84 - The Eatables and Non-Eatables for the four Varnas 

Sri Krishna said- The house-holders should daily adore Brahmanas and the gods. The people of all the four varnas should engage themselves in performing the dharmas of their respective varnas. All the gods repose their hopes in the house-holders. Therefore, a house-holder who does not welcome a guest or a beggar, is considered to be unclean. 

At the time of performing the Pindas the ancestors and the guests arrive at the time of performing puja by a house-holder as the cow’s rush towards the tank filled with water. 

In the evening if a hungry ascetic arrives at the door of a house-holder and getting honoured there, he leaves the place showering blessings on him.

The one who does not welcome the guest becomes a sinner and attracts all the sins of the three worlds. There is no doubt about it.

The one from whose house a guest return disappointed, from the same house the ancestors, the gods and the god of fire also go away disappointed.

The one who does not adore a guest, he earns the sin of killing of a wife, the killing of a cow, becomes ungraceful and the one enjoying the company of the wife of his own teacher. The same guest gives away all his sins to the house holder and moves out carrying all his merits. 

Therefore, those well-versed in dharma, the large hearted house-holder serve the gods and others, feeling them to be like their own sons, then take their own food. 

The household in which there is no mother and the wife becomes an evil place such a person should desert the home and retire to the forest because for him the house is as troublesome as the forest. 

A wicked woman always becomes envious of her husband and looks at him like poison; she does not provide food to him and always denounces him. 

The wicked woman always treats her husband like a straw even if he is an adorable person like a sage and she always denounce him.

Thus, by accepting a girl of a wicked race, a person has to face the evil ways of the wife which bum him like a fire and he lives like a dead man throughout his life.

Now I repeat to you the noble conduct of the good nature woman, you please listen. The chaste woman is always adored by the gods and the Brahmanas. Such a spotless woman gets up early in the morning and offers her salutation to the family gods and then plasters the court-yard with cow dung and performs other welfare deeds. 

Thereafter, performing the household jobs, the chaste lady takes her bath and returning to the home, she bows in reverence to the Brahmana, her husband and the family gods. 

The chaste house wife performs the household duties pretty well and getting free from the same, she serves her husband and adores the guest.  Thereafter she takes her food.

The father is adored by the sons and the teacher is adored by the pupils thus both the sons and the pupils serve like servants accepting the command. 

The son and the pupil should not force the father or the teacher to work. The father and the teacher should always be offered all the service, because by not doing so, one attracts the sin of Brahmahatya. A son should respect the mother more than his father and more than her he should adore the teacher. Thus, the son who is unable to serve the parents, the teacher, the wife, the pupil and himself as a dependent son, the helpless sister, the daughter and the wife of the teacher he earns sins because it is the duty of a person to maintain all of them.

О father, I have thus spelt out the best of the duties of them all and the chaste ladies who are spotless and clean. At the beginning of the universe Brahma had created all the types of creatures in a similar way. All the intelligent and pure damsels were born out of the amsha of Prakruti. 

When Dharma was reduced in body because of the curse of the daughter of Kedara, then Brahma in anger created krutya woman. О lord of Vraja, in earlier times Brahma divided the race of krutya woman into three parts; the first among them was known as uttama, the second one madhyama and the third one was adhama. The extremely religious uttama woman is always devoted to her husband. She does not accept the company of any other man even at the caste of her life. 

She adores the Brahmanas and the guests like her own husband, performs fasting and vratas and adores everyone. The madhyama type of krutya woman is such who does not fall into the company of other men because of the protection of the teachers and considers her husband as something. О Nanda, because of the non-availability of men, their desire, their chastity remains intact. 

The woman who are born in degraded families are known as degraded woman who are extremely wicked. Such woman is devoid of dharma, have a wicked nature, are ill-spoken of and quarrelsome. 

The wicked woman denounces her husband daily and serves the other men daily; she always tortures her husband and considers him like poison. Not only this, with the help of the other men, she even tries to kill her husband who is quite religious, glorious and beautiful. Such a degraded woman looks at other men with a passionate eye who see her as quite beautiful and he enjoys her voluptuous advances. 

Finding the youthful and wicked person well-versed in the love-sport and the one who is wicked like a pig, the pelvic region of the passionate woman always remains wet with fluid. 

The degraded woman does not serve food to her husband. She always speaks in a foul tongue but she thinks of her friend quite lovingly.

Getting denounced by the teachers and having been observed by hundreds of persons, she still moves on the wrong path and makes illegal friends. Even the kings are unable to set her right. There is no one dear to her and she moves just according to the available opportunity. She is always desirous of new faces like the cows grazing in the forest are always desirous of fresh pasture. 

Her attachment is short lived like a line drawn on water or like a lightning. Infatuated with evil ways, she always talks deceitfully. She never feels interested in performing the vratas, tapas, religious functions, household jobs, the teachers or the gods. Her mind is always wavering for her friends towards whom she is always found attached. 

Thus, I have spoken about the three types of woman; now you listen to me about the three types of devotees. My devotees resting on a bed of grass, getting deprived of all comforts always remain engrossed in reciting my name, my qualities and glory. 

Feeling devoted to my lotus-like feet, they adore me. My devotee is devoid of all desires and such a devotee achieves the Ahaituki form of devotion. Such a devotee is not interested in the siddhis like anima and others, the Brahmanahood who is the cause of all the siddhis or eternal ship. Not only this, except serving at my feet, they consider the four types of salvation including Salokya to be of no consequence. My devotee is not desirous of salvation and the consuming of nectar; he/she is always desirous of my everlasting and eternal devotion. He/she is disinterested in all other creatures and the difference between men and women disappears from his or her mind. 

О lord of Vraja, such a devotee of high order remains unmoved with hunger, thirst, sleep, greed, illusion and enemies. Such types of devotees are unmindful of the clothes they wear but they continue reciting my name throughout day and night. О Nanda, such a type of person is the best of my devotees. Now I speak about the medium type of the devotee who is a house-holder and getting purified because of his good deeds of earlier births, never gets involved in worldly deeds. On the other hand, he tries his best to destroy the earlier deeds and making all efforts and remaining unmindful, he performs no deeds. He is well aware of the fact that everything belongs to lord Krishna and he does not happen to be the performer of any deeds.

He thinks in this way, mentally with speech and with actions, such a type of devotee is called Nyunabhakta. The devotee who is still lesser in grade is known as Prakrutika. This has been mentioned in the Vedas, my devotee does not have to come across Yama or the messengers of Yama even in a dream. The best of my devotees redeems thousands of his generations, the medium type of devotees redeems hundreds of his generations and the Prakrutika devotee redeems twenty-five generations. О father, at your command I have narrated to you the qualities of the three types of my devotees; now you listen to the topic of the creation of the globe quite carefully. The cause of the creation of the globe is known to my devotees with great difficulty,  

The sages, the gods and the noble people know about the same with great difficulty, but I am quite well aware of the course of the universe about which I am going to tell you. The cause of universe is quite well-known to Brahma, Maheshvara, Dharma, Sanatkumara, the sage Naranarayana, Kapila, Ganesa, Durga, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Vedas, Savitri, the mother of the Vedas and Radhika. No one else knows about the same; all the intellectuals are unable to know its cause, as the soul is eternal, similarly the sky is eternal beside all the ten directions. 

As Prakruti is eternal, so the globe is also eternal and also Vaikuntha. Once while performing the divine dance in Goloka, a beautiful damsel of sixteen years appeared from my left half, having the complexion of white champaka flowers and the lustre of the full moon of the winter season. She was extremely beautiful and was the best of all the ladies on earth. She wore a serene smile on her face, was delightful in her mind, had soft limbs and was quite charming to look at. She was clad in the garments sanctified by fire and was adorned with ornaments studded with gems, which looked like a line of cranes in the clouds. Her forehead was adorned with a spot of vermilion, besides other spots of kasthuri which looked like the moon surrounded by the stars, the line of parting of the hair was quite bright, she was adorned with the invaluable ornament of gems which were shining emitting rays like the sun. 

The pair of ear ornaments were adorning her temples and her feet were plastered with the red paste of saffron and kasthuri. Her cheeks painted looked like different types of leaves; her nose resembled the beak of Garuda which was adorned with jewels. 

She was. wearing the Gajamukta which is recovered from the temples of the elephant. The line of her teeth resembled gems. Her lips resembled the ripe wood-apple fruit, her face resembled the full moon of the winter season, her eyes resembled the lotus flower which were quite white like the eyes of a doe and the collyrium applied in the eyes looked quite charming. She was wearing beautiful armlets and wristlets which were shining. She had beautiful hands which looked like shining gems. The finger rings studded with gems adorned the fingers. 

The anklets were made of the best of gems and the rings on the toes were also studded with gems. The soles of the feet looked quite beautiful, having been painted with red colours.  She walked slowly like an elephant. She looked charming having beautiful eyes. Becoming passionate, she looked with side-glances. Joining the divine dance, the damsel took me from the fore-front and that is why she was given the name of Radha by the intellectuals gracing her.  She was quite pleasant in nature and as such she was known as Ishvari. 

Since she was competent to perform any deeds, she was given the name of shakti. Since she happened to be the base of everything from all sides, the form of everything and bestowed welfare, she was given the name of Sarvamangala. She came to be known as Mahalakshmi in Vaikuntha and Sarasvati in the other form. After the creation of the Vedas she was known as the mother of the Vedas. She was also known as Savitri, Gayatri and the one who bears the three worlds. 

In the earlier times because of the killing of a demon named Durga she came to be known as Durga. In earlier times she also appeared as Sati from the tejas of all the gods. 

 That is why she came to be known as the eternal shakti for the destruction of all the demons.  She is blissful to all, filled with all the pleasures, is the destroyer of all misfortune, frightens the enemies and removes the danger of the devotees.  She appeared as Sati and was known as the daughter of Daksha, thereafter she was known as Parvati having been born as the daughter of Himalaya. 

She is the base of everything. She is the earth with one of her rays, with one of her rays she is Tulasi, with another ray she is Ganga and the form of all the women on earth. О father, I create the same shakti again and again. Finding the same shakti present in the Rasamandala, I enjoyed her company and the conjugal pleasures with her up to the life of hundred Brahma's. I also enjoyed her astonishing types of plays and the love sports. 

Thereafter both of our bodies were sweating profusely creating a charming pool there. 

The flow of the sweat moved with such force and reached the Goloka as a result of which all the lokas were filled with water. О lord of Vraja, in the earlier stage there was water everywhere and there was no earth. By enjoying the love sport, I implanted my semen in the womb of the damsels. 

Radha carried this pregnancy up to the life of a hundred Brahma's and then gave birth to a beautiful child. Finding the child Radha was enraged and started lamenting feeling disgusted. Thereafter, the child was driven out and he fell down as the Mahavirat, who was the base of everything. He fell into the water; finding the son floating in the water, I pronounced a curse on Radha. О virtuous one, she became issueless because of my earlier curse pronounced on her.  Similarly, Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati emerged.  Together with Radha all the four of them conceived. О lord of Vraja, thereafter all the damsels gave birth to children because of the rays of which an egg emerged who was based on my rays. 

I made the child to suck my thumb which became an immovable tree because of his deeds and started floating in water. With the use of yogic practices, the water became his bed and pillow, all the hair pits on his body remained filled with water. In each hair-pit the Kshudra-virat resided. From the navel of the Kshudra-virat, a thousand petalled lotus emerged. From the same lotus, Brahma was created, that is why he is known by the name of the one born out of the lotus. After having been born of the lotus Brahma started thinking, "How has my body been born, who are my parents and brothers"?  Thus, thinking he spent three lakhs of years.  Thereafter for divine five lakhs of years he performed my tapas, then I bestowed a mantra on him which purified him as a result of which he methodically performed tapas seated on the lotus for divine seven lakh of years. Thereafter, he received a boon from me and by becoming the creator, he started the creation.

Thus, with the influence of illusion in every globe one finds Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Dikpalas, eleven Rudras, seven planets, eight Vasus, three crores of gods, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, goblins, Rakshasas besides movable and immovable.  Besides every globe, there are seven heavens, seven oceans, seven continents, Svarnabhumi and darkness, land and earth, the nether-world and seven Brahmandas are there. О lord of Vraja, in each globe, the moon, the sun, the sacred land of Bharata, Ganga and other holy places are present, the number of the globes is equivalent to the number of the hair pits on the body of Mahavishnu and over the globes. Vaikuntha is lodged, having no support; it was created as per my desire. Even the Vedas are unable to speak about the same. For the degraded yogis and the non-believer, Vaikuntha is invisible. The Goloka is located at a distance of fifty crores of yojanas from Vaikuntha; it is floating in the air which is quite astonishing and quite beautiful.

It has been built in a beautiful way which is according to my wishes; it has a mountain range with a hundred peaks, auspicious Vrundavana, the best of Rasamandala and the river named Viraja.  О lord of Vraja, the river Viraja is a hundred crores yojanas in width and a hundred times more in length and looks charming from all sides. It has the invaluable gems besides diamonds, rubies and innumerable kaustubha gems. It is quite pleasant. Each and every house of Goloka has been made with gems. 

The. boundary wall is quite beautiful which could not be viewed by Vishvakarma even. The Rasamandala of Goloka, the groups of the cowherds and cowherdesses, the Kamadhenu, innumerable lotus flowers, kalpavrukshas, pools and crores of flower orchards surround Goloka. 

The Rasamandala is surrounded by the cowherds and has a hundred crores of buildings in which there are lamps of gems, beds of roses, fragrant sandal-paste, kasthuri, Kumkum, besides incense, garlands of gems, mirrors of gems, guards and three crores of slave-girls of Radha also who reside there are adorned with the best  of gem-studded ornaments and clad in garments  sanctified by fire. The Rasamandala is surrounded by a lakh of intoxicated elephants. 

Its soldiers are quite young and quite beautiful.  О lord of Vraja, the Rasamandala is circular in shape like the moon and is studded with gems like the stars. It is spread over an area of ten yojanas. It is quite charming and is filled with kasthuri, saffron, fragrant sandal-paste, welfare pitchers, fruits and fresh tree leaves, curd, fried paddy, leaves, tender Durva-grass, fruits and innumerable trunks of banana trees adorned with tree leaves entwined with silken cord, garlands and ornaments. It has been built with valuable gems and has a hundred peaks. Its height is a hundred yojanas and is hundred times more in length. It is visible from a distance of fifty crores of yojanas and is beyond description even in the Vedas. It is like the boundary wall of Goloka. 

Since the garlands of gems decorate it from all sides it looks quite charming. There is charming Vrundavana having trees of sandal-wood, charming kalpavrukshas, mandara trees, Kamadhenu’s and immensely beautiful flower orchards, beautiful swimming pools and excellent places for love-sport. It is quite excellent and is the best for performing the divine dance in seclusion. 

The innumerable cowherdesses guard the place. The forest which is three lakh yojanas in area is circular in shape; one gets the hissing sound of the black wasps and the sweet notes of the cuckoos can also be heard. There is an Akshayavata which is quite charming. It is quite widespread and its height is a thousand yojanas and it is spread over an area of four thousand yojanas. The kalpavruksha which fulfils all the desires of the cowherdesses is also available there. 

The slave-girls of Radha spend their time playfully there; the cool breeze scented with the water of Viraja river and the flowers blow there. The Vrundavana which is served by innumerable slave-girls is the dwelling place for me and Radha. The same Radha because of the curse of a Brahmana named Sridama has been born as the daughter of Vrushabhanu. 

О lord of Vraja, she is adored by Brahma, the gods and siddhas and other ascetics. She happens to be my beloved, possesses all the virtues besides the prowess, intelligence, learning and is adorable like me, by all. О Nanda, I have thus described everything about the globes. What else do you want to listen to from me.