ESSENCE OF MAHA BHAGAVATHA PURANA Compiled, Composed and Interpreted by V.D.N.Rao, Former General Manager, India Trade Promotion Organisation, Union Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India ESSENCE OF MAHA BHAGAVATA PURANA CONTENTS PAGES Illusion and Creation OM King Parikshith and Bramin boy’s Curse 1 Awareness of God 2 Virat Purusha –The Primeaval Force 3 Introspection 4 Yoga 5 Simpler Approach 4 Creation By Brahma 5 Ten Stage Formation 5 Example of Vidura, the Virtuous 6 Vidura’s Deliberations with Sage Maitreya 7 Analysis of Atom and Time 9 Further Creations of Lord Brahma 10 Manu and Protegy 12 Sage Kapila and Sankya Yoga 12 Eight Stages of Yoga 13 Geneological Order of Manu’s Clan 13 Sati Devi and Lord Siva 14 Details of Shakti Peethas 15 Devotion and Realisation of Dhruva 16 Dhruva and his Lineage 17 Prajapati Priyavrata travelled All over Universe 18 Description of Planets 19 Sisumara Planetary System 21 The story of Ajamila 24 Narada Cursed By Reborn Daksha 25 Reborn Daksha’s Descendents 26 New Brihaspati ‘Narayana Kanacha’ to Indra 26 Visvarupa reborn As Vritrasura 27 Narada Teaches Narada Pancha Ratra to Chandraketu 28 Diti revengful of Indra and Pumsavana Sacrifice 29 Was ishnu Partial to Daityas? 30 Hiranyakasipu and Prahlada 31 Varnashrama and Grihasti Dharma in Prahlada’s Regime 31 Salvation of Gajendra the Elephant King 33 Mammoth Churning of Ocean for ‘Amtit’ ( Nectar) 33 War by Demons and Demi Gods 35 Suka Muni’s Prophesies of Future Manus 35 Incarnation of Vamana and suppression of King Bali 36 Role of satyavrata in Matsyavara Avatara 37 - - Present Manu Vivasvanta and his Progeny 38 Harischandra an Unparalled Example of Virtue and Truth 40 Bhagiradha a Model of Perseverance 41 Lord Rama the Epic Hero 41 Details of Chandra Vamsa –the Dynasty of Moon 43 Parasurama the paradigm of Paternal Devotion 43 The Lineage of King Pururava 44 Maha Vishnu Avatar as Krishna 45 Krishna’s Vigorous Drive of Spiritual Love 47 Narada’s Futuristic Vision 48 Krishna’s demolition of Kamsa and other Demons 48 Rukmini abducted by Lord Krishna 51 Samantaka Mani, Satyabhama and Jambavati Secured 51 The Destruction of Narakasura (Bhamika) 52 Aniruddhha’s Wedding with Usha 53 Lord Krishna Kills Sisupala 53 Sudama,boyhood friend, honoured by Krishna 54 Vedas-Sourcing Material Par Excellence of Supreme Energy 55 Maha Vishnu’s Darshan to Krishna and Arjun 55 Bhasmasura over smarted by Lord Vishnu and burnt to ashes 56 Great Rishis Cursed ‘Yadu Vamsa’ to the destroyed 57 Nine Yogindras provide replies to Maharaja Nimi 57 Incarnations of Nara Narayan, Dattatreya and Hayagreeva 58 Prabhasa Kshetra – Uddhava Gita Preachings by Krishna 59 Avadhuta Secured Inspiration from Nature 59 Detachment-Varnashrama Dharma, Vidhis & Niyamas 60 Vedic Routes of Achieving the Union 62 Destruction of Yadu Dynasity and Krishna ‘Niryana’ 63 Degradation of further Dynasities and Kali Yuga 64 King Parikshith passes away 64 Original Propagation of Vedas 64 Vision of Virat Purusha 65 Summing Up 66 - - Essence of Maha Bhagavatha Purana Inspired by the Great Narada Maharshi, the memorable Vedavyasa prepared immortal contributions to the posterity including Vedic Literature, Puranas and rendering of Bhagavatam. He gifted Bhagavatha Purana to his illustrious son Suka Maha Muni. King Parikshith, who was cursed by a Brahmin boy that he would die within a week’s time, decided to live the next few days by seeking the Truth of Life and approached no less a person than Suka Maha Muni to preach the Great Essentials of Human Life within the shortest time available before his end.This background as to how Suka Maha Muni preached King Parikshith was narrated by Suta Maharshi to a holy congregation of Rishis ( Sages) headed by Sounaka Muni who assembled at the Forest of ‘Nimisharanya’.In his introductory address, Suta Maharshi referred to Lord Krishna as the all-pervading, all-knowing, and all-powerful Supreme Force. There are indeed countless teachings to comprehend the complexity of the Super Force, but the path of realisation continued to elude humanity, especially in the age of Kali Yuga, when human beings are short lived, lazy, misguided and unconvinced.That was the reason why Suka Maha Muni chose to highlight the essence of the Truth of Life in a simple form as compared to the intricacies of the Sacred Scriptures like Vedas;this occasion of King Parikshith’s impending death provided an opportunity to do so. Illusion and Creation Suta Maharshi began with the concept of ‘Maya’ (Illusion) - the hard outer shell of body hiding the Interior Soul. ‘Maya’ is derived from Material Sources, which in turn, is associated with three features of the Super Force, viz. ‘Tamas’( Ignorance), ‘Rajas’( Passion), Sathva (Goodness).The examples of firewood, smoke and fire were cited to illustrate the three features to represent Brahma (Creation or Earth),Vishnu (Sustenance) and Eswar (destruction or the Final Negation of ‘Maya’).The feature of ‘Tamas’ is akin to material wellbeing, characterised by women, wealth, power and evil. The ‘Rajas’ is akin to the effort of acquisition of knowledge, devotion, yoga and Sacrifice and the final feature, ‘Satva’ or ‘Dharma’ or the release of Inner Energy to align with the Super Force. At the beginning of Creation, The Super Power or ‘Purusha’ expanded ‘The Self’ to concieve Brahma, who in turn created the Universe and innumerable manifestations of demi-Gods like Earth, Water, Light, Wind (Life), and the Sky; the Four Sons (Kumaras) known as Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat Kumaras; the Boar which lifted Earth from the Bottom Regions; Narada, who collected ‘Vedas’- Original Scriptures- and their Interpretation; ‘Nara’ and ‘Narayana’ the twin sons of King ‘Dharma’; the Sage ‘Kapila’ who was the foremost of perfected beings who provided an exposition of creative elements, metaphysics and the secrets of the Universe; the Sage ‘Atri’who taught about the subject of transendence; ‘Yagna’, the son of Prajapati Ruchi and his wife Akuti, whose son is ‘Yama’; King Rasabha, the son of King Nabhi and Merudevi, who showed the path of perfection and controlled senses; King ‘Pruthu’who cultivated land to yield all kinds of produces and made farm lands beautiful and bountiful; took the form of a Fish when the whole world was immersed in deep waters and protected Vaivasvata Manu on a Giant Boat; the Tortoise which bore the brunt of Mountain ‘Mandhara’ used as the churning rod of Ocean with ‘Vasuki’ the Great Serpent as the rope to finally generate ‘Amrit’, the Eternal Life Giving Drink sought by Demi-Gods and Demons; ‘Dhanvantari’, the Demi- God of Medicine; ‘Mohini’, the Supreme Enchantress who helped to bestow ‘Amrit’ to Demi-Gods - - and denied it to the Demons; as Lord ‘Narasimha’- the Man-Lion manifestation who killed the deadly ‘Rakshasa’ King, ‘Hiranyakasipu’ and rescued Prahlada, the embodiment of Devotion to Lord Vishnu; as ‘Vamana’, the Dwarf- Brahmachari (Student) who sought charity for merely three steps of land from King Bali- who conquered theThree Worlds from Demi-Gods -and thus pushed the King down to’Patala’, the Under World; as Bhrigupati or Parasu Rama who fought twenty one bloody wars against ‘Kshatriyas’ or the clan of Kings who suppressed and tormented the Class of ‘Brahmins’; as ‘Vyasadeva’, the son of ‘Satyavati’ and ‘Parasara, who made Branches of ‘A Single Veda’ (which is ‘Swayambhu’ or Constituted On Its Own) into Four Vedas and many other ramifications; as Lord Rama- the Hero of Epic Ramayana, the Embodiment of Power and Justice, and as ‘Maryada Purusha’ or the Bench-mark of Nobility and Virtue-who annihilated ‘Ravana’ the Supreme Demon Warrier; as Lords Krishna and Balarama who vindicated ‘Dharma’ and ‘Nyaya’ against the vicious and unjust in a World of Evil, Jealousy and Selfishness, by ending countless Demons; as Lord Buddha the Enlightened who preached Non-Violence, Truth and Social Justice; and as ‘Kalki’at the terminal part of ‘Kali Yuga’ who strode high on a white and flying horse with a powerful sword in hands by buchering the degenerated kings, animals and devils in the disguise of humans and sub- humans. Apart from these incarnations, the Super Power took to innumerable other manifestations as Sages, Demi Gods, ‘Manus’ or Leaders of each Manvantar or Long Capsules of Time (‘Yugas’), ‘Prajapaties’ or Noble Kings, or Godmen. The purpose of ‘Avataras’ or Incarnations of The Supreme Force or Mahavishnu was to re- establish and resuscitate Virtue, Justice and Values of Life, whenever or wherever disorder or disequilibrium appeared in the Universe. The Motto of The Supreme Lord is: Yada Yadahi Dharmascha glanir bhavati Bharata, Thadaatmaham Srijaayami Sambhavami Yuge Yuge (Hey Bharata, as and when Virtue is in jeopardy, I create the Self and appear again and again). King Parikshit and Brahmana boy’s curse At the close of the Great Battle of Mahabharatha, ‘Duryodhna’, the last wicked warrior fell on the ground with his thighs broken by ‘Bhima’. ‘Aswathama’, the son of Drona, killed the sons of ‘Arjuna’ in sleep out of vengence.Arjuna hunted for Aswathama who had to utilise the Greatest Weapon ‘Brahma Astra’to counter Arjuna who too used the same weapon back again to control Aswathama. But, as advised by Dharma Raja,the elder brother of Arjuna and close associate of Lord Krishna, let go of Aswathama, by cutting his hair and a Natural Jewel on his head, which by itself was a punishment. ‘Bhisma Pitamaha, the Grand Old Grandfather figure of Kuruvamsa who was felled on the battle field but availed of his boon to die at his own volition, waited till ‘Uttarayana’ or the time for Sun’s course towards northern hemisphere, and joined the Supreme Soul. Lord Krishna who returned to ‘Dwaraka’ City after the Great Battle had eventually ended His Incarnation and merged with His Own Super Power.