16 - Incarnations of Mahalakshmi

Lord Krishna said: 

1. O lord of birds, now, listen to the nature of Mahalakshmi, her incarnations and the extent of knowledge peculiar to her. 

2. O lord of birds, the universe is distinct from the lord. The personal soul is the eye that perceives the universe. The knowledge of the universe is the knowledge belonging to Lakshmi. 

3. The eternal Goddess Lakshmi is inseparable from the lord. The feet of the lord are her only shelter. She is a released soul. She is always awakened. 

4-5. O lord of birds, she is called Prakruti, for, she creates the Universe by her qualities—sattva, rajas and tamas and consumes the world by tamas. 

6-8. As the consort of Vasudeva, she is called Maya; as the consort of Sankarshana, Jaya; as the consort of Aniruddha, Santa; as the consort of Pradyumna, Kruti; as the consort of Vishnu, Lakshmi--the presiding deity of Sattva guna. As the presiding deity of tamoguna, she is Durga or Kanyaka. As the sister of Krishna, the son of Nanda, she is called Kanyaka. 

9-10. As the goddess of earth; the presiding deity of rajas, she is the consort of Boar. As the presiding deity of the Vedas, she is Annapurna. As the consort of Narayana, she is Lakshmi, the unborn. 

11. As the consort of Yajna Varaha, she is Dakshina. 

12. As the consort of Vrushabha, she is Jayanti. As the daughter of Janaka and the wife of Rama, she is Sita. 

13-14. Rukmini and Satyabhama were the wives of lord Krishna. The incarnations of Lakshmi are many, O lord of birds and there is no difference among them. The forms of Lakshmi, O bird, are inferior to Vishnu who possesses enumerable distinctions. 

15. Brahma and Vayu are inferior to Vishnu by millions of qualities. Now, I shall tell you about the nature of Brahman, O lord of birds. 

16. Born of Lord Vishnu and his consort Maya, Brahma is called Virincha. 

17. Born of Aniruddha and his consort Shanta, and constituted of intellect (Mahat), he obtained the appellation Mahavirincha. 

18. Born of Vasudeva from Maya by rajas, he (Virinchi) is called Vidhi. 

19. Born of Universal egg from the navel lotus of Vishnu and seated in the lotus itself, he is called Chaturmukha- the four faced god, O best of birds. 

20. Thus they declare the four names of Brahma. I shall now tell you the names of Vayu, O lord of birds. 

21. Born of Samkarshana and Jaya, he is called Vayu known by the appellation Pradhana. 

22-23. As he activates men to work he is called Sutra Vayu who assumed the form of dhruti to praise Narayana at Badari with steadfast devotion. He stays in the heart of his loyal devotees and is called Hari. Present in the heart of all, Vayu ever remembers lord Hari. 

24-25. Vayu is, therefore, called Sthiti, O lord of birds. Or Vayu alone remembers Hari. Staying in the White Island (Shvetadvipa),¹ O lord of birds, he is called Smruti.

1. Shveta-dvipa-It has not been possible to identify this island. Colonel Wilford has attempted to identify it with Britain. H.M., p. 153.

26. Vayu abides in the hearts of all people this is what Lord Vishnu has declared Hence, he is called Mukti. 

27. With my consent, he confers liberation to his devotees by imparting knowledge to them. Vayu is called mukti. 

28. Abiding in the hearts of his devotees he multiplies their devotion for Vishnu. Therefore, he is called the devotee of Vishnu. 

29. He constitutes the consciousness of living beings. He is called consciousness. 

30. O bird, he is the lord of gods and of his associates. Hence, he is called an Overlord. 

31. Staying in the heart of the people, O lord, he observes their strength. O lord of Vinata, he is, therefore, called Bala.

32. Abiding in the hearts of people he conducts sacrifices through their sons and grandsons. He is, therefore, called a sacrificer. 

33. From Anantakalpa to Vayukalpa, there is no complexity in Yoga. Therefore, Ruju is called Yogya. 

34-35. Complexity of Yoga arises from Hari's worship or from the worship of Isha, Rudra, and others with an object in view. Those who perform such worship are called anrujavas. 

36. Among the sages too, those who worship Hari for attaining the object of their desire are called anrujus. The same practice is current among the people. 

37. [He cannot obtain release] until he gives up Hari's worship with an object in view, for desire is an obstacle in the path of realization, even for the sages. 

38. Impressions of countless activities performed in previous ages are obstacles to the person seeking for liberation. He should, therefore, give up worship which aims at the fulfilment of desire. 

39. By enlightenment received from Guru's instructions all activities practically cease to be. Being initiated in Yoga and practising the same, the aspirant achieves liberation after all. 

40. The worship of the lord with an object in view imparts riches which controvert knowledge and lead to darkness. 

41-44. If the lord is worshipped without any motive that worship leads him to perfect knowledge. 

To take a stone, say Salagrama or a Brahmana for lord Vishnu or water for a holy place or Shiva, Surya or Karttikeya for Vishnu, O lord of birds, is a false knowledge. To take stone, etc., as nothing but an entity inseparable from Vishnu is called Vishnubuddhi. One should not differentiate one form of the lord from the other. 

45. Vayu is called Ruju the worthiest since he worshipped the lord without a motive. Those who worship the lord with a motive are called anrujus. 

46. Vayu is called wisdom (prajna) since he shows the lord ever in sight to those who are on the verge of liberation. 

47. He is called jnana (knowledge) as it shows Hari, even beyond the range of sight. 

48. Stationed in the heart of devotees and showing them what is wholesome and what is not, he is called Guru. 

49. Stationed in the heart of Yogins and meditating on the lord as a distinct entity he is called a meditator. 

50. As he comprehends the lord according to his ability and as he knows the qualities abiding in Rudra and other gods he is called Vijna, O best of birds. 

51. He is non-attached Viraja since he has abandoned all activities associated with the fulfilment of desire. 

52. Or he is called Viraja because abiding in the hearts of Yogins he creates, aversion in them for worldly pleasures. 

53. When the results of virtue and sin are exhausted, the gods, as far as Vayu, deserve perfect bliss. 

54. As Vayu creates objects of enjoyment for the pleasure of gods, sages and nobles, he is called joyful. 

55. O lord of birds, Vayu is the principal deity who suffers both pleasure and pain. 

56. Whatever calamity befalls the deities is due to the influence of Asuras. 

57. Human soul suffers from affliction caused by the Daityas, People suffer often and anon specially in the Kali age. 

58. Vayu consumes all sorrows accruing both from virtue and vice in the Kali age. Hence, Vayu is called Kali. 

59. O lord, whatever joys or pleasures accrue to the people are due to divine influences. There is not in the least any doubt in this. 

60. O son of Vinata, Devas do not go to hell, and Daityas do not seek pleasure from the objects of pleasure. 

61-62. Whatever pleasure they enjoy accrues to them from Devas. Devas have no tamas; they suffer from no pain by coming in contact with the objects of pleasure. Whatever pain they suffer is due to the influence of asuras. 

63. Hence, Kali is a sufferer, Vayu is joyous. Ordinary people and sages have both pleasure and pain. 

64. Vayu enjoys the fruits of his virtuous deeds. He suffers from his sinful actions. It is hard to escape the results of good or bad activities. 

65. Partial incarnations of Lord Vayu from Prana to Sukha are nineteen in number. O lord of birds, the lord has descended on earth several times, each time with a separate identity. 

66-67. O lord of birds, I shall explain to you the total incarnations of Vayu. Listen. 

Of the fourteen Indras, the second is called Virochana who is identical with Vayu. With his eyes expanded all around, he, the partial incarnation of Marut, is also called Rochana. 

68. When lord Rama incarnated on earth, Vayu was born as Hanuman¹ for rendering assistance to Rama.

1. Hanuman--a monkey-chief. He was the son of Anjana by the god wind or Marut. He is represented as a monkey of extraordinary strength and prowess which he manifested on several critical occasions on behalf of Rama whom he regarded as the idol of his heart.

69. When lord Krishna descended on earth, he was born as Bhima, the offspring of Vayu. 

70-71. Vayu will be born as Maniman daitya, known as Shankara. He will be so called, for he will abolish caste and destroy dharma. 

72. Then he will be born as the son of Vasudeva. There will be none equal to him in the fourteen worlds.² He will be fully equipped with wisdom.

2. The fourteen worlds are divided into two groups: seven higher and seven lower regions. Bhu, Bhuvah, Svah, Mahah, Janah, Tapas, Satya, or Brahma are the upper regions rising from the earth, one above the other; while Atala, Vitala, Satala, Rasatala, Talatala, Mahatala and Patala are the lower regions descending from the earth, one below the other. 

73. The full incarnations of Vayu are three. Their creed is one and the same which is propounded in the Bhagavata. 

74. The purpose of each and every incarnation is twofold: establishment of order and suppression of the wicked. There is no other purpose for the lord to incarnate. 

75-76. In the three incarnations of Vayu, viz. Virochana etc., O lord of birds, there are no pangs of birth. In the four incarnations there is no fusion of semen and blood. Hence, in these four incarnations there is nothing inauspicious. 

77. In the four incarnations, at the hour of birth, the lord, at first, dries up the embryo before he is born out of the womb. 

78-80. Of the twenty-three forms of the Supreme lord Brahma, Vayu is one. In the enjoyment of eternal bliss, pleasure, etc., Vayu is at par with Brahma. This truth knows no variation; listening to this leads to release. O lord of birds, I shall now tell you about the descent of Vayu. 

81. In the Kruta age, there were born from Pradyumna twins Savitri and Sarasvati. 

82. In between the two, was born Vani. Savitri was married to Virincha, Sarasvati to four-faced Brahma. 

83. These are the three forms of Vani. I shall now tell you about the incarnations of Bharati. Please hear attentively. 

84. Being the presiding deity of the Vedas she is the Veda itself. She is the mistress of Vayu, the great meditator. 

85. She is also the mistress of Vayu--knowledge incarnate. Being of the nature of joy she is identical with joy. 

86. She is the mistress of Vayu who is identical with joy. Vayu is the preceptor of Bharati. Since she is devoted to Vayu, the preceptor, she is called Gurubhakti. She is the mistress of Vayu, the great preceptor. 

87-88. She has devotion for Hari; hence, she is called Hari-Priti. She is the mistress of Vayu of the form of dhruti. 

89. Since she is the presiding deity of all sacred texts, she is identical with them. She is the wife of lord Vayu. 

90. She presents all objects of senses to lord Vishnu for propitiating him or for his enjoyment. Hence, she is called Bhuji.

91. She became the mistress of Chitra. In the name of Shraddha, she became the mistress of lord Rochana. 

92. O lord of birds, Hanuman, the son of Vayu, lived in the Treta age. Then, Bharati was born as the daughter of a Brahmin, Shiva by name. 

93. Not only Bharati and her companions such as Shachi, etc., but also all the rest who were born of him were married to their partners. 

94-95. His daughter named Mati was also called Anyaga (one who has relations with another than her partner). She was born together with Shachi, etc., at the end of Treta, O lord of birds. Born of Anala, she is known as Indrasena. As she delighted Nala, she is called the delighter of Nala. 

96-97. She was separated from her lord, since in her previous birth she had illicit relations with Vayu in human form. 

In her previous birth Mati had died as a maiden together with Shachi and others. 

98. She was born out of the sacrifice conducted by Drupada and was named Draupadi. She married Bhimasena. The sin of illicit copulation with a person in her previous life did not visit her in the next birth. Hence, she had no separation from her husband. 

99. Bharati, the daughter of Kashiraja known by her popular name Kali became the mistress of Bhimasena. 

100. Draupadi, the daughter of Drupada, gave up her body together with her maidens. O lord of birds, she will be born in the Kali age in the house of Shankara in the village of Karati. 

101. She died as a maiden to become the mistress of Vayu in her third birth. 

102. O good one, such are the mistresses of Vayu and Brahma. O lord of birds, they are inferior to their husbands in hundreds of merits.