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Hearing these questions put forth by Maharishi Narada, Lord Brahma said as follows,

“My Son, as you are unaware that there is an energy which is superior to me, you have praised me profusely. Even then I should say that there is no untruth in your words. This is because it is true that the powers and capacities that were extolled by you, really exist within me.

Just as the Sun, Moon, Fire, Planets, Stars shine brightly, I too illumine the entire creation. But even before me, this world has been illumined by the Self-illuminating Supreme Lord. Please understand this.

Tasmai namo bhagavate vāsudevāya dhīmahi

Yan-māyayā durjayayā māṁ vadanti jagad-gurum

 I offer obeisance to Vāsudeva who illumines the entire creation. We meditate upon Him. It is His illusionary energy, which is exceedingly difficult to conquer, that causes living entities to address me as the Guru for the creation (Jagadguru).

the illusionary energy feels ashamed to even stand in the presence of this Supreme Lord. The living entities who are bewildered by her and enveloped by spiritual ignorance take pride in feelings of ‘I and mine”.

O Maharishi Nārada! Material object, action, time and nature of the individual living beings are all integral parts of the Supreme Lord. There is nothing apart from Him. this is the undeniable Absolute Truth!

Nārāyaṇa-parā vedā devā nārāyaṇāṅgajāḥ

Nārāyaṇa-parā lokā nārāyaṇa-parā makhāḥ

All the Vedas speak only about Nārāyaṇa! All Devatas have emerged from Nārāyaṇa alone! All the various planes of existence (lokas) are under the control of Nārāyaṇa himself. All the Yagnas (sacrificial rituals) are aimed at pleasing Nārāyaṇa alone.

Nārāyaṇa-paro yogo nārāyaṇa-paraṁ tapaḥ

Nārāyaṇa-paraṁ jñānaṁ nārāyaṇa-parā gatiḥ

The ultimate end point (goal) of Yoga is Nārāyaṇa. The main purpose of undertaking austerities (tapas) is solely to earn the grace of Nārāyaṇa. That which explains the essence of this Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa is known as Supreme Knowledge. All paths lead to Him alone.

I, who have been created by Srihari, the universal soul, have been inspired by His divine intention to undertake this creation. I create only that which is related to Him and that which is worthy of creation.

This Lord Srihari resides within all living beings as their ruler (kshetrajna). He is the Lord of the universe (jagannatha). He is devoid of any transformation (nirvikara). He is without attributes (nirguna). The omnipotent Lord, for the purposes of creation, sustenance and annihilation of this world, accepted the three attributes (trigunas) i.e. traits of goodness/ purity (sattva), traits of action/ passion (rajas) and traits of inertia/ ignorance (tamas). All this happened due to His illusory power (māya).

These three attributes of nature (trigunas) bind the individual soul who, although inherently being free and being a form of consciousness, is now in the grip of illusion (māya). They bind him to matter (dravya), to the knowledge pertaining to matter (dravya-jnana) as well as to the ‘feelings of doership’ in activities pertaining to matter. Further, with the help of the body and senses which support them and due to the egoism that arises in the form of feelings such as, ‘I am doing’, they bind the being.

O great saint! Srihari is the Lord not only for the individual beings, but also for me. He makes himself visible only to those who have conquered their senses. Those who are bound due to these trigunas (three modes of nature) can never know His complete form.

Keeping His illusory power (māya shakti) under His control, the Lord with its help, wanted to manifest in various different forms. With this desire, He brought out from within Him, the eternal time (kāla), the collective destiny of all living entities based on their earlier actions (karma) as well as their individual natures (swabhāva), which had so far been merged into Him.

From this eternal time (kāla), which manifested due to the His illumination and which is free from the limitations of time and place, the three modes of nature (trigunas) got polluted. Due to the influence of māya (illusory power), changes began to manifest. Due to the collective destiny of all beings, Mahat tattva (fundamental principle of the total material creation) was born.

The traits of goodness (sattva guṇa) and the traits of action (rajo guṇa) cause the Mahat tattva to expand and undergo transformation. From this Mahat tattva all matter (dravya), the knowledge about matter (dravya-jnana) and more importantly, due to the prominence of the traits of ignorance (tamo guna), the activities (kriya) related to this matter emerge.

O Maharishi Nārada! In ahamkara (materialistic ego, sense of I-ness) 3 divisions exist which are equipped with the energy to manifest in varied different forms. They are Sāttvik, Rājasic and Tāmasic ahamkārās. Among them Sāttvik-ahamkāra transforms into the form of the inner mind (antahkarana), Rājasa-ahamkāra transforms into the organs of action (karmendriya) and Tāmasa-ahamkāra as the five basic elements of creation such as earth, water etc.

This tāmasa ahamkāra (egoism born out of ignorance) undergoes transformation and evolves as space. Sound is the quality (guṇa) of space. When some words are uttered, sound becomes the cause for understanding not only about the object being seen by that person, but also about the person himself. In other words, through the medium of sound, the person who is speaking is recognized.

This space undergoes change and air (vāyu), which is prominently of sattva guṇa, is generated. Touch (sparsha) is the quality of air. As space, which is also the causative factor for creation of air, enters into it, the quality of sound is also embedded in air element. Due to air, the sense perception (indriya shakti), inner mind (antah karana), power (sāmarthya) and bodily strength, which are principles essential for life, are generated.

Due to course of time (kāla) and destiny (karma), air undergoes transformation and fire is born. This fire that is born has in it the qualities of sound, touch and form. As space and air are the causative factors of fire, their corresponding qualities of sound and touch also inherently exist in it along with its quality of form.

Narayana! Hari! Narayana Hari!

Maharishi Śuka prayed, “Brahma, Shiva and other Gods who possess a very pure inner mind, with great reverence and astonishment, observe the pure form of Jagannatha, Lord of the universe. May such Lord Srihari be pleased with me!

He is the husband of the Goddess of wealth and prosperity (Lakshmi-pati) and is the ruler for all forms of prosperity. He is the Lord of all Yagnas (yagna-pati). He is the Lord of people (Prajapati), the Lord of all intelligence (buddhipati), the Lord of all universes (loka-pati) and the Lord of this earth (bhu-pati). He is the one who offers protection to people belonging to Andhaka, Vṛṣṇi and Yadava clans. He is the one who protects all noble beings. May such Lord Srihari be pleased with me!

Learned scholars fix their mind exclusively upon His lotus feet and meditate upon Him. Through this they purify their inner mind completely and then in this purified mind, they understand the absolute essence of the Supreme Lord, who resides within everyone in the form of the Self. They then explain about this Supreme Essence based on their individual tastes. May such Lord, who bestows liberation, be pleased with me!

In the beginning of creation, Lord Srihari caused the entire knowledge of the previous creation to emerge in the mind of Lord Brahma. At that point from His face, Mother Goddess Veda was born. She was equipped with siksha and other limbs. This is Mother Goddess Siksha. May such a Supreme Lord Srihari, who is the most supreme amongst those who bestow supreme knowledge, be pleased with me!

May that Supreme Lord who is omnipotent and complete, who through the medium of the five basic elements (pancha bhootas) created these gross bodies and who himself remains within them in water, who manifests as the being replete with 16 kalās (types of glories) and 16 attributes (gunās) be pleased to decorate my words!

Here it should be understood that he has created the human bodies and he himself remains within them.

Namas tasmai bhagavate vyāsāya amita tejase

Apur jñānam ayaṁ saumyā yan-mukhāmburuhāsavam

I offer my obeisance to Maharishi Vyasa, the venerable and worshipful saint, who possesses limitless radiance and from whose lotus face the nectar called knowledge drips down, which is tasted and joyfully relished by ardent devotees.

In this manner after glorifying the Supreme Lord and after worshipping His father Maharishi Vyasa, Maharishi Śuka began to speak as follows:

‘O Emperor! What I am going to preach to you now is the knowledge that Lord Srihari personally imparted to Lord Brahma as soon as he was born. On being questioned by Nārada, Brahma in turn preached this to him. Maharishi Vyasa in turn taught this to me. I am now going to preach this to you’.

With this fourth chapter of the second canto comes to an end.

Second Canto Chapter Five

In this chapter, Maharishi Nārada questioning Lord Brahma, Lord Brahma’s reply, the emergence of the principles of creation (tattva), the creation of the universe (Brahmānda) and its description are covered.

Nārada Maharishi enquired, “My dear father, you are worshipped by all the Gods themselves. You, who have created all these living beings, are the first-born in this creation. You have emerged directly from the Supreme Lord himself. You possess the transcendental Supreme knowledge that bestows Self-knowledge upon the person. I beseech you to please impart that knowledge to me. I offer my obeisance to you.

O father! What is the purpose of this creation? Who is the cause behind the illumination of this universe? What is it that is supporting this universe? Who created it and how? Where is this universe located? From whom does it emerge and into whom does it merge back? Under whose control does it is exist? What is the principle that governs all this? Please tell me the actual facts, as it truly exists.

You, who are the Lord of the objects that exist in the past, present as well as the future periods of time, know the answers to all my questions. You know the exact details about the creation. Just like the gooseberry held in one’s hand, this entire knowledge is within your grip. You do not need any external assistance.

Using your own power of illusion (maya shakti), you are creating everything in this universe. Wherefrom did you get this knowledge about creation? Under whose control do you exist? Who is your support? What is your real form? Just as a spider spins the entire web using a substance that is produced from its mouth, without using any external aids  You create this entire universe from your own Self-energy’.

The spider spins its web from a thread that is secreted from its glands. Likewise the Supreme Lord with His own energy creates this entire universe and thereafter absorbs this universe into himself. The principles of Vedanta draw parallels to many animal behaviors.

‘While continuing to remain without transformation of any kind, effortlessly you create hordes of living beings from within you. O Lord! It is from you that everything in this world emerges. I do not know of anything which has its origin outside of you.

In this entire creation, everything that has a name and form, be it a gross, subtle, supreme, mediocre or inferior, emerges solely from you.  It is said that You, the Supreme Lord, have performed severe austerities with absolute concentration of mind. This sentence causes bewilderment to everyone. Why should you, the most Supreme Being, undertake severe austerities? When you are everything and when everything emerges from You, why did You undertake penance? This is very perplexing.

Is it not true that, through such statements, you are creating an illusion within us that there is a God who is greater than You? O omniscient Lord! O Lord of everyone! You know the answers to all my questions. Please answer my questions in a way that I understand properly”.

Hearing these questions put forth by Maharishi Narada, Lord Brahma said as follows:

“My son! I am very much impressed by this doubt put forth by you, the ocean of compassion, who possesses feelings of deep compassion towards all noble beings. My son! You possess a noble peaceful heart. By your question I am inspired about the subject that investigates about the form of the Supreme Lord. My Son! As you are unaware that there is an energy which is superior to me, you have praised me profusely. Even then I should say that there is no untruth in your words. This is because it is true that the powers and capacities that were extolled by you, really exist within me.

Just as the Sun, Moon, Fire, Planets, Stars shine brightly, I too illumine the entire creation. But even before me, this world has been illumined by the Self-illuminating Supreme Lord. Please understand this.”

Srihari! Krishna!

Second Canto Chapter Four

In this chapter, Maharishi Suta’s reply, Parikshit’s question about process of creation and Maharishi Śuka making the auspicious beginning to the story are covered.

Maharishi Suta began, “Parikshit, the son of Uttara, who had thoroughly understood that which had been taught by Maharishi Śuka until now, fixed his pure intellect with total concentration upon Lord Srikrishna. Maharishi Śuka, the son of Maharishi Vyasa, began explaining the decisive subjects pertaining to the form of the Self.

The broadminded Emperor Parikshit has extreme dedication in listening to the glories of Lord Srikrishna. He has absolute devotion towards the Supreme Lord. Knowing that death is approaching him, he has given up in totality, all actions that pertain to comforts of this world and the next. Just as you had questioned me now, he questioned Maharishi Śuka as follows,

‘O Maharishi Śuka! You are the supremely pure. You are all-knowing. Your words are nectarous. My spiritual ignorance (ajnana) will be washed away when I listen to the stories of Lord Srikrishna being narrated by you. I want to know in extreme detail all subjects pertaining to the Supreme Lord.

How did the all-pervading Supreme Lord, using His power of illusion (māya shakti), create this vast universe which is beyond the conception of even the guardian-deities of the world? How does He nourish and protect it? How does He absorb it back into Himself? Please explain in greater detail.

The primordial Lord (ādi puruśa), who possesses limitless energies, manifests in the form of Lord Brahma and others.  Playfully He engages them in various actions and gets them to perform various deeds. What are the energies through which He engages in these playful activities? Please explain this.

It is my firm conviction that even learned scholars cannot fathom the extraordinary and astonishing deeds of Srihari, who is of limitless fame. Either accepting at one go the three attributes (trigunas) of the indivisible power of illusion (māya shakti) or through gradual acceptance, He has manifested as Brahma and other Devatas or has manifested in the many varied incarnations. Through these incarnations He is performing innumerable actions.

Please explain to me how Paramātma, the Supreme Puruśa, accepts a body that is constituted of Nature (Prakriti) together with its 3 components i.e. the trigunas? I have many doubts in this subject. You are an exponent in the knowledge of the Vedas. You are well-versed in Supreme Knowledge.  Please be compassionate and clarify all my doubts’.

When Parikshit pleaded in this manner, Maharishi Śuka, in reply, praised the Supreme Lord as follows:

Namaḥ parasmai puruṣāya bhūyase

Sad-udbhava-sthāna-nirodha-līlayā

Gṛhīta-śakti-tritayāya dehinām

Antarbhavāya-anupalakṣya-vartmane

I offer my obeisance to that Supreme Puruśa, Paramatma, who possesses infinite greatness, who has playfully accepted the 3 energies (tri-shakti) which are the cause for the creation, sustenance and absorption, who resides in every heart and who is impossible to understand.

I offer my obeisance to Srihari, who dispels the distress of noble beings (satpuruśa), who restrains the wicked, kills them and bestows them with liberation, who exists in the form of all beings, who bestows God-realization upon Yatis who have given up action in totality (sarva karma sanyāsa) and who have stabilized completely in the knowledge of the Self.

I offer my obeisance to Lord Srikrishna, who was the most supreme among the Yadavas. Those who are devoid of devotion (bhakti) cannot get even a glimpse of His shadow.

There is nothing superior to Him. There is none equal to Him. There is nothing more radiant than Him. Such is His radiance. I offer my obeisance to Srihari, who dwells in His original form.

Yat-kīrtanaṁ yat-smaraṇaṁ yad-īkṣaṇaṁ

Yad-vandanaṁ yac-chravaṇaṁ yad-arhaṇam

Lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmaṣaṁ

tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

I respectfully offer many salutations to that Supreme Lord Srihari who is of limitless fame and who is the bestower of all forms of supreme auspiciousness.  Merely by singing His glories, by having His darshan, by thinking about Him, by offering obeisance to Him, by listening to His tales and by worshipping Him, the sins of a human being are instantaneously destroyed!

Wise men always serve the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Through this, their mind gives up its attachment/ inclination towards the comforts of this world and the next. Easily they merge into absolute meditation.  I offer obeisance to such Lord who is of such limitless fame.

I offer my obeisance to that Supreme Lord Srihari, the embodiment of auspiciousness, to whom all those who are engaged in acts of charities, who perform great deeds, who are of great renown, who are engaged in deep penance, who have restrained the mind, who possess the knowledge of the mantras as well as those who tread the path of right conduct, offer all their sadhana (spiritual pursuits) and who through this obtain the most supreme fruits for their actions.

Not just those belonging to the Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Abhīra, Kanka, Yavana, Khasa races, but also other sinners take refuge under the devotees of Lord Srihari and thereby become pure. To such a powerful Lord Srihari I offer my obeisance.

The exponents in Self-knowledge worship Him as the Self. Exponents of Vedas worship Him as the form of Veda. Those who abide by the path of righteousness worship Him as a personification of dharma. The ascetics worship Him as a form of penance.

Brahma, Shiva and other Gods, who possess a very pure inner mind, with great reverence and astonishment, observe the pure form of Jagannatha, Lord of the universe. May such Lord Srihari be pleased with me!

Srihari.

The spiritual aspirant, who develops devotion towards the Supreme Lord and who worships Him in the manner described above, will get a chance to associate and live amongst the most supreme devotees of the Lord! This is the greatest fruit! Through this he will develop unflinching devotion towards the Supreme Lord. Due to such devotion he will be blessed with liberation!

For the mind to be happy and contented it is imperative to listen to the stories of Srihari! Due to the knowledge gained through this, likes and dislikes that originate out of the triguṇās (sattva, rajas and tamo gunas) will be washed away totally. In a mind that is contented and happy, dispassion (vairagya) emerges. The mind then stops chasing these worldly pleasures.

What is the use of extensive worship if the mind endlessly continues to chase the worldly pleasures? What should be done to prevent it from chasing these worldly pleasures? Here the plan to arrest the mind is being explained.

In a mind that has developed dispassion, bhakti yoga emerges! This path of devotion (bhakti yoga) paves the way for liberation! This is what Mahatmas declare. The one who has tasted the nectar and sweetness in these stories of Srihari which bestow contentment, peace, devotion and liberation, cannot stay away from them.

When Maharishi Suta narrated this declaration of Maharishi Śuka to Maharishi Śounaka, the latter enquired as follows:

“O Maharishi, after hearing this declaration of Maharishi Śuka, what else did Emperor Parikshit enquire further from him? O learned sage! We are extremely desirous of hearing this. Please be compassionate enough to preach this to us”.

kathā hari-kathodarkāḥ satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam –Every word/ topic discussed in the assembly of great sages pertains only to Lord Srihari.

Parikshit, the grandson of the Pandavas, was an ardent devotee of Lord Srihari. Even in his infancy and childhood when he would play with dolls, he would be engaged only in those games that pertained to Lord Srihari.

Maharishi Śuka, the son of Maharishi Vyasa, was also a supreme devotee of Lord Srikrishna. In a conversation between two ardent devotees of the Lord, topics pertaining to Srihari would necessarily have arisen.

Āyur harati vai puṁsām udyann astaṁ ca yann asau

Tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta uttama-śloka-vārtayā

The Lord Sun, by its rising and setting every day, decreases the lifespan of everyone excepting those who spend at least a little of their time daily in glorifying the deeds of the Supreme Lord.

That tongue which does not glorify the stories of that Supreme Lord who has been glorified by the Vedas themselves, is like the wasteful tongue of a frog which is capable of only croaking uselessly. That head which does not bow in front of Supreme Lord Srihari, even though it may be covered by rich clothing and heavy crown, is only a heavy burden to the body. There is no use of such a head.

The eyes of those human beings, who do not visit the sacred pilgrim centres that pertain to Lord Srihari are like the eye-shaped spots found on the peacock’s feathers.  Even those spots on the peacock’s feathers are called ‘eyes’ can these eyespots see anything?

Those legs which do not walk to pilgrim centres can be compared to tree trunks. He, who has not even once in his life, applied the dust from the feet of holy devotees’ of the Lord upon his head, can be compared to a living corpse. Tulasi (basil) leaves, due to the merit of being offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, have become famous as ‘vishnupadi’. He, who does not enjoy the aroma of Tulasi leaves that have been taken from the lotus feet of the Lord, is a corpse who breathes.

The person whose heart does not melt upon listening to the holy names of Lord Srihari is stone-hearted. When listening to holy names of the Lord, tears of joy should flow from the eyes! At the same time the body should experience horripilation!

O Maharishi Suta! Parikshit’s questions are supremely wonderful! Please preach to us all that which was taught by Maharishi Śuka, the master in Self-knowledge and a supreme devotee of the Lord, to Emperor Parikshit. Your words bring great joy to our mind” said Maharishi Śounaka.

With this the third chapter of the second canto comes to an end.

Narayana! Sriman Narayana!

Maharishi Śuka continued, “In the earlier period Lord Brahma worshipped Supreme Lord Vāsudeva and enquired about instantaneous liberation (sadyomukti) and progressive liberation (krama mukti) which were eternal and which had been specified in the Vedas. Lord Vāsudeva explained them to Brahma.

na hy ato ‘nyaḥ śivaḥ panthā viśataḥ saṁsṛtāv iha

vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogo yato bhavet

For those who are drowned in these worldly bondages (samsāra), there is no greater method than developing supreme devotion towards Lord Vāsudeva. There is no other path which is superior to the path of devotion (bhakti marga).

Lord Brahma with absolute concentration thoroughly scrutinized the Vedas thrice. Then through the medium of His intelligence He determined that the method through which devotion towards Supreme Lord Srihari, who is the form of the Self, is intensified is in itself the most superior dharma.

Srihari shines within every being as the inner Self, as an embodiment of consciousness and as an inner witness. The senses and other inner instruments, through their acts, ensure that we are able to deduce about this consciousness, whose presence is being made known through them.

Therefore O King! In all times and in all circumstances, the human beings should listen to glories of Srihari with rapt attention and total concentration. They should praise Him and meditate upon Him.

Pibanti ye bhagavata ātmanaḥ satāṁ

kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇa-puṭeṣu sambhṛtam

Punanti te viṣaya-vidūṣitāśayaṁ

vrajanti tac-caraṇa-saroruhāntikam

Mahatmas eternally distribute the nectarous stories of Srihari, who is the Universal soul. Those who drink these nectarous stories through the medium of their ears purify their inner mind that has thus far been contaminated due to worldly objects and enjoyments. They then reach the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

With this the second chapter of the second Canto comes to an end.

Third Chapter Second Canto

In this third chapter, worship of various different deities for the fulfillment of desires, Maharishi Śounaka’s question and glorifying those senses (indriyas) that are solely dedicated towards the worship of the Supreme Lord are covered.

Maharishi Śuka said, “O Emperor Parikshit! Your question was, ‘What are the duties to be completed by an intelligent and wise human being before his death?’ In response to this, I have explained to you the relevant message which is contained in the Shastras.

Intelligent persons should dedicate themselves to listening to the glories of the Supreme Lord in the method prescribed so far. Shastras state that this is how time should be spent.

One who desires supreme effulgence should worship Lord Brahma, who is the presiding deity of the Vedas. One who desires strong sense organs should worship Indra, the Lord of heaven. One who is desirous of good progeny should worship Daksha and other Prajāpatis. One who seeks prosperity should worship the Mother Goddess. One seeking powerful radiance should worship Fire. One who seeks only money should worship Vasus.

One who is desirous of great valour should, with great enthusiasm, worship the 11 Rudras. One who wishes to have plentiful foodgrains and obtain excellent digestive capacities should worship Mother Aditi. Those who want to attain Heaven should worship the 12 Adityas. He who desires powerful emperorship and kingdom should worship Viśvadeva. Those who seek to hold people under their sway, who seek successful completion of their task and who seek success in trading activities should worship Sādhya Devatas. Those who, without any desire, seek only the ultimate liberation should worship Srihari, the primordial being”.

Have you noticed the different types of desires entertained? There are so many sections of Devatas who are responsible for fulfilling these desires. There are so many departments. For every department and for every form of desire there are separate Gods. Many people listen to this chapter attentively. Perhaps they will note it down too. Perhaps they will listen to it again and again. This is because they are a storehouse of desires. So they will print this sheet and distribute to others.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param

The wise intelligent person irrespective of whether he has no desires or desires liberation or has any other material desires should, with total devotion worship and serve the Supreme Lord Srihari! Remember this always.

The spiritual aspirant, who develops devotion towards the Supreme Lord and worships Him in the manner described above, will get a chance to associate and live amongst supreme devotees of the Lord.

This is the greatest fruit.

Narayana! Narayana!