20 - The enlightenment of Brahma 

The sages said: 

1-6. How did Bralımá become the lotus-born (deity), formerly, in the Padmakalpa? How did Vishnu and Brahma see lord Shiva? Please recount all this particularly now. 

Sūta said: 

It was one vast sheet of water, terrible, undivided and full of darkness. 

In the middle of that vast sheet of water lay Lord Vişhnu holding the conch, discus and the iron club. He had the lustre of the cloud. His eyes resembled the lotus. He wore the coronet. He was known as Hari, lord of Shri, Nārāyana and Puruşhottama. From his mouth emerged all souls, all beings. He had eight arms and a large chest. He, the source of origin of the universe, the yogic atman, the knower of the yoga, adopted an inconceivable yoga and occupied the lofty body of a huge serpent that had a thousand hoods and whose splendour was incomparable. In that vast sheet of water, the lord lay on that great couch of serpent. 

7-8. A tall and lofty lotus was sportively created in his umbilicus as he lays there all-powerful self-contented but unwearied in activities. It was hundred Yojanas long. It resembled the mid-day Sun. It had adamantine stalk. 

9-11. Even as the bountiful lord was playing (with the lotus), Brahmā, who was born of the cosmic Egg of golden womb, who had golden colour, who was beyond the pale of the sense-organs, who had four faces and large eyes came near the lord casually. On seeing Vişhnu of splendid eyes sporting with the lotus that was glorious, divine, splendid and fragrant, Brahmã was surprised and asked in a tone filled with gentleness- 

“Who are you lying (here) in the middle of the waters?” 

12-16. On hearing the splendid words of Brahmä, Vişhnu got up from his couch and with his eyes beaming with surprise replied: - 

“In every kalpa this is my shelter and asylum. What had been done, whatever is being done and what would be done (everything is done here itself). The heaven, the atmosphere and the earth everything is my region.” 

After saying thus, lord Vişhnu addressed him again- “Who are you? Whence do you come near me? Where do you intend to go? Where is your abode? Who are you that have the universe for your physical body? What can I do for you?” 

17-24. Thereupon Brahmā replied to Vişhnu. Being deluded by the Māyā of lord Shiva, he could not fully comprehend Vishņu who himself was deluded by the Māyā of Shiva and hence unknowable. 

Brahmā said: 

“Just like you I too am the Prajapati, the primordial creator.” On hearing with wonder the words of Brahmā the creator of the worlds and on being permitted by him, the source of origin of the universe, the great yogin, Vishņu entered through the mouth of Brahma, out of curiosity. Within the belly of Brahma, he saw the eighteen continents ⁸⁹ together with the oceans and mountains. On entering the belly of Brahma, Vishnu of great splendour and brawny arms saw thu eternal seven worlds⁹⁰ up to the column of Brahmã in which the people of the four castes⁹¹ stayed then uttering repeatedly, “How powerful is his penance” he wandered through different worlds of diverse creation. Though he wandered for a thousand years, he could not reach the end. Then he (Vishnu) the support of the worlds who had Shesha the lord of snakes as his bed, came out of Brahma’s mouth and addressed him thus.

89. Dvipa in the broader sense signifies a continental division of the Terrestrial world. The number of such divisions varies according to different authorities being four seven nine thirteen or eighteen. According to the Puranic tradition dvipas are situated round the mountain Meru like the petals of a lotus flower and separated from one another by a distinct ocean. In the restricted sense dvipa is a land enclosed between two rivers (mod doab). The word ‘dvipa’ is used in both these senses in the Puranas. 

9o. Seven regions the three Bhu, Bhuva and Svar are separated from the four higher regions Mahas, Jana, Tapas and Satya by a mountain Lokaloka. The light of the luminaries illumines the three worlds but fails to reach the four higher regions. 

91. Chaturvarna the concept of fourfold social organisation is already found in the Rig Veda The idea is developed in the Puranas Vayu (Ch 9) speaks of the origin of Shiva is the originator, Manu the founder and  the propagator of Varna

25 “O sinless one’ You are the beginning, the end and the middle of the universe. You are Time, the quarters and the ether. O sinless one, I do not perceive the limits of your belly. 

26-28 After saying thus, Vishnu spoke to Brahma again- In the same manner as you, I also am a lord O illustrious one, please enter my belly and see the wonderful worlds therein”. On hearing these pleasant words of Vishnu, Brahma of truthlul exploits approved of them and entered his belly. Then Saw those Very worlds stationed in his womb. 

29-30 He roamed about therein but he could not find the end Then on observing the movement of Brahma, lord Vishnu closed the openings of the passage and slept a perfect sleep. 

On seeing the openings closed Brahma assumed a subtle form and found an opening in the umbilicus. 

31. Then the four-faced Brahmã came out of the stalk of the lotus and assumed his own form. 

32. The Self-born Brahmã, the source of the origin of the universe sat in the lotus, resembling in lustre the interior of the lotus itself. 

33-37. In the meantime, even as either of them was wholly engaged in a struggle with the other in the middle of the ocean, lord Shiva of immeasurable soul, the lord of living beings appeared there itself. Holding a trident in hand and clad in garments of pure gold he came to the place where Vişhnu was lying on Sheșha--the lord of serpents. As he waded through the waters quickly, big drops of water rose up in the sky, kicked up by his feet. The wind that blew was very hot and cold. On perceiving this wonderful phenomenon, Brahmã spoke to Vişhnu “See how hot and cold waters make the lotus shake. 

38-40. Clear this doubt of mine and tell me what else you wish to do now.” 

On hearing these words uttered by lord Vişhnu, the destroyer of Asuras and of unequalled exploits meditated thus: - “What? Who is this great being occupying my umbilicus? He speaks pleasing words though I have been angry with him.” After thinking thus, Vişhnu spoke in reply: - 

41-48. “O Sir, are you in a perplexed state inside the lotus? O lord, what is it that I have done wherefore O excellent one among men, you speak to me thus: What is it for? Tell me factually.” Lord Brahmā, the storehouse of the Vedas, replied to the lotus-eyed lord of Devas who spoke thus in accordance with the activities of the world: - “It was I who formerly entered your belly in accordance with your wish. Just as all the worlds within my belly were seen by you O lord, so also all the worlds in your belly are seen by me. O sinless one after a thousand years I returned. With a spirit of rivalry and a desire to subject one to control, all the openings were closed suddenly by you. O blessed one, I pondered over it. By dint of my own splendour I gained exit through the umbilicus by the lotus stalk. Let there be no dejection in your mind: O Vişhnu, this is the sequence of events in their gradual advancement. What should be done by me hereafter, kindly tell me: What shall I do?” 

49-51. On hearing these loving, pleasing auspicious and irreproachable words of Brahma, Vishņu the destroyer of Hiranyakaśhipu and of immeasurable soul, spoke sincere and simple words. This type of adverse action was not envisaged by me. I closed all the openings sportively and casually out of a desire for enlightening you. 

52. You should not mis-understand me. You deserve my respect and worship. O auspicious one, forgive if at all I have committed any offence against you. 

53-58. You are borne by me, O lord, descend from this lotus. I cannot bear you. You are refulgent and weighty. Thereupon Brahmä said once again: ‘Tell me, what boon you desire to have. O lord, take me down from the lotus’. Then Vishņu said: ‘O slayer of enemies, you should be my son. You will attain splendid pleasure. Speak agreeable and loving words. O lord, descend from the lotus. You are a great yogin. You are worthy of our worship You are the Pranava itself. Henceforth you will be the lord of all; adorned with a white turban you will be huown as ‘padmayoni⁹²_one whose source of origin is a lotus O Brahmä, O lord, as son to me, you will be the overlord of ten worlds’. 

92. The Purānas describe the golden lotus flower of one thousand petals sprung up from the navel of Vishnu while he lay recumbent in the ocean. Cf Matsya 168,15. According to Harivamsha (Bhavishya-parva, chs. 7-14) the golden lotus became the seat of Brahma and also his birth-place, Hence Brahmã is called padmayoni. 

Thus the lord granted him the boon and Brahmā accepted. Just then on seeing the miraculous, huge face of Shiva with the lustre of the rising Sun, Brahma said to Vishnu. 

59-62 ‘O Vishnu who is a comprehensible person with a huge face and curved fangs. He has a deformed body and a girdle of Munja grass with huge penis lifted up, he is Roaring loudly and terribly. With a mass of splendour and lustre, he has enveloped the quarters and the firmament. He comes this way itself” On being addressed thus by Brahmä, lord Vishņu replied as follows: 

63-66. “He is wading through the ocean with great speed. When his feet press the surface of water, as he wades through the ocean with great speed, masses of water rise up even to the sky. O lotus-born one, you are being sprinkled from all sides with a heap of water. By the wind coming out of his nostrils, this great lotus emerged out of my navel is being shaken. It is lord Shiva who has no origin and who destroys the world that has come. Let us eulogise the bull-bannered lord with hymns of prayer.” 

67-68. Then Brahmā who was infuriated spoke to Vişhnu whose eyes resembled the lotus: - “Indeed you do not know yourself as the lord of all the worlds. You do not know mc also as Brahmā, the eternal creator of the worlds. Who is this Shiva apart from us both?” 

69-73. On hearing these words of Brahmā uttered in rage Vişhnu spoke: “O auspicious one, bestower of welfare, do not speak ill of the great soul. Here is he who has the lustre of the splendid yoga, who is the invincible bestower of boons, who is the unchanging ancient Puruşha, the cause of this universe. He is the sower of seeds and the refulgence of seeds, shining by himself. He, the lord, plays with toys as do the childern. Pradhana, the eternal womb, the unmanifest Prakruti and the quality tamas--darkness-these are my names, since I perpetually give birth to creation. The person of your query is lord Shiva who is the goal of the ascetics who, being afraid of the pangs of birth and death resort to him. He is the sower of the seed; you are the seed itself and I am the eternal womb.”⁹³ On being addressed thus, Brahmā, the soul of the universe asked again: 

93. According to the Purāņic account of creation (sarga), in the beginning, the Cosmic Egg which arose out of the waters was insentient. It remained in this state for thousands of years until it was activated by the sentient principle which entering divided it into two parts. One of the two halves became the celestial and the other the terrestrial sphere. 

The creation is traced to the seed, personified as Brahma, deposited in the foetus personificd as Vişhnu, by Shiva the sower of the seed. In fact, both the insentient egg and the sentient principle that activates it belong to Śhiva himself who out of sheer will and sportively too, creates, dissolves and then re-creates and re-dissolves the universe. 

74. “How is it that you are the womb, I am the seed and he (lord Shiva) the sower. This is a puzzle which you alone can solve.”

75-79. After thinking about the multiformed creation, Vishņu spoke in answer to this specific query of Brahmā, the creator of the worlds. 

There is no other greater living being than him. He is a great mystery, the dimensional abode of intellect and the coveted goal of spiritualists. He split himself into two. His unqualitative part remained unmenifest; the qualitative one came into appearance. Of him who was aware of activities of Prakruti and who was inaccessible and fathomless, the seed was born, formerly, at the first creation. This seed was laid into my womb which, after the lapse of some time, grew into a golden egg in the ocean. 

80. For a thousand years the Egg lay in the waters. There after it was split into two by the force of the wind. 

81. The upper lid of the Egg became the heaven and the lower lid became the earth. The foetus became the lofty golden mountain Meru. 

82. Then with the soul entering the womb, you, the lord, Hiranyagarbha the inost excellent of the lords of Devas, and of four faces were born. 

83. On seeing that the world with stars, Sun and moon, was void you meditated. Then the kumāras were born to you. 

81. Pleasing to look at, they became ascetics, the predecessors of yatis. Thus at the end of a thousand years they were born as your sons. 

85-87. They resembled the terrestrial fire in brilliance. They had eyes large as the petals of a lotus. Sanat and Rubhu remained celibate having sublimated sexuality; the other three were Sanaka, Sanātana and Sanandana who were born simultaneously and who could visualize things even beyond the scope of sense-organs They possessed great intellect; they were the cause of the sustenance of the worlds. They were devoid of the three types of miseries and they desisted from worldly activities. 

88-90. Seeing that life and death in the world yield but little pleasure, that it is attended with great strain and pain, that births and deaths recur again and again, that there is little pleasure in heaven, that miseries abound in hell, knowing the Shästraic injunctions about the inevitability of the future as also that Rubhu and Sanat were under your control, the three Sanaka, Sanatana and Sanandana of great prowess eschewed the three guņas and took to spiritual life. 

91-94. Thus in the functioning of the kalpa, when the three sons-Sanaka and others took to detachment you will become confused and deluded through the illusory power of lord Shiva. Then O sinless one, your consciousness will perish. In the present kalpa, the elements both gross and subtle will be affected by his māyā who, in fact, is the activizer of these elements. This great and glorious account of the most excellent of all Devas is as famous as the golden Meru the mountainous abode of Devas. 

95-97. Knowing him as the great lord and knowing me as the lotus-eyed Vişhnu, knowing also that the lord is the greatest of all living beings, the bestower of boons and the preceptor of the universe, you should bow to him, uttering the pranava (omkāra) mantra and the Saman verses, if he is infuriated he will burn us both by his very breath. After realizing the lord of great strength and yoga, I shall keep you in front and eulogize him who is of fiery and dazzling splendour.