned one, is, in distress of nescience, my mind causing me trouble and therefore, o great one, please clear the great illusion of my thinking.'

(8) S'rî S'uka said: "He, this way urged by Vidura so anxious to find out about the reality, as a great sage acted as if wondered and then without hesitation God-consciously replied. (9) Maitreya said: 'Saying that of the Supreme Lord one is of illusion, that of the ever liberated of His Lordship there would be insufficiency or the idea of bondage, one becomes logically contradictory. (10) Of that kind of confusion of the identifying self of people one is thus bereft of meaning, which superficiality looks like if one's own head is being cut off. (11) As because of the quality of water the moon reflected in it is trembling, so the self is seen by the seer to the [material] qualities that are other than of the soul. (12) To that there is also detachment being engaged by the mercy of Vâsudeva in relating to the Supreme in bhakti[devotional]-yoga, which gradually diminishes this [delusion] in existence. (13) When the senses are satisfied thus to the observing soul that is becoming engaged in transcendence to the Lord, then miseries are done with completely as if one has enjoyed sound sleep. (14) If one can put an end to an unlimited number of miserable conditions by following to the transcendent of hearing and chanting about Murarî [Krishna as the enemy of Mura], then what again to say of the serving [itself] of His lotusfeet in the attraction of the selfrealized?

(15) Vidura said: 'O powerful one, you have cut down my doubts with the weapon of your convincing words my Lord, now my mind on both [God and the living being], o Supreme one, has perfectly merged. (16) All these explanations you gave are as good as they should be, o learned one, the self is not without the apparent meaning in being moved by the external of the Lord, as outside the origin of the Supreme there is no basis. (17) In this world the one slowest of understanding and the one of transcendental intelligence both enjoy in happiness while the persons in between do suffer. (18) I am obliged by the service to your feet in being ascertained that to the apparent values there is nothing material although its self seems to be so, and thus I am able to give up [the misconception]. (19) In serving the personality of Godhead who is the unchangeable enemy of the demon Madhu, one develops in different relationships [râsa's] to the feet the highly ecstatic that vanquishes distress. (20) Of those who are meager in their austerity it is certainly rarely seen that they are on the path of service towards the Kingdom of God [Vaikunthha] in which the Lord by the godly is always glorified as the controller of all living beings.

(21) After the creation of first the complete of the material energy, in a gradual process of differentiation [evolution] the universal form manifested along with its senses and organs in which later the Almighty entered [for His incarnations]. (22) He who is called the original person has thousands of limbs, legs and hands living in all the worlds of the universe according the evolution of each. (23) You explained how there are three kinds of life [to the modes] in which one has ten kinds of life-force with the [five] senses and their [fivefold] interest, please describe now to me what the specific prowess of the societal divisions are. (24) In them, that prowess along with the sons, grandsons and family-members of the different generations has spread itself in the form of all the different varieties. (25) What were all the Manus [heads of the age], and the generations following surely too, to which was He decided as the leader or the father of the living beings [the prajâpati, or Brahmâ] of the generations, and what was their descend? (26) What worlds are there at the head and which earthly worlds are lying beneath, o son of Mitrâ; please describe what their situation is and what the extend of their worldly locations is. (27) Describe me the infrahuman, the human and the superhuman, as born from the reptiles or the birds and the generations and subdivisions of the ones born from wombs, who are toiling or twice-born or of the plants and vegetables. (28) Kindly describe the incarnations to the modes of material nature for the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe and the magnanimous activities of the one Personality of Godhead who forms the ultimate shelter.

(29) What are to the respective divisions of the statusorientations to age and vocation in society the embodiments, the character and the birth's of the sages and their activities and the divisions of the Veda in categories? (30) And of what sacrifices and ways are the expansions of the yogîc capacity, o master, and what is the path of devotional service in the nonmaterial interest and analytical study as well of relating to the Personality of God with regulative principles? (31) The paths of the faithless, crossbreeding in the imperfect of their contradiction, and the situation and movements of the individual souls as many as there are to the modes and the types of work, what are they? (32) The causes of religiosity, economic development, sense-gratification and salvation that do not contradict to the means of livelihood to law and order and the scriptural injunctions; what are also their different regulations? (33) How are the periodical offerings of respect regulated, o brahmin, to the created of the forefathers and how are the timedurations settled to the planets, the stars and luminaries? (34) What is the practical outcome of charity, penance and the endeavoring for reservoirs of water and how are the duties described of one who is away from home and of a man in danger? (35) Please describe to me, o sinless one, how He as either the Supreme Person, the Father of the Religion, or the controller of all, or as all of these can be satisfied completely. (36) O best among the brahmins, please describe the spiritual masters so kind to the needy, the followers, the disciples and their sons without being asked for it. (37) O great sage, how many dissolutions are there to the chief elements of nature and then who are they, who being saved for the Lord may be of His service in His slumber? (38) And what, to the existence of the different identities of the Supreme, is of Vedic knowledge the same as a necessity to the spiritual master and his disciple? (39) Spotless devotees also have mentioned the source of such knowledge; how does the devotion and certainly also the detachment of the living entity lead to selfsufficient knowledge?

(40) All these questions I asked in the desire to know about the pastimes of the Lord; please answer them to me as a friend for those ignorant ones who lost their vision by the external energy. (41) All divisions of the Veda, all sacrifices and all penances and charities surely do not even partially compare, o spotless one, to the security the living entity is offered by one who gives such assurance.

(42) S'rî S'uka said: 'He [Maitreya], the chief among the sages so well known with the stories [Purânas], thus being questioned by the chief of the Kuru's felt sufficiently enriched and satisfied and thus being stimulated on the topics about the Supreme Lord, he smilingly replied Vidura.'

Chapter 8 

Manifestation of Brahmâ from Garbhodakas'âyî Vishnu.  

(1) S'rî Maitreya said: 'The descendants of King Pûru are certainly worthy to serve the true because their kings are chiefly devoted to the Supreme Personality; and also with you who are born in this chain of devotional activity to the Invincible One, step by step there is constant renewal. (2) To that I will speak this Bhâgavatam, this vedic supplement which was directly spoken to the wise by the Supreme Lord for the mitigation of the great distress of the human beings who experience so little happiness.

(3) The son of Brahmâ [Sanat-Kumâra] inquired, heading the great sages [the four boy-saints, the Kumâra's], just like you for the truth about the original Personality with Lord Sankarshana [the first plenary portion and companion of the Lord] who undeterred of knowledge resides at the basis of the Universe. (4) Himself thus situated for the mediation of He who is greatly esteemed by the name of Vâsudeva had turned His vision inward, but for the advancement of the greatly learned sages He slightly opened his lotuslike eyes. (5) With the hairs on their heads wet from the water of the Ganges they touched the shelter of His lotusfeet that are worshiped by the daughters of the serpent-king with great devotion and various paraphernalia in the desire for a good husband. (6) With words and great affection in rhythmic accord repeatedly glorifying the activities of the Lord, from the thousands of raised hoods [of Ananta, the serpent king] emanated the glowing effulgence of the valuable stones of their thousands of helmets. (7) Of the purport of the Bhâgavatam He then certainly spoke to Sanat-Kumâra who had taken the vow of yoga and it was also told [on his turn by him], o Vidura, on request to Sânkhyâyana who had also taken to the vow. (8) When the great sage Sânkhyâyana as the chief of the transcendentalists reciting this Bhâgavatam [thereafter] gave explanation, he was heard by the spiritual master Parâs'ara I followed as also by Brihaspati. (9) He [Parâs'ara] kindhearted told me, as was told him by the sage Pulastya, the foremost of the purânas that also I shall speak to you, my dear son, as you are a follower that is always faithful.

(10) At the time the trhee worlds were submerged in the water was He therein laying down with nearly closed eyes on the snakebed Ananta and was He without any interest in the external actively enjoying His internal potency. (11) He, from within the body of transcendence kept the subtle of the material elements as the soul of time [kâla], giving life and energy from His own position of residing in the water, the way the power of fire is contained in firewood. (12) For a thousand times four yugas [4.32 billion years], He was [before this] asleep with His internal potency for the sake of the further development by His own force called kâla [time], of the whole world bound in fruitive action that made Him in His own body look bluish [as the resort of lifegiving water]. (13) To the purpose of His internal attention on the subtle subject matter, there was in due course of time by the material activity of the modes of nature, the agitated [of the primal substance] that then generated very subtly [with organic forms] the piecing through of His abdomen. (14) That bud of the lotusflower, generated from within, by time suddenly appeared, awakening the fruitive activities and by its own effulgence illuminating the vast waters of devastation like the sun.

(15) In that lotusflower that is the world Vishnu for sure factually entered as the reservoir of all the qualities of which one says that He in the past generated the person of vedic wisdom, the controller of the universe or the self-born one. (16) And in that water situated on the whorl of the lotus the [Brahmâ of the] world was not able to see and wandered around with spying eyes in the four directions thus achieving his heads ['the four heads' of Brahmâ]. (17) From there at the end of the Yuga because of the air of devastation [thunder and lightening] from the whirl of the water, the mystery of creation situated on and sheltered by the lotusflower in its astonishment could not understand itself perfectly as being the first demigod [Brahmâ]. (18) 'Who am I, this one on top of the lotus? Where did this lotus come from? Surely there is something in the water below. Whether it sprouted of its own or not, it must belong to something else!' (19) He [Brahmâ] contemplating this way the lotusstem, by that channel of the water he entered into, could not, despite of turning inward and thinking extensively about that stemming from the navel [of Vishnu], understand how it took birth of its own. (20) Because of looking in ignorance, o Vidura, contemplating the cause of the creation, thus it came to the dominance of three-dimensional [material or linear] time which to the embodied generates fearfulness and the diminishing of the lifespan to a hundred years in relating to the self-born and the wheel [s'is'umâra cakra or galactic] of eternal time [compare 2.2.: 24-25].

(21) Thereafter retiring from that endeavor without achieving what he desired, he came back to his own seat [or material position] where he as the demigod immediately sat down and withdrew his intelligence controlling the breath, self-assured absorbed in yoga. (22) In due course of time, he, the selfborn for his lifetime [a 'hundred years of Brahmâ', of which one day of 4.32 billion solar years has 1000 mahâyugas ], developed in his meditation the intelligence that manifested out of its own in the heart, of which he saw what he couldn't see before. (23) On the bed of the completely white gigantic S'esha-nâga [snake] lotusflower the Original person was lying alone under the umbrella of the serpent hood that was bedecked with head jewels of which by its rays the darkness in the water of devastation [the primal soup] dissipated. (24) The panorama derided the [ensuing] green and coral of the evening splendor of the sun and the great and golden of the mountain summits with their jewels of waterfalls and herbs and so was the scenery of flowers and trees [but] the adornment of His hands and legs. (25) The length and breadth of the measurement of His transcendental presence covered the totality of the three worlds in all its variety with the beauty of the divine radiance of the ornaments that dressed His body.

(26) To the desire of the human being on the path of devotional service in worship of the lotusfeet that reward with all what is longed for, He showed of those feet in His causeless mercy the moonlike shine of His toe- and fingernails that reveal the most beautiful [flowerlike] division. (27) From his facial expression, the vanquisher of the worldly distress, by His smiles dazzles, being decorated with earrings, the witnessing with the rays reflected from His lips in the reciprocation of His pleasing nose and eyebrows. (28) My dear Vidura, the waist was well decorated with a belt and cloth of a saffron color of kadamaba flowers; there was a priceless necklace and on the chest there was the attractive S'rîvatsa mark [a few white hairs]. (29) The way trees in the world are self-situated and disseminate with thousands of branches their high value [of flowers and fruits] as if ornamented with precious jewels, so the Lord, the ruler of Ananta, [Garbhodakas'âyî Vishnu] is ornamented with the hoods over His shoulders. (30) The Supreme Lord as the mountain range forms the abode for what moves around and does not move with the friendship of Ananatadeva who, from within the water bedecked with thousands of golden helmets, manifests as the peak of those mountains the Kaustubha [priceless jewel] in the ocean. (31) In the midst of that with the sweet sound of the beauty and the flowergarlands of Vedic wisdom of His own glories [saw Brahmâ that] the Lord of the sun, the moon, the air and the fire was very difficult to reach, unapproachable as He was in His wandering around in the three worlds fighting for the duty. (32) So could it be that the godhead of the universe, the creator of destiny, was sure of seeing the navel of Him, the lake, the lotusflower, the soul its waters of destruction, its drying air and the sky; but he could not glance beyond the created of the cosmic manifestation. (33) He as the seed of worldly activities invigorated by the mode of passion with that vision thus prayed, with the [sensual] fivefold of the entities eager to procreate, to be creative after the worshipable transcendental on the path of the steadfast soul.

Chapter 9

Brahmâ's Prayers for Creative Energy.

(1) Brahmâ said: 'Today, after a long time, I may know that the embodied beings that do not know You of Your ways as the Supreme Lord are not safe in this life. There is none beyond You, o my Lord, and anything that appears to be so can never be the absolute; You are the power because of which there is the mixture of the material energy. (2) That form, which is always free from material ignorance, advented with the manifestation of Your internal potency for the sake of the devotees as the original incarnation in hundreds of forms and is the source of the lotusflower from which I myself originated. (3) O my Lord, beyond You I see no form that is superior to your eternal form of bliss, that is without changes and deterioration of potency; You are the one and only Creator of the cosmic manifestation and the nonmaterial Supreme Soul itself; I who takes pride in the identification with the body and senses am surrendered to You. (4) That form, or however You make Your presence, is all-auspicious for the entire universe and benefits our meditation, and to You, Supreme Lord, who are the manifested for us devotees, I offer my obeisances; unto You I perform that which is neglected by persons who are heading for hell in their concern with material topics. (5) Those who inside only smell the aroma of Your lotusfeet, through their ears hearing the sounds of devotional service, are in acceptance of the school of transcendence and for them, Your own devotees, there is never the separation of You from the lotus of their hearts, o Lord. (6) Until then there will be the immense fear, lamentation and also avarice about wealth, the body, relatives and paraphernalia, in which till that time, as long as the people of the word do not take to the shelter of the safety of Your lotusfeet, one will be full of anxieties in undertaking to the perishable of the possessive. (7) How unfortunate are they who are bereft of the memory of Your topics; tied down by inauspiciousness and their senses turned against, they act to their desires finding happiness for only a brief moment: they are poor fellows who's minds are overwhelmed by greed and whose activities are full of stress. (8) Their always being troubled by [neurotic] hunger, thirst and their three humors [mucus, bile and wind], winter and summer, wind and rain and many other disturbances as also by a strong sexdrive and an inevitable anger, I see all together as most unbearable, o great actor - it aggrieves me a lot. (9) As long as the people in the separatism of the body are set to sense-gratification that continues under the influence of the illusive energy, they cannot overcome the material of existence, although on itself the many miseries brought by fruitive activities bear no factual meaning [to the soul]. (10) During the day they are engaged in stressful labor and at night they suffer insomnia because of their ruminations that break their intelligence and sleep constantly; the divine order frustrates their plans and also the wise, o my Lord, who turned against Your topics, stay around in this world. (11) Unto You cent percent united in devotion, with You residing on the lotus of their hearts, the devotees who are on the path of hearing, o my Lord, see You in the here and now in Your causeless mercy manifesting Your very same transcendental form, according whatever they specifically think of You as the multiglorious One in their mediations. (12) You are never very satisfied by the pompous arrangement of worship with all the paraphernalia of the godly attendants whose hearts are full of desire about that which you show the living beings as a causeless mercy, but which for the non-devoted is unavailable: that You are the one and only that is perceived differently by all who is the wellwishing friend and the soul within. (13) But of the people therefore who worship You as the Supreme Person with various fruitive activities, vedic rituals, charities, severe austerities and transcendental service, simply for pleasing You with their dutiful offerings at any time, one can never say that they go in vain.

(14) Let me bring my obeisances unto You, who are this Supreme, who in enjoying pastimes in the matter of the cosmic creation, maintenance and destruction, for sure is distinguished by the glories of the eternal original form: all glory to the intelligence of the selfknowledge after Your Transcendence of the illusory conception. (15) I take shelter of the Unborn one whose incarnations, transcendental qualities and activities are all mysterious; of Him whose names invoked at the time of leaving this life, even unconsciously, immediately for sure take away the accumulated sins of many many lives and open up immortality. (16) The one who indeed with me and S'ivaas the Almighty personality and the cause of maintenance, creation and dissolution rooting in the soul, penetrated [this world] growing three trunks as the one and only to the many branches; unto Him, the Personality of Godhead, this tree of the planetary systems, my obeisances. (17) As long as the people in general are engaged in unwanted activities and are negligent of your beneficial activities in the fixed acts of their own business, will the struggle for existence of these people be very tough and all run into shambles; let there be My obeisances unto Him who operates as the eternal of time. (18) To You whom I also fear, although I exist in a place that lasts for two parârdha's [2 x 50 years, with one day and night being two times 4.32 billion earthly years: 311.04 trillion years] and are respected in all the worlds having undergone severe penances for many years for selfrealization, I nevertheless offer My respectful obeisances my Lord, Supreme Personality and enjoyer of all sacrifices. (19) By the power of your own will You project yourself among the lower and the human beings, among the empowered ones and in the different species, performing transcendental pastimes in the desire to fulfill your obligations to which you are never under the material influence but for sure are manifesting your divine form; my obeisances to that primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality. (20) In spite of having accepted the influence of the fivefold interaction of the senses you remain unaffected and sleep lying down on the snakebed happy to be in touch within the waters of devastation with its violent waves - and that You do so for the maintenance of the different entities in your abdomen, showing the chain of the intelligent Your happiness. (21) Unto Him of whom I, from the lotus house sprouting from the navel, manifested to assist Him, the worshipable one, in the creation of the three worlds; unto Him who has the universe in His abdomen and unto Him whose eyes are blossoming like lotuses after the end of the union of His sleep, my obeisances.

(22) Let He, the Lord of all universes, the one friend and philosopher, the Supersoul who by the mode of goodness gives happiness as the Supreme Lord of the six opulences [beauty, intelligence, penance, power, fame and wealth], for sure give Me the power of introspection so that I will be able to create as before this universe in surrender and love with Him. (23) To this benefactor of the surrendered soul, who [as Râma] enjoys with the goddess of fortune [Lakshmî] in whatever He may enact from His internal potency with the accepting of incarnations of goodness, I pray that I may create gifted with His omnipotency and that in spite of the material affection of my heart engaged in the work, I will also be able to stop with all of it. (24) I pray that I, who was born from the lake of the Supreme Person His navel as the energy of the total universe to the manifestation of the variegatedness of the unlimitedly powerful of Him, that I may not lose sight of the soundvibrations of the Vedic truth. (25) And may He, the Supreme Lord who is unlimitedly merciful in his ultimate love and His smiles in opening His lotuseyes for the flourishing and glory of the cosmic creation, with His sweet words as the oldest and Original Person lovingly remove our dejection.'

(26) Maitreya said: 'After thus regarding the source of His appearance in penance, knowledge and concentration of mind, as far as possible giving thought to the words of his prayer, he felt silent as if tired. (27-28) Madhusûdana [Krishna as the killer of Madhu] saw the sincerity of Brahmâ and his being depressed at heart about the devastating waters of the age. Seeing him sufficiently anxious about His science to the situation of the planet, He in deep thoughtful words spoke to him removing that way his anxiety.

(29) The Supreme Lord said: 'You who has the depth of all vedic wisdom: do not despair on the endeavor of creation. What you have set yourselves to and pray for, I for sure have already granted before. (30) As before set yourself to penance and the principles of knowledge to be sure of my support and from those qualifications you will see all the worlds disclosed within your heart, o brahmin. (31) Then, when to the universe you are fully absorbed connected in devotion, you shall see Me as spread throughout, o Brahmâ, and that you, all the worlds and all beings, are part of Me. (32) The time that you see Me in all living entities and the universe the way fire is present in wood, then without doubt you'll be able to abandon the weakness. (33) When you have freed your soul from the material ideas of your senses under the influence of the modes, you will, thus seeing, find your pure in relating to Me and will enjoy the spiritual kingdom. (34) With all the variety of service and the desire to expand the population innumerably, your soul will never be saddened; concerning you My causeless mercy will be forever. (35) You are the original sage; the vicious mode of passion will never encroach upon you because, despite of your generating progeny, your mind is always narrowed down to Me. (36) Although for the conditioned soul I am difficult to be known, I Myself am known today by you because you understand Me as not being made of matter, senses, modes and the bewilderment of the self. (37) To you, when you tried to figure Me out contemplating the source of the lotus through its stem in the water, I showed myself from within. (38) The prayers you did for Me, o Brahmâ, put into My words, enumerating My glories or the penance and your faith; consider all these as the result of My causeless mercy. (39) Let with all this that pleased Me, all benediction rest upon you, who in your desire prayed for the conquest of all the worlds by nicely describing My qualities and My being above them. (40) May whatever person, who regularly prays this way with these verses, of his worship very soon see all his desires fulfilled, for I am the Lord of all benediction. (41) By the good works, penances, sacrifices, charities and the absorbtion in yoga that are done in love for me Me, will the human being find its ultimate success, so is the opinion of they who know the reality. (42) I am the Supersoul, the director of all other souls, the dearest being of all that is dear and certainly one should therefore direct all the attachment in which one 's body and mind are so dear, towards Me. (43) With the command of your knowledge of the Veda and with your body that directly found its life from the Soul, now generate the lives, which also lie in Me, as it was done here before.

(44) Maitreya said: 'After thus instructing him, the creator of the universe, did the primeval original Lord in His personal form of Nârâyana disappear.'

Chapter 10 

Divisions of the Creation.

(1) Vidura said: 'How many sorts did the grandfather of all creatures on this planet create to the body and mind of the Almighty after the disappearance of the Supreme Personality? (2) For the purpose of all that I asked you about, o powerful one, kindly describe all of them, o greatly learned one, from the beginning to the end and be so kind to remove all my doubts'."

(3) Sûta said [see Canto 1]: "O son of Bhrigu [Saunaka], the great sage, the son of Kusara [Maitreya] thus enlivened by Vidura felt pleased and thus replied the questions from the core of his heart.

(4) Maitreya said: 'And so did Brahmâ perform for a hundred celestial years penances for the sake of the soul, engaging Himself as was told him by the unborn One, the Supreme Lord. (5) In that saw he, who was born from the lotus, that by the inherent power of the natural forces [eternal time] the wind separated the waters on which the lotus was situated. (6) By his penance he surely had won in transcendental knowledge and had matured in his self-awareness and practical knowledge, and with that power he took in the wind along with the water. (7) Then he saw how widespread the lotus was on which he was situated; from the action all the world that was previously submerged had now separated and was open to his creation, so he found. (8) Entering into that whorl of the lotus, in his activities