Chapter 19 - The Curse of Wind-god

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The hunter said:

1-3. Earlier this was said by you that the splendid holy rites of the Lord should be performed with Viṣṇu in view, and that the Vaiśākha rites are also among them. O Brāhmaṇa, of what nature is that Viṣṇu? What is (his) characteristic feature? What is the proof of his existence? By whom can this great Lord be known? Of what nature are the holy rites of Viṣṇu? By which (rite) is Hari pleased? O highly intelligent Brāhmaṇa, explain this to me, your servant.

4. On being asked by the Vyādha (hunter) thus, the Brāhmaṇa spoke once again after bowing down to Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of the worlds, free from ailments.

Śaṅkha said:

5. Listen, O hunter, I shall describe the form of Viṣṇu. It is spotless (devoid of sins). It cannot be (adequately) comprehended by Brahmā and others and by sages of pure, sanctified souls.

6. The Lord of all has been described as one with full powers and one full of good qualities. The Lord whose form consists of existence, knowledge and bliss, is devoid of attributes. It is devoid of Kalās (parts) and is infinite.

7. This entire universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings, has never been otherwise (i.e. this has continued to exist from the beginning). The Lord is the support of all the desires and hopes of this universe. The universe is always under the control of the Lord.

8-10. Now I shall tell the features of Brahman, the Supreme Soul, to you. He is called Viṣṇu; from him all these take place: origin, sustenance, annihilation, repetition, control, knowledge, bondage, salvation and livelihood. This Lord is termed Brahman too. He is honoured by the wise seers. They call him the veritable Brahman. Afterwards Brahmā and oṃers too (were called so). The word ‘Brahma’ along with its attributes is interpreted as Brahmā (the creator) etc. by persons who know it.

11. No one else has the status of Brahma because they have only a part of his power. The birth etc. of this great Lord can be known only through scriptural texts.

12. O highly intelligent one, the scriptural texts are Vedas, Smṛtis, Purāṇas which have Vedas and Smṛtis for their soul, Itihāsas (epics, legends and mythology), Pāñcarātra and Bhārata.^[1]

13. Mahāviṣṇu can be known only through these and not through anything else at all. No man who is not conversant with the Vedas thinks (can think) about Viṣṇu anywhere.

14. Neither through the sense-organs nor through inferences, nor through arguments, is it possible to know Lord Nārāyaṇa, the eternal lord who can be known only through the Vedas.

15. Individual souls that are always under his control, become liberated by knowing his good qualities, manifestations and activities in accordance with their intellectual attainment.

16. The power of Viṣṇu is present in each of these: Devas, sages, Pitṛs and Mothers. It shall be comparatively more or less in each of these.

17. Through perception, verbal testimony and inference one should, at the outset, understand the Excellent Man in regard to strength, knowledge and happiness.

18. Bhūta (goblin?) is hundred times more than he. One should know that it is endowed with knowledge etc. One shall know that human beings and Gandharvas are hundred times superior to Bhūta.

19. One should know the Devas who identify themselves with the Tattvas as superior to them. The Seven Sages are more excellent than the Devas who identify themselves with the Tattvas.

20. Agni is more excellent than the Seven Sages. The Sun and others are superior to Agni. Guru is superior to the Sun. Prāṇa (Vital Air) is superior to Guru. Indra of great strength is superior to Prāṇa.

21. Goddess Girijā is superior to Indra. Śaṃbhu, the sire of the universe, is superior to the Goddess. Buddhi (Cosmic Intellect), the great goddess, is superior to (individual?) Buddhi and Prāṇa is superior in strength to Buddhi.

22. There is noṃing greater than Prāṇa. Everyṃing is established in Prāṇa. This universe is evolved out of Prāṇa. This universe has Prāṇa for its soul.

23. All this (visible world) is as if sewed to Prāṇa. It is active only through Prāṇa. They say that it is the support of everything and has the lustre of the blue cloud. It is the Sutra (that which makes everything function).

24. This Prāṇa is sustained merely by the side-glance of Lakṣmī. That Lakṣmī gets a portion of the mercy of the Lord of Devas.

25-26. There is nothing greater than Viṣṇu nor even on a par with him in any respect.

The hunter asked:

How did ṃis Prāṇa called Sutra become superior to individual souls? How can this be decisively said? O holy lord, how is the superiority of Prāṇa? Explain this also, O Brāhmaṇa, how the Lord is greater than Prāṇa.

Śaṅkha said:

27. Listen, O hunter. I shall recount to you what you have asked about the decision in regard to the superiority of Prāṇa in all the Jīvas (Individual Souls).

28. Formerly in the Pādmakalpa, Nārāyaṇa, the eternal Lord, Janārdana, created Devas beginning with Brahmā and said thus:

29-32. “O prominent Devas, I shall instal god Brahmā as your protector and master of this empire (universe). You appoint that Deva as a crown-prince who is superior to you, who is richly endowed with excellent moral character and possesses qualities of heroism, liberal-mindedness, etc.”

On being told thus by the Lord, all Devas with Śakra as the leader, began to contend with one another: “I shall become so. I shall become so”. All of them then began to argue. Some knew that the Sun-god was the greatest (god). Some said that Śakra (was the greatest) and some (said that) Kama (was the greatest). Some kept quite. Unable to come to a decision, they went to Nārāyaṇa with a view to seek his decision.

33-34. After bowing down to him, all the immortal ones said with palms joined in reverence:

“O Mahāviṣṇu, all of us have pondered over the matter clearly. We do not know at all what Deva is superior to all the others among us. You alone proclaim your decision, as the Devas are indeed in doubt.”

35-36. On being requested thus by all the immortal ones, the Lord laughingly said thus:

“This is the Vairāja body. When he goes out of it, it (the body) will fall. When it enters the body, it rises up. Hence this god is certainly superior to you all and none else at all.”

37-38. On being told thus, all of them said, “So be it”. At the outset, the leading Sura named Jayanta came out through the foot. Then they called it lame. The body did not fall. It continued to hear, drink, speak, smell and see though not (able) to walk.

39-43a. Then the patriarch named Dakṣa came out through the private part. Then they called it a eunuch. The body did not fall. It continued to hear, drink, speak, smell, see and move about.

Afterwards, Indra, the lord of all immortal ones, came out through the hand. They called it one devoid of hands. The body did not fall then. It continued to hear, drink, speak, smell, see and move about.

The Sun-god, the most excellent one among the refulgent bodies, came out through the eyes. Then, they called it “One-eyed”^[2] (Blind?). The body did not fall. It continued to hear, drink, speak, smell and move but not see.

43b-44a. Afterwards Nāsatyas, the physicians of the universe, came out through the nostrils. They called it “One who did not smell”. The body did not fall. It continued to hear, drink, speak and move about but not smell.

44b. The Quarters came out through the ears. Then the body did not fall. They called it “deaf’ but not dead at all.

45. It continued to drink and speak but not hear or move about. Thereafter Varuṇa came out through the tongue. Then the body did not fall. They called it “One who cannot relish the taste.”

46-47. It continued to be alive, move about, eat, understand and breaṃe.

Then Vahni, the lord and presiding deity of speech, came out through the organ of speech. Then they called it “dumb”. But the body did not fall. It continued to be alive, move about, eat, understand and breathe.

48-49. Afterwards Rudra came out through the mind, Rudra of the nature of enlightener of the mind. Then they called it, Jaḍa (sluggish, dull). The body did not fall then. It continued to be alive, move about, eat, understand and breathe.

Afterwards Prāṇa (Vital Air) came out. Then they came to know him to be dead. The Devas who were surprised in their minds said thus:

50. “He who makes this body rise up, shall be the most excellent one among us. He will become the Crown Prince.”

51-52. Afterwards they came to an agreement among themselves thus. They entered the body in due order.

Jayanta entered the feet. That body did not rise up. Dakṣa entered the private parts. That body did not rise up. Indra entered the hands. That body did not rise up.

53. The Sun entered the eye. That dead body did not rise up. The Quarters entered the ears. That body did not rise up.

54. Varuṇa entered the tongue. That body did not rise up. The divine physicians (Aśvin Devas) entered the nose. That body did not rise up.

55. Fire-god entered the organ of speech. That body did not rise up. Rudra entered the mind. That body did not get up.

56-57. Afterwards Prāṇa entered. Then that dead body rose up.

Thereupon the Devas came to the decision that Prāṇa, the lord, is the most excellent one among all the Devas in strength, knowledge, courage, absence of attachment and in living. They crowned it Yuvarāja (Heir-Apparent).

58-60. They recited an Uktha (Sāman hymn) as he was the cause of excellent maintenance. Hence the entire universe has Prāṇa for its soul. The entire universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings is complete with all parts and wholes endowed with strength. It (Prāṇa) is complete (Supreme) lord of the worlds.

There is nothing in the universe devoid of Prāṇa. It (thing devoid of Prāṇa) has no existence. That which is devoid of Prāṇa does not flourish. There is no existence without Prāṇa. Nothing can subsist devoid of Prāṇa. Hence Prāṇa became superior to all Jīvas. It is more excellent in strength. It is the immanent soul of all Individual Souls.

61-62. Nothing superior to or on a par with Prāṇa has been seen or heard about before in the scriptural texts. Though Lord Prāṇa is one, it is diversified inasmuch as it follows the different effects. Hence they say that Prāṇa is the most excellent one. Those who are eager to worship Prāṇa say that Prāṇa is competent to create, sustain and annihilate the universe playfully.

63. Excepting Vāsudeva, no one is competent to assail or excel it, whether it be conscious like the serpent Śeṣa, Śiva, Śakra and others, or inert.

64. Prāṇa is identified with all the Devas. He is the soul of all the Devas. He is a perpetual follower of Vāsudeva. He is always under the control of Viṣṇu.

65-66. He neither hears nor sees anything opposed to Vāsudeva. The Devas, the leading Suras, including Rudra, Indra etc. do act in opposition to (Vāsudeva), but Prāṇa which is present in all, never opposes (Vāsudeva). Hence learned men say that Prāṇa is the strength of Viṣṇu.

67-71. After knowing ṃus the greatness and characteristics of Mahāviṣṇu, a devotee should cast off the subtle body like a serpent casting off the slough. The subtle body which follows the Pūrvabandha (Avidyā: Nescience)^[3] is to be left off. He then attains Nārāyaṇa, free from illness.

On hearing the words uttered by Śaṅkha, the hunter became delighted in his mind. He bowed down with humility and asked that sage once again: “O Brāhmaṇa, the greatness of ṃis magnanimous Prāṇa, the sire of the universe, is not known in the world. How is it that the greatness of Devas, sages, kings and other noble-souled ones is heard about in the world and in the Purāṇas thousands of times? Tell me this, O Brāhmaṇa. I am very eager to hear.”

Śaṅkha said:

72. Formerly Prāṇa was desirous of performing horse-sacrifices in order to propitiate Nārāyaṇa, Hari, free from ailments. So he joyously went to the banks of Gaṅgā.

73-74. He sanctified the ground by means of ploughs, surrounded by various groups of sages. There was a sage named Kaṇva, hidden within an anthill in the course of his transcendental meditation. He was dug up by means of these ploughs. Coming up, he spoke furiously. He cursed Prāṇa, the great lord, as he saw him standing in front:

75-76. “O Lord of Devas, from now onwards your greatness will not be known in the three worlds, especially in the terrestrial worlds. Your incarnations will, however, become very well-known in all the three worlds.”

On being told thus by the sage, Wind-god (i.e. Prāṇa) spoke to him furiously:

77-78. “I have been cursed without any offence, though I am free from sin and I am competent to suffer adversities. Hence, O Kaṇva, you will become inimical to your preceptor at once.” Wind-god said this also: “Be one of censurable conduct in the world.” Ever since then the greatness of the great lord, Prāṇa, is not known in this world, particularly on the earth.

79-80. On account of the curse, Kaṇva^[4] ate his preceptor and became a disciple of Sun-god.

Thus what has been asked by you has been entirely recounted. Whatever further has to be heard by you, O hunter, ask me. Do not hesitate.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

These are the authoritative texts (Pramāṇa-granthas) for knowing Viṣṇu. The Brahma Sutra is not mentioned as it was too tough for common people. ‘Itihāsa’ and ‘Bhārata’ are separately stated, perhaps to emphasize the special importance of the latter.

[2]:

‘Kāṇa’ should be interpreted as ‘blind’ here as ‘one-eyed’ man can see. He is not totally blind. But here ‘complete blindness’ is stated as a result of the absence of Sun-god.

[3]:

Pūrvabandhaḥ is explained as follows: Pūrva—beginningless; bandha—bondage. It is the characteristic of Avidyā. This concept is similar to Āṇava-mala of Kāśmīra Śaivism. But here it is the Liṅga-Śarīra which is characterized by Avidyā.

[4]:

The author seems to have confused Yājñavalkya with Kaṇva. It was Yājñavalkya who renounced his first teacher Vaiśampāyana and became a disciple of the Sun-god and received from him the ‘White’ Yajurveda. Kaṇva on the contrary is a ‘seer’ of the 8th Maṇḍala of RV. Mbh also does not attribute such ‘teacher-eating’ to Kaṇva. Kaṇva’s being excavated from an anthill is not traced elsewhere.