Emperor Parikshit continued, “Please explain to me in detail the exact measures of the space within the universal form of the Lord and the space outside of it, the stories of supreme Mahatmas, the regulation and classification of the four castes and four stages of life (varna-ashrama).

Please narrate to me the wonderous and astonishing divine plays of the Supreme Lord, the calculation of time and years within an eon (yuga), and also the rules of righteousness as applicable to that Yuga. What are the normal duties and rules (dharma) to be adhered by an ordinary person? What are the special duties to be adhered during times of emergencies or extreme situations? What are the dharmas to be adhered by persons belonging to different professions, the dharmas to be followed by noble, righteous kings, dharma to be followed at times of difficulties by ordinary beings?

What are the different principles that govern this creation? Please explain their forms, their numbers, their characteristics and their causes. Please explain the method of worshipping the Supreme Puruśa Srihari, the form of the eight limbs of Yoga (ashṭānga yoga) and knowledge of the Self.

Please also teach me about the eight supernatural powers that are acquired by great ascetics, the supreme meritorious planes which they obtain and the method in which they dissolve their subtle bodies.

Please teach me about the form of Vedas, upa-vedas, dharma-shastras (scriptures pertaining to dharma), history (itihasa) and Puranas.

Please explain how living beings emerged, their sustenance and their annihilation. Please also teach the importance of the Vedic sacrificial rituals such as Yagnas and yāgas and the benefit of performing good auspicious deeds undertaken for the welfare of other living beings. What should be done by a person to fulfill his own material desires? What is the method to abide by dharma (righteousness), artha (material earnings) and kāma (fulfillment of desires)?

How are beings who merge back into Nature (Prakriti) at the time of destruction re-born? How did the path of the atheists (Pākhanda-mārga) emerge? What is the form of bondage and liberation experienced by a being? What way does a liberated person eternally and exclusively remain as the form of the Self (atma)?

How does the eternally free, omnipotent Lord, through the help of His power of illusion, perform divine transcendental activities? At the time of annihilation, how does this Lord setting aside His illusory energy remain a witness? Please explain all this to me.

O revered saint! Only You possess the capacity to clarify all these doubts and explain to me the truth as it is really exists, in the proper sequential order. I have sought refuge in You.

Amongst the Devatas, Brahma is the greatest. Being equal to such Brahma in all aspects, You are well versed in this entire knowledge. All the elders present in this assembly, having heard about the greatness of the traditions and spiritual pursuits from their ancestors, are merely abiding by them.

O Maharishi! Barring the thought that death is going to approach me shortly due to the curse of the sage’s son, I do not feel any exhaustion or agitation due to my fasting. Please do not worry that I have abstained from even water. I, who am drinking in the nectarous stories of Lord Srikrishna through You, do not lack anything. I have no fear.” In this way Parikshit earnestly prayed and put forth his doubts.

In the presence of the entire assembly, Parikshit pleaded with Maharishi Śuka to narrate to him the stories of the original being Lord Srihari, who is the protector of all noble beings and who is also the universal Lord.

Extremely pleased with this request, Maharishi Śuka began narrating the Bhagawata Purana.

At the beginning of the creation, Lord Srihari taught sacred Purana, which is equivalent of the Vedas, to Lord Brahma. In a sequential order Maharishi Śuka began to answer all the questions asked by Parikshit, the most supreme person of the Pandava lineage.

With this the eighth chapter of the Second Canto comes to an end.

Second Canto Ninth Chapter

In this chapter, Maharishi Śuka replying to Parikshit’s questions, Lord Brahma visiting Vaikunṭha, and there at the request of Brahma, Lord Srihari teaching him Chatusśloki Bhagawatam (Bhagawtam in four verses) are covered.

Maharishi Śuka replied, “Self-knowledge which has experience as its form, is distinctly different from the body and the senses. Such Self has no connection with seeing, listening or any other deeds. Just as a person who is dreaming has no connection with the objects seen in the dream, the Self is unconnected with everything around it.

Nevertheless, due to the illusion caused by the Supreme Lord, the Self presumes that it has many connections. Due to His power of illusion, along with the many forms seen such as those of Devatas, humans, childhood, youth, old-age, it appears as if the Self also transforms and experiences various stages in varied different bodies.

The individual enjoys the body and other worldly comforts which are nothing but creations of the illusionary energy together with its attributes. Through this he falls into the illusion called ‘me and mine’.

When the person stabilizes in his inherent Self-knowledge, which is beyond time and illusion, and begins to enjoy that bliss, he is freed totally from illusion. He will give up attachment and egoism. Being totally detached, he will remain eternally blissful.

O Parikshit! I am going to explain that supreme secret which Lord Srihari, who is pleased when served through pure devotional austerities, explained to Brahma for the purposes of granting to him Self-experience i.e. for making him eligible to have a vision of that Self, which was his original form. Please listen.

The first God (ādi deva) is more supreme than every other created universe. Seated in His abode, the Brahma-loka, this Supreme Guru Lord Brahma wanted to begin creation. With this intent he went into deep meditation.

Nevertheless, he was unable to get total clarity in matters pertaining to creation. He did not have with him the required wisdom to progress with the creation. When Lord Brahma, who is the most efficient in every aspect, began to ponder seriously about creation, two syllables, which were once upon a time uttered at the time of annihilation near the waters of dissolution, fell upon His ears. He heard them twice.

They were ‘ta’ the sixteenth consonant and ‘pa’ the twenty-first consonant.  The word ‘tapa’ was heard twice. Our elders state that this word is the wealth of the poor.

Hearing this sound, Brahma developed a desire to see the person who had uttered them. He searched for him in all directions but could not find him anywhere. He then decided that penance (tapa) alone would bestow auspiciousness upon Him. He firmed up His mind, immediately sat down in Padmasana, stopped all mental activities and immersed himself in penance (tapas).

Srihari! Krishna!

Lord Brahma continued, “My son! I have explained to you in brief about Lord Srihari, the creator of this universe. This world which is the outcome of a cause-effect relationship does not have an existence different from its creator Lord Srihari. However Lord Srihari shines as a form of illumination distinctly different from this universe.

Idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma yan me bhagavatoditam

Saṅgraho ‘yaṁ vibhūtīnāṁ tvam etad vipulī kuru 

Lord Srihari preached to me this scripture which has become popular as Bhagawatam. In this scripture, the glories of the Lord have been explained in a condensed manner. O Nārada! You expand this scripture yourself.

Yathā harau bhagavati nṛṇāṁ bhaktir bhaviṣyati

Sarvātman yakhilādhāre iti saṅkalpya varṇaya 

Begin the task after making a firm determination that you will describe it in such a manner that it increases devotion in human beings towards the Supreme Lord, who is the support for everything and who is the Self that exists within everyone.

Māyāṁ varṇayato ‘muṣya īśvarasyānumodataḥ

Śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ māyayātmā na muhyati

The intellect of the persons who narrate these divine stories daily with dedication and devotion as well as of those who listen to it with great interest will be devoid of delusion caused by spiritual ignorance (avidya).

With this the seventh chapter of the Second Canto of Srimad Bhagawatam comes to an end.

Second Canto Eighth Chapter

In this chapter, the questions asked by Parikshit are covered.

After listening to the specialities in the various incarnations of the Supreme Lord from Śuka Maharishi, Parikshit enquired as follows:

‘O Supreme Saint! Nārada Maharishi possesses that great knowledge through which he can ensure that the devotees of the Lord reach a level wherein they are blessed with His darshan. Further, Lord Brahma encouraged him to describe the attributes of that Supreme Lord, who inherently is devoid of attributes. How did Maharishi Nārada describe the qualities of this Lord? To whom did he preach? O great saint! You are the most supreme amongst those who have learnt the Vedas. I seek to know the form of that Supreme Lord. The stories of that transcendental Lord always bring auspiciousness to people.

O Mahatma! Please narrate the stories of Lord Srikrishna, in such a way that will enable me to detach completely from these material desires, place my intellect firmly upon Him who is the Universal Lord and give up my body.

Śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ gṛṇataś ca sva-ceṣṭitam

Kālena nātidīrgheṇa bhagavān viśate hṛdi 

In the heart of that person who eternally narrates or listens to the divine plays of the Supreme Lord with total dedication, God quickly enters and makes known His presence.

Srikrishna enters the lotus-like hearts of his devotees through their ear-hole. Just as the winter rains cleanse the water of all its impurities, He washes away the impurities/ sins from the hearts of his devotees.

Dhautātmā puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa-pāda-mūlaṁ na muñcati

Mukta-sarva-parikleśaḥ pānthaḥ sva-śaraṇaṁ yathā

The spiritual aspirant called human being whose mind has been thus cleansed gives up all forms of mental defects and sins. Just as a weary traveler who after returning home from an exhaustive journey does not seek to leave his house, the devotee no longer seeks to leave the lotus feet of the Lord Krishna.

O Brahmarishi! In addition to these questions, another doubt troubles me. Only you know the exact answer to this. Please be kind enough to explain. The Self, that inherently has no connection with the five basic elements such as earth, water etc., connects with them and obtains a gross body. Does this connection develop accidently without any apparent reason? Or is there some cause?

You had explained that a giant lotus, which is in the form of the 14 different planes of existence, emerges from the navel of Lord Srihari. A human being has only certain limbs. Does the Supreme Lord also, similar to a human being, have only limited limbs? From what I have understood, I have this impression that the Lord has a form that consists of only a few specified limbs. Please be kind enough to clarify.

Based on the Lord’s command, Brahma creates all the various living beings. He is the form of all the beings and He regulates and controls them as well. Even though Lord Brahma emerged from the navel of Lord Srihari, it was only after obtaining Lord Srihari’s grace that Brahma could have His darshan.

Where does that Lord, who is the cause of all creation, sustenance and annihilation, who controls the power of illusion and who is the inner witness within every being, sleep after setting aside His power of illusion? What is His original form? You had previously mentioned that from the limbs of this Supreme Lord, the universes as well as the Lords who govern these universes emerge. You had also said that these various universes and their governing deities are the various limbs in the universal form of that Lord. Please explain this in greater detail.

Also, what is the measure of the period of time known as Kalpa, Maha-kalpa and their intermediate time periods between Kalpa? How can one understand about the past, present and future periods of time? What is the lifespan of a Devata? O Maharishi! In time measurements such as second or minute, time appears to have a fleeting existence whereas in the periods of year etc., time appears to have a long existence. Based on the results of their fruitive actions, what are the positions or planes that beings obtain? How many of such planes exist? What are they?

On the basis of these trigunas which undergo transformation, which virtuous being has obtained exalted bodies such as those of Devatas? What are the good auspicious deeds performed by that being so as to enable him to obtain the body of a Devata?

Please explain to me the process in which earth, hell (pātala), directions, sky, planets, stars, mountains, rivers, oceans, islands are created and also about the creation of the inhabitants of these planes,’ asked Parikshit.

Srihari! Krishna!

 23) Pākhanda:

Maya constructed and handed over 3 cities which moved at unimaginable speeds to the Tripurāsura demons. Although these Tripurāsura demons adhered to the path of the Vedas, they still inflicted torture on all the planes of existence (loka). In order to cause infatuation in their intellect and thereby to make them tread the wrong path, Srihari incarnated as Pākhanda. In this incarnation He preached the philosophy of atheists (nāstika-siddhanta).

24) Kalki:

At the end of Kali Yuga, there will no scope to hear the stories of Srihari, even in the homes of the pious. Even those who have to undergo thread ceremony and learn Vedas will turn into atheists. Kings will tread the path of unrighteousness. Swāha, Swadha and Vaśhat, the 3 words connected with Yāgas (fire rituals), will no longer be heard. In that terrible period Srihari will incarnate as Kalki. He will overpower and rule Kali, the presiding deity of this Kali Yuga, and will destroy unrighteousness.

For the purposes of creation I (Lord Brahma), penance (tapas), the nine sages beginning with Marichi, Daksha and other Prajapatis, are created. For the purposes of sustenance (sthithi) Vishnu, Dharma, Manu, Devatas and Kings manifest. At the time of annihilation snakes, unrighteousness, Rudra and demons manifest as illusory incarnations of that Supreme Lord.

There is none in this creation who can measure the power and might of Lord Srihari. Even that intelligent person who manages to count all the sand grains in this universe will fail in assessing the prowess of Lord Mahavishnu. Perhaps through some machines or through intelligence they may be able to calculate the number of sand grains on earth. But it is impossible for such persons to even estimate His might. This is because this Lord, in His incarnation as Trivikrama (Vāmana), swiftly and playfully measured all the 3 planes of existence (lokas) with His 3 feet. At this juncture, not just the three planes, but even the Satya-loka, which is situated above them, trembled in fear. The Supreme Lord, at such time, stabilized the Satya-loka.

Srihari’s energy is nothing but the power of illusion (māya) which is responsible for creation, sustenance and annihilation. Neither me nor Marichi and your other elder brothers are able to fathom the extent of this energy of the Supreme Lord. What more can be said about other beings?

The 1000-headed serpent Adishesha, has been singing the glories of Srihari from times immemorial with all his mouths. Even then he has not been able to reach the end.

Unfailingly, the Supreme Lord shows compassion towards that person who without any deceit and with total concentration of mind seeks refuge in His holy feet. As a result, such devotee crosses over the enormous ocean of illusion which otherwise is impossible to cross. Those who have feelings of infatuation and attachment towards this body, which after death turns into food for dogs and jackals, cannot obtain this luck.

O Nārada! Me, you, Sanaka and your other elder brothers, Sadāshiva, Prahlada the most supreme amongst demons, Swayambhuva Manu, his wife Śatarupa, their sons Priyavrata, Uttānapada, their daughters Devahuti and others, Prachinabarhi,  the ascetic called Ŗṣabha, Anga, Dhruva, Emperor Ikshvāku, Pururava, Muchukunda, Gādhi, Emperor Janaka, Ambariśa, Sagara, Gaya, Yayāti the son of Nahuśa, Mandhāta, Alarka, Satadhanva, Anu, Rantideva, Bheeshma, Bali Chakravarti, Amurttalaya, Dilipa,  Soubhari, Uttanka, Emperor Śibi, Maharishi Devala, Pippalāda, Sarasvata, Uddhava, Parāśara, Bhūriṣeṇa, Vibhishana, Hanuman, Śukadeva, Arjuna, Artishena, Vidura, Śrutadeva, and others saints have been able to understand about the Lord’s Māya (illusory power).

Women, Shudras, sinners, elephant and other animals should serve the ardent devotees of Lord Srihari. From such devotees, if they learn the proper procedure for worshipping the Supreme Lord they too can understand the Lord’s illusory power and cross it. This being the case, is there any need to specifically mention the superiority of those who chant the Vedas with dedication?

This Supreme Lord, in His incarnation as Vāmana, playfully measured all the three planes of existence with His feet. Always remember that the Supreme Essence which is untouched by these transitory pleasures and pains, which is eternally filled with peaceful knowledge, which is untouched by the sin called attachment to worldly bondages, which is devoid of any form of differentiation, which is beyond cause-effect relationship, which is a form of the Self, which is a form of eternal bliss and which is devoid of even a trace of sorrow, is the real form of that primordial being or Ādi Puruśa. This is the experience of the Maharishis.

Neither the rituals of Yagnās and Yāgas that are replete with many actions nor the Vedic chants that speak about these Yagnas, can explain the actual Supreme Essence as is truly exists. That Supreme Essence cannot be acquired, earned, obtained through some transformation or freshly created. Māya devi (the presiding deity of this illusory power) is ashamed to be seen in the surroundings of Self-realized saints.

The knowledge of the Self is not tied down to these worldly bondages. Just as Lord Indra who shines in the form of the rain-bearing clouds has no necessity to use a spade and dig wells, the Yogis who have completely controlled the mind have no use of the efforts that are undertaken to suppress differentiation.

All the auspicious deeds that humans undertake happen solely because of the inspiration from that Supreme Lord. It is He who showers upon them the appropriate fruits for their good deeds. This entire visible world, which is carved out of the gross and subtle essences, is located within Him only.

Just as the space within the body does not undergo transformation when the body made up of flesh and bones is totally destroyed, the Self, who illumines within the body, does not undergo any transformation at the time of death of the body. He does not perish. He is devoid of transformations such as birth, old-age and death.

My son! I have explained to you in brief about Lord Srihari, the creator of this universe. This world which is the outcome of a cause-effect relationship does not have an existence which is different from its creator Lord Srihari. But He shines as a form of illumination that is distinctly different from that of this universe”.

Srihari!

In order to fulfill the promise made by his father, Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana went into exile. The demon Ravana, who invited His wrath, was destroyed totally. Rama, who in His intense fury resembled Rudra, decided to burn down the entire kingdom of his enemy Ravana. The ocean that was in His path, trembled with fear, seeing His fury.

The fact that his dearest wife Sita was far away from Him, filled his heart with uncontrollable anguish. This grief led to his uncontainable fury and was the cause for his reddened eyes. When he looked at the oceans, all the water animals such as whales, snakes, crocodiles were being burnt due to the heat that emerged from these red-hot eyes. The ocean that was trembling profusely, instantaneously made way for Him to proceed to Lanka.

When Ravana was engaged with Indra in a battle, the tusks of Lord Indra’s elephant Airavata, collided with the chest of Ravana, and broke. All the directions began to glow brightly owing to the radiance that emerged from the broken tusks. Ravana became the ruler of all these directions. Such powerful Ravana, who in his arrogance was moving about the battlefield amidst the army laughing boisterously, was silenced with just a twang of Srirama’s bow. In fact that twang took away his life.

21) Incarnations as Balarama-Krishna:

The kings who were born with demonic traits together with their armies turned into an unbearable burden for Mother Earth. Unable to withstand this burden, Mother Earth prayed to the Supreme Lord. Hearing her pleas, the Lord incarnated as brothers Balarama and Krishna.

With the reflection of his white hair falling upon him, Balarama was fair in complexion. Krishna was dark in complexion and had black hair. Ordinary people could not understand that He was none other than the Supreme Lord himself. Living secretly in this manner, he performed many deeds that brought out his greatness.

While in his infancy, he killed the Demoness Putana. At the age of 3 months he turned a huge bullock-cart upside-down. At the age when he was still crawling, he went amidst two huge Arjuna trees and uprooted them completely. Such unimaginable deeds could be accomplished by him in infancy, only because He was the Supreme Puruśa. If not, how could it be possible?

Drinking the poisoned waters in Nanda-gokula, the cows as well as the cowherds lost their lives. With His compassionate glance, Krishna restored them to life. Thereafter, with the desire to purify River Yamuna, Krishna played about happily in those waters. He playfully fought and drove away from those waters, the terribly poisonous snake Kaliya, along with its retinue. Definitely this was not a task that ordinary humans could perform.

One night, when the inhabitants of Nandavraja were in deep slumber, due to the heaps of dry leaves that were scattered around, a sudden summer forest-fire broke out and spread rapidly in all directions. Everyone there was sure that the time of his/her death had arrived. Meanwhile Srikrishna, who possessed unimaginable prowess and energy, along with Balarama asked them to close their eyes and He rescued them from the fire. This is His divine play.

Another time, in order to bring to an end the naughty activities of her son, mother Yashoda tried for a long time to tie Krishna with a rope. But whatever be its length, every rope would consistently fall short. Similarly, once when the little Krishna was yawning, Mother Yashoda saw all the 14 worlds within His mouth. With this she became apprehensive. At that moment she realized the truth that her son Krishna was none other than the Supreme Lord. Krishna could perform such divine deeds purely because He was the transcendental Supreme Lord himself.

The small Krishna saved his father Nanda Maharaja from the curse of Lord Varuna. Yomāsura, the son of Maya once hid all the cowherds in a cave.  Srikrishna freed and rescued them all. The residents of Gokula would go into deep slumber at nights, tired due to the hard work done throughout the day. There was no scope therefore for them to undertake spiritual activities of any kind. Despite this, Krishna awarded to them Vaikunṭha, the place of ultimate liberation.

One year, Krishna raised objections to the Indra Yāga, a ritual that the residents of Gokula would diligently perform every year. Indra, who was angered due to the non-performance of the Yāga that year, showered torrential disruptive and destructive rains upon them for 7 days. Srikrishna, who was barely 7 years old, decided to save these innocent residents along with their cattle. With one hand He playfully lifted up the entire Govardhana Mountain, as if it were a toy umbrella. For 7 days He held the mountain in that manner and thus protected them all.

On the cool nights, when due to the Moon’s illumination everything would shine brightly, Krishna playfully wandered in the forests engaged in Rāsa-krida dance. On His flute he would play melodious songs. This melodious music strongly intensified the feelings of love among the Gopika women. Shankachuda, an assistant of Kubera, once abducted these Gopika women. Little Krishna chopped the head of this Shankachuda and rescued these women.

Pralambhāsura, Dhenukāsura, Bakāsura, Keśi, Ariśtāsura, Chānura and other mighty demons, the ferocious elephant Kuvalayāpida, Kamsa, Kālayavana, Narakāsura, Poundraka, Shālva, Dvivida, Balvala, Dantavaktra, the seven bulls of Nagnajit, Shambarāsura, Vidhuratha, Rukmi and many others mighty demonic warriors met their end in the hands of Krishna.

With the bow held tightly in their hands, the rulers of Kāmbhoja, Matsya, Kuru, Kaikaya, Srinjaya and other kingdoms uttered arrogant disrespectful words to Krishna. There were some others who deceptively disguised themselves as Balarama, Bheema, Arjuna and behaved like them. Krishna killed all such warriors and merged them into Him. Krishna blessed even such people with liberation.

22) Incarnation as Veda-vyāsa:

Due to the influence of Kali, intelligence grossly reduces in the human beings. Along with it their longevity also reduces. Therefore they fail to understand the vast treasure house called Vedas. Srihari, who realized this, took birth as Veda-vyasa, the son of Satyavati. In accordance to the rules of this eon, He divided the vast tree called Veda into four divisions.

Srihari Krishna!

10) Hayagriva:

O Nārada! When I was performing Satra-Yāga, the Supreme Lord, who is worshipped through the process of Yagna, manifested in a form that is composed of all the Vedas, Yagnas and Devatas. He incarnated as Hayagriva and His complexion was golden. While He was breathing, supremely beautiful Vedic chants emerged from His nostrils.

11) Incarnation as a fish (Matsya):

At the end of Chākṣuṣa-manvantara (a period of creation) when the world was being submerged in the waters, Srihari incarnated as a fish (Matsya). Vaivaswata Manu took refuge in Him. The fish offered protection to the earth, which was in the form of a boat and thus showered all the living entities with a gift of life. Returning back to me (Brahma) the Vedas that had slipped from my mouth, the Lord in His incarnation of a fish, swam happily in those waters enjoying those tidal waves.

12) Incarnation as a tortoise (Kurma avatara):

In order to obtain nectar (amrita), the Devatas and the demons collectively churned the ocean of milk, using the Mount Mandara as the churning rod. During the churning when the mountain began to sink, Srihari, the primordial being, incarnated as a tortoise (kurma) and supported the huge mountain on His back.

The continuous movement of the mountain, caused due to the churning of the ocean created a lot of friction on His back. This friction relieved Him from the itching sensation that he was experiencing so far on His back and hence He could sleep peacefully for some time.

13) Incarnation as Narasimha:

Srihari, who dispels all the fears experienced by Devatas, incarnated as Narasimha. With his eyebrows that were rolling in intense anger and with His fierce teeth, the Lord appeared to create fear in both Devatas and demons. Laughing violently in a frenzied manner, while holding a club in His hand, he caught the demon king Hiranyakashipu who was about to pounce on him. Placing the demon-king on his thighs, the Lord tore open his stomach and killed him.

14) Srihari, the savior of Elephant Gajendra:

A very powerful crocodile caught the leg of Elephant-king Gajendra and began to pull him into the deep waters of the lake. Unable to withstand the pain, Gajendra held a lotus in his trunk and called out to the Supreme Lord, “O Adi Puruśa! O Lord of the universe! Singing Your glories purifies the living beings. Merely by listening to Your divine names, the living beings are blessed with auspiciousness.” He prayed fervently.

The Supreme Lord who holds the discus in His hand and who otherwise is beyond the reach of the senses and intellect was overcome with compassion when the pleas of Gajendra, who had surrendered to Him completely, fell upon His ears. Forthwith he mounted Garuda, the king of birds and arrived to help Gajendra, who was in great distress. Using his discus he shred the mouth of that crocodile into pieces. He caught hold of the elephants’ trunk and pulled him out and thus saved him.

15) Incarnation as Vamana:

Srihari incarnated as Vamana, the son of the couple- Aditi and Kashyapa. Although Vamana was the youngest amongst all the children of Aditi, in qualities he was the best. When Emperor Bali Chakravarti was conducting a Yagna, Vamana approached him and accepted from him, 3 feet land in charity. Immediately Vamana, in 3 steps, measured all the 3 planes of existence and on this pretext of seeking 3 feet of land, took away from Bali his entire kingdom.

In this deed of Vamana a profound teaching is hidden. Even the most efficient person finds it impossible to dislodge another person who is treading the path of good conduct (sanmarga) without begging from that person. This should be clearly understood.

O Nārada! With full reverence, Bali washed the feet of the all-pervading Lord who was in the form of Vamana and sprinkled that water upon his head. At that moment Bali felt that even the position of Indra (Lord of heaven) was trivial in front of this rare opportunity. In fact, as soon as Bali promised to give Vamana the 3 feet of land, his Guru Sukracharya intervened and objected. In various ways he tried to dissuade Bali from giving this land in charity. In his effort to dissuade Bali, Śukracharya went to the extent of stating that going against a given promise was perfectly acceptable. Yet Bali could not be deterred from the promise that he had given. He devotedly washed the feet of Vamana. When the Lord asked for a place to keep his 3^rd foot, Bali offered his own body. With this deed he became a Mahatma.

16) Incarnation as Hamsa:

O Nārada! Lord Srihari, supremely pleased with your intense devotion, incarnated as Hamsa. In an understandable and clear manner, He preached to you the Bhagawata dharma that imparts the knowledge about the path of devotion (bhakti-yoga) as well as about the form of the Self. Those devotees who have sought refuge under Lord Vasudeva easily grasp this Bhagawata dharma.

17) Incarnation as Manu:

In each and every period of creation, Lord Srihari incarnates as Manu and protects all descendents of that lineage. Spreading His unchallengeable radiance in all directions like a discus, He zealously nourishes and protects all living begins. It is not limited to this! He punishes the evil and wicked demons and through His innumerable accomplishments makes his name known not only in these three planes of existence, but also in the supreme plane known as Satya-loka.

18) Incarnation as Dhanvantari:

The Supreme Lord incarnated in this world as Dhanvantari and obtained limitless fame. Merely by chanting the name ‘Dhanvantari’ even the most severe and deadliest diseases get quickly cured. He gifted the Devatas with nectar (amrita), and with an eternal life that is free from old-age and death. He also earned back the share of offerings in the Yagna, which had been stolen from him earlier. He preached the knowledge of Ayurveda in this world.

19) Incarnation as Paraśurama:

Once upon a time those belonging to the warrior clan (kshatriya) began to despise the Lord and having deviated from the path of the Vedas they were about to land in hell. Due to this unfortunate situation, the kshatriyas, who had become impediments to the society, had to be destroyed completely. In that situation, the Supreme Lord incarnated as Paraśurama. Holding in his hand a long and sharp axe, the mighty Paraśurama travelled around the globe 21 times killing all the evil kshatriyas.

20) Incarnation as Rama:

In showering blessings upon us all, Srihari is always happy. This Lord of illusion incarnated, in the Ikshwāku dynasty, as Rama, together with his brothers, all of whom were aspects of His incarnation.

Srihari! Krishna!