Essence Of Maha Bhagavatha Purana |
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Further Creations of Lord Brahma Sage Maithreya had thus explained the Concepts of Time and Atom to Vidura and proceeded further to describe about which commenced with creating realities of Existence such as sense of death, self-deception, anger, frustration, feeling of ownership and illusion. But the very first creation of negative impulses did not satisfy Lord Brahma and as such gave the birth to the Four Kumaras-Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanat and Sanatana. He asked the Kumaras to create their own progeny, but they declined to do so as they were in the practice of seminal flow upwards in their bodies. This had irritated Lord Brahma and from the folding of His eyebrows, was born Rudra. Brahma designated a few places to reside Rudra the Chief of Demi-Gods, such as the heart, the senses, Prana Vayu ( The Air of Breathing), and the Five Elements of Life. |
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Brahma also gave Rudra eleven other names,viz. Manyu, Manu, Mahinasa, Mahan, Siva, Rithidwaja, Ugrareta, Bhava, Kala, Vamadeva and Drithavratha. He also created eleven Rudranis, viz. Dhi, Dhriti, Rasala, Uma, Niyut, Sarpi, Ila, Ambica, Iravati, Svadha and Diksha. But Rudra in turn produced progeny of furious nature and Brahma was upset that such progeny might create chaos and imbalance in Nature and thus forced Rudra to eternally practise penance therafter. Lord Brahma decided thus to create Ten sons: Narada ( concieved from the thoughtfulness of Brahma, hence known to the posterity as ‘Manasa Puthra’); Vasishtha from His Breathing; Daksha from a Thumb, Bhrigu from touch; Kratu from a hand; Pulastya from ears; Angira from mouth, Atri from eyes, Marichi from mind and Pulaha from navel. In addition, religion emerged from His breast, irreligion or sacrilege from His Back and death from Brahma’s Living identity; lust and desire from the Heart; anger from eyebrows, greed from lips, power of communication from mouth; ocean from genitals; and all evil activities from anus, the seat of sin. Sage Kardama was born from Brahma’s shadow. When Vak Devi or Sarasvati was born, Brahma was infatuated with her and when Prajapaties or His Sons, appealed to Him, He was ashamed of the evil design on her and manifested Himself as haze in darkness. Emerging from His Four Front Heads came out from His Mouths the Four Vedas-Rik,Yajur, Sama and Atharvana. Vedic Hymns, Ritual Mantras and Allied such Recitations too emerged from the Front Heads. The Fifth Head on the rear side came out Puranas and Historical Accounts of The Supreme Force thus envisioning the Past, Present and Future. Side by side, the various Sciences of Physiology and Medicine, Art and Architecture, Music and Dance, Astronomy and Gastronomy, Military and Finance and so on inclusive of all the’ Chatur Shashthi’ ( or sixty four) types of Professions or their various specialisations were emanated. The Eight Categories of Fire Sacrifices and their methodologies of performance were descibed too, viz. Sodasi, Ukta, Purusi, Agnistoma, Aptoryama, Atiratra, Vajapeya and Gosava emerged from the eastern mouth of Brahma. From the other mouths were announced the Orders of ‘Chaturvarnas’ or the Four Caste System and Their ‘Dharmas’ or duties; the Thread Ceremony of Twice Born or the Brahmin caste, abstinence of sex, the duties of Four Stages of life,viz.Brahmacharya ( Student life), Grihastha ( Married Life), Vanaprastha ( Retired Life) and Sanyasa ( Spiritual Life).Of the Retired Life, there are Vaikhanasas, Valakhilyas, Audumbaras and Phenapas. Pranava Omkara manifested from Lord Brahma’s heart and the Gayatri Mantra came out of His skin. The ‘usnik’ or the method of literary expression of Vedic Hymns was created from His hairs of the Body, ‘Tristup’ from His flesh, ‘Anusthup ’ from His veins, and ‘Jagati’ from bones. Of the alphabet words, Brahma created Consonants and Vowels from His Soul and Body respectively and the sensual activities as the Seven Notes of Music,Viz. ‘Sa’, ‘Re’, ‘Ga’, ‘Ma’,’Pa’ ‘Da’ and ‘Ni’. Brahma’s son Manu ( also known as Swayambhu) married Satrupa and they had two sons Priyavrata and Uttanapada and three daughters viz.Ahuti, Devasuti and Prasuti. Ruchi, Kardama and Daksha were married to the three daughters respectively. The offspring of Manu were added thus to the great humanity.Among the daughters of Daksha and Prasuti, Diti was one of the many daughters who was married to Sage Kasyapa. Sati was another sister of Diti and the former was Lord Shiva’s consort. Diti gave birth to two Demon Kings, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. In their previous lives, the Demon Kings were actually the Gate Keepers of ‘Vaikuntha’, the Abode of Lord Maha Vishnu. Although the Gates of Vaikuntha were never closed, the Two Gate Keepers, named Jaya and Vijay had stopped entry to the Renowned Kumara Brothers to approach Lord Maha Vishnu. The Boy-Rishis were Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanat Kumar and Sanatana. After protests to the Gate Keepers, the Boy-Sages gave them a curse to become ferocious King Demons born to Diti and Kasyapa; they however begged of the Kumaras to receive boons to get killed by Lord Vishnu Himself. That was the reason as to why, the Lord had to assume the Incarnations of Varaha, Narasimha and so on. As soon as Diti gave birth to the sons, there were natural calamities, planetery movement was odd, and there was a very high commotion the World over. As the Demon Brothers grew, the Heavens were the targets and the entire lot of demi-Gods trembled out of fright. The major casualities were the Earth and Oceans and the complete planetery system went out of gear. Lord Brahma who granted boons the the Demons himself had the taste of uneasiness and discomfort as the Earth was being rolled up as though it was like a carpet and was hurled into the depths of the huge Ocean by Hiranyaksha, the elder Demon King. That was the crisis when Lord Vishnu had to act. The boons granted by Brahma to Hiranyaksha excluded the detailed list of species of which there was the animal of a Hog that was ommitted. As such, the Lord discovered the loophole and took to the manifestation of a boar.His appearance as finger long , the Boar grew up in stature and strength occupying the Sky and Water, lifted the massive weight of Earth which sank deep in Mighty Water, and by Power and Energy displayed by Its Massive Tusks, a mighty push high from the Water, tossed up Earth in order and balance. The Most Invaluable Vedas and Innumerable and Priceless Sciptures handed by Lord Brahma to Humanity were retrieved and finally after a prolonged cosmic war between the Evil and Truth, massive destruction and recovery, Order and Chaos, the Demon King got annihilated. The very existence of Earth would have been jeopardised and the Scheme of Lord’s Creation would have been falsified except for the gigantic effort made by the Super Force, in the Form of Varaha.Vidura enquired as to what followed, once normalcy was witnessed after the eventful extermination of Hirnayaksha. Maitreya replied that when the equilibrium of the modes of Nature got disrupted, there was a false ego and domination of ‘Rajas’ Guna which took the lead. Brahma evolved a shadow of illusion and formed five kinds of ignorance,viz.tamisra, andha misra, tamas, moha and mahamoha. The aspects of passion, sex and infatuation predominated. Simultaneously, there was gaining importance to ritual aspects of religion including meditation, concentration,austerity, and penance. This trend has set in motion the streams of passion and avarice on the one hand and the practices of Virtue as promoted by Manu and His progeny on the other. |
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