Chapter 8 - Queries regarding the relation between the body, Soul and God, etc.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The king said:

1-2. Oh Brahman! Nārada of godly vision^[1] (or who makes his followers to visualise God) who was directed by Brahmadeva, to describe in detail the qualities of the Lord, who is free from Sattva and other attributes, expounded to various persons, the real nature of God. Oh prominent one among the knowers of Veda. I would like to know (what is the truth). The episodes of Hari of miraculous powers, are very auspicious to people.

3. Expound to me (those discourses) in such a way that I shall, after fixing my unattached mind on Kṛṣṇa, the antaryāmin (the Soul within all), give up my body.

4. The lord enters the heart, within a short time, of those who always hear with faith his deeds and extol the same.

5. Kṛṣṇa who enters the lotus of his devotee’s heart by way of the ear, cleanses all the sins, just as the season called Śarad (autumnal season) does unto waters (of rivers etc.).

6. A person whose sins are washed away and who becomes free from all troubles (resulting from love, hatred etc.), does not leave the feet of Kṛṣṇa, just as a traveller (who has returned home after a long sojourn) does not leave his home.

7.^[2] Oh Brahman! You know really whether it is causeless or with a cause like Karma that the soul, which is not constituted of elements, (still) comes to possess a body made up of elements. Please explain to me the truth about it.

8. He, (God) from whose navel sprouted forth the lotus which represented the configuration of the worlds, is described as possessing the same form and the same number of limbs as a human being, with the difference that He has limbs of separate and of his own dimensions. (If that be the case) what is the difference between the two (God and his miniature (man)?

9. The unborn god Brahmā creates beings and controls them through his grace. It is due to his favour that Brahmā (though) born from the lotus (grown) out of his navel could get a glimpse of his form.^[3]

10. In what place does the Supreme Man who dwells in the hearts of all,^[4] who creates, protects and destroys the universe, and who is the Lord of māyā, stay when he lays aside^[5] his māyā?

11. We heard (from you) that the worlds with their protecting deities were created first from the limbs of the Man, and that with these worlds and their presiding deities, the limbs of his body are formed. Please explain this.

12. What is the duration of Kalpa (Brahmakalpa)? What is the extent of Vikalpa (Manvādi-kalpa)? How is Time measured? What is the significance of the past, present and the future? What is the span of life of men, manes (pitṛs), gods etc.?

13. What is the nature of Time which, though very long, appears to be very short? What are the places where Karma leads to beings? Of what nature are they, oh the best of Brāhmaṇas?

14.^[6] Please tell me about the individual Souls (lit. possessors of attributes) who wish to become gods etc. as a result of the modifications or changes in the attributes, like sattva, rajas etc.? In what stage does the cumulative effect of good and bad actions take place? By what combinations of actions and by what procedure of doing them is one qualified to get Godhood and such other status.

15. What is the origin of the earth, the nether-world (pātāla), directions, the sky, the planets, the constellations of stars, mountains, rivers, seas and islands? What is the origin of the inhabitants thereof?

16. What are the dimensions of the Cosmic Egg, separately from within and without? What are the lives and deeds of the great in them? Please tell me definite knowledge about the classes of society and the stages of life (varṇa and āśrama).

17. What are (the different) Yugas, and what is the extent of each Yuga (age)? What is (the nature of) religion in each Yuga? What are the most miraculous incarnations of Hari and his deeds?

18. What is the course of duties common to men? What are the special duties of guilds of workers and the royal sages? What is the course of conduct to men, who have to live under emergency (āpad-dharma)?

19. What is the number of tattvas or fundamental principles? What is their characteristic? What is their nature for distinguishing them from their effects? What is the method of worshipping the Supreme Man? And what is the method of practising Yoga consisting of eight stages?

20. What is the way (like arcir-mārga) of the past masters of Yoga possessing eight miraculous powers? How is the liṅga- śarīra (the subtle body) destroyed? What is the nature of the Vedas (like Ṛgveda, Yajurveda etc.) Upavedas (like Ayurveda, Gandharva-Veda etc.), Dharma (course of conduct) for different classes of society, different stages of life etc., Itihāsa like Mahābhārata) and Purāṇas (18 Mahāpurāṇas and 18 Upapurāṇas)?

21. What is the nature of the interim deluge or the creation, sustenance and destruction of all the beings? What is the correct method of performing Iṣṭa (maintenance of sacrificial fire, penance, vaiśvadeva etc.) and pūrta (such as construction of temples, lakes etc.) and attaining the triad, viz., dharma, artha and kāma?

22. How are the jīvas (individual souls) who fall from heaven etc., along with the balance of their karmas, born in this world? How did the heretic doctrine come into existence? What is the nature of the so-called bondage and liberation of the Soul? How does the Soul attain to his real essential nature?

23. How does the self-dependent lord sport with the help of māyā? How does the all-pervading lord, at the time of the deluge, cast off the māyā and remain aloof as a witness?

24. Oh venerable great sage? You should kindly explain to me who suppliantly approached you for knowledge, the reality about all these (and other points as well) in the serial order of inquiring.

25. Oh revered one! You are the authority on these just like the great God Brahmā, born of the Supreme Spirit, for other people in this world (blindly) follow what was done by the forefathers of their forefathers.

26. Oh Brāhmaṇa! My life (vital airs) will not depart by fasting so long as I drink the nectar (in the form of the stories) of Acyuta, though they may pass away soon due to the wrath of Brāhmaṇa (i.e. the bite by Takṣaka due to the curse).

27. Brahmarāta (i.e. Śuka) was highly pleased, when in that assembly, Viṣṇurāta (i.e. Parīkṣit) respectfully requested him, to narrate the episodes of Hari, the Lord of the good (or god Brahmadeva etc.).

28. He expounded him the purāṇa called Bhāgavata which is equivalent to Veda, and which was narrated to god Brahmā by the Lord, at the advent of Brahma-kalpa.

29. Whatever Parīkṣit, the foremost in the Pāṇḍava race, asked, (Śuka) began to narrate in all, in the order of questions.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Deva-darśana—One who shows the Supreme Soul (to his followers).

[2]:

Whether it is due only to the will of God or any other cause like Karman, there happens at the beginning the possession of the body consisting of dhātus (elements), its material cause, the produce of the Prakṛti, in the case of the Soul which is essentially unrelated to dhātus like Prakṛti—Padaratnāvalī

[3]:

Padaratnāvalī explains verses 8 and 9: At the beginning, during the great deluge (Mahāpralaya), when Nārāyaṇa wished to create the universe, he became the Supreme Man (Parama-puruṣa) and created the Cosmic Egg. He, along with the principles (which led to the creation of the universe) entered the watery portion of the Egg and lay on the bed of Śeṣa. From His navel sprang up the lotus containing fourteen worlds. He came to be called Vairāja within that Egg. ayam puruṣa (this Man) in verse 8 signifies this Cosmic Egg (aṇḍakośa) and is called puruṣa (man) due to God’s presence in the puruṣa form. This Vairāja called Viṣṇu is different from the Egg. But it is due to his presence in the Egg, that the parts of the Egg are represented as his limbs.

[4]:

v.l. sarva-guṇāśraya [guṇāśrayaḥ]—Bhāgavata Candrikā: Possessing six excellent qualities fully. Padaratnāvalī: The support of God Brahmā etc. representing Guṇas in the beginning of creation, Or, possessing all excellent qualities such as knowledge, bliss etc.

[5]:

ātma-māyām muktvā Bhāgavata Candrikā: transcending prakṛti; Padaratnāvalī: Suspending the binding force of prakṛti under his control.

[6]:

Explain to me the place where the effect of Karma takes place. Through what agency (of gods etc.) and of what nature is it? Tell us in detail the modifications taking place in attributes and individual Souls and the cause of their attaining the bodies of Gods etc.