The Descent of the River Ganges

The Seventeenth Chapter describes the descent of Gaḍgā to earth, the happiness of Bhauma-svarga and the service of Saḍkarṣaṇa and Rudra. After describing the splendor of the mountains surrounding Sumeru like filaments, Śuka now describes the very long stream of the Gaḍgā, the crest jewel of all splendors, by relating how Gaḍgā made her appearance. At the time of Vāmana avatāra (tatra), by stepping over the earth with his right foot (vikramataḥ) and from throwing his left foot in the air, he cause all places up to the top of the universe to tremble, up to the layer of prakṛti (where the guṇas are pacified), as related by Brahmā: trisāmyasadanād urukampayānam. (SB 2.7.4) Thus the spiritual steam of water of the Kāraṇa Ocean, outside of the eight layers of the universe, descended to Dhruva-loka (divaḥ mūrdhani). The water was colored red from the kuṁkuma and the red color of the Lord’s feet, arising from the water used to wash the Lord’s feet. The touch of this water destroys the contamination of sin, but the water remains free of contamination (amalā). It was called by the name Bhagavatpadī, because at that time it was not known by other names (vaco anupalakṣaṇam) such as Bhāgīrathī or Jāhnavī. It then fell on Dhruva-loka which (yat) became known as Viṣṇu-pada

On Dhruva-loka (yatra) Dhruva, with determined vow, his heart softened by bhakti-yoga becoming better at every moment, whose hairs stand on end while pure tears flow uncontrollably from his closed lotus eyes out of great longing, takes the water on his head.

They think, “There is no greater perfection than this (etāvatī).” By having attained bhakti-yoga, they reject ātma-jñāna and other goals of human endeavor. This is Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation of upekṣitānyārthātma-gatayaḥ.

Deva-yānena means the path in the sky. Below the seven sages, the places are filled with those who perform karma-yoga. Thus tataḥ indicates “below, lower down” and saḍkula (crowd) indicates the many karma-yogīs. Flooding the moon planet, the Gaḍgā descends to the abode of Brahmā situated on the top of Meru.

Because the mountains similar to filaments are the same height as Meru, the water first (after leaving Meru) falls on the main peaks of this range. Then from those mountains, Sītā flows down, skipping over Ilāvṛta, and falls in Bhadrāśva.

In this description it should be understood that the water first falls on the Kesarācala peaks and then onto Mālyavān.

From Meru, Bhadrā flows to the Keśarācala range and then to Nīla, then to Śveta and then to Śṛḍgavān. From Śṛḍgavān it flows down to Kuru. It skips over Ilāvṛta and the other two varṣas, Ramyaka and Hiraṇmaya.

Skipping over the three varṣas, the Alakanandā falls from peak to peak. This sentence should be understood. Bhāratam abhi varṣam should mean falling in Bhārata-varṣa. The four rivers, skipping over many varṣas, flow down from the mountain range bordering the varṣa nearest the ocean onto the earth, and then with bowed head (so to speak), enter the ocean, their husband, giving up pride.

There are three types of Svarga: heavenly, earthly and subterranean. These eight varṣas are the places of earthly heaven.

They live for ten thousand years by human calculation. They have wives who conceive once in the last year of their life, after enjoyment of couples in sex excited by thunderbolt bodies possessing strength, youth and fragrance. Because of the amount of material enjoyment it is like Treta-yuga, since in Satya-yuga everyone is fixed in meditation, and in Dvāpara and Kali there is more suffering.

There the heads of the devatās play freely. The valleys between the mountains have hermitages and pleasant gardens splendid (upaśumbhamāna) with trees and creepers whose branches are bent down (ānamyamāna) by the abundance (śriyā) of fruits and flowers of all seasons. The water resounds with groups of various species (ākṛtibhiḥ) of bees, swans and various other birds. Plural is used for the dvandva compound by the rule adhikaraṇe tāvat tve (Pāṇini 2.4.15). Avoiding the genitive cases is poetic license.

To show his mercy means to continue showing his mercy. For that purpose he remains present in his various forms (ātma-tattva-vyūhena). It should be understood that these presiding deities of the various varṣas are deity forms of the Lord. This is described in Prāhlada’s prayer in SB 5.18.8.

The curse of Durgā is explained in the Ninth Canto.

Surround by the servants of Durgā, served by them, he worships the form of ignorance. This is the form in charge of destruction. This form is actually beyond the three guṇas, being purely spiritual. This will be confirmed later in this chapter with na yasya māyā and tribhir vihīnām. (SB 5.17.19-21) Ātmanaḥ prakṛtim means the cause of himself, since Saḍkarṣaṇa is the aṁśī and Śiva is aṁśa. Ātma-samādhi-rūpeṇa means by a form of meditation on the self.

I offer respect to the revelation (saḍkhyānāya) of all qualities. Avyaktāya means “to the unfathomable.”

Bhaje bhaje ni ā araṇa-pada-paḍkajam means I worship wholeheartedly he who has lotus feet. Out of joy he repeats the verb. Bhagasya means “possessing the six qualities.” Bhakteṣv alam means “who remains like an ornament for the devotees.” Bhāvita-bhūta-bhāvanam means “he upon whom Brahmā meditates” or “he by whom Brahmā is created.” I worship you (tvā), who have prema for me, Śiva (bhava-bhāvam).

This verse describes the Lord’s inconceivable power. Though the Lord glances for controlling (īśe), his glance is not affected by the actions of the guṇas, by the forms and qualities of māyā, by the actions of the senses and by the sense objects. Īśe comes from the verb īṭ, meaning to control. As an abstract noun it takes the form īś. An opposite example is given. We are affected the impulse of uncontrolled anger. Our glance is affected. You are not like that. Who, desiring to control the senses, would not worship the Lord?

Will not the vision of an intoxicated person be affected? The Lord appears like an intoxicated person to the foolish (asad-dṛśaḥ). Such a drunk with red eyes loses his discrimination by drinking liquor. But you are not actually like that. You maintain your discrimination and are eternally full of bliss. The wives of Kāliya who were bewildered by the Lord’s beauty are described. They could not worship his feet (arhaṇe). Agitated by the touch of the Lord’s feet, they became shy. Since he is omniscient he knows about our agitated hearts. Thus they thought, “How can we serve him?”

This verse describes the Lord as the cause of the universe. He is the cause of maintenance, creation and destruction and is devoid of the three guṇas. He is called unlimited because of his knowledge of the tattvas. He (subject yaḥ should be supplied) does not know the universe is situated on his hoods. Ṛ means the mother of the devatās. Èṣayaḥ thus means “the sages and the mothers of the devatās.” He does not know the universe which is situated somewhere on one of his hoods. Because he is situated below bhū-manòala measuring 493,400,000 yojanas, his hoods are not wide enough to hold it. However persons situated there can see that by his inconceivable energy, his hoods become unlimited in dimension, and thus Bhū-maṇòala appears like a mustard seed. That is actual, not an illusion. This is an example of his astonishing unlimited nature just mentioned.

First there was the form of māyā called mahat-tattva. Lord Brahmā is the shelter of sattva-guṇa. From Brahmā I appear. By the Lord’s power and the power of the guṇas, I create the devatās, the elements and the senses. All of us—mahat-tattva, the devatās, the elements and senses---are like birds tied by a thread. Under his control, by his mercy, we create this universe.

These verses explain how the Lord is the cause of the universe by explaining the appearance of the different elements. First, there is the form māyā, (guṇa-vigrahaḥ), called mahat-tattva. It should be understood from this that Saḍkarṣaṇa is beyond the guṇas. The shelter of sattva (vijñāna-dhiṣṇyaḥ) is Brahmā. From Brahmā I arise. I am the personification of ahaḍkāra, another form of Rudra. By his śakti and by the three guṇas, I create the devatās (vaikārikam), the elements (tāmasam) and the senses. The next verse describes the Lord’s control of everything. Sūtra-yantrtāḥ means bound by a rope. Śakuntāḥ means birds. They are dependent on their master. Who are we? We are part of the devatās mentioned as vaikārikam.

The Lord is difficult to know. This is expressed by kaimutya (how much more). Man does not know māyā created by the Lord. How then can he know you, or bhakti-yoga, the method of quickly becoming free from māyā who ties the knot of karma? I offer respects to Paramātmā (ātmane) who destroys māyā for the devotees and creates māyā for the non-devotees.

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