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He gave up the dark body and it became night, At that time Yakshas and Rakshasas were born and they took it up. The body was not only dark, but it was the seat of hunger and thirst. The new-born therefore in their hunger and thirst ran after Brahma to devour Him. Some of them said: "Have no mercy on Him as father." Others said "Devour him." Brahma became afraid of them and said—"Save me. You are my sons. You should not devour me." Those that said "Devour" are Yakshas and those that said "Do not save him" are Rakshasas. Brahma then created the Devas, with His radiant Satvika body. This body when given up became day and the playing Devas took it up. Brahma then created the Asuras out of His thigh. They be- came extremely passionate and ran after Brahma void of all shame. In great distress Brahma prayed to Vishnu and the Creator was told to give up His body of passion. The body was given up and it be- came Sandhya, or evening. The Asuras accepted Sandhya as their wife. Evening is the time for lust and passion. Brahma then created the Gandharvas and Apsaras with His body of beauty, which when given up became Moon-light. With his indolence, Brahma created 48 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana the Bhitas and Pisachas. They were stark naked and had long loose hair. Brahma closed his eyes on seeing them. After a time he gave up his yawning body and the Bhitas and Pishachas took it up. The body that causes secretion is called "Sleep." That which causes delusion is "Madness." Indolence, yawning, sleep and madness all these four were taken up by Bhitas and Pisachas for their body. Brahma knew His powers and He created with His invisible body the Sadhyas and Pitris. By His power of becoming invisible, He created Siddhas and Vidhyadharas and gave them His body with that power. By His reflected image He created the Kinnaras and Kimpurushas, who took up that image for their body. At dawn, they sing in pairs the praise of Brahma. Brahma did not find any progress in creation with all these Bhoga (expansive) bodies. He threw away His body and from His hair the elemental serpents or Nagas were born. After all, Brahma created the Mantis and Rishis. Ix. THE PROGENY OF KARDAMA. SKANDHA III. CHAP. 21-24. Kardama Rishi was ordered by Brahma to create. This led him to pray to Vishnu on the sacred banks of the Sarasvati, near Vindu Sarovara. Vishnu appeared before him with Lakshmi by His side. He revealed to Kardama a happy future. The Rishi was to marry Manu’s daughter, to have by her nine daughters and one son, an Incarnation of Vishnu Himself, who was to promulgate the Tatva Vidya. Shortly after, Svayambhuva Manu came to Kardama’s hermitage, with his wife Sata-rupa and offered to the Rishi his daughter Devahiati in mar- riage. Kardama accepted her as his wife. He had by her nine daugh- ters and the Avatara Kapila. Brahma with his sons the Rishis came to Kardama and congratulated him and his wife Devahtiti upon having Bhagavan Vishnu for their son. He then asked Kardama to give his daughters in marriage to the Rishis. Kardama followed his father’s behests and gave his daughters duly in marriage to the Rishis. Kala, he gave to Marichi, Anasuya to Atri, Sraddha to Angirasa, Havirbhu to Pulastya, Gati to Pulaha, Kriya to Kratu, Khyati to Bhrigu, Arund- hati to Vasishtha and Santi to Atharvan. The Rishi then went to the Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 49 forest for yoga and left his wife in charge of Kapila. THOUGHTS ON KARDAMA. [Devahiti means offering to Devas, which is universal service. She is the progenitor of those forms of life which have a spiritual influence over the whole Trailokya. "Kala" is part, a digit of the Moon. "Anasuya" means absence of envy. From the proverbial chastity of Atri’s wife the word also means the highest type of chastity and wifely devotion. "Sraddha" means faith. "Havirbhu" means born of sacrificial oblation. "Gati" means course, path. "Kriya" means performance (of Yajna) and action. "Khyati" means fame, praise and also proper discrimination. "Arundhati" would perhaps mean one that does not stop or hin- der. Probably the word means a wife who helps her husband in the performance of duties and does not stop or prevent him. It is for this reason that the Star Arundhati is pointed out to the bride at the nuptial ceremony. "Santi" is peace, the well known invocation of the Vedas at the end of a Mantra. "Kardama" means clay. He was born of Brahma’s Chhaya or shadow. Devahiti, being wedded to the materialised shadow of the whole Universe, gave rise to certain female types which in their turn on being wedded to the Rishis, the highest Planetary Intelligences, be- came the progenitors of all the life forms of the Universe. Kapila was one of the earliest Rishis. The word—Kapila means tawny or brown coloured. ] X. KAPILA’S INSTRUCTION TO HIS MOTHER DEVAHUTI. SKANDHA IIL, CHAP. 25-33. We now come to an important part of the Bhagavata Purana, the teachings of Kapila to his mother in the Yoga philosophy of the 50 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Bhagavat Purana. They adapt the Sankhya and the Yoga systems to Bhakti or devotion. For a full knowledge of the teachings I refer my readers to the Purana itself, I shall only give the salient points and avoid details as much as possible, without breaking the continuity of the discourses. "Yoga directed towards Atma brings about Mukti. Chitta attached to the transformations of Gunas causes Bondage; at- tached to Purdsha, it causes Mukti. When the mind is pure and free from distractions, man perceives Atma in himself, by Wisdom, Dis- passion and Devotion. There is no path so friendly to the Yogins as constant devotion to Bhagavan. Company of Sadhus opens wide the door to Mukti. They are Sadhus who have forbearance and com- passion, who are friendly to all beings, who have no enemies, who are free from passions, and above all who have firm and undivided Bhakti in Me. They give up all for My sake and they hear and speak no words that do not relate to Me. Their company removes the im- purities of worldliness. Men first hear about Me from the Sadhus. By faith their heart is drawn towards Me, and they have devotion for Me. Devotion causes Dispassion and makes easy the path of Yoga. By indifference to the Guna transformations of Prakriti, by wisdom fostered by Dispassion, by Yoga and by Bhakti (devotion) offered to Me, the Jiva attains Me even while in this body." "When the Indriyas (the senses and the mind), that manifest the objects of external and internal perception, become trained by the performance of Vedic Karma, their spontaneous Vritti (or function) in a man of concentrated mind is in Satva which is the same as Vishnu. This Vritti which is void of all selfishness is Bhakti in Bhagavan. It is superior to Mukti. It instantly destroys the Kosha (Astral body) as the digestive fire consumes food. The devoted have no yearning for that Mukti (Sayujya or Nirvana) which makes the Jiva one with Me. But they prefer ever to talk with each other about Me, to exert themselves for My sake and ever to meditate on Me. Mukti comes to them unasked. My Vibhutis, the eight Siddhis (anima &c.) and all the glory of the highest Lokas are theirs, though they want them not. I am their Teacher, their Friend, their Companion, their all. So even Kala cannot destroy them." "Purusha is Atma. He is eternal, void of Gunas, beyond Prakriti, all pervading, self luminous and all manifestating." Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 51 "Prakriti is Pradhana, one in itself, but is also the source of all dif- ferences (visesha), possessed of three Gunas, unmanifested (avyakta) and eternal." "The twenty four transformations of Prakriti called Pradhanika or Saguna Brahma are:— "5 Maha Bhiitas—Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Akasa. "5 Tanmatras—Smell, Taste, Ripa, Touch and Sound. "10 Indriyas—Ear, Skin, Eye, Tongue, Nose, Speech, Hand, Foot, Upastha and Payu. "4 Divisions of Antahkarana—Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara." "Kala is the twenty-fifth. But according to some, Kala is Prabhava or Sakti of Purusha. Those who identify themselves with Prakriti are afraid of Kala. Kala as the outer aspect of Purusha disturbs the equilibrium of Gunas in Prakriti." "Purusha energised Prakriti and the Gunas led to transformations following the action of Daiva or Karma, (Jivic record of the previous Kalpa). Prakriti brought forth the refulgent Mahat Tatva. The seed of the Universe was in the bosom of Mahat, and it manifested the Universe and destroyed the darkness of Pralaya by its own light." "Chitta which is Vasudeva and Mahat, is Satva, transparent and pure, and the perception of Bhagavan is achieved by this division of Antahkarana." "Transparence (fitness for the full reflection of Brahma) im- mutability and tranquility are the characteristics of Chitta, as of water in its primal state." "Mahat Tatva was transformed into Ahankara Tatva, with its Kriya Sakti. Ahankara became three-fold—Satvika (Manas), Rajasika (Indriyas) and Tamasika (Bhitas) i.e. Kartri or Cause, Karana or In- strument and Karyya or effect." "Sankarshana is the Purusha of Ahankara. He is the Thousand- Headed and Ananta (endless.)" "Manas is Sankalpa and Vikalpa. It is the generator of Kama (or desire.) So Aniruddha, the king of Indriyas, blue as the blue-lotus of autumn, the Purdisha of Manas, has with patience to be got over by yogins." "Buddhi is Rajasa transformation of Ahankara. The perception of 52 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana objects, dependence on the Indriyas, doubt, wrong-knowledge, right- knowledge, memory and sleep these are the functions of Buddhi. (Pradyumna is the Purisha of Buddhi.)" [The terminology here adopted will appear strange to the Vedantin scholar.