Brahmā Satisfies Lord Śiva

Maitreya said: In great fear, all the devatās, the assembled guests and priests, wounded all over their bodies, defeated by the soldiers of Śiva, who had been armed with tridents, spears, swords, clubs, iron bars and hammers, offering respects to Brahmā and informed him fully of the events.

In the Sixth Chapter there is a description of Kailāśa. Brahmā goes to Śiva, who was sitting under a banyan tree there along with the devatās, and satisfies him with prayers.

Svayambhuve normally should be svayambhuvam.

Kasya means of Dakṣa. Knowing because they are omniscient, they did not go (neyatuḥ).

Vibhūḥ refers to Brahmā. Having committed offense (kṛtāgasi) to a great soul, for those desiring to live for comforts of life, desire to live for that happiness should not occur! Since they have committed offense to Śiva, for Dakṣa and others who are dead, dying or about to die, who have committed offense, and who desire to live for material pleasure (svakṣemāya), that desire to live (sā) in comfort (tatra) should not be fulfilled. The offenders like Dakṣa should die, they should not live. Living, they will commit more offenses. What is the use of their lives? Better that they die! Bubhūṣatām comes from the verb bhū, which means to exist. This has the same meaning as “to live” because if one exists, one also lives. Generally (prayeṇa) they should not live. Among those offenders, some, living, may not commit more offenses. They should have the desire to live, and remain alive.

However, if you want to live (athāpi), you who have committed offense, who excluded him from his share of the sacrifice (barhiṣaḥ), should please Śiva. One should not say that pleasing Śiva is difficult. He is pleased simply if you grasp his lotus feet. I know his mind.

When he is angry (yasmin kupite) the world and its protectors will not longer exist. You, wishing to revive the sacrifice, should beg his pardon.

“We are surrendered to you. Give us some way to do this.” Brahmā answers. Not I, Brahmā, or the present Indra (yajñaḥ) nor you sacrificers, knowers of the Vedas, know the truth about Śiva or the extent of his strength and influence.

Fourteen verses describe Kailāsa. Nara-itaraiḥ means “by devatās.”

Ramaṇaiḥ means “with their lovers.” Kailāsa gives pleasure (ramaṇam) to the wives of the perfected beings, who play there with their husbands.

The peacocks cry everywhere (abhi). There is a noise like a group of householders talking. The bees blinded with intoxication are like singers who intone various ragas with notes, improvisations and modulations (vimūrchitam). The cries of the cuckoos and other birds are long drawn out (plāvitaiḥ).

The birds are like brāhmaṇa guests, being invited by the mountain. The mountain seems to move when the elephants move about. The mountain seems to talking with sweet words with the sound of the waterfalls.

Kailāsa is decorated with trees such as mandāra, pārijāta, sarala, tamāla, tāla, kovidāra, āsana, arjuna, mango, kadamba, dhūli-kadamba, nāga, punnāga, campaka, pāṭala, aśoka, bakula, kunda and kurabaka.

Cūta and āmra (verse 18) are types of mango. Nīpa is a variety of kadamba.

Reṇuka is cardamom. Jāti is jasmine.

Veṇu is bamboo which is not hollow, and kīcaka is bamboo which is hollow.

Kailāsa is decorated with forests of red lotuses, blue lotuses, white water lilies, and śatapatra lotuses growing in lakes, and with flocks of singing birds, deer, monkeys, boars, lions, bears, porcupines, gayals, śarabhas, tigers, antelope and buffalos.

Nābhi is a musk deer.

The mountain was made beautiful by river banks coved with banana groves.

It was surrounded by the Gaḍgā whose water was made more sacred by the bathing of Satī.

There were lotuses there called saugandhika. It is in the singular since it represents a species.

Outside the city there were two rivers.

They enter the two rivers (yayoḥ).

Elephants, though not thirsty, drink the water of those two rivers, because the waters have become yellow and fragrant from the bathing of the women.

Tāra means pearls. The city is compared to the sky, the lightning to the women, and the clouds to the airplanes.

The devatās passed through (hitvā) Alakā and the forest. The sentence continues until verse 31.

The forest was decorated with the songs of cuckoos and buzzing of bees. It had lakes in which there were lotuses dear to the swans.

The minds of the women were additionally (adhi) agitated with desire, since the fragrance incited their lust.

Vāpyaḥ means ponds. Prāptā modifies vāpyaḥ. Another version has prāptam, which modifies vanam. From far off (ārāt), they saw the banyan tree.

Its height was a hundred yojanas, and its branches spread seventy-five yojanas. It gave unbroken shade. Because there were no bird nests, there was no disturbance from their noise.

He appeared to be death, by thinking of the offense committed to him, but he appeared to have given up anger towards the devatās.

Sakhyā means “by Kuvera.”

He is the shelter of knowledge, austerity and yoga because he starts these processes. He performs (carantam) austerity for the benefit of the world.

Tāpasa refers to Śaivites. Sanhyabhra-rucā means reddish.

He was sitting on a mat used by ascetics (bṛsyām). Brahma means Vedas. Previously it was mentioned that Sanaka and others were worshipping Śiva. They were present, but Nārada was the best among them because of his bhakti. It should be understood that the main topic of the Vedas they were discussing was bhakti.

He was seen sitting in this typical posture. Yoga scriptures describe the posture:

eka-pādam athaikasmin vinyased ūru-saṁsthitam

itarasmiṁs tathā bāhuṁ vīrāsanam idaṁ smṛtam

Vīrāsana is defined as placing each foot on the opposite thigh, and placing the hands on the thighs.

The tarka-mudrā is described as follows:

tarjany-aḍguṣṭhayor agre mithaḥ saṁyojya cāḍgulīḥ

prasārya bandhanaṁ prāhus tarkamudreti māntrikā

Reciters of mantra define the tarka-mudrā as placing the tips of the forefinger and thumb together while spreading the other fingers.

Brahma-nirvāṇam means the bliss of Brahman. According to Prahlāda however nirvāṇa means the bliss of realizing the Supreme Lord.

adhokṣajālambham ihāśubhātmanaḥ

śarīriṇaḥ saṁsṛti-cakra-śātanam

tad brahma-nirvāṇa-sukhaṁ vidur budhās

tato bhajadhvaṁ hṛdaye hṛd-īśvaram

The wise know that direct contact with the Lord, which includes the happiness of Brahman, destroys saṁsāra for the sinful persons possessing material bodies in this world. Therefore, worship Paramātmā in your heart. SB 7.7.37

Śiva had completely concentrated his mind (samādhi) on that bliss. Yoga-kakṣam refers to the yogī’s cloth draped in such a way to make the left knee firm. He was the chief (ādyam) of those who are dedicated to contemplation (manūnām).

Śiva respected Brahmā because he was his father. Though Śiva is most worthy of respect (arhattamaḥ), he worshipped Brahmā because he was his father, just as Vāmana (viṣṇuḥ) worshipped Kaśyapa (kasya).

Though you offer respects to me, you are more powerful since you are one with the Supreme Lord. He speaks taking the mentality of a Śaivite. The Śaivites think of the Lord, prakṛti and puruṣa as the form of Sadāśiva. That is the explanation of this verse. I know you are the form of Sadāśiva. The Lord of the whole universe composed of prakṛti and puruṣa, because I know that you are superior to the prakṛti and puruṣa (yoni-bījayoh) of the material world. These items are explained. They are Śakti and Śiva. But I know that you are the famous Brahman without differences (nirantaram)

Instead of svarūpayoḥ the word svāṁśayor is sometimes seen. The genitive case here stands for the instrumental case. Because Śiva is his svāṁśa and śakti is Śiva’s shadow, they are both called svāṁśa.

O producer of dharma and artha! You created sacrifice, like weaving of cloth, through Dakṣa, for performance of artha as part of dharma. The respect for the varṇāśrama system in the world has been created by you. Since Dakṣa is dead, because of the absence of someone to initiate dharma, with the destruction of dharma, there will be now misfortune for the world.

You give the results of karma. O auspicious lord! You extend Svarga to the performer of pious acts, or even liberation. For the sinful, you give hell. But why should there be opposite results for some people? Pious persons like Dakṣa go to hell, and sinners like Ajāmila get liberation. I am asking you this.

“The cause is my anger or mercy.” But that cannot be. It is only your mercy and not your anger. This is expressed by kaimutya-nyāya. (If anger does not arising in the devotees how could arise in you?) The devotees desire to see you (tava) in all beings and see all beings as non-different from you, paramātmā (ātmani). Or they desire to see all beings as non-different from themselves, experiencing others happiness or distress as their own. If those who desire to see in that way, do not become angry with devotees, then what to speak of those who actually see in this way. The devotees do not act as the animals which become angry, generally speaking. This indicates certain exceptions such as the Kumāras anger at Jaya and Vijaya, or your anger at Dakṣa, even though you are self-satisfied.

“But if I do not give suitable punishment out of anger, then everyone would become sinful since they would not get results for their sinful acts.” Parodayena means “by seeing the wealth of others.” Aruntudāḥ means they injure. “Killed by karma” means that, by their offenses, Dakṣa and others will die. You should not kill them, because if they became the object of your anger, then they will never have the chance to become saved in the future.

The devotees, being tolerant of everything, tolerate suffering caused by others. They are merciful even to those who offend them. Whenever and wherever those whose intelligence is controlled by māyā (māyayā spṛṣṭa-dhiyaḥ) commit offense to the devotees (the object is missing and should be supplied), the devotees show mercy to them, since mercy is their nature, and they do not counterattack, since karma bestows suffering on them by force (daiva-balāt).

You, the best of devotees, should not become angry. You are not under the control of māyā. Thus you see everything: you see the great suffering they will endure as a result of their offenses. The method of showing them mercy is described. Their intelligence has been defeated by māyā. How can they gain discrimination? How can those whose minds are afflicted by various karmas recognize the devotees? You should be merciful to them.

What should be done now? O Śiva (mano)! Revive that sacrifice of Dakṣa which was stopped before completion by you, in which the evil priests did not give you your share, so that you can attain your share (makhaḥ).

O Śiva (manyu)! Anāturam means “healed.”

May you have your portion, which is the best remainder, by which the sacrifice may be completed!

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