rule



 

Canto 3

Nrisimha Pranāma

 

 

Chapter 6: Manifestation of the Universal Form

(1) The wise [Maitreya] said: 'Thus the Lord was faced with the fact that the progress of what was created in the universe was suspended because of a lack of coherence between His potencies [see 3.5: 48]. (2) At that time He with His supremely powerful potency that is known as Kālī, the goddess of the power to destroy, simultaneously entered all the twenty-three elements [the five elements and their qualities, the five organs of action and the senses and the three forms of individual consciousness: mind, intelligence and ego; compare 2.4: 23]. (3) That later on entering of the Supreme Lord in the form of the force of matter, Kālī, engaged all the living beings separately in labor by awakening them from their unconscious state to their karma. (4) When the twenty-three principal ingredients thus by the will of God were roused to [coherent] action, their combination led to the manifestation of His plenary expansion of the Original Person [in the appearance of the Universal Form]. (5) The moment He thus with His plenary expansion [of the material power] entered there, all the elements of creation, that thus found each other therein, transformed into the worlds of an organic and inorganic existence. (6) He, the Original Person, this [Garbhodakas'āyī] Vishnu called Hiranmaya, for a thousand celestial years [one such year is a 360 years to man] resided together with all that belonged to His goodness, within the egg-shaped universe supported by the [causal] waters.



(7) With the content of that egg, the complete of the gigantic person, being put to work by His divine Self full of His [female] power, He thus divided Himself into one [consciousness], three [identifications of the self, see 2.10: 14] and ten [activities, senses of action and perception]. (8) This unlimited expanse is the self of the living entities, the first incarnation and plenary portion of the Supersoul, whereupon the aggregate of all of them flourishes. (9) The threefold of the gigantic form pertains to the three aspects of ādhtmika [the self with its senses and mind], ādhidaivika [nature and all her gods] and ādhibhautika [the others and what more appears to the senses], the tenfold relates to the [organs of the] life force [or prāna: hands, feet, anus, the genitals, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin and mouth; see brahma-sūtra 2.4: 5-6] and the oneness refers to the heart. (10) The Lord beyond the senses, recalling the prayer of the deities of the universe, by His own radiance [thus] illumined the gigantic form for the sake of their understanding. (11) Now listen to my description of the many different positions of the demigods that then manifested from His consideration.

(12) A mouth manifested and when that happened it was the god of fire who, among the directors of the material world, assumed his position along with his power: the organ of speech with which one utters words. (13) A palate appeared. It was the abode of Varuna [the god presiding over the waters] who in [the body of] the Lord among the directors of the material world assumed his position along with his power: the organ of the tongue with which one tastes. (14) Next the nostrils appeared where the two As'vinī Kumāras have their position with the sense of smell with which one perceives odors [see also 2.1: 29 and 2.5: 30]. (15) Eyes appeared in the gigantic body that offered a position to Tvashthā, the director of light and the power of sight by which forms can be seen. (16) Then with the power of breath, which enables the experience of touch, the skin of the gigantic form manifested, a position taken by Anila, the director of the air. (17) With the manifestation of the ears of the gigantic form that position was occupied by the deities of the directions [the Digdevatās] with the power of hearing by which sounds are perceived. (18) Thereafter the [hair of the] skin of the gigantic body manifested for the divinity of the [herbs and plants with] the power to feel by means of the hairs with which itching feelings are experienced. (19) When the genitals of the gigantic form appeared, the first one [Brahmā, the Prajāpati] took his position with the function of semen with which the pleasure [of sex] is experienced. (20) An anus formed in the original embodiment offering a position taken by the god Mitra with the function of evacuation with which one defecates. (21) With the manifestation of the hands of the Universal Form the king of heaven Indra took his position with the ability to handle matters with which one makes one's living. (22) The legs of the Universal Form that manifested were occupied by Vishnu, the godhead of the power  of locomotion by which one reaches one's destination. (23) When the intelligence of the Universal Form manifested, the ruling godhead Brahmā, the Lord of the spoken word, found his position with the power of insight with which one arrives at understanding. (24) Next the heart of the Universal Being manifested in which Candra, the god of the moon took his position with the function of mental activity because of which one is lost in thoughts. (25) What next came about in the Universal Form was the I-awareness in which the identification with the body [the 'false ego'] took its position [under the rule of Lord Rudra] with the function of karma by which one engages in concrete activities. (26) What followed was the manifestation of the spiritual essence of goodness in the gigantic body. Therein the complete[ness, of the mahat-tattva] found its place with the power of consciousness by means of which one cultivates wisdom.

(27) From the head of the Universal Form the heavenly worlds manifested, the earthly places originated from His legs and the sky rose from His abdomen. In those areas the enlightened souls and other living beings are found who evolved as a result of the operation of the three basic qualities of nature. (28) By the infinite mode of goodness [of sattva] the gods found their place in the heavens whereas all the human beings, who on earth live by the nature of their passion [rajas], are subordinate to them. (29) Those belonging to the third kind [the ghosts and spirits] are, as the associates of Rudra, because of their nature [of tamas] found in the region of the atmosphere - the navel of the Lord - situated in between the other two.

(30) Spiritual wisdom generated from the mouth of the Universal Form, oh chief of the Kuru dynasty. Those who are inclined to this wisdom became the leading order [the chief varna] of society. They, the brahmins, are the recognized teachers and spiritual spokesmen [the gurus]. (31) The power to protect the citizens manifested from the arms [of the gigantic body]. They who exercise that power [the kshatriyas or rulers] are the followers [of the brahmins] and deliver, as representatives of the Supreme Personality, the other classes from the vice of disturbing societal elements. (32) For the production and distribution of the means of livelihood, the mercantile community [the vais'yas], whose occupation it is to take charge of provisioning all man, generated from the thighs of the Almighty. (33) From the legs of the Supreme Lord the service manifested that is of prime importance to the fulfillment of all sacred duties. It is traditionally the profession of the laborer [the s'ūdra] by which the Lord is satisfied [*]. (34) In order to purify their soul, all the classes in society worship by means of their occupational duties, under the lead of their spiritual teachers, with faith and devotion the Lord from whom they generated along with their duties.

(35) Who can estimate, oh Vidura, the totality of this form of the divine operating Self of the Supreme Lord that manifested by the strength of the deluding material oneness [of His internal potency, yogamāyā]? (36) Oh brother, nevertheless I will give a description, as far as my intelligence permits and my knowledge allows, of what I heard about the glories of the Lord by which one is purified, for not speaking openly [about Him] we wander off in untruth. (37) One says that the One Beyond Compare is attained by the discussions about the Supreme Personality that were piously handed down through history for the glorification of His activities. Also the ear is served best by the nectar of the transcendental message as prepared [also in writing] by the learned. (38) My dear son, could the original poet [Brahmā] know all the glories of the Supreme Soul after his intelligence had matured in meditation for a thousand celestial years? (39) Therefore, when even those skilled in creating illusions do not know because they - as also the one self-satisfied [Creator] personally - are under the spell of the bewildering potencies of the Supreme Lord, then what may one expect from others? (40) Him out of our reach who is intangible for our ego, mind and words as also for the respective gods, we offer our obeisances.'

 

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   Third revised edition, loaded August 28, 2023.     


 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

The wise [Maitreya] said: 'Thus the Lord was faced with the fact that the progress of what was created in the universe was suspended because of a lack of coherence between His potencies [see 3.5: 48].
The wise [Maitreya] said: 'Thus the Lord came to know that in the progress of the universal creations His own potency was in suspension because of their lack of order. [see 3.5.: 24]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 2

At that time He with His supremely powerful potency that is known as Kālī, the goddess of the power to destroy, simultaneously entered all the twenty-three elements [the five elements and their qualities, the five organs of action and the senses and the three forms of individual consciousness: mind, intelligence and ego; compare 2.4: 23].

At that time the supremely powerful potency all at once entered the twenty three elements [the five elements and their qualities, the five organs of action and the senses and the three forms of individual consciousness: mind, intelligence and ego; compare 2.4: 23] and was known as Kālī, the goddess of destruction. (Vedabase)

 

Text 3

That later on entering of the Supreme Lord in the form of the force of matter, Kālī, engaged all the living beings separately in labor by awakening them from their unconscious state to their karma.

That entering later on of the Supreme Lord in the form of the force of matter, Kālī, separately engaged all the living beings in work awakening them from their unconscious state to their karma. (Vedabase)

 

Text 4

When the twenty-three principal ingredients thus by the will of God were roused to [coherent] action, their combination led to the manifestation of His plenary expansion of the Original Person [in the appearance of the Universal Form].

Induced by the combination of the twenty-three principal ingredients the will of the Supreme thus awakened the activities by His personal plenary expansion of the Universal Form. (Vedabase)


Text 5

The moment He thus with His plenary expansion [of the material power] entered there, all the elements of creation, that thus found each other therein, transformed into the worlds of an organic and inorganic existence.

The Lord entering by a plenary portion of His own self [Kālī] all the elements of creation, transformed that way into the forms that He came to in combination, in which all the moveable and immovable [of the creations] of the worlds finds its peace.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

He, the Original Person, this [Garbhodakas'āyī] Vishnu called Hiranmaya, for a thousand celestial years [one such year is a 360 years to man] resided together with all that belonged to His goodness, within the egg-shaped universe supported by the [causal] waters.

He, this Vishnu Hiranmaya, the original person, so spread Himself for a thousand celestial years [one such year is a 360 years to man] within the world residing in the water with all that was of His goodness. (Vedabase)

 

Text 7

With the content of that egg, the complete of the gigantic person, being put to work by His divine Self full of His [female] power, He thus divided Himself into one [consciousness], three [identifications of the self, see 2.10: 14] and ten [activities, senses of action and perception].

From the active soul full of potency that totality of the living energy of the gigantic form was sure to divide the divine self relative to itself as the oneness that relates to the three- and tenfold. (Vedabase)


Text 8

This unlimited expanse is the self of the living entities, the first incarnation and plenary portion of the Supersoul, whereupon the aggregate of all of them flourishes.

This certainly unlimited of the living entities their souls that are part of the Supersoul, is the first incarnation whereupon the aggregate of all those beings flourishes. (Vedabase)

 

Text 9

The threefold of the gigantic form pertains to the three aspects of ādhtmika [the self with its senses and mind], ādhidaivika [nature and all her gods] and ādhibhautika [the others and what more appears to the senses], the tenfold relates to the [organs of the] life force [or prāna: hands, feet, anus, the genitals, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin and mouth; see brahma-sūtra 2.4: 5-6] and the oneness refers to the heart.

The gigantic form in three refers to the foundation of the self [of timespace, ādhyātma], the foundation of the divinity [or the lotus of creation, the ādhidaiva], and the foundation of the world and its beings [the ādhibhūta], the tenfold refers to the [organs of the] lifeforce [or prāna: hands, feet, anus, the genitals, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin, mouth; brahma sūtra 2.4: 5-6], and the being one refers to the heart.  (Vedabase)


Text 10

The Lord beyond the senses, recalling the prayer of the deities of the universe, by His own radiance [thus] illumined the gigantic form for the sake of their understanding.

The remembrance of the entrusted beings of the Lord who prayed for Him as the Transcendence thus considered of the gigantic form the splendor that was there for their understanding. (Vedabase)


Text 11

Now listen to my description of the many different positions of the demigods that then manifested from His consideration.

Now listen to my description for you of how many embodiments of demigods therefore there were as the separated parts in this contemplation of His. (Vedabase)

 

Text 12

A mouth manifested and when that happened it was the god of fire who, among the directors of the material world, assumed his position along with his power: the organ of speech with which one utters words.

From the mouth of His fire [Agni] thus were separated the local directors of material life and in their relating to the ideas of their own department the speech originated by which they express themselves.  (Vedabase)

 

Text 13

A palate appeared. It was the abode of Varuna [the god presiding over the waters] who in [the body of] the Lord among the directors of the material world assumed his position along with his power: the organ of the tongue with which one tastes.

Varuna, the godly one controlling the air separated himself as the palate from these worldly directors and entered of the Lord [His potency] the portion of the tongue and gave the living entity the expression in taste. (Vedabase)

Text 14

Next the nostrils appeared where the two As'vinī Kumāras have their position with the sense of smell with which one perceives odors [see also 2.1: 29 and 2.5: 30].

The two As'vinī Kumāras were separated as the two nostrils of Vishnu and by entering that position the respective experience of odors thereupon came into being [see also 2.1: 29 and 2.5: 30]. (Vedabase)
 

Text 15

Eyes appeared in the gigantic body that offered a position to Tvashthā, the director of light and the power of sight by which forms can be seen.

As His eyes, the sun, the local ruler of light entered the gigantic of which to the forms the experience of the part of the eyesight came into being. (Vedabase


Text 16

Then with the power of breath, which enables the experience of touch, the skin of the gigantic form manifested, a position taken by Anila, the director of the air.

The skin separated of the gigantic form, as the local ruler of the air [Anila] and so entered as the part of the breathing of which the living entity is able to experience touch. (Vedabase)

 

Text 17

With the manifestation of the ears of the gigantic form that position was occupied by the deities of the directions [the Digdevatās] with the power of hearing by which sounds are perceived.

From the ears of the gigantic form then were separated the controllers to the original directions that entered with the principles of hearing by whic h the perfec tion of sound is experienced. (Vedabase


Text 18

Thereafter the [hair of the] skin of the gigantic body manifested for the divinity of the [herbs and plants with] the power to feel by means of the hairs with which itching feelings are experienced.

With the separate manifestation of the skin of the universal form the rulers of sensation and their departments entered of which by the hairs on the body [or the vegetation] the living entity experiences itching. (Vedabase)

 

Text 19

When the genitals of the gigantic form appeared, the first one [Brahmā, the Prajāpati] took his position with the function of semen with which the pleasure [of sex] is experienced.

When the genitals of the gigantic form were being separated the first One [Brahmā, the Prajāpati] came to his position and thus the part of the semen entered existence by which the beings experience the pleasure [of sex]. (Vedabase

 

Text 20

An anus formed in the original embodiment offering a position taken by the god Mitra with the function of evacuation with which one defecates.

The evacuation outlet separately manifested by which its local ruler with the name of Mitra entered with the part of the evacuation process [death] and thereof the living entity performs his passing of excrements. (Vedabase)


Text 21

With the manifestation of the hands of the Universal Form the king of heaven Indra took his position with the ability to handle matters with which one makes one's living.

To the separate manifestation of the hands of the gigantic form, Indra the ruler of the authentic [of heaven] came in existence with the part of the mercantile principles of which the living entity is transacting his business. (Vedabase


Text 22

The legs of the Universal Form that manifested were occupied by Vishnu, the godhead of the power of locomotion by which one reaches one's destination. 

With the legs of the form that then came separately into being, the local rule of Vishnu entered with his own part of the power of movement by which the living being moves towards its destination. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

When the intelligence of the Universal Form manifested, the ruling godhead Brahmā, the Lord of the spoken word, found his position with the power of insight with which one arrives at understanding.

With the intelligence of the universal separating itself, the Lord of the spoken word [the Veda] came into being as the controlling power that entered as that part of the intelligence by which the experience of understanding things could be realized. (Vedabase)

Text 24

Next the heart of the Universal Being manifested in which Candra, the god of the moon took his position with the function of mental activity because of which one is lost in thoughts.

Also the heart of the Universal Being was manifested separately as Candra, the rule of the moon, which entered as the controlling power over the part of the mental activity by which the living entity decides and transacts. (Vedabase)


Text 25

What next came about in the Universal Form was the I-awareness in which the identification with the body [the 'false ego'] took its position [under the rule of Lord Rudra] with the function of karma by which one engages in concrete activities.

The ego of identifying with the [matter of the] universal form also separately manifested entering the position [as Rudra, Lord S'iva] with the part of the activities by which the living entity undertakes in objective actions. (Vedabase


Text 26

What followed was the manifestation of the spiritual essence of goodness in the gigantic body. Therein the complete[ness, of the mahat-tattva] found its place with the power of consciousness by means of which one cultivates wisdom.

When also the goodness separately manifested itself from the gigantic form, the control over the complete of the energy entered existence as the part of His consciousness by which the living entity cultivates specific knowledge. (Vedabase)


Text 27

From the head of the Universal Form the heavenly worlds manifested, the earthly places originated from His legs and the sky rose from His abdomen. In those areas the enlightened souls and other living beings are found who evolved as a result of the operation of the three basic qualities of nature.

Of the head of the Universal Form with the heavenly worlds, the earth worlds as His legs and the interest of the sky from His abdomen, the reactions to the three modes came about by which the demigods and others manifest themselves. (Vedabase)


Text 28

By the infinite mode of goodness [of sattva] the gods found their place in the heavens whereas all the human beings, who on earth live by the nature of their passion [rajas], are subordinate to them.

In the excess of the mode of goodness the godly have been situated in the higher places whereas all those human beings who live by the nature of their passion are subordinated to them on earth. (Vedabase)

 

Text 29

Those belonging to the third kind [the ghosts and spirits] are, as the associates of Rudra, because of their nature [of tamas] found in the region of the atmosphere - the navel of the Lord - situated in between the other two.

All those who, in the excess to the third mode, of the nature [of slowness] are situated in between the two [of heaven and earth], belong by the sky of His navel to the population as associates of Rudra. (Vedabase)


Text 30

Spiritual wisdom generated from the mouth of the Universal Form, oh chief of the Kuru dynasty. Those who are inclined to this wisdom became the leading order [the chief varna] of society. They, the brahmins, are the recognized teachers and spiritual spokesmen [the gurus].

The leaders to the vedic wisdom, which generated from the mouth of the Universal Form, o chief of the Kuru-dynasty, in their inclination towards the orders of society [the vocations] became the so-called brahmins, the recognized teachers or spiritual spokesmen. (Vedabase)

 

Text 31

The power to protect the citizens manifested from the arms [of the gigantic body]. They who exercise that power [the kshatriyas or rulers] are the followers [of the brahmins] and deliver, as representatives of the Supreme Personality, the other classes from the vice of disturbing societal elements.

Those who then manifested from the arms [of the gigantic form] were the followers [of the brahmins] in relation to the power of protection [the kshatriyas or rulers] who, as representatives of the Supreme Personality, deliver the other occupations from the mischief of disturbing societal elements. (Vedabase)


Text 32

For the production and distribution of the means of livelihood, the mercantile community [the vais'yas], whose occupation it is to take charge of provisioning all man, generated from the thighs of the Almighty.

From His thighs the Almighty, for the production and distribution of the means of livelihood, generated the mercantile community [the vais'yas] whose occupation it is to take charge of provisioning all men. (Vedabase)

 

Text 33

From the legs of the Supreme Lord the service manifested that is of prime importance to the fulfillment of all sacred duties. It is traditionally the profession of the laborer [the s'ūdra] by which the Lord is satisfied [*].

For perfecting the duties from the legs of the Supreme Lord was manifested the service to which the prime interest of the occupation of the laborers [s'ūdras] was generated by which the Lord is satisfied.(Vedabase)


Text 34

In order to purify their soul, all the classes in society worship by means of their occupational duties, under the lead of their spiritual teachers, with faith and devotion the Lord from whom they generated along with their duties.

All these orders of society to the individual duties worship with the teachers themselves the Lord by whom, with faith and devotion, a soul along with its occupational duty gets purified. (Vedabase)


Text 35

Who can estimate, oh Vidura, the totality of this form of the divine operating Self of the Supreme Lord, that manifested by the strength of the deluding material oneness [of His internal potency, yogamāyā]?
Who can estimate, o Vidura, the totality of this form of the divine operating Self of the Supreme Lord that manifested by the strength of the deluding material oneness [of His internal potency]? (Vedabase)

 

Text 36

Oh brother, nevertheless I will give a description, as far as my intelligence permits and my knowledge allows, of what I heard about the glories of the Lord  by which one is purified, for not speaking openly [about Him] we wander off in untruth.

Therefore do I, despite of this fact, describe, o brother, the intelligence as far as gathered from hearing about the glories of the Lord in talks of purity, otherwise the mind will turn to the untrue. (Vedabase)

Text 37

One says that the One Beyond Compare is attained by the discussions about the Supreme Personality that were piously handed down through history for the glorification of His activities. Also the ear is served best by the nectar of the transcendental message as prepared [also in writing] by the learned.

The Incomparable One is won by discussions about the Supreme Person His famous activities, which in their glorification are said to be as nectarine transcendence to the ear and which, being put in writing by the learned, also serve the real purpose of bringing one nearer. (Vedabase)

Text 38

My dear son, could the original poet [Brahmā] know all the glories of the Supreme Soul after his intelligence had matured in meditation for a thousand celestial years?

The glories of the Supreme Soul were by the original poet [Brahmā], my dear son, after a thousand celestial years known by an intelligence matured in meditation. (Vedabase)

 

Text 39

Therefore, when even those skilled in creating illusions do not know because they - as also the one self-satisfied [Creator] personally - are under the spell of the bewildering potencies of the Supreme Lord, then what may one expect from others? 

Therefore is that which is even for the manipulative an enchanting godly potency, also by the self-sufficient soul not known; and what to say of others? (Vedabase)

Text 40

Him out of our reach who is intangible for our ego, mind and words as also for the respective gods, we offer our obeisances.'

Of whom we, unable to measure, have ceased to try with words and the mind, ego and all these other gods; Him, the Supreme Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances.' (Vedabase)


*: S'astri Gosvāmī in this context remarks that the laborer, the s'ūdra, occupies an important place among the classes in society. Of the four purushārthas, the civil virtues, the brahmin stands for moksha, or liberation. The kshatriya is there for the regulation of sense gratification, kāma, and the vais'ya is there for the purpose of distributing the welfare, artha. But the laborer in fact makes possible the practice of religiosity, the service to God, of all the other occupational duties. He who simply serves, is just as important for the dharma.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The picture is titled: "The Equivalence of Self and Universe".
By the Muslim artist Bulaki, Jodphur, 1824.
Copyright © Mehrangarh Museum Trust.
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Filognostic Association of The Order of Time
 

  

 

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