English
The Lunar dynasty will be revived by Devapi, a descendant of Bharadvaja, who is biding his time at Kalapa. The early inhabitants of Bengal, Behar and Urishya were the sons of Anu, the second son of Sarmistha. The famous Kama, one of the heroes of Kurukshetra, also belonged to this line. The eldest son of Sarmistha by Yayati was Druhyu. Prachetas of this line had one hundred sons, who inhabited the north as Mlechha races. But the greatest interest attaches to the line of Yadu, the eldest son of Yayati by Devayani. The early descendants of this line were the Haihayas, killed by Parasurama, and the Talajanghas, killed by Sagar — both of the Solar Dynasty. The Mahabharata has given an importance to the overthrow of these early Yadu classes as a victory of the Brahmanas over the Kshatriyas. Next to the Brahmanas in intelligence were the Kshatriyas. They eagerly accepted the teach- ings of Rama, who incarnated as one of them. They knew I[svara as higher than the Devas and the Brahmanas. They thought they could profitably employ their time in seeking after the knowledge of Brah- man. This necessarily offended the orthodox Brahmanas, who per- formed the Vedic sacrifices and had no higher ambition than to resort to Devaloka. The Kshatriyas thus represented a religious evolution, of which the Upanishads were an outcome. In time, some Brahmanas even became disciples of Kshatriyas. Both Rama and Krishna incar- 258 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana nated themselves as Kshatriyas. We are to understand that by Ksha- triyas, during this period of Puranic history, is meant seceders from Vedic Karma Kanda more or less. The early seceders, the Haihayas and Talajanghas were put down by the Brahmana Parasurama and by the Kshatriya King Sagar, who espoused the cause of Vedic Karma Kanda and of the Brahmanas, represented by Rishi Aurva of this time. Parasurama did not like any meddling with Vedic Karma Kanda by persons not perfected in wisdom. Even Rama had to respect the Vedic Rishis and had to protect them in the performance of Vedic sacrifices from the attacks of Asuras and Rakshasas. When Lord Krishna appeared on the scene, the Asuras still survived; the Vedic Rishis denied offerings to Him, Vedic Karma had a strong supporter in Jarasandha, there was hypocrisy in the name of religion, and there were pretensions in various forms. On the other hand great improve- ments had been made in the proper understanding of the realities of life and of the laws of nature. Intellect overflowed in many channels of thought, and the religious nature of man found vent in all direc- tions from atheism to religious devotion. Leaving this general resumé, we may now enter upon a closer study of the history of religious movements in our present Manvan- tara, so that we may understand the great work done by Lord Sri Krishna. The races live as individuals live. However developed an individual may be, when he is re-born after death, he first becomes a child as any other child. There is much of spiritual life in the child, and sometimes pictures of heavenly life are presented to his spiritual vision, which are denied to to the grown-up man. The child begins his life when he is grown up, and then his individual characteristics soon manifest themselves. We do not read much of the man in the child. Hence the history of the early spiritual races, who were infants in the racial life, does not teach us anything. We find some of them had communion with the Devas of Svarga Loka, but that is more on account of their infant spirituality than any thing else. When the races developed in time, they became most intellectual as well as most material at the same time. Manvantara after Manvan- tara was taken up in developing the physiological (Pranic) activities, the sense (Indriya) activities, and then the lower mental activities of Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 259 the Jivas. The personal man was fully developed in the sixth Manvan- tara and the great churning only opened the door for another line of development. The possibility of spiritual activity was secured to men by Karma. When the races of the Sixth Manvantara therefore became re- born in the Seventh Manvantara, they were the most intellectual of all races, but they had also the power given to them of developing spiritual faculties. They could not however shake off the Asuric ele- ment all at once. They were extremely fond of material joys, and they devised all means, which human intellect could contrive, of gratify- ing material desires. That was right which gave material gratification; that was wrong which militated against material enjoyment. Bhuvar Loka is the plane of animal desires. The human beasts go after death to Bhuvar Loka. They do not possess anything which could take them to Svarga Loka. The Svarga Loka is for those who develop in themselves the fac- ulty of discriminating between right and wrong, and who do or at- tempt to do what is right. Far more it is for those who love others and who do good to them. For service and love pertain to planes higher even than Svarga. But in the higher planes, service is unselfish and love is divine. The lower forms of service and love pertain to the plane of Svarga. In Svarga there is selfishness, but it is mixed with spirituality. It is only the good, the virtuous, the devoted that go to the plane of the Devas and there gratify their higher desires to their heart’s content. There are divine music, divine beauty, divine objects of gratification in Svarga Loka—allurements enough for a man of de- sire. And if his merits be great, he enjoys the things of Svarga Loka for an enormously long period. But a man by bare intellectuality can not cross the threshold of Svarga. The Devas reject the intruder. However much Trisanku might aspire to have the enjoyments of Svarga, and however great his intellect might be, he was not allowed to enter the coveted plane, without the passport of spirituality. Humanity had still to learn the proper means of securing life in Svarga. Poor and chance spiritual acquisitions give only a passing life in Svarga and that not of a superior character. So all the knowledge as to attaining Svarga life had to be revealed in time. 260 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana The Rishis made great efforts to improve humanity by securing for them a prolonged existence in Svarga, most of all Rishi Visvami- tra, one of the seven sages of our Manvantara. Visvamitra failed in his attempt to send Trisanku to Svarga. He then tried with his son Haris Chandra. It is said he advised the Raja to make a human sacrifice to Varuna. But we find the victim Sunah-sepha living after the sacrifice, under the name of Deva-rata, or one given up to the gods, and some of the Riks even were revealed to him. Haris Chandra succeeded in entering Svarga. That was a great victory for Rishi Visvamitra. The Vedas were revealed to the Rishis and sacrifices came to be known. Narada also helped the cause in another away. He related the beauty and the virtues of king Purtiravas to the Devas in Svarga. Ur- vasi, the famous Deva nymph, hearing all that, became enamoured of the king. She had then, by the curse of some god, a human form. So she could keep company with the King. The king was enchanted by her beauty. When she left, he followed her advice and pleased the Gandharvas. The Gandharvas gave him the fire, with which the king could perform sacrifice. The fire became threefold. With one he could perform his duties to the Devas and go to Svarga Loka. With another, he could perform his duties to the Pitris. With the third fire, he could perform the duties of a house-holder. Thus sacrifices meant duties. And it is by the performance of duties that men can perform Vedic sacrifices and go to Svarga Loka. The Vedas laid down injunctions and prohibitions. They regu- lated the actions of men, propelled by Kama or desire. Men must eat meat. The Vedas said this meat was prohibited, but that could be used. Men mixed with women. The Vedas laid down restrictions. Even they regulated the relations between man and wife. Then the Vedas laid down the duties which men owed to all classes of beings. In order to induce men to accept the Vedic injunctions, the Vedas held out Svarga as the reward of Vedic Karma. They even favoured the belief, that there was to be immortal life in Svarga gained by the performance of Vedic Karma. Detailed rules as to the performance of Vedic sacrifices were given. So long as men did not aspire to become Indra, or the ruler of Svarga, the Devas were pleased with the sacri- fices; they helped the performer as much as they could, giving them all objects of desire, and they welcomed them to Svarga, when they Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 261 passed to that plane after death. The Devas were as friendly to the performer of Vedic Karma as they were unfriendly to the immature Trisanku. The Vedic Karma Kanda became thus fully revealed. The reve- lation was made in the last Treta-yuga of the present Manvantara. "At the beginning of the Treta Yuga, the three Vedas were revealed through Pururavas." IX. 14-49. "The path of Karma was promulgated in Treta Yuga, by the division of the Vedas." Sridhara. The great churning was justified. The Devas asserted themselves for the good of humanity. The Rishis got the revelation and helped men to place themselves in active relationship with the Devas. Men learned to regulate themselves and to give up the wantonness of ma- terial life. And they had a strong inducement to do so in the prospect of eternal life in Svarga. The great actor in this Vedic movement was Rishi Visvamitra, (Hallowed be his name!