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He overcame his attachments, left the house and went to Haridvara. There he meditated on Vishnu with concentrated mind. The former attendants of Vishnu appeared once more and took him on a chariot to Vishnu Loka. THE PROGENY OF DAKSHA. SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 4-6. [We left the line of Uttanapada with Daksha, the son of the Pra- chetas brothers. We were told of his work of creation in the Chak- shasha Manvantara. But we have to take up the line just now, to introduce the story of Visva Rtpa.] Daksha first carried on the work of creation by Manasic repro- duction. But he found this sort of reproduction was not adequate for the enlargement of creation. He went to a place near the Vindhyas and prayed hard to Vishnu. Vishnu became pleased with his prayers 152 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana and advised him to marry Asikni, the daughter of Prajapati Pancha- jana. "Take her for your wife and have sexual intercourse with her. By sexual reproduction, you shall have a large progeny and that form of reproduction shall prevail among your sons too". By Asikni, Daksha had at first 10 thousand sons called Haryasva. He asked them to take up the work of creation. They went westwards to where the river Sindhu falls into the ocean. They began to make Tapas there for their progeny. Narada appeared before them and dis- suaded them from Pravritti Marga. He gave them instructions for obtaining Moksha and they followed the path of its attainment. Daksha heard that his sons were killed by Narada and he became very sorry. He again had one thousand sons names Subalasva. They also went out to the very same place and prayed to Vishnu for progeny. Narada again dissuaded them and they never returned to their father. Daksha became restless in sorrow and thus cursed Narada on meeting him. "Thou shalt roam all over Triloki and shalt find no rest- ing place." Daksha had then 60 daughters. Ten he gave to Dharma, 13 to Kasyapa, 27 to the Moon, two each to Bhiita, Angirasa, and Krisasva and four to Tarksha. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 153 (6) Prana = Urjasvatt Saha (strength) Ayus (age) Purdjava. (¢) Dhruva= Dharani Different towns. (@) Arka= bier i (tendency) | -Tarsha (desire) &c. {¢) Agni (Fire)= Dhara Skanda Dravinaka &e. (otherwise known as (Gold, wealth) Kartikeya, the son of Siva by Krittika) Visakha &c. (/) Dosha=Sarvari (night) Sisum4ra (Gangetic porpoise the symbol of Trilok!). (g) Vastu (Dwelling place) = Angirast Visvakarma (The cosmic manufacturer) Chakshusha Manu The Visvidevas The = Re (A) Vibhavasu= Usha (Dawn) | Vyushta Rochisha Atapa. (Dawn) (Bright, shining) {Sun shine) Panchayama (1 Yama= ¥ part of day = 3 hours. There are 8 yamas in day and night Pancha yama=§5 yamas when men do their work). 154 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana THE PROGENY OF DHARMA. [The 8 Vasus are sub-manifestations of Brahma or the creative Pu- rusha. They are energies that help creation in various ways. They find no place in the Hindu worship now. They are invoked only in mar- riage ceremonies when their appropriateness is evident. The Vedic gods can be analysed thus:--: These are 31 gods. Then there are Prajapati and Indra, making the number 33. The Brihat Aranyaka says that the 33 Krores of Devas are only sub rays of these primary 33]. THE PROGENY OF BHUTA. By Sartipa:—Millions of Rudras and the chief Pretas. THE PROGENY OF ANGIRASA. (1) By Svadha:—Pitris (comet). (2) By Sati:—The Veda known as Atharva-Angirasa. THE PROGENY OF KRISASVA. (1) By Archis:—Dhima ketu (comet). (2) By Dhishana:—Vedasiras, Devala, Vayuna and Manu. THE PROGENY OF TARKSHA. (1) By Vinata:—Garuda (the vehicle of Vishnu) and Aruna (the chari- oteer of the Sun.) (2) By Patangi:—Birds. (3) By Yamini.—Moths and locusts. (4) By Kadru:—the serpents. The Moon: The Moon married the 27 stars. But he is consumptive (i.e. he is consumed?). Therefore he has no progeny. (What is meant by the consumption of a planetary body like the Moon?) Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 155 THE PROGENY OF KASYAPA (1) By Timi:—Aquatic animals. (2) By Sarama:—Wild beasts, such as Tigers. (3) By Surabhi.—Cloven-footed animals. (4) By Tamra:—The Vultures. (5) By Muni:—The Apsarasas. (6) By Krodhavasa:—Serpents such as Danda Suka and others. (7) By Ila:—Plants. (8) By Surama:—The Rakshasas. (9) By Aristha:—The Gandharvas. (10) By Kastha:—Beasts other than cloven-hoofed. (11) By Danu:—61 Danavas the chief of them being Dvi Miardha, Sambara, Aristha, Hayagriva, Vibhavasu, Ayomukha, Sanku Siras, Svarbhanu, Kapila, Putoma, Vrisha Prava, Eka-Chakra, Anutapana, Dhimra-Kesa, Virupaksha, Vipra-chitti and Dur- jaya. Namuchi married Suprabha, the daughter of Svar-bhanu. King Yayati married Sarmistha, the daughter of Vrisha-parvan. Vaisvanara was another son of Danu. He had four daughters. Upadanavi, Haya-siras, Puloma and Kalaka. Puloma and Kalaka had 60,000 valiant sons named Poulama and Kalakeya. Arjuna alone killed all of them in Svarga. Bipra Chitti had by his wife Sinhika 101 sons. The eldest of them is Rahu. The other hundred are Ketus. They all became planets. (12) By Aditi:—The 12 Adityas—Vivasvat, Aryaman, Piishan, Tvas- tri, Savitri, Bhaga, Dhatri, Vidhatri, Varuna, Mitra, Indra, and Vishnu. Vivasvat had by his wife Sanjna two sons Sraddhadeva 156 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Manu and Yama (the death god), and one daughter the river Ya- muna. This Sanjna became also a mare and produced the twin Asvini Kumaras. He had also by Chaya two sons Sanaischara (Saturn) and Savarni Manu and one daughter Tapati. Tapati had for her husband Sanvarana. Matrika is the wife of Arya- man. He had by her sons called Charshani. (For Charshani vide Supra.) The human race has been moulded after them by Brahma. Pishan is childless, and broken toothed. He partakes only of powdered food. This has been related in the story of Daksha. Rachana is the wife of Tvastri. She is the daughter of a Daitya. Prajapati Tvastri had by her one son Visvartipa. Though connected on the mother’s side with the Asuras, Vis- vartipa was made a Purohita by the Devas, when Brihaspati (Jupiter) their former preceptor left them. SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 18. Savitri had, by his wife Prisni, three daughters, Savitri (Gayatri), Vyahriti (Bhtir, Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar &c.) and the Trayi; (Rik, Ya- jur, and Saman). His sons were Agnihotra, Pasu Yaga, Soma Yaga, Chaturmasya Yaga and the 5 Maha Yajnas. Bhaga had, by his wife Siddhi, three sons Mahimart, Vibhu and Prabhu and one daughter Asis. Dhatri had, by his wife Kuhu, one son Sayam (evening), by his wife Sinivai, Darsa (the new moon day), by his wife Raka, Pratar (morn) and by his wife Anumati, Pirnamasa (full Moonday). Vidhdtri had, by his wife Kriya, five Agnis called Purishya. Char- shani is the wife of Varuna. Bhrigu incarnated as his son. It is said that the great Rishi Valmika is also Varuna’s son. Mitra and Varuna once felt love for Urvasi. Agastya and Vasishtha were then born of that Apsaras. Mitra had, by Revati, Utsarga, Arishta and Pippala. Indra had, by Paulomi, Jayanta, Rishabha and Midhusha. Vishnu, as son of Aditi, is known as the Vamana incarnation. He had by his wife Kirti one son Brihat Sloka (great fame). His sons were Sambhoga and others. (13) By Diti: Hiranyakasipu, Hiranyaksha and the Maruts. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 157 THE STORY OF VIVSVARUPA. SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 7-8. Indra surrounded by the Devas, was seated on the throne of Triloki. He felt the pride of his position. Brihaspati, the preceptor and guide of all Devas came, but Indra did not rise up to receive him. Thus insulted, Brihaspati left the place at once and abandoned the Devas. The Asuras took this opportunity to put down the Devas and carried on a severe struggle under the lead of Sukra. The Devas were worsted in the fight and they went to Brahma for redress. Brahma ad- vised them to accept the guidance of Visvartipa, son of Tvastri. They gladly went to Visvartipa and he consented to be their preceptor. Vis- varipa initiated Indra into the mysteries of Narayana Kabacha (an invocation to Vishnu which preserves one against all danger. The in- vocation must be read in the original, so no attempt has been made to render it into English). With the help of that Kabacha, Indra easily conquered the Asuras and firmly established once more the Kingdom of Triloki. Visvartipa had three mouths. With one he used to drink Soma, with another he used to drink wine and with the third he used to take his food. While performing Yajna, he openly gave oblations to the Devas, but secretly reserved some for his mother’s relations the Asuras. Indra once found out this treachery. He became angry and cut off the three heads of Visvaripa. The Soma drinking head be- came Chataka (the Swallow, supposed to live only on rain drops). The liquor imbibing head became Chataka (the Sparrow). The food eat- ing head became Tittiri (the francoline partridge). The sin of killing a Brahmana attached to Indra. He divided it into equal parts and distributed them between earth, water, trees and woman. Earth ac- cepted her part on receiving the boon that her cavities would be filled up by nature. But the sin manifests itself in the barren lands. The trees took their part in return for the boon that the wounds on their cuticle should naturally heal up of themselves. But the sin shows it- self in the exudation. Water was persuaded by the boon that it could mix with any other substance. But the sin shows itself in bubbles and foam. 158 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana THE STORY OF VRITRU. SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 9-13. Tvastri became enraged at the death of his son. He gave offerings to Agni for the destruction of Indra.