Chapter 1 - The Discourse of Śuka—Description of the Cosmic Form of the Lord

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. Oh king! Out of the topics which deserve to be (carefully) heard (studied etc.) by people, the excellent^[1] question posed by you, is very important^[2] as it is conducive to the good (final beatitude) of the people, and is acceptable to those who have realized the Soul^[3].

2. Oh best of kings, there are thousands of topics^[4] which deserve to be heard (studied etc.) by persons who have not visualized the soul, and who are attached to the householder’s life (involving five types of sins^[5] related to that life).

3. Oh king! life is taken away at night by sleep, in sexual enjoyment, (and evil desires); and by day, for earning money or for maintaining one’s family.

4. Being attached to his body, children, wife and other attendants, dependents etc., even though they are unreal, he does not discern their destruction, though he actually sees them die.

5. Oh descendant of Bharata! Therefore, the glorious Hari (reliever of bondage,of saṃsāra) the Supreme Lord, theall-pervading soul, should be heard about, eulogised and remembered by a person desiring a state, completely free from fear (i.e. the Final Beatitude or mokṣa).

6. Nārāyaṇa is remembered at the end of life (time of death), is the highest achievement of human life. This (maybe) due to Sāṅkhya-Yoga^[6], and through knowledge and performance of one’s duties.

7. Oh king! It is well-known (sma^[7]) that generally, sages^[8] who have turned away (abstained) from abiding by religious injunctions and prohibitions^[9], and are established (absorbed) in the attributeless (nirguṇa) Brahman^[10] take delight in discoursing upon the qualities of Hari.

8. At the end^[11] of the Dvāpara Age, I learnt this Purāṇa called the Bhāgavata (‘narrated by the Supreme Lord’) which is comparable to the Vedas (or, which succinctly describes the Brahman), from my father Vyāsa.

9. Oh king-sage! Though I was firmly established in (the meditation of) the attributeless (nirguṇa) Brahman, I studied this (legendary) work, as my mind was fascinated with the sports of the Supreme Lord.

10. I shall narrate that (Purāṇa) to you, as you are a great devotee of the glorious god Viṣṇu. By entertaining faith in this (scripture), pure motiveless devotion to Mukunda is immediately created (in the faithful listeners).

11. Oh King! This chanting of the name of Hari (and meditating upon him etc.) has been prescribed as the sure means of attaining liberation for those deserving emancipation^[12], and wishing freedom from the fear (of the cycle of rebirths), and for yogins^[13].

12. What is the use of a number of years to a careless man, if they are wasted in ignorance? In this world, it is better to have a short duration of life, (muhūrta or a period of 48 minutes), if one utilizes it for trying for final beatitude.

13. Having known the balance of life-period due to him in this world, the famous king-sage Khaṭvāṅga^[14] renounced everything in a short time (muhūrta), and resorted to Hari, the liberator from the fear (of the cycle of rebirths).

14. While in your case, Oh descendant of the Kuru family, the duration of life is seven days (from now). Utilise all that time for what will help the attainment of the next world.^[15]

15. At the end of life, a man, becoming devoid of the fear of death, should sever, with the weapon of disassociation, his attachment for pleasure, for his body, and for whatever (e.g. wife and children) is connected with it.

16. Having renounced (his) home, (such) a person of firm resolve,^[16] bathed in holy waters at a sacred place,^[17] (should) sit on a seat, prepared as per Śāstric rules,^[18] in a pure secluded place.

17.^[19] He should repeat, in his mind, the great, sacred—syllable consisting of the three letters—a, u, m—symbolizing the Brahman: without forgetting the ‘seed’ of the Brahman (viz. the syllable OM), he should control his breath and subdue his mind.

18. He, whose intelligence has been his guide (lit. charioteer), should restrain his sense-organ from (being attracted to) objects of enjoyment. If his mind is distracted with actions, he should fix it on the auspicious object (viz. the Lord Kṛṣṇa).

19. With undivided mind, he should meditate upon only one limb (such as feet or face of the Lord Hari). Having restrained the mind, free from external objects, he should not think of anything else. That is the highest abode of Viṣṇu (reaching which) the mind becomes pacified.

20. By fixation of attention, the wise (and courageous) man should bring under control his mind, which is distracted by rajas and confused by tamas, and destroy the sin (impurity) created by them.

21. While it (dhāraṇā) is being practised, contemplating on (lit. visualizing) the auspicious refuge (of the world i.e. Lord Viṣṇu), Yoga characterised by devotion (bhakti) is quickly developed in such a yogin.

The King said:

22. Oh Brahman! How is the dhāraṇā practised? In what way is it approved? What type of dhāraṇā will quickly remove the impurities of man’s mind?

Śrī Śuka said:

23. One who has mastered steadiness of seat, and acquired control over one’s breath, and mind and senses, should, with determined intellect, for one’s mind on the Virāṭ (gross or great) Form of the Supreme Lord.

24. This special body of the Lord is the biggest among the big. In this (body) is seen the past, present and future universe of gross effects.

25. That Supreme Lord, who is the cosmic Man (Vairājaḥ Puruṣaḥ) in this body of the universe, which is like an egg, and is covered with seven sheaths,^[20] is the object of contemplation (dhāraṇā).

26.^[21] They describe that pātāla is verily the sole of his feet, rasātala is His heels and the toes mahātala forms the ankles of the Creator of the Universe, while talātala are the shanks (part of the leg from the ankle to the knee) of this Cosmic Man.

27. Sutala is (regarded as) the two knees, and vitala and atala are the two thighs of this Cosmic Man. Oh King, they (authoritatively) state that the Earth (lit. the surface of the earth forms his hips, and the (vault of the) sky his lake-like (deep) navel.

28. They considered that of this Primeval Man, the host of stars form his (broad) chest, the maharloka, his neck; the jana-loka, his mouth; the tapo-loka, his forehead; and the satya-loka, the heads of this Man of a thousand heads.

29. They described Indra and other gods of shining bodies as his arms; the cardinal points as his ears; the sound as his auditory sense; (the two aśvini-kumāras) Nāsatya and Dasra, as the nostrils of the Supreme Lord; fragrance is his sense of smelling and the burning fire, his mouth.

30. The sky forms his eyes, (and) the Sun, the sense of seeing, and the day and night are eyelids of the All-pervading God (viz. Viṣṇu). His eyelashes are the Brahma-Ioka; water is his palate, (while) taste is his tongue.

31. They describe the Vedas^[22] as the head (i.e. the brahmarandhra—the aperture in the skull for the passage of the Soul) of the Infinite Lord; Yama (the god of death) as his large teeth^[23] (tusks); Traces of feelings of affection (?) as his teeth; Cosmic Illusion (Māyā) which maddens the people is his laugh; and the unending creation of the world, his side- glance.

32. Modesty (bashfulness) is his upper lip, (while) greed is his lower lip. The path of righteousness is his chest, while the unrighteous path is his back. Prajāpati (the god of creation) is his penis, while Mitra and Varuṇa are his scrotum (the testicles). The oceans are his belly, and the mountains are his bone-system.

33. Oh king of kings! the rivers are his arteries; the trees are the hair of the God whose body is the Universe; the wind of infinite force, is his breath; Time is his movement (act of moving); the stream of the three attributes (sattva, rajas and tamas) i.e. the worldly existence of beings is his action.

34. Oh Chief (excellent) of the Kuru family, (the wise ones) know that the hair of the Supreme Ruler are the clouds; the twilight is the garment of the all-pervading Supreme Lord. They say that the unmanifest (avyakta) i.e. the Pradhāna (‘primordial nature’ of the Sāṃkhyas) is his heart, and the moon is his mind, which is the store of all changes (and passions).

35. It is traditionally known that the mahat (the Sāṃkhya principle of intelligence) is his intellectual power, and that Śiva is the internal organ (made up of manas, citta, ahaṃkāra and buddhi) of the Lord who dwells in the hearts of all; the horses, mules, donkeys and elephants are his nails; all beasts and deer are at his hips.

36. The various kinds of birds^[24] are the wonderful expressions (of his skill in arts); (Svāyambhuva) Manu is his power of comprehension (understanding); the human race is his dwelling place; Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas and Apsaras are his svaras (musical notes or gamut) and smṛtis; and the armies of asuras are his strength^[25].

37. The Cosmic Man^[26] has the Brāhmaṇa^[27] as his mouth, the Kṣatriya as his arms, the Vaiśya as his thighs, the dark- complexioned Śūdra as his feet. He is made up of the substance which is of groups of gods of various names; the performance of sacrifices is his essential work.^[28]

38. Such is the extent and configuration (formation) of the body of the Supreme Lord described to you, by me. One should concentrate one’s mind on this very huge body of the Cosmic Man, by one’s own intellect (intellectual efforts), as there is nothing beyond this (or there is nothing greater).

39. Just as one sees all one’s relatives in a dream, he, the Soul, experiences everything directly by his power of intelligence. One should resort (develop oneself) to him who is the real, and a reservoir of bliss. He should not be attached to anything else, otherwise there will be a fall of the Soul.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

para—(i) Within the range of senses (of hearing etc.)—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(ii) The Supreme Soul—Padaratnāvalī

(iii) Pertaining to Śrī-Kṛṣṇa or by hearing which the highest goal in life is achieved—Kramasandarbha.

[2]:

varīyān—(i) Worth undertaking (discussion)—Padaratnāvalī

(ii) Very great as compared with topics related to other incarnations—Kramasandarbha.

[3]:

ātmavit-sammata [sammataḥ]—(i) approved of mainly by self-knowers like god Brahmā and others—Padaratnāvalī

(ii) Not that you (Parīkṣit) have not realized the soul, but you, who have known the soul, have asked this question for the benefit of the world—Siddhāntapradīpa

[4]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā states: Persons in worldly life wish to hear thousands of topics, but a man desirous of liberation wishes to listen to (and concentrate) on the Brahman only.

[5]:

In a householder’s life, there are generally five articles in the house, whereby living beings are hurt or destroyed. Siddhāntapradīpa enumerates them as follows: a fire place, a grind-stone (for milling food-grains), a broom, a mortar and a water pot. These prevent a householder from going to heaven. Also vide ASD. p. 560. Siddhāntapradīpa quotes the following verse:

kaṇḍanī, peṣaṇī, cullī, udakumbhī ca mārjanī /
pañca-sūnā gṛhasthasya tābhiḥ svargaṃ na gacchati //

[6]:

Sāṅkhya—(i) Accurate comprehension of the Soul and the non- Soul—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

(ii) The path of knowledge (Jñānayoga)—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(iii) Metaphysics etc. of Sāṅkhyas—Padaratnāvalī

Yoga (i) The eight-fold path of Yoga and practice—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

(ii) The path of action (Karma-yoga) without any desire for the fruit of action—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(iii) Worship of the Lord etc. as prescribed in the Yoga-Śāstra (authoritative scriptures on Yoga)— Padaratnāvalī

[7]:

According to Bālaprabodhini

[8]:

Munayaḥ [Muni]—Those who are completely devoted to the meditation of Hari—Siddhāntapradīpa

[9]:

nivṛtta-vidhi-ṣedhataḥ—(i) Not observing Vedic injunctions anḍ prohibitions (to perform rites, with a desire to obtain some particular object or fruit, and to abstain from some actions)—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(ii) Free from contamination of the merit or sin arising from the Vedic prescriptions—Bālaprabodhini

[10]:

nairguṇyasthāḥ [nairguṇya-stha]—(i) Who meditate upon Brahman of pure sattva attribute, unalloyed by rajas and tamas—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(ii) Liberated (muktāḥ [mukta]) as nairguṇya=the Liberation granted by the Supreme attributeless Lord (Hari)—Kramasandarbha.

(iii) Established in their own soul who is above the three attributes—Subodhinī

[11]:

In the transitional period of which Dvāpara was the beginning, i.e. the end of Dvāpara. Vyāsa was a contemporary of Śantanu—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[12]:

nirvidyamānānām [nirvidyamāna]—disgusted with the worldly miseries—Bhāgavata Candrikā & Padaratnāvalī

[13]:

Yoginām—Persons who follow the path of action—Karmayoga without any attachment for the accruing fruit—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[14]:

Khaṭvāṅga a son of Viśvasaha and a Cakravartin. Fought for Devas and defeated the demons in battle. Knowing that he had only a muhūrta to live, he returned, to the earth, renounced everything, and devoted himself to Nārāyaṇa in a detached spirit, and attained Liberation—Purāṇa Index. 1.495. vide infra IX. 9.41-49.

[15]:

sāmparāyika—Pertaining to the future, i.e. the time for liberation (mukti-kāla). Or listen to the Bhāgavata which will enable you to remember (muse over) Hari’s feet—Padaratnāvalī

[16]:

This indicates the 1st ‘aid’ (aṅga), viz. Yama or ‘abstinence’ in Yoga. It includes ‘abstinence from injury, and from falsehood, and from theft and from incontinence and from acceptance of gifts’. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali (The Yoga System of Patañjali—J.H. Woods HOS 1966), p. 178-80.

[17]:

This stands for the 2nd ‘aid’ viz. niyama or ‘observances’ in Yoga. They are: cleanliness, contentment, self-castigation, study and devotion to īśvara or God. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali—ii.32, pp. 181-83.

[18]:

This is the 3rd ‘aid’ viz. āsana. See The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali ii.46. pp. 191-92 for details.

[19]:

Verses 17-20 explain the remaining ‘aids’ (aṅgas) of Yoga viz. breath-control (prāṇāyāma), withdrawal of the senses (pratyāhāra), contemplation (dhāraṇā) and concentration (samādhi) Vide The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali pp. 195-200.

[20]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā and other Commentaries state that the ‘sheaths’ are those of the five elements, viz. the earth, water, fire, air and the sky and of ahaṃkāra (the ego) and mahat, the first evolute of Prakṛti according to the Sāṃkhyas.

[21]:

Verses 26 to 37 describe the details of the Cosmic Man who is to be contemplated. Bhāgavata Candrikā explains that these are to be meditated as that particular part of his body, e.g. Pātāla is to be contemplated as the sole of his feet etc. but Padaratnāvalī specifically points out that Pātāla etc. are Not identical with the actual parts of his body which is characterised by bliss, energy etc. Pātāla etc. are the parts of the universe which are created from and are supported by his limbs.

[22]:

Chandāṃsi—Vedic meters like Gāyatrī and others—Padaratnāvalī

[23]:

The Sun and the Moon are his two tusks (while) stars are his teeth—Padaratnāvalī

[24]:

Padaratnāvalī reads vacāṃsi i.e. Vedic and popular expressions.

[25]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā and Siddhāntapradīpa read asurānīka-varyyaḥ—The Supreme Person among the Asura hosts, i.e. Prahlāda.

[26]:

mahātma=Vairājaḥ (Cosmic Man)—Bhāgavata Candrikā,Siddhāntapradīpa

[27]:

Subodhinī explicitely states that these words do not denote a caste but certain qualities: Brahma-bhāvaḥ kaściddharmaḥ... Brāhmaṇyaṃ na jātiḥ / The whole exposition is interesting. Cf Ṛg Veda Saṃhitā. (Ṛgveda) 10.90.12, AV. (Atharvaveda) 19.6.6

[28]:

nānābhidha... vitāna-yogaḥ—

The performance of sacrifice is the act for propitiating him. It is to be done with offerings meant for propitiating groups of gods with various names and are so worshipped—Bhāgavata Candrikā

Padaratnāvalī interprets differently: The Great Soul has his mouth from which Brāhmaṇa-caste is born... He possesses the power to create svāhā and svadhā which are to be used for gods and manes. His middle part of the body is the Soul creating Havya (things worthy of being sacrificed). He possessos the means to help all sacrifices like agniṣṭoma, etc.