The Bhagavata Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 780,972 words | ISBN-10: 8120838203 | ISBN-13: 9788120838208

This page describes Creation of Rudra, the mind-born Sons and of Manu and Shatarupa which is chapter 12 of the English translation of the Bhagavata Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas containing roughly 18,000 metrical verses. Topics include ancient Indian history, religion, philosophy, geography, mythology, etc. The text has been interpreted by various schools of philosophy. This is the twelfth chapter of the Third Skandha of the Bhagavatapurana.

Chapter 12 - Creation of Rudra, the mind-born Sons and of Manu and Śatarūpā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Maitreya said:

1. Oh Vidura, the greatness of the Kāla-form of the Supreme Lord is thus described to you. Now know from me how Vedagarbha (god Brahmā) proceeded with the creation.

2. The creator, at first, created the varieties of ignorance (or avidyā) viz. mahāmoha, moha, tāmisra, andhatāmisra and moha[1].

3. Seeing the sinful creation, Brahmā did not think highly of himself. With his mind purified by meditation on the Lord, he brought forth another creation.

4. The self-born god (Brahmā) then created the sages Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana and Sanatkumāra who were not interested in actions (for dharma, artha or kāma) and lived in perpetual celibacy[2].

5. The self-born god spoke to them, “Oh sons, procreate children”. But they being absolutely devoted to Vāsudeva and followers of the path of liberation, were not so inclined (to create).

6. He was thus disobeyed by his sons who refused to comply with his order. He tried to control his unbearable rage aroused (due to this defiance).

7. Though he tried to control the rage by his mental power, the rage was immediately born as a son of dark-blue complexion from the middle of the brows of Brahmā.

8. The illustrious god Bhava who was born before (other) gods verily cried out, “Oh creator, the father of the world, give me names and fix (some) places for me”.

9. The lotus-born god (Brahmā), with a view to granting his request, spoke with sweet words, “Please do not cry, I shall give it to you.

10. Oh great god, as you cried like an excited child, people will call you by the name ‘Rudra’.

11. Your places have been already arranged by me as follows: The mind, the sense-organs, the vital breath, the Sky, the Wind, the Fire, the Water, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon and the penance.

12. (The following are your names): Manyu, Manu, Mahinasa, Mahān, Śiva, Ṛtuḍhvaja, Ugraretas, Bhava, Kāla, Vāmadeva and Dhṛtavrata.

13. Oh Rudra, you will have the following wives, namely: Dhī, Vṛtti, Uśanā, Umā, Niyutsarpi, Ilā, Ambikā, Irāvatī, Sudhā, Dīkṣā, Rudrāṇī.

14. As you are a Prajāpati accept these names, places along with these wives, and procreate abundant progeny.”

15. Being thus ordered by his father, Lord Nīlalohita (Rudra) brought forth children who were like him in prowess, form,(complexion) and nature.

16. Seeing the innumerable hordes of Rudras created by (the original) Rudra, devouring the world on all side, god Brahmā got afraid.

17. (He said to Rudra): “Oh great god, enough of the creation of all such beings who with their terrible eyes are burning all the directions along with me.

18. Perform penance which is conducive to the happiness of all beings. May you be blest. It is by penance that you (lit. Your honour) will create again this universe as it was before.

19. It is only by (performance of) penance that a man can easily attain to the Lord Adhokṣaja, the Supreme light, dwelling in the hearts of all beings.” Maitreya said:

20. Being thus ordered by the self-born god (Brahmā), (Rudra) circumambulated from left to right the Lord of Speech (Brahmā). Complying with his request, he bade goodbye to him and entered the forest for penance.

21. Then while he was musing over the problem of creation and became possessed of the power of the Lord (for creation), ten sons who became the progenitors of the population of the world, were born to him.

22.[3] (They were): Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Dakṣa and the tenth (son) was Nārada.

23-24. Nārada was born from Brahmā’s lap; Dakṣa from his thumb; Vasiṣṭha from his vital breath, Bhṛgu from the skin and Kratu from his hand; Pulaha was born from his navel, the sage Pulastya from his ears, Aṅgiras from his mouth, Atri from his eyes, and Marīci, was created from (Brahmā’s) mind.

25. Dharma was born from his right breast wherein abides Nārāyaṇa himself. From his back (was born) Adharma which begets the Death, a terror to the world.

26. Desire (Kāma) was born in his heart; Anger (krodha) from his brow; Avarice (Lobha) from his lower lip; Speech was born from (his) mouth; the rivers from his penis and Nirṛti, the shelter of all sins, from his anus.

27. (The powerful sage) Kardama, the husband of Devahūti, was born from his shadow; this (whole) world was created from the mind and the body of the creator of the universe.

28. Oh Vidura, it is reported to us that self-born god became passionate and desired his own beautiful daughter, the goddess of Speech who, though herself above passions, captivated his mind.[4]

29. His sons, the sages, of whom Marīci was the foremost, saw that their father had set his heart on unrighteousness. Out of familiar confidence, they pleaded with (lit. awakened) him.

30. “That you do not control your passion despite your capacity to do so, and that you are bent on approaching your daughter, has never been done by the ancestors nor will it be done by others after you in future.

31. Oh father of the world, this is not glorifying (creditable) even to the possessors of divine lustre (power). By following this (course of conduct) the people shall never attain any good.”

32. (Finding Brahmā bent on the heinous act the sages prayed to God) “We bow to the glorious Lord who manifested this world that was within him. He alone is capable of protecting righteousness.”

33. Then the father of the Prajāpatis, seeing his sons, the Prajāpatis speaking this in his presence, became ashamed and gave up his body.

34. The cardinal points accepted that terrible body. The wise people know it as mist or darkness. While he was meditating how he should create the well-planned worlds as before, the Vedas came out from the four mouths of the creator.

35. The duties of the four sacrificial priests[5] (hotā, adhvaryu, udgātā, brahmā) along with the upavedas and the disciplines of Logic etc., the extensive course of sacrificial sessions, the four legs of Dharma and the duties of the four Āśramas were also produced thence.”

Vidura said:

36. “Oh sage (lit. one who regards penance as his wealth) you told that the Lord of the progenitors of the world produced Vedas etc. from his mouths. Please tell me by what particular (organ) he produced the specific things.”

Maitreya said:

37. “From his mouths facing the east (the west etc.), he produced the Vedas—Ṛg, Yajus, Sāman and Atharvan and Śastra (simple recitation of mantras in praise of gods entrusted to ṛtvij), ijyā (oblations, worship etc. to be done by adhvaryu), stutistoma (singing of the mantras in praise of gods, the duty of udgātā) and Prāyaścitta (expiatory rites in case of some lapses in sacrifices to be performed by brahmā).

38. Again through the same faces, and in the same serial order, he produced Āyurveda (the science of medicine), Dhanurveda (science of Warfare), Gandharva Veda (the science of Music) and Sthāpatya Veda (the science of Architecture, Sculpture etc.).

39. The Omniscient Lord produced the fifth Veda, viz. Itihāsa and Purāṇas from all his mouths.

40. From his mouth facing the east (came forth the sacrificial acts viz.) Ṣoḍaṣī and Uktha (and serially from other mouths) Purīṣī and Agniṣṭut, Āptoryāma and Aiirātra, Vājapeya, along with Gosava.

41. He created the four feet of Dharma viz. Vidyā (knowledge and purity), dāna (donations), tapas (penance) and satya (Truth). He also produced the (lour) āśramas (stages in life) along with their types of duties.

42. (Brahmacarya āśrama)—celibate stage—the 1st stage in life—is of four types viz.) Sāvitra (observance of celibacy and study of Sāvitrī for three nights from the upanayana (threadbearing) ceremony), Prajāpatya (observance of celibacy for one year), brāhma (observance of celibacy till the completion of the study of Vedas) and bṛhat (celibacy throughout life). (The 2nd stage in life) The gṛhastha āśrama—the married stage—is of four kinds according to the way of maintenance of family[6]: Vārtā (earning livelihood by agriculture and such other non-prohibited vocations), Sañcaya (maintenance of money earned by performing sacrifices), Śālīna (to live on whatever one gets without requesting or begging), Śiloñccha—(maintenance by gleaning grains, grain-gathering).

43. In (the third stage of life called) the vānaprastha āśrama, (there are four categories viz.) Vaikhānasas (who live upon food-grains which grow naturally without agricultural efforts), Vālakhilyas (who subsist on fresh food, giving away hoarded food), Audumbaras (who eat fruits etc. gathered from the direction to which they happen to look at first in the morning) and Phenapa (who live on fruits, leaves etc. automatically dropped from trees). In (the last stage of life) the Saṃnyāsa āśrama, (the four kinds are:) Kuṭīcaka (who chiefly abide by all the duties prescribed for the āśrama), Bahvoda (who perform the most essential duties of this āśrama but emphasize on the path of knowledge), Haṃsa (who concentrate on knowledge), Niṣkriya (who have realized the Soul).[7]

44. (So also were serially produced) the science of the knowledge of Soul and non-Soul[8], the three Vedas, the science of agriculture and the science of politics (leading to the attainment of Mokṣa, dharma, kāma and artha) and also the vyāhṛtis (mystic words following Om or praṇava) viz. bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, suvaḥ and bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ (or mahas). From his heart came forth Om.

45-46. (The Vedic metres) Uṣṇik, Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, Anuṣṭubh and Jagatī, Paṅkti and Bṛhatī were produced respectively from the hair, skin, flesh, muscles and bones, marrow and prāṇa or vital airs of the all-pervading Prajāpati (Brahmā). His life (jīva) is said to consist of the occlusives or the consonants of five classes (e.g. velar, palatal etc.) from k to m, and his body, of vowels (a, i, u etc.)[9].

47. The sibilants (ūṣma varṇas like ś, , s) are called the sense organs of the Soul, i.e. Brahmā, and the semi-vowels (y, r, l, v) his strength. And the gamut of music (viz. Ṣaḍja, Ṛṣabha, Gandhāra, Madhyama, Pañcama, Dhaivata and Niṣāda) are created out of the sport of Prajāpati.

48.[10] Brahmā whose body is śabda-brahman is of both manifest (as vaikharī) and unmanifest (as Omkāra) forms. As unmanifest the Supreme Spirit clearly appears to him as the highest omnipresent Brahman. As a manifest form, it appears as Indra and other forms possessing different powers.

49-52. Then assuming another (body), he set his mind on creation (of the world). Finding the limited creation (of progeny) even by sages possessing great power, he again began to ponder, Oh Kaurava (Vidura).

“Oh! It is really strange that although I am all the while engaged in creating (the world) the beings do not multiply. In this, the Fate must be obstructing.”

Thus while Brahmā was doing his duties properly and thinking over the Providence, his body was split into two and it was called Kāya. And from the bifurcated forms of the body was produced a pair of a male and a female.

53. There the male part was the emperor Svāyambhuva Manu and that the female part was called Śatarūpā and was the queen of the great person.

54. Indeed, the subjects (created beings) began to multiply in their relationship as husband and wife. He brought forth five children from Śatarūpā.

55. Oh Vidura, (They were) Priyavrata, Uttānapāda and three daughters, Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasūti.

56. He gave Ākūti (in marriage) to Ruci, the middle- daughter (Devahūti) to Kardama and Prasūti to Dakṣa. From these the world was filled (with population).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For details viḍe supra 3.10.11 and onwards the Sāṅkhya influence is evident. This list is repeated in LP. 2.9.30 and 34-35. This is the tāmasa creation.

[2]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā adds: These Kumāras are not created in every Kalpa but only in the Brāhma Kalpa. This is the description of the Brāhma Kalpa, hence the mention of their creation.

[3]:

For the symbolism of the ten mind-born sons as Virāj vide V.S. Agrawal—MP.—A Study, p. 38.

[4]:

Cf. The ‘marriage’ of Brahmā and Śatarūpā in MP. and the explanation of this symbolism vide V.S. Agrawal—MP.—A Study, pp. 47-50.

Padaratnāvalī however maintains that vāc is ‘the deity presiding over human speech’ and not Sarasvatī who is the natural consort of Brahmā, the Veda incarnate.

[5]:

These Priests are the experts in the Ṛg and other Vedas seri ally.

[6]:

Vaikhānasa Gṛhya Sūtra classifies gṛhasthas as (1) Vārtā vṛtti (maintaining on agriculture, trade), (2) Śālina vṛtti (stay in houses performing sacrifices etc.)., (3) Yāyāvara (performing ṣaṭkarmas) (4) Ghoracārika—corresponding to Śiloñccha. For details vide KaneHistory of Dharma Śāstra, Vol. II. I. pp. 641-43.

[7]:

Padaratnāvalī and Bhāvārtha-dīpikā-prakāśa differ: (1) Vaikhānasas—Those who subsist on roots, (ii) Vālakhilyas—Who eat everything, (iii) Udumbaras—Who live upon fruits, (iv) Phenapas—Who subsist on the milk-foam falling out from, the mouth of calves while sucking.

This classification is supported by Bṛhat Parāśara Smṛti XII. 158 for Vānaprasthas and XII.164 for Saṃnyāsins.

Kinds of Saṃnyāsins:—

Kuṭīcaka:
(i) The Ascetic who lives in his own house and is satisfied on whatever food is given to him—Padaratnāvalī
(ii) The ascetic who due to weakness etc. does not wander from one holy place to another but stays at one holy place in a hut and lives upon begging after practising japa of 12000 PraṇavasBhāvārtha-dīpikā-prakāśa

Bahvoda:
(i) He who, in addition to his three baths per day, performs ablution in every new tīrtha he sets and has three daṇḍasPadaratnāvalī
(ii) Who wanders from one holy place to another not living beyond a prescribed period at each place (e.g. I night at a village, 3 nights in a city etc.)

Haṃsa:
(i) Who carries one daṇḍa and the sacred thread—YajñopavītaPadaratnāvalī (ii) Who is nude, beyond dvandvas, lost in deep meditation of Brahman—Bhāvārtha-dīpikā-prakāśa

Niṣkrīya or Parama-haṃsa
(i) Who has abandoned all acts, completely observing ahiṃsā.
(ii) One who is absorbed in the meditation of the Brahman, careless about his body etc. and has crossed the seven stages of knowledge (Sapta- Jñāna-Bhūmikās).

Bhāgavata Candrikā and VC. follow Bhāvāratha Dīpikā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā-prakāśa claims his acceptance of Bhāvāratha Dīpikā’s interpretation.

[8]:

āṇvīkṣikī—The Tantrism in consonance with the Vedas—Padaratnāvalī

[9]:

Padaratnāvalī states: The occlusives from k to m were produced from his jīva and the vowels from his body.

[10]:

Though I have followed Bhāvāratha Dīpikā, this verse is differently interpreted. Thus Bhāgavata Candrikā emphasizes the literary or śabda aspect of Brahmā, and explains the different śakiis as functions of words, such as abhidhā, lakṣaṇā. I may add one more interpretation.

God Brahmā is of the form of śabda-brahma. He is manifest as the spoken word (Vaikharī) and unmanifest as Praṇava. But the real Supreme Spirit that is beyond him appears to be all-pervading and possessed of various powers.

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