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These are the ten Siddhis that relate to the Gunas. There are also five smaller Siddhis. 1. Knowledge of the present, past and future. 2. Control over the Pairs, such as heat and cold &c. 3. Knowledge of other’s minds. 4. Suspending the actions of fire, sun, water, poison &c. 5. Invincibility. These are only illustrative of the Siddhis. Now about DhAarana or the modes of concentration of the mind. Those that fix their mind on Me as pervading the Tanmatras ac- quire the power of becoming an atom. Those that concentrate their mind on Me as pervading Mahat Tatva acquire Mahima. The object of Dharana .. The power acquired The Lord pervading the atoms Do. Do. Satvic Ahankara Do. Do. Sdtra or Mahat Vishnu the Lord of the three Gunas ... Narayana, the Fourth, Bhagavat Nirguna Brahma (Brahma without attribute) Laghima. . Prapti. . Prakamya. isita. . Vasita. . Kamavasayita. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 429 Lord of Sveta Dvipa (White Island) ... Cessation of hunger and thirst. Akasa ne Distant hearing. SUM, atta oa Hae Dene Distant vision. &c. &c. &c. THE VIBHUTIS OR POWERS OF THE LORD. SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 16. The Sixteenth Chapter deals with the Vibhitis of the Lord, much in the same way as the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. VARNA AND ASRAMA RULES. SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 17-18. The seventeenth and eighteenth chapters deal with Varna and As- rama rules. WHAT ONE IS TO DO FOR MOKSHA. SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 19. Jnana (knowledge), Vairagya (dispassion), Vijnana (direct knowl- edge), Sraddha (faith) Bhakti (Devotion), these are the requisites of Moksha. The nine (Prakriti, Purusha, Mahat. Ahankara and the five Tanmatras), the eleven (five Jnanendriyas, five Karmendriyas and Manas), the five Bhitas, the three (Gunas), that knowledge by which one knows that these constitute all beings and that the One underlies all these is Jnana. (The first training of the mind is to break up the objects into their component elements. Thus we can mentally resolve any object into its chemical elements and this Universe into a mass of homogeneous nebula. The process is to be carried further, till we get the Tatvas or the ultimate principles of the Sankhya philosophy. Then the next step is to realise the one Purusha as underlying all the Prakritic principles.) 430 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Vijnana is the direct knowledge of the One by itself and not as pervading all Prakritic forms. (Jnana is indirect knowledge and Vi- jnana is direct knowledge of Brahma). All the existing things being formed of the three Gunas have their growth, existence and end. What follows the transformation from one form into another, at all the three stages of beginning, middle and end, and what remains behind after the destruction of all forms—that is the existing (Sat). The Vedas, direct perception, the sayings of great men and logical inference are the four Pramanas or evidences. The world of transfor- mations does not stand the test of any of them (i.e. there is only one real existence, the existence of the transformable and transformed world being only relative and unreal. This is the conclusion arrived at from all sources. Therefore the wise man becomes dispassionate to all things. Transformation is the end of all actions. Therefore the wise man sees all the regions that may be attained by actions from that of Brahma downwards, as miserable and transitory even like the worlds that are seen. This is Vairagya or Dispassion. I have told you already of Bhakti yoga. Hear again what I say. Sraddhd or faith in the nectar like sayings about Me, constant recitals about myself, steadiness in worshipping Me, the chanting of devo- tional hymns, the hearty performance of divine service, adoration by means of the body, worship of my votaries, the realisation of my ex- istence in all beings, the directing of the daily actions and of the daily talks towards Me, the offering up of the mind to Me, the giving up of all desires, of all objects, of all enjoyments and of all joys for my Sake, the performance of Vedic karma all for Me—by all these, Bhakti grows up towards Me. THE SADHANAS OR EXPEDIENTS. SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 19. Yama consists of— 1. Ahinsad—the non-infliction of pain. 2. Satya—the practice of truth. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 431 12. . Asteya—Not even the mental stealing of other’s properties. . Asanga—Non-attachment. . Hri—Modesty. . Asanchaya—Want of storing for the future. . Astikya—faith in religion. . Brahmacharya—Abstinence. . Mauna—Silence. . Sthairya—Steadiness. . Kshama—forgiveness. Abhaya—fearlessness. Niyama Consists of 10. 11. . Saucha—bodily purity. . Do.—Mental purity. . Japa—Mental repetition of Mantras or Names of deities. . Tapas—Asceticism. . Homa—Sacrificial offering. . Sraddha—faith. . Atithya—hospitality. . Archana—daily worship. . Tirthatana—Wandering on pilgrimage. Parartheha—desire for the Supreme object. Tushti—Contentment. 432 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana 12. Acharya Sevana—Service of the spiritual teacher. Yama and Niyama are practised by men, either for furtherance in life or for Moksha. Sama—is fixing the mind on Me (and not mental quietness only). Titiksha—is forbearance. Dhriti—is the restraint of the senses of taste and generation. The best Dana (gift) is not to oppress any creature. Tapas—is really the giving up of desires. Saurya—or power is the control of one’s own nature. Satya or Truth is the practice of equality. Rita—is truth speaking that does not cause pain. Saucha—is only non-attachment to karma, but Tydaga is its com- plete renunciation. The wealth to be coveted for is Dharma. I Myself am Yajna, Spiri- tual teaching is the Sacrificial gift, Pranayamais the greatest strength. Bhaga is my Lordly state. The best attainment is devotion to Me. Vidya is the removal of the idea of separateness from self. Hri is the abhorrence of all unrighteous acts (and not merely mod- esty.) Sri is (not merely riches but) virtues. Happiness is that which seeks neither happiness nor misery. Misery is nothing but longings for enjoyment. The Sage is he who knows about liberation from bondage. He is ignorant who knows the body to be self. The Path is that which leads to Me. The evil path is that which distracts the mind. The increase of Satva is Svarga (and not merely Indra Loka.) The increase of Tamas is Naraka. Guru is the friend and I am that Guru. This human body is the house. He is rich who is virtuous. He is poor who is not contented. He who has not conquered the senses is the helpless man. The Lord is he who is not attached to the objects. He is a slave who is attached to them. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 433 THE THREE PATHS: KARMA, JNANA AND BHAKTI. SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 20. Uddhava said:— "Karma is to be performed and Karma is not to be performed— both are Thy injunctions in the Vedas. The Vedas speak of merits and demerits in connection with Karma. They speak of Varna and Asrama, of differences in time, space, age and objects, of Svarga and Naraka. "The sense of right and wrong is not innate but it is acquired from the scriptures, and the same scriptures undermine all ideas of differ- ence. All this is confounding to me." Shri Krishna replied:— "[have spoken of three paths leading to the attainment of Moksha by men— Jnana, Karma and Bhakti Yogas. There is no other means what so ever of attaining Moksha. Jnana Yoga is for those that are disgusted with the performance of Karma and so give it up. "Karma Yoga is for those that are not disgusted with the perfor- mance of Karma but are attached to it. "He who perchance becomes fond of what is said or spoken of Me, but has no aversion for Karma nor has any undue attachment to it is fit for Bhakti Yoga. "Perform Karma so long as you do not feel disgust for it or as long as you are not drawn by love for me. True to your duties, perform Yajnas but without any selfish desires. Do not perform prohibited Karma. Then you shall cross the limits of both Svarga and Naraka. "By the performance of one’s own duties, the purified man may acquire pure wisdom (Jnana) and Bhakti. "The dwellers of Svarga wish for the human body and so the dwellers of Naraka. For that body is a means to the attainment of of Jnana and Bhakti both, not so the Svarga body or Naraka body. "The far-sighted man does not wish for Svarga or Naraka. He does not even wish for human existence. For connection with the body causes selfish distractions. "The sage knows the body as leading to desired for ends. But he realises at the same time its transitory character. He therefore loses no time in striving for Moksha before the approach of death. Even 434 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana so the bird loses all attachment for its nest and flies away free and happy before the man who strikes at the tree succeeds in felling it. "The human body which is the primal source of all attainments is a well built boat, so hard to secure and so cheap when once attained. The Guru is at the helm of this boat, and I am the favorable wind that drives it. The man that does not cross the ocean of births with such a boat is a killer of self. "Jnana:—When a man feels disgust for karma and becomes dis- passionate and when his senses are controlled, he should practise concentration of mind. "When in the act of concentration, the mind suddenly goes astray and becomes unsettled, you should bring it back under the control of self, with unremitting efforts, after allowing it to go in its wandering course a little. "Never neglect however to check the course of the mind with your Pranas and senses all controlled.