English
Mind not the ridicule of friends, mind not the bodily differences that may cause a feeling of shame, but salute even horses, Chandalas, cows and asses. As long as you do not learn to see Me in all beings, do not give up this practice in speech, body and mind. There is not the least chance of failure in the Bhagavata Path. Even what is otherwise fruitless becomes a Dharma, when it is unselfishly offered up to Me. There is no higher wisdom, no higher cleverness than this that the Real is attained by the Unreal, the Immortal is attained by what is mortal. This is the essence of Brahma Vidya. "Now that you have learned all this give it unto those that are deserving. "Go Uddhava now to Badari Asrama and follow what I have said." THE END. SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 30. Uddhava went to Badari. Sri Krishna advised the Yadus to leave Dvaraka. "Let the females, children, and the aged go to Sankha- Uddhara and let us go to Prabhasa." The Yadu chiefs went to Prab- hasa. They drank the wine called Maireya and got intoxicated. They quarreled and fought with one another. They snatched the fatal reeds and killed one another. Rama went to the Sea-side and by practicing Samadhi, left this world. All was now over. Sri Krishna sat under an Asvatha tree (religious fig). A huntsman named Jara took Him for a deer and pierced him with a spear, formed of the fatal pestle. The huntsman then saw Krishna bearing four hands and became terrified. "Fear not" said Sri Krishna "you shall go to heaven." The chariot came down from the heaven and took up the huntsman. Daruka, the charioteer of Sri Krishna traced Him to the spot. Sri Krishna asked him to inform all friends at Dvaraka of the death Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 449 of the Yadu chiefs, the disappearance of Rama and of His own state. "Do not remain any more at Dvaraka, for the Sea shall swallow it up. Let our parents and all others go to Indraprastha under the protection of Arjuna." Daruka saluted Krishna and went away. The Garuda marked chariot of Sri Krishna came from high above. Brahma and all other Devas gathered to witness the scene. The Lord disappeared from the earth and truth, Dharma, forbear- ance, glory and Lakshmi all followed Him. There was great rejoicing in the heavens. The Devas sang and flowers rained. Daruka gave the information to Vasudeva and Ugrasena. All came to see the place of the occurrence. Vasudeva died of grief. Some of the ladies followed their husbands to death. Those that remained were escorted by Arjuna to Indraprastha. He installed Vajra as the successor of the Yadu chiefs. The Pandavas made Parikshit their suc- cessor and left Indraprastha for the Final Journey. END OF THE ELEVENTH SKANDHA. THE TWELFTH SKANDHA. SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 2. When the present Kali Yuga will be about to end, Bhagavan will incarnate as KALKI. He will take birth at Sambhal as the son of Vishnu-Yasas. On His advent, Satya Yuga will make its appearance. The Sun, the Moon and the Jupiter will then enter together the constellation of Pushya. (Jupiter enters the constellation of Pushya in Cancer every twelve years, and there may be a conjunction of that planet with the Sun and the Moon on new Moon nights, but the text here means the entering together of the three. Sridhara.) One thousand one hundred and fifteen years will expire from the birth of Raja Parikshit to the beginning of King Nanda’s reign. (But in the detailed account given in the Bhagavata Purana, the period comes up to 1448 years, as shewn by Sridhara.) Of the Seven Rishis (forming the constellation of the Great Bear), 450 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana the two that are first seen to rise above the horizon have through their middle point a correspondence with some constellation (in the Zodiac). The Rishis remain united to that constellation for one hun- dred mortal years. At present (i.e. when Sukadeva was reciting Bhagavata to Raja Parikshit), the Rishis are united to Magha. The form of the Great Bear or the constellation of the Seven Rishis is given below. N =< < OD RX <u N< FH & 3 Sridhara gives the following names: No. 1 is Marichi. No. 2 is Vasishtha with Arundhati. No. 3 is Angiras. No. 4 is Atri. No. 5 is Pulastya. No. 6 is Pulaha. No. 7 is Kratu. "Such being the configuration of the Rishis, the two that are first seen to rise above the horizon are Pulaha and Kratu. The longitu- dinal line passing through the middle point of the line joining them crosses some one of the 27 constellations, Asvini, Bharani and others. The Rishis have their position in that constellation for one hundred years." Sridhara. So soon as the Krishna named divine body of Vishnu ascended the heavens, Kali entered this Loka. As long as the Lord of Lakshmi touched this Earth with His lotus feet, Kali could not overtake the planet. ( While Sri Krishna was still on this Earth, Kali appeared in its Sandhya or Dawn. When Sri Krishna disappeared, the Sandhya period was over, and the period proper of Kali set in. Sridhara). The Yuga shall become darker and darker, as the Seven Rishis will pass on from Magha to Pirva-Ashadha, i.e, till the period of king Nanda. (The darkness will go on increasing till the reign of king Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 451 Pradyotana. It will still go on increasing very much till the reign of king Nanda. Sridhara. This gives us a cycle of 1,000 years. The line of the Ecliptic is divided into 27 constellations, which form the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Each sign of the Zodiac contains 9 parts of these constellations, if each constellation be divided into four parts. Thus Aries contains Asvini, Bharani and i Krittika; Taurus contains 3 Krittika, Rohini and 5 Mrigasiras; Gemini contains 5 Mrigasiras, Ardra and ; Punarvasu; Cancer contains i Punarvasu, Pushya and Ashlesha; Leo contains Magha, Pirva Falguni and i Uttar Falguni; Virgo contains ; Uttara Falguni, Hasta, and 5 Chitra; Libra contains Chitra, Svati and ; Visakha; Scorpio contains i Visakha, Anuradha and Jyeshtha; Sagittarius contains Mila, Parva Ashadha and } Uttara Ashadha; Capricornus contains 3 Uttara Ashadha, Sravana, and 5 Dhan- ishtha; Aquarius contains 5 Dhanishtha, Sata-bhisha, and ; Parva Bha- drapada; Pisces contains i Parva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada and Re- vati. Abhijit is included in Uttarashadha and Sravana. From Magha to Parva Ashadha there are eleven constellations. This gives a cycle of 1,000 years. The reference to king Nanda’s reign leaves no doubt as to the cycle being one of 1,000 years, for the period is given in this very chapter as 1,115 years. The lines of Kshatriya kings have been given in the Purama, The lines of Brahmanas, Vaisyas and Sudras are to be similarly known. Devapi, brother of Santanu and Maru of the line of Ikshvaku are now waiting at Kalapa. They will appear towards the end of Kali Yuga and will again teach Varna and Asrama Dharma. (They will start again the lines of divine kings which came to an end in the Kali Yuga. Sridhara.) 452 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana PRALAYA. SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 4. Four thousand Yugas form one day of Brahma. This is also the period of one Kalpa, during which fourteen Manus appear. The night of Brahma follows for an equally long period. The three worlds— Bhir, Bhuvar and Svar then come to an end. This is called Naimittika Pralaya. Drawing the universe within self, Narayana sleeps at the time over Ananta and Brahma sleeps too. (Nimitta is cause. Naimit- tika is proceeding frome some cause. This Pralaya procedes from the sleep of Brahma as a cause). When two Pararddhas of years expire, the seven subdivisions of Prakriti (Mahat, Ahankara, and the five Tanmatras) become subject to dissolution. (The life period of Brahma is two Pararddhas). This is called Prakritika Pralaya. When this dissolving factor comes in, the whole combination known as the Cosmic Egg breaks up. (As the subdivisions of Prakriti as well as the Cosmic Egg which is formed by their combination become all dissolved, this Pralaya is called Prakri- tika Pralaya). With the advent of this Pralaya, there will be no rains for one hundred years. Food will disappear. People will devour one another. The Sun will draw in moisture from the seas, from the body, and from the earth, but will not give it back. The fire called Sam- vartaka, arising from the mouth of Shankarshana, will consume the Patalas. Winds will blow for one hundred years, followed by rain for another hundred years. The universe will be covered by one sheet of water. Water will draw in earth, fire will draw in water, and so on till Pradhana in due time will devour all the Gunas. Pradhana is not mea- sured by time, and it does not undergo transformation. Beginning- less, endless, unmanifested, eternal, the cause of all causes, without diminution, it is beyond the reach of Gunas, the rootless root, that passes comprehension, like the void. Jnana is the ultimate resort of Buddhi (the perceiver or knower), the Indriyas or senses (perception, knowledge or the instruments of perception and knowledge) and the objects (things perceived and known). It is Jnana alone that appears in this threefold form. That which is subject to perception, which in its nature is not separate from its cause, and which has both beginning and end is no real sub- Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 453 stance. The lamp, the eye and the object seen are not different from light itself. So Buddhi, the senses and the objects are not separate from the one Truth (Brahman, for they all proceed from Brahman), but Brahman is quite separate from all others. Wakefulness, dream and dreamless sleep are all states of Buddhi. They are all transitory, O king. The diversity appears in Pratyagatma (the separate self).