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It is by that knowledge that one reaches the plane of Bhagavan. As I cultivated this occult knowledge, Bhagavan appeared Himself and gave me knowledge and powers direct." [Sridhara Svami, the commentator of Bhagavata Purana notes the following points in the above story (1) Seva, ie., service of and attendance on Mahatmas, (2) their kripa or favor, (3) trust in their Dharma, (4) hearing the stories of Bhagavan, (5) attachment to Bha- gavan, (6) knowledge of Self by the discrimination of the Sthila and the Stikshma body, (7) firm Bhakti, (8) knowledge of the reality of Bhagavan, (9) at the last the appearance of omniscience and other powers through the favor of Bhagavan. ] What followed then, inquired Vyasa? Narada continued: "Sometime after my teachers, the Bhikshus, had gone away, my mother died of snake-bite. I deemed that an act of God and went towards the North. After crossing several forests, rivers and moun- tains, I at last reached a solitary forest and there sat under a pipal tree. As directed by my teachers, I meditated on self in self through self. My mind had been completely conquered by Bhakti. As I was devot- edly meditating on the lotus feet of Bhagavan with tear-drops in my eyes, Hari gradually appeared in my heart. O Muni, the hairs of my body stood on end through exuberance of holy love, I was completely lost in joy and knew not either self or any other. The indescribable Ishvara spoke thus in solemn words: "O thou that dost not deserve to see me in this life, I am difficult to be seen by imperfect Yogis, whose likes and dislikes have not been completely burnt up. Ihave shown myself to thee that thy Kama may all be centred in me. When I am the object of Kama, the Sadhu gives Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 5 up all other desires. By prolonged service of Mahatmas, thy mind is firmly fixed in me. Therefore shalt thou give up this faulty body and acquire my companionship. The mind fixed in me is never destroyed in creation or in pralaya, nor does the memory fail." "So saying Ishvara disappeared. In time, when I was drawn to- wards the pure body with which I was favored by Bhagavan, the body of my five Bhitas fell down on the extinction of my Prarab- dha Karma. When the Kalpa came to an end my new body was in- drawn by the breath of Brahma who was going to sleep. After one thousand Yuga Cycles, when Brahma awoke and desired to create, I, Marichi, and other Rishis came out. Since then I have invariably observed Brahmacharya and through the favor of Vishnu have been travelling all over Triloki, both inside and outside, my passage being wholly unobstructed. The Devas gave me this Vina which is adorned with Svara-Brahma. By playing upon this Vina I send forth songs of Hari all round. These songs are the only means of crossing the ocean of recurring lives." [This is the mystery of Narada as related in the Puranas. Narada is the repository of occult knowledge from the previous Kalpa. The first and foremost adept of this Kalpa, his mission is to spread occult knowledge, by unceasingly playing on the seven musical notes. He is ever watchful and always bides his time in all cyclic changes. He is the only Rishi of whom the Vina is a constant accompaniment, as it is of the goddess Sarasvati. His sphere of action is Triloki, and the dwellers of Bhir, Bhuvar, and Svar alike respect him. He is the uni- versal counsellor, even of the highest Devas and of the highest Rishis. His constant mission is the good of the Universe. One thing is said of him, that he sometimes serves his purpose by setting one against another and amongst the ignorant his name is a bye-word for quar- rel. However that be, the greatest good of the Universe in this Kalpa has been always done by him. It is under his inspiration, that Valmiki and Vyasa wrote their most occult works, and his benign influence is observed in all universal changes for good. The Bhagavata recites his constant endeavours to do good and we shall consider them in detail hereafter. | 6 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana VIRAT PURUSHA. SK. I. CH. 18 & SK. I. CH. L. Vyasa drew upon his inspiration and wrote the Bhagavata. He taught this Purana to his son, the wonderful Suka. Suka did not marry, as Rishis in his time did. He left his home and roamed about the world at large, stark naked. The separation was painful to Vyasa and he went out in search of his son. While he passed near a tank, the Apsarasas, who were freely indulging in play, hastily drew up their clothes, feeling ashamed. "Strange!" exclaimed Vyasa, "I am old and covered. But when my young son, wholly uncovered, went this way, you remained unmoved." And the Deva-ladies replied, "Thy son knows not man and woman, but thou knowest." This exalted Suka was the worthy propounder of the Bhagavata Purana. Raja Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna, the successor of Raja Yudisthira on the throne of Hastinapura, forgot himself in a fit of anger and placed a dead serpent round the neck of a Rishi. For this he was cursed by the Rishi’s son to meet with untimely death at the end of a week. The Raja became penitent and deemed the curse an act of God. He prepared himself for death and took up his abode on the sacred banks of the Ganges in company with all the Rishis. The Raja asked what a man on the point of death should do. The Rishis present could not give any satisfactory answer. At this time Suka appeared, followed by a host of boys, who took him to be a mad man. Suka was then only sixteen with long flowing hairs and well-built body, blooming with nature’s beauty. All rose up as they saw the very young Rishi, and gave him the first seat. He related the Bhagavata Purana to Parikshit in seven days. The Raja repeated his question to Suka—"What is a dying man, specially one who desires to attain Moksha, to do? What are the duties of men and what are they not to do?" Suka replied:—"A man on the approach of death is to give up all fear of death and is to cut off all likes and dislikes by dispassion. He is to leave his house, bathe in pure water and duly make his asana in some solitary place. He is then to meditate on the three lettered Pranava with mind concentrated by Dharana and Dhyana till he at- tains samadhi. If, however, his mind gets distracted by Rajas and Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 7 Tamas, he is again and again to practise Dharana." "What Dharana is it that speedily brings on concentration and purity of mind?" was the next question. Suka replied:—"Dharana of the Sthtila aspect of Bhagavana, by a fully controlled mind." He then went on dilating on the Sthila or Universe aspect, called Virat Purusha or Mahapurusha. The present, the past, the future is manifest in that aspect. The Virata Purusha is the soul of an Egg-like body with a seven-fold cover of earth, water, fire, air, Akasa, Ahankara, and Mahat, respectively. Patala is His feet, Rasatala His heels, Mahatala His ankles, Tala- tala His legs, Sutala His knees, Vitala the lower portion of His thighs, and Atala the upper portion. Bhir Loka is His loins, Bhuvar Loka His navel, Svar Loka His breast, Mahar Loka His throat, Jana Loka His mouth, Tapas Loka His forehead, and Satya Loka is the head of the thousand-headed Virat Purusha. Indra and other Usra Devas (the world Usra meaning, liter- ally, a ray of light) are his hands. The Dik or space gods are his ears. The twin gods Asvini Kumara are his nose. Agni is His mouth. The firmament is His eyes and the Sun-god His sight. Day and night are His eye-lashes. The graceful movement of His eye-brows is the abode of the Supreme. Water is His palate, taste His tongue. The Vedas are known as His Brahma-randhra. Yama is His tusk. The objects of affection are His teeth. His enchanting smile is Maya. The endless creation is His side-glance. His lower lip is shame, and the upper greed. Dharma is His breast. Adharma His back. Prajapati is His generative organ. The Mitra-Varuna gods are His sense of taste. The seas are His belly, the mountains His bony system and the rivers His veins and arteries. The trees are the hairs of the Universe-bodied. 8 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana The powerful wind-god is His breath. Time is His movement. His play is the flow of Gunas. The clouds are His hairs. Twilight is His clothing. Prakriti is His heart. His manas is the moon, which is the source of all transformations. Mahat is His Chitta. Rudra is His Ahankara. Horses, mules, camels and elephants are His nails. All the other animals are His loins. The birds are His wonderful art. He is the abode of Manu, Buddhi and Man. Gandharva, Vidyadhara, Charana and Apsaras are His musical notes. The Asuras are His strength. The Brahmana is His mouth, the Kshatriya His hands, the Vaisya His thighs, and the black Sidra His feet. The Devas severally and collectively are His havis or sacrificial ghee, and yajna is His karma. This is Virat Purusha. This is how the Universe-aspect of Purusha is realised in meditation, more as a means of concentration, than as the end. When the mind is sufficiently fixed by Dharana or contem- plation of Virat Purusha, it has next to meditate on the Purusha in the heart. SKANDHA II. THE PURUSHA IN ALL HEARTS. SKANDHA II., CHAP. 2. Some meditate within their own body on the Purusha of the size of pradesa (the space of the thumb and forefinger) in the space cov- ered by the heart, who dwells there. He has four hands containing Sankha (conch), chakra (a sharp circular missile), Gada (club) and Padma (lotus). His face is smiling, His eyes are as wide as lotus petals, Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 9 and His cloth is yellow as the filament of the Kadamba flower. His armlets glitter with gems and gold.