Mahārāja Parīkṣit Passes Away

The Sixth Chapter describes Mahārāja Parīkṣit attaining Kṛṣṇa, the seven sacrifices performed by Janmejaya and the branches of three Vedas. Nikhilātma-dṛśā means “by the seer of Kṛṣṇa” or “by one who sees the minds of all beings.” Understanding the mind of the jñānīs present, he made them happy by presenting teachings on jñāna. Therefore he was seen as equiposed (samena).

I have been successful (siddhaḥ), because the Lord whom I directly saw in the womb and after birth, has been heard about from you, and I have heard him speak also.

Acyutātmanām means “whose minds are absorbed in Acyuta.”

“What did you understand from me by hearing scripture?” The Lord was described along with other subjects which supported the main theme as limbs (anuvarṇyate).

“You who understand my mind have not spoken one word to me. If there was something doubtful, I could not tolerate that.”

O Lord, who knows everything (bhagavān)! Knowing that my heart was fixed in bhakti, why did you teach me jñāna? I do not fear Takṣaka and other deaths in other births. But entering into the impersonal Brahman which destroys fear, that you have just taught me—that I fear (the last phrase should be understood). This is similar to making a statement such as “I am not afraid of misfortunes while situated in household life. But entering the forest—that I fear (this phrase is understood and not spoken), and therefore I will not enter the forest.” I have much greater fear of the impersonal Brahman you have explained to me than many deaths by Takṣaka. This impersonal liberation is intolerable for devotees like me, who have renounced everything and given it to the Lord, and whose real desires were revealed by the great devotee Śiva in this statement:

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati

svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of Nārāyaṇa never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same. SB 6.17.28

I have made my vow at the point of death:

punaś ca bhūyād bhagavaty anante

ratiḥ prasaḍgaś ca tad-āśrayeṣu

mahatsu yāṁ yām upayāmi sṛṣṭiṁ

maitry astu sarvatra namo dvijebhyaḥ

On the other hand, in whatever birth I receive, may I have rati for the unlimited Lord, excellent association with his devotees who take shelter of him and friendship with all living beings! I offer respects to the brāhmaṇas. SB 1.19.16

But now you teach me about Brahman. There is a hint of anger in his words. By that, Śukadeva, who was testing the firmness of his bhakti, became happy. Similarly, at the beginning of the rasa dance, the gopīs, having disobeyed the orders of their elders, became angry with Kṛṣṇa and rebuked him by this indirect expression. The commentator on Kāvya-prakāśa gives that meaning.1 To take another meaning of the present verse (I have entered the Brahman which destroys all fear) is not accepted by the devotees since Bhāgavatam presents two meanings to persons of different qualifications, like Mohinī.

O brāhamaṇa! Give me the order by your mercy, and nothing unfavorable. Give me permission to leave my body, having concentrated my mind, free of desires and impressions.

By known about the Lord and realization of his sweetness and powers, my ignorance has been destroyed. How did this arise? The supreme form, abode or lotus feet of the Lord have been shown by you.

Bhikṣubhiḥ means “by all the great sages.”

The saintly King Parīkṣit then sat down on the bank of the Ganges, upon a seat made of darbha grass with the tips of its stalks facing east, and turned himself toward the north. Having attained the perfection of yoga, having freed himself of all material association, have cast off all doubts, merging his life airs within, concentrating intently, situated in the spiritual realm, he placed Kṛṣṇa in his mind by his intelligence.

By his intelligence (ātmanā) he concentrated acutely (param) on Kṛṣṇa (ātmanam) in his mind (ātmani) and merged his life airs within (aspandāsuḥ) while sitting on kuśa with tips facing east and surpassing the three guṇas (brahma-bhūtaḥ). Brahma here means spiritual substance. Parīkṣit became situated in the spiritual sky. It is said tāsaṁ madhye sākṣad brahma gopalā-purī: among the places, the abode of Kṛṣṇa is directly Brahman.

Since he was situated in the spiritual world, the attack of Takṣaka was a useless action. This is expressed in three verses.

Kaśyapa had come to gather materials for a remedy to protect Parīkṣit from the poison. His ability to counteract poisons was demonstrated by growing a banyan tree step by step from a spout when it was turned to ashes by the poison of Takṣaka. Takṣaka satisfied him by giving him objects he liked and stopped him from going to Parīkṣit. Takṣaka disguised himself as a brāhmaṇa and bit Parīkṣit

The burning of his body was like the last rites performed by his son.

“I will make the world devoid of all snakes!” Saying this (yathā), in anger, along with brāhmaṇas, he performed a sacrifice.

O Indra! You are proud, thinking “I am the king of the devatās.” I will make you fall along with the devatās. Amara-koṣa says marut mean wind and devatā.

His mind became disturbed thinking, “Today my life had ended.”

Āḍgirasaḥ means the son of Aḍgirā.

You are king of the humans. You should not kill Indra, king of the devatās who remains with the snake (sarpa-rāṭ). Having drunken nectar, he is certainly immortal and ageless.

Here the philosophy of what you are doing out of grief for your father. The actions of the living entity cause his destination such as Svarga on dying. This is the normal arrangement for low living entities (jantoḥ). But your father’s living, dying and attaining the Supreme Lord’s abode were by the Lord’s arrangement. The Lord protected him by his own hand from the weapon of Aśvatthāmā and also arranged for him to die by the curse of the sage. He arranged from him to attain his spiritual abode by the teachings his beloved Śukadeva. All these events were arranged by the Lord. Takṣaka is a cause of this death in name only.

Persons of this world obtain death under the control of karma through a snake bite etc. but not your father, who was the king of devotees. Jantuḥ means a low living entity.

This sacrifice should be stopped because it is black magic, which condemned and useless (ābhicārikam). The killing of snakes done already is not a sin for you, since all creatures suffer their fate. Even the snakes are experiencing the results of ancient karmas.

How can even learned persons be so bewildered? Because of the anger of Janmejaya, the brāhmaṇas who were learned were engaged in a sacrifice to kill the snakes. The power of māyā is shown. Māyā is invisible. By māyā, who cannot be stopped, even by learned people, everyone is bewildered. Who is bewildered? The living entities who are aṁśas of Viṣṇu are bewildered concerning living beings and objects by the functions of the guṇas such as anger and hatred.

Wherever the form of Viṣṇu resides, māyā, fearless with deceitful persons, does not exist. Where Viṣṇu, who gives shelter to māyā, exists, there can be no constant discussions among ātmavādīs or various quarrels. Where Viṣṇu exists, there can be no mind subjected to accepting and rejecting. Where Viṣṇu exists there can be no created objects or creators, since he is beyond created and creator. Where Viṣṇu exists, there can be no results of pious actions and no jīvas with ahaḍkāra affected by the three guṇas. Therefore, the form of Viṣṇu is devoid of suffering jīvas and causes of suffering in the form of māyā. The devotee who has destroyed lust and anger in his heart experiences the highest bliss with that form of the Lord.

If all jīvas are subject to anger and hatred because of the illusions of māyā, who is exempt?

vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe 'muyā

vimohitā vikatthante mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ

The ignorant jīvas, bewildered by māyā who is ashamed to stand in sight of the Lord, boast about “I” and “mine.” SB 2.5.13

According to the words of Brahmā, māyā has no jurisdiction over Viṣṇu and the great devotees. Then, what is the svarūpa of Viṣṇu? Three verses answer. Māyā has no influence on the svarūpa of Viṣṇu (yatra). What is māyā? She remains fearless towards the deceitful person (dambhi iti). Because the Lord and the devotee have no deceit, she is fearful of them, and does not remain there. When ātmavādīs discuss about the ātmā, māyā is present. Where Viṣṇu’s form appears (yat), there is no quarrelling. Viṣṇu gives shelter to māyā.

yac-chaktayo vadatāṁ vādināṁ vai

vivāda-saṁvāda-bhuvo bhavanti

kurvanti caiṣāṁ muhur ātma-mohaṁ

tasmai namo 'nanta-guṇāya bhūmne

I offer respects to the great Lord of eternal qualities, whose material energy is the cause of agreement and disagreement among those who make philosophies and then argue with others, whose material energy continually bewilders them as to the real nature of ātmā. SB 6.4.31

Thus, in Viṣṇu there is no mind which has functions of accepting and rejecting. Where Viṣṇu appears, there are no created objects with a cause of their creation (he is eternal), since he is distinct form both a created object and creator. In Viṣṇu there are no pious results such as Svarga. There is no jīva with ahaḍkāra, influenced by the three guṇas or the three conditions of consciousness. Therefore where Viṣṇu resides there is no suffering jīva and no cause of suffering from the guṇas. Who reveals this person? The devotee devoid of lust and anger in his heart experiences exceptional bliss (virameta) with the Lord

The devotees concentrate by continual remembrance on the svarūpa of Viṣṇu (padam). They give up the evil tendency to think in terms of I and mine. They understand “this is not favorable, that is not favorable.” They desire to give up everything unrelated to the Lord such as body, house, sons, and wife which are objects of possessiveness, because they have friendship with the fully dedicated devotees. This form is understood (avasitam) by the devotees having full concentration, and not by others.

This clarifies the meaning of the previous verse. Adhigacchanti refers to avasitam. And daurjanyam refers to daurātmyam.

If a person commits offense, the form of Viṣṇu will disappear. The method of avoiding offenses is now taught. One should tolerate sharp words. One should not answer with equally harsh words. Taking shelter of a sādhaka body--taking shelter of one’s siddha body which is remembered even at the stage of sādhana--one should not have enmity towards even group of gopīs in an opposing faction by remembering them. The followers of rāgānuga-bhakti give this meaning. Kañcana means a person who disrespects.

Concluding the scripture, Sūta offers respects to his deity. I have understood (adhyagām) from the mouth of Śukadeva.

Having heard about the saṁhitā, the sages want to know about the divisions of the Veda saṁhitās.

In order to correctly define the fruit of the tree of the Vedas, he briefly describes the branches of the Vedas. First he describes how the Vedas appeared. Nāda appeared from the ether in the heart of Brahmā. This sound can be conjectured by a person if he blocks the ears.

By worshipping this sound the sages destroy the contamination known as objects (adhibhūta), actions (adhyātma) and doers (adhidaiva).

From nāda (tataḥ) appeared oṁ composed of three letters a, o and m, whose birth is indistinct. Oṁ is directly the Supreme Lord (svarāṭ) and is the cause of understanding (liḍgam) Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Tat is in the neuter since it is the object of worship for devotees, jñānīs and yogīs and because it modifies liḍgam.

The Lord is the person who hears oṁ which arises from unmanifeset nāda when the senses do not function, since his knowledge does not depend on senses. By that oṁ, which manifests from the ātmā, in the ether of the heart, the Vedas appear. Oṁ indicates Brahman, which is its own shelter, and as well indicates Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Oṁ contains all mantras and Upaniṣads and it is the eternal cause of the Vedas.

Who is the Supreme Lord known by words like Bhagavān? He is the person who hears oṁ (sphotam) generated from the unmanifest nāda. “But does the jīva not hear this sound?” No. The Lord is the person who hears this sound when the ears are covered, when all senses do not function. The jīva is not the hearer, since his knowledge is dependent on his senses. Paramātmā is the hearer. This means that whatever the jīva realizes as hearing is dependent on Paramātmā, because the Lord has knowledge without having material senses (śūnya-òṛk). When a sleeping person, on hearing a sound, wakes up, the jīva is not the hearer, since his senses were not functioning during sleep. He who hears the sound and wakes up the jīva is Paramātmā. The nature of oṁ is described in a verse and a half. By oṁ, speech, represented by the Vedas, becomes manifested from the ātmā in the ether of his heart. Oṁ indicates Brahman which is its own shelter, and is called Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Śruti says oṁ iti etad brahmano nediṣṭhaṁ nāma: oṁ is the name nearest to Brahman. All mantras and Upaniṣads are uttered along with oṁ which is the eternal cause of the Vedas. It has one form eternally, since it is Brahman.

This verse shows how oṁ is the cause. Oṁ has three syllables a, u and m by which the three Vedas are sustained. By the three Vedas, qualities, names, gender and meaning are manifested. Guṇa refers things like the power or clarity of sound. Nāma refers to words. Artha refers to indications of gender of words. Vṛtti refers to the meaning of words. It is like a seed. The banyan tree comes from the seed, and the trunk, branches, flowers and fruit come from the banyan tree.

The appearance of the Vedas from oṁ is described. From oṁ (tataḥ) Brahmā created the group of sounds—the semivowels: ya, ra, la and va; the silibants: śa, ṣa and sa; the vowels: a, i, u e, o, ai, and au; the consonants from ka to ma; and short and long sounds of different intonations. Ādi indicates things like the visarga. He created the basic form (lakṣaṇam) of sounds.

By this group of sounds (tena) Brahmā created the four Vedas.

They taught sons like Marīci.

Te refers to the Vedas.

O brāhmaṇa! In the present age of Vaivasvata Manu, the leaders of the universe, led by Brahmā and Śiva, requested the Supreme Lord, the protector of all the worlds, to protect dharma. O most fortunate Śaunaka! The powerful Lord, as a portion of a portion of a portion of the Lord, then appeared in the womb of Satyavatī as the son of Parāśara, and divided the one Veda into four.

Antare means “in Vaivasvata Manvantara.”

“The four Vedas were made by Brahmā from his four mouths. How can one say that Vyāsa made the four Vedas? ” He made the four Vedas into separate piles according to different subjects, just as from a mine one gathers rubies and diamonds, and then separates them into different piles by type. He made four Saṁhitās: Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva.

Vyāsadeva taught the first saṁhitā, the Ṛg Veda, to Paila and gave this collection the name Bahvṛca. To the sage Vaiśampāyana he spoke the collection of Yajur mantras named Nigada. He taught the Sāma Veda mantras, designated as the Chandoga-saṁhitā, to Jaimini, and he spoke the Atharva Veda to his dear disciple Sumantu.

Bahvṛca (having many verses) was the name of the Ṛg Saṁhitā. Yajur Veda was called Nigada because it is constantly (nitarām) recited (gada).

adhyāpayat saṁhitāṁ svāṁ

māṇòūkeyam ṛṣiṁ kavim

tasya śiṣyo devamitraḥ

saubhary-ādibhya ūcivān

After dividing his saṁhitā into two parts, the wise Paila spoke it to Indrapramiti and Bāṣkala. Bāṣkala further divided his collection into four parts, O Bhārgava, and instructed them to his disciples Bodhya, Yājñavalkya, Parāśara and Agnimitra. Indrapramiti, the self-controlled sage, taught his saṁhitā to the learned mystic Māṇòūkeya, whose disciple Devamitra later passed down this division of the Ṛg Veda to Saubhari and others.

These verses describe the branches of the Ṛg Veda. Paila divided the Ṛg Veda into two and spoke it to Indrapramiti and Bāṣkala. Bāṣkala divided his portion into four and taught it to four of his disciples starting with Bodhya. O Śaunaka (bhārgava)! Indrapramiti taught his saṁhitā to his son Māṇòūkeya, whose disciple was Devamitra.

Māṇòūkeya’s son was Śākalya. He taught it to five persons.

Śākalya’s disciple Jātūkarṇya divided his portion into three, and made a fourth part explaining the meanings of Vedic words. He gave these to four disciples.

Bāṣkali was the son of Bāṣkala. He collected the verses from different branches.

Now appearance of the Taittirīya branch of the Yajur Veda is described. The derivation of the name Caraka is given. On behalf of their guru, they performed (cara) vows to destroy the effects of sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, that should have been undertaken by their guru. They were adhvaryu priests, expert in Yajur Veda.

Yājñavalkya was Vaiśampāyana’s disciple. What is the use of atonements by these weak disciples? Let them be happy. I alone will perform proper austerity.

He became angry because Yajñavalkya had spoken out of pride. You criticize brāhmaṇas who are humble as being weak. Go away. What is the use of a disciple like you? “Yes, I will go.” When he was leaving the guru said, “Give back the knowledge I have taught you.”

Yājñavalkya, the son of Devarāta, then vomited the mantras of the Yajur Veda and went away from there. The assembled disciples, looking greedily upon these hymns, assumed the form of partridges and picked them all up. These divisions of the Yajur Veda therefore became known as the most beautiful Taittirīya-saṁhitā, the hymns collected by partridges (tittirāḥ).

Yajñavalkya was the son of Devarāta. Since it was improper for brāhmaṇas to take something which was vomited, they became partridges and received those verses. Therefore the saṁhitā is called Taittirīya, “coming from partridges.”

Adhigaveṣayan means seeking. He sought mantras which his guru Vaiśampāyana had not studied.

I offer respects to you, the sun, the lord of the whole universe, who alone supports worldly existence. The word bhagavate here means “unto you who are most wealthy.” Amara-koṣa says bhaga means wealth, greatness and love. You exist inside and outside of the four types of living bodies respectively as ātmā and time. Though you are situated in the heart, you, like ether, are not covered by upādhis like the jīva. You support the world with drying up and pouring of water annually, in years composed of divisions of kṣanas, lavas and nimeṣas.

O best of the devatās! O Savitā! I mediate on he who lights up the sun globe. O destroyer of ignorance (bīja), suffering, and sinful acts for men who praise you through Vedic mantras, at all times, every day!

You put into motion the unconscious (anātmanaḥ) mind and senses.

Rising over Eastern Mountain, you glance upon the world. You engage people in worship of ātmā (ātmāvasthāne), which is their duty.

You are given arghya (arhaṇaḥ) along with handfuls of lotus buds or similar items by the devatās of the directions such as Indra.

Ayāta-yāma means powerful mantras which cannot be known by others. With a desire for such Yajur mantras I worship you.

He made fifteen branches from the hundreds of Yajur mantras he received. Vājasanyaḥ means “taken from hair of the horses of the sun god.”

The branches of the Sāma Veda are now described. The son of Sumantu was Sutvān. Jaimini gave one portion to his son and one portion to his grandson.

Sukarmā, another disciple of Jaimini, was a great scholar of the tree of the Sāma Veda. He divided the Sāma Veda into one thousand saṁhitās. Then, O brāhmaṇa, three disciples of Sukarmā---Hiraṇyanābha, the son of Kuśala; Pausyañji; and Āvantya, who was very advanced in spiritual realization—took charge of those mantras.

Sukarmā, disciple of Jaimini, became very great regarding learning the tree of the Sāma Veda. He divided this Veda into thousands of parts. His two disciples Niraṇyanābha son of Kuśala and Pausyañji, and another disciple Āvantya, received the mantras.

Hiraṇyanābha’s five hundred disciples became northern reciters. Five hundred disciples of Pauṣyañji and Āvantya became eastern reciters. They produced a thousand branches.

Pauṣañji had five other disciples.

Another disciple of Hiraṇyanābha was Kṛta. Āvantya taught other famous branches of the Sāma Veda to his disciples.

Thus ends the commentary on the Sixth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.