29 verses
Vidura said: O great sage! Please let me know what types of offspring Brahmā, the grandfather of the planetary inhabitants, created from his own body and mind after the disappearance of the Lord.
O greatly learned master! Please speak about all that I have inquired from you from the beginning to the end. Please remove all my doubts.
You know everything. Therefore speak.
Sūta Gosvāmī said: O Śaunaka, son of Bhṛgu! The sage Maitreya, thus inspired by Vidura, being pleased, began to reply to the questions, which he had kept in his heart.
Addressing Śaunaka as son of Bhṛgu suggests that he is capable of understanding the knowledge. Kept in his heart means he did not forget the questions.
Maitreya said: Brahmā thus engaged in meditation for one hundred celestial years, as advised by the Lord, absorbing his mind in Nārāyaṇa.
Ātmani ātmānam āveśya means he engaged his mind in Śrī Nārāyaṇa.
Thereafter Brahmā saw that both the lotus on which he was situated and the water were trembling because of the powerful wind of devastation.
Brahmā who was situated on the lotus saw that the lotus and water were trembling in the wind. This verse is connected with the following verse. The wind had power from the period of devastation (kāla-kṛta-vīryena). This means that the wind and water had the same power as during devastation when their power had increased.
Brahmā, powerful with knowledge from increased meditation and mantra worship fixed on the Lord, destroyed the wind along with the water.
Seeing the lotus on which he was situated spread up to Satyaloka, he thought, I will create the planets as they were before destruction from this lotus.
He saw the lotus spread out up to Satyaloka. Kalpitāsmi means I will create.
Inspired to do the work by the Lord, Brahmā entered into the whorl of the lotus, and divided it into three divisions and later expanded it into fourteen divisions in order to produce varieties.
He entered into the lotus. Fixed in the creation of the planets by the Lord, he divided the one lotus into three parts. In order to negate the idea that it is impossible to create three worlds out of one, it is explained that the expansion was even greater. Brahmā made it into fourteen divisions, since to make it suitable (bhāvyam) for many forms, three divisions was not sufficient. This is Śrīdhara Svāmīs explanation. First he divided the lotus into three and then into fourteen, and then even more, with planets like the sun and moon. How is it described? It was suitable for meditation (bhāvyam) by the worshippers of Vairāja. This is the explanation of bhāvyam by others.
The production of the various places suitable for the fourteen types of jīvas was entrusted to Brahmā because he was mature in mediation and worship without material desires and could therefore carry out creation.
The production of particular places (samṣthā-bhedaḥ) suitable for the particular individual bodies and the parts of the universal form was entrusted to Brahmā because (hi) Brahmā was mature in meditation and worship using mantra (dharmasya) without material desire (animittasya). What is impossible with the strength of such meditation?
Vidura said: O my lord, O greatly learned sage! Describe exactly the symptoms of time, which you had mentioned, and which belongs to the Supreme Lord having many forms and astonishing pastimes.
Time has been mentioned in many places such as kālākhyayāsādita-karma-tantro (SB 3.8.12), guṇena kālānugatena viddhaḥ (SB 3.8.13), kālena so jaḥ puruṣāyuṣa (SB 3.8.22) and tat-kāla-kṛta-vīryeṇa kampitam (SB 3.10.5). Having forgotten that the Lords efforts, creation and destruction are accomplished by time, Vidura now asks about time. Please exactly (yathā) describe time that you had mentioned (āttha).
Maitreya said: Time, whose true nature is known through the interactions of the guṇas, is without particulars attributes and has no beginning or end. The Supreme Lord created the universe, which has time as its efficient cause, as a pastime.
Time, knowledge of whose nature (ākāraḥ) arises from transformation of the guṇas into mahat-tattva and other elements, is without specific qualities and is without beginning and end. By its cause, creation and destruction take place. Upādānam means what is accepted as a cause from the verb upādā (to receive). The Lord created the universe which is called himself (ātmānam) since it is a result of his śakti, in which time acts as the efficient cause (tad-upādānam).
This universe which is firmly established by the māyā of Viṣṇu, whose cause is the Lord, is divided into various planets and living beings by time, whose form is invisible, and which is a representative of the Lords power.
This verse explains that time divides up the universe. Bu the energy of the Lord māyā, this universe is established firmly (saṁṣthitam). Its cause is the Lord. It is divided by time, a form of the Lords influence. Divided means that it is divided variously as described above. Its form is invisible. This explains the term without particular attributes in the previous verse.
As the universe exists now, it existed before devastation, and will exist after devastation.
Because the universe has a beginning and end, the universe must be unreal. How can an unreal universe be divided? This cannot be said. This universe existed before the great devastation (agre). After the devastation is over, it will exist. It is not a false object, but temporary.
There are nine types of creation (six are elemental and three are by Brahmā). The tenth (the creation of devatās) is a combination of elemental creation and a creation by Brahmā. There are three kinds of destruction: the destruction at the end of Brahmās life; the destruction at the end of Brahmās day; and the destruction of individual bodies by karma.
Having described time in general, Maitreya will describe time in detail in the next chapter. For that purpose, the creation which was previously described in detail is again discussed in summary for easy understanding. It is grouped into ten types. There are nine types and a tenth type which is a combination material creation and Brahmās creation. For the same purpose of discussing time, three types of destruction are listed: by time alone (kāla), the devastation of all universes; the daily destruction at the end of Brahmās day, by the fire from Saḍkarṣaṇa and other factors (dravya); and the common destruction through consumption of the body by an individuals actions (guṇaiḥ).
The first creation is the creation of the mahat-tattva, or the sum total of the material ingredients, in which there is disturbance of the guṇas causes by the Lord. The second is the creation of the false ego, from which the five gross elements, knowledge sense, sense devatās, mind and the action senses are generated.
Starting with this verse the rest of the chapter is a description of the various creations. The first is the imbalance of the guṇas characterized by the appearance of mahat-tattva, instigated by the Lord (ātmanaḥ). The second creation that in which there is the appearance of ahaḍkāra (ahamaḥ), from which arises the five gross elements (dravya), the knowledge senses, sense devatās and mind (jñāna), and the action senses (kriya).
The third creation of matter is that of the tan-mātras, which have the power to produce the gross elements. The fourth creation is that of the knowledge and action senses.
The third creation of matter is that of the tan-mātras, which have the capacity (śaktimān) of producing the gross elements. The fourth is the creation of the senses, which consist of knowledge and action senses.
The fifth is the creation of the sense devatās and the mind from ahaḍkāra in sattva. The sixth creation is the creation of ignorance, which is produced by the avidyā-śakti of the Lord which bewilders the jīva.
The fifth is related to the ahaḍkāra in sattva and consists of the creation of the deities presiding over the senses and the mind as well. These five are related to transformations of pradhāna. Next the creation of ignorance is described. This is a different type of undertaking. The sixth is the creation of ignorance. This was created by avidyā-śakti of the Lord which bewilders (abuddhi) the jīva.
The meaning is this. Māyā has three conditions: pradhāna, avidyā and vidyā. By pradhāna the elements from mahat-tattva to earth are created. These are real creations, by which the aggregate (samaṣṭi) and individual bodies (vyaṣṭi) of the jīvas, with gross and subtle bodies are created. By avidyā which bewilders the jīva, five types of ignoranceavidyā, asmitā, raga, devṣa and abhiniveśa-- are created. These are not real. The world, composed of real and unreal, is produced by pradhāna and avidyā. By vidyā, knowledge which destroys the five types of ignorance is created. This will explained later in the commentary.
These six creations arise from the Lords māyā-śakti, prakṛti. Now hear about the secondary creation arising. This is a pastime of Brahmā who possesses the Lord in his intelligence.
These six were generated from māyā-śakti. They are called prākṛtāḥ. He now describes the secondary creations (vaikṛtān) arising from Brahmā, the form of Brahmā representing all the universal elements (samaṣṭi-virāṭ). Brahmā has the Supreme Lord in his intelligence (medhasaḥ).
The seventh creation is creation of immobile living beings, the first entities to be created by Brahmā. They are of six types: trees without flowers but fruit, annuals, creepers, bamboos, bushes and trees which have flowers and fruits.
Among the creation of immobile and moving creatures of the universe, the first (mukhya) creation is that of the immobile living beings (taṣṭhusām). Vanaspatayaḥ refers to those plants without flowers but having fruit. Osadhayaḥ refers to annual plants, perishing after a year. Latā refers to plants that need support to rise up. Tvaksārā refers to bamboo and other hollow plants. Vīrudhaḥ refers to plants which do not depend on support to rise because of stiffness of the trunk. Drumāḥ are those which give fruit through flowers.
The plants distribute their nourishment upwards. They are almost unconscious, but have a feeling of pain within on being cut. They are not fixed in size and have unlimited variety.
Their general characteristics are described. They spread their nourishment upwards. Their consciousness is not evident (tamah-prāyāḥ). They feel pain within by being cut (antaḥ-sparśā). Their dimensions are not fixed, and they have unlimited variety (viśeṣinaḥ).
The eighth creation is that of entities which distribute their nourishment horizontally and are of twenty-eight varieties. They have no concept of the future, are preoccupied only with food, understand their needs by smell, and are devoid of lengthy deliberation.
Their nourishment is distributed horizontally. They are devoid of the knowledge of tomorrow, or future (avidaḥ). They are fixed in obtaining food only (bhuritamasaḥ). They understand what they want by smell. They are devoid of lengthy deliberation or meager power of reflection. Śruti says:
athetareṣāṁ paśūnāṁ aśanāpipāse evābhivijñānaṁ na vijñātaṁ vadanti na vijñātaṁ paśyanti na viduḥ śvastanaṁ na lokālokau
Among the animals there is only knowledge of eating and drinking. They do not speak of what they discern, they do not inspect what they discern, they do not know tomorrow, they do not know the world and the next world.
Bhuri-tamasaḥ can also mean that they have great anger. Ghrāṇa-jñāḥ hṛdi can mean that they experience only objects dear to their heart. They are aware of eating and sleeping.
O Vidura! The eighth creation includes cows, goats, buffalo, the black deer, pigs, wild oxen, antelopes,1 sheep and camels. These all have cloven hooves.
The nine animals listed have cloven hooves. Aviḥ means sheep.
O Vidura! Donkeys, horses, mules, gaura deer, śarabhas,2 and yaks do not have cloven hooves. Now hear about the animals with five nails.
The animals from donkeys to camarīs do not have cloven hooves.
Dogs, jackals, wolves, tigers, cats, rabbits, porcupines, lions, monkeys, elephants, turtles, lizards and alligators have five nails.
The twelve animals from dogs to lizards have five nails. The land dwelling animals total twenty-seven. Makaras and others are aquatics.
Herons, vultures, cranes, hawks, birds of prey, bhallukas, peacocks, swans, Indian cranes, cakravākas, crows, and owls are the birds.
The birds from heron to peacocks are land dwelling birds. Those from swans to cakravākas are aquatic birds. The remaining ones are land dwelling birds. All the fishes are classed as one. Among the twenty-eight varieties are included various types of deer such as the ruru, krṣṇa, and gaura (which should be taken as one variety).3 Other animals will fall within these classes.
O Vidura! The ninth class consists of the beings in which the food is distributed downwards. There is only one class--human beings, who have a predominance of rajas, who are dedicated to work, and who think themselves happy even in distress.
The ninth creation consists of beings in which the food is distributed downwards. The qualities are described starting with prominence of rajas.
These are the three secondary creations made by Brahmā (vaikṛta). In addition, the creation of the devatās, who, as described previously, were also produced from ahaḍkāra in sattva-guṇa (and are thus a prākṛta creation). The creation of Kumāras by Brahmā is said to be both prākṛta and vaikṛta.
These three are secondary creations. The creation of devatās is also secondary. But they are also part of the primary creation. Who are they? The creation of devatās from ahaḍkāra in sattva (vaikārikaḥ) was described in the creation originating from prakṛti (SB 3.10.17). (These devatās are therefore classed as prākrṭa.) A creation of devatās also occurs in the creation made by Brahmā later, called vaikṛta or secondary (listed in the next verse). The creation of the Kumāras is both prākṛta and vaikṛta.
dṛṣṭvā pāpīyasīṁ sṛṣṭiṁ nātmānaṁ bahv amanyata
bhagavad-dhyāna-pūtena manasānyāṁ tato sṛjat
Seeing the sinful nature of this creation, Brahmā was not satisfied with himself. He again carried out creation by a mind purified with meditation on the Lord. SB 3.12.3
They are said to be both prākṛta and vaikṛta because, by Brahmās meditation on the Lord, they are generated both by Brahmā (vaikṛta) and the Lord (prākṛta).
bhūta-preta-piśācāś ca vidyādhrāḥ kinnarādayaḥ daśaite vidurākhyātāḥ sargās te viśva-sṛk-kṛtāḥ
The creation of devatās has eight divisions: devatās; Pitrās; Asuras; Gandharvas and Apsaras; Yakṣas and Rāksasas; Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Vidhādhadras; Bhūtas, Pretas and Piśācas; and Kinnars, Kiṁpuruṣas and others. I have thus described to you these ten types of creation. The Supreme Lord performed these creations.
There are eight types of beings in the devatā creation of Brahmā. They are listed. Gandharvas and Apsarās are considered one. Yakṣas and Rakṣasas are considered one type. Bhūtas, Pretas and Piśacas are one type. Siddhas and Cāraṇas and Vidyādharas are one type. Kinnaras and others are one type. Ādi means Kiṁpuruṣas and others. Viśvasṛk means the Supreme Lord.
I will now describe the dynasties and the Manvantaras, periods of Manus. The Supreme Lord, Paramātmā, becoming the creator Brahmā, with unfailing determination, creates himself in another form (effects) by his own energy.
Ātmabhūr hariḥ means the Supreme Lord, becoming Brahmā.
Thus ends the commentary on Tenth Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Tenth Chapter, the ten types of bodies produced by dividing elements starting with prakrṭi, and the general characteristics of time are described.