Chapter 23 - Various Kalpas

Sūta said:

1. On hearing the words of Brahmā, lord Śiva in the form of Brahman spoke to him smilingly, in order to enlighten him.

2-3. When the Śveta kalpa was current, it was I who existed then. I had white turban, white garlands and white garments. I was white myself with white bones, white hairs, white blood and white complexion.^[1] So the kalpa too was known as Śvetakalpa.

4. Gāyatrī, the goddess of Devas, born of me, had white limbs, white colour, white blood. She was known as Brahmāṇī.

5. O lord of Devas, that was why I had been understood by you as the secret deity. By my penance I had assumed the form of Sadyojāta.

6. The title Sadyojāta is a secret Brahmā; the twice-born who know me, who have assumed secret nature, shall attain nearness to me whence there is no return.

7-12. When the next kalpa known as lohita, as a result of my colour, came, Gāyatrī glorified as a cow, born with red flesh, red bone, red blood, red milk, red eyes and red udders was known as Brahmāṇī. Since the colour was changed into red and since the lord was Vāma, I was known as Vāmadeva. O deity of great strength, then also I, who was in a different colour, was recognised by you who had practised self-control by resorting to yoga. I was then known as Vāmadeva. The twice-born who realise my Vāmadeva form shall go to Rudra’s world whence there is no return.

13. When the yuga gradually changed and I became yellow in colour, the kalpa was known as Pīta—the name assigned by me.

14. Gāyatrī, the goddess of Devas born of me was named Brahmāṇī. She was yellow in body, yellow in blood and yellow in colour.

15-17. O deity of great strength, there too. I was realized by yogins devoted to the practice of yoga, through your yogic mind. I was realized by you in the form of Tatpuruṣa. Hence, it was, O deity born of the golden egg, I got the Tatpuruṣa form. Persons endowed with penance, devoid of impurities, who are in contact with Brahman and who know me as Rudra, and Rudrāṇī as Gāyatrī—the mother of the Vedas go to Rudra’s world whence there is no return.

18-21. When I became terrible and black in. colour the kalpa was known as Kṛṣṇa after the colour assumed by me. There I resemble Kala (god of death). I am Kāla (Time), the reckoner of the worlds. O Brahmā, I was then known by you as Ghora (the terrible) with terrible exploits. O lord of Devas, Gāyatrī, born of me, was black in. body, black in blood, black in form and was named Brahmāṇī. Hence to those who know me that I have assumed the ghora form, I, the changeless one, shall be Aghora (non-terrible) and Śānta (quiescent).

22-25. O Brahmā, when I assumed the universal form I was realized by you by means of the yogic trance. Gāyatrī, the sustainer of the worlds^[2], also assumed the universal form. To those who know me as having assumed this universal form, I shall always become auspicious and gentle. That Kalpa too will be known as Viśvarūpa (universal form).

26-29. These four who are of all kinds of forms will become popular as my sons. Since they are of different colours, their subjects too will be of different colours or castes (Varṇas), and allowed the use of Gāyatrī. Man’s aim of life will be fourfold: virtue, wealth, desire and liberation. All living beings will come under four groups^[3], Four stages of life. The feet of Dharma will be four^[4] since my sons are four in number.

30. Hence the universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings is stationed in the four yugas. Since it is stationed in the four yugas it shall have four fret.

31-32. There are eight worlds: Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svar, Mahar, Janar, Tapas, Satya and Viṣṇu. These are established in the eight substratums each of which is imperishable. Bhuḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svar and Mahaḥ constitute the four substratums,

33. The first is Bhūḥ, the second Bhuvaḥ, die third Svar and Mahar is the fourth.

34-35. The fifth is Janaḥ, the sixth Tapas, the seventh Satya whence people do not return to this world. The world of Viṣṇu is the eighth. It is also the spot whence a return to this world is difficult. Beyond that is the world of Skandha and Umā endowed with all attainments.

36-39. Beyond that is the world of Rudra—the splendid region of yogins. The twice-born who are devoid of ego, who have neither lust nor anger and whose minds are devoted to yoga alone can enter it. Since Gāyatrī was seen by you as four-footed, the worlds are also four, viz. the world of Umā, Kumāra, Maheśvara and Viṣṇu,^[5] Again, since Gāyatrī was seen as four-footed, the animals shall also be four-footed. Their udders too will be four.

40-41. Since the Soma-juice, which is the life of living beings, accompanied by Vedic chants, fell off from my mouth, the cows came to be known as those whose udders are sucked. Hence the nectar in the form of the Soma-juice is known as the life of living beings. Hence too, the animals became quadrupeds; the whiteness of their milk is also due to that.

42-44. Since the great Goddess was seen as biped in the course of the rites, Gāyatrī the creator of the worlds is also of the same nature. Hence all human beings are bipeds, endowed with two breasts. Since the great goddess, the unborn deity of great strength, was seen by you as supporting all living beings, therefore, the subjects will have all kinds of form.

45-51. The unborn deity shall have great splendour and universal form and from his face there will come out the fire-God whose energy will be unfailing. Hence, the pure and all-pervading fire-god has the form of living body. The pure-souled men of two births who see me as endowed with the faculties of overlordship, sense-control and omnipresence become liberated from rajas and tamas. Eschewing physical body they attain my vicinity and never return to this earth.

O brahmins, lord Brahmā who was thus addressed by Rudra bowed to him. Becoming purified in the mṃd he spoke to him again. “O lord, you are aware of the greatness of Gāyatrī as well as the glory of the Supreme lord (Maheśvara). O lord, may you kindly grant me the highest abode of Gāyatrī and that of yourself”. The lord then granted the boon to him, Hence, he who knows the multiformity or the universality of the supreme lord as also of Gāyatrī attains identity with Brahman, as stated to Brahmā by the lord himself.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

śvetalohita [śvetalohitaḥ]—nūtana-śveta-rūpaḥ Śivatoṣiṇī (a commentary on the Liṅgapurāṇa)., of new white complexion. For “lohita” as a synonym of ‘new’ sec Viśva: ‘lohitaḥ syān nave bhaume’.

[2]:

Sarvabhakṣā—“resorted to by all”. Śivatoṣiṇī. interprets differently: sarvam pātālajātam bhakṣayati nāśayati sā—one who consumes all the products of the nether regions.

[3]:

catvāraḥ—four classes of living beings as mentioned by Śivatoṣiṇī: jarāyuja-aṇḍaja-svedaja-udbhijjarūpāḥ.

[4]:

The four feet of righteousness, according to Śivatoṣiṇī, comprise dayā (compassion), dāna [dānam] (charity), tapas [tapaḥ] (penance), satya [satyam] (truth).

[5]:

pādānta—the ultimate region, i.e. the world of Viṣṇu.