Canto 6 - Chapter 4: Daksa extols the Lord, who appears in person before him

Discourse IV

Dakṣa extols the Lord who appears in person before him

The king (Paṅkṣit) submitted : The genesis of the gods and demons, human beings and Nāgas (serpent-demons), beasts and birds in the (very first) Manvantara (period covering seventy-one and odd revolutions of the four Yugas), presided over by Swāyambhuva Manu, was described by you in a nutshell (in Book III). (1)
I desire to know from you the details of it, O glorious sage, as well as how and with what power the Supreme Lord evolved the subsequent creation (referred to in IV-xxx. 49). (2)

Sūta continued : Śuka (the son of Bādarāyaṇa), the great contemplative sage ever united with the Lord, welcomed this noble inquiry of Paṅkṣit (the royal sage), on hearing it, and replied (as follows), O jewels among sages ! (3)

Śrī Śuka began again : When the ten Pracetās, the sons of king Prācinabarhi, emerged from the lake (which was as extensive as an ocean) and saw the earth covered with trees (due to the suspension of all agricultural activity and the state of anarchy that prevailed consequent on the retirement of king Prācinabarhi from active rule at the instance of the celebrated sage Nārada), they got angry with the trees and breathed out wind and fire from their mouths with the intention of burning them, their wrath having been stimulated by asceticism. (4-5)
Finding the trees being consumed by (the joint action of) wind and fire, O Paṅkṣit (a scion of Kuru), Soma (the moon-god), the mighty ruler of (the deity presiding over) the vegetable kingdom spoke to the Pracetās (as follows), as though appearing their anger :— (6)
"It is not (quite) becoming of you to bear hostility to the poor trees, since you are declared to be the rulers of created beings and (as such) eager to promote their growth. (7)
Oh, the immortal and all-pervading Lord Śrī Hari, the Ruler of (all) Prajāpatis (the lords of creation, Brahmā and others) has brought into existence the (various) trees and annual plants (cereal crops) as the (source of) food of the manes and gods (respectively), (8)
(Flowers and fruits etc., the produce of) the immobile creatures (viz., trees and plants) constitute the food of the mobile ones (the winged creatures); the footless (viz., grass and sprout etc.), of those walking on feet (the graminivorous quadruped); (from among the quadruped) the handless (the deer etc.), are the food of those provided with hands (the lion and other carnivorous beasts); while quadrupeds (such as the bovine species and other milch cattle) as well as the annual plants (cereal crops) are the source of food for human beings (the milch cattle supplying them with milk and oxen helping them in their agricultural pursuits and producing their staple food in the shape of cereals). (9)
Moreover, how can it be worthy of You—who have been commanded by your father (king Prācinabarhi) as well as by the Lord (the adored even of the gods) to procreate children, O sinless ones—to burn away trees (that sustain all living beings)? (10)
(Therefore,) follow the path of the virtuous—trodden by your father, grandfather and great grandfathers—and curb your intensified anger. (11)
The parents are the (true) friends of children; the eye-lashes, of an eye; the husband, of a (married) women; the sovereign, of a people (and through them of all living beings including trees); the householder, of mendicants; and a wise man is the friend of a ignorant. (12)
The almighty Śrī Hari indwells the hearts of (all) living beings as their Inner Controller. (Therefore,) regard the entire creation (both animate and inanimate) as His abode; in this way He will be really propitiated by you. (13)
He who subdues by means of an inquiry into (the true nature of) the Self, violent anger gushing forth from the cavity of the heart in his body is able to transcend the (three) Guṇas (the realm of matter). (14)
Add no more to the number of trees (already) burnt, helpless as they are, and let the surviving ones enjoy your protection. Let this excellent maid (Māriṣā by name), brought up by the trees (as their own daughter), be accepted as a wife (by you)." (15)

Having thus pacified the Pracetās and handed over (to them) the beautiful daughter of Pramlocā (a celestial nymph), king Soma (the moon-god) returned (to his abode) and the Pracetās wedded her consistently with virtue (as this union, though forbidden by the Śāstras as falling under the category of polyandry, had been permitted by the Lord—vide IV. xxx. 15-16—and had thus been more than legalized). (16)
From their loins through her was sprung Dakṣa, the Pracetasa (son of the Pracetās, as distinguished from his previous incarnation, which owed its existence to Brahmā himself), by whose progeny* and their descendants all the three worlds were filled on all sides. (17)
(Now) hear from me attentively how Dakṣa, who was (extremely) fond of his daughters, procreated beings (both) by his mind (sheer force of will) and by seed. (18)

Dakṣa (a lord of creation) procreated these beings, dwelling in the air, on land and in water—gods, demons, human beings and so on—by his mind (thought-projection) alone in the first instance (to begin with). (19)
Seeing the procreation of his race not multiplying, the said Prajāpati (Dakṣa) proceeded to the hills adjoining the Vindhya mountain and practised austerities (that were) hard to perform. (20)
Bathing there thrice a day (in the morning and evening and at midday) in the holy lake called Aghamarṣaṇa (that which washes off one's sins), which was supremely efficacious in destroying one's sins (as could be expected from its very name), he propitiated Śrī Hari through (his) asceticism. (21)
He extolled the Lord, who is beyond sense-perception, by means of (the hymn called) Hamsaguhya. I shall (now) repeat to you that hymn through which Śrī Hari was pleased with Dakṣa. (22)

• It should be noted here that while this Dakṣa was born in the very first or Swāyambhuva Manvantara of the present Kalpa (round of creation), he begot offspring only in the sixth (Cākṣuṣa) Manvantara, i.e., after a period of five Manvantaras—vide IV. xxx. 49. Thus it will appear that he devoted this inconceivably long period of his life in austerities as a preparation for his momentous role of creation and in order to regain the extraordinary and surpassing splendour and eminence acquired by him in his previous incarnation.

The Prajāpati prayed : I offer salutations to the self-effulgent Supreme of infallible consciousness—the Controller of both the Jīva (the soul as reflected through the three Guṇas or matter) and Prakṛti (the basis of such reflection)—whose true nature is not perceived by those that take the objects of senses (the products of the three Guṇas) to be real, and who is beyond (all) the means of cognition. (23)
I make obeisance to that Supreme Lord whose beneficent nature and friendly (helpful) attitude (as the Prompter of the senses and the mind) the Jīva dwelling in this body, His constant companion, does not know—even though the Lord lives with the Jīva as the latter's Friend (in the same body), He being the seer of this visible universe (and therefore not open to perception)—just as an object of perception cannot perceive the illuminating quality of the sense that perceives it. (24)
The body, the vital airs, the senses, the internal senses (the mind, understanding, intellect and the ego) and the gross and subtle elements know neither themselves (individually) nor any other (among themselves) nor that which is beyond (all these, viz., the Jīva). The (conscious) Jīva (however) knows all (these, including itself) as well as the (three) Guṇas (the root of all the aforesaid categories except the Jīva); but, though knowing (all) these, it does not know the all-knowing Lord who is infinite (and therefore unknowable). I (hereby) extol Him. (25)
Hail to that pure Substance (Brahma), revealed (only) in a pure mind, that is realized through Its absolute existence (consisting of consciousness and bliss) when the mind, which manifests this world of names and forms, (altogether) ceases to function (attains the state of Samādhi or complete absorption into the Self) due to the extinction of all cognition and recollection. (26)
The wise find Him out by their purified intellect (as distinct from their lower self, referred to as 'I' and) as installed within their heart—though veiled by His nine potencies (viz., Prakṛti or primordial matter, Puruṣa or the individual soul, Mahat-tattva or the principle of cosmic intelligence, Ahaṅkāra or the ego and the five Tanmātrās or subtle elements), consisting of (or dominated by) the three Guṇas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), as well as by the sixteen other principles (viz., the mind and the five senses of perception, the five organs of action and the five gross elements viz., earth, water, fire, air and ether)—(even) as those well-versed in rituals produce the sacrificial fire hidden in (pieces of) wood by reciting the fifteen sacred texts known as the Sāmidheni Mantras. (27)
Indeed He is realized in the form of the joy of Liberation when Māyā (Prakṛti), the source of all distinctions, has been negated (by the process of elimination). (Yet) it is He who bears all names and assumes all forms, possessed as He is of potencies too numerous to be described and which constitute His very essence. May He shower His grace on me. (28)
Whatever is described in words, determined with the intellect, or perceived with the senses or even pondered with the mind cannot be His essential nature. For all that is a manifestation of the three Guṇas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas); while He, as a matter of fact, is (but) indicated by the evolution and dissolution of the universe (which is a product of the Guṇas as being the cause of such evolution and dissolution). (29)
Wherever, from whatever motive, by whatever means (or with whatever instrument), for whomsoever (or whatever purpose), whatever, however and whosoever work whoever does (by himself) or is prompted (by someone else) to do, all that is Brahma, which is their cause (and therefore identified with them) inasmuch as It is known to have existed before them (all), and which is the ultimate cause of all (other) causes, both earlier (such as Brahmā) and later, and is without a second, whether of the same category or of a different kind. (30)
Hail to that all-pervading Self, possessed of endless virtues, whose manifold potencies (Prakṛti and so on) indeed become the ground of disputation and concurrence between theorists putting forward their claims (with eloquence), and delude their mind now and again. (31)
In Yoga (which is primarily a system of religious worship) and Sāṅkhya (the science of Self-Realization), which, though professing faith in the one Reality (viz., God), ascribe two distinct and mutually contradictory attributes to It—the one claiming that (when conceived in the form of the Cosmic Person) It has hands and feet etc., (corresponding to Pātāla and the other Lokas), and the other denying them (and declaring It as without name and form)—and (yet) have a common basis (in the shape of God), that which is found to be common and beyond dispute (the dispute centring on the issue of Its having hands and feet and so on) and which is (equally) acceptable to both (viz., God Himself, whose existence is presupposed by both and who is the ground of all negation) is Brahma (to whom all controversy relates). (32)
May that almighty and infinite Supreme be gracious to me—who, though devoid of (material) name and form, manifested from time to time forms (consisting of Sattva unmixed with Rajas and Tamas) through descent (into the world of matter) and names through (various) exploits, in order to shower His grace on those who resort to the soles of His feet (for protection). (33)
May that Lord grant my wish, who though dwelling in the body of (all) men (as their formless Inner Controller), appears diversified (in the form of different deities) according to their (individual) tendencies (formed in previous lives) and in consonance with the systems of worship of recent origin (followed by them), even as the air breathes fragrance of various kinds on coming in contact with the odour of different flowers etc., (which is an attribute of earth) or appears dusky-white when the colour of dust is transferred to it. (34)

Śrī Śuka continued : Thus extolled, the celebrated Lord, who is (extremely) fond of His devotees, appeared (in person), O Parikṣit (the foremost of the Kurus), before Dakṣa (even while he was glorifying Him) on the strand of that sacred lake called Aghamarṣaṇa. (35)
He had His feet (legs) flung across the shoulders of Garuḍa (the king of the birds) and was possessed of eight mighty and exceptionally long arms, in which He carried a discus, a conch, a sword, a shield, an arrow, a bow, a noose and a mace. (36)
Clad in yellow and dark-brown as a cloud, He had a cheerful countenance and eyes sparkling with joy. His body was adorned with a garland of sylvan flowers (extending up to His feet) and bore the brilliant mark of Śrīvatsa (a curl of hair covering the footprint of Bhṛgu) and the (famous) Kaustubha gem. (37)
He wore a large crown (on His head) and precious bangles (about His ankles) and a shining pair of illigator-shaped ear-rings, and was (further) adorned with a girdle, rings, bracelets, anklets and armlets. (38)
Possessed of a form that captivated (the people of) all the three worlds, the Lord of the whole universe (consisting of the three spheres, viz., earth, heaven and the intermediate region) was surrounded by His (own) attendants—Nārada, Nanda, and so on—as well as by the chief among the gods (the guardians of the spheres) and extolled by Siddhas (a class of demigods possessed of mystic powers from their very birth), Gandharvas (heavenly musicians) and Cāraṇas (celestial bards), who were singing songs (of praise) behind Him. Filled with awe and yet extremely rejoiced at heart to behold that most wonderful beauty, Dakṣa (a lord of created beings) fell prostrate on the ground and could not speak anything because of his senses (the channels for the outflow of the mind) being flooded with intense delight as rivers with mountain-torrents. (39—41)
To that Prajāpati, who was a (great) devotee (of the Lord) and desired to be blessed with progeny, and who was (still) crouching as aforesaid, Lord Viṣṇu (who is supplicated by men), the Knower of the mind of all living beings, spoke as follows. (42)

The Lord said : O highly blessed Dakṣa (the son of the Pracetās), you have fully achieved your end through asceticism in that you have developed supreme devotion to Me, thanks to your reverence solely directed towards Me. (43)
I am pleased with you, O lord of created beings, inasmuch as your asceticism is conducive to the growth of this creation; (for) it is My wish (too) that all created beings should thrive. (44)
Brahmā (the creator), Lord Śiva (the source of the universe), yourselves (the lord of created beings), the Manus (the progenitors of mankind, presiding over different Manvantaras or periods covering seventy-one and odd revolution of the four Yugas), and the chief of the gods (the guardians of the spheres, Indra and others)—indeed these are My glorious manifestation making for the prosperity of (all) created beings. (45)
Asceticism (in the form of contemplation accompanied by the practice of Yamas* and Niyamas) is My (very) heart; worship (in the form of the muttering of prayers with all auxiliary practices, Nyāsa etc.), My body (because it gives a concrete shape to meditation and serves as a protective covering for it even as the body protects the heart); the (mental) activity (preliminary to meditation in the shape of forming a conceptual image of the object to be meditated upon), My exterior; sacrifices well-performed are the (various) members of My body; the merit resulting from such sacrifices, My mind (which has its seat in the heart, i.e., has its source in meditation); and the gods (enjoying a share in the sacrificial oblations) are My vital airs (which are sated through such oblations). (46)
Before creation I alone existed and that too in a state of absolute inactivity; there was nothing else in the form of the perceiving subject or the perceived object. I was mere consciousness and unmanifest (too); it seemed as if a state of deep sleep prevailed on all sides. (47)
When in My infinite Being, possessed of endless attributes, sprang up through Māyā this cosmos made up of the three Guṇas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), there arose in that very cosmos Brahmā, (the self-born), the cause (creator) of all, not born of a mother's womb. (48)
When that great god girded up his loins for the work of creation, he as a matter of fact thought himself unequal to it as it were, though supplemented with My energy. That all-powerful divinity accordingly practised severe austerities as enjoined by Me, by recourse to which he evolved at the very outset nine lords of creation including yourself (your previous incarnation). (49-50)
This daughter of Pañcajana, a lord of created beings (like you), Asiknī by name, should (now) be accepted (by you), O dear Dakṣa, as wife. (51)
Following the righteous course of sexual intercourse between a (duly) married couple, you shall again beget progeny in large numbers through her, who will (also) follow (like you) the prescribed course of sexual union between a (duly) wedded couple. (52)
All created beings (coming) after you will be born (again in the form of their children) (only) by copulating with My Māyā (enchanting potency in the form of woman) and bear offerings to Me. (53)

Śrī Śuka went on : Having spoken thus, Lord Śrī Hari, the Promoter of the universe, disappeared on that very spot, like an object seen in a dream, (even) as Dakṣa looked on. (54)

Thus ends the fourth discourse in Book Six of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā.