Chapter 4 - Pronunciation of a curse on Jayas

Sūta said:—

1. The Devas (called) Jayas were created by Brahmā out of his mouth, due to a desire for progeny. All of them are remembered as having Mantras for their bodies in the different Manvantaras.

2-3. “The following are the twelve Yajñas viz.—Darśa, Paurṇamāsa, Bṛhat, Sāman, Rathantara, Citi, Suciti, Ākūti, Kūti, Vijñāta, Vijñātṛ and Manas. Perform these sacrifices after taking a wife unto you, maintaining the Agnihotra fire.”

4. After telling them (i.e. Jayas) thus, the lord vanished there itself. Thereupon, they did not approve of these words of Parameṣṭhin.

5. After observing defects in the Karmans (holy rites etc.), they discarded Karmans as well as the Vāsanās (desires or unconscious impressions) born of Karmans. They began to adhere strictly to Yamas (Restraints, self-controls, etc.).

6. They observed the fruit of Karmans as attended with excess of destruction and deterioration. They entertained contempt for progeny. They became Nissattvas (free from inborn nature or natural characteristics) and Nirmamas (free from the desire of possession).

7. Desirous of Liberation (literally absence of birth, cessation of birth), they got rid of them after observing the defects (in Karmans). They abandoned Artha (wealth), Dharma (customary observances of castes) and Kāma (Love), and stabilised themselves on Mokṣa, the last Puruṣārtha).

8. They adopted the great knowledge and established themselves very well after condensing (assimilating) it (?). On coining to know of their intention, Brahmā became infuriated.

9. Thereupon, Brahmā spoke to those Devas lacking in enthusiasm:—“It is for the sake of progeny that you have been created by me and not otherwise.

10. Moreover, I have already told you formerly this—Procreate in plenty and perform sacrifices. You disregarded my instruction and adopted Vairāgya (detachment).

11-12. You hated your own birth and did not relish progeny. You did not practise Karmans because of your desire for immortality (Mokṣa). Hence, you will have repetition (of birth) for seven times.”

On being cursed thus. by Brahmā, those Devas, the Jayas pacified him.

13. “O great lord, forgive our faults of the nature of ignorance.”

Brahmā then spoke to them as they prostrated before him. He spoke to them in a conciliatory tone.

14-18a. “Everyone shall enjoy (everything) in the world (subject to limitation). Who deserves freedom (from the shackles of Karmans)? Everything is pervaded by me. How can the living beings take inauspiciousness or otherwise without my will?^[1]

Whatever there is in this world, whether it is conducive to welfare or not, is permeated by me in the form of intellect (?) Who can transgress me in the world? Everything is known to me—that which is desired by the living beings, that which is thought by them and that which is perpetrated by them. This entire world consisting of mobile and immobile beings has been bound by me by means of the shackle in the form of the rope of Āśā (Hope and ambition). Who will be eager to cut it off?

18b-19. Since the haughty man carries everything and none else (otherwise) he desires to get salvation by not beginning to perform holy rites (?)”

After saying this to those Jayas of spiritually inclined minds, he observed that those (Jayas) certainly were worthy of being punished. Prajāpati said thus.

20-21. “O Devas, without referring to me, renunciation etc. was carried out by you so the activity pursued by me is (also) extensive.^[2] Let it be resulting in your happiness. Let it be born with a divinity.

22-23. O excellent Devas, your birth will be in accordance with your own desire. In the seven Manvantaras you will manifest yourselves as Siddhas (persons of great spiritual achievement). In those Manvantaras beginning with the Svāyam-bhuva and ending with Vaivasvata.

After saying thus a verse of great antiquity was also sung by Brahmā.

24-25.^[3] The lore of three Vedas, the progeny in the form of Brahman (?), Śrāddha, Penance, Yajña, granting of gifts—the lord abides by these along with the Rajas of perpetual nature (?). The lord occupies the other praiseworthy thing (?). After explaining the meaning of the verse he spoke to the Devas, (called) Jayas “You will come back to me when the Vaivasvata Manvantara passes off.”

26. Thereupon, the lord who has no fear from anywhere vanished after adopting the original Dhāraṇā accompanied by yogic power.

27. Then those twelve Ajitas were angrily cursed by him. Thus those who were called Jayas were rendered just the opposite^[4] (i.e. the “Victorious ones” were ‘defeated’).

28-29. When the Svāyambhuva Manvantara passed off, those Suras were born as Tuṣitas in the Svārociṣa Manvantara. Then, they were born as the sons of Satyā, (wife) of Uttama the Manu. Therefore, those Devas in the Auttama Manvantara are remembered as Satyas.

30. All those twelve Devas (called) Tuṣitas were born of Hariṇī then. Those Devas in the name of Haris became the partakers of Yajña.

31. When the Ariṣṭava Manvantara (? i.e. Raivata) arrived those excellent Devas called Haris were born of Vikuṇṭhā.

32-34. They are the Devas named Vaikuṇṭha in the fifth Manvantara; when the Cākṣusa Manvantara arrived, those Devas called Vaikuṇṭhas were born as Sādhyas.

When the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara passed off and the creation of Vaivasvata Manu began, those Sādhyas out of their parts were born of Aditi and Kaśyapa, the son of Marīci. In the current Manvantara those Suras were born as the twelve Ādityas.

35-36. When these twelve immortal ones were born in the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, they had been cursed by the self-born lord and they were known as Sādhyas.

The man who hears this shall always attain victory. He shall be endowed with faith in the Jaya Devas. He shall go over every chapter^[5] (?)

37. Thus are the seven Vṛttis (activities) characterised by the births of the Devas. That account has been narrated to-you today. What else do you wish to hear?

Notes on the Manvantara Gods:

The object of this chapter is to state that the same set of gods is born and presides in each Manvantara. To explain the cause of this, the author tells us that the 1st set of gods (called here Jayas) in the 1st Manvantara did not take to their assigned task of procreation but to the path of Mokṣa and were hence cursed by god Brahmā to be reborn seven times in each Manvantara till the present one viz Vaivasvata.

Thus we have the following sets of gods in each Manvantara (brackted here):

Jayas—1. Yāmas as per Purāṇas (Svāyambhuva); 2. Tuṣita (Svārociṣa); 3. Satyas (Uttama); 4. Haris (Tāmasa); 5. Vikuṇṭha (Raivata); 6. Sādhyas (Cākṣuṣa); 7. Ādityas (Vaivasvata).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vā.P. 67.20 reads ko me for Kāmam in the Bd.P. text. If this be accepted me line means ‘Who in the world can get liberation at will from me without beginning to perform Karma.’

[2]:

The text is obscure here. Vā.P. 67.25 reads:

Tasmāt sa viphalo yatno hyōpāras tveṣayaḥ kṛtaḥ

“Inasmuch as that attempt of yours (at renunciation) has become futile” etc.

[3]:

Probably due to misprints this verse has become obscure. The reading in Vā.P. 67.28 is as follows:—

Trayīṃ vidyāṃ brahmacaryaṃ prasūtim írāddham eva ca /
yajñaṃ caiva tu dānaṃ ca eṣāmeva tu kurvatām /
sa hi sma virajā bhūtvā vasate’nyapraśaṃsayā

“He who studies Trayī vidyā (three Vedas), observes celibacy (the first stage of life) and in the second stage of life as a Gṛhastha (or householder) procreates children, performs Śrāddha, sacrifice as well as gives religious gifts—such a performer becomes free from sin or rajas and lives praised by others”.

[4]:

Visannibha—not like, i.e. opposite of unconquered.

[5]:

pratyadhyāya in the text is a mistake. Vā.P. 67.46 reads pratyavāya ‘impediment, sinfulness, decrease’ and can be rendered accordingly. ‘He shall cross over every impediment’.