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Brahma could not directly take part in the Creation. His task was simply to bring back the former state of things through a graduated series of intermediaries. First appeared those that had to hold cosmic positions of responsibility, some throughout the Kalpa and others throughout the Manvantara. With the powers invoked, the temptation to evolve an independent Creation with the help of Vach, the potency of Mantras had to be got over. This done, Brahma thought of the Monads of the previous Kalpa, and the first Manu ap- peared with his wife Sata-ripa or Hundred-formed. All forms of Cre- ation existed in Idea before further manifestation, and Sata-riipa was the collective aspect of all such Ideas. THE FIRST OR THE SVAYAMBHUVA MANVANTARA. VI. BHUR AND VARAHA SKANDHA IIL, CHAP. 13. Said Manu to Brahma—"I shall do thy behests, O Lord. But tell me where my Praja (progeny) and myself are to be located. The Bhtr of the previous Kalpa where all beings found shelter is lost in the great ocean of Pralaya. Bestir thyself and raise it up, O Deva." Brahma thought within Himself what was to be done, when lo! out from His nostril came a Boar, no bigger than a thumb. In a mo- ment the Boar assumed gigantic proportions and all space resounded with his roar. The dwellers of the Jana, Tapas and Satya Lokas wor- shipped Him by chanting the Mantras of the three Vedas. He roared once more for the good of the Devas and instantly plunged into the waters. Though an incarnation of Yajna, He tried to discover the Bhar by smelling like an ordinary animal. He dived down as far as Rasa- tala and there found the Bhar Loka. He then raised it up on His tusks. The Daitya King Hiranyaksha resisted and in rage the Boar killed him. The Rishis then worshipped Him knowing His true form to be Yajna. 44 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana THOUGHTS ON THE ABOVE. [Bhir is the main system of Triloki. The Varaha Avatara restored the system after the Kalpa Pralaya. Bhir being the lowest of the Seven Lokas corresponds to Prithvi Tatva and hence to the sense of smell. The boar is pre-eminently the animal of smell. The materialisation of the Prithvi principle for the purpose of globe formation was an effort of the energy of the Logos and the smelling out of Bhar by the Varaha is suggestive. The Globe evolution is preparatory to Monadic evolu- tion. The pent up Karma of the previous Kalpa develops itself on the Globes. All beings are mutually interdependent for their evolution. They help one another in the work of evolution, and one makes sac- rifices that the others may grow. Some have to wait, till others come forward. Then they become united in the further race for progress. This great cosmic process, this mutual sacrifice is Yajna itself, which is typified in the Boar Incarnation. The Vedic Yajna gives prominence to the Communion of men with Devas, as at the early stages this is an all important fact of evolution. The Varaha is called the first Yajna Avatara and all the parts of His body are named with reference to Vedic Yajna, as He by raising Bhar prepared the field for Karma.] VII. THE STORY OF HIRANYAKSHA. SKANDHA III., CHAP. 14. Diti, the daughter of Daksha, approached one evening her hus- band Kasyapa, son of Marichi. She was overpowered with the pas- sion of love and became importunate. Kasyapa asked her to wait. Rudra was presiding over sunset. His astral attendants, the Bhitas and Pishachas, were roaming over the Universe. With His three eyes representing the Sun, Moon and fire he could see every thing. His hesitation to yield to Diti was of no avail, and the Muni had to yield. There Diti became ashamed of her weakness. She was afraid she had offended Rudra and she helplessly prostrated herself at the feet of Kasyapa praying for his forgiveness. "Thou hast disobeyed me," said Kasyapa, "and hast shown disrespect to the companions of Rudra, thy mind is impure and so is the time of Evening (Sandhya). These four evils will cause the birth of two wicked sons from thee. They will op- press the Triloki and the Lokapalas (Preservers of the three Lokas). Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 45 When their inequities exceed all bounds, Vishnu will Himself incar- nate to kill them." For one hundred years Diti conceived her twin sons. Even from within the womb they shed lustre all round, which even overpowered the Lokapalas. The Devas went to Brahma to ascertain the cause of this disaster. He related to them the following story. "My Manasa-putras, Sanaka and others were once in Vaikuntha, the abode of Bhagavan. Impatient to see Bhagavan the Kumaras hur- riedly passed through the six portals (Kaksha). At the seventh portal, they found two doorkeepers of equal age with clubs in their hands, richly adorned with golden crowns and other ornaments. They had four hands and looked beautiful in their blue colour. The Kumaras heeded them not, but opened the gate with their own hands as they had opened the other gates. The door keepers stopped them with their clubs. The Kumaras were put out by this unforeseen obstruction and addressing the doorkeepers gave vent to their feelings thus:— "What mean you by making this distinction? In Him the Lord of Vaikuntha, there is no difference whatsoever. The whole of this Uni- verse is in Him. Do you dread any danger to Him, as to a common being, and why will you admit some and not others? But you are His servants. So we do not intend to be very hard on you. But you must descend from this elevated plane and take your birth where passion, anger and greed prevail’." "The door-keepers became terrified at this curse and fell at the feet of the Kumaras. All that they prayed for was that while passing through the lowest births, they might not have Moha, beclouding their recollection of Bhagavan. Bhagavan knew what had transpired outside. He hastened on foot with Lakshmi by His side to where the Munis stood. The Kumaras prostrated themselves before Him Whom they had so long meditated upon in their hearts. With intent eyes they looked steadily on Him and longed to see Him again and again. The Kumaras lauded Him with words full of import. Bhagavan ad- dressing them said:—’These my door-keepers are by name Jaya and Vijaya. They have slighted you, and it is right that you have cursed them. I sanction that curse. For they are my servants, and I am in- directly responsible for their deeds. I always respect Brahmanas, as my glory is derived from them. These door-keepers did not know my 46 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana regard for you, and they therefore unintentionally slighted you. But they shall instantly reap the fruit of their evil deeds and come back to Me when their punishment is over. Please therefore decide where they are to go’ The Kumaras knew not what to say. They thought they had not done right and they asked to be excused. 'It is all right for Thee to extol the Brahmanas in this way, for Thou art the Pre- server of Dharma and Thou teachest others what to do. But if, really, we have done wrong, let us be punished and let not our curse visit these innocent door-keepers.’ Bhagavan replied:—’It is I who have uttered the curse through your mouths. My will shall be done. These door-keepers shall be born as Asuras, but they shall come back to Me speedily.” These two door-keepers, O Devas, have now appeared in Diti’s womb. I have no power to overcome them. But when the time comes for the prevalence of Satva, Bhagavan Himself will do what is needed." The Devas went away and waited for events. The two Daityas Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu were born of Diti, after a concep- tion of one hundred years. Hiranyaksha though elder by birth was younger by conception. THOUGHTS ON HIRANYAKSHA. [Diti is literally ‘Cutting, ‘Splitting, or ‘dividing’ Jaya and Vijaya mean victory. Hiranya is gold. Hiranyaksha means gold-eyed. Hi- ranyakasipu means gold-bedded. The key to the mystery lies in the fact that Jaya and Vijaya were the door-keepers of Vishnu and their external form was that of Vishnu. The Purusha in the Heart is the Counterpart in microcosm of the Purusha in the Universe. And we have found above that the five or ten door-keepers or Brahma- Purushas in the Heart are the five or ten Pranas in man. By analogy, therefore, which is a potent factor in the solution of mysteries, we find that Jaya and Vijaya are the two-fold manifestations of Prana in Vaikuntha, the in-going and out-going energies of Purusha. The life principle is an aspect of Bhagavan and stands at His very gate. It is this outer aspect of Purusha that is the mainspring of all mate- rial activities, of all life-manifestations and of the material develop- ment of the universe. The duality represents Tamasic inaction and Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 47 Rajasic activity. Hiranyaksha would have no life-manifestation, no appearance of globes, he would continue a state of things verging on Pralayic sleep. Hiranyakasipu was the very ideal of material great- ness and material grandeur. Kumbhakarna slept and Ravana worked. The brothers Jaya and Vijaya passed through the dividing energy of Diti, to cause the material manifoldness of the Universe. The Varaha as representing the awakened Jivic Karma fought with the Asura that opposed the development of that Karma, which could only fructify on the Bhitr system. ] VIII. DEVA AND DEVA-YONI CREATION. SKANDHA III., CHAP. 20. Vidura asked Maitreya: How did Marichi and other Rishis and also Svayambhuva Manu carry out Brahma’s orders to create. Maitreya continued the story of Creation in reply to Vidura. We have heard of the primal dark creation of Brahma, consisting of five-fold Avidya. Referring to that, Maitreya said, it was a creation of shadows. Brahma was not pleased with this shadowy creation.