Bhagavata

 He, from whom Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution of the Universe take place, Who is both the instrumental and material cause of it; Who is omniscient; Who is the only one having self-mastery, being the One independent entity; Who illumined the mind of Brahma with the Vedic revelation whose wisdom is the wonder of even the greatest sages; in Whom the worlds, the manifestation of the three Gunas, subsist in reality without in the least affecting Him, just as the combination of material elements like fire, water, and earth subsist in their causes without changing their elemental nature; in Whose light of consciousness there is no place for anything false, --- on that Truth Supreme we meditate.

This Invocation is no simple formality of literary composition of a highly religious mind. It presents a profound philosophy that explains Existence. No other philosophy does so in such a vast range and depth. Therefore the Invocation merits closer examination. It talks of all Existence originating in one, single source described as Sat-Cit-Ananda, or Truth-ConsciousnessBliss. The Manifestation of something from an Unmanifest state is basically an Action. Any conscious Action can originate only from a Consciousness. Creation of a vast Existence is an Effect springing from that Action, which makes it the First Cause which originates from a vast Consciousness. Action has also to be impelled by a power that also originates from the same Consciousness. That power has the capacity to create, preserve and dissolve that Existence, That power is Prakrti. It has three specializations which introduce a vast variety and multiplicity of form, faculty and function in the created Existence, These specializations bear the names Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The One Consciouness first creates three likenesses of Itself and invests them with these specializations of power, to respectively create, preserve and dissolve Existence. It also provides them with Space and Time in which to administer these functions in respect of all living and non-living forms. 

The originating Consciousness is MahaVishnu and His three emanations are Brahma who creates, Vishnu who preserves and Siva who finally dissolves all Existence. The dissolution is at the time of the Great Deluge, the Pralaya, when MahaVishnu withdrawa all Existence into Himself and resumes once again His Original Single Unmanifest Form of His Eternal Existence. The three emanations from the One Originating Consciousness may be regarded as the first step from the Nirguna to the Saguna, the Unmanifest to the Manifest state. This first step is dramatically portrayed in the Devi Bhagavata. The onward steps of Creation are then protrayed with the same dramatic effect in the Bhagavata Purana, which therefore can, in a sense, be regarded as a sequel to the Devi Bhagavata. This chronology may not be actual, but can be considered logical. Mixed chronologies may indeed characterise much of the textual corpus of the ancient Indian tradition, but this may be due to the vast time scales involved, relying on orally transmitted ancient memories. The ancients certainly knew how to go back and forth to fit their fact collections and thought formulations into vast but appropriate time sequences. It is interesting too to see how this vast Divine process on the Cosmic scale is mimicked in the lifetime of a single human endowed with a speck of that large Consciousness. Here too we see how consciousness makes the human aware of how, under the influence of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, he creates, preserves and destroys objects, both internally in his Mind and externally in the physical world around him. Mercifully too, he has his share of what is called the Nitya Pralaya, when the human goes to sleep, a brief period of sleep when every day’s experiences are dissolved and he enjoys a a daily dose of a human version of Sat-Cit-Ananda. This is analogous to the Naimittika Pralaya when Brahma goes to sleep, and the Cosmic existence is dissolved for the duration of his long night. The ultimate analogue is the Maha Pralaya also called the Prakrta when, at the end of Brahma’s lifetime of a hundred divine years, the entirety of all Existence along with Prakrti and Time merge back into the ultimate Unmanifest Form of MahaVishnu. Luckily the human is able to see from his own hard experiences or from the teachings of the wise, that within him is a small particle of that Eternal Consciousness that lives beyond the creation, preservation and dissolution of his own transient physical existence. When this realization comes to a human, it is by what is called the Saving Grace of the Lord. 

We now come to the Puranas, which are but a great elaboration of the above theme. The earliest Vedic reference to them is in the Atharva Veda (XI-7-24) while the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad says that together with the Veda, the Purana sprang from the breath of the Paramatman. The word Purana occurs there as a noun in the singular number. This suggested that it was originally, along with the Vedas, a single body of text, and perhaps, formed part of all Vedic learning. There was a tradition of narration of the Purana stories on the occasion of important Vedic sacrifices, the recitals being referred to as Pariplava Akhyanas. It would be therefore useful to pause at this point to look at what the Bhagavata itself says on the origin of the Vedas and Puranas, as narrated by Suta Ugrasravas in the following verses from the first Skanda. 

The sacrifice of Daksha 2

 True, there is nothing wrong in going to visit one's family even without

being invited, but if the people we are going to meet are immersed in the

identification with the body and find some reason of hostility against us, we

will only be able to irritate them even more. The unkind actions of those we

love can hurt us much more deeply and painfully than the arrows shot by

enemies. Although she was the youngest of his daughters, Sati could be

insulted and mistreated by her father simply because of her loyalty to Shiva.

Sati was torn between the wise instructions of Shiva and her intense desire

to see her relatives, and finally her attachment to her birth family prevailed.

Sati departed to go to the great ceremonies, accompanied by a royal retinue

organized by Shiva's followers, but when she entered the arena of the

sacrifice she was greeted only by her mother and sisters, while Daksha

totally ignored her. The other participants, too, pretended they had not

even seen her, because they feared Daksha's anger. Sati looked around and

noticed that no oblation had been prepared for Shiva. Daksha's offensive

behavior against Shiva had not toned down with time, but it had rather

worsened. Then Sati's anger exploded. Directly addressing her father in

front of all the participants to the ritual, Sati firmly defended Shiva, who is

so kind that he only finds the best qualities in people, without caring for

their defects, and he fulfills the prayers of everyone, from the simplest

persons to the greatest spiritualists. Only an envious materialist like Daksha

- Sati said - could insult and mock a great, pure and merciful soul such as

Shiva. Only a fool identified with the material body is unable to understand

the glory of renunciation and detachment in those who are situated on the

transcendental level.

Disgusted by her own birth relationship with Daksha, Sati decided to

renege the body she had received from her father, and through the practice

of mystic yoga she evoked the inner fire and instantly left her body,

meditating on Lord Shiva. The followers and attendants of Shiva, who had

accompanied Sati in procession to the sacrificial arena roared with anger

and despair at the sight of the suicide of their Lord's spouse, but Bhrigu,

reciting some mantras from the Yajur Veda, evoked thousand of celestial

beings known as Ribhus and ordered them to protect the ritual ceremonies.

Brandishing fire weapons, the Ribhus attacked Shiva's followers, who fell

back and scattered in all directions.When Shiva heard that his wife Sati had killed herself because of Daksha's

insults and his own army had been attacked by the Ribhus, he manifested a

terrible anger. He tore a strand of his own hair, radiant like fire, and threw it

to the ground evoking Virabhadra, the personification of God's anger: a

terrifying being, as tall as the sky and radiant like three suns, with thousands

of arms and innumerable weapons.

On Shiva's order, Virabhadra moved towards the arena of the sacrifice,

followed by many other warriors in Shiva's army, similar to a dust storm

that obfuscates the sky in all directions. They fell upon the Rishis, the

Prajapatis and the heavenly beings attending the ceremonies who had taken

Daksha's side, and punished them severely in accordance to their offenses.

Virabhadra himself ripped off Bhrigu's mustache, gouged Bhaga's eyes and

knocked off the teeth of Daksha and Pusha. Then, brandishing the

sacrificial knife, he decapitated Daksha and threw his head into the fire as if

it was an oblation. After torching the seating arrangement and the other

structures prepared for the ceremonies, Virabhadra and Shiva's ganas

returned to mount Kailash to their Lord.

Terrified and humiliated, the Rishis and the heavenly beings went to

Brahma to inform him of what had happened. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu

had gone to attend the sacrificial ritual, because they were expecting trouble

to break out, and Brahma said it very clearly: "A religious ceremony where a

saintly person is offended cannot have any success. You have no choice but

to sincerely beg forgiveness from Lord Shiva, who is kind and

compassionate by nature. You need to understand that Shiva is immensely

powerful, and at any time he is able to destroy all the planets in the

universe."

Followed by all the Rishis, Pitris, Prajapatis and heavenly beings, Brahma

himself went to Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, who holds court among

many divine beings, Kinnaras, Gandharvas and Apsaras. Mount Kailasa is a

wonderful place, filled with forests and gardens, waterfalls and grottos,

decorated by lake Alakananda, where Sati used to bathe, and by the two

rivers Nanda and Alakananda, with ghats paved with diamonds.

The forest Sugandhika is filled with a great varety of virtuous trees and

plants, heavy with sweet smelling flowers and fruits such as mandara,

parijata, sarala, tamala, tala, kovidara, asana, arjuna, kadamba, dhuli-kadamba,naga, punnaga, champaka, patala, asoka, bakula, kunda and kurabaka, mango and

banana trees, banyans, cinnamon trees, jasmine of various kinds,

blackberries, bamboos, and the plants known as malati, kubja, mallika,

madhavi, kata, jackfruit, julara, plaksa, nyagrodha, betel, bhurja-patra, rajapuga,

priyala, madhuka, inguda and kichaka, and many varieties of lotus flowers. In

its groves there are many deer, monkeys, boars, lions, tigers, buffaloes,

elephants and other animals, as well as many varieties of birds, whose

musical calls are mixed with the happy buzzing of bees.

After arriving in the presence of Shiva, who was sitting under a gigantic

banyan tree together with Kuvera, Narada and the four Kumaras,

discussing about the Absolute Truth, the heavenly beings offered him their

respects with folded hands. Shiva also stood up to greet Brahma, who

offered him very meaningful prayers, meant to educate the heavenly beings

who had come with him. Brahma addressed Shiva recognizing him as the

Supreme Brahman, the father and mother of the entire cosmic

manifestation, the creator of the system of sacrificial ceremonies and Vedic

civilization. "Shiva, the source of all auspiciousness and blessings, is the

Paramatma, and one who has obtained his darshana sees all living beings

equally, without making foolish discriminations based on the material

body."

Appealing to his compassion, omniscience and omnipotence, Brahma

prayed Shiva to accept the sacrificial oblations and allow the rituals to be

completed successfully.

Shiva explained that he had punished the heavenly beings simply to correct

them and not because he had been hurt by their offenses, committed out of

immaturity and lack of intelligence. To restore order in the universe, the

Prajapatis must return to functionality: Daksha would receive a new head to

replace the one burned in the fire, but it would be a goat's head. Bhrigu

would be given the goat's moustache and beard, Bhaga would use Mitra's

eyes, Pusha would use the teeth of his disciples, while Pusha and the Asvini

kumaras would give their hands to those who had been mutilated, but all

those who had wanted to offer oblations to Shiva would be completely

healed from all wounds.

Brighu and the other Rishis solemnly invited Lord Shiva to preside the

sacrificial ceremonies, and as soon he had received his new goat head,

Daksha awakened to life. Seeing Shiva in front of him, Daksha offered his

sincere prayers because he had been purified from all offenses, and bitterly

repented having caused the death of his beloved daughter Sati. The

sacrificial arena was purified and the offering of oblations in the fire was

resumed: this time, Lord Vishnu appeared to bless the ritual. Vishnu was

sitting on Garuda's back and accompanied by the Goddess of fortune; his

transcendental body was wrapped in a yellow cloth brilliant like gold, and

decorated with many wonderful ornaments. Respectfully worshiped with

beautiful prayers by Daksha and the other participants to the ceremony,

Vishnu graced the rituals with his presence, thus ensuring their success.

The sacrifice of Daksha 1

 Maitreya continued to speak about the descendants of the daughters of

Svayambhuva Manu: after telling the story of Devahuti, he spoke about

Akuti and Prasuti.Although he already had two sons, Svayambhuva Manu consulted with his

wife Satarupa and then gave her daughter Akuti in marriage to Prajapati

Ruci, on the condition of adopting their son. Akuti had a son, Yajna, who

was an avatara of Vishnu, and a daughter, Dakshina, who was a partial

incarnation of Lakshmi. According to the agreement, Yajna was adopted by

Manu and became his son; later he married Dakshina, who had a strong

desire to get him as a husband. The couple had twelve children, named

Tosha, Pratosha, Santosha, Bhadra, Santi, Idaspati, Idhma, Kavi, Vibhu,

Svahna, Sudeva and Rochana. Yajna took the position of Indra and his

children became known as the Tushita Devas.

As we have seen, the nine daughters of Devahuti married various Rishis.

Kala married Marici, the first of the seven Rishis, and had twin sons,

Kasyapa and Purnima. Purnima generated Viraja, Visvaga and Devakulya,

the water that washed the feet of the Supreme Lord and later became the

Ganga of the heavenly planets.

Anasuya married Atri Rishi and had three sons: Soma, Dattatreya and

Durvasa, partial manifestations respectively of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,

who were attracted to take birth from Atri Rishi by watching the powerful

austerities performed by the sage - so intense that his head emanated a

blazing fire. When he saw Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma arriving in his

ashrama, Atri was honored and delighted, and he rushed to welcome them.

After graciously accepting his prayers, the three Devas appeared as his sons.

Another of Devahuti's daughters, Sraddha, married Angira Rishi and had

four daughters, named Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka and Anumati, and two sons

named Utathya and Brihaspati. Havirbhu married Pulastya and had two

sons: Agastya, who in his next life became Dahragni, and Visrava, who

became a great saint. Visrava had two wives - Idavida who became the wife

of Kuvera, and Kesini, who gave birth to three sons: Ravana, Kumbhakarna

and Vibhisana. Gati married Pulaha Rishi and had three sons, named

Karmarestha, Variyan and Sahisnu.

Kriya, who married Kratu, generated the 60,000 sages known as the

Valakhilyas. Urja, also called Arundhati, married Vasistha and gave birth to

seven great sages: Citraketu, Suroci, Viraja, Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhrdyana

and Dyuman. Citti, the wife of Atharva Rishi, had a son named Asvasira,

due to performing the vow called Dadhyancha.Khyati married Bhrigu Rishi and had two sons named Dhata and Vidhata,

and a daughter named Sri. Dhata and Vidhata married Ayati and Niyati, the

two daughters of Meru Rishi, and gave birth to Mrikanda and Prana.

Mrikanda gave birth to Markandeya Rishi and Prana gave birth to Vedaira,

the father of Ushana, also known as Sukracharya or Kavi. Sukracharya

therefore belongs to the descendance of Brighu Rishi.

The other daughter of Svayambhuva Manu, Prasuti, married the son of

Brahma named Daksha, who was one of the most important progenitors of

all the living beings, and had sixteen beautiful daughters. Of these, thirteen

married Dharma: Sraddha, Maitri, Daya, Santi, Tusti, Pusti, Kriya, Unnati,

Buddhi, Medha, Titiksha, Hri and Murti.

Sraddha gave birth to Subha, Maitri gave birth to Prasada, Daya gave birth

to Abhaya, Shanti gave birth to Sukha, Tusti gave birth to Muda, Pushti

gave birth to Smaya, Kriya gave birth to Yoga, Unnati gave birth to Barpa,

Buddhi gave birth to Artha, Medha gave birth to Smriti, Titiksha gave birth

to Kshema, and Hri gave birth to Praraya. Murti gave birth to the avatara of

Vishnu as the two twins Nara and Narayana, whose birth was celebrated all

over the universe and was accompanied by many good omens. After

blessing the Devas for their prayers, Nara and Narayana went to the

Gandhamadana hill, where they engaged in meditation and sense control to

establish a good example for human beings. Nara and Narayana appeared

again in this age as Krishna and Arjuna respectively in the Yadu and Kuru

dynasties.

Another daughter of Prasuti and Daksha, Svaha, married Agni and had

three sons named Pavaka, Pavamana and Suci, who in turn fathered 45

descendants, all archetypal manifestations of fire. Together with their

fathers and grandfather, these forms of fire are 49 in number, and the

oblations of sacrifice are offered for them.

Another daughter of Prasuti and Daksha, Svadha, married the Pitas named

Agnisvatta, Barhisada, Saumya and Ajyapa, and gave birth to two daughters,

Vayuna and Dharini, both very expert in Vedic knowledge and

transcendence. The last daughter of Prasuti and Daksha, Sati, became the

faithful wife of Lord Shiva, but she did not have children because she left

her body at a very young age.Vidura wanted to know why Sati had left her body and Maitreya told him

the story of the ritual sacrifice performed by Daksha, in which Prajapati

Daksha offended Lord Shiva and Sati became so annoyed that she gave up

the body she had received from him.

All the Devas, Rishis and Prajapatis had organized a grand ritual sacrifice, to

which all the most important personalities of the universe were invited.

When Daksha arrived at the arena of the celebrations, he was so radiant

that all the persons present, except Brahma and Shiva, stood up to offer

their respects.

Daksha was not expecting to be honored as a superior by Brahma, who was

his father, but he felt offended in seeing that Shiva - who having married

his daughter Sati had become his son in law - had not risen to greet him. In

his pride, Daksha started to publicly insult Shiva, then becoming

overwhelmed by anger, he cursed him and left the assembly, going back

home.

These unwarranted offenses angered Nandisvara, one of the most

prominent companions of Lord Shiva. In turn, Nandisvara cursed Daksha

and his followers, arrogant family men who perform rituals for materialistic

purposes and behave like goats because they are attached to sex above all

else. Stung by that attack against the ritual ceremonies of the Karma kanda,

Bhrigu Muni too turned against the followers of Lord Shiva who imitate

him externally without understanding the Vedic principles and the rules of

civilized society. Saddened by that bickering and insults, and by the cursing

and counter-coursing, Lord Shiva left the arena of the sacrifice, followed by

his devotees. After that, Daksha did not make any effort to reconcile with

Shiva and the situation remained tense.

When Brahma appointed him as leader of all the Prajapatis, Daksha became

even more arrogant and started to perform great rituals, such as the

Vajapeya and the Brihaspati sava, to which he invited all the Devas, Rishis,

Pitas and the other prominent personalities of the universe together with

their consorts - all of them, except Lord Shiva and his wife Sati.

Eager to participate to that important social occasion and to see her own

family, Sati said she wanted to go to the celebrations, but Shiva knew that

they would not be properly welcomed by Daksha, and tried to dissuade her.

The teachings of Kapila 5

 According to their species, the living beings have different degrees of

sensitivity, and among the human beings the best are those intelligent

persons who have studied the Vedas and understood their meaning,

especially if they are able to dissipate the doubts of those who ask them

questions, and if they sincerely follow the brahminical principles. These

great souls attain perfection by liberating themselves from material

contamination and by performing devotional service without desiring any

reward. The Lord is known as Brahman and Paramatma and also as Time,

that transforms the various material manifestations. He does not consider

anyone as enemy or friend, but he encourages those who remember him

and destroys those who forget him.

To better understand the extent of the sufferings connected to birth and

death, Devahuti asked Kapila to describe them in detail and to tell also

about eternal time, that impels people to perform virtuous activities. The

avatara Kapila continued to explain: just like the clouds are not aware of the

strength of the wind, a person immersed in material consciousness does not

realize the power of Time, that destroys everything that a materialist builds

with so much effort and pain, and even his body. In his illusion, the

materialist forgets Time and deludes himself into believing that everything

will last forever. Pushed by anxiety, he commits criminal acts for the

purpose of obtaining and preserving the feeling of satisfaction he feels in

family and society, although such relationships are based on hypocrisy and

power games.

He is enthralled by his wife and by the sweet voices of his children, but

when he is unable to fulfill their requests he is neglected, like an old and

tired ox receives a poor treatment from a stingy farmer. In spite of all that,

he is afflicted by attachment and identification, and therefore he remains in

the family even when his life has become miserable because of old age,

invalidity and many diseases. Finally he dies in a pathetic way, surrounded

by crying relatives and friends, and is unable to speak with them in spite of

his ardent desire - something that gives him immense sufferings.

As during his life he has committed questionable actions, he sees the

Yamadutas, the servants of Yamaraja, who are coming to arrest him. He isbound and dragged away for the proper punishment, and while he is

walking along the road under a scorching sun and between forest fires, he is

attacked by dogs and whipped. There is no respite for him, no shelter, no

food or drink that can alleviate hunger and thirst. And this is just the

beginning of his sufferings, because in the dimensions of hellish existence

he suffers much torment in his subtle body. After his punishment is over,

the materialist takes birth again and again in various bodies in the lower

forms of life, until he obtains the precious opportunity of human birth.

To take birth in a human body, the living being must first enter a father's

sperm and be inserted in a mother's womb. During the first night after

conception the sperm fertilizes the egg, and in the fifth night the embryo

starts forming. In the tenth night it has the shape of a plum, and within one

month the head becomes distinct from the rest of the body. At two months

the hands and feet are formed, at three months the fingers and toes, the

bones and the skin, the genitals and the other openings of the body become

distinct. At four months from conception all the elements of the body are

formed, at five months the fetus begins to feel hunger and thirst, and at six

months it starts moving, leaning to the right side of the abdomen.

The unborn child subsists on the food and drink consumed by the mother

and lives in the abdominal cavity together with blood, urine and

excrements, where germs and sometimes even parasites multiply. The fetus'

body is very delicate and suffers when the mother eats food that is too

bitter or spicy, salty or acid. It is also forced into an uncomfortable position,

its back arched, and cannot move freely.

In the seventh month of pregnancy the child becomes conscious; if he is

lucky he is able to remember his previous lifetimes and repents about the

mistakes he has committed. His position in his mother's womb becomes

more and more precarious, because of the descending life air that forces

him to move often, and in his pain, the child who has become conscious

starts to pray the Lord to deliver him from that suffering.

However, the closer he comes to the moment of birth, the more the child

becomes anxious at the idea that after birth he will again fall in the trap of

material existence, constituted by the illusion of being the body. But

naturally the moment has come for him to take birth, therefore the

descending life air in his mother's body inexorably pushes him downthrough the small opening in mother's body, and he comes into the world

with much pain, breathless and devoid of memory. Covered in blood and

excrements, he falls to the ground and wriggles faintly and vainly like a

worm, crying and screaming.

After birth, the child is given to the care of people who are unable to

understand what he wants or needs, and he is fed and handled by them.

Unable to refuse what is given or done to him, he must lie in a

contaminated bed, damp with sweat, urine and stool, full of germs, and is at

the mercy of mosquitoes, flies, fleas and other insects from which he

cannot defend himself. Without memory or intellect, the child can only cry

in bitterness.

Childhood is spent in disease, sufferings and frustration. The child cannot

obtain what he wants, and in his ignorance he is overwhelmed by anger,

despair and sadness. Growing up, he develops greed and lust, and quarrels

with other people who have the same defects, falling under the control of

those who are interested only in the pleasures of tongue and sex. In such a

disastrous situation he loses truthfulness, the sense of cleanliness,

compassion, gravity, spiritual intelligence, modesty, self-control, good

name, fortune and good opportunities in life.

Those who were strongly attracted to women in previous lifetimes take a

new birth as females to become attracted by males, foolishly believing that

the purpose of their life consists in finding a husband who will give them a

home, children, nice clothes and ornaments, and other wealth. Actually all

these things are a deathly trap for her, like the song of the hunter who

attracts the doe only to kill her.

The conditioned soul who lives in the center of a family performs the

prescribed rituals for the purpose of obtaining material benefits and enjoys

the acquisition of wealth and sense gratification, but as long as such

religious activities are performed with a materialistic mentality, they can at

most propitiate the Devas and the ancestors and elevate one to heaven, to

the moon or to Pitriloka, but these are temporary positions. After

exhausting their merits, these people must again take birth on earth, and at

the end of the cycle of creation and manifestation of the universe, they lose

everything.On the other hand, one who becomes detached from the attraction to

material benefits attains enlightenment and can easily enter the personal

realm of God, who is the owner of all worlds, material and spiritual. For

this purpose, a person who has understood the various methods of self

realization serves the Supreme God, fulfills his or her own professional and

family duties, observes the rituals of sacrifice, distributes charity, engages in

austerities, controls mind and senses, accepts the order of renunciation,

practices yoga, offers devotional service and makes efforts to understand

the science of self realization.

These instructions should not be offered to those who are envious,

unfaithful or addicted to degraded practices, to hypocrites or those who are

very proud of their material possessions, greedy or attached to family life.

They are meant for those who are respectful towards spiritual science,

friendly to all beings and sincerely eager to serve.

After listening to Kapila's teachings, his mother Devahuti attained the

perfect understanding of devotional service and transcendental knowledge,

and offered loving prayer to her divine son, the avatara of Vishnu. Kapila's

mission was now complete: he took leave from his mother and left home.

Devahuti, too, engaged in austerities and meditation on God in the house

of Kardama at Siddhapada, only accepting what was strictly required for her

maintenance even among the great wealth and comforts at her disposal.

Finally she established herself in samadhi and the elements of her body

dissolved into water, becoming part of the most sacred of all rivers. Anyone

who takes bath in those blessed waters attains perfection.

After leaving his mother's house, Kapila traveled on towards north-east to

the shore of the ocean, where he established his own ashrama.

The teachings of Kapila 4

 When the mind is perfectly purified by the practice of yoga, one should

meditate on the form of the supreme Personality of God, who resides in

the heart of his devotee. His charming ever-youthful face is smiling, his eyes

are like the inner petals of the lotus flower, and his body looks like the

petals of the blue lotus. His hands hold the conchshell, the disc and the

mace.

His hips are wrapped with a shining cloth, yellow like the center of the lotus

flower, and on his chest one can see a small curl of white hair - the mark of

Srivatsa - and the radiant Kaustubha jewel. His neck is decorated with a

garland of forest flowers, surrounded by buzzing intoxicated bees. He wears

a necklace of pearls, a crown and couples of bracelets, armlets and anklets.

Meditating in this way on the Lord who resides in the heart, the yogi sees

him reclining, moving and sitting with him, and contemplates the various

parts of his body, starting from the lotus feet and the beautiful toenails, that

are red like rubies. The Lord's feet, massaged by Lakshmi Devi, are like

bolts of lightning that can shatter mountains of negative reactions

accumulated in the mind of his devotee.

His legs have a light blue complexion and appear particularly beautiful

when the Lord rides on Garuda. His hips are surrounded by a golden belt

gathering the wonderful yellow silken cloth that reaches down to his ankles.

The Lord's navel, similar to the moon, is the place of birth of the lotus

flower that contains all the planetary systems of the universe and is the

abode of Brahma, the first created being.

The Lord's chest is the resting place of Mahalakshmi, his nipples are like

emeralds illuminated by the necklace of milk-white pearls. The four arms of

the Lord are the source of the power of all the Devas. His disc, the

Sudarshana chakra, has one thousand rays and shines dazzlingly, and his

conchshell looks like a swan resting in his lotus hand. His Kaumodaki mace

is very dear to him, and is covered with the blood of the Asuras. The pearl

necklace on the Lord's neck represents the pure souls who are constantly

engaged in his service.

The Lord's face is surrounded by his dark curly hair and his eyebrows move

like two fishes swimming in a pond. His glance is compassionate and

affectionate, and dissipates all anxieties and sufferings in his devotees. Hissmile dries out the tears of anguish in those who bow to him. When Vishnu

laughs, his teeth, similar to jasmine buds, shine with a rosy hue from his

lips.

Thus meditating intimately on the Person of the Lord, the yogi develops

pure love for him and manifests ecstatic symptoms, such as the raising of

hairs and tears of joy. Focused on the Lord, the mind remains free from all

contamination, firm like the flame of a lamp that is not disturbed by the

wind, and does not care any longer for the material body. There is no more

sense of possession towards the relationships of the body, and the bodily

activities are felt as if performed in a dream.

There are three types of devotional service, according to the personal

qualities of the devotee. Service performed by an envious, arrogant, violent

and angry person, who has a sectarian mentality, is under the influence of

ignorance. Service offered in hope to obtain pleasure, fame and wealth for

oneself is under the influence of passion. When a devotee worships the

Lord offering him the result of his activities, to become free from

attachments, his service is under the influence of goodness.

Pure devotional service, that is above the gunas, is recognized by the

spontaneous and joyful attraction towards the Lord, that can be compared

to the flow of the Ganges, spontaneously rushing to the ocean because of

its own nature.

The pure devotee offers worship and prayers to the Deities in the temples,

but treats all living entities with equal benevolence, only considering their

spiritual nature. He must be compassionate to the needy, friendly with his

peers and respectful to the great souls. He must engage as much as possible

in listening about spiritual thing and in reciting the name of the Lord,

avoiding the company of materialists.

One who offers worship to the Deity in the temple but does not perceive

the Supreme Soul in the hearts of all beings and is hostile or offensive

towards the bodies of others is immersed in ignorance and his service is

compared to pouring oblations of clarified butter into ashes rather than in

the fire. The Lord is never pleased by such service and does not accept it

even if it is performed with technically perfect rituals and using all the

required ingredients. 

Actually, the Lord puts a terrible fear of death in theheart of anyone who 

makes even the smallest discrimination based on

bodily differences between himself and other living beings.

The teachings of Kapila 3

 Within the Cosmic Egg, Vishnu, Hari, divides it in fourteen planetary

systems that compose its body. The parts of the body of the Virat Purusha,

the universal Lord, manifest as the various components of nature - the

mouth is the power to speak and the Deva of fire, the nostrils are the sense

of smell and the prana, and so on.

In this way we contemplate God as present in our own body and in the

universe and simultaneously distinct from them. When the living being is in

this position, he is not subject to the influence of the gunas, of the

temporary identifications and of the sense of possession, just like the sun

remains detached from its own reflection in the water.

If, on the other hand, he falls under the illusion of false material

identification, believing himself to be the body, he focuses on material

activities and considers himself as the owner of everything. In this

conditioned state, he transmigrates into different species of life, higher or

lower according to his association with the three influences of nature, and it

forced to suffer the consequences of his actions.

Actually the living being always transcends material energy, but because of

his hunger for power and dominion on nature he is forced to remain in the

material existence and suffer all its disadvantages, just like a sleeping man

remains in his own nightmares and suffers because of them. By practicing

the system of yoga, that is aimed at controlling the mind and the senses,

one can rise to the level of pure devotional service, hearing and speaking

about God.

The liberated soul is aware of the absolute Personality of God, that is

transcendental and manifests as reflection also in false identification. The

presence of the Lord is perceived like the reflection of the sun on the water,

projected on a wall in a room or situated in the sky. Similarly the realized

soul perceives itself as reflected in the ego, in the senses and in the mind,

although it always remains conscious and free from false identification. The

illusion of material identification is like sleep, that confuses the nature and

the identity of the dreamer and creates suffering and anxieties.In spite of its attraction for material nature, the living being can become

liberated by regularly hearing about divine knowledge and performing his

prescribed duties in a spirit of renunciation towards the results of action.

He becomes independent and glorious by renouncing the idea of

dominating matter, and cannot be touched by the influence of matter

because he knows the reality of the Absolute, the nature of Brahman. After

living many years and many lifetimes in this spiritual practice, one loses all

desires to enjoy matter and any attraction for the mystic powers of yoga or

even for the heavenly planets of this world. Thus he finally attains the

transcendental position and never returns again to the material world.

In order to engage in devotional service, one needs to see all living beings

equally, without hostility or intimate relationships with anyone. One must

be sincere in external activities and offer their results to God, be content

with that income that can be obtained without too much difficulty, only eat

what is strictly required and constantly live in a solitary place avoiding

mundane social interactions.

One should be always truthful, attentive, clean, peaceful, friendly, nonviolent,

compassionate and focused on one's spiritual nature. One should

abstain from appropriating what does not belong to him and be satisfied

with what he has. He must cultivate the ability to see and understand things

through the knowledge of matter and spirit, but always avoid identifying

with the body and being attracted to relationships based on the body.

One should abandon conventional religious practices and focus only on

those that lead to liberation, such as studying Vedic scriptures and

worshiping the Deity, observing silence, controlling breathing, detaching

the senses from the sense objects and focusing the mind on the heart.

Fixing the prana and the mind on one of the six chakras of the body, he

must focus the mind on the transcendental activities of God: this is called

samadhi.

When one has learned to control the mind and the body, he must sit

comfortably in a solitary and sanctified place, keeping the body erect, and

practice breathing control. He begins with deep breathing, holding the air

between inhalation and exhalation, and then the other way around. The

purpose of this practice is to stabilize and calm the mind, and to become

free from the identification with the material body.

The teachings of Kapila 2

 Brahma came to see the divine newborn and Kardama offered him

respects. Then Kardama gave his daughters in marriage to great Rishis: Kala

to Marici, Anasuya to Atri, Sraddha to Angira, Havirbhu to Pulastya, Gati to

Pulaya, Kriya to Kratu, Khyati to Bhrigu, Arundhati to Vasistha and Santi

to Atharva. He then offered prayers to the Supreme Lord, who had

incarnated as his son Kapila, and asked his permission to retire from family

life and go to the forest to meditate alone and then to roam around the

world following the strict rules of renunciation of sannyasa. Free from all

identifications and material attachments, from all desires and repulsion,

Kardama finally attained the supreme liberation.

Kapila stayed with his mother Devahuti, and on her request he explained

the method of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, that constitutes the

supreme form of yoga. The mind becomes purified when it is completely

free from the desires produced by the false identifications with the body

and by material attachments. Awakened to its true spiritual nature, the soul

transcends the joys and sorrows of this world and by practicing knowledge

and renunciation it only accepts the company of the realized sages - who

are tolerant, compassionate, peaceful and friendly towards all living beings.

The sadhus live by practicing the teachings of the scriptures and do not see

anyone as their enemies, but renounce all material ties because they only

seek pleasure in the meditation on the Lord's activities. The company of

such saintly people helps one to overcome material attachments and

become firmly established in divine consciousness.

To help Devahuti to better concentrate on this meditation, Kapila explained

to her the Sankhya yoga, that is a combination of devotional service and

mystic realization, that considers the senses as the symbolic representations

of the Devas and the mind as the representative of the Supreme Lord. The

natural tendency of the senses is to act according to the instructions of the

Vedas and the tendency of the mind is to serve. The supreme service is the

service offered to the Lord, in full knowledge and awareness of the Divine

is the supreme perfection of self realization.

The Supreme Lord is the Supreme Soul, who has no beginning or end; he

transcends the world of matter but can be perceived everywhere in theuniverse because he is omnipresent. Entering the material energy, the Lord

starts the creation of the universe. The static combination of the three gunas,

the three influences of nature, is the aggregate of the elements that

compose nature, and is called pradhana. These elements are the five gross

elements, the five subtle elements, the four internal senses, the five senses

of perception and the five organs of action.

The five gross elements are earth (energy in the solid form), water (energy

in liquid form), fire (energy in the form of heat and light), air (energy in the

form of gas) and space. The five corresponding subtle elements are smell,

taste, color, touch and sound. The senses of perception are the sense of

smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing, while the senses of action are those

that enable us to speak, move, work, generate and evacuate. The internal

subtle senses are the mind, intelligence, ego and material awareness. The

25th element is time, the eternal manifestation of God that starts and ends

creation, while the 26th element is the presence of the soul.

In the beginning, the soul has a pure, clear and peaceful awareness, free

from all distractions, but when it identifies with matter, the principles of

creation manifest the various material elements. The false perception of the

self is controlled by Ananta Sankarshana: this false perception, focused in

goodness, manifests the mind, controlled by Aniruddha. Material

identification focused in passion manifests intelligence, with its functions

such as doubt, correct understanding, incorrect understanding, memory and

sleep, as well as the senses of perception and action, that depend

respectively on intelligence and life energy.

Material identification focused in ignorance produces the material elements,

beginning with the subtle element of sound, that in turn produces space and

the sense of hearing. Sound is that which transmits the idea of an object

and indicates the presence of a person even if we cannot see him or her.

The characteristics of space are the power to contain the external and

internal existence of all beings, as the field of action of prana, senses and

mind.

From the existence of space the element of touch develops, and then air.

Touch is characterized by the feeling of hardness and softness, heat and

cold, while the function of air is to move, mix, and enable access to the

object of the sense of hearing and the other senses.The interaction of air with the sense of touch produces the forms of the

bodies, determined by the destiny of each individual. The evolution of the

forms generates the fire (light and heat) and the eyes become able to

perceive forms and colors. The characteristics of form are size, quality and

individuality. The form of fire is perceived by its radiance; fire is appreciated

for its light, for the power to cook, digest, evaporate, destroy cold and

stimulate hunger and thirst - the desire and the action to eat and drink.

The interaction of fire with the visual perception evolves the element of

taste, that produces water and the sense that perceives taste (the tongue).

Although taste is originally one, it develops in various categories such as

astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, acid and salty, because of its contact wth

different substances.

The characteristics of water are the power to drench other substances, to

coagulate various mixtures, destroy thirst, give satisfaction and sustain life,

soften things, fight heat and constantly return to the water reservoirs.

The interaction of water with the perception of taste develops the subtle

element of odor, that manifests earth and the sense of smell. Odor is one,

but it manifests in many ways - mixed, disgusting, fragrant, sweet, strong,

acid and so on - according to the proportions of the associated substances.

The characteristic functions of earth can be perceived by fashioning forms

of the Supreme Brahman, building residences, preparing pots and

containers for water and other substances and so on. In other words, earth

is the support for all other elements.

The sense that perceives sound is called hearing, the sense perceiving touch

is called tact, the one perceiving form (the characteristic of fire) is called

sight, the one perceiving taste (the characteristic of water) is called taste, the

one perceiving odor (the characteristic of earth) is called smell. Because

cause also exists in the effect, the characteristics of the cause are also found

in the effect: therefore in earth we can found the characteristics of all other

elements.

When all these elements become differentiated, the Supreme Lord

personally enters the creation together with time, action and the gunas (the

fundamental qualities of nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance),

giving birth to the Cosmic Egg. The universe has the shape of an egg, with

layers of elements each 10 times thicker than the previous one, and it

surrounded by non-manifested nature.

The teachings of Kapila 1

 On Vidura's request, Maitreya continued to narrate the Bhagavata, speaking

about the descendants of Manu and especially of Devahuti and Ruci, who

married respectively Kardama and Daksha.

On Brahma's order, Kardama engaged in a long meditation on the bank of

the Bindu Sarovara, a wonderful lake surrounded by the Sarasvati river: it

was a very beautiful place, the abode of noble Rishis, in the middle of

scented forests full of flowers and resounding with the songs of auspicious

bird as well as deer, elephants, monkeys, lions and mongooses. When finally

Vishnu appeared to grant him a boon, Kardama offered him beautiful

prayers and asked him for a suitable bride. The Lord blessed him, and told

him that Svayambhuva Manu and his wife Satarupa were coming to that

place, traveling with their daughter Devahuti, in search of a good husband

for her. In the future, Devahuti would have nine daughters and Vishnu

himself would appear as her son Kapila.As Vishnu had predicted, as soon as Kardama had completed his

austerities, Svayambhuva Manu arrived at the ashrama, accompanied by his

wife and daughter, and was greeted with much honor. Svayambhuva told

the Rishi that his daughter Devahuti had heard much about him and had

decided to become his wife. Kardama was happy to accept the proposal, on

the condition that - after giving children to Devahuti - he would be free to

retire from family life to engage completely in spiritual meditation.

Devahuti accepted and the marriage was solemnized. Her parents bade her

farewell, leaving many gifts for her, and then returned to their capital,

Barhismati.

Devahuti lived in the ashrama of Kardama Muni, sincerely engaged in

taking care of her great husband, observing all the religious rituals and

working hard, even neglecting her own well-being and health. After some

time, Kardama noticed that the princess had neglected the proper care of

her own body, and so he became worried and saddened.

Comforted by her husband, Devahuti reminded him about his promise to

give her children, and also asked for a suitable house where she could raise

them. Immediately Kardama Muni created, out of his own mystic powers,

an airborne palace of wonderful beauty, and filled with all sorts of wealth.

The castle was seven stories high, had floors made with emeralds with

motifs of coral daisies, and was equipped by very valuable furniture,

decorated with all types of gems and garlands of scented flowers. There

were gardens and courtyards with swans and doves - both real and artificial

- and many works of art. Kardama's power also created one thousand

maidservants who bathed Devahuti in the Bindu Sarovara, massaging her

with costly oils and dressing her with wonderful clothes and royal

ornaments. Refreshed with delicious foods and tonic drinks, Devahuti

traveled with her husband in her flying mansion for many years, visiting the

valleys of mount Meru and those around the Manasa Sarovara lake, as well

as the gardens called Vaisrambhaka, Surasana, Nandana, Puspabhadraka

and Caitrarathya. They also traveled to various other planets, freely and

without any difficulty.

Devahuti gave birth to nine daughters, but as these would leave their home

to marry, she asked her husband for a son who could stay and take care of

her. After worshiping the Supreme Lord, Devahuti gave birth to Kapila, 

theavatara of Vishnu who expounded the teachings known as the Sankhya

philosophy.

The story of Varaha 2

 "The story of Hiranyaksha begins with his birth from Diti, the daughter of

Prajapati Daksha," Maitreya replied. "Diti strongly desired to have a child,

and she prayed her husband Kasyapa, son of Marici, to unite with her even

if the moment was inauspicious. Sunset is a moment of the day when the

forces of darkness stir and become more powerful - therefore it is better to

engage in religious ceremonies that will protect our awareness, keeping it

from sliding into the lower influences of matter. Kasyapa was sitting in

meditation after completing the fire ceremony and was offering homage to

Lord Shiva, who at that time travels around, accompanied by his retinue."

Diti, however, was agitated by sexual desire and had no intention to wait

any longer. Kasyapa consented to perform his conjugal duty, but warned

her that there would be negative consequences: the two children conceived

at that inauspicious time would be evil Asuras, tormentors of the universe,

and for this reason they would be killed by the Supreme Lord, Vishnu.

Later Diti repented for her lack of discipline, and Kasyapa said that the son

of one of those sons would be a great devotee of the Lord, blessed and

loved by all. Diti also tried to delay the birth of the two Asuras, but already

during the pregnancy the universe was gradually covered by a great

darkness, so that the Devas went to Brahma to ask him what was

happening.

Brahma explained that the problem had started when the four Kumaras had

gone to Vaikuntha to meet Lord Vishnu. After crossing the first six gates

and meeting many of the residents of Vaikuntha, who traveled in airplanes

together with their consorts, the Kumaras came to the seventh gate and its

two doormen Jaya and Vijaya. The two guards saw the Kumaras enter

without hesitation and stopped them, treating them as ordinary children.

Annoyed, the Rishis scolded the two guards for their narrow mindedness.

Such a mentality was characteristic of the material world, and that was the

place where they would soon end up.

At that very moment, Vishu arrived personally to solve the controversy.

After graciously accepting the prayers of the Kumaras, he declared he

approved the punishment that had been given to his servants. Directly

taking responsibility for the offense, he asked the Kumaras to allow the

doormen to return to his presence in Vaikuntha after expiating their

mistake by taking birth in the material world. The Kumaras repliedacknowledging the fact that everything always happens according to the

Lord's plan and that the curse against the two innocent doormen was due

to the influence of his illusory energy.

Thus Jaya and Vijaya fell from their positions and entered Diti's womb as

her two sons, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu.

The birth of the two twins was accompanied by many bad omens:

earthquakes, great fires, comets, meteorites, hurricanes and cyclones that

hid the light of the sun and the moon, immersing the entire universe in

deep darkness. The planets moved inauspiciously, often in retrograde path,

and there were many eclipses. Mars and Saturn became more powerful than

the other more peaceful planets such as Mercury, Jupiter and Venus. The

ocean moaned, agitated by huge waves. Dogs and jackals were restless and

continued to howl, wild donkeys ran around the land in herds, scaring the

birds and the cows.

Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu were born already fully grown, with bodies

as strong as steel, decorated with crowns and other ornaments. They did

not fear anyone, and before them Indra and the other celestial beings fled

and went into hiding. Not finding any opponents to fight with, Hiranyaksha

ventured into the ocean and went to challenge the Deva Varuna in his

capital, Vibhavari. Not desiring to fight against the arrogant Asura, Varuna

convinced him to seek Vishnu, the Supreme and most powerful Being, and

fight with him.

Immediately Hiranyaksha went to search for Vishnu, and learning that he

was rescuing earth from the waters, he hastened to challenge him, insulting

and threatening him. Hiranyaksha had golden hair and terrifying tusks, and

wore a golden armor and other beautiful ornaments. He was equipped with

a huge mace and he rushed against the Lord without hesitation. Varaha

patiently tolerated the insults and first of all focused on rescuing the earth,

lifting her out of the water, like an elephant that is attacked by a crocodile

first of all thinks about his female's safety. Then he turned to face the

challenge, crushing the Asura's pride and threatening him.

The fight was terrible, and all the Devas and Rishis and the inhabitants of

the heavenly planets watched it anxiously. Both the opponents dealt many

heavy blows on one another and intoxicated by the smell of the blood, theybecame even more engrossed in the fight. Suddenly Varaha's mace slid off

his hand, and the Asura showed his chivalry by holding his attack.

Brahma was scared, and offering his prayers to the Lord, he asked him not

to play too long with his enemy, but to end the fight quickly. Then Varaha

smacked Hiranyaksha's mace off his hand and again offered the weapon

back to him. The Asura felt humiliated and grabbed a trident, that was soon

shattered to pieces by the Lord's disc. Enraged, Hiranyaksha tried all the

magic tricks he knew, evoking violent winds, darkness, hailstorms and a rain

of sand and stones. There was a shower of pus, hair, blood, excrements,

urine and bones, and armies of demons marched in full war gear. But the

Lord's Sudarshana disc dissipated all those terrifying illusions and Varaha

ended the fight with a hard slap just below the Asura's ear - and he fell

dead.

The story of Varaha 1

 Sukadeva continued to narrate the teachings of Maitreya to Vidura about

the creation of the universe. Maitreya said, "Svayambhuva Manu received

from Brahma the task to populate the earth and rule it, but there was a

problem. Earth had sunk into the Garbha Ocean, that is at the bottom of

the universe, and it had to be restored to its proper orbit."

While he was pondering this problem, Brahma sneezed and from his nostril

appeared a tiny boar, who soon grew so big that his body occupied the

entire sky. Immediately Brahma, the Rishis and Manu realized that it could

not be an ordinary creature; when Brahma guessed that it might be Vishnu,

the boar roared his approval and the echo of that powerful sound was

accompanied by the reciting of Vedic hymns by all the great Rishis.

The boar avatara, Varaha, flashed across the sky, bristling his hair and

scattering the clouds with his hooves and sparkling tusks. Then, running

merrily like an elephant, he entered into the waters, creating two enormous

waves, that seemed like arms of the ocean raised in prayer. Using his long

white tusks, he furrowed into the ocean bed searching for the earth, and

finally he found her and lifted her up. While he was restoring the earth to

her proper orbit, he was confronted by the asura Hiranyaksha and engaged

in battle with him, finally killing him with his divine mace. Happy at having

witnessed that wonderful adventure, all the Rishis contemplated the form

of Varaha with devotion and offered their respects and prayers to the Lord,

who had accepted earth a his beloved consort.

Vidura had listened carefully to Maitreya's discourse, and wanted to hear

more. "O great Rishi," he said, "why had the Asura Hiranyaksha appeared

to challenge Lord Varaha while he was rescuing Earth?"

Conversation between Maitreya and Vidura 4

 The most elementary particle that is at the base of creation is the atom,

almost invisible even after the dissolution of the bodies. The calculation of

time is therefore based as a fundamental measure by reference to atomic

time - the time in which an atom covers a particular space. An aggregate of

six atoms is large enough to be seen in the sunlight that penetrates through

a screen.

The time required for the integration of three of these aggregates of six

atoms (called trasarenus) is called truti, and is the shortest unit of time. One

vedha is composed by 100 trutis, while one lava consists of three vedhas, one

nimesa corresponds to three lavas, one kshana to three nimesas, one kastha to

five kshanas, one laghu to fifteen kasthas, one nadika or danda to fifteen laghus,

one muhurta to two dandas, and six or seven dandas form a quarter of the day

or night, according to the season. The instrument to measure one danda is

prepared with a copper container of six palas in weight: we make a hole with

a gold lancet weighing four masas and four angulas long. When the container

is put over water, it sinks in exactly one danda.

In each day and night of the human beings there are four praharas; fifteen

days and nights form one paksha, and a month is composed by two pakshas

- a white one and a black one. One human month equals to one day and

night on the Pitri planets. Two months of Earth's time constitute a season,

while six months are a complete movement of the sun from south to north

and vice versa. Two of these complete movements, that constitute one

complete cycle of the sun, correspond to one day and night of the heavenly

beings, but an entire year of the earth calendar. The human beings have a

duration of life of 100 of these years.

There are five different definitions for the orbits of the sun, the moon, the

stars and other celestial bodies, and all have specific cycles. A cycle of four

earth ages - Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali - constitutes 12,000 years of the

heavenly beings. Satya yuga lasts 4,800 heavenly years, Treta 3,600, Dvapara

2,400 years, and Kali 1,200. In the age of Satya the human beings follow the

principles of religion perfectly, but in each of the three subsequent ages,

one fourth of these principles become lost.

One thousand cycles of four ages constitute one day and one night for

Brahma; when his day is over there is a partial destruction of the universe,

in which the sun and the moon loose their radiance and the inhabitants of

the highest planets move to Janaloka because the rest of universe is

devastated by fire. When Brahma gets up in the morning, a new cycle of

creation begins. Within one day of Brahma there is a series of fourteen

Manus, each living a little more than 71 cycles of four ages. At each new

Manu there is a renovation of the seven Rishis, Indra and other celestial

beings and the residents of the higher planets. Brahma lives for 100 of his

years, 50 of which have already passed; the first cycle of ages in the second

half of Brahma's life was characterized by the appearance of the Lord in the

form of Varaha, the boar avatara.

At the beginning of creation Brahma generated the four great sages called

Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat Kumara. Brahma expected them to

generate descendants in turn, but the Kumaras were not interested in

procreation and chose to remain small boys forever, to avoid being

involved in the complications due to the fact of being older than others.

Brahma was not happy about this disobedience, and from his anger,

concentrated between his brows, Rudra appeared manifesting in eleven

forms that have the purpose to destroy the universe at the time of

dissolution.

Later Brahma generated, from various parts of his body, the Rishis named

Marici, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasistha, Kardama,

Daksa and Narada. In the same way he generated the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur,

Sama and Atharva), the secondary Vedas (Ayur, Dhanur, Gandharva, and so

on) and the fifth Veda (Puranas and Itihasas), together with the other forms

of knowledge and ritual ceremonies. Finally, he generated the first couple of

human beings - Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupa - who started to produce

a descendence through sexual union. Manu had two sons (Priyavrata and

Uttanapada) and three daughters (Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti). He gave

Akuti in marriage to Ruci Rishi, Devahuti to Kardama Rishi, and Prasuti to

Daksha Prajapati.

Conversation between Maitreya and Vidura 3

 Maitreya replied: "The Supreme Lord is never overcome by illusion, but the

individual beings are small enough to fall under her power, as in a

temporary dream. The misconception of identification with matter can be

gradually dissipated by meditating on the Lord, the transcendental Reality,

just like when we awaken from sleep we can return to the awareness of the

waking state by focusing on what really exists."

Vidura asked again: "Please tell me more about the secondary creation of

Brahma, of the Manus and their descendants, of the planets, the various

species, the divisions of society, the different methods of spiritual

realization, the prescribed rituals and the activities of the Lord when he

manifests in this world."

Maitreya congratulated Vidura for his excellent question and said that the

same subjects had been explained by Ananta Sankarshana to Sanat Kumara

and his three brothers, sons of Brahma. In turn, the Kumara handed down

the same teachings to Sankhyayana Muni, who gave them to Brihaspati and

Parasara, Maitreya's guru.

The Lord, the Supreme Soul of the universe, appears to be sleeping in the

water of the Ocean and generates the living beings through the power of

the external energy, the Kala shakti ("the black Power" or "the Power of

Time"), therefore his transcendental body has a dark blue complexion. The

aggregate of the selfish activities of the living beings manifests in the form

of a lotus bud growing from Vishnu's navel. Again the Lord enters that

lotus flower as Kshirodakasayi Vishnu, the Supreme Soul of all beings, and

generates the personification of the Vedic knowledge, Brahma.

After meditating for a long time, Brahma became able to see the Lord and

offered him beautiful prayers. With the Lord's blessing, Brahma established

himself firmly in spiritual consciousness, that enabled him to perceive the

presence of the Godhead in each being, and he started to shape the

fourteen inhabited planetary systems and the bodies of the various living

beings according to the different species.

There are nine subsequent stages in creation: the first is the mahat-tattva (the

total aggregate of matter), the second generates the sense of identification

with matter, the third manifests sense perception, the fourth manifests the

sense of cognition and action, the fifth manifests the archetypes of the

universal reality known as Devas, and the sixth manifests the sense of

ignorance. The secondary creation by Brahma starts from the seventh

phase, in which he manifests the immovable beings, such as the plants. The

eighth phase manifests the lower animals, including mammals and birds,

who are listed in 28 wide categories. The ninth and last phase of creation

manifests the human beings, the heavenly beings, the Rakshasas and

Yakshas, Gandharvas and Apsaras, Siddhas and Charanas and Vidyadharas,

and the various types of goblins and ghosts.

Conversation between Maitreya and Vidura 2

 Remembering the Lord, Uddhava was overwhelmed by an intense

sentiment of love, and wiping the tears from his eyes, he informed him

about the disappearance of Krishna and the destruction of his dynasty. The

two great devotees found comfort in discussing between themselves about

Lord Krishna and his activities during his mission.

Uddhava recalled the various stages of Krishna's life, up to the moment

when he had left his family and had gone to the bank of the river Sarasvati.

Sitting under a young banyan tree, Krishna appeared completely peaceful,

although he had abandoned all the comforts of his palaces. Uddhava had

followed him because he could not stay away from him, and this was how

Maitreya found them during his pilgrimage, and he remained in their

company to discuss about transcendental knowledge. So Uddhava advised

Vidura to search for Maitreya, who was a friend of Vyasa and thus older

than Vidura, to learn from him that same knowledge that had been

explained by Lord Krishna."

After spending some days in the company of Uddhava, talking about the

disappearance of Lord Krishna and his dynasty, Vidura traveled towards the

Ganges in search of Maitreya, who resided in Haradvara. When he arrived

in the presence of the great sage, Vidura asked him to explain how the Lord

incarnates in this world, and how we can serve the Lord with devotion.

Maitreya welcomed him affectionately, accepting him as the worthy son of

Vyasa and especially as the incarnation of Yamaraja, the Lord of Death, the

eternal companion of God.

He immediately started to explain how at the beginning of creation, Lord

Vishnu awakens material energy, manifesting the universal form. He first

created Brahma and the Devas - Agni, Varuna, the Asvini kumaras, Surya,

Vayu and the directions of space - as manifestations of his own divine

being, and gave them the knowledge and power to manifest and rule the

universe. After one thousand celestial years, material energy generated the

living beings according to their tendencies and identifications.

Vidura asked: "In what way the unchangeable Lord, who is transcendental

and always satisfied in himself, comes into contact with the material nature

and her activities without being touched by the influence of the gunas? How

does the individual soul, who is pure awareness, slide into ignorance and

remains trapped there? And since the Lord resides in the heart of all living

beings, why do living beings engage in activities that lead to sufferings and

disaster?"

Conversation between Maitreya and Vidura 1

 Parikshit Maharaja then asked Sukadeva to tell him about the circumstances

in which Vidura, the brother of Pandu and Dhritarastra, had met the sage

Maitreya and had discussed important spiritual topics with him. Sukadeva

continued to narrate: "The blind regent, Dhritarastra, had been degraded by

his desire to please his evil sons, and allowed them to commit many

offenses against the Pandavas. Duryodhana and his brothers tried many

times to murder their cousins, mistreated Draupadi in public, and stripped

Yudhisthira of all his possessions with a fixed dice game.

Vidura had admonished his brother and nephews many times, warning

them that such crimes would bring terrible consequences, also because the

Pandavas were powerful kshatriyas and were personally supported by Lord

Krishna. Instead of heeding his uncle's wise advice, Duryodhana insulted

him too, calling him the son of a maidservant, and ordering the guards to

throw him out of the palace.

Pained by those unwarranted offenses, Vidura did not wait to be mistreated

further, and he immediately left the court to visit many pilgrimage places,

such as Ayodhya, Dvaraka and Mathura. He traveled alone as a humble

beggar, without depending on anyone, crossing through pure and sacred

regions. When he reached Prabhasa he learned about the death of all his

relatives in the battle and he turned west, towards the Sarasvati river, and

went to the eleven tirthas on her banks - Trita, Usana, Mahu, Prithu, Agni,

Asita, Vayu, Sudasa, Go, Guha and Sraddhadeva - visiting many temples

dedicated to the Lord.

Then he traveled through the wealthy western provinces of Surat, Sauvira,

Matsya and Kurujangala, and he finally came to the bank of the Yamuna

river, where he met Uddhava, the great devotee of the Lord, and asked him

for news about Krishna and the Yadu dynasty.

The teachings of Sukadeva on yoga 3

Parikshit had other questions. "Narada Muni had the great fortune of

hearing the glories of the Lord directly from his father Brahma. In what

occasions did he transmit these teachings? I sincerely wish to hear more

about this deep knowledge. I have understood that the transcendental spirit

soul is different from the material body. How does it acquire a body, and

for what purpose?

You have said that the Supreme Lord manifests in the universal form, that

is made of matter; so what is the difference between the body of the Lord

and the body of the ordinary living being? I am also eager to hear more

about the Supreme Soul, who resides in every heart without being touched

by the external energy.

I have heard your explanation on how the planets of the universe and their

rulers are situated in the various part of the gigantic body of the Virat

Purusha. However, I do not understand their functional position: can you

explain better? I also want to understand the duration of time between the

creation and the destruction of the universe and the subsequent creations,

the nature of time constituted by past present and future, the duration and

measure of life on the various planets of the universe, and why they are

different.

I would also like to know about the process of accumulation of the karmic

reactions that cause the movements of the beings among the many species

of life, from the celestial beings to the most insignificant creatures. What is

the process of creation of the planets, of earth, of the mountains, rivers and

seas, and their inhabitants? How is the interplanetary space divided? What

are the characteristics of the various social categories? And what rules

should one observe in case of emergency?

I am also interested in hearing about the elementary principles of creation,

of the mystic powers of yoga, of the subjects of Vedic literature, and the

way in which the beings are born and develop. And above all, I want to

hear about the benefits of devotional service to the Lord, in relation to the

Vedic ritual, the procedures that enable one to attain success in dharma,

artha, kama and moksha - or ethical integrity, acquisition of valuable things,

satisfaction of the senses and liberation from material conditionings.

How do the living beings appear? And how the Asuras - the demonic

beings - come to existence? And how do liberated beings live?"

Sukadeva was very pleased by the sincerity of Parikshit, who was thirsty

with knowledge and asked so many questions. "It is only because of the

influence of the illusory energy," he said, "that one comes to believe he is

the material body. The idea of 'I' and 'mine' is simply a misconception, that

dissipates as soon we attain transcendental realization.

At the beginning of creation, Brahma was trying to understand how to

proceed in his work. While meditating, he heard the two syllable 'ta' and 'pa',

that form the Sanskrit word tapa ('austerity'), and although he could not

understand where the sound had come from, he decided to follow that

instruction and engaged in a very long meditation to control the self. The

Lord was very pleased by Brahma's sincere service and granted him the

vision of his wonderful spiritual abode, Vaikuntha, where Vishnu lives

surrounded by his devotees. Besides, he revealed that he had given him the

instruction to practice austerity, because the intensity in the engagement in

one's duty is non-different from the Lord himself.

On that occasion, Brahma asked the Lord questions that are similar to the

ones you asked me, and in reply he obtained the four verses that are

considered the heart of the Bhagavata. Vishnu told Brahma that his existence

is eternal - it exists before the manifestation of the universe, in the present

moment, and even after the destruction of the cosmos. Nothing exists

without the Lord, who is in every thing as well as beyond all created things,

just like the elements of the universe enter into the cosmos and at the same

time they remain distinct from it. Those who seek the Absolute Truth must

understand this secret knowledge in all circumstances, both directly and

indirectly."

Later, Brahma gave this knowledge to his son Narada, who taught it to his

disciple Vyasa in the form of the Bhagavata, that deals with ten subjects: the

creation of the universe, the secondary creation, the structure of the

planetary systems, the manner in which the Lord protects the universe, the

creative impulse, the series of the Manus, the science of God, how to go

back to God, and what is the most valuable treasure.

The fundamental or primary creation, called sarga, consists of the sixteen

elements of matter - the five gross elements called earth, water, fire, air and

space; the subtle elements called sound, form, taste, smell and touch; and

the senses that are eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and mind. The secondary

creation follows, from the interaction of these sixteen primary elements,

and it is called visarga.

The Lord's protection is obtained by obeying his laws, and the succession

of the Manus has the purpose to express such laws to give the proper

direction to the life of human beings. The creative impulse consists in the

desire of obtaining the result of the action. The science of God describes

the avataras of the Lord and the various activities performed by these

incarnations together with his devotees.

The dissolution of the cosmic manifestation occurs when the Lord

withdraws all the universes into himself and the living beings merge again

into his body together with their conditioned tendencies, while liberation is

the permanent nature of the being when he leaves the subtle body besides

the gross body.

The Supreme is the source and the reservoir of the cosmic manifestation,

that gives shelter to the physical manifestation called adhibhautika, to the

archetypal manifestation called adhidaivika, and to the manifestation of the

individuals called adhyatmika. In other words, these are the material bodies,

the beings who control them and the beings that are controlled.

All beings are created by the Supreme Lord and receive a body according to

their past actions - including Brahma and his sons such as Daksha and the

other Prajapatis, the Manus, Indra, Chandra and Varuna, the Rishis, the

inhabitants of the higher planets such as Pitriloka, Siddhaloka, Charanaloka,

Gandharvaloka, Vidyadharaloka, Kinnaraloka, as well as the Apsaras,

Yakshas and Rakshasas, Kimpurushas, human beings, ghosts, animals,

plants and so on.

The teachings of Sukadeva on yoga 2

 The external sphere of the universe constitutes his eye socket, his eye is the

Sun and the faculty of sight. His eyelids are the day and the night, and the

Devas such as Brahma reside in the movements of his eyebrows. His palate

is Varuna, and the essence of everything is his tongue. The Vedic hymns are

his brain and his jaws are Yama. Affection is his teeth, and the mesmerizing

illusory energy is his smile. Modesty is his upper lip, desire is his chin,

religion is the chest and irreligion the back. Brahma, who generates all

beings, is his penis and the Mitra-Varuna are his testicles. The ocean is the

waist, and the hills and mountains are his bones. The rivers are the veins,

the trees the hair on his body, and air is his breath.

The ages are his movements and his activities are the reactions of the three

gunas. The raincloud are the hair on his head, the passage between the day

and night is his clothing, and the supreme cause of material creation is his

intelligence. His mind is the moon, and Rudra his ego. His face is

represented in human society by the brahmanas, his arms by the kshatriyas,

his legs by the vaisyas and his feet protect the sudras. All the worshipable

Devas are parts of his body. One who sincerely wants to obtain liberation

must meditate on this universal form of the Lord."

"Instead of dreaming about the heavenly pleasures of the celestial planets,

we should minimize our needs and meditate on the Supreme Lord. While

some people meditate on the universal form of the Lord, others

contemplate him in his form of Paramatma or Supreme Soul, the fourarmed

form of Vishnu who resides in the heart of each living being -

starting from the Lord's feet and going up towards his smiling face, where

one can find the true happiness of the soul. This meditation is in fact a

scientific procedure, by which we can control the life air and the mind, and

leave our body in full awareness.

God manifests in many forms through the functions of the personalities of

the Devas, each one personifying a particular quality or blessing. However,

the worship of the supreme form of Vishnu bestows the blessing of

transcendental awareness."

Parikshit was very eager to hear more about Lord Vishnu, and he prayed

Sukadeva to talk to him about the activities of Vishnu in this world.

Sukadeva immersed himself in meditation on the Lord and offered him his

respects before answering to the questions. "God is the Supreme Soul of all

souls, the personification of the Vedas, worshiped by all those who are free

from false identification.

This is the teaching that Brahma, the first living being and creator of the

universe, offered his son Narada, who had asked him how the material

world is created and preserved, and who controls it.

Brahma replied that his work of creation is subordinate and subsequent to

the primary creation, that directly emanates from Vishnu in the form of his

radiance. This original Purusha is called Mahavishnu or Karanarnavasayi

Vishnu because he remains reclining on the Causal Ocean, that mahat tattva

or non-differentiation great Reality that contains the germ of all existence.

Then time comes into existence, and the three gunas or qualities of matter -

sattva or goodness, rajas or passion, and tamas or ignorance.

The movement of these qualitie creates material identification and the

necessity to act on the manifested level, which in turn produce the subtle

and gross material elements - space, the gaseous elements, the liquid

elements and the solid elements. Then the archetypes or personifications of

the various universal manifestations appear, in the form of the various

Devas."

From the inconceivable and transcendental body of Mahavishnu the

universes emanate like innumerable bubbles, and within each evolving

universe the Lord manifests as Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, also called

Hiranyagarbha, the radiant fetus inside the universal uterus, sleeping within

the amniotic waters of creation. From this transcendental form of the Virat

Purusha originates the particular Brahma who is in charge of the physical

construction of the universe under his control. But apart from the

manifestation of the Purusha avataras, the Lord also appears in the material

world in other specific forms, according to the precise functions that

constitute his divine mission. For example Varaha, Suyajna the son of

Akuti, Kapila the son of Devahuti, Datta the son of Atri, the four Kumaras,

Nara and Narayana the sons of Murti, king Prithu, Rishabha, Hayagriva,

Matsya, Kurma, Nrisimha, Vamana, Hamsa, Dhanvantari, Parasurama,

Ramachandra and Krishna. The Lord also descends as Vyasa, Buddha and

Kalki."

The teachings of Sukadeva on yoga 1

 Sukadeva serenely took the seat he had been offered, and Parikshit went to

offer him his homage with folded hands. "O brahmana," Parikshit said, "you

know Brahman and you live and act as Brahman. Your presence sanctifies

this place and our lives, and we consider your arrival as a special blessing

from Lord Krishna, who is very dear to the sons of Pandu. I pray you,

teach me the path of perfection for the human being, and especially for one

who is about to die. Tell me about what is to be listened to, recited,

remembered and worshiped, and also what should not be done."

The young saint, only sixteen years old, had already overcome all

attachments and identifications with the material body, and his awareness

was firmly established on the spiritual level. All the people present were

extremely interested in listening to hi explanations.

"My dear king," said Sukadeva, "your question is glorious, because it is

beneficial for everyone, whatever is their level of evolution. Nobody knows

when the time of death will come for them, and too often people waste the

valuable time of human life in activities that do not give any real benefit, in

mere survival at the animal level, such as sleeping, mating, finding food and

shelter, and maintaining one's family.

The really important thing is to achieve the perfection of human life, that

consists in spiritual realization, the knowledge of God. Even one single

moment of divine consciousness is worth more than one entire life wasted

in ordinary occupations that do not give any lasting benefit - a benefit we

will be able to take with us even after death.

We should not fear death. In fact, we should prepare with the utmost care

for the last moment of life, leaving one's home and living in a pure and

solitary place, controlling the mind and focusing it on meditation on Lord

Vishnu."

Thrilled by the perfect answers of the great sage, Parikshit was very eager to

apply the instructions he had just received. "I beg you," he said, "please

explain to me in details what I should do, how I must focus my mind in

order to purify it."

Then Sukadeva explained him the practice of astanga yoga: "One should

control the posture of one's body and breathing. This will help to control

the mind, senses and intelligence, in order to apply them to the

contemplation of the universal form of the Lord, the cosmic manifestation

called Virat rupa, in the following way.

The lowest planets, Patala, are the soles of the feet of the universal form,

while the heels and toes are the Rasatala planets, the ankles are the Mahatala

planets and the shins are the Talatala planets. His knees are the Sutala

planets, the thighs are the Vitala and Atala planets, the hips are Mahitala

and the outer space is the navel. The chest of the Universal Form consists

of the luminaries, the neck is the Mahar planets, the mouth is the Janas

planets, the forehead the Tapas planets. The highest planetary system,

known as Satyaloka, is the head. His arms are the celestial beings led by

Indra, the ten directions (the 8 cardinal points, plus above and below) are

the ears, and the sound is hearing. His nostrils are the Asvini kumaras, and

scent is his sense of smell. His mouth is blazing fire.

Question of the sages 7

 Samika Rishi's son was a young and inexperienced boy. Entering the

ashrama he saw the offense against his father and he was filled with rage. To

show his great powers to his young companions, the boy cast a curse

against Parikshit, condemning him to die within seven days for the bite of a

winged serpent. Shaken from his meditation, Samika Rishi realized what

had happened. He was very sorry for the turn of events, and scolded his

son for behaving childishly in sentencing the protector of the kingdom to

death because of a mere prank.

From his side, Parikshit soon realized he had acted like a fool and

uncivilized person in offending the Rishi, who had simply been unaware of

his arrival. When he heard about the curse, he calmly accepted his destiny,

and retired to the bank of the Ganges to prepare for imminent death. The

news spread and all the great Rishis assembled around Parikshit to assist

him in such a delicate moment. There arrived Narada, Vyasa, Atri, Vasistha,

Visvamitra, Parasara, Angira, Parasurama, Bharadhvaja, Gautama, Maitreya,

Devala, Cyavana and many others. The king immediately took advantage of

the opportunity, and after offering them his homage, asked their advice on

what he should do. At that time also Sukadeva, the son of Vyasa, arrived in

that place, and the glorious assembly of saints and sages offered him the

seat of honor.

Question of the sages 6

 He performed three Asvamedha yajnas on the bank of the Ganges, and to

make sure that everything was well in the kingdom, he often patrolled

around on his chariot pulled by black horses and decorated with the Lion

flag. One day he saw a totally unqualified man, disguised as a king, who was

beating a cow and a bull. The bull was already standing on one leg only, and

the cow was crying - and Parikshit realized that they were the

personifications of Dharma and Earth. The legs of Dharma are the four

principles of religion - austerity, cleanliness, compassion and truthfulness.

Truthfulness is the last divine quality that can still resist somehow in the age

of Kali, and without which, religion has no more meaning.

The Earth was crying because of the sufferings of innocent people, for all

the abandoned women and children, for the brahminical class who had

become awfully neglectful, for the ruthless rulers, for the increasing

consumption of non-vegetarian foods, for famines and droughts, and for

the general degradation of society. But above all, she was crying for the

disappearance of Lord Krishna, who had descended to alleviate the burden

of the earth, consisting of the uncontrolled growth of armies and weaponry.

Parikshit was angered by the sight of the personification of Kali yuga, who

was tormenting the cow and the bull so cruelly, and challenged the criminal

to a fight, as this was the duty of a good king. Terrified, the Kali purusha

immediately abandoned all pretence of arrogance and surrendered, begging

the emperor for mercy. Because the evil doer had surrendered, Parikshit

permitted him to remain in the kingdom, but only in those places where

people chose to engage in slaughtering and eating animals, consuming

liquors, spread prostitution and gambling, and where gold was hoarded. In

this way, if the leaders of society - the rulers and the members of the

government, the brahmanas and religious persons - remain away from these

sources of contamination, society can stay healthy.

However, the effects of the bad times started to show. One day, during his

traveling, Maharaja Parikshit was alone, fatigued, tormented by hunger and

thirst, in the middle of a forest. Looking for a water reservoir, he entered

the hermitage of Samika Rishi, where he saw the Rishi sitting in silence with

eyes closed, deeply immersed in meditation. The king asked for some water,

but the Rishi did not answer or move at all. Annoyed, Parikshit retaliated

against the apparent lack of respect of the Rishi with a prank in very bad 

taste, hanging a dead serpent around his neck - in a mock imitation of the

great ascetic Shiva, the Lord of yoga.

Question of the sages 5

 During his brief visit to the court, Vidura had preferred not to give the

Pandavas the bad news of Krishna's death and the destruction of his city,

Dvaraka, because the tragedy would be soon discovered anyway. Arjuna

went to Dvaraka to see Krishna, but was absent for seven months.

Yudhisthira started to become worried, also because he had observed some

bad omens - irregularities in the cycle of seasons, sudden cyclones,

increased pollution due to dust and smoke, and a general degradation of the

environment in inhabited areas and even in the water reservoirs.

Degradation was also visible in the way of life among the people, with

spreading depression and a growing tendency to quarrel and cheat. Even

the animals seemed to suffer: the cows did not give milk any more, dogs

and jackals howled all the time, and the crows were everywhere.

Finally Arjuna returned, full of grief and tears, and to Yudhisthira's inquiry

he revealed the tragic end of the Yadu dynasty and his own despair for the

disappearance of Krishna, who had been the source of all blessings and

protection for the Pandavas. Recalling the many occasions when he had

shared Krishna's activities and the teachings he had received from the Lord,

Arjuna found consolation and new inspiration to become detached from all

material thoughts. Yudhisthira and the other brothers too were deeply

touched by the news.

After enthroning his grandson Parikshit and putting Vajra (son of

Aniruddha and grandson of Krishna) in Mathura as king of Surasena,

Yudhisthira performed the Prajapatya yajna to become free from the

responsibilities of the kingdom. Abandoning all luxuries, Yudhisthira

dressed in rags, loosened his hair and started to consume only liquid foods,

giving up all interest for whatever happened around him. Then he started

walking towards the Himalaya to become an ascetic, followed by his

brothers. In the meantime Vidura, too, had left his body while he was on a

pilgrimage at Prabhasa. Draupadi and Subhadra - the wives of the Pandavas

- also retired to engage in meditation on the Lord and soon they also left

this world.

Young Parikshit Maharaja proved himself to be worthy of his grandparents'

trust and ruled following the advice of the best ministers, choosing

Kripacharya as court priest. He married the daughter of king Uttara and had

four sons, the eldest of whom was named Janamejaya.