VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 7
The Devotion in Samhitâ Branches and the Ten Topics of the Purânas
(The Purāṇic Literatures)
In this chapter Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī describes the expansion of the branches of the Atharva Veda, enumerates the compilers of the Purāṇas and explains the characteristics of a Purāṇa. He then lists the eighteen major Purāṇas and finishes his account by stating that any person who hears about these matters from someone in a proper disciplic succession will acquire spiritual potency.
12.7.1
saḿhitāḿ so 'pi pathyāya
vedadarśāya coktavān
(1) S'rî Sûta said: "Sumantu Rishi, the expert on the Atharva Veda as you know [see 6: 52-53], instructed his collection to his disciple [named Kabandha], who [dividing it in two] was pleased to speak it to Pathya and Vedadars'a.
As confirmed in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
atharva-vedaḿ sa muniḥ
kabandhaḿ so 'pi ca dvidhā
"That sage Sumantu, whose brilliance was immeasurable, taught the Atharva Veda to his disciple Kabandha. Kabandha in turn divided it into two parts and passed them down to Vedadarśa and Pathya."SB 12.7.2
śauklāyanir brahmabalir
modoṣaḥ pippalāyaniḥ
vedadarśasya śiṣyās te
pathya-śiṣyān atho śṛṇu
kumudaḥ śunako brahman
jājaliś cāpy atharva-vit
modoṣaḥ pippalāyaniḥ
vedadarśasya śiṣyās te
pathya-śiṣyān atho śṛṇu
kumudaḥ śunako brahman
jājaliś cāpy atharva-vit
(2) Please listen: S'auklâyani, Brahmabali, Modosha and Pippalâyani, the disciples of Vedadars'a and the disciples of Pathya, my dear brahmin, Kumuda, S'unaka and Jâjali, were all authorities on the Atharva Veda as well.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Vedadarśa divided his edition of the Atharva Veda into four parts and instructed them to his four disciples. Pathya divided his edition into three parts and instructed it to the three disciples mentioned here.
12.7.3
babhruḥ śiṣyo 'thāngirasaḥ
sāvarṇādyās tathāpare
(3) Babhru and Saindhavâyana, disciples of S'unaka, then the same manner learned two Samhitâs and so did other disciples headed by Sâvarna [learn from them].
12.7.4
nakṣatrakalpaḥ śāntiś ca
kaśyapāńgirasādayaḥ
ete ātharvaṇācāryāḥ
(4) Nakshatrakalpa, S'ântikalpa, Kas'yapa and Ângirasa belong to these âcâryas of the Atharva Veda. Now hear, o sage, about the authorities of the Purânas.
12.7.5
trayyāruṇiḥ kaśyapaś ca
sāvarṇir akṛtavranaḥ
(5) Trayyâruni, Kas'yapa, Sâvarni, Akritavrana, Vais'ampâyana and Hârîta are the six masters of the Purânas.
12.7.6
saḿhitāḿ mat-pitur mukhāt
(6) They learned the collection from the mouth of Vyâsa's pupil, my father [Romaharshana], and I, as a disciple from each of them learning one portion, became well versed in them all.
12.7.7
rāma-śiṣyo 'kṛtavranaḥ
catvāro mūla-saḿhitāḥ
(7) Kas'yapa, I, Sâvarni and Akritavrana, who is a disciple of Râma [of the Bhârgavas or Pâras'urâma, see also 10.74: 7-9], have assimilated four basic collections from the disciple of Vyâsa.
12.7.8
brahmarṣibhir nirūpitam
veda-śāstrānusārataḥ
(8) O brahmin, please listen attentively to what the characteristics of a Purâna are, which in accordance with the vedic scriptures by the most intelligent brahmin seers have been ascertained.
12.7.9-10
sargo 'syātha visargaś ca
vaḿśo vaḿśānucarītaḿ
saḿsthā hetur apāśrayaḥ
daśabhir lakṣaṇair yuktaḿ
mahad-alpa-vyavasthayā
(9-10) The creation [of this universe, sarga], the subsequent creation [of different worlds and beings, visarga], the maintenance [the sustenance, the vritti or sthâna] and protection [the rakshâ or poshana of the living beings], the reigns [of the various Manus], the dynasties [vams'as], the narrations about them [vams'a-anucaritam], the annihilation [of different kinds, pralaya or samsthâ], the motivation [of individuality or hetu] and the supreme shelter [of the Fortunate One or apâs'raya], o brahmin, are the ten topics characterizing a Purâna as understood by the authorities on the matter; some state that relative to the greater ones, the lesser Purânas deal only with five of these subjects [see also S'uka on this 2.10: 1-7 and *].
The ten subjects of a great Purāṇa are also described in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.10.1):
śrī-śuka uvāca
manvantareśānukathā
nirodho muktir āśrayaḥ
"Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are ten divisions of statements regarding the following: the creation of the universe, subcreation, planetary systems, protection by the Lord, the creative impetus, the change of Manus, the science of God, returning home (back to Godhead), liberation and the summum bonum."According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Purāṇas such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam deal with these ten topics, whereas lesser Purāṇas deal with only five. As stated in Vedic literature:
sargaś ca pratisargaś ca
vaḿśo manvantarāṇi ca
vaḿśānucaritaḿ ceti
"Creation, secondary creation, the dynasties of kings, the reigns of Manus and the activities of various dynasties are the five characteristics of a Purāṇa." Purāṇas covering five categories of knowledge are understood to be secondary Purāṇic literature.Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained that the ten principal topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are found within each of the twelve cantos. One should not try to assign each of the ten topics to a particular canto. Nor should the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam be artificially interpreted to show that it deals with the topics successively. The simple fact is that all aspects of knowledge important to human beings, summarized in the ten categories mentioned above, are described with various degrees of emphasis and analysis throughout the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
12.7.11
mahatas tri-vṛto 'hamaḥ
bhūta-sūkṣmendriyārthānāḿ
(11) Creation [sarga] is what is called the generation from the primordial state. From that state the agitation of the modes raised the cosmic intelligence from which the identification with matter rose the way it is divided in three aspects [or types of beings to the modes]. This further led to the manifestation of the subtle forms of perception, the senses and the objects of perception [formation by the conditioning of and identification with Time, compare 2.10: 3].
12.7.12
puruṣānugṛhītānām
visargo 'yaḿ samāhāro
bījād bījaḿ carācaram
(12) The secondary creation [visarga] is the assemblage consisting of the inherent properties [the vâsanâs] of the moving and nonmoving living beings. These propensities are, to the grace of the Original Person [purusha], produced the same way seed produces more seeds.
Just as a seed grows into a tree that produces thousands of new seeds, material desire develops into fruitive activity that stimulates thousands of new desires within the heart of the conditioned soul. The word puruṣānugṛhītānām indicates that by the mercy of the Supreme Lord one is allowed to desire and act in this world.
12.7.13
kāmāc codanayāpi vā
(13) Living beings subsist on [vritti] other living beings that move around or else do not move around. For specifically human beings this means that one for one's livelihood acts according to one's personal nature in which one either lives one's lust or acts in agreement with the [religious] rules.
12.7.14
rakṣācyutāvatārehā
tiryań-martyarṣi-deveṣu
(14) Rakshâ [or protection] is there with the Incarnations of the Infallible One. Age after age being present among the animals, the mortals, the seers and the demigods, are by these incarnations the enemies of the threefold Veda killed [see also B.G. 4: 7].
The protective activities of the Lord, indicated by the word rakṣā, constitute one of the ten fundamental topics of a Mahā-Purāṇa, or a great Purāṇic literature.
12.7.15
manvantaraḿ manur devā
rṣayo 'ḿśāvatārāś ca
(15) With every reign of a Manu there is the sixfold of the Lord: the Manu, the demigods, the sons of the Manu, the different controllers of the enlightened [the Indras], the seers [or rishis], and the partial incarnations [the Lord His ams'a-avatâras].
12.7.16
vaḿśas trai-kāliko 'nvayaḥ
vaḿśānucaritaḿ teṣām
(16) Dynasties [vams'as] originating from Brahmâ extend into the threefold of time [trikâlika] as series of kings and their histories [vams'a-anucaritam] describe the activities of the prominent members in succession.
12.7.17
naimittikaḥ prākṛtiko
saḿstheti kavibhiḥ proktaś
caturdhāsya svabhāvataḥ
(17) The occasional, elemental, continuous and ultimate annihilation that is effected by His potency constitutes the four aspects of what the scholars describe as the dissolution of this universe [as samsthâ or pralaya, see also 12.4].
12.7.18
hetur jīvo 'sya sargāder
yaḿ cānuśāyinaḿ prāhur
avyākṛtam utāpare
(18) The motive [hetu] of the creation [sarga] and everything that belongs to it, is the individual living soul [jîva], who out of ignorance is the performer of fruitive activities [karma]. Others on the contrary speak of the unmanifest underlying personality.
The Supreme Lord Himself creates, maintains and annihilates the cosmos. However, such activities are performed in response to the desires of conditioned souls, who are described herein as hetu, or the cause of cosmic activity. The Lord creates this world to facilitate the conditioned soul's attempt to exploit nature and ultimately to facilitate his self-realization.
Since conditioned souls cannot perceive their own constitutional identity, they are described here as avyākṛtam, or unmanifest. In other words, the living entity cannot perceive his real form unless he is completely Kṛṣṇa conscious.
12.7.19
vyatirekānvayo yasya
jīva-vṛttiṣv apāśrayaḥ
(19) God as the supreme shelter [apâs'raya] is, separately for Himself as well as conjoint, present within the waking, sleeping and dreamless state, within the things presented by the illusory energy and within the functions of individuality.
12.7.20
bījādi-pañcatāntāsu
hy avasthāsu yutāyutam
(20) The basic substance of material objects is connected to, as well as independent from, their separate existence as things that have a name and form. The same way it is [with God who] throughout the various phases of a bodily existence, [is connected to as well as independently present] from the seed in the beginning up to the five elements [one returns to] in the end [compare 8.6: 10].
Moist clay can be molded into various shapes and named "waterpot," "flowerpot" or "storage pot." Despite the various names and forms, the essential ingredient, earth, is constantly present. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is present throughout a material body's stages of bodily existence. The Lord is identical with material nature, being its ultimate generating source. At the same time, the unique Supreme Being exists separately, aloof in His own abode.
12.7.21
yogerla vā tadātmānaḿ
vedehāyā nivartate
(21) Of its own or through yoga, thought may stop in transcendence of the threefold state [vritti-traya]. When one ceases from material endeavoring one knows the Supreme Soul [see also 3.25: 32-33].
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.33), jarayaty āśu yā kośaḿ nigīrṇam analo yathā: "Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate endeavor, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat." The subtle material body is inclined to exploit nature through sex, greed, false pride and madness. Loving service to the Lord, however, dissolves the stubborn false ego and lifts one to pure blissful consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the sublime perfection of existence.
12.7.22
munayo 'ṣṭādaśa prāhuḥ
(22) This way distinguished by their characteristics there are, so say the sages expert in the ancient stories, eighteen big and [eighteen] small Purânas [from 9.000 up tot 81.000 verses, see also Upa-purâna].
12.7.23-24
(23-24) They are known as the three times six Purânas [to each guna-avatâra] called Brahmâ, Padma, Vishnu, S'iva, Linga, Garuda, Nârada, Bhâgavata, Agni, Skanda, Bhavishya, Brahma-vaivarta, Mârkandeya, Vâmana, Varâha, Matsya, Kûrma and Brahmânda [see Purânas].
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has quoted from the Varāha Purāṇa, Śiva Purāṇa and Matsya Purāṇa in confirmation of the above two verses.
12.7.25
brahmann idaḿ samākhyātaḿ
(25) O brahmin, I thus described thoroughly the knowledge conducive to one's spiritual potency the way it is divided by the sage [Vyâsa], his disciples and the disciples of his disciples."
Thus end of the Twelfth Canto, Seventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Purāṇic Literatures."
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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