Reimagining Bhāgavatam: A Book on Ancient Indian Philosophy

By Harihara Krishnan

Ever since Sir W Jones translated Kalidasa's Shakuntalam into English (1789), many scholars from the West have shown interest in Indian Sanskrit literature. By 1847, 607 works had been translated. Among them, the Gita is one of the most translated works. The Gita and Bhagavatam are the essence of the Vedas, the ancient Indian texts of knowledge.

While the 700-sloka Gita is written as a discourse to someone who was finding difficulty to choose between his duty and obligation, the currently available 14094-verse long Bhagavatam is a discourse given to a king who was expecting death suddenly in the next seven days. Translations of the Bhagavatam are not widely available as much as the Gita. This book is written, keeping in mind those who do not look for a religious or literary piece but a useful book that offers a glimpse of ancient Indian wisdom on blending harmoniously personal ethics, politics and morality in life.

Bhagavatam, composed in the ancient Sanskrit language probably before CE and contains wisdom of sages and scholars presented in the ancient art of storytelling. This book, divided into two parts, condenses the ancient Indian scripture into eighty invaluable stories along with explanatory notes and a glossary at the end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Mar 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9781543704679

Harihara Krishnan

Traditional Brahmin background, basic knowledge of Sanskrit language and opportunity to understand the pulse of life by living with people from diverse backgrounds world over during his four decades of professional banking career, helped the author to assimilate the ancient Sanskrit scripture by name Bhagavatam and condense it into eighty easily understandable illuminating stories.

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Copyright © 2024 by Harihara Krishnan.

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CONTENTS

Absolute Truthi

Preface

PART I

1 Gokarnan

2 Parikshit

3 Incarnations

4 Om Bhoohu

5 Sri Varaham

6 Jayavijaya

7 Devahuti

8 Kapila Deva

9 Daksha

10 Dhruva

11 Vena

12 Prithu

13 Pracetas

14 Double Swans

15 Chariot

16 Priyavrata

17 Nabhi

18 Rishabh Deva

19 Jata Bharata

20 Ajamila

21 Daksha & Narada

22 Vishwaroopa

23 Vritra

24 Chitraketu

25 Marut

26 Prahlada

27 Tripuram

28 Gajendra

29 Turtle

30 Mohini

31 Mahabali

32 Fish

PART II

33 Sudyumna

34 Sukanya

35 Nabhagan

36 Ambarisha

37 Nimi

38 Harischandra

39 Sagara

40 Sri Rama

41 Pururava

42 Parasurama

43 Vishwamitra

44 Yayati

45 Shakuntala

46 Rantideva & Khatvanga

47 Sri Krishna

48 Kamsa

49 Gopika

50 Yashoda Nandan

51 Panchajanya

52 Kubja

53 Akrura

54 Jarasandha

55 Revathi

56 Rukmini

57 Espousals

58 Pradyumna

59 Samba

60 Anirudha

61 Nruga

62 Dwivida

63 Yamuna

64 Paundraka

65 Subhadra

66 Rajasuya

67 Sudama

68 Get Together

69 Infants

70 Yogishwaras

71 Vruka And Bhrigu

72 Shruti

73 Srutadeva

74 Udhava Gita

75 Avadhuta Gita

76 Bhikshu Gita

77 The Return

78 Takshaka

79 Twelfth

80 Maya Darsanam

Gratitude

Glossary

End Note

To

My parents

K Neelakanta Iyer & Rajammal N R

Kandathumadam Karoor Ambalapuzha

The power of discernment comes from

devotion, sacred knowledge, and dispassion

while delusion, infatuation, and disappointment spoil it.

-Srimad Bhagavata Mahatmyam

ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Sage Vyasa, the author of Srimad Bhagavata Mahapuranam (Bhagavatam) begins this great work with a prayer to absolute Truth or ‘Satyam Param Dhimahi’. The meaning of the verse that begins with ‘Janmadyasa yatho’, is that, ‘I salute absolute truth which we know only from the description of sages. In this universe the ultimate truth remains obscure and no one has a clear picture of the three creations. If fire sometimes appears as water, or water as earth, or earth as fire, there is nothing wrong in absolute Truth remaining as an illusion. Under the inspiration from the same absolute truth, we can see people aim their life to acquire wealth and sages living without worrying about anything. Therefore, let us listen to the sage Sri Shuka and learn more about absolute Truth.

Sage Vyasa concludes after compiling more than fourteen thousand verses by saying, "Bhave bhave yada bhakti"(XII/13/12/ 22-23) which means, I am not worried about any number of births as long as I have bhakti in my mind.

Note: The great idea behind inserting a few Sanskrit phrases or verses here and there is to provide the reader to get a feel of the superiority of the Sanskrit language used by ancient sages for their work. Many scholars from the West such as Sir W. Jones, Prof H. H. Wilson, Prof Max Muller and Prof. Arthur W. Ryder have spoken greatly about Sanskrit literature.

PREFACE

Bhagavatam has been regarded as a summation of Indian philosophy by eminent scholars. It is also believed that the wisdom from the Vedas can be absorbed from Srimad Bhagavata Maha Puranam (Bhagavatam) in the form of stories. Bhagavatam is an invaluable source of knowledge for those who want to lead a high-quality life. The valuable lessons available in Bhagavatam cannot be obtained even from the modern education system or from erudite scholars. Over the past three hundred years, scientific research has progressed, leading to a decline in human superstitions. This work has been written in such a way that the readers can comprehend the stories of Bhagavatam, without losing sight of its scientific nature. The purpose of writing this work is to exemplify the fact that education is the most important thing and that life can be enriched through reading.

Bhagavatam was originally written in Sanskrit, an ancient polyglot language that is believed to be the source of other Indian languages such as Hindi, Bengali etc. Figurative uses of language abound in the Bhagavatam. Therefore, just as the scientific knowledge is absorbed from science fiction, readers must pick up interesting titbits of wisdom a sage like Vyasa would have intended to share with readers that can bring about changes in their lives.

All the effort put in by me to present this book Reimagining Bhagavatam in a simple readable form, can become successful only if it helps a few readers to enrich their lives with the knowledge imparted in the Bhagavatam. If you ask me whether any other book influenced my life as much as the Bhagavatam (written by sage Vyasa), my answer is no. Bhagavatam is a work that has greatly influenced my attitude, character and decisions. After realising the economic value or productivity of this ancient great work, I felt like writing these eighty stories as everyone may not be privileged to a family background which I had and that probably made the job easier. While translations and commentaries of Bhagavatam are available, of course not as much as Gita, this book perhaps may be the only one to condense the 14094 verses of Bhagavatam into just eighty easily readable independent stories. The thought that lingered all the while was what would have been in the mind of the learned sage when he composed it more than 2000 years ago. Probably the same feeling Sir W Jones, Prof. H.H. Wilson or Prof. F. Max Muller had when they learned about Indian philology - a vast amount of detailed research on man and the creations of the unknown of the scale unknown anywhere and the beautiful language of Sanskrit. I have tried my level best to present a sensible meaning of the stories, but it is for the readers to judge whether the book has achieved its end.

The book contains eighty stories in two parts. Each story is independent. At the end of the book a glossary of popular terms or usages is given that must be helpful as the names and places mentioned in the stories are ancient and in Sanskrit language. I had the support of many readers familiar with this particular scripture who used to read my short stories in Malayalam and offer their comments for making improvisation in the content and coverage. Miss T S Akshaya, a post graduate degree holder in English Literature from the University of Leeds, UK and interested in Indian philosophy, helped me by providing the necessary editorial support I needed.

Hope the book will provide a good reading experience.

AUTHOR

PART I

1. GOKARNAN

This story appears in Bhagavatam as a preface or as an introduction and it is taken from another scripture known as Padma Puranam highlighting the greatness of Bhagavatam and the merits of reading as Saptaham, a seven-day workshop on Lord wherein the daily sessions begin at sunrise and end at sunset. The story emphasises the need for undivided attention and focus from participants of the Saptaham while maintaining a minimal diet and lifestyle.

In a village there lived a brahmin (person belonging to the priest class) named Atmadevan. He was pious and respectfully followed traditions. However, his wife Dhundhuli was extremely greedy and keen on leading a luxurious life. She handled the financial matters of the house because Atmadevan showed no interest in matters relating to wealth and luxury. The frugal husband and his extravagant wife made an unusual couple. However, the couple did not have any conflicts except for one.

They had a completely different approach to life. While Atmadevan wished for a successor, who would take care of his wife in her old age, she was concerned about other things, like the effects of childbirth on her beauty and the loss of time resulting from childcare. Due to their contrasting views, Atmadevan felt pity for himself. When a monk noticed his sorrowful face, he enquired if Atmadevan needed guidance. Atmadevan responded by sharing his mental agony with the monk. The monk then held a fruit in his hand, chanted some hymns and handed over the fruit to Atmadevan.

Let your wife consume this fruit. I assure you, soon you shall be blessed with a son.

Atmadevan thanked the monk for his kindness and was pleased to have met him there. He gave the fruit to Dhundhuli and told her about the monk who gave the fruit to him. Though she accepted the fruit from her husband, she was concerned about the risks of becoming pregnant. She did not want to hurt her husband either.

So, the first thing she did was secretly feed the fruit to their cow. Then she spoke to her younger sister and contrived a plan. Dhundhuli’s sister said: You just have to pretend that you’re pregnant. Since I am pregnant, I can leave my baby at your house. I shall come and feed the baby.

Soon after, Dhundhuli’ s younger sister gave birth to a boy and left the child with Dhundhuli. Believing that a child was born to him, Atmadevan was delighted. Since Dhundhuli did not have milk to feed the baby, he agreed to her suggestion that her younger sister who had milk to feed the baby should stay with them. Atmadevan was also told that the baby born to Dhundhuli’ s younger sister around the same time had not survived.

The cow that ate the fruit also delivered a boy with the ears of a cow. He was thus named Gokarnan (with ears of a cow). Atmadevan was blessed with two sons. The elder child, Dhundhukari, grew up like a rogue and that made his parents anxious. But Gokarnan was a clever boy and he advised Atmadevan to not worry about such things at that stage of life. When Atmadevan became old, he decided to stay in the forest for the rest of his life. Gokarnan left to pursue his studies, leaving the house under the control of his brother Dhundhukari. When it became unbearable to put up with her son who demanded money every now and then, Dhundhuli jumped into a well and ended her life.

Dhundhukari continued his reckless lifestyle. He brought five ladies to his house and lived with them. When those ladies discovered that Dhundhukari’s earnings came from burglary and looting, fearing the risk of the king’s men taking them into custody along with Dhundhukari, they decided to leave him. However, upon further thinking they realised that leaving him alive would still put them at risk. So, they tried to beat him to death. When that was unsuccessful, they put fireballs into his mouth, killing him in the process.

Gokarnan was unaware of these developments at home. Once at night, he heard knocking at his door but did not find anyone there. This continued for a few days. One day out of desperation he cried: ‘Who are you and why are you hiding like this?’

Gokarnan got a reply: I am your brother, wandering aimlessly after death because of my aimless life.

Even though Gokarnan performed all the necessary funeral rites for his brother, the knocking did not stop. He heard him tell that the funeral rites could not salvage him: You are an expert in scriptures. Please find a way for my salvation.

When nothing was found from the scriptures that could save his brother’s soul, Gokarnan prayed to the Sun God. Intuitively he understood that Bhagavata Saptaham could salvage his brother from his present condition. Accordingly, Gokarnan conducted a Bhagavatha Sapthaham as a Yajnam. A lot of people, including his brother’s ghost, attended on all seven days from dawn to dusk. The ghost, clinging on to a bamboo pole, stayed there without being blown away by the wind. Mysteriously, on the seventh day, the ghost gained a shape that helped it stay there even without the bamboo and it attained salvation at the end of the seventh day.

Unfortunately, no one else benefited from the Saptaham because only the ghost could observe all the conditions prescribed for a Bhagavatha Sapthaha Yajnam such as unfailing attention on all seven days from dawn to dusk and taking minimum food etc. The ghost could easily comply with these conditions because it did not require water or food and had no reasons for diversion. When others realised their shortcomings, Gokarnan conducted the Saptaham again and all of them benefited this time.

This anecdote encompasses the greatness of Saptaham as mentioned in Padma Puranam.

The Bhagavata Puranam in its present form was probably composed no later than 75 BC. Anyone trying to decode the masterpiece would be enriched on subjects such as Indian philosophy, human psychology, logical thinking and would be able to lead a civilised life. Three things are prescribed for a better life. According to Bhagavata Puranam, the three major prerequisites for a better life are knowledge, empathy and dispassion.

Notes:

Priests, rulers and traders: Human resources were recognised in those days based on their profession. The foremost called Brahmin or the priest class had dominion over knowledge, a dedicated set of people engaged in preservation and promotion of the spiritual knowledge or Vedas that came from Brahma, the creator. Thousands of years of research conducted on various subjects by them are documented as Vedas, Upanishads, and religious practices. After knowledge, importance was given to wealth management. Those who had dominion over wealth were known as Kshatriyas or the ruling class. They followed the knowledge on administration given in the Vedas. Thus, the ruling class regarded the priest class in high esteem for their support. Chandra Gupta established the Maurya empire thanks to his following the scholarly counsel received from a Brahmin by name Chanakya.

After knowledge and wealth, importance was given to welfare. Vaishyas were the ones that had dominion over people. Their welfare resulted from trade and commerce. In the modern world, they are entrepreneurs, engaged in production, trade and commerce. The subject of economics deals with the welfare of people. They too sourced inputs from Vedas and respected the priest class for their support.

The fourth class of people were those who rendered service or employee class. Probably modern-day bureaucrats or people in public service fit into this definition. They brought results in sectors such as knowledge, wealth management and people welfare. Knowledge of Vedas was redundant as it guided people in perfectly executing their tasks. Then there is another term ‘mlecha’ that refers to foreigners or those who do not follow traditions.

Yajnam: The word Yaj means to sacrifice, worship, or adore. Yajamana pays for the sacrifice. He does it with a larger interest in mind. Loosely, the term Yajnam can be interpreted as a process that helps in the generation of new products and processes. Brahma Yajnam -Adhyayanam, Pithru Yajnam - Tharpanam, Deva Yajnam - Homam, Bhootayajnam – Bali and Nrupayajnam - Atithipooja together are called Mahayajnam which every householder does regularly.

2. PARIKSHIT

There was a time in India when both the ruling class and the priest class believed they were superior. So, when a brahmin was inhospitable to a king, spontaneous outbursts were not unusual. A king named Parikshit once flung a dead snake at a brahmin, while in disguise. Since the brahmin was meditating, he failed to notice it at that moment. However, the brahmin’s son upon discovering this ridiculous act, cursed the king to death by snake bite.

During those days, a curse from a brahmin was irreversible. Having realised that his final days were near, the king undertook certain steps and ultimately ended up listening to stories of the Lord in the form of a seven-day Saptaham. Bhagavatam has been presented in the form of a narration by sage Sri Shuka to Parikshit. Its inception is believed to be as far back as 75 B.C. The first story in Bhagavatam is about the king.

His name Parikshit, was indicative of his great birth and it was appropriate for his reconnoitring face. During the embryonic stage someone had fed him amrut (no-death panacea) through the thumb. However, since birth he had not seen that person at all. So Parikshit used to appear to be in search of that person who was none other than Lord Vishnu (pari eekshyathe in Sanskrit means looking around). Parikshit is also known as Vishnurata (protected by Lord Vishnu) since an arrow directed at his pregnant mother Uttara, was blocked by Lord Vishnu and that saved the Pandava dynasty from extinction.

When the victorious Pandava king Yudhishtira and his brothers learned that their cousins Balarama and Sri Krishna who supported them during the war, had ascended to their abode, they departed to the forest after anointing Parikshit the lone survivor, as their successor. Parikshit proved to be a master of governance, kind-hearted, lover of nature and a follower of the path of righteousness. His ascension marked the beginning of ‘Kaliyug,’ a period when there would be deterioration of righteousness among rulers, increase in crimes and discontinuation of traditions.

All these troubles were attributable to the unknown ‘Kali.’ Parikshit, thanks to his great birth, could restrain Kali from freely operating in his kingdom. Having understood the potential of the king, Kali accepted certain places from where he could operate. Those places were houses with unclean living conditions and public centres where wagers, prostitution and trade of intoxicants took place. In addition to those four places offered by the king, Kali successfully bargained for one more, places where gold was preserved. Generally, these are areas where people wrangle even for minor misunderstandings. A lot of time is wasted in such centres. In a pragmatic sense, Kaliyug can be considered as the era when kaal or time loses its value. The best way to save oneself from the evils is to stay away from these negative habits.

Despite his greatness, Parikshit’s end came suddenly when he received a curse from a brahmin boy. When the boy who was playing with his friends, was told that the king had flung a dead snake on his father’s shoulder, the boy became angry and cursed the king to death by snake bite within the next seven days. The boy then hurriedly reached the monastery where his father was meditating and saw the dead snake on his father’s shoulder, flung by the king. He cried so loudly that the sage opened his eyes. After removing the snake from his shoulder, the sage enquired his son about the reason for his wailing. When the boy narrated in detail everything that had happened and his pronouncement of the curse, the brahmin sage felt that his son had made a terrible mistake.

He advised the boy: People live happily and prosperously, thanks to a king like Parikshit. If something unfortunate happens to him, the troubles from miscreants will be on a constant rise.

The sage who was counselling his son was not bothered about what had been done to him by the king. A curse by a Brahmin shall never go in vain. Moreover, it came from an innocent boy. The great king was quick to comprehend the situation. He therefore contemplated his next course of action.

What am I supposed to do during the next seven days? There is no point in trying to avoid the inevitable end. The kingdom shall no longer belong to me.

He anointed his son Janamejaya as his successor and proceeded to the banks of the river Ganges, where he was visited by numerous scholars and other eminent personalities belonging to the priest class. A few of his ministers and servants had also accompanied him to the river bank. Among the visitors was sage Sri Shuka Brahma Rishi (sage Sri Shuka), the prodigious son of eminent sage Krishna Dwaipayana or the Vedavyasa. Parikshit was delighted to meet sage Sri Shuka and discussed the events that brought him there.

"When I was exhausted from hunting, I went in search of some food and water and ended up at a monastery. There I saw a Brahmin pretending to not notice my visit and sitting calmly. I thought he probably wanted to avoid a Kshatriya. I was disappointed to be refused the usual courtesies for a visitor. Then I came across a snake. Was it dead or alive, I was not sure. I tried to fling the snake with my bow. Unfortunately, the dead snake fell on his shoulders. Even then he did not open his eyes. I left the place feeling dejected without getting the water or food I wanted. As soon as I reached my palace, I came to know that his son had cursed me for what I had done with the snake. Since I know that a brahmin’s curse shall never go in vain, I came here accepting the reality.

Sir, I have two questions for you. ‘How should an ordinary person spend his lifetime?’ and ‘how should someone spend their last days?’

The young sage responded very calmly. During life our efforts must be to achieve jnanam, bhakti and virakti. (Knowledge, devotion, and disenchantment/dispassion). The easiest way I can suggest is to forgo the fear of death by listening to Bhagavatam, a compilation by my father, that ignites knowledge, devotion, and disenchantment.

The sage agreed to give a discourse on Bhagavatam during the next seven days and the king was pleased by this proposition. Questions from the king were answered by the sage, making the sessions extremely interesting. By the end of the seventh day, the king had acquired sufficient knowledge, devotion, and disenchantment that he became fearless and was ready to face death.

Before leaving the place, sage Sri Shuka told the king: Honourable king, no one including the snake king Taksaka can harm you or your soul because the world belongs to everyone (aham brahmasmi- I am Brahma [creation]). We have come to this world and we should go from here. That is all. Be calm about it!

As soon as the sage bid farewell to the king, the serpent God Taksaka, accomplished the task tactfully in spite of the elaborate safety arrangements put in place by Janamejaya, who had organised a snake sacrifice to avenge the murder. A lot of snakes had died as a result but Indra, chief of the God community, protected the snake king Taksaka from death. Vasishta, the guru/advisor of the God community then advised prince Janamejaya to stop the ill-advised sacrifice.

This story highlights that a great birth does not guarantee a great life but goodness can turn suffering into a joyful experience. Scriptures are like course materials, intended to aid in the development of goodness in us, by instilling knowledge, empathy, and disenchantment after experiencing life joyfully.

Notes:

Pandavas: Five sons of Pandu (white skin) and their descendants. Pandu’s wife Prutha who was adopted by a king of Kunta, is more popularly known as a Kunti. Though Pandu could not have sons. Prutha, thanks to a boon from a saint, begot five sons namely Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva (the last two through his other wife Madri). They married Draupadi, the daughter of king Drupada. After his death, Pandu’s family had to face some troubles from rulers of the Kuru dynasty, particularly Duryodhana (warrior) son of Pandu’s brother Dhrutharashtra (held the kingdom together). Since Pandavas followed righteousness and were devotees of Lord Vishnu, Prutha’s nephew Sri Krishna (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) guided them and helped gain their due rights. However, following Sri Krishna’s exit from earth, the Pandavas proceeded to their forest life after handing over the kingdom to Parikshit, the lone survivor after the war who could inherit. It was to this Parikshit that Sri Shuka narrated these stories.

Amrut: A spirituous liquor that provides immortality. Ambrosia, nectar, no death panacea etc., other names for amrut.

Jnanam: Spiritual knowledge on creation and other principles of evolution

Bhakti: It means respect others as if everyone is a dwelling place for the same divinity who provides the essence of life.

Virakti: A quality of not getting emotionally attached to other living beings and surroundings.

Kaliyuga(m): In Sanskrit, ‘yugam’ is an age of the world. The current yuga is given the name Kali (like cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons etc., are named for easy reference) and poor recognition of the value of time and the resultant chaos are its features.

Vedas: A lot of research was carried out by ascetics and their findings were transmitted to later generations in beautiful poetic style compositions orally. After script and grammar were standardised, available stuff was grouped into four Vedas namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Further 108 or more Upanishads, eighteen Puranams (mythology) and many more came into existence.

3. INCARNATIONS

Although there are many incarnations of Lord Vishnu, only ten of them are popularised and are widely known as Dashavataras. Even among the ten, there is a minor controversy. That is, some people include Lord Buddha in the ten incarnations while excluding Sri Krishna. Bhagavatam mentions far more. It is interesting to learn more about the circumstances in which such incarnations took place, rather than confining them to those ten incarnations.

Like a spider that rests after tying its nets, Lord Vishnu, rests after the system of creation and procreation are put in place and each of them are assigned specific duties or dharma. This is called ‘delegation’ in management theories. The underlying features are trust, connectivity, and alacrity. When some disturbance occurs to that system, Lord, like a spider, revisits, and repairs. This is how sage Sri Shuka explained Lord Vishnu and creation to Parikshit.

Yamaraj, who is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining Dharma once explained Lord Vishnu’s planning and greatness to his assistants, when they informed him about some transgression.

We, I mean Brahma, Rudra and other prajapatis (lords) discharge our duties assigned by Lord Vishnu. The activities of Lord Vishnu are mysterious and beyond comprehension. No one knows when he interferes. Even we do not know in what form he makes an appearance. We only experience his presence. You are probably talking about his counsels who would have reached there. They appear instantly and render protection to devotees of the Lord.

This story about incarnation is based on a conversation between Brahma, the lord entrusted with the job of creation and Narada, a Rishi (counsel) figuring among the first ten rishis created by Brahma. If we consider thinking, doing, and enjoying together as an activity, Lord Vishnu is behind the thought, Brahma is behind the deed and Rudra provides enjoyment.

Parikshit listened to sage Sri Shuka’s narration of various incarnations of Lord Vishnu with curiosity. The sage said: "Lord Vishnu has appeared on earth many times, but no one has seen him. He incarnates in every Kalpa (a term used to refer to time). He creates his own self, completes the task for which he is born and vanishes from the scene. Some refer to him as Sathya (Truth), some as Poornnam (the perfect) and others mention him as Anadyantham (endless). Yet another view is that he is Nirguna (featureless, not confirming patterns of sat, raj and tamas features unlike other creations), Nithyam (non-perishable) Advayam (not something living inside and outside). This is how sages described the Lord in the past.

We living beings have a mind and that is connected to the senses. They drive our life. We hardly have time to think beyond that and feel the presence of the Truth. What sages say is that only those who are calm, without the thoughts and pressures that result from the action of the senses and mind, can feel the presence of the Lord Vishnu.

At first, he was Purusha, (spirit), then he became Time, then Guna (feature). Then he evolved into small, large, moving, non-moving, and all kinds of creation. Though his presence can be felt in everything, it is interesting to learn more about his special appearances in the form of incarnations.

Swayambhuva Manu, (a manifestation of Brahma himself as a couple) was seeking a place to work, when an insect fell out of Brahma’s nose. It quickly grew into a wild boar and lifted the earth beneath the water (flood) to the surface of the ocean. Brahma identified the boar as Lord Vishnu.

During the reign of Swayambhuva Manu, Suyajna, who became Devendra (chief of Gods) was declared an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Suyajna was the son of Manu’s daughter Akuthi and her husband, a Rishi named Ruchi.

Another daughter of Swayambhuva Manu Devahuti, had a son named Kapila Deva (having reddish hair). The sages realised that he could be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu based on his erudition in the Vedas. (Story of Kapila Deva)

Atri, one of the first ten sages created by Brahma, sought a son. Lord Vishnu himself offered to be that child, and as his name Dattatreya indicates, he was gifted to Atri.

The four Sanatkumars who are known by the prefix ‘Sana’ attached to their names, were the first to appear as a result of Brahma’s penance. The sages considered all of them to be a form of Lord Vishnu.

Nara Narayanan sages, Murthy, son of one of sage Daksha’s daughters, and sage Dharma were also considered incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

"Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada and grandson of Swayambhuva Manu, met Lord Vishnu during penance, in the dynasty of Dhruva (story of Dhruva). The king Prithu was also considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. (Story of king Prithu)

Swayambhuva Manu’s grandson Rishabh Deva has also been considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. (Story of Rishabh Deva)

According to the sages, Hayagriva was identified as none other than Lord Vishnu since he appeared as the Lord of sacrificial rites (yajna) with the head of a horse when Brahma conducted a yajna.

Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of a fish in the deluge during the last part of the sixth Manvantara, to safeguard Vedas and living beings. (Story of Matsya)

Both gods and demons once agreed to churn the ocean for ‘amrut’ (nectar) for immortality. As they started churning, the earth began to give way, drowning the pistil. Then lord Vishnu placed himself in the form of a turtle underneath mount Manthara, which was used as the pistil and helped them in moving forward with the churning process. In addition, when a dispute arose between them, Lord appeared as a woman named Mohini and resolved the situation.

Then there was a great devotee named Prahlada whose belief in God was beyond imagination. He saw Lord Vishnu everywhere. In order to protect him from his cruel, non- devout father, Lord Vishnu incarnated in the form of Narasimha. (Story of Hiranyakashipu)

Another devotee of Lord Vishnu, a king of elephants, was once desperately trying to release himself from the clutches of a large crocodile, when Lord Vishnu appeared, killed the crocodile, and rescued him. (Story of Gajendra)

In another interesting episode, the king, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, happened to be the leader of asuras (non- devotees). Since he had captured the whole empire of Gods by sheer prowess, Lord Vishnu had to incarnate as a brahmin boy (Vamana) and approach him (Bali) for receiving the empire in the form of a gift. The Lord thus took birth as the twelfth son of Aditi, the daughter of sage Daksha (story of Mahabali).

There are many instances where sage Narada appeared to sages as Lord Vishnu and explained stories of Bhagavatha.

Dhanvantari, the king of Kashi who taught Ayurveda, was also believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

When Kshatriyas, the ruling class, began to despise Brahmins and adopted the path of iniquity, Parasurama, the one who born to teach them a lesson was Lord Vishnu. (Story of Parasurama)

Born as Lord Rama along with brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna in the Ikshvaku dynasty, it was Lord Vishnu who killed Ravana (the ruler of Lanka) for kidnapping a virtuous woman (Sita) and restored righteousness. (Story of Sri Rama)

Later he took birth as Sri Krishna along with his brother Balarama. Not only did he restore righteousness among rulers but he also gave advice on leading a prudent life (Bhagavat Gita) to Arjuna.

Krishna Dwaipayana (Veda Vyasa), born as the son of Satyavati, who categorised scriptures known as brahmanas, Samhitas etc., into four for easy propagation, was also recognised as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. (Father of sage Sri Shuka.)"

After describing all these details of the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu to Parikshit, sage Sri Shuka gave an account of probable future incarnations of the Lord.

Apart from observations made, sage Sri Shuka added that the Lord shall incarnate as the ‘turbulent’ or Kalki, when rulers forgo righteousness, people ignore goodness or when traditions become disrespectful. This may occur during the last part of this Kali yuga.

Although sages at the time of compiling Bhagavatam believed that there were so many incarnations of Lord Vishnu, a court poet named Jayadeva, who lived in the 11th century near Puri temple, mentioned in his work ‘Gita Govinda Kavya’ ten incarnations known as ‘Dashavataram’ and made them more popular than the rest. Gita Govinda Kavyam is written in twelve sections and in the very first verse beginning with ‘Pralaya Payodhi Jale’, it is said ‘Lord I respect the one who appeared in ten various forms’ (‘Kesava dhrita dasavidha rupa hare’). This collection of poems is referred to as Ashtapadi. (Eight legs/couplets).

In the first ten verses of the first section, each incarnation is described. The benefit of remembering the lord is contained in the eleventh verse. In the twelfth verse, the purpose of those ten incarnations is reiterated in an eloquent manner. One can enjoy the beauty of the Sanskrit language from those verses.

There are two interesting facts about the ten incarnations of the Lord portrayed by Jayadeva in his work. First, he has not included Lord’s incarnation as Sri Krishna and second, he has included Lord’s incarnation as Buddha, the incarnation said to have been taken as someone with a ‘kind heart’.

The twelfth verse (beginning with Vedan uddharathe….) is also composed beautifully. There, he indicates the reason for each incarnation which can be understood as traits every individual needs to distinguish themselves from the rest.

Hereafter the stories will be about Manu’s Children who were the rulers of India.

Notes:

Dashavataram: Jayadeva’s selected ten incarnations and the purpose of incarnations

1.Safeguard knowledge -fish

2.Facilitate operations - tortoise

3.Encourage tolerance - boar

4.Recognise virtues - lion man

5.Redistribute wealth - Bali

6.Do not abuse power - Parasurama

7.Respect family women - Sri Rama

8.Realise importance of agriculture - Balarama

9.Be kind to fellow human beings - Budha

10.Respect our culture - Kalki

4. OM BHOOHU

Upanayanam is an investiture ceremony of boys belonging to the priest class, ruling class and trader class, with a sacred thread. In Sanskrit, ‘Upanayanam’ has the literal meaning of ‘handing over a boy to a teacher for sacred study.’ Though this ancient tradition of investiture is being followed by families belonging to the eligible class even today, most of them just end up doing only the daily prayers and not pursuing the study of Vedas. However, the priest who officiates the ceremony provides handholding support for a few days after the investiture to perform what is known as Sandhya worship. Having said that, hardly anyone takes interest in learning the underlying meaning of those hymns and prayers.

This story from Bhagavatam is retold in a way that is easy to understand in the modern times. It is written as if a teacher is explaining the substantive meaning of those aspects to a boy who just had his Upanayanam.

When the boy got ready to do the morning sandhya worship after sipping water, the teacher said: Om bhoohu, om bhuvaha! Come on. Both were engaged in that for about fifteen minutes. As soon as that got over, the boy’s father courteously spoke to the priest.

Thank you, sir. Perhaps you could spare some time to brief him on what it is all about.

The teacher responded: Absolutely, no problem. Any day in the afternoon, you can bring him and I shall be happy to talk about everything. Our traditions are our pride and they are discussed extremely well in our scriptures.

As agreed, the boy and his father visited the guru one afternoon for an interesting session on Indian philosophy. The teacher was in his mid-thirties and the boy was nine years old. The boy’s father was in his sixties. All three of them were relaxed, enjoying the afternoon sea breeze from the veranda.

"Puranam (mythology) is mostly about the war between Gods and demons and the theme of almost every story in religious books is ‘Righteousness must prevail, and iniquity must be rejected or abolished’, isn’t it? In all those stories, the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahadeva play an important role. The story I am going to tell you forms an important part of our scriptures. When we look at the wonderful world, sometimes we ask ourselves: Who created this beautiful place? How were we born here? Do animals and other living beings also have some language of their own? Our forefathers also had the same questions in their mind. Since no one exists to provide an answer or to vouch for those thoughts, we rely on whatever has been written based on streams of thoughts that occurred to our forefathers, who spent their whole lives meditating on these topics. Now listen to my story, and picture it like a movie you would watch on Indian mythology.

Creation began as a result of time or ‘Kalpam.’ At the end of the Kalpa, all creations cease to exist. Kalpa is the name given to a specific period like day, month, week etc. Everything happening in the world is linked to Kalpa and its various divisions of time. It is interesting to note that computer’s function based on the same principle of time. All the files in a computer are linked to the time on the computer clock and are ‘indexed’ chronologically for easy search. When the clock inside the computer stops functioning, computer engineers call it a ‘disc crash’. As a result, like the memory of an Alzheimer patient, information becomes irretrievable.

In short, I am going to tell you a story that shows that time is the basis of everything. The origin, function, and destruction of everything is all related to time. Those who realise the value of time turn out to be talented and creative. Similarly, those who live without valuing time or Kaal rot, as described in a feature of ‘Kali yuga’.

Just like the Time factor, there is another important theory. That is, the cause-and-effect theory. The cause-and-effect theory means that every action has a cause and an effect and that helps in chasing the result. You must have heard about Darwin, a theologian turned scientist. He had conducted splendid research and confirmed many things mentioned in Puranam.

Now imagine a situation when nothing other than ‘time’ could be found as a cause for this creation, and there was nothing but water all around. Floating on the water was Maha Vishnu, known as Sheshashayi (shayi means lying) lying on a celebrated thousand headed serpent (shesham also means remaining). Sheshashayi’ s stomach was littered with remnants of the previous Kalpa. Lotus usually grows in the mud. So, imagine that a beautiful lotus had grown on those remnants and come out through Sheshashayi navel. If you visit Padmanabha swamy temple in Trivandrum, you can see the idol of Maha Vishnu with the golden lotus lying on Sesha, the serpent.

When Brahma came out through the stalk of that lotus and looked around, he could see only water and nothing else. ‘Did I lose my way?’ Brahma asked himself. Then he retracted. When he went down through the stalk, he could not find anything there. ‘Where did I come from?’ There was no clue available to find the answer to that question. So again, he came up to the top of the lotus, where he sat meditating on ‘who am I?’ and ‘what am I supposed to do?

The teacher paused for a moment and then pointed to a picture on the wall and said: Look, that is the deity Lord Padmanabha (lotus on the navel) at the temple in Trivandrum (Thiruv anantha puram). You can see Brahma sitting on the lotus and meditating.

The boy was able to relate the description made so far, with the picture. The teacher continued with his story.

"This is the image that Brahma saw while he was meditating: He was surrounded by water and a serpent with thousands of heads lying above that water appeared like a white mattress. A person was lying on that snake. The hood of the serpent, with eyes like sparkling gems, was held like an umbrella for that person. The radiance of those gems illuminated the darkness. The person atop the snake was wearing a Vanamala (garland made of a specific forest flower) and a yellow robe.

When so much came to light, Brahma thought: I must meditate on that person who can guide me on what I am supposed to do. Thus, he started his prayers.

After listening to Brahma’s prayers, Sheshashayi said: You may now begin creation for this Kalpa

Brahma followed the instruction and divided the lotus into three parts, namely, ‘Bhoo’, ‘Bhuva’ and ‘Swa’. Above that he established three more worlds namely, ‘Maharloka’, ‘Janaloka’ and ‘Tapoloka’ and on top of that he created another world for himself called ‘Satya.’

The names of those seven worlds (lok) along with the remaining three lines of the vedic hymn ‘Gayatri mantra,’ was used to make the ten nimisham (part of a second, unit of time) of the Pranayam.

The guru paused for a while. It is interesting to note that the seven worlds above the water were perceived as one placed upon the other like a lotus. At the time of compiling Bhagavatam, the concept of earth being spherical was not yet considered. Pythagoras, who indicated to his disciples that earth and moon could be spherical, was a contemporary of Indian rishis like Panini and others. He too believed that birth and death were a part of the continuous cycle of reincarnation. Similar understanding of the universe existed among Greek and Indian scholars. Another interesting fact is that both in India and Greece, Copper, iron, gold, etc. were considered as base elements. Subsequent research then took the number of elements to more than a hundred.

The Guru continued: "Once Brahma settled and commenced his task, there were nine sargam (creations) comprising of both Prakriti and Vikriti. Prakriti means natural (basic) and Vikriti means modified (compound). Prakriti refers to creations of Vishnu and Vikriti refers to creations of Brahma. The first sargam is the ‘mahat thatvam’ (great principle) which arises from the virtues of ‘Satva, Rajas, and Tamas’ (goodness, passion, ignorance). The second sargam is the ‘ego’ resulting from ‘dravyam, jnanam and kriya’ (matter, wisdom, and action). Third sargam comprises the ‘elements’ needed for minerals. The ‘senses’ for wisdom and action, forms the fourth sargam. Fifth sargam is ‘Gods with satva guna,’ and the sixth is ‘tamo guna,’ the form of ignorance. These are the six natural creations.

The seventh sargam in Vikriti are the six kinds of plants. They include non-fruiting trees, single-fruited plants, vines, deciduous trees, evergreen plants, and flowering trees. The eighth sargam is the ‘animal,’ and the ninth is ‘rajo gunam,’ referring to human beings, living with the pleasures and pains caused by the senses.

The celestial ancestors, demons, singers, dancers, ghosts, harpists and so on are said to form the tenth sargam and they neither belong to Prakriti nor to Vikriti.

First, Brahma created the five tamas, viz., non-intelligence, pleasure, death, anger, and no-knowledge. However, as soon as they were created, Brahma was overcome with sadness. He went back to penance to come to his senses. Having regained composure, he created four sanaka brothers namely Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat kumara. They showed no interest in worldly life. Moreover, with the result of yoga shakti, they were superior and incapable of procreation (Urdhvaretas).

When Brahma instructed them to raise children, they relented and said that they desired salvation. Brahma was furious and stunned by their response. Though Brahma tried to suppress that intense rage, his emotions shot out from between his two eyebrows in the form of a boy, whose body was blue and red in colour (Neela lohita). That boy Neelalohita requested Brahma: Jagadguro (Master of the universe), please give me a name and an abode.

He was named ‘Rudra’ because he was seen crying (rodanam in Sanskrit means to weep). His other names included Mahadeva, Mana, Mahinasa, Shiva, Rita Dhvaja, Ugrareta, Bhava, Kala, Vamadeva and Dhritabrata etc. His spouse came to be known as Manu, Dhee, Vritti, Ushana, Uma, Niyuth, Serpi, Ila, Ambika, Iravati, Sudha, Deeksha and Rudrani. He dwells in the heart, senses, air, sky, fire, water, earth, sun, moon, and meditation. Brahma advised Rudra to procreate as many praja (children) as possible and become their Prajapati (Lord)".

Rudra grew up and produced many powerful and terrifying offspring. Seeing them, Brahma said: Stop. This is not what I had in mind. These guys will swallow me after finishing off whatever exists in all directions. So, please do some penance, meditate, and engage in creations that bring joy and happiness to all living beings.

At this point, the teacher remarked, You must know this: decisions taken after meditating on a subject are found to be better than those taken in haste. He then continued with the story.

Rudra circumambulated Brahma and then went out for penance. Thus, the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra laid the foundation for the present creation of this Kalpa known as Swetha Varaha Kalpa.

Brahma then created ten rishis or sages. From his lap came Narada, from his thumb, Daksha, from his breath came Vashishta, from his skin Bhrigu, from his hand came forth Kratu, from his navel Pulahan, from his mouth Angiras, from his eyes Atri, and from his mind came Marici.

A few more emerged thereafter. From the right breast of Brahma, came Dharman Nara Narayana, the God of virtues, and from the backside came the God of death. Then came lust from the heart, anger from the eyebrows, greed from the lips, and Vak, (word) from his mouth (Saraswati). Out of the genitals arose the ocean, and out of the anus came the God of the demons, Nirrti. A sage named Kardama emerged from his shadow. In short, all creation originated either from the mind or body of Brahma.

In the meanwhile, others like Rudra deprecated Brahma’s relationship with his daughter, Vaagdevi. In his haste to speed up the work of creation, he fell in love with his own daughter. Feeling ashamed of himself, Brahma left the body. His body got divided into four parts and they were received by the four directions namely North, East, West and South. They created ‘fog’(hazy) and ‘dark’(absence of light).

When he contemplated on how to proceed with creation, from his four mouths came each of the four Vedas. Then came Manthra (vedic texts), Tantra (non-vedic), chaturhotra(four oblations) and upavedas(scriptures subordinate to Vedas). Then came the four ashrams ranging from seeker of knowledge to bare sustenance.

"Brahma, who went into hiding after his relationship with his daughter Vaagdevi, was worried about the process of procreation. In his absence, the sages did not show any inclination towards procreation. Brahma therefore adopted a body (Kaya) and split into two, one part became male and the other became female. The male part was named as ‘Swayambhuva Manu’ and the female part as ‘Shatarupa’, his wife.

The Manu couple had two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada and three daughters, Akuthi, Devahuti and Prasuti. Those girls became the wives of sages such as Ruchi, Kardama and Daksha. The whole world is their progeny."

The boy listening to the Guru’s story, felt as if he had seen a movie. Though very little had gone to his mind, he was able to gain an overall perspective of what was discussed. In the process, a lot of spiritual topics became familiar to him. Both the boy and his father thanked the teacher and left feeling enlightened.

Notes

Four directions: East, South, West, North in that order

Four Veda: Rik, Yaj, Sama, Atharvana

Four Ashrama or stages of life: Brahmacharya (education), Grihastha,(family life) Vanaprastha (living with nature or retirement), Sanyasam (bhikshu/ living with what is available)

Four Vidhi (Rituals): Shastra, Ijya, Shruthisthoma, Prayaschit

Four knowledge: Ayu,(life and health) Dhanu (Arms), Gandharva (music etc) sthapatya (architecture)

Four Yagya: Shodashi, purishi, apthoaryama, vajpeya

Four pillars of Virtues: Education, charity, piety, integrity

Chatursloki Bhagavatam: Sage Vyasa summarised the wisdom imparted by Lord Vishnu to Brahma in Bhagavatam in four verses. Scholars refer to that part of the Bhagavatam as Chatuh sloki Bhagavatam.

‘Right knowledge of myself, my nature, my qualities, my actions, this is Tatva jnana. Before this creation there was only me. No one else was anywhere else. I will be there during and after creation. ‘Maya’ (illusion)is what I am in a form of. Once the element of me enters the physical object, it comes to life. Sages try to understand that element in two ways. Some sages look for the basic qualities and recognise it by a process of elimination. Others live on with the understanding that ‘everything is Vishnumayam’. (II/9/32-5)

Sanskrit alphabets: Pankti, a line of a poem or sentence, or a phrase, came from marrow, Brihati or slokam or verse came from the breath, Vyanjanani or Consonants came from Consciousness, Swaras or vowels came from the body, Letters like Sha, sHa, sa, ha from senses and Ya, ra, la, va came from health and saptaswaras in music namely sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni came from Vak devi. This is just to illustrate how details are given in the Sanskrit text of Bhagavatam in two verses. (III/12).

5. SRI VARAHAM

Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha were born to childless Diti as a result of her conception at nightfall, the time considered inauspicious for any productive activity. Usually, people belonging to the civilised community spend this time on prayers. So, it is quite natural that right from birth, both her children neither respected nor followed social traditions. Unlike others, who lived their life hopefully expecting kindness from the unseen God, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were focused on work, wit, and results. These days such people are called revolutionaries, radicals, or rationalists. They are a pain to society that respects traditions in high esteem.

The inauspiciousness of the birth of Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha was noticeable when cows released blood instead of milk from their udder, clouds rained pus instead of water and so on at the time of their birth. However, they succeeded in anything and everything they attempted as a result of the boons they received from Brahma. After being invincible for a long time, Hiranyaksha thought about visiting Svargaloka (heaven) and testing his strength with his cousins, the Devas (God community). When Hiranyaksha met Varuna, the lord of oceans, justice etc., he prostrated in front of him ironically.

Hiranyaksha said: Heard that you are very strong! What about a trial with me?

Lord Varuna, having understood that he had been made an object of mockery by his cousin and an arch enemy of the God community, told him diplomatically: Oh, Hiranyaksha, those are things of the past. I am too old to pick up fights. But I can tell you that if there is anyone who can match your strength, then that is Lord Vishnu. He is an expert in warfare too.

Having received that lovely piece of information, Hiranyaksha thanked Lord Varuna and left. On his way to meet Lord Vishnu, he met sage Narada, the son of Brahma and asked him: Do you know the whereabouts of Lord Vishnu?

The sage replied: Of course, I do. He has gone deep into the ocean disguised as a wild boar (Varaham).

Hiranyaksha thanked the sage and murmured: ‘Moving in disguise. Pity though.’ He then jumped into the ocean and noticed an animal in the form