The Marriage of Kardama Muni and Devahūti

The Twenty-second Chapter describes how the King, after speaking in a pleasing manner and giving his daughter to Kardama, knower of truth, returns to his kingdom. The excellence of King’s unlimited qualities and activities had been described. He spoke to the sage who became silent, or who was detached from everything (upāratam). He was embarrassed because of hearing his own glories and because of the descriptions of his occupation, when he himself was completely dedicated to the Lord.

Fearing the sage would refuse his daughter in marriage, Manu first explained with reasoning the relationship between the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas in two and a half verses. Brahmā created the brāhmaṇas with a desire to preserve the Vedas by propagating them (ātma-parīpsayā).

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Who will protect the brāhmaṇas? From his thousand arms he created the kṣatriyas. Thus they are one with the Lord. Who will protect the kṣatriyas? The brāhmaṇas (brahma) will do this. When someone comes to attack the heart, the heart is seen to be protected by the arms. When the arms are attacked, one contracts the body and the arms are protected within the heart. Thus the protector of the heart is the arm and the protector of the arm is the heart.

The brāhmaṇa protects the kṣatriya by the strength of his austerity. The kṣatriya protects the brāhmaṇa by the strength of his body. Actually, however, the Supreme Lord, who is cause and effect, who is without change (avyayaḥ), protects both.

I have come to you, my protector. Just by meeting you I have been protected. Rirakṣiṣoḥ means “of the kṣatriya.”

Akṛtātmanām means “of those with no pious acts.”

Uśatīḥ stands for uśatyaḥ (pleasant).

By seeing you all my suffering has been destroyed. But one suffering, hard to remove, remains in my heart. Having been given relief by you mercy, I will remove that suffering also along with the others which have gone. You are an ocean of mercy (saḥ). I have one suffering that does not go away even by power of discrimination (parikliṣṭa).

Unnecessary worries are removed by mentioning that she has two brothers. By mentioned that it is his daughter, he indicates that a kṣatriya’s daughter is suitable for the sage.

You should not say that you cannot accept my daughter because you are a detached ascetic. Sense objects which come of their own accord (udyatasya) should not be denied. Knowing your inner desire I have come here. You should not conceal your desire from me. He identifies Kardama as kāma-raktasya.

This verse speaks of conduct in this world. One who rejects something out of shyness and because of concern for position, and then begs that object from one who will not give it, loses fame. Shyness and concern for position are soon destroyed by the strength of the desire. One’s honor also is destroyed. Even the wise man of mature vision should accept those objects not forbidden which come without asking by good fortunate, after surmising that, even having detachment, it will be destroyed by the desire in ones mind.

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“How did you know the desire in my mind?” Do not ask about knowing. I have even heard this. I have heard this from the mouth of the Supreme Lord who appeared before me. Upakurvāṇaḥ is a person who has been celibate up till this point, but can get married. Prattām me means “given by me.”

Aprattā means “not promised to anyone else.” Ādyaḥ means not previously married.

She is situated such that her beauty decries all other beauty.

Having described her unequalled beauty and good qualities, he describes her natural power by the ornament of vyatirekha. She had feet made beautiful by the sound of her bells. Seeing her, Viśvāvasu became bewildered, and fell from his airplane to the earth (ni). He became like a corpse on seeing her. Because of his great offence in looking at her with attachment, he received immediate results of that offence by falling. “But he simply looked at her.” The offence is indicated by the word vilokya, which can indicate “she, being seen by him.”

No one would not accept her. She cannot be seen by those who do not worship Lakṣmī. I have worshipped the feet of Lakṣmī, the consort of my deity Nārāyaṇa, and thus I can see here. But no one else can. Viśvāvasu, moving in the sky, saw only the effulgence of her beauty, but not her personally. The excellence of her noble family is described. She is the object of affection (vatsām) of you, Manu. She is the sister of Uttānapāda. Because Priyavrata had gone away, he is not mentioned. Abhiyātam means “attained without endeavour.”

I will be a householder until I produce children. Then I will renounce. Samaya is a verbal agreement. Or “I will accept the girl when the power from my body will become fruitful. I will accept her when there is opportunity after completing my austerities.” Ātmanaḥ me tejaḥ also refers to the Kapila, who is the power of my worshipable lord. I will accept the chief dharma of the paramahaṁsas or the path of renounced bhakti which is superior to that of paramahaṁsas, which has been explained directly (pra) by Viṣṇu (śukla), and is without violence (avihimṣrān). I will give respect to that as worthy of performing.

The authority for this is the Lord alone, who arises in the memory of you and me. Or this is response to the objection, “You father’s order was procreation, not renunciation.” Saṁsthāsyate means “is destroyed.” Vāva means certainly. The father of my father and others, the Lord, is the final authority. I will follow his order alone, and not my father’s order.

O fierce warrior Vidura! Just as a warrior like you does not turn from battle, Kardama does not turn from the dharma recommended by the Lord. The mind of Kardama became attracted by the smiling face of Devahūti. From this it is understood the Manu and his wife did not feel regret, lamenting that they had given their daughter to a renounced person.

After that (anu) understanding the desires (vyavasitam) of his daughter Devahūti and the queen, her mother, Manu gave her to Kardama.

Pāribarhān means gifts of great value, suitable for a wedding.

Prattām means given.

He cried out, “O dear daughter (vatsa).”

Rṣi-kulyāyāḥ means “of the river of the sages” or “beneficial to the group of sages.” Surodhasoḥ means “on the beautiful banks.”

Pratyudīyuḥ means “came to greet.”

The city of Barhiṣmatī, filled with all wealth, was where the hairs of the boar avatāra fell when he shook his wet body. The hairs which fell became kuśa and kāśa grass which are always green. With that grass the sages worship the Lord after defeating the demons who oppose sacrifice.

What was Brahmāvarta like? In that place there was the city of Barhiṣmatī, where the hairs of Varāha fell. This verse explains the meaning of the city Barhiṣmati (filled with kuśa grass). The hairs remained as kuśa and kāśa grass.

Barhis refers to both kuśa and kāśa. He attained (labdhā) the earth to rule.

This verse returns to the main topic. First entering the city in which he had previously lived (samāvasat), he then entered the palace.

He did not contradict others duties. Starting at every dawn (pratyuṣeṣu), he listened with heart controlled (anubaddhena) by the sweetness of the stories of the Lord.

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By practice of aṣṭāḍga-yoga he was master of all types of knowledge of māyā (yogamāyāsu niṣnātam). Since he had experience of enjoying material objects, even the enjoyment of those objects could not produce attachment for them in him.

His hours, extending over a whole Manavantara period, were not in vain (ayātayāmā). Amara-koṣa says yātayāman means worn out or decayed. Kurvataḥ means he made compositions in his own words about what he had seen, heard and spoken.

Gati-trayam can refer to the states of waking sleeping and dreaming, to the three guṇas or to the three miseries.

Bhakti is the cause of overcoming miseries. Divyā here means “coming from the intermediate sky, the place of ghosts.” Manuṣāḥ means those who take the role of enemies. Bhautikāḥ means influence of cold, heat etc. Vaiyāse means “O Vidura!”

Udayam means power.

Thus ends the commentary on Twenty-second Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.