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A passage for editorial review. A STUDY OF THE BHAGAVATA PURANA OR ESOTERIC HINDUISM PURNENDU NARAYANA SINHA, M. A., B. L. BENARES: PRINTED BY FREEMAN & Co., LTD., AT THE TARA PRINTING WORKS. 1901. ISBN: 9781475247114 To ANNIE BESANT THE BHAGAVATA OF BHAGAVATAS THESE PAGES ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HER MOST DEVOTED BROTHER. "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. "Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as oint- ment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? "If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents." THE SONG OF SOLOMON. THT ATTA FTAA UT ANTFAET | ST Te Steg aritat weragaz tt Tata we fasts Rreefiers | TENGAET SHI MAAVTTT TT PREFACE. The Bhagavata is the most popular of all Puranas and it is held in the highest esteem by Vaishnavas in all parts of India. It was the most authoritative book with such religious teachers as Shri Chaitanya. Several commentaries have been written on this great work. It is however strange that there has been so much discussion about the authoritative character of the work. The readers are all familiar with that discussion and I need not refer to it further than to say that the discussion does not in any way affect the intrinsic merit of the book, and the verdict of the public is so certain in this respect that the book will continue to be the most popular of all Puranas, despite any thing that may be said as to its authorship or the period of its appearance. The Padma Purana devotes a chapter to the worship of this Purana and calls it the most exalted of all the Puranas and the book is actually worshipped in many Hindu houses. The Purana is recited all over India by learned Pandits and Sadhus and its subject matter is familiar to every Hindu. PROFESSOR WILSON SAYS:—"Bhagavata is a work of great celebrity in India and exercises a more direct and powerful influence upon the opinions and feelings of the people than perhaps any other of the Puranas. It is placed fifth in all the lists but the Padma Purana ranks it as the eighteenth, as the extracted substance of all the rest. According to the usual specification it consists of eighteen thousand slokas, distributed amongst three hundred and thirty-two chapters divided into twelve Skandhas or books. It is named Bhagavata from its being dedicated to the glorification of Bhagavat or Vishnu." Referring to the Tenth Skandha, Professor Wilson says "The tenth book is the characteristic part of the Purana, and the portion upon which its popularity is founded. It has been translated into, perhaps, all the languages in India, and is a favourite work with all descriptions of people." Much as the book commands the respect of the Hindus, it has brought upon itself the ridicule and sarcasm of those that attack Hin- duism. It is the Tenth Skandha which has given the greatest han- dle to all adverse criticism and it is the one Skandha in the whole book which is so little understood by foreigners, unacquainted with viii A Study of the Bhagavata Purana the genius of the Hindu religion, particularly with its love aspect which is the peculium of all real devotees in every great religion. But the modern professors of great religions, being lost in their ma- terial surroundings, have entirely lost sight of that aspect. The songs of Solomon will stand out in all ages as an expression of enthusiastic and rapturous love of the human soul for the Divine Lord, whether the Christians of the modern day understand them or not. The Div- vans and Sufis bore the highest love to their divine Lover, whether or not the Mohammedans of the present day follow the outpourings of their heart. Love in religion is a Science. It is the natural outcome of the hu- man soul, when it is freed from impurities and cured of distractions. All religions speak of the purity of the mind, and they speak also of devotion to God or Ishvara. But no religion other than Hinduism treats of the gradual development of the mind as a Science, treats of its purification and then of its natural attraction for [shvara and the final assimilation of human life to Isvaric life as the law of the Universe. And no book in Hinduism deals with the subject so sys- tematically specially with reference to the history of the Universe, as the Bhagavata Purana does. I have tried to understand the book my- self as an earnest student, with the light afforded by the book itself. I have been greatly helped in the understanding of of the book by the commentary of Sridhara Svami which is by common consent the most authoritative of all the commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana. Once a Pandita prided himself before Sri Chaitanya on his having put an interpretation upon a certain sloka of the Purana different from that of Sridhara Svami. Now "Svami" is the designation of a learned Sanyassi, such as Sridhara Svami was and it also means a husband. Sri Chaitanya remarked "one that does not follow the Svami is unchaste." Such was the high opinion which the great Teacher held regarding Sridhara’s commentary. I have purposely avoided making any reference to the commen- taries made by the followers of Sri Chaitanya as I intend to study them separately along with the teachings of his school. The method of treatment followed in this study will speak for it- self. Ihave separated the text from my own observations except in the introductory chapter and in the reference to Sukadeva in the chapter Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. ix on Virat Purusha, and one can follow the text itself, without accepting any of my own views. I believe I have faithfully reproduced the text in its essential features, I have omitted unimportant details, poeti- cal descriptions, prayers and adorations some of them most beautiful and sublime—and I have also omitted the introduction by Suta and his concluding words. Suta related the Purana to Rishi Sounaka and others as he heard it from Sukadeva. The proofs have passed through different hands and the translit- eration of Sanskrit words has been differently made. For instance [Sanskrit Letter] has been rendered as s, $, s and sh. Though I would prefer s, the dash has been generally omitted, for the convenience of the printer. There have been also several mistakes in names. My best thanks are due to the several gentlemen, who have gone through the proofs and specially to my friend Mr. Bertram Keightley M, A., who has gone through nearly the whole of the manuscripts. CONTENTS PREPAC Beit 6 RAE ORE ae it Mote DS, OS, DH BS vil SKAUNID AY a. Since hk ah ah de Roe ho are Re Eat Bee gt See 1 THE IDEAL OF BHAGAVATA PURANA: A DIS- COURSE BETWEEN VYASA AND NARADA. 1 ACCOUNT OF NARADA ofc eb bw 4 doce @ 4b Oe 3 VIRAL PURO STA ca 8 ee oct ok gods or he ee 6 SIGANDEACIL® cata at eet et hae Ege Se he ats 8 THE: PURUSHA IN ALL HEARTS. 4 2.9.00. 2.440004 8 THE DEATH OF THE YOGI AND AFTER. ...... 9 WHAT MEN ARE TO DO AND WHAT THEY ARE NO TELO DOs foci aoe ae Geass el eae 13 THE BHAGAVATA PURANA AS RELATED BY BRAHMA TO NARADA............. 13 SIGANDE AT ¢ 2 go-ahead 23 BHAGAVATA AS RELATED BY MAITREYA TO WTIDUIRAG, © 3c cercas snstite aces ttgee he acer teh esas, thats 23 THE FIRST OR THE SVAYAMBHUVA MANVANTARA. 43 SKANDHAIVS 4.35.4 al Se de eee ed Bae Gal d 54 THE GENEALOGY OF MANU AND THE RISHIS. .. 54 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE TABLES. ....... 70 THE QUARREL BETWEEN SIVA AND DAKSHA. .. 83 THOUGHTS ON THE ABOVE.............. 88 SKANDHALYV. eos a-ne-8 2s ate AR RS 112 TABLE: V. PRIVAVRATAY, 2.5.8 Boho eeiue homed 112 THOUGHTS ON THE LINE OF PRIYA VRATA. ... 118 THE EARTH CHAIN, BHUVANA KOSHA. ...... 122 ILAVRITA IS THE CENTRAL VARSHA......... 122 xii A Study of the Bhagavata Purana THE GANGES s os. ¢ ge aaa eg aR Be ae 127 THE MYSTERIES OF THE VARSHAS. ......... 128 THE DVIPASS, | 4-3: d3. ce kk ah Kom dae an eed 132 SVAR AND BHUVAR................2004 139 MEO ING | 4-48 ons oda do What ey. GO aad ad ogee an’. 139 THE PLANETS AND STARS. .............. 141 THE PAT ALAS soc fae G Rod otic: yok eee on 144 PENNT AG ong ine @ Gosh De Bite e eee! Bae 147 THE NARAKAS. 2 ¢.45 ce eee ee bee eS OSG 147 SKANDEA VT sooo ogee dete de ae eo a Ge BS 149 THE STORY OF AJAMILA .............-. 149 THE PROGENY OF DAKSHA. ............. 151 THE PROGENY OF DHARMA.............. 154 THE PROGENY OF BHUTA. .............. 154 THE PROGENY OF ANGIRASA. ............ 154 THE PROGENY OF KRISASVA. ............ 154 THE PROGENY OF TARKSHA, ii 3G 4 eae os 154 THE PROGENY OF KASYAPA ............. 155 THE STORY OF VIVSVARUPA.............. 157 JEL SPORY-OF VREPRU Gg cose fag ee teccate abcde paboy 158 THE STORY OF CHITRAKETU. ............ 160 THE-DAITYASY.° ioychn3 GP Goh ae Yb whl a 160 THE: MARUTS wich. ots ac Ge ae at eg OE a wa eo ee 161 SKANDHA Viles asin cig a ee ee 162 THE MYSTERIES ABOUT THE SURAS AND THE POURAS Be onus aie eo here ee eS aS 162 THOUGHTS ON THE ABOVE. . ees 64 6 pen Se 8 163 THE STORY OF HIRANYAKASIPU. .......... 172 HIRANYAKASIPU AND PRAHLADA.......... 173 THE PRAYER OF PRAHLADA ............. 176 VARNA AND ASHRAMA. ............... 179 SKANDHA: VID... ehoias & hate Sa a eg GE ceca ae 180 DION ohh do rn eMart eae te geten tan held 180 THE SECOND MANVANTARA. ............ 181 THE THIRD MANVANTARA. ............. 181 THE FOURTH MANVANTARA. ............ 182 THE FIFTH MANVANTARA............... 183 THE SIXTH MANVANTARA. ............. 183 THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN. .......... 184 THOUGHTS ON THE ABOVE.............. 188 THE SEVENTH MANVANTARA. ...........