Chapter 16 - Description of Viṣṇu’s Glorious Manifestations

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Note: If the previous chapter bears comparison with the Vibhūti-pāda of the Yogasūtras by Patañjali, this chapter is an echo of chapter X of the Bhagavad Gītā called Vibhūti-yoga. A number of verses and parts of verses being common both to this text and the Bhagavad Gītā, verses are not quoted in Footnotes to conserve space.]

Uddhava said:

1. You are the veritable Supreme Brahman having neither the beginning nor end. You are unobscured (by Māyā or its products). You are the Maker of creation, protection and destruction of all beings.

2. Although you are very difficult to be cognised by persons who have not controlled their minds, O Lord, persons who have understood the real import of the Vedas propitiate you (by contemplating on you in rhe proper manner), in your real form as abiding in all beings high or low.

3. Pray, be pleased to narrate to me the various objects or beings (in which you have manifested yourself and^[1]), by devoutly contemplating on you through which the great sages (of yore) have attained final beatitude.

4. You are the creator and Protector of beings. As their Inner Controller, you abide in them without being manifest to them. Being deluded by your Māyā, the beings cannot see you who, however, perceive them all.

5. O Lord of infinite glories! Be pleased to describe unto me whatever glorious forms of yours have been vested by you with special powers and have been manifested on the earth, in the heavens, in the subterranean regions and in all the quarters. I bow to your lotus feet which are the abode of all sacred places.

The glorious Lord said:

6. O Uddhava I You are the excellent one among persons who make (intelligent) queries (with proper understanding). A question similar to this very question was put to me by Arjuna who was eager to fight with the enemies, at Kurukṣetra.^[2]

7. Knowing that killing one’s kinsfolk for the purpose of obtaining a kingdom is both censurable and irreligious, he, like a common man, came to believe (falsely) that he would be the killer and the other soul would be killed by him and he desisted from fighting.

8. At that time that liger-like (Valiant) hero who was made to realize (the correct philosophical position in the matter) by logical reasoning, spoke to me in the same manner at the battle-front, as you did now.

9. I am the (Indwelling) Soul, a friend and the Ruler of all these beings, O Uddhava. In fact I constitute all beings; I am the Creator, Protector and Destroyer of these beings.

10. I am the motive force among the mobile; I am the Time-Spirit (Kāla) among those that bring other things under control. I am the state of equipoise of the guṇas and I constitute the property natural in things possessing properties.

11. I am the sūtra, the first evolute of Prakṛti—the active aspect in the products of guṇas; I am the greatness or the principle called Mahat among things with large dimensions. Among the subtlest of things, I am the vital Principle and among the invincibles, I am the mind.

12. Of the Vedas, I am god Brahmā (Hiraṇyagarbha who is the first teacher of the Vedas); of mantras, I am the Praṇava (Oṃ) constituted of the three syllabus (A U M); of the sounds represented by the letters of the alphabet, I am (the first sound) A; of all the metres, I am the Gāyatrī metre (consisting of three feet).

13. I am Indra out of all celestials and the fire-god among all the Vasus. Of the Sun-gods, I am Viṣṇu and out of the (eleven) Rudras, I am Lord Śiva.

14. Out of Brāhmaṇa sages, I am Bhṛgu and out of royal sages I am Manu (the progenitor of the human race). I am Nārada out of celestial sages, and the wish-yielding cow, Havirclhānī amongst cows.

15. Out of masters of super-normal powers (siddhas), I am Kapila; out of birds, I am Garuḍa, I am Dakṣa out of Prajāpatis (The lords presiding over creation) and am Aryamā out of the manes or departed ancestors.

16. O Uddhava! Know that I am Prahlāda, the king of Asuras among the demons (Daityas). Out of constellations and medicinal plants, I am Soma, and I am Kubera out of Yakṣas and Rākṣasas.

17. Know me to be Airāvata (the elephant of Indra) among mighty elephants and Varuṇa, the Lord of acquatic animals. Know me to be the Sun among the heavenly luminous bodies emitting heat and light and the Lord of the terrestrial globe among human beings.

18. Out of horses, I am Uccaiḥśravas and gold out of (excavated) metals; out of deities dispensing justice and punishment. I am Yama (the god of Death) and out of serpents know that I am Vāsuki.

19. I am Lord Ananta (Śeṣa) out of the serpent-kings and a lion (lord of beasts) among animals with horns and fangs. Know me to be the fourth Āśrama, (sannyāsa) among the Āśramas (stages of life) and the first Varṇa (Brāhmaṇas) among the classes in society.

20. I am the Gaṅgā among sacred rivers and streams and the sea among all the reservoirs of water. I am the bow among weapons and god Śiva, the slayer of Tripura, among archers.

21. Among all abodes, I am mount Meru (the abode of gods) and of all steep and inaccessible places, I am the Himālayas. Out of trees, I am the Pippal tree and I am barley of all the (food yielding) plants.

22. Out of all sacrificial priests, I am Vasiṣṭha, and Bṛhaspati (the preceptor of gods) among the experts in the Vedas. Out of all the leaders of armies, know me to be Skanda and god Brahmā of all persons who show people the right path

23. Out of all sacrificial performances, I am Brahmayajña^[3] (the recitation and teaching of Vedas) and non-violence (even by word) out of all sacred vows. Out of all purifying agents like air, fire, sun, water and speech (vāk), I am the purifying power—the sanctifier of all purifying agencies).

24. Out of the (eight) steps or limbs of yoga, I am the absorption of the Self (in Brahma) or Samādhi. I am political wisdom among those who are ambitious of conquests; among the scientific systems of thought, I am the scientific thought system that distinguishes between the matter and spirit (ātman and anātman). I am the insoluble doubt in the quest of the theories of perception of knowledge (known as Khyāti^[4] as akhyāti of Mimāṃsakas, Śūnyakhyāti of Buddhists, asat-khyāti of Naiyāyikas, etc.).

25. I am Śatarūpā (the first woman, Svāyambhuva Manu’s wife) out of women, and Svāyambhuva Manu (the progenitor of the human race) out of men. Out of sages, I am Nārāyaṇa and (Sanat—) Kumāra among the observers of celebacy.

26. Of all the duties of righteousness, I am Sannyāsa^[5] (the assurance of protection against fear); of all causes conducive to security, I am the thought concentrated within (on the self). Of all the means of retaining secrets, I am sweet speech and silence. Of all couples, I am god Brahmā (who divided his person in man and woman).

27. Of all the divisions of Time,^[6] I am Saṃvatsara (a year) and of all seasons, I am the spring (consisting of the months of Caitra and Vaiśākha). Out of the months (of a year), I am Mārgaśīrṣa and out of all constellations of stars, I am Abhijit (that forms the last part of the asterism Uttarāṣāḍhā and the first of Śrāvaṇa).

28. Out of yugas, I am the Kṛta Age and of all intelligent bold thinkers,^[7] I am Asita and Devala. I am Dvaipāyana (son of Parāśara and Satyavatī) among all the classifiers of the Vedas. Of wise politicians, I am the self-controlled Śukra.

29. Among all the divine persons possessing the knowledge of creation and destruction of the universe and the individual and the spiritual wisdom and nescience^[8], I am Vāsudeva while among the supreme devotees of the Lord, I am you (Uddhava).^[9] Of all the Kimpuruṣas (demi-gods similar to monkeys) I am Hanumān, while among all the Vidyādharas I am Sudarśana.^[10]

30. I am the ruby out of all precious stones; I am the lotus-bud of all delicate and lovely objects. Of the grass of the darbha-type I am Kuśa. Out of all oblations to fire, I am butter made from cow’s milk.

31. I am the wealth of the industrialists and businessmen (or those who strive to make money). Among all the gamblers, I am fraudulence. I am fortitude among the endurant persons and the energy among the energetic strivers.

32. I am (physical and mental) virility and might among the strong and I am desireless action (of devoted service) among the Sātvatas (the votaries of the Lord). I am the first Supreme manifestation (viz. Vāsudeva) among all the nine manifestations^[11] (Vyūhas of the Lord worshipped by followers of the Pāñcarātra Āgama.

33. Out of Gandharvas, I am Viśvāvasu and am Pūrvacitti^[12] out of celestial damsels. I am stability among the mountains and the property of scent of the earth.

34. I am the taste among water (liquids). I am the Sun among the bright luminaries; I am the lustre of the Sun, the moon and the stars. I am the sound (the essential characteristic) of the sky.

35. Of all those who are friendly to Brāhmaṇas, I am Bali and I am Arjuna among the warriors. I constitute the creation, sustenance and destruction of all the beings or elements).

36. I am the functions of the sense-organs such as locomotion, expression, excretion, receiving and enjoyment as well as touching, tasting, hearing and smelling. I am the sense of all senses (i.e. the inherent power to perform these functions).

37. I constitute the seven principles which are of the nature of both the cause and the effect, viz. the subtle elements—tanmātrās—of earth, air, sky, water, fire and Ego (Ahaṅkāra) and Mahat; I am also the (sixteen) modifications (which are only the effects and not cause, viz. five gross elements, ten cognitive and conative sense-organs and the mind), the individual soul (who is above causal relation) and the Unmanifest (Prakṛti which is only the cause of all) and (the three modifications of Prakṛti, viz.) Sattva, Rajas and Tamas^[13] as well as the Transcendental Supreme Brahman.^[14]

38. I form the aggregate of these (Twenty-five principles) the knowledge (of their characteristics) as well as the consequent realization of the definite Truth. Nothing exists without my presence anywhere, as I am both the Supreme Ruler as well as individual soul, the modifications (of Prakṛti) or guṇas as well as the products of these guṇas.^[15]

39. The (impossible task of) taking a count of all atoms can be done by me in course of time, but the reckoning of all my manifestations is impossible as millions and millions of universes are continuously being created by me.

40. Wherever there is majesty, affluence and celebrity, authority, modesty, liberality or beauty, fortune, capability, forbearance and precise knowledge of the Truth, there exists my part-manifestation (aṃśa).

41. All these manifestations of mine have been briefly described to you. But these are nothing but freaks of imagination (like the unreal sky-flower) which are only verbally expressed.^[16]

42. (Hence) control your speech; rest ain your mind, practise breath-control, subdue your sense-organs, bring your intellect under control by your (sāttvika) intellect so that you will not be liable to return to the path of Saṃsāra.

43. The recluse (striver on the spiritual path) who does not strictly control his speech and mind with his reasoning power, finds that his sacred vows, austere penance and liberality in gifts leak away like water from an unbaked jar.

44. Therefore, devoting himself solely and unflinchingly to me and with his intellect full of devotion to me, he should control his mind, speech and breath. It is then alone that he attains Liberation from Saṃsāra—which is the end of the journey.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

And the procedure of contemplating on you in those several objects and beings—Padaratnāvalī

[2]:

Strictly speaking Vinaśana designates the spot in Kurukṣetra where the Sarasvatī disappeared (Mahābhārata Vana 82.111) but here the battlefield of Kurukṣetra in general is implied.

[3]:

Which satisfies gods, sages, manes, living beings and the universe—EK

[4]:

There are five Kḥhātis, each espoused by a different school of thought. They are enumerated below:

ātma-khyātir asatkhyātir akhyātiḥ khyātir anyathā /
tathā'nīrvacana-khyātir ityetat khyāti-pañcakam //
vijñāna-śūnyamīmāṃsā-tarkādvaita-vidāṃ matam.

[5]:

Resigning all desire for the reward of all actions to the Lord ( anabhisaṃhita-phalo dharmaḥ)—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[6]:

Of all those who are vigilant (Bhāvāratha Dīpikā)

[7]:

Persons with fortitude to undergo pair of opposites like pleasure and pain—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[8]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā gives the definition of Bhagavān as follows:

utpattiṃ pralayaṃ caiva bhūtānām agatiṃ gatim /
vetti vidyām avidyāṃ ca sa vācyo bhagavān iti /l

But Bhāgavata Candrikā and Padaratnāvalī follow the usual description of being endowed with six excellences like jñāna, aisvarya [aiśvarya?], etc.

[9]:

With Padaratnāvalī the seniority of the best devotees is as follows: Bhīma, Draupadī, Balarāma, Arjuna and lastly Uddhava.

[10]:

vide Supra X. 34.12-18.

[11]:

Bālaprabodhini enumerates them as follows: Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Nārāyaṇa, Hayagrīva, Varāha, Nṛsiṃha and Vāmana

Bhāgavata Candrikā (as can be deduced from his predecessor SS) is off the mark to enumerate the usual ten Avatāras of Viṣṇu, deleting Kalki from the list.

Padaratnāvalī’s list as usual is unique.

[12]:

vide Supra V. 2. 3-19.

[13]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā quotes the following Sāṅkhya Kārikā by Īśvara Kṛṣṇa bringing out the implication of this verse:

mūla-prakṛtir avikṛti-mahadādyāḥ prakṛti-vikṛtayaḥ sapta /
ṣoḍaśakaś [?ca?] vikāraḥ, na prakṛtir na vikṛtiḥ puruṣaḥ //

[14]:

Param—But I am distinct from them as I am the controller of those principles—Padaratnāvalī

[15]:

I constitute the duality known as God and the individual soul, rhe guṇas and their products, the Inner Controller of the body as well as the body—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[16]:

They are produced directly by my will power and are conveyed by the Vedas—

(mat-saṅkalpa-mātra-janyāḥ vācā vedena)—Bhāgavata Candrikā