Radha Krishna - Chapter 5: The Fifth and Sixth Manu and the Prayers of Brahmâ with the Suras

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Oh King, I have described to you this [story] which drives away all impurity about the action of the Lord delivering the pious Gajendra. Now hear about the time of Raivata Manu. (2) The fifth Manu known as Raivata was the brother of Tâmasa and his sons were Bali, Vindhya and others with Arjuna as the eldest one. (3) Vibhu ruled the heavens [as the Indra] oh King, the Bhûtarayas and others were the gods and Hiranyaromâ, Vedas'irâ, Ûrdhvabâhu and others were the twice-born ones [the seven sages]. (4) From S'ubhra and his wife Vikunthhâ, Vaikunthha appeared, the Supreme Lord in person, together with the God-conscious followers of the Truth named the Vaikunthhas as His expansions. (5) Just to please the Goddess of Fortune, He upon her request and to the appreciation of all, built a world free from carelessness, [another] Vaikunthha. (6) If someone would try to enumerate His exploits, qualities and transcendental glories such a person would count as many transcendental qualities of Vishnu as there are particles of dust.

(7) The sixth Manu was Câkshusha, the son of Cakshu and his sons were Pûru, Pûrusha, Sudyumna and others after them. (8) Mantradruma was the heavenly king during that period, the gods were the Âpyas and so on and Havishmân, Vîraka and others were the sages, oh King. (9) From Vairâja and his wife Devasambhûti there was in that period a son named Ajita who was a partial incarnation [an ams'a-avatâra] of the Lord, the Master of the Universe. (10) When the ocean [of milk] was churned, He, as Kûrma residing in the water in the form of a tortoise, with the left and right movements of Mandara Mountain [on His back], produced the nectar for the Suras.'

(11-12) S'rî Parîkchit said: 'Oh brahmin for what purpose was the ocean of milk churned with the mountain, why did He reside in the water as a tortoise and what came along with the nectar that the godly ones thus obtained? Please be so kind to describe all these so very wonderful activities of the Supreme Lord. (13) My heart for so long suffering the misery [of a material existence] is not yet fully satisfied with you describing the glories of the Master of the Devotees.' "

(14) S'rî Sûta Gosvâmî said: "The great son of Vyâsadeva thus being requested oh dear twice-born souls, complimented him and began to describe the heroism of the Lord. (15-16) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the godly ones were besieged by the Asuras who fought them with their sharp edged weapons, the majority of them had fallen [on the battlefield] so that they could not rise to their feet again. Because sage Durvâsâ had cursed Indra and his three worlds [*] oh King, they [who had survived] were all poverty-stricken and could not perform the rituals and ceremonies any longer. (17-18) The Suras, the great Indra, Varuna and the other demigods who saw what took place, engaged in a discussion but could by themselves not reach a satisfactory conclusion. They then went to the assembly of Lord Brahmâ on top of mount Meru, offered him their obeisances and informed him about it all. (19-20) When the almighty Lord Brahmâ, saw how Indra, Vâyu and the rest were bereft of their significance and power of expression and how the three worlds were plunged in ill fortune while the Asuras were flourishing, he focussed his attention by calling to mind the Original Person in the beyond and bright-faced addressed the godly ones: (21) 'I, Lord S'iva, you all, as also all the demons, the human beings, the animals, the trees, the plants, the insects and the germs all generated from Him, from His partial incarnation [from me] and from all the ones who are a part of me [the sages and such]. Let us all seek our refuge in the Inexhaustible One. (22) As for Him no one should be killed or be protected, no one should be neglected or be followed. Nevertheless He, at times [as an avatâra] siding with passion, goodness or ignorance, accepts it to be of creation, maintenance and annihilation [see also B.G. 9: 29 and 4: 8]. (23) It is now time to establish, for the welfare of all living beings, His rule of maintenance in the mode of goodness. Let us thus take to the shelter of the Teacher of the Universe. May He so full of affection for His people - us the Suras - bring the good fortune we crave for [see B.G. 14 and 18].'

(24) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Lord of the Veda thus talking to the Suras oh subduer of the enemies, went together with the gods directly to the abode of [Vishnu] the Invincible One beyond the world of darkness. (25) There, unto Him whose form cannot be seen but about whom all of the Veda speaks, the master of the gods uttered the divine prayer the vibrations of which then settled the rule over the senses. (26) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'The Unchanging One, the Truth Unlimited, the Original Cause in everyone's heart, the Undiminishing, Inconceivable, Evanescent, Intangible and Indescribable One, the Unsurpassed and Greatest Godhead most desirable, we gods all do offer our obeisances [compare 6.3: 20-21 and B.G. 15: 15 and 9: 4]. (27) I seek my refuge in the Supreme Spirit of the life force, mind and intelligence of all living beings, the One ever vigilant to everything objective, the senses and the knowledge, the One immaculate, impartial shelter and light of all the ones in darkness, in Him the infallible Lord of the ether of all the three Yugas [in the fourth He is there as His own devotee]. (28) Let us offer our obeisances to the truth of Him, whom one considers the axle of Lord Brahmâ's lightning fast revolving, sacred wheel of Time with its fifteen spokes [the knowing and working senses and the five airs], three naves [the modes] and eight segments [the five elements, mind, false ego and intelligence] that feed one's thought process [compare 3.21: 18, 7.9: 21, 5.21: 13 and B.G. 18: 61]. (29) He admits to one cause [that of goodness] and is transcendental to the material darkness. He who is not manifested, cannot be located, is unlimited and beyond all measure, is carried by Garuda [the Vedic verses] on his back and is by the unperturbed and sober person worshiped with the vehicle of yoga [see also 4.3: 23]. (30) No one can defeat His illusory energy of mâyâ. People in general being bewildered by that energy do not understand the real purpose of life. We offer Him our respects who is in control of the self and its material qualities [mâyâ], Him ruling all living beings who is the transcendental controller equal unto all. (31) You, being present inside and outside and kindly disposed towards us [the gods] who rely on a body created from goodness, cannot [even] be understood by the saints and sages for being this most subtle destination. And how could the demons and atheists who follow a different lead understand [this purpose]? (32) This earth that He created together with the four types of living beings He gave life to [as born from wombs, eggs, moist and seed, see also 2.10: 37-40], constitutes His lotus feet. May He, the Absolute Truth, the independent Supreme Personality, be merciful unto us. (33) The three worlds including all their local rulers flourish on the water that, as His semen, is so powerful in generating all life. May He, the one of the greatest might, be pleased with us. (34) They [the scholars] say that Soma, the moon, is His mind, the strength of the denizens of heaven, of the food grains and of the duration of life. May He, the Supreme Lord who makes the trees and all other living entities grow, may that source of all opulence be happy with us [see also 2.10: 30 and 6.6: 24-26]. (35) The fire that consumes all the elements [of the food] within the stomach and in the depths of the ocean, provides engaged in ritualistic ceremonies as His mouth all wealth and Vedic knowledge. May that All-Powerful Lord be pleased with us [see also B.G. 3: 10]. (36) He whose eye became the deity of the sun who leads the God-conscious ones on their threefold Vedic path, who is the gate for the realization of the nectar of eternity, the Absolute Truth and one's liberation and also constitutes the cause of one's death, may that All-Powerful Lord be contented with us [see also 2.1: 30, B.G. 7: 8, 10: 21 and 11: 19]. (37) By following His life force, His breath in all moving and not moving living entities, by following that prâna, that vital air, as the basic principle like subjects who follow an emperor, one finds all the strength and vitality. May He, the All-powerful Lord be satisfied with us. (38) His ears constitute the different directions, from His heart the [nine] apertures of the body were generated and the navel of the Original Person constitutes the refuge of the ether for the life breath, the senses, the mind and the breathing process of the body. May the Almighty Lord have mercy with us [2.1: 27 and 29]. (39) His strength constitutes the great Indra, His contentment constitutes His servants in all the three worlds, from His anger there is the Master on the Mountain [Lord S'iva] and from His sober mind Viriñca originated [Lord Brahmâ]. From the apertures of His body de mantras sprouted while from His genitals the saints and founding fathers found their existence. May we carry the approval of the Powerful Lord. (40) His chest produced the Goddess of Fortune, His shadow constitutes the ancestors, religion became possible from His front and irreligion could find its existence from His back. The higher worlds are there from the top of His head and from His sense enjoyment the dancing girls of heaven are found. May He, the greatest One of all prowess, be pleased with us. (41) The ones of learning [the brahmins], the Vedic literatures and His confidential knowledge are there from His mouth, the administrators [kshatriyas] with their power are there from His arms, from His thighs there are the traders [the vais'yas, see also 2.1: 37] including their know-how and from His feet there are the workers [s'ûdras] unconcerned about the Veda. May He so Supremely Powerful be satisfied with us all [see also 12.11: 6-8]. (42) Greed is there from His lower lip and affection from His upper lip, from His nose there is the bodily luster and from His touch animalistic love manifested. From His brows there is the Lord of Death [Yamarâja] but from His eyelashes there is eternal Time. May He, the One of all Prowess, be favorably disposed towards us. (43) The material elements, their weaver [kâla, time], fruitive labor [karma], the modes of nature [the gunas] and the individual differences brought about by His creative potency [yoga-mâyâ], constitute a difficult to fathom completeness from which the great sages turn away [in their aversion against the delusional quality of the material world]. May He, the Controller of All and Everything, be contented with us. (44) Let there be our respectful obeisances unto Him the Soul of all souls who, free from endeavoring in not depending on a profit motive, is of peace, unto Him who just like the ether does not attach to matters of the external energy that, ruled by the natural modes, incites the senses. (45) Can You please show us Your original form so that we see You clearly before us? We who surrendered ourselves to You would like to see Your smiling lotus face. (46) Oh Almighty One, You in different incarnations time after time personally appearing in different forms according to Your desire, engage in uncommon activities because of which You are the Supreme Lord to us [B.G. 4: 7]. (47) For embodied souls who want to enjoy there are many obstacles and little results, so that one's actions lead to nothing. But that is not true for those who are devoted to You. (48) Not even the slightest activity properly performed [for Your sake] is in vain, because being dedicated to the Controller [who is the Time] You are realized as the Original Soul friendly and beneficial to all persons. (49) The way one by watering the root of a tree also waters the trunk and the branches, it is also with the worship of Vishnu, the Soul of everyone [see also 4.31: 14]. (50) I offer you my obeisances oh Lord of Eternity, oh worker of the wonders of a higher existence, oh Controller of the Modes who are now established in goodness.'