48 verses
O Maitreya! Please describe the lineage of the highly respected Svāyambhuva Manu, in which the population increased through procreation.
You should describe how the two sons of Svāyambhuva Manu, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, protected the earth with its seven continents.
Describe how they protected the earth without trespassing dharma. The verb is in verse 4.
O brāhmaṇa! I have heard from you that Svāyambhuva Manu had one famous daughter named Devahūti, who was the wife of Kardama.
Devahūtī stands for devahūtiḥ.
Since I desire to hear, please tell me how the great yogī Kardama produced some sons in Devahūti, who was disciplined in the stages of yoga.
Yoga-lakṣaṇaiḥ means qualified with the stages of yoga such as yama. Kardama produced some sons (vīryaṁ sasarja).
Please describe how the sons of Brahmā, Ruci and Dakṣa, obtained Ākuti and Prasūti, the daughters of Manu as their wives and how they produced offspring.
Mānavīm means the daughter of ManuĀkuti or Prasūti.
Maitreya said: O dear Vidura! When Brahmā said to Kardama Produce progeny Kardama went to the bank of the Sarasvatī River and performed penance for ten thousand years.
Samāḥ means years.
Then, through his austerities, using methods of worship with concentrated mind, Kardama with devotion worshipped the Supreme Lord, giver of benedictions to the surrendered.
After his austerities (tataḥ), by that austerity, with mind concentrated (samādhi-yuktena) in methods of worship (kriya-yogena) he saw the Lord, who is the giver (āśuṣam) of benedictions to the devotees who are surrendered to him
O Vidura! The lotus eyed Lord, having a body made of the Vedas, pleased with Kardama, showed him his form in Satya-yuga.
Worshipping the Lord until he saw him, Kardama quickly saw the Lord by his mercy. The Lord is known only through scriptures. He had a body made of the Vedas. This is Śrīdhara Svāmīs explanation. The phrase dadhat vapuḥ can also mean revealing his form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. It can also mean nourished by the scents, garlands and food offered by Kardama.
kirīṭinaṁ kuṇòalinaṁ śaḍkha-cakra-gadā-dharam śvetotpala-krīòanakaṁ manaḥ-sparśa-smitekṣaṇam
vinyasta-caraṇāmbhojam
aṁsa-deśe garutmataḥ
dṛṣṭvā khe vasthitaṁ vakṣaḥ-
śriyaṁ kaustubha-kandharam
jāta-harṣo patan mūrdhnā
kṣitau labdha-manorathaḥ
gīrbhis tv abhyagṛṇāt prīti-
svabhāvātmā kṛtāñjaliḥ
In the sky, Kardama saw the Lord shining like the pure sun, with a white lotus garland, lotus face surrounded by black locks of hair, wearing spotless cloth, a crown and earrings, holding a conch, cakra, club and white water lily for amusement, with pleasing smile and glance, with Laksmī on his chest and the Kaustubha jewel around his neck, his feet placed on the shoulders of Garuòa. Joyful on having his desires fulfilled, Kardama, whose had natural love for the Lord, fell down, touching his head to the ground. With folded hands, he offered prayers.
Having described the conch, cakra and club in three hands, he describes the fourth hand holding a white water lily instead of a lotus from amusement. The Lord had a smile and glance pleasing to the beholder (manaḥ sparśa). Kardama had natural love of the Lord (prīti-svabhāvātmā).
O Lord! Today my eyes have become successful in seeing you, the form for all beings, whom the most exalted sages practicing yoga for many births pray to see.
It is the highest mercy of the Lord and my highest good fortune to see the Lord so quickly. Bata expresses astonishment. Today my eyes have become completely successful. Whatever previous perfection was there for the eyes was not perfection for eyes. This perfection is respected by all (juṣṭam). You are the form (raśeḥ) for the most fallen beings. And I have not done suitable sadhāna. Worshipable Lord! The most excellent yogīs who have perfected yoga by many births pray to see you.
O Lord! You bestow material benedictions on persons bewildered by your māyā who worship your lotus feet, the boat to cross over the material world, for a particle of material pleasure, which will lead them to hell.
Oh! People worship you, the ocean of mercy, for fulfilling material desires. This is their foolishness! Those who have lost intelligence because of your māyā, only those and no others, worship you to attain just a particle of pleasure. But you give (rāsi) them those pleasures profusely, though you are reluctant. If you did not do so, they, not knowing the happiness of bhakti, would quickly give up devotion to you. You do so, hoping that by not giving up bhakti for some time, they will lose those desires. Fulfilling those desires is not your final intention, since those desires for sons, wife, family and wealth will lead them to hellish birth. However, since there is a rule that karmas lead to heaven or hell, but that enjoyment given by you does not generate such karmas, those desires do not really lead to bondage. Thus in reality the meaning of the words heaven and hell does not apply in this case. However because of similar results, it is stated here.
Though I criticize the devotees with material desires, I have an evil mind since, have approached you, a desire tree feet, with feet which are the root cause for fulfilling all desires, with the material intention to attain a wife who can fulfil all desires in household life, and who is suitable to my nature.
Though I criticize those with material desires, I am the chief person with material desires. I desire to marry a wife who supplies artha, dharma and kāma in household life (gṛha-medha-dhenum). By calling his wife a cow, he implies that he is a bull, since he has no intelligence. Among those with material desires, I am evil (durāśayaḥ): have no intelligence because of my bad intentions. I approach the feet (mūlam), the source of all objects (aśeṣa-mūlam), of you, who are a desire tree, simply to get married.
svargāpavargayoḥ puṁsāṁ rasāyāṁ bhuvi sampadām
sarvāsām api siddhīnāṁ mūlaṁ tac-caraṇārcanam
Devotional service to his lotus feet is the root cause of all the perfections a person can find in heaven, in liberation, in the subterranean regions and on earth. SB 10.81.19
O Lord! Those controlled by material desires are bound by the ropes of instructions of Brahmā, your servant, to create progeny. O Viṣṇu! Following such people, I make an offering to you, the form of time.
If that is so, use your intelligence. Why do not worship without desires? Persons such as Marīci are bound by the ropes of instructions of Brahmā (prajāpateḥ), your servant (te), to create progeny. And Brahmā speaks only according to your instructions.
saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ |
anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk ||
Brahmā, having created the population along with sacrifice, long ago spoke: May you prosper by this sacrifice. May it fulfill all your material desires! BG 3.10
Brahmā has no fault. He only echoes your words. Let the materialistic people be bound up! Why dont you overcome those desires like the Kumāras? My intelligence follows the common people. I cannot be like Nārada and others. Like bull, I am bound by a rope and carry an offering to you. I follow your orders concerning material life. This means I desire a wife. The word ca indicates I also will perform bhakti in order to attain you. O Viṣṇu (śukla)! I make an offering to please you, the form of time.
Disregarding the materialists and their followers who are like animals, persons who take shelter of the umbrella of your lotus feet become free of bodily afflictions by mutually discussing topics concerning your qualities, which are sweet and intoxicating.
The fathers, their sons and brothers who follow their instructions gain fame and happiness from following material dharma. Why do you criticize their material desires? What fame and happiness do the detached devotees have, giving sorrow to their fathers, for which you praise them? Two verses respond. Because the materialists are like animals, there is no fault in rejecting them. Or lokan can refer to those well versed in logic or mīmāṁsa philosophy, and their followers are those who are not well versed in scripture who follow their instructions with faith. Both are like animals because they lack bhakti. Others take shelter of the umbrella of your lotus feet. Those who are animals and do not take shelter must burn up in the heat of material existence. And those who take shelter have unlimited happiness. By drinking topics concerning your qualities which are nectar, since they are sweet and destroys death, and which are wine (sīdhu) because they make them forget material existence, they destroy the qualities of the material body consisting of infancy, boyhood and other ages, as well as hunger, thirst and other cravings.
The devotees lives are not subject to the wheel of time which has Brahman as the axel, thirteen months as spokes, three hundred and sixty days and nights as the joints, six seasons as the rim, unlimited seconds as the edges, and three groups of four months as the nave. The wheel moves with extreme velocity, chasing and destroying the universe.
The devotees and no others conquer time. The wheel of time (trinābhi) pursues and destroys the universe, but it does not pursue and destroy the life of the devotees. This wheel rotates (bhramiḥ) on the axel of the indestructible Brahman (ajara-brahmākṣa). It is said be a wheel in a metaphorical sense, because of its explicit rotary motion. It has thirteen spokes composed of the twelve months plus the adhika-māsa (puruṣottama-māsa). It has three hundred and sixty joints composed of the days and nights of the year. Lack of proper ending on tri-śatam is poetic license. It has wheel rims in the form of the six seasons. In has unlimited edges in the form of seconds. It has three groups of four months as the nave of the wheel. It travels with great speed. These descriptive terms are used to portray the wheel of time consisting of a year.
O Lord! You alone exist, and desiring to create the universe, since there is no one else to desire, you create, maintain and destroy this universe through the guṇas, using material energy which contacts you through your glance, just as a spider creates a web independently.
You say the devotees are fortunate, but that you cannot be free of desire. Why do you not fulfil your desires by worshipping devatās who quickly fulfil those desires? But I do not see anyone except you in this universe. That is stated in this verse. You alone exist. It is your desire alone to create, since there is no one else (advitīyayā), or, it is your desire to create, which becomes Brahmās desire. You alone permit him. You perform creation by your māyā which attained (adhi) you (atman) by contact (yoga) with your glance. Or you create the universe (adaḥ) by your material guṇas which you accepted through the influence of your spiritual energy (yoga-māyayā) under your control. The example of the spider is given to show that no one except the Lord performs the creation. I should serve you alone, even if I have material desires, since no devatās exist except you.
O Lord! You bestow material benefits to us because of our māyā, even though you do not desire to do so. Let the benedictions be given, in order that you show us mercy by saving us from them, for at that time we will see your spiritual form endowed with shining tulasī. If that is true, then by my mercy, may you have the greatest wife, sons, enjoyment and wealth! In two verses he gives evidence that the Lord gives benedictions. O Lord! You do not desire to give these desired things to me, since you think of the welfare of your devotees. This is understood from the Lords words.
svayaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ vidvān na vakty ajñāya karma hi
na rāti rogiṇo 'pathyaṁ vāñchato 'pi bhiṣaktamaḥ
One who knows the highest good will never instruct a foolish person to engage in material enjoyment, just as an experienced physician gives his patient eat food injurious to his health, even if the patient desires it. . SB 6.9.49
Then why do I give those things? If you give material pleasure to us, that is because of our māyā. The ignorant devotee will otherwise be disappointed. Because I ask, you give. The material happiness resides in the mind already in the form of vāsanās. You extend that happiness by giving benedictions. That is the implication of the verb tan. If that is so, then should I give anything? Let it be given, but only for gaining your mercy. Oh! The devotee has fallen into the darkness of the material world by the happiness I have given him. I will deliver him. Let it given for the purpose of gaining your mercy. When (yarhi) at the time of giving benedictions, you are noticed, by your mercy you become visible with your glance of mercy indicating your smile. Your spiritual body is endowed with shining tulasī, which gives you great pleasure, since it has been offered during worship by the devotee. This form worshipped by the devotee is not material. Showing this spiritual form is the Lords mercy.
O Lord! I offer repeated respects to you, who destroy the desire to enjoy, by giving realization of your sweetness, who cover us with the results of karma through the inspiration of your material māyā, who give material benedictions to low persons such as me, and whose lotus feet are worthy of worship.
This is not impossible for you. When by mercy you give realization of your sweetness, the desire to enjoy (kriyārtham) automatically ceases. You have a covering of happiness and distress produced from karma (tantram) for all beings, which is caused by the orders of your material māyā. As long as you despatch ignorance, the desire to enjoy remains. Desiring to increase the population, you fill us with material desire. Though we know this, we cannot give up our desires. Thus we are in a low position. You bestow desires to persons such as me who are very low (alpīyasi).
Maitreya said: Praised sincerely in this way, the Supreme Lord with lotus navel, seated splendidly on the shoulders of Garuòa, moving his brow as he glanced with a smile of love, spoke to Kardama with sweet words.
Niṣkapatam means sincere.
The Lord said: O Sage! Knowing what is in your heart, I have already fulfilled the desire for which you have worshipped me alone by austerities for many days.
Caittyam means what is produced in your heart. It is formed on the model of words like dik which produces diśyam produced by the directions. It is accomplished (samayoji) by me, since you worshipped me alone.
Director of the progeny! The worship of persons such as you who fully concentrate on me in their hearts is never fruitless.
Fulfilling your desire will not reduce your worship of me. Rather, you will attain me. Please take courage!
satyaṁ diśaty arthitam arthito nṛṇāṁ
naivārthado yat punar arthitā yataḥ
svayaṁ vidhatte bhajatām anicchatām
icchāpidhānaṁ nija-pāda-pallavam
The Lord certainly gives desired objects to devotees who request them, but he does not give in such a way that the devotee will ask again after finishing his enjoyment. He gives his lotus feet, which include all desirables, to those worshippers who do not desire them. SB 5.19.26
Worshipping me will never be without good results. In the end I will bestow my abode. Such worship among those devotees who have absorbed their minds in me (saḍgṛbhitātmanām), such as you, certainly will give results. Gṛhīta and gṛbhīta have the same meaning. The short vowel is poetic license.
Emperor Svāyambhuva Manu the son of Brahmā is well known for his good qualities. Living in Brahmāvarta, he rules the earth with the seven oceans.
O best of the brāhmaṇas! The sage among kings, expert in dharma, will come the day after tomorrow to see you with his queen Śatarūpa.
O best of sages! He will give to you his daughter of suitable age, nature, and qualities, with dark eyes, who desires a husband.
Her age and qualities are suitable for you.
This princess to whom you have been attached for ten thousand years in your heart will quickly fulfil your desires.
The princess (nṛpa-vadhūh) to whom your heart has been attached will marry you.
She will produce nine daughters from your semen, and sages will impregnate those daughters.
The semen held within you will flourish the form of nine offspring. Sages will impregnate with their semen those daughters born from your semen.
Obeying my instructions, offer the results of your actions to me. Becoming pure, finally you will attain me.
Kardama prayed for mercy in verse 20. That is explained in two verses. Tīrthī-kṛta means giving to the worthy recipient.
Controlling the senses, having shown mercy to the living beings as a householder, you will then give fearlessness to the living beings as a sannyāsī. Then you will see yourself and the universe within me, Mahāviṣṇu, and you will see me as Kṣīrodakaśāyī within yourself.
Showing mercy as a householder by giving food, clothing and wealth to the jīvas, as a sannyāsī you will then give fearlessness to the jīvas by giving teachings on bhakti. At the present you know, by the vision of scriptures, that the whole world along with yourself resides within me, the Supreme Lord. Then, however, you will directly realize this. First you will see me in the form of the first puruṣa with a thousand heads, and you will see thousands of universes in my hair holes along with yourself. Now you know me as the antaryāmī existing in yourself.
kecit sva-dehāntar-hṛdayāvakāśe
prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam
catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāḍga-śaḍkha-
gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti
Some yogīs meditate upon the Paramātmā measuring one pradeśa, who is residing in the heart within the body, and who holds the lotus, wheel, conch and club in his four hands. SB 2.2.8
But then, you will directly see me as the third puruṣa Kṣirodakaśāyī. I will show you all things created and uncreated. Or there is another meaning. You will see in my child from the universe along with Yāsodā. And you will see me in yourself as the gopīs did.
taṁ kācin netra-randhreṇa hṛdi kṛtvā nimīlya ca
pulakāḍgy upaguhyāste yogīvānanda-samplutā
One gopī took the Lord through the aperture of her eyes and placed him within her heart. Then, with her eyes closed and her bodily hairs standing on end, she continuously embraced him within. Thus immersed in transcendental ecstasy, she resembled a yogī meditating upon the Lord. SB 10.32.8
O great sage! Then I will take birth in your wife Devahūti as an expanded form and will write the Tattva-saṁhitā.
Hear also some more blissful news. I will appear along with your daughters (tvad viryena).
The Lord who appeared directly to Kardama, having spoken, then left Bindu Sarovara surrounded by the Sarasvatī River.
Prayag akṣajaḥ means the Lord who appeared to Kardamas eyes. He departed from the hermitage surrounded by the Sarasvatī River.
While Kardama watched, the Lord, who is the path to Vaikuṇṭha, being praised by the most perfect beings, departed while listening to Vedas manifested as sāmas, chanted by the wing vibrations of Garuòa.
While Kardama watched, the Lord who is the path Vaikuṇṭha (siddha-mārgaḥ), listened to all the verses of the Vedas (stomam) being chanted by the wings of Garuòa, manifesting as sāma or song. Śruti says bṛhadrathāntare pakṣau: the bṛhad and rathantra sāmas are the wings. (Baudhāyana Śrauta-ṣutra)
When the pure Lord left, Kardama, waiting for Svāyambhuva Manu to arrive, remained at Bindu Sarovara.
Svāyambhuva Manu would arrive in two days.
tasmin sudhanvann ahani bhagavān yat samādiśat upāyād āśrama-padaṁ muneḥ śānta-vratasya tat
O Vidura! Mounting his chariot decorated with gold, Manu along with his wife, placing his daughter there as well, journeying over the earth, arrived at the hermitage of peaceful Kardama on the appointed day.
O Vidura (sudhanvan)! Manu arrived on the day indicated by the Lord (yat samādiśat). On that day, while wandering the earth, he arrived at the hermitage of the sage.
Tears from the eyes of the Lord, overcome with compassion for the surrendered soul Kardama, fell in that lake.
Seven verses describe the hermitage. The surrendered soul (prapanne) was Kardama.
Because the lake was mixed with the tears of the Lord it was called Bindu Sarovara. Filled with the waters of the Sarasvatī, it was pure, auspicious and sweet, and worshipped by the great sages.
It was dense with groves filled with the flowers and fruits of all seasons, with dense networks of auspicious trees and creepers where pure animals and birds made sounds of contentment.
It was filled with a network of creepers. (The verb form must be supplied.) Birds and animals cried out (guṣtām).
Intoxicated birds chirped, intoxicated bees swarmed everywhere, intoxicated peacocks danced, and intoxicated cuckoos warbled.
Mad peacocks danced with zeal (āṭopam). The intoxicated cuckoos were calling out to each other.
It was ornamented with kadamba, aśoka, karañja, bakula, āsana, kunda, mandāra, kuṭaja and young mango trees.
The place resounded with the calls of the kāraṇòava, plava, swan, kurava, water hens, cranes, cakravākas and cakoras.
After describing the trees, the variety of birds are described.
It was filled with deer, boars, porcupines, gavaya, elephants, monkeys, lions, apes, mongoose, musk deer and other animals.
The animals are here described. Kroòa means boar. Śvāvit is a porcupine. Marka is a monkey. Gopuccha is another type of monkey. Hari is a lion. Nābhi is a musk deer.
vidyotamānaṁ vapuṣā tapasy ugra-yujā ciram nātikṣāmaṁ bhagavataḥ snigdhāpāḍgāvalokanāt
tad-vyāhṛtāmṛta-kalā-
pīyūṣa-śravaṇena ca
prāṁśuṁ padma-palāśākṣaṁ
jaṭilaṁ cīra-vāsasam
upasaṁśritya malinaṁ
yathārhaṇam asaṁskṛtam
Entering that best of holy places along with his entourage, Manu approached and saw the seated sage, whose body was shining because of executing penance with intense yoga. Because of the Lords affectionate glance and because of hearing the nectar of the Lords sweet words, which were like nectar from the moon, his body was not too emaciated. He appeared like a jewel covered with dirt, with a tall body, lotus eyes, matted hair, and tattered cloth.
He was engaged in intense yoga as an austerity, but he was not too thin, for two reasons--the Lords glance and the Lords words which were completely (ā) filled with nectar from the moon (amṛta-kala). This indicates the Lords mouth was a moon. Prāṁśum indicates that his body was eight vitastis in height or six feet tall. Manu approached (upasaṁsṛtya) and saw him. The verb is in verse 45. The sages soiled condition was like a valuable jewel (arhaṇa) left unclean.
When Manu arrived at the thatched hut, he offered respects at the feet of the sage. The sage, after responding to the kings words welcomed him with suitable treatment.
Uṭajam means a leaf hut. Manu offered respects at his feet (puraḥ). The sage received Manu who was touching his feet with suitable worship. That means he raised him up and embraced him, after giving him blessings. The King said Today I have been successful because I meet in person the form of powerful austerity. The sage responded by praising him. O King! Today I am seeing you, endowed with the power to protect the universe by the Lord.
After worship, when Manu was seated silently, Kardama, remembering the words of the Lord, began to speak sweet words, to invoke his pleasure.
After washing his feet, he sat on a seat of kuśa grass and received flowers, sandalwood, dūrva grass and fruits. He remained silent (saṁyatam).
O Lord! You, who travel about to protect the righteous and destroy the sinful, are the energy of protection of the Lord.
You, who travel about for protecting the righteous, are the energy of protection of the Lord.
I offer respects to you, a pure being, who suitably take the form of the sun, moon, fire, Indra, Vāyu, Yama, Dharma and Varuṇa.
You completely (ā) accept the forms of the sun and others in a suitable way (sthane). You are the sun because of your majesty. You are the moon because of your fame. You are fire because of your invincibility. You are Indra because of your lordship. You are Vāyu because you enter everywhere. You are Yama because you punish the sinful. You are Dharma because you protect the righteous. You are Varuṇa because you are deep and have hidden treasure. Therefore I offer respects to you, the Lord in another form, who have come to my cottage
sva-sainya-caraṇa-kṣuṇṇaṁ vepayan maṇòalaṁ bhuvaḥ vikarṣan bṛhatīṁ senāṁ paryaṭasy aṁśumān iva
tadaiva setavaḥ sarve
varṇāśrama-nibandhanāḥ
bhagavad-racitā rājan
bhidyeran bata dasyubhiḥ
O King! If you, with bow of fearful vibration, did not tour the earth like the sun after mounting your victorious, jewel studded chariot, instilling fear in the sinful just by its presences, and shaking the earth with the footsteps of your huge army, the society established according varṇa and āśrama made by the Lord would be destroyed by the evil.
O King! Why have you come? But why should I ask that question, since I already know the answer. To state this, he makes a negative statement. If you did not travel the earth then the rules would be broken. Three verses are connected. The chariot was studded with jewels and gave victory. Just by the presence of the chariot, the evil become fearful.
O King! If you sleep without worry, irreligion will increase through uncontrolled people craving material pleasure. Tormented by the sinful, the population will be destroyed.
O courageous warrior! I ask you why you have come to my hermitage. I accept the reason sincerely in my heart.
Though I know in general why you come, I still ask why you come to my leaf hut. You will not become successful in quelling the sinful by coming here. I accept the reason in my heart, sincerely or joyfully (nirvyalīkena).
Thus ends the commentary on Twenty-first Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas
In the Twenty-first Chapter, the Lord, satisfied with Kardamas austerity and prayers, describes his future marriage. Svāyambhuva Manu arrives. Edhire means increased.