The Matsya Puranam, edited by Major B.D. Basu

That's French for "the ancient system," as in the ancient system of feudal privileges and the exercise of autocratic power over the peasants. The ancien regime never goes away, like vampires and dinosaur bones they are always hidden in the earth, exercising a mysterious influence. It is not paranoia to believe that the elites scheme against the common man. Inform yourself about their schemes here.

The Matsya Puranam, edited by Major B.D. Basu

Postby admin » Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:53 am

The Matsya Puranam
translated by A Taluqdar [Zamindar] of Oudh
edited by Major B.D. Basu, I.M.S.
1916

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Contents:

• Chapter 1 Benediction. At the end of the long sacrifice, Sannaka and other Risis engaged in holy conversation asked Suta, well versed in Pauranic lores, the cause of the Lord assuming the form of a fish, how did Mahadeva become Bhairava and Purari and for what reason did he become a mendicant. At that Suta told Sannaka and other Risis the reason of the Lord assuming the form of a fish and the meeting of Matsya and Manu... 1-6.
• Chapter 2 Then being ordained by the Lord, Manu tying his boat to the tentacles of the divine fish, using the serpent as rope, and saluting Janardana after the deluge was over, seated on the boat asked the Lord, who was in the form of the fish, the origin and the end of the Universe and the Laws of Gift and Sraddha and about the division of caste, etc. At that the Lord Narayana told him the origin of the Universe and its end... 6-9.
• Chapter 3 Manu's question to Matsya as to how the Lord Brahma became four-faced and how did he create the Universe. Then the origin from Brahma of the Veda and the origin of Marichi, the ten mental ones, and the origin of Daksa, the ten corporal ones, as told by Matsya, and the appearance of the five faces of Brahma in order to see the beauty of Satarupa and the narration of the origin of Swayambhu and others... 9-12.
• Chapter 4 The description of the 1st creation. Absence of sin on the part of Brahma by going to his own daughter. Manu's question to Matsya as to the advisability of the marriage relations between Sagotras and their children. Matsya's answer to the effect that it does not tend to the welfare of mankind in discussion the propriety or otherwise of the actions and conduct of gods. Then Brahma, who was ashamed on account of this incestuous connection with his daughter, cursed Kamadeva that he should be ere long turned into ashes by Mahadeva. Being pleased with his solicitations he gave him a boon that he would be born again. Then Manu's production of Vamadeva and others in Satrupas. From Vamadeva the origin of Brahmanas. Then the production of Priyavrata and Uttanapada in his wife Ananti by Manu of austere penance. From Uttanapada the birth of Dhruva by his wife Sunita. The attainment of the boon of getting a fixed place by Brahma as a result of his penances lasting for three thousand years. Dhrua produced a virtuous son in the daughter of Manu Dhanya. Sista produced Kripadi through Suchaya, daughter of Agni. The begetting of Daksa by the ten Prachetas in Marisa, the daughter of Moon. Then the narration of the birth of 80 crores of beings ... 12-16.
• Chapter 5 The description of the birth of gods and others. Then Daksa, seeing the final journey undertaken his thousand sons by advice of Narada, produced on Panchjavi. He produced another thousand sons known as Shavala. They, too, went the path of their brothers at Narada's instigations. Then after that he produced sixty daughters and gave them to Dharma and others. Then the birth of Kartikeya in the clumps of reed. And the description of the birth of all the different gods from those girls ... 16-18.
• Chapter 6 The description of Kasyapa's family ... 18-21.
• Chapter 7 The birth of sons of Ditis known as Marutas. There at Siawantpanchak, on the banks of Saraswati, Didi, whose sons were killed practising austere penances, in order to get sons performed in due rites the vrata of Madan Dwadasi. By virtue of the vrata Lord Kasyapa appeared and offered her a boon. At that Diti asked for sons who would be killers of Indra and afflictors of all devas. Kasyapa, too, according to his vow, gave her the desired boon. Indra, hearing about Kasyapa's boon to Diti, feigning to serve her mother and finding a loop-hole, viz., that she went to sleep without washing her feet, entered the womb of Diti and cut her sons by vajra into seven parts and again cut each of those parts into seven parts. Then determining that, by the virtue of the greatness of Krisna puja, she cannot be killed, appeased the awakened mother, saying 'Don't weep.' Let the Marutas become the participators of sacrifice and taking Diti on an aerial car went to Heaven along with Maruta and others ... 21-26.
• Chapter 8 Treats of the anointment for kingship. Then Brahma, in the sovereignty of the earth, made Chandrama the lord of medicinal herbs, sacrifices, fasts and penances; stars, planets, Brahmanas, trees, thickets and creepers; Varuna of waters; Kubera of wealth; Visnu of all suns; Fire of all vasus; Daksa of prajapati; Indra of wind; Prahlada of demons; Yama of manes; Siva of demons and others; the Himalayas of mountains; the Ocean of waters; Chitraratha of gandharvas and others; Vasuka of serpents; Taksaka of other snakes; Airavata of elephants; the Peacock of birds; Uchaisrava of horses; the Lion of other beasts; the Bull of the cows; and the Trees of the herbs. The devas Sadharma, Sankhapada, Ketumana and Hiranyaromana were made kings of all four directions, east, south, west and north respectively. They still protect the universe by ruling over the directions by destroying the enemies ... 26-27.
• Chapter 9 The description of Manvantara. The order of names of those sons ... 27-29
• Chapter 10 The description of Vena family. As vena, the son of Sunctha, the daughter of Mrityu of Anga Prajapati, was engaged in sinful deeds, the sages in order to bring about law and order approached him, but when the king did not pay heed to their counsel they killed him by their curse and being afraid of anarchy, the sinless Brahmanas churned his body by force. By churning his body the races of Mlecchas came out of his body black as soot being the portion of evil qualities of his mother; and from the portion of his father appeared the right hand with great difficult a most brilliant heavenly figure armed with bow and arrow and club of the name of Prithu. Being anointed by the Brahmanas he practised severe austerities and by the blessings of Vishnu became most powerful. Seeing the earth devoid of all righteous deeds Prithu prepared himself to burn her by his anger and who trembling took the form of a cow and began to run. She stopped and asked what to do. The king making Swayambhu Manu as the calf milked the cow with his own hands of the desired-for grains for all the world, moving or fixed. Then the description of how the sages milked the earth using the moon as the calf ... 29-32.
• Chapter 11 The description of the meeting of Budha in the history of the lunar and solar races, Rajni, the daughter of Vivaswat a Raivat a brought forth Raivata, Prabha gave birth to Prabhat, Samjni, the daughter of Visvakarma, became the mother of Manu. She also gave birth to Yama and Yamuna, who were twins. Then Samjni, unable to bear the power of the Sun, producing one lady from her body known as Chhaya and directing her to stay near him went away elsewhere. The Sun mistaking her to be Samjna satisfied his desires. He produced from her Savarni Manu of the same Varna and Sani and Tapati and Visti. Then Yama seeing that she pays more attention to her sons becoming angry threw a kick on his mother. Learning from the lips of Twastra that this is Chhaya and hearing "Samjna came to was in the form of Vadawa, uncalled and stayed in the country of Maru he being passionate going there in the form of a horse enjoyed with her. Samjna doubting that he was some one else threw his semen through her nostrils. The two Asirnis were born out of that seed. Vaivasata Manu had ten powerful sons, Ikswaku and others, out of whom Ila, in order to win the whole earth, visited all the countries and reached the garden of Sambhu and was transformed into a woman by the curse of Siva. Budha, the son of the Moon, looks at her while wandering in the forest and desires to marry. She, too, lived with him for long ... 32-35.
• Chapter 12 The brothers of Ila set out in search of the king and reaching the hermitage of Budha saw the horse; "the splendour of the Meru" turns into a mare, and hearing the cause from the lips of Vasistha began to please Siva. The Lord Siva said that if the Ikswaku performed the Aswamedha sacrifice he would become a Kimpurusa. They performed the sacrifice and Ila became a Kimpurusa. For one month assuming the form of a woman and for another that of man and staying in the house of Budha, Ila became pregnant. Pururava became the increaser of the lunar dynasty. Ila came to be called Sudumna after Kimprusa and from her were born three sons Utkala and others. He crowing Pururava in Pratisthana went to Ilavrita to enjoy the glory of the race of the sun ... 36-39.
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21
• Chapter 22
• Chapter 23
• Chapter 24
• Chapter 25
• Chapter 26
• Chapter 27
• Chapter 28
• Chapter 29
• Chapter 30
• Chapter 31
• Chapter 32
• Chapter 33
• Chapter 34
• Chapter 35
• Chapter 36
• Chapter 37
• Chapter 38
• Chapter 39
• Chapter 40
• Chapter 41
• Chapter 42
• Chapter 43
• Chapter 44
• Chapter 45
• Chapter 46
• Chapter 47
• Chapter 48
• Chapter 49
• Chapter 50
• Chapter 51
• Chapter 52
• Chapter 53
• Chapter 54
• Chapter 55
• Chapter 56
• Chapter 57
• Chapter 58
• Chapter 59
• Chapter 60
• Chapter 61
• Chapter 62
• Chapter 63
• Chapter 64
• Chapter 65
• Chapter 66
• Chapter 67
• Chapter 68
• Chapter 69
• Chapter 70
• Chapter 71
• Chapter 72
• Chapter 73
• Chapter 74
• Chapter 75
• Chapter 76
• Chapter 77
• Chapter 78
• Chapter 79
• Chapter 80
• Chapter 81
• Chapter 82
• Chapter 83
• Chapter 84
• Chapter 85
• Chapter 86
• Chapter 87
• Chapter 88
• Chapter 89
• Chapter 90
• Chapter 91
• Chapter 92
• Chapter 93
• Chapter 94
• Chapter 95
• Chapter 96
• Chapter 97
• Chapter 98
• Chapter 99
• Chapter 100
• Chapter 101
• Chapter 102
• Chapter 103
• Chapter 104
• Chapter 105
• Chapter 106
• Chapter 107
• Chapter 108
• Chapter 109
• Chapter 110
• Chapter 111
• Chapter 112
• Chapter 113
• Chapter 114
• Chapter 115
• Chapter 116
• Chapter 117
• Chapter 118
• Chapter 119
• Chapter 120
• Chapter 121
• Chapter 122
• Chapter 123
• Chapter 124
• Chapter 125
• Chapter 126
• Chapter 127
• Chapter 128
• Chapter 129
• Chapter 130
• Chapter 131
• Chapter 132
• Chapter 133
• Chapter 134
• Chapter 135
• Chapter 136
• Chapter 137
• Chapter 138
• Chapter 139
• Chapter 140
• Chapter 141
• Chapter 142
• Chapter 143
• Chapter 144
• Chapter 145
• Chapter 146
• Chapter 147
• Chapter 148
• Chapter 149
• Chapter 150
• Chapter 151
• Chapter 152
• Chapter 153
• Chapter 154
• Chapter 155
• Chapter 156
• Chapter 157
• Chapter 158
• Chapter 159
• Chapter 160
• Chapter 161
• Chapter 162
• Chapter 163
• Chapter 164
• Chapter 165
• Chapter 166
• Chapter 167
• Chapter 168
• Chapter 169
• Chapter 170
• Chapter 171
• Chapter 172
• Chapter 173
• Chapter 174
• Chapter 175
• Chapter 176
• Chapter 177
• Chapter 178
• Chapter 179
• Chapter 180
• Chapter 181
• Chapter 182
• Chapter 183
• Chapter 184
• Chapter 185
• Chapter 186
• Chapter 187
• Chapter 188
• Chapter 189
• Chapter 190
• Chapter 191
• Chapter 192
• Chapter 193
• Chapter 194
• Chapter 195
• Chapter 196
• Chapter 197
• Chapter 198
• Chapter 199
• Chapter 200
• Chapter 201
• Chapter 202
• Chapter 203
• Chapter 204
• Chapter 205
• Chapter 206
• Chapter 207
• Chapter 208
• Chapter 209
• Chapter 210
• Chapter 211
• Chapter 212
• Chapter 213
• Chapter 214
• Chapter 215
• Chapter 216
• Chapter 217
• Chapter 218
• Chapter 219
• Chapter 220
• Chapter 221
• Chapter 222
• Chapter 223
• Chapter 224
• Chapter 225
• Chapter 226
• Chapter 227
• Chapter 228
• Chapter 229
• Chapter 230
• Chapter 231
• Chapter 232
• Chapter 233
• Chapter 234
• Chapter 235
• Chapter 236
• Chapter 237
• Chapter 238
• Chapter 239
• Chapter 240
• Chapter 241
• Chapter 242
• Chapter 243
• Chapter 244
• Chapter 245
• Chapter 246
• Chapter 247
• Chapter 248
• Chapter 249
• Chapter 250
• Chapter 251
• Chapter 252
• Chapter 253
• Chapter 254
• Chapter 255
• Chapter 256
• Chapter 257
• Chapter 258
• Chapter 259
• Chapter 260
• Chapter 261
• Chapter 262
• Chapter 263
• Chapter 264
• Chapter 265
• Chapter 266
• Chapter 267
• Chapter 268
• Chapter 269
• Chapter 270
• Chapter 271
• Chapter 272
• Chapter 273
• Chapter 274
• Chapter 275
• Chapter 276
• Chapter 277
• Chapter 278
• Chapter 279
• Chapter 280
• Chapter 281
• Chapter 282
• Chapter 283
• Chapter 284
• Chapter 285
• Chapter 286
• Chapter 287
• Chapter 288
• Chapter 289
• Chapter 290
• Chapter 291
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Re: The Matsya Puranam, edited by Major B.D. Basu

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SALUTATION TO SRI GANESA

SALUTATION TO THE ADORABLE VASUDEVA

CHAPTER I.


Benediction. At the end of the long sacrifice, Sannaka and other Risis engaged in holy conversation asked Suta, well versed in Pauranic lores, the cause of the Lord assuming the form of a fish, how did Mahadeva become Bhairava and Purari and for what reason did he become a mendicant. At that Suta told Sannaka and other Risis the reason of the Lord assuming the form of a fish and the meeting of Matsya and Manu.

May the lotus feet of Bhava, who shook the diggajas at the time of His dance, disperse all obstacles.

May the words of Lord Visnu, embodied in the Vedas and uttered by His Matsya-avatara, in which incarnation, at the time of His sallying forth from the region of the patala, the blow of His tail caused the seven seas to intermingle with the high heavens and then to fall down, spattering the sphere of the earth, steal away all your evil!  

Matsyapurana which is the dispeller of all ignorance, should be read after saluting Narayana, Nara, Narottama, Devi Sarasvati.

Once upon a time, the inhabitants of Naimisaranya, at the close of a long sacrifice, began to relate to one another pious, charming stories from different Puranas. The great sage, Suta, was present in that assembly. Saunaka and other sages who were also there on that occasion, after complimenting Suta on his deep lore, said: —

“O sinless one, we wish to hear again the very same nectar-like stories of the Puranas which have been recited to us by you." — 5-6.

“Tell us please, how Brahma created the Universe, and for what reason Visnu adopted the form of a fish. We are also anxious to know why Siva took the goblet of human skull, why He is called Purari, and how Bhava, the cause of our prosperity, came to be known as Bhairava? O, Suta! be gracious enough to relate all this exhaustively, for we never feel satiated with listening to your sweet narrations, as one is not with nectar.”— 7-8.

In ancient times (Vaivasvata) Manu, the Merciful, the first king of the Solar dynasty, after making over his kingdom to his son, devoted himself to rigid asceticism. On a summit of the Malaya mountain, the devout austerities of that resolute hero, who was a adorned with spiritual knowledge, and whose equilibrium of mind was just the same in adversity as in prosperity, were crowned with the attainment of transcendent yoga (that is, union with the Deity.' — 10-11

After a period of a million of years of continued asceticism, Lord Brahma became pleased towards him, and told him to ask for a boon. — 12.

Having been thus addressed (by Brahma), the king, after saluting Him, said: Lord! I have only one boon to beg of you, which is above all other boons. May I have power sufficient for the protection of the whole creation, moveable and immoveable, when the hour of Pralaya will come." — 13-14.

Lord Brahma, the Soul of the Univense, after granting the prayer of the king (in the following words, “Be it so“), disappeared then and there, and the Devas profusely showered a rain of flowers from the ethereal regions. — 15.

One day, in his hermitage, when the king was making a libation of water to the manes of his deceased ancestors, a carp (a small fish) fell into his hands along with the water. -- 16.

On seeing that tiny fish, the merciful king, out of compassion, wanted to preserve it and put it into his water jar. That tiny fish, in course of a day and night, grew into the form of a large fish, measuring sixteen fingers in length, and (feeling uncomfortable inside the water jar where it was placed by the king), cried for deliverance.— 17-18.

The king took it out of the water jar and put it in a large pitcher but there also, in course of a night, it grew three hands in length. “I am at your mercy, come to my succour.” The king, again hearing these cries of the fish, took it out of the pitcher and deposited it in a well. Later on, the well also proved insufficient. The king then accommodated it in a tank.— 19-20.

In the tank, again, the fish grew a yojana (eight miles) in length, and again appealed to the king, in a plaintive tone, to help it out of the tank. Then the king put the fish in the Ganges and, finding that it increased there too, he placed it in the ocean. The fish went on increasing and increasing in bulk, until it very nearly filled the vast expanse of the great ocean. The king, seeing this, was awe-stricken and said, “Are you the chief of the Asuras? Or are you Vasudeva; who else has such an extraordinary power to assume such a tremendously big form extending to sixteen hundred miles?”-- 22-25.

I have come to know you, O, Kesava! You are puzzling me in the form of a fish. I bow down to You, O, Hrisikesa, Jagannatha, Jagaddhama." [These are all different names of God.]— 26.

Being thus addressed, Bhagavana Janardana, in the form of a fish, complimented him, and said: “O Spotless One, I have been truly known by you. In a few days time, O King, the Universe shall be deluged with water, along with the mountains and forests. The Devas have made this boat to rescue the creation from such a calamity, placing in it svedajas [Svedaja (स्वेदज) refers to “generated by warm vapour or sweat”, eg. insects], andajas [Aṇḍaja (अण्डज, “born from the eggs”)], udbhijas [Udbhija (उद्भिज, “plants, etc.”)] and jarayujas [Jarāyujā (जरायुजा, “men, etc.”)], O, King! you take charge of this boat and help the distressed at the time of the impending danger. When you find the boat in danger of being blown away by the strong gusts of wind, tie it to my horn. By rescuing the afflicted from such an awful misfortune, you will be rendering a great paternal service to the creation. And, O, blessed sovereign! You shall reign for one Manvantava, from the beginning of the Kritayuja, and shall be venerated by the Devas." -- 27-33.


Here ends the Chapter dealing with the conversation between Manu and Visnu.
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Re: The Matsya Puranam, edited by Major B.D. Basu

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CHAPTER II.

Then being ordained by the Lord, Manu tying his boat to the tentacles of the divine fish, using the serpent as rope, and saluting Janardana after the deluge was over, seated on the boat asked the Lord, who was in the form of the fish, the origin and the end of the Universe and the Laws of Gift and Sraddha and about the division of caste, etc. At that the Lord Narayana told him the origin of the Universe and its end.

Suta, continuing his narration, said that on hearing such words of the Lord, the king begged Him to reveal to him in how many years the time of destruction was likely to come. The king also entreated the Lord to point out to him the means of saving the creation from such a distress, and to let him know when he would again be fortunate enough to meet Him face to face. — 1-2.

The fish replied that from that day there would be no rain for a hundred years, and the universe would be overtaken by a dire famine. After that, all the inferior beings of the universe would be scorched to death by the seven ordinary rays of the sun which shall become seven times more powerful.— 3-4.

In addition to all that, the subterranean fire would shoot out, Sesa, from his abode in the lower regions, would send forth venomous flames from his thousand mouths, and a furious fire would emerge from the third eye of Siva. — 5

Thus the three worlds would be crumbled to ashes by the combined fury of all those various fires. The sky, with all the stars and planets, would also be destroyed by the heat thus originated. -- 6-7.

Then the seven destructive clouds viz. — Samvarta, Bhimananda, Drona, Chanda, Balahaka, Vidyut pataka and Sona, would spring up from the vapours arising out of such a heat, and would rain in torrents till all the seas become united into one great mass. In fact the whole earth would be covered with one vast expanse of water. Then get hold of that yonder boat and put the seed of creation and the sacred Vedas in it. After that, fasten the boat to my horn by means of this rope that I give you, and then the contents of the barge will be saved by my glory.” O, Pious One! when everything will be destroyed, your good-self, the moon, the sun, myself, Brahma, the sacred river Narmada, the great sage Markandeya, the sacred Vedas, the Puranas, the God Siva, the various sciences, will alone be saved, and the reign of king Chaksusa Manu shall terminate with the coming partial dissolution. — 8-14.


At the beginning of the re-creation of the Universe which would follow the period of destruction, I shall propagate the Vedic knowledge.” So saying, he suddenly vanished away. — 15.

The king, till the time of dissolution, of which intimation was given to him by Lord Vasudeva, engaged himself in the practice of Yoga. — 16.

At the commencement of dissolution, the Lord appeared again in the form of horned fish. At the same time, Sesa, the Serpent King, appeared before the King Vaivasvata Manu in the shape of a rope, and the king, through his Yogic power, collected together all living beings and put them in the boat. And, after fastening the boat to the horn of the fish, by means of the rope, the king saluted the Lord and got into it. — 17-19.

Suta said, ”O sages! hear the history of creation, &c., which you have asked me to narrate. I shall now proceed to relate it in the words of the Lord which were addressed to the King Vaivasvata Manu.”— 20-21.

Manu entreated the Lord to relate to him, how the dissolution and the creation of the universe took place, how the generations of mankind came into being, the meaning of Manvantara, the biographies of eminent men, the expanse of the universe, the ways of charity, the path of duty, the precepts of Sraddha, the divisions of Varna and Asrama, the ways of sacrificial rites, the greatness of the Devas, etc. — 22-24.

Matsya said that during the period of great Dissolution the universe was enveloped in darkness and was in a state of trance, as it were, inconceivable, still, and undefinable. In that state of unimaginable and indescribable trance, appeared Lord Svayambhu, who is also known as Narayana, owing to His omnipresence in Sthula-sarira, made His appearance to create the universe. — 25-27.

Svayambhu, with the desire of creating the universe, first created water and planted the seed of creation in it. The seed of creation, i.e., chaitauya (consciousness) by coming into contact with water, produced a vast egg (i.e., the egg of Brahma), of golden hue, which, after one thousand years, became ten thousand times more luminous than the sun. After that, Svayamhhu merged himself into that tremendous Brahmanda, and owing, to His omnipresence in it, He came to be known as Visnu. -- 28-30.

He (Svayambhu) then created the Sun by His glory, which owing to its first place in the creation, is known as Aditya. -- 31.

After dividing the huge Brahmanda into two parts, He (Svayambhu) made the Heaven and Earth, Akasa and the quarters. The upper portion of the divided Brahmanda formed the heaven, the lower one the earth. The direction in which the Sun was located was termed purva i.e., East, the direction on the right-hand side of Brahman was named daksina, i.e., South, the direction to his left-hand side was styled uttara, i.e., North, and the one falling at His back came to be known as paschima, i.e., West.— 32.
 
Afterwards, the principal mountains, like the Meru, clouds, lightning, embryo, rivers, pitris, Manu and the seven oceans, full of various gems, were created.— 33-34.

Brahma created the Brahmanas and, owing to His desire of calling the Universe into being, he is also known as Prajapati. Martanda came into being by the glory of the Creator. — 35.

The Sun, owing to its flashing out of the Brahmanda at the time of its breaking, i.e., being divided into two parts, is known by the name of Martanda, and the image of the Creator, Brahma, the four-headed Deity, who is full of the element of Rajoguna came to be called as Mahatman. — 36.

The same Common Cause of the Universe who created all the Devas, Demons, and mankind is known by the name of Brahma, who is full of Rajoguna and who is also styled Mahat-satva for Brahma). — 37.

Here ends the second Chapter dealing with the destruction of Brahmanda.
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Re: The Matsya Puranam, edited by Major B.D. Basu

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CHAPTER III.

Manu's question to Matsya as to how the Lord Brahma became four-faced and how did he create the Universe. Then the origin from Brahma of the Veda and the origin of Marichi, the ten mental ones, and the origin of Daksa, the ten corporal ones, as told by Matsya, and the appearance of the five faces of Brahma in order to see the beauty of Satarupa and the narration of the origin of Swayambhu and others.

The king asked the Lord, how Brahma created the universe and the reason of His having four heads. —1.

The Lord Fish replied that first of all Brahma practised devout austerities, whereby were revealed the sacred Vedas, together with their complements and supplements and the metres. The oldest of all Sastras was first recollected by Brahma— the eternal Brahman— in words, with its ten million elaborations. After that, Brahma revealed the sacred Vedas and the sciences of Mimansa, Nyaya, &c., together with the eightfold proof. Inspired with the Vedic knowledge, Brahma became conscious of His supreme potentiality and through His desire created the ten sages, who are known as the Manasa sons of the Creator, viz., Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracheta, Bhrign, Vasistha and Narada.

In addition to the fore-mentioned ten sages, the following came into existence from the various limbs of His body, without having any mother: from His right thumb appeared Prajapati Daksa, from His breast Dharma, from His heart Cupid, from His brows Anger, from His lips Greed, from His intellect Delusion, from His egoism Arrogance, from His throat Glee, from His eyes Death, from His hands the sage Bharata. These are the nine sons O King and the tenth was a girl, called Angaja.— 2-12.

At this, the king Vaivasvata Manu said: --

“Lord! I have understood that intellect begot Delusion and egoism begot arrogance, but what is intellect?" -- 13.

The Lord replied that the presence of the three attributes, viz.— Satva, Rajas, Tamas, in equipoise, form the Prakriti. The same Prakriti is also known as Pradhana, Avyakta and Maya. The Creation springs from this very Prakriti and ultimately disappears into it. By a disturbance in these attributes, the same one form manifested itself into three, as Brahma, Visnu and Maheswara. Similarly, the presence of the three attributes in unequal parts begets Mahatatva, which is also known as intellect. Egoism sprang from the Mahatatva, and the five organs of perception and other five organs of action originated from Egoism. -- 14-18.

These are: —The ears, the skin, the eyes, the tongue, the nose, the anus, the male and the female organs of generation, the hands, the feet, the speech.— 19.

The five organs of perception produced words, touch, form, flavour, and smell; and the five organs of action brought forth emission, happiness, taking, walking and speech.

The mind is reckoned to be the eleventh organ, as it helps the faculties of intellect and action in their respective operations. The minute molecules of all the organs form the substratum for the individual soul that lies enshrined in it, and it is for this reason that the frame within which lies the asylum of the individual soul is known by the name of subtle body. The individual soul by coming in contact with this atomic body is called corporeal. The mind, propelled by desire to create, starts the work of creation. The subtle element of sound brought ether into being. Sound is the only attribute of ether. — 21-23.

By a concussion in ether, came forth wind, possessing the qualities of sound and tangibility, and the subtle element of tangibility produced brilliancy, which caused water attributed with sound, tangibility and form.— 24-25.

The earth was produced by the potency of the subtle element of liquidity inherent in water, and it has the attributes akin to water and also of the subtle element of fragrance. The Mahatatva, which is formed by the five subtle and primary elements, is called the Vijnanmaya-kosa by the Vedantins; buddhi, i.e. intellect, is another name for the same. The man possessed of this twenty-fifth element enjoys and suffers. — 26-27.

The body therefore comprises the twenty-six elements, and the individual soul, which is subordinate to the wishes of the Lord, closes the list of the elements that make up the human body. — 28.

Lord Brahma created the universe by the help of the above enumerated elements; and Sankhya, which is one of the six systems of Hindu philosophy, is so called by Kapila, etc., because it enumerates these elements.— 29.

Lord Brahma, after creating His manasa putras, was not quite satisfied with the work of His creation, he set about devising some plan which would carry on the work of creation and would relieve Him of the task. With this view, He began to invoke Gayatri. After some time the goddess Gayatri, known under different names, viz.— Satarupa, Savitri, Sarasvati, Brahmani, &., — appeared in the form of a girl from the half portion of Brahma's body who at the first sight mistakenly took Her for His daughter. Afterwards, the Creator, seeing that form of exquisite beauty, was fired with love and repeatedly uttered, “What an enchanting form!”— 30-33.

At this, the Manasa putras of Brahma, i.e., Vasistha, &c., taking Savitri for their sister, began to express their feelings of seething indignation  and contempt at the attitude of Their Father (Lord Brahma), but He was so much absorbed in love that He did not heed anything in the least. -- 34.

Brahma continued uttering, “Oh! what an enchanting form! oh! what an enchanting form!” in His love for the goddess Savitri, and the latter, after saluting Him, began to circumambulate Him in reverence. Brahma fixed his gaze on Savitri and could not distract Himself from Her. As she was circumambulating Him, He felt shy of turning His head each time to Her direction, as His Manasa putras were standing close by. He therefore created four heads, each pointed to a direction, in order that He may see Savitri undisturbed, without having to turn His head each time in course of Her circumambulations. Seeing Brahma in such a condition, Satarupi went to heaven with the Manas sons of the Creator, and as she was travelling towards heaven, Brahma put on a fifth head right on top which afterwards He covered with His long matted hair. This is how Brahma came to have five heads.
After this, Brahma lost his powers that He had acquired by practising aceticism, owing to His not controlling His mind and falling into the snares of Cupid. Then Brahma dispersed His sons, after directing them to carry on the work of Creation.— 35-41.

The sons of Brahma, in obedience to His instructions, set themselves to complete the work of creation, and afterwards they took leave of Brahma with salutations. -- 42.

Brahma, fired with passion in Her company, married Satarupa and began to pass His days in enjoyment inside a lotus. He enjoyed the company of Savitri for hundred years, and after a long time Manu was born to them.-- 13-44.

Manu, thus born, was Svayambhu Manu, who, owing to his close affinity to Brahma, is also called Adipurusa (the first man).
The progeny of Svayambhu Manu multiplied considerably and the Vairajas are among them.— 45-46.

Svarochisa, &c., the seven Manus, and another set of seven Manus, Anttami, &c., altogether the fourteen Manus, belong to the family of Svayambhu Manu. "O, King Vaivasvaia Manu," said the Lord, “You are the seventh of the last set of Manu." -- 47.

Here ends the third Chapter dealing with primary creation.
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