Chapter 9 - Śuka‘s discourse—Catuḥślokī Bhāgavata [Chatushloki Bhagwat]

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1.^[1] Oh king! No relation is logically (correctly) possible between perceptible object (e.g. the body) and the Soul whose essential nature is knowledge (and hence different from that of the body), except through his own māyā, as (it is not possible) in the case of one who sees visions in a dream.

2. In association with māyā which assumes various forms, he appears to have many forms (viz. that of a child or youth or a god or a man etc.). Amusing himself in her qualities (like the body etc.), he (seeing thus conditioned) thinks (supposes) ‘(This is) mine, (This is) I.’

3.^[2] Only when he will enjoy himself in his own glory which is beyond Time and māyā (or Puruṣa and Prakṛti), and being free from delusion, he gives up both of them, and the false notion ‘I and mine’ and stands out in his full form unconcerned (with anything).

4. The Supreme Lord who was propitiated by sincere devotion (penance), revealed his own real form to Brahmā, spoke to him in order to enlighten him on the truth about Supreme Soul (as distinct from the jīva—individual Soul).

5. That first and foremost of gods, the supreme preceptor of the worlds (Brahmā) seated himself in his lotus and with a desire to create, began to look (consider) the procedure of creating the world. But he could not get the insight (the vision) into the faultless method of world-creation.

6. Once upon a time, while thinking over the methodology of world-creation the great god Brahmā heard twice a word of two syllables (Tapa) uttered near him from under the water. It consisted of the sixteenth (ta-) and twenty-first (pa—) letters of the five classes of consonants. Oh king! that word is the wealth of those who have renounced (material) wealth.

7. On hearing the word (tapa) and eager to see the speaker, he looked in all directions. Seeing nobody anywhere, there, he resumed his seat and coming to the conclusion (considering) that (penance) is for his good, he determined to perform penance, as if he was advised by some preceptor.

8. Brahmā whose insight (in grasping the significance of the uttered syllables) was correct, and who is the greatest of the performers of penance (sage of the sages), controlled his breath and mind, and restrained his both types (cognitive and conative) of sense-organs, and in undisturbed meditation, performed for a period of one thousand celestial years penance which threw light on (the procedure of creation etc. of) the worlds.

9. The Lord, who was (thus) propitiated by penance, showed to him (god Brahmā) his region, i.e. Vaikuṇṭha, where afflictions, delusion and fear do not exist, and which is eulogised by gods and men of abundant merits (or men who have realised the Self), and to which there is no higher place.

10. Where (i.e. in the Vaikuṇṭha) there is neither rajas and tamas nor sattva attribute which is mixed up with them. (There is only the pure sattva attribute). The Time has no power there. Nor does māyā exist there. What of others! There attendants (devotees) of Hari are worshipped by gods and asuras (demons).

11. In complexion these attendants are like shining emeralds. They have eyes like a lotus of hundred petals, and have put on yellowish garments (pītāmbaras) They are excellent in personal charm, and of very soft delicate bodies. All of them have four arms and wear ornaments of gold, studded with brilliant precious stones. They are of extremely brilliant splendour. Their complexions are varied like the coral, the lapis lazuli and the lotus-stalk, and they wear shining earrings, crowns and garlands.

12. Just as the sky appears when the clouds therein are illumined by lightning, the Vaikuṇṭha region appears shining by the greatly beautiful and effulgent aerial cars of the great- souled ones surrounded by young women of lustrous complexion.

13. There the goddess of wealth incarnate pays respects to the feet of the highly praised Hari, in various ways, and with various forms of magnificence (or splendour) seating herself on a swing and singing the deeds of her beloved lord, herself being praised in songs by bees, the followers of the spring.

14. There he (Brahmadeva) saw the Lord of the goddess of wealth (Śrī), the Protector of His devotees, the presiding deity of sacrifices—the all-pervading Lord who is waited upon by his chief attendants, viz. Sunanda, Nanda, Prabala, Arhaṇa and others.

15. He saw God who was eager to bless his devotees (servants) whose looks were (like nectar) gladdening the heart of his devotees, whose face was beaming with gracious smiles and brilliant reddish eyes, who had four arms, and who wore crown and ear-ring, and had put on yellow-garment (pitāmbara) and had got a distinguishing mark called Śrīvatsa on his chest.

16. (He saw) God seated on an invaluable throne surrounded by the four (Prakṛti, Puruṣa, Mahat and Ahaṃkāra), the sixteen (mind, the ten cognitive and conative sense-organs and five elements) and five (i.e. tanmātras) [in all 25 tattvas or powers] as part of his nature. Supernatural powers which are temporary elsewhere (in yogins) were inherent in him. He was the Master as he was enjoying his own powers and bliss.

17. The creator of the Universe (God Brahmā) whose heart was overflowing with joy at his sight, which can be attained by the path of knowledge (followed by great recluses—Paramahaṃsas), whose hair stood erect (with rapture), and whose eyes were full of tears of intense love to him, bowed to his lotus-like feet.

18. The Lord, the beloved of all, was pleased with his dear (Brahmadeva) who loved him intensely, and was standing near him. He touched with his hand Brahmā who deserved his guidance (orders) in the creation of the worlds. Then he spoke to him with words brilliant by his gentle smile.

The venerable lord said:

19. Oh Brahman (in whom all the Vedas exist) I who am impossible to be pleased by hypocritical yogins, am delighted by your long penance performed with the desire of creating the universe.

20. Oh Brahman! Prosperity to you (good betide you). I can confer any boon. Ask me whatever is desired by you. My vision is the culmination of all human efforts.

21. It is due to my desire (to show you) that you had a view of my region (Vaikuṇṭha). You have performed excellent penance in solitude, after hearing my utterance (containing the instruction to perform penance).

22. Oh sinless one! When you were at a loss to know what to do, I guided you (to perform penance). As Tapas (penance) is my heart, and I am the Soul of tapas (penance) [I am tapas itself].

23. It is by penance that I create the universe. I eat it up (keep it within me) by penance. I maintain it by means of penance. My strength lies in austere penance which is difficult to perform.

Brahmā said:

24. Oh lord! You are the ruler of all created beings. You, who dwell in the heart (lit. cave) of all beings, know by your unimpeded unlimited knowledge what one desires to do.

25. Oh Lord! grant to me, a seeker, however, what I pray, so that I can know the subtle as well as the gross^[3] forms of yours who are really formless.

26-27. Oh Mādhava (Lord of Lakṣmī)! Just as a spider weaves a web round itself, so you, of efficacious will-power, indulge of your own accord in your sports, by assuming with the help of your māyā various forms (such as Brahmā etc.) for creating, preserving and destroying the universe which is developed with various powers. Please develop (lit. put) in me the intelligence (necessary) to understand this.

28. I shall really carry out the instructions of the lord without any slackness or idleness on my part. It is through your grace that I, who desire to procreate the world, will not be subjected to the bondage of karma.

29. Oh lord! (by your friendly action of touching me with hand etc.) I have been done (treated) by you like a friend. Still I shall stick to carry out your service of creating the worlds untiringly. May there be no pride in me of thinking myself to be unborn, while I am creating the world with all its differences.

The lord said:

30. Receive from me the knowledge (as detailed in the Śāstras) coupled with experience and along with its mystic doctrine (esoteric teaching) with all the accessories to it, as explained by me, though it is a topmost secret.

31. By my grace, may you have a thorough comprehension of the reality as to my dimensions, my real nature, my attributes and actions as actually they are.

32.^[4] In the beginning, before the creation, I alone was in existence. There was nothing else—neither the subtle nor the gross (creation) nor their cause Praḍhāna or Prakṛti (the primordial nature)^[5] [These were then completely absorbed in me—only I simply existed then]. After the creation of the universe what exists, is I. I am the universe. What remains after the Pralaya is myself.

33. That should be known as my māyā^[6] on account of which there appears existence, despite the non-existence of the basic reality, as in the case of false appearance (of two moons even though the other moon, has no existence), aṇd there appears the non-existence of the really existents, as in the case of the planet Rāhu (which is never perceived in spite of its existence in the planetary system)—the Soul is the object of such misapprehension.

34. Just as the great elements (the earth, water etc.) which may be said to have entered into created things, great or small, may (also) be said not to have entered into them (due to their pre-existence as the material cause of the universe), similarly, I am in the elements as well as the creation from the elements, and also not in them^[7] (as I existed before them and created them all).

35. This much should be understood by him who desires to know the reality about the Soul (ātman), the existence of which everywhere aṇd at all times is proved by logical concomitance and discontinuance [i.e. ātman exists at all times, everywhere, as the cause of the effected things, and being different from them in the causal state (kāraṇāvasthā), as being a witness, in the states of wakefulness, dreaming and sleep, and as detached or unconnected from everything in the state of Samādhi etc.].

36. Correctly follow this doctrine with perfect concentration. Your goodself will never be infatuated and become proud of being a creator in the different creations of the Kalpas.

Śrī Śuka said:

37. Having thus instructed Brahmā who occupies the highest place in all created beings, the unborn God Viṣṇu withdrew that visible form even while Brahmā was looking on.

38. (God Brahmā) who embodies all creation (by being its head), and who has folded his hands to Hari whose visible form has disappeared, created this universe as it was before (in the previous Kalpa).

39. Once Brahmā, the Lord of the created beings and the protector of righteousness, practised the prescribed yamas and niyamas for attaining the good of the creation which was as if his own objective as well.

40. 41. Nārada who was the most beloved of his inheritors (sons), was devoted to his father, and rendered service to him. Oh king, the great sage, being a great devotee of the lord, desired to know from him the Māyā-power of Viṣṇu, the Lord of Māyā, and so pleased his father by his praiseworthy character, modesty and self-control.

42. Finding that his father, the grandfather of all the worlds, was pleased with him, the celestial sage (Nārada) respectfully asked him the very thing you enquire of me.

43. Brahmā, being pleased with him, expounded to him this Bhāgavata Purāṇa of ten characteristics^[8], as it was revealed to him by the lord.

44. Nārada narrated it to Vyāsa of immeasurable brilliance, while he was meditating on the Supreme Brahman, on the bank of the Sarasvatī.

45. In recounting the same to you, I shall be satisfying your queries as to how all this world came to be produced from the Virāṭ Puruṣa and all other questions.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

With Bhāgavata Candrikā, as usual, māyā is the prakṛti controlled by the Supreme Soul. With Padaratnāvalī it is Hari’s will which controls the prakṛti characterised by the attributes like sattva etc. God’s will is fundamental. Nothing can take place without it.

[2]:

According to Bhāgavata Candrikā it is in the stage of liberation (mukti) that the individual Sou) (Jīva) becomes free from illusions, and realises his own innate nature and finds delight in the glorious nature of the lord which is beyond influence of Time and Prakṛti.

[3]:

According to Padaratnāvalī para is the Vairāja Puruṣa (the Cosmic Man embracing fourteen worlds) and apara is the Cosmic Egg with its nine sheaths.

[4]:

The four verses beginning from this are said to contain the essence of the Philosophy of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and are hence known as Catuḥślokī Bhāgavata.

[5]:

sadasatparam—Reality which is distinct from the sentient (spirit or jīva) and non-sentient (jaḍa matter)—Bhāgavata Candrikā

Kramasandarbha. and VC. have given sermons on the basis of this verse.

[6]:

According to Padaratnāvalī, māyā is chiefly the power of Viṣṇu (mukhyato viṣṇu-śaktirhi māyā-śabdena bhaṇyate). It is also applied to Jīva and Prakṛti. It is not an unreality like magic tricks (indrajāla). To briefly state Padaratnāvalī: Whatever is recognised or known from the Vedas and other means of knowledge, (though of no use or value to God who has all his wishes fulfilled) and whatever is not contradictory (bādhaka) to God, such things, i.e. Jivas and Prakṛti are to be regarded as the māyā of the Supreme Soul.

In a long commentary on this verse Kramasandarbha. explains his concept of māyā. Briefly stated: Māyā is that which appears outside Brahman (the ultimate reality), and ceases to appear with the realization of Brahman. Without the support of Brahman, it cannot manifest itself. It is associated with Brahman in two forms, viz., Jīva-māyā and Guṇa-māyā. The analogy of ābhāsa is the reflection of the solar light from outside the solar orb. The solar light cannot exist unless it is supported by the Sun’s orb, yet the solar light can have an independent function outside the orb. It may dazzle the eye and blind men to its real nature, or it may manifest itself in various colours. Kramasandarbha. interprets Tamas as “darkness” and not Rāhu. Though darkness cannot exist where there is light, it cannot itself be perceived without the light of the eyes. In short, the Prakṛti and its development are appearances brought into being outside the Brahman by māyā. But the movement of māyā is possible due to the essential power of God. Thus māyā and its appearances derive their essence from God and hence cannot affect in any way God or His essential power.

[7]:

na teṣvaham: I am both outside and inside them but being unattached, I am not touched by their defects—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[8]:

Vide Bhāgavata Purāṇa II.10.1-7.