46 - The Narration of Spiritual matters

Suta said: 

1. O Brahmanas, on hearing that excellent spiritual discourse, the liberal-minded Narada delightedly asked Sanandana again.

Narada said:

2. Osage, O storehouse of mercy! I seek refuge in you. To me kindly relate those things whereby one may not experience the three types of distress such as the Adhyatmika Adhidaivika, etc.

Sanandana said*¹

^* VV.3-30 of this chapter are incorporated from VP. VI. 58-87. 

1. Vv. 3-30 are a quotation from VP. VI.5.51-87.

3. O learned one, three types of miseries occur in One born here. They occur in the womb or in the course of the process of being born or in the old age.

4. The panacea (for all worldly ills) is the ultimate attainment of the lord, characterised by the state of happiness unexcelled in bliss.

5. Hence, effort to attain it (viz. God-realization) must be made by learned men. O great sage, the cause of attaining it is said to be both knowledge and activity.

6. Knowledge is said to be of two kinds: that which arises out of the Vedic texts and that which arises from discrimination. The Shabdabrahman is that which arises out of the Agamas. The great Supreme Brahman is that which arises out of discrimination between Reality and illusion.

7. The excellent sage Manu too, after remembering the meaning of the Vedas says thus: May that be heard even as I recount it in an easily understandable manner.

8. “Two Brahmans are to be understood, viz., the Shabdabrahman and the Supreme Brahman. One who is an adept in the Shabdabrahman understands the great Brahman.”²

2. Though both VP. (ibid) v. 64 and NP. attribute this verse to Manu, it is not found in the extant Manusmruti. It is a quotation from Maitrayani Up. VI.22. The Brahman has two aspects: verbal and Real or Spiritual and for the realization of the latter, the mastery over the former is necessary.

9. The Atharvaņa Veda³ also says—”Two Vidyas are to be known”. The greatest Vidya is the attainment of the Imperishable (Brahman). The other one is the lore of the Rugveda, etc.

3. This is a quotation from the Mundaka Up. 1.4.5. The Mundaka belongs to the AV. and hence the quotation is called Atharvani Shruti.

10-11. Verily, wise sages see him who is unmanifest, unageing, devoid of longing, birthless and unchanging; who cannot be specifically pointed out, who is formless, devoid of hands and feet, powerful and omnipresent, eternal, causeless but the source of origin of living beings, who is pervaded and who pervades everything else.

12. That is the Brahman, the greatest abode. It must be meditated upon by those who seek salvation. It is the subtle one mentioned by the Vedic texts—the greatest region of Vishnu.

13. That same form of the greatest Atman is expressed by the word Bhagavat. The word Bhagavat connotes it. It is so indicated in regard to the imperishable Atman.

14. That whereby the reality of what has been thus described is factually realized, is the real perfect knowledge. The other consists of the Trinity of Vedas.

15. O Brahmana, though the Brahman is beyond the ken of Shabdas (sounds and words) the word Bhagavat is used formally in order to honour or to adore the same.

16. O holy lord, the word Bhagavat connotes the pure and Supreme Brahman called also Mahavibhuti (One endowed with the highest Potency) and is the cause of all causes.

16A.* The syllable bha has two meanings (1) that which is to be known and (2) the knower**. O sage, similarly the syllable ga means the creator, the father of the Agamas.

* Wrongly numbered 16 in the text. 

** VP. VI. 5.73 reads: sambharteti tatha bhartă. The syllable Bha implies the cherisher and supporter of the universe. This reading is better as the syllable 'Bha' (acc. to VP.) is common to both the words: Sambharta and Bharta.

17. Six things are indicated by the term Bhag viz: perfect prosperity and glory, prowess renown, splendour, perfect knowledge and detachment.

18. In the Bhutatman which is the soul of all, all the living beings reside. Hence, the meaning of the word 'va' is the unchanging lord who abides in all living beings.

19. Thus O excellent one, the great word Bhagavan belongs to Vasudeva who is the greatest Brahman. It does not refer to anyone else.

20. As a technical phrase the word indicates an object of worship. This word indicates Vasudeva without being used in a secondary sense. When referring to other objects the word is used in a secondary sense.⁴

4. In other words, the term Bhagavat which is the general denomination of an adorable object is not used with reference to the Supreme in general but as a special significance. But when the term is used with reference to any other person or thing, it is used in the customary general meaning.

21. He who knows the origin, dissolution, the advent as well as the departure of the living beings and also he who knows vidya and Avidya, should be expressed by the term Bhagavan.

22. Knowledge, power, strength, prosperity, virility and splendour, the entirety of all these are expressed by the word Bhagavat. Only the despicable qualities⁵ are excluded.

5. The three gunas and their consequent Klešhas (miseries) which deserve to be eschewed are not found in Bhagavata.

23. All the living beings reside in the great Atman. The lord is remembered as Vasudeva, because he abides in the Bhutas.

24. Formerly when requested, Keśhidhvaja told Khåndikya of the Janaka dynasty.⁶ He factually explained the meaning of the epithet Vasudeva, the Infinite.

6. For the genealogy and mutual relationship of Keshidhvaja and Khåndikya vide vv. 37-39 below.

25. He lives in the Bhutas and the Bhutas live in him. He is the creator and the protector of all worlds. Hence, Vasudeva is a lord - the Governor.

26. O sage, he transcends the Prakrti of all living beings, the aberrations and the faults such as the Gunas, etc. He goes beyond all coverings. He is the Atman of all, the space between the worlds is occupied by him.

27. He is endowed with all auspicious qualities and is of the nature of good qualities. (Defective).⁷ He eschews the creation of the Bhutas over-whelmed by too much of misery; be assumes a splendid form voluntarily in accordance with his Will. He achieves the welfare of the entire universe.

7. “The verse in the NP. contains defective wording. The original verse in the VP. (ibid) 84 is as follows:

Samasta-kalyana-gunatmako'sau

ava-Shakti-leshävruta-bhuta-vargah

He is one with and of the nature of all auspicious attibutes. He has permeated all created beings with but a small portion of His Power.

 28. He is one sole repository of splendour, strength, prosperity, great enlightenment, virility and other qualities. He is greater than the greatest. In the lord of the finite and the infinite beings, there are no (such imperfections of Avidyā such as distress and others.

29. He is the lord called Parameshvara. He is of the form of Vyashti and Samashti (the Microcosm and Macrocosm); he is both of the unmanifest and manifest forms; he is the overlord of all, the knower of the entire creation, and he is omnipotent.

30. That whereby he is known is free of defects;⁸ it is an extremely pure form devoid of impurities. It is seen and understood. That is the perfect knowledge, anything other than this is said to be Ajnana (Ignorance).

8. Instead of the confusing reading: sa jnayate yena of the NP, VP. (ibid) v. 87 reads samjnayate yena and it gives better meaning as follows: 

That whereby, the flawless, pure, Supreme, unsullied (by the contact of Prakrti) and one (undivided) Brahman is properly known, revealed or realised is the real knowledge. What is other than this is ignorance.

Here ends chapter 5 of VP. VI.

31.* That Purushottama is seen by means of Svadhyāya (study of the Vedas) and Samyama (self-control i.e., Yoga), either of them being the cause of attaining him, is called Brahma.

*VV.31 ff of the NP. are the same as VP. VI. Ch. 6.

32. One should practise Yoga after Svadhyaya; and one should commit to memory the prescribed Vedic texts after through Yoga.⁹ The great Atman is revealed through the accomplishment of Svadhyāya and Yoga.

9. Both the study of the Vedas and practice of Yoga are essential for God-realization. When a person is weary of the one, he should pursue the other. But the dictum in Yoga is that one should perform Japa (muttering the name of God or (Mantra) when tired of meditation and vice-verse:

japácchrántah punar dhyayed 

dhyanach chrantah punar japet ||

33. Svadhyaya is the eye for visualising him. The other eye is Yoga. (The Lord) who is Brahman cannot be seen through the physical eye.

Narada said: 

34. O Holy lord, I wish to know that Yoga. Kindly elucidate that after knowing which I would be able to see the Supreme Ruler, the support of all.

Sanandana said:

35. I shall expound that Yoga, in the same manner as Keśhidhvaja formerly explained it to the noble-souled Khåndikya of Janaka race.

Narada said:¹⁰

10. In VP.VI.6.6, it is Maitreya who speaks this verse and the reply of Parashara in VP. VI.6.7 ff, is the same as given here by Sanandana in vv. 37 ff. These names do not occur in the Janaka dynasty in VP.IV.5 but are recorded by Bb.P.IX.13.19-21.

36. O holy lord, who was Khāņdikya? Who was Keshidhvaja? How did it happen that they had a dialogue in relation to Yoga? 

Sanandana said: 

37. Dharmadhvaja of Janaka family was the father. His son was Amitadhvaja. Krutadhvaja was his brother who was a king who always took delight in spiritual topics.

37a*. The blessed twice-born Keshidhvaja was the son of Krutadhvaja. The son of Amitadhvaja was named Khåņdikya of the Janaka dynasty.

* Wrongly numbered 37 in the printed text.

38. Khāņdikya who followed the path of action, was banished from his kingdom, accompanied by his preceptor and the ministers. He had limited resources only.

39. After being exiled from the kingdom, he wandered, through the impassable forests. He (Keśhidhvaja) performed many Yajnas and resorted to Jnana also.

40-42. By resorting to the lore about Brahman, he wished to cross the ocean of death. O foremost one among the knowers of Yoga, once as he was performing a sacrifice, a fierce tiger killed his cow in the lonely forest. On knowing that the cow¹¹ was killed by a tiger, he asked the sacrificial priests about the atonement: “What shall be done in this context?” They replied ”We do not know. May Kasheru be consulted.”

11. For tasya dhenum of the NP. dharma-dhenum in the VP. (ibid) v. 13 is better, as it is not any cow but the cow related to the sacrifice whose death needed atonement.

43. O Narada, on being asked by him, Kasheru said--”O leading king! I do not know it. Please refer to Shunaka. He will know it, i.e., must be knowing it.

44-45. He went and asked him. O sage, he told the king, —”Neither Kasheru, nor I, nor anyone in the world now knows it. Only your enemy Khandikya who was defeated by you, knows it. O sage, he said, “I shall go to my enemy in order to consult him.”

46-48. If he kills me, the benefit of the Yajna becomes already acquired by are.¹² If on being asked, my enemy explains the atonement, O excellent sage, the Yoga will be unaffected.” Saying thus, the king, clad in deer skin, rode in the chariot and went to the forest where Khandikya the king was present. On seeing his enemy coming, Khåndikya said with his eyes reddened with anger. He kept his bow fully drawn.

12. Prapta eva maya yajne is obscure grammatically. VP (ibid) 18 prapta eva maha-yajno is clear. Hence adopted in the translation.

Khandikya said:

49-52a. O, will you kill us with the deerskin for your coat of mail? You seem to know (i.e., think) “No one will strike me since I wear deer skin.” O fool, tell me. Is there no deerskin on the back of the deer? I thought that sharp and fierce arrows discharged on them would be futile. I will now kill you. You will not be allowed to go alive. O evil-minded one, you are a desperado; my enemy who has taken away my kingdom

Keśhidhvaja said: 

“O Khåndikya, it is with a view to clear a doubt that I have come to you, and not to kill you. Considering this, leave off either your anger or the arrow.”

52b-55. Thereafter, he (Khandikya) discussed the matter in private with his ministers and his preceptors and priests. Khandikya, the highly intelligent one, consulted everyone. The ministers advised him- “This enemy who has come under our control must be killed. If he is killed the entire earth will be under your control.” Khāndikya replied to all of them- “Undoubtedly it is so.

56. If he is killed the entire earth will be under my control. But the conquest of the other world will be his, while the whole of the earth may be mine.

57. If I don't kill him, the conquest of the other world is mine without the earth. The conquest of the other world lasts till infinity, while the conquest of the earth is of a short duration.

58. Hence, I will not kill him. I will tell him what he asks.” Then Khåndikya Janaka approached his enemy and said: -

59. “Whatever you have to ask me (freely) ask me. I shall tell you.” Then, O sage, he told him about the slaughter of his sacrificial cow.

60. Then he asked him about the expiatory observance of this Vrata. O sage, he duly explained everything to Keśhidhvaja.

61-62. All the expiatory rites ordained in the context were explained by him. After understanding the matter, and being permitted by the noble-souled one he went back to the sacrificial ground and performed the rites duly. After completing the sacrifice duly, he took his ceremonial ablution (Avabhrutha).

63-65a. Becoming contented, the king began to think “All the sacrificial priests have been worshipped. All the members of the sacrificial assembly have been honoured. All the suppliants have been duly provided with the desired objects by me. Whatever was worth doing in this world has been performed by me. How is it that I feel in my mind as though some religious duty has not been finished?

65b-66a. While pondering over thus, the king remembered” O, the requisite fees due to the preceptor have not been given to Khandikya by me.” 

66b-67a. The king thereupon got into his chariot again and went to the impassable forest region where Khåndikya the devotee of Svayambhu, was staying.

67b-68a. On seeing him coming again, Khāņdikya took up his weapon. He stood ready with the intention to kill him. The king Keśhidhvaja then told him.

68b-70. “O Khåndikya, do not be angry. I have not come here to do any harm to you; know that I have come to requite my preceptor. In accordance with your instruction the sacrifice has been duly performed by me. I wish to give you the Gurudakshina (Preceptor's fees). Please choose it and tell me.

On being thus requested, the king again consulted his ministers.

71. “He is desirous of paying the fees of the preceptor. What shall be requested by me?” The ministers said to him, “He may be requested for the gift of the entire kingdom”.

72. King Khandikya laughed and said — “The kingdom is being begged by contented people¹³ whose soldiers have not undergone any stress or strain!

13. VP. (ibid) 45 reads Shatrubhih instead of Krutibhih in the NP. that makes the clause form a part of the ministerial advice that the kingdom is obtained without military engagement.

73-74a. The kingdom of the earth is of a short duration. How can it be requested for by people like me? This is it. You people are such advisors as advocate selfish interest. What is the truth underlying this? You are not clever enough to know it.”¹⁴

14. Another interpretation: “Thus you are the people who tender advice in concerns of this worldly life. But you are not competent enough to advise on matters relating to the higher (spiritual) objects.

74b. After saying this he went up near the king Keshidhvaja and said “will you certainly give the preceptor's fees?” When he said “Of course', Khåndikya spoke to him.

76-77a. “You are truly an expert in the perfect knowledge of spiritual matters. If the preceptor's fee is proposed to be given to me by you, kindly explain to me that holy rite which is capable of subduing the distress.''¹⁵

15. Here ends ch. 6 in VP. VI. Vv. 77 ff. of the NP. constitute VP. VI. ch. 7.

Keshidhvaja said:

776-78a. Why was my thornless kingdom not requested for by you? There is nothing more pleasing to Kshatriyas than the acquisition of a kingdom.

Khandikya said:

78b. O Keśhidhvaja, you understand, why it (kingdom) has not been requested for by me?

79-81. Learned men do not yearn much for the entire kingdom. It is the duty of the Kshatriyas to protect the subjects. Those who are inimical to their own kingdom are to be killed in an honest straightforward war. It was my fault, since I had been weak. There was no harm done by you. This Avidya will only be conducive to bondage though devoid of a direct onslaught. If I were to crave for the kingdom it is a desire for further births and their enjoyment.

 82. Begging and importunity may not be defective in the case of others. They follow only Dharma. It is the considered opinion of good (wise) persons that begging is not conducive to the religious duties (binding on) Kshattriyas.

83-84a. Hence, the kingdom that belongs to you and is embedded in Avidya, is not requested for. Even the learned men whose minds are drawn towards Mamatva (sense of possession) yearn for a kingdom. Those who are inebriated due to the great intoxicating beverage of Ahammāna (egotistic self-esteem) (crave for kingdom) but not people like me.

Keshidhvaja said:

84b-85. By means of Vidya, I am desirous of crossing surmounting) death. I rule the kingdom and perform various sacrifices. By enjoyment of pleasures, the merit dwindles down, but fortunately your mind is richly endowed with the discriminating faculty.

86. Listen, o delighter of the Janaka family, to the form or nature of Avidya. It is the misapprehension of the soul in objects which are not the soul. It is the mistaking of one's own what is not one's own.

87. This is the seed, the outcome of the tree of Nescience stationed in two types.¹⁶ In the physical body consisting of the fine elements the embodied being is enveloped in delusory darkness.¹⁷

16. NP. V. 865-87a constitutes VP. (ibid) v. 11 and the meaning becomes more consistent and clear as follows: “The erroneous notion to regard what is not sell as the self and the notion in regarding what is not One's own as one's own, constitutes the double seed of the tree of Nescience.

17. Though this ch. in the NP. is taken from the VP. VI, the lining of the verses is different from the text of the VP. Thus VV. 88b and 89a constitute verse No 13 in the VP VI. 6 and when these are taken together as in the VP, the meaning is changed. Thus 88b-89a means: “Who will look upon the body as the soul when the soul abides indistinctly (apart) from the five elements constituting the body.”

88-89. The man of crooked intellect has the deep conviction of 'I am this', with regard to the body severally composed of the five elements, viz. Ether, wind, fire, water and earth. Who will entertain the false conception that the body which is not the soul, is the soul? The objects of enjoyment such as the house, the field, etc. have indeed to be enjoyed through the body.¹⁸

18. The lines of verses in the NP are re-arranged according to the VP. VI. 7 and briefly translated for the sake of comparison and noting the difference in the interpretation due to the changes in the lines of the VP. in the text of the NP.

(NP. VV. 89b-90a) What man of understanding would attribute to the incorporeal soul the enjoyments of the body like lands, houses, etc. and would call them his own?

90b-91a. What learned person will entertain the idea of property, in sons and grandsons born of the body, when the body itself ceases to be the self.

91b-92a. It is for the enjoyment of the body that a man performs an act and to obtain its fruits in the next body. But that again results in the perpetuation of the bondage of the body (bodily existence).

92b-93a. Just as a house of clay is plasted with clay and water, so the body which is composed of the earth, is sustained by the earth (i.e., food grown of the earth) and water.

93b-94a. The physical body which is constituted of five elements is nourished by things which are also made of those very elements. Under the circumstances, what did the soul enjoy?

94b-95a. Wandering through the path of Samsara for thousands of births, the soul enveloped in the dust (particles) of desires, attains nothing but exhaustion in the form of delusion.

95b-96a. When that dust is washed off by the hot water of real knowledge, the exhaustion of delusion of the traveller of Samsara is removed.

96b-97a. When the fatigue caused by infatuation is relieved and the person gets internal peace, be attains the supreme salvation which is unparallelled and undisturbed.

97b-98a. The real nature of the soul is pure, constituted of bliss and knowledge. The attributes such as pain, ignorance and impurity belong to Prakrti and not to the Atman.

98b-100a. The water and fire do not come in contact but when the water is placed above the fire in a pot, it bubbles and manifests the properties of fire. Similarly, the soul though absolutely distinct from the Prakrti and its attributes, and uncorrupted, assumes the attributes of the gross nature, when the soul in association with Prakrti gels polluted by egotism and other properties.

100b-101. The seed of ignorance is as described by me. There is no panacea on these worldly miseries except the practice of Yoga.

90. Though the Atman is not the body, even the intelligent man thinks This is mine'. It is thus that he feels in regard to sons and grandsons procreated by that body.

91. Even the learned man feels the sense of owner ship in regard to the body which is non-Atman. Every man performs every action for the enjoyment of the body.

92-93a. When the body itself is something other than the man, it is always interested in binding him. Just as the house made of the earth (a mud-house) is scrubbed, cleaned, and plastered with water and mud, similarly the physical body consisting of earth and other elements is maintained with smearing, etc. with mud and water.

93b-94a. If the body that consists of fivefold means of enjoyment is developed by the same fivefold means of enjoyment, what is it that the man can be proud of?

94b-96a. The individual soul goes through the path of worldly existence in the course of many thousands of births. He is enveloped by the dust of Väsanās, impressions of actions and experiences. He attains delusion and exhaustion. O gentle one, when the dust particles are washed off by means of hot water of perfect knowledge, the delusory exhaustion of the Wayfarer in the path of worldly existence is subdued.

96b-97a. When delusion and exhaustion are subdued, the man's inner sense organ, the heart becomes clear.

Getting a support that cannot be excelled by anything else, he attains the highest bliss of Salvation.

97b-98a. The Atman is of the nature of bliss. It is of the nature of perfect knowledge. It is free from impurities. Misery, ignorance and attributes that are their off-shoots belong to Prakrti and not to the Atman.

98b. Although water has no direct contact with fire, it has the indirect contact through the pot.

99-100. Just as a wise person carries on his functions of uttering sound, etc., similarly the Atman, polluted with ego, etc. due to his contact with Prakrti resorts to dharmas (attributes) connected with Prakrti. When he sheds off the ego, he is immutable and changeless. The seed (root-cause) of Avidya has thus been narrated to you by me.

101. There is nothing other than Yoga that is destructive of miseries.