Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 8
The Manus, Administrators of the Universe
This First Chapter of the Eighth Canto may be summarized as a description of four Manus, namely Svāyambhuva, Svārociṣa, Uttama and Tāmasa. After hearing descriptions of the dynasty of Svāyambhuva Manu until the end of the Seventh Canto, Mahārāja Parīkṣit desired to know about other Manus. He desired to understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends — not only in the past but at the present and in the future — and how He acts in various pastimes as Manu. Since Parīkṣit Mahārāja was eager to know all this, Śukadeva Gosvāmī gradually described all the Manus, beginning with the six Manus who had appeared in the past.
The first Manu was Svāyambhuva Manu. His two daughters, namely Ākūti and Devahūti, gave birth to two sons, named Yajña and Kapila respectively. Because Śukadeva Gosvāmī had already described the activities of Kapila in the Third Canto, he now described the activities of Yajña. The original Manu, along with his wife, Śatarūpā, went into the forest to practice austerities on the bank of the River Sunandā. They practiced austerities for a hundred years, and then Manu, in a trance, formed prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rākṣasas and asuras then attempted to devour him, but Yajña, accompanied by his sons the Yāmas and the demigods, killed them. Then Yajña personally took the post of Indra, the King of the heavenly planets.
The second Manu, whose name was Svārociṣa, was the son of Agni, and His sons were headed by Dyumat, Suṣeṇa and Rociṣmat. In the age of this Manu, Rocana became Indra, the ruler of the heavenly planets, and there were many demigods, headed by Tuṣita. There were also many saintly persons, such as Ūrja and Stambha. Among them was Vedaśirā, whose wife, Tuṣitā, gave birth to Vibhu. Vibhu instructed eighty-eight thousand dṛḍha-vratas, or saintly persons, on self-control and austerity.
Uttama, the son of Priyavrata, was the third Manu. Among his sons were Pavana, Sṛñjaya and Yajñahotra. During the reign of this Manu, the sons of Vasiṣṭha, headed by Pramada, became the seven saintly persons. The Satyas, Devaśrutas and Bhadras became the demigods, and Satyajit became Indra. From the womb of Sunṛtā, the wife of Dharma, the Lord appeared as Satyasena, and He killed all the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas who were fighting with Satyajit.
Tāmasa, the brother of the third Manu, was the fourth Manu, and he had ten sons, including Pṛthu, Khyāti, Nara and Ketu. During his reign, the Satyakas, Haris, Vīras and others were demigods, the seven great saints were headed by Jyotirdhāma, and Triśikha became Indra. Harimedhā begot a son named Hari in the womb of his wife Hariṇī. This Hari, an incarnation of God, saved the devotee Gajendra. This incident is described as gajendra-mokṣaṇa. At the end of this chapter, Parīkṣit Mahārāja particularly asks about this incident.
8.1.1
śrī-rājovāca
svāyambhuvasyeha guro
vaḿśo 'yaḿ vistarāc chrutaḥ
(1) The honorable king said: 'Till now, o guru, I've extensively heard about the dynasty of Svâyambhuva Manu wherein the great rulers of the universe were of creation; please describe for us also the other Manus [see also 3.11: 23-28].
8.1.2
gṛṇanti kavayo brahmaḿs
tāni no vada śṛṇvatām
(2) O brahmin, please tell us, so eager to hear, about all the, by the learned glorified and described, appearances and activities of the Supreme Lord during the changes of the manvantaras [the periods of the Manus *, see also 2.1: 36, 2.3: 9, 2.7: 2, 2.10: 4].
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has different varieties of incarnations, including the guṇa-avatāras, manvantara-avatāras, līlā-avatāras and yuga-avatāras, all of which are described in the śāstras. Without reference to the śāstras there can be no question of accepting anyone as an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, as especially mentioned here, gṛṇanti kavayaḥ: the descriptions of various incarnations are accepted by great learned scholars with perfect intelligence. At the present time, especially in India, so many rascals are claiming to be incarnations, and people are being misled. Therefore, the identity of an incarnation should be confirmed by the descriptions of the śāstras and by wonderful activities. As described in this verse by the word mahīyasaḥ, the activities of an incarnation are not ordinary magic or jugglery, but are wonderful activities. Thus any incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be supported by the statements of the śāstra and must actually perform wonderful activities. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was eager to hear about the Manus of different ages. There are fourteen Manus during a day of Brahmā, and the age of each Manu lasts for seventy-one yugas. Thus there are thousands of Manus during the life of Brahmā.
8.1.3
(3) As for the past, the present and the future, what are the activities that the Supreme Lord, the creator of this universe, in a particular era, o brahmin, either was engaged in, is engaged in and will be engaged in? [compare B.G. 2: 12 and **]
In Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead said that both He and the other living entities present on the battlefield had existed in the past, they existed at present, and they would continue to exist in the future. Past, present and future always exist, both for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and for ordinary living entities. Nityo nityānāḿ cetanaś cetanānām. Both the Lord and the living entities are eternal and sentient, but the difference is that the Lord is unlimited whereas the living entities are limited. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the creator of everything, and although the living entities are not created but exist with the Lord eternally, their bodies are created, whereas the Supreme Lord's body is never created. There is no difference between the Supreme Lord and His body, but the conditioned soul, although eternal, is different from his body.
8.1.4
manavo 'smin vyatītāḥ ṣaṭ
kalpe svāyambhuvādayaḥ
devādīnāḿ ca sambhavaḥ
(4) The great rishi said: 'For this day of Brahmâ [kalpa] have already the six of Svâyambhuva and other Manus passed. I already described the first one to you as well as the appearance of all the godly with him [see 2.7: 43-45, 3.12: 54, 4.1 and 4.8: 6].
8.1.5
dharma-jñānopadeśārthaḿ
(5) From Âkûti and Devahûti, the two daughters of [Svâyambhuva] Manu, were, for instructing the dharma and the jñâna, the sons born who are accepted as being the Supreme Lord.
8.1.6
kapilasyānuvarṇitam
(6) Before I in full described Kapila to you [see Canto 3b], now I'll tell you about all that was done by Yajña[-mûrti or-pati], o best of the Kurus.
8.1.7
(7) The master of the world [Svâyambhuva Manu], the husband of S'atarûpâ, after totally renouncing his kingdom went with his wife into the forest for doing his tapas [see: 3.22: 31].
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.2), evaḿ paramparā-prāptam imaḿ rājarṣayo viduḥ: "The supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way." All the Manus were perfect kings. They were rājarṣis. In other words, although they held posts as kings of the world, they were as good as great saints. Svāyambhuva Manu, for example, was the emperor of the world, yet he had no desire for sense gratification. This is the meaning of monarchy. The king of the country or the emperor of the empire must be so trained that by nature he renounces sense gratification. It is not that because one becomes king he should unnecessarily spend money for sense gratification. As soon as kings became degraded, spending money for sense gratification, they were lost. Similarly, at the present moment, monarchy having been lost, the people have created democracy, which is also failing. Now, by the laws of nature, the time is coming when dictatorship will put the citizens into more and more difficulty. If the king or dictator individually, or the members of the government collectively, cannot maintain the state or kingdom according to the rules of Manu-saḿhitā, certainly their government will not endure.
8.1.8
tapyamānas tapo ghoram
(8) At the river Sunandâ he for a hundred years performed the most severe austerities touching the earth standing on his one leg [see also 4.8: 78-79] murmuring the following, o scion of Bhârata.
8.1.9
(9) Lord Manu said: 'He by whom this whole universe is set in motion is not moved by the universe, He who is always awake while one is asleep in this body, Him, the One knowing, does the living entity not know [see also B.G. 18: 55].
Here is a distinction between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities. Nityo nityānāḿ cetanaś cetanānām. According to the Vedic version, the Lord is the supreme eternal, the supreme living being. The difference between the Supreme Being and the ordinary living being is that when this material world is annihilated, all the living entities remain silent in oblivion, in a dreaming or unconscious condition, whereas the Supreme Being stays awake as the witness of everything. This material world is created, it stays for some time, and then it is annihilated. Throughout these changes, however, the Supreme Being remains awake. In the material condition of all living entities, there are three stages of dreaming. When the material world is awake and put in working order, this is a kind of dream, a waking dream. When the living entities go to sleep, they dream again. And when unconscious at the time of annihilation, when this material world is unmanifested, they enter another stage of dreaming. At any stage in the material world, therefore, they are all dreaming. In the spiritual world, however, everything is awake.
8.1.10
(10) What by Him, the Supersoul everywhere present, with everything animate and inanimate in this and in all other universes, is allotted one may enjoy; on the property of anyone else one should not infringe.
Having described the situation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as transcendental, Svāyambhuva Manu, for the instruction of the sons and grandsons in his dynasty, is now describing all the property of the universe as belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Manu's instructions are not only for his own sons and grandsons, but for all of human society. The word "man" — or, in Sanskrit, manuṣya — has been derived from the name Manu, for all the members of human society are descendants of the original Manu. Manu is also mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (4.1), where the Lord says:
imaḿ vivasvate yogaḿ
manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
"I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku." Svāyambhuva Manu and Vaivasvata Manu have similar duties. Vaivasvata Manu was born of the sun-god, Vivasvān, and his son was Ikṣvāku, the King of the earth. Since Manu is understood to be the original father of humanity, human society should follow his instructions.Svāyambhuva Manu instructs that whatever exists, not only in the spiritual world but even within this material world, is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present everywhere as the Superconsciousness. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (13.3), kṣetra jñam. cāpi māḿ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: in every field — in other words, in every body — the Supreme Lord is existing as the Supersoul. The individual soul is given a body in which to live and act according to the instructions of the Supreme Person, and therefore the Supreme Person also exists within every body. We should not think that we are independent; rather, we should understand that we are allotted a certain portion of the total property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This understanding will lead to perfect communism. Communists think in terms of their own nations, but the spiritual communism instructed here is not only nationwide but universal. Nothing belongs to any nation or any individual person; everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the meaning of this verse. Ātmāvāsyam idaḿ viśvam: whatever exists within this universe is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The modern communistic theory, and also the idea of the United Nations, can be reformed — indeed, rectified — by the understanding that everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is not a creation of our intelligence; rather, He has created us. Ātmāvāsyam idaḿ viśvam. Īśāvāsyam idaḿ sarvam. This universal communism can solve all the problems of the world.
One should learn from the Vedic literature that one's body is also not the property of the individual soul, but is given to the individual soul according to his karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. The 8,400,000 different bodily forms are machines given to the individual soul.
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." The Lord, as the Supersoul, sits in everyone's heart and observes the various desires of the individual soul. The Lord is so merciful that He gives the living entity the opportunity to enjoy varieties of desires in suitable bodies, which are nothing but machines (yantrārūḍhāni māyayā). These machines are manufactured by the material ingredients of the external energy, and thus the living entity enjoys or suffers according to his desires. This opportunity is given by the Supersoul.
Everything belongs to the Supreme, and therefore one should not usurp another's property. We have a tendency to manufacture many things. Especially nowadays, we are building skyscrapers and developing other material facilities. We should know, however, that the ingredients of the skyscrapers and machines cannot be manufactured by anyone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The whole world is nothing but a combination of the five material elements (tejo-vāri-mṛdāḿ yathā vinimayaḥ). A skyscraper is a transformation of earth, water and fire. Earth and water are combined and burnt into bricks by fire, and a skyscraper is essentially a tall construction of bricks. Although the bricks may be manufactured by man, the ingredients of the bricks are not. Of course, man, as a manufacturer, may accept a salary from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is stated here: tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ. One may construct a big skyscraper, but neither the constructor, the merchant nor the worker can claim proprietorship. Proprietorship belongs to the person who has spent for the building. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has manufactured water, earth, air, fire and the sky, and one can use these and take a salary (tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ). However, one cannot claim proprietorship. This is perfect communism. Our tendency to construct great buildings should be used only for constructing large and valuable temples in which to install the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then our desire for construction will be fulfilled.
Since all property belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything should be offered to the Lord, and we should take only prasāda (tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ). We should not fight among ourselves to take more than we need. As Nārada said to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira:
yāvad bhriyeta jaṭharaḿ
adhikaḿ yo 'bhimanyeta
"One may claim proprietorship to as much wealth as required to maintain body and soul together, but one who desires proprietorship over more than that must be considered a thief, and he deserves to be punished by the laws of nature." (Bhāg. 7.14.8) Of course, we need to be maintained in eating, sleeping, mating and defending (āhāra-nidra-bhaya-maithuna), but since the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, has provided these necessities of life for the birds and bees, why not for mankind? There is no need for economic development; everything is provided. Therefore one should understand that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and with this idea, one may take prasāda. However, if one interferes with the allotments of others, he is a thief. We should not accept more than what we actually need. Therefore, if by chance we get an abundance of money, we should always consider that it belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are getting sufficient money, but we should never think that the money belongs to us; it belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and should be equally distributed to the workers, the devotees. No devotee should claim that any money or property belongs to him. If one thinks that any portion of property of this huge universe belongs to anyone, he is to be considered a thief and is punishable by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā: no one can surpass the vigilance of material nature or hide his intentions from material nature. If human society unlawfully claims that the property of the universe, either partially or wholly, belongs to mankind, all of human society will be cursed as a society of thieves and will be punished by the laws of nature.8.1.11
(11) He is not seen by the living entity although His eye always sees, He as the original source of all beings never diminishes, He is the godhead and companion [see 6.4: 24] everyone should worship.
Offering prayers to Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, the mother of the Pāṇḍavas, said, alakṣyaḿ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam: "Kṛṣṇa, You reside both inside and outside of everything, yet the unintelligent conditioned souls cannot see You." In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead through jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ, eyes of knowledge. He who opens these eyes of knowledge is called a spiritual master. Thus we offer our prayers to the spiritual master with the following śloka:
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaḿ yena
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance." (Gautamīya Tantra) The guru's task is to open the disciple's eyes of knowledge. When the disciple is awakened from ignorance to knowledge, he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead everywhere because the Lord actually is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. The Lord resides within this universe, He resides within the hearts of all living entities, and He resides even within the atom. Because we lack perfect knowledge, we cannot see God, but a little deliberation can help us to see God everywhere. This requires training. With a little deliberation, even the most degraded person can perceive the presence of God. If we take into account whose property is the vast ocean, whose property is the vast land, how the sky exists, how the numberless millions of stars and planets are set in the sky, who has made this universe and whose property it is, we should certainly come to the conclusion that there is a proprietor of everything. When we claim proprietorship over a certain piece of land, whether individually or for our families or nations, we should also consider how we became the proprietors. The land was there before our birth, before we came to the land. How did it become our property? Such deliberation will help us understand that there is a supreme proprietor of everything — the Supreme Personality of Godhead.The Supreme Godhead is always awake. In the conditioned stage we forget things because we change our bodies, but because the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not change His body, He remembers past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.1), imaḿ vivasvate yogaḿ proktavān aham avyayam: "I spoke this science of God — Bhagavad-gītā — to the sun-god at least forty million years ago." When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa how He could remember incidents that had taken place so long ago, the Lord answered that Arjuna was also present at that time. Because Arjuna is Kṛṣṇa's friend, wherever Kṛṣṇa goes, Arjuna goes. But the difference is that Kṛṣṇa remembers everything, whereas the living entity like Arjuna, being a minute particle of the Supreme Lord, forgets. Therefore it is said, the Lord's vigilance is never diminished. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15). Sarvasya cāhaḿ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaḿ ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature is always present within the hearts of all living entities, and from Him come memory, knowledge and forgetfulness. This is also indicated in this verse by the word suparṇam, which means "friend." In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (4.6) it is therefore said, dvā suparṇa-sayujā sakhāyā samānaḿ vṛkṣaḿ pariṣasvajāte: two birds are sitting on the same tree as friends. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other is simply observing. This observing bird is always present as a friend to the eating bird and giving him remembrance of things he wanted to do. Thus if we take into account the Supreme Personality of Godhead in our daily affairs, we can see Him or at least perceive His presence everywhere.
The words cakṣur yasya na riṣyati mean that although we cannot see Him, this does not mean that He cannot see us. Nor does He die when the cosmic manifestation is annihilated. The example is given in this connection that the sunshine is present when the sun is present, but when the sun is not present, or when we cannot see the sun, this does not mean that the sun is lost. The sun is there, but we cannot see it. Similarly, although we cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in our present darkness, our lack of knowledge, He is always present, seeing our activities. As the Paramātmā, He is the witness and adviser (upadraṣṭā and anumantā). Therefore, by following the instructions of the spiritual master and studying authorized literatures, one can understand that God is present before us, seeing everything, although we have no eyes with which to see Him.
8.1.12
viśvasyāmūni yad yasmād
(12) Nor is there of Him a beginning, an end or a middle, He belongs to nowhere and to no one, He is the inside nor [just] the outside of the cosmic creation; all these insights on His form and on Him as the cause of the whole universe all together make up the Greatest Truth [see also 2.1: 24].
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described in the Brahma-saḿhitā (5.1):
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
"Kṛṣṇa, known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes." For the Lord's existence there is no cause, for He is the cause of everything. He is in everything (mayā tatam idaḿ sarvam), He is expanded in everything, but He is not everything. He is acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. That is explained in this verse. In the material condition we have a conception of beginning, end and middle, but for the Supreme Personality of Godhead there are no such things. The universal cosmic manifestation is also the virāṭ-rūpa that was shown to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, since the Lord is present everywhere and all the time, He is the Absolute Truth and the greatest. He is complete in greatness. God is great, and how He is great is explained here.8.1.13
(13) That complete of the universe known by so many names [like purusha and virâth rûpa] is the Supreme Controller, the Ultimate Truth of Him personally, self-effulgent, beginningless and the oldest; He by His external energy engenders birth, death and maintenance, by the potency of His Self and Spirit He remains aloof, inactive and untouched [compare 1.7: 23].
Although the material and spiritual energies both belong to the Lord, He is impossible to understand as long as we are in the material energy. And when we come to the spiritual energy, He is very easy to know. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.7.23): māyāḿ vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani. Although the external energy belongs to the Lord, when one is in the external energy (mama māyā duratyayā) He is very difficult to understand. However, when one comes to the spiritual energy, one can understand Him. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55) it is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: one who wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in reality must take to the platform of bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This bhakti consists of various activities (śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaḿ pāda-sevanam/ arcanaḿ vandanaḿ dāsyaḿ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]), and to understand the Lord one must take to this path of devotional service. Even though the people of the world have forgotten God and may say that God is dead, this is not a fact. One can understand God when one takes to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and thus one can be happy.
8.1.14
prāyo 'nīhāḿ prapadyate
(14) Therefore do all the saintly people for the purpose of being free from karma in the beginning perform fruitive labor [karma yoga], as a person engaging thus indeed as good as always attains liberation [see also 1.5: 12, 1.2: 13 and B.G. 3: 9, 6: 3, 3: 6].
In Bhagavad-gītā (3.9) Lord Kṛṣṇa advises, yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaḿ karma-bandhanaḥ: "Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world." Generally, everyone is attracted to hard labor for becoming happy in this material world, but although various activities are going on all over the world simply for the sake of happiness, unfortunately only problems are being created from such fruitive activities. Therefore it is advised that active persons engage in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which are called yajña, because then they will gradually come to the platform of devotional service. Yajña means Lord Viṣṇu, the yajña-puruṣa, the enjoyer of all sacrifices (bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasāḿ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the enjoyer, and therefore if we begin our activities for His satisfaction, we will gradually lose our taste for material activities.
Sūta Gosvāmī declared to the great assembly of sages at Naimiṣāraṇya:
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
"O best among the twice-born, it is concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties [dharma] according to caste divisions and order of life, is to please the Lord Hari." (Bhāg. 1.2.13) According to Vedic principles, everyone must act according to his classification as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī. Everyone should progress toward perfection by acting in such a way that Kṛṣṇa will be pleased (saḿsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]). One cannot please Kṛṣṇa by sitting idly; one must act according to the directions of the spiritual master for the sake of pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and then one will gradually come to the stage of pure devotional service. As confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.12):
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaḿ
"Knowledge of self-realization, even though freed from all material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the infallible [God]." Jñānīs recommend that one adopt naiṣkarmya by not doing anything but simply meditating and thinking of Brahman, but this is impossible unless one realizes Parabrahman, Kṛṣṇa. If there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, any kind of activity, be it philanthropic, political or social, simply causes karma-bandhana, bondage to material work.
As long as one is entangled in karma-bandhana, one must accept different types of bodies that spoil the human form of facility. Therefore, in Bhagavad-gītā (6.3) karma-yoga is recommended:
ārurukṣor muner yogaḿ
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva
"For one who is a neophyte in the yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who has already attained to yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means." Nonetheless:karmendriyāṇi saḿyamya
indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā
"One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender." (Bg. 3.6) One should act for Kṛṣṇa very seriously in order to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and should not sit down to imitate such great personalities 8.1.15
(15) Because of His own gain being satisfied from within, becomes the Supreme Lord, the Controller, engaged indeed never entangled with it and hence are persons following Him never disheartened.
8.1.16
(16) Unto Him who free from selfhood is acting for our benefit, who is complete in knowledge, has no desire to enjoy, is fulfilled, and not led by others, unto Him who is there to instruct all of mankind and to lay out His path; unto that master of all principles and duties I pray that each may surrender.'
8.1.17
iti mantropaniṣadaḿ
dṛṣṭvāsurā yātudhānā
(17) S'rî S'uka said: 'The philosophical mantras thus prayed concentrated the mind, but the Asuras witnessing speeded thereafter desiring to guzzle to their taste.
8.1.18
tāḿs tathāvasitān vīkṣya
yāmaiḥ parivṛto devair
hatvāśāsat tri-viṣṭapam
(18) When Yajña [Vishnu], the Lord in each his heart, saw them that way determined, ruled the Supreme Personality, after having killed them, together with the Yâmas [the ones vowed, His sons] and surrounded by the godly the heavenly worlds.
8.1.19
svārociṣo dvitīyas tu
pramukhās tasya cātmajāḥ
(19) The second Manu next became Svârocisha, the son of Agni and of him there were also the sons headed by Dyumat, Sushena and Rocishmat.
manvantaraḿ manur devā
ṛṣayo 'ḿśāvatāraś ca
There are many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Manu, the manu-putrāḥ (the sons of Manu), the king of the heavenly planets, and the seven great sages are all partial incarnations of the Supreme Lord. Manu himself, his sons Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, the demigods created by Dakṣa, and the ṛṣis like Marīci were all partial incarnations of the Lord during the reign of Svāyambhuva Manu. During that time, the incarnation of the Lord as Yajña took charge of ruling the heavenly planets. The next Manu was Svārociṣa. The Manus and the sages and demigods are further described in the following eleven verses.8.1.20
tatrendro rocanas tv āsīd
devāś ca tuṣitādayaḥ
(20) In that period became, all together faithful to the Absolute Truth, Rocana the heavenly king [the Indra] and were Tushita and other ones there as the godly, while Ûrja, Stambha and others were the seven saints.
8.1.21
ṛṣes tu vedaśirasas
vibhur ity abhiviśrutaḥ
(21) Of the saint Vedas'irâ, impregnating the wife named Tushitâ, was the Lord who was celebrated as Vibhu born.
8.1.22
(22) Eighty-eight thousand saintly persons fixed to the vow took initiation and instruction from Him who remained a celibate brahmacârî.
8.1.23
priyavrata-suto manuḥ
(23) The third who became the Manu was named Uttama, a son of Priyavrata [see 5.1], and of him there were the sons called Pavana, Srîñjaya, Yajñahotra and others.
8.1.24
ṛṣayaḥ pramadādayaḥ
(24) The seven sages were the sons of Vasishthha headed by Pramada, the ones of Satya, Vedas'ruta and Bhadra were the godly and Satyajit was the Indra.
8.1.25
bhagavān puruṣottamaḥ
(25) From the demigod Dharma was from the womb of Sunritâ, the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead celebrated as Satyasena born, appearing together with the Satyavratas.
8.1.26
(26) He together with his friend Satyajit killed all the Yaksha and râkshasa sworn liars and evil spirits of misconduct who constantly harass the living beings.
8.1.27
(27) The fourth Manu to be was the brother of Uttama known by the name of Tâmasa, and thus there were his ten sons headed by Prithu, Khyâti, Nara and Ketu.
8.1.28
satyakā harayo vīrā
devās triśikha īśvaraḥ
jyotirdhāmādayaḥ sapta
ṛṣayas tāmase 'ntare
(28) The Satyakas, the Haris and the Vîras were the godly, Tris'ikha was the heavenly king and the seven sages during the reign of Tâmasa were the ones headed by Jyotirdhâma.
8.1.29
(29) The godly named the Vaidhritis were the sons, o King, who by their own strength managed to protect the Vedas that over time had been lost.
In the Tāmasa manvantara there were two kinds of demigods, and one of them was known as the Vaidhṛtis. The duty of the demigods is to protect the authority of the Vedas. The word devatā refers to one who carries the authority of the Vedas, whereas Rākṣasas are those who defy the Vedic authority. If the authority of the Vedas is lost, the entire universe becomes chaotic. Therefore, it is the duty of the demigods, as well as kings and aides of governments, to give full protection to the Vedic authority; otherwise human society will be in a chaotic condition in which there cannot be peace or prosperity.
8.1.30
harir ity āhṛto yena
gajendro mocito grahāt(30) In that period appeared the Supreme Lord begotten by Harimedhâ from the womb of Harinî and He was called Hari; by Him was Gajendra the king of the elephants, freed from the mouth of a crocodile.'
8.1.31
śrī-rājovāca
(31) The honorable king [Parîkchit] said: 'O son of Vyâsa, this is what we would like to hear from you: in what way delivered the Lord the king of the elephants who was harassed by a crocodile?
8.1.32
yatra yatrottamaśloko
(32) Whenever and wherever there are the narrations in which one glorifies Hari, the Supreme Personality, Uttamas'loka [the Lord Praised in the Verses], finds one great piety, fortune, auspiciousness and all that is good'."
8.1.33
parīkṣitaivaḿ sa tu bādarāyaṇiḥ
(33) S'rî Sûta said: "The son of Vyâsa, thus exhorted by the words of Parîkchit, the son of Arjuna who was awaiting his impending death, o dear brahmins, after complimenting him with great pleasure spoke in the assembly of sages who indeed longed to hear from him."
Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: O brāhmaṇas, when Parīkṣit Mahārāja, who was awaiting impending death, thus requested Śukadeva Gosvāmī to speak, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, encouraged by the King's words, offered respect to the King and spoke with great pleasure in the assembly of sages, who desired to hear him.
*: There are fourteen Manus during a day of Brahmâ, and the age of each Manu lasts for seventy-one yugas. (see picture) Thus there are thousands of Manus during the life of Brahmâ. The six mentioned here are: Svâyambhuva, Svârocisha, Uttama, Tâmasa, Raivata and Câkshusha . A manvantara is a period to the measure of one cycle of the sun around the centre of our galaxy [see the Galactic Order].
**: Often quoted in this context is the dictum: 'Nityo nityânâm cetanas cetanânâm'. Both the Lord and the living entities are eternal and sentient.
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