Bhagavatam study 11 – 1.3.9-16 – The many incarnations protect materially and spiritually

So, what that conversation happened, we will discuss in our future classes. Thank you very much.
So, the third and fourth is going on. So, Kala refers to part. So, wife is considered to be a part.
So, Dharmakala, the wife of Dharma, Sarge were born of Nar Narayana Rishi. Nar Narayana Rishi were born. They became Atma Upashamam.
Upashamam means pacification, control, conquest. So, they practise self-control. For achievement in this, for attaining self-control, for self-mastery, they performed extremely difficult austerities.
That which is not at all easy to do. So, the Nar Narayana Rishi’s stories will be talked about in the Bhagavatam. They are great instructors who even instruct Nala Muni, who instruct the Kumaras.
And at one time, Indra tries to dissuade them, distract them from their austerity by sending Apsaras. He sends his best Apsaras and not only do they remain unaffected, but from their own bodies, from their own thighs, they emanate another even more beautiful Apsara, who in front of whom, all the Apsaras from heavens pale in insignificance. And Nar Narayana Rishi tells the Apsaras who have come from Indra, he says that, you know, Indra is just a child trying to agitate us.
Tell him that we are not agitated, but this Apsara is a gift from us to him. And that Apsara later becomes the favourite of Indra. She is Urvashi.
So, they demonstrate that they can manifest the most captivating Apsaras at will. And they do not seek any pleasure through this. They are absorbed in the higher fulfilment coming from spiritual absorption.
And Tapa was the first syllabus that is spoken by by the Supreme to Brahma. It is by Tapa that we learn and we move onwards in our life. So, Tapa, how to practise Tapa is demonstrated in an exemplary way by the Lord himself, when he descends as the Nar Narayana Avatar.
So, Nar Narayana in the Mahabharata are said to be Krishna and Arjuna. So, it’s interesting that both of them are together. And these are probably only incarnation where the two are considered to be almost like one.
They are, of course, two distinct persons. And at different times, two of them talk, so Nar and Narayana. But they are two always together.
And that’s why both of them together are considered an incarnation, one incarnation. Tenth text. The fifth was Kapilonama.
His name was Kapila. So, he will be talked about in the third canto of Bhagavatam. Siddha is those who have achieved mystic perfection.
Siddhi is called a mystic perfection. Siddha is those who have achieved mystic perfections. And Siddhesha.
It’s like we have Yogi and we have Yogesha. So, Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is referred to as Yogeshwara. So, he’s not just a Yogi, but he’s a lord of Yogis.
He’s the best of topmost. He’s the king of Yogis. Similarly, Siddhesha is not a Siddha.
He’s Siddhesha who is this Kapila. Kapila performed austerities and he gained mystic perfections. Kaalviplutam He spoke systematically.
So, there’s a brahmana named Asuri. He spoke knowledge of Sankhya to him. Tattvagraham So, we have Tattvagyaan and we have Tattvagraham here.
Tattvagyaan is the standard word we hear. It is philosophical. It is knowledge about the truth.
Tattvagraham means the sum total of material existence. The word graham, the word graham in English is a like we have kilogramme that is a unit for measuring mass, but in Sanskrit graham refers to the sum total of things. So, about material existence, Vinihrinayan.
Vinihrinayan means a conclusive exposition. So, he gave, so it’s said over here that the knowledge, analytical knowledge of Sankhya was lost and he gave this knowledge to the brahmana named Asuri. So, it’s interesting.
The word asura normally we used to refer to demons, but here there’s a brahmana. Of course, brahmanas are usually not considered demoniac. They’re considered the opposite.
They’re considered divine nature and the brahmana has the name Asuri. So, the Bhagavatam of course does not describe this particular incident further, but the Bhagavatam describes how he gave instructions elaborately to his own mother Devahuti and in fact his instructions to Devahuti are one of the longest one of the biggest philosophical expositions in the Bhagavatam after the Uddhava Gita which comes in the 11th canto. So, it is said that knowledge was lost and knowledge was revived.
So, this is this is a theme which comes repeatedly that whenever the avatars give some knowledge, they don’t say that they are giving something new. Usually say that this was given in ancient ancient times. Even Krishna when he gives the knowledge to Uddhava and he’s quoting how he gave this knowledge to say the Jatushkumaras before that or as the Hamsavatar he gave the knowledge to Jatushkumaras or whoever else.
He says actually this knowledge was given even before that also to Brahma or to some other person at the start of the creation or long long ago, but the knowledge was lost and it has been revived again. Krishna also tells in the Bhagavad Gita that it was the knowledge is lost because of time and now this knowledge is being revived. So, here so Kapila each avatar comes with a particular purpose.
Just like the previous avatar that was talked about was of Narnara and they demonstrated austerity. They did not necessarily impart some system of knowledge although they might have they did give philosophical instructions at different times, but the distinctive contribution that each avatar makes is highlighted in this particular section. So, the most distinctive contribution of Kapiladeva was to recover and re-manifest and make available once again the lost knowledge of Samkhya and yes he gave it to Devahuti, but it is never described that Devahuti herself became an exalted spiritual master who taught many others.
His giving the knowledge to Devahuti demonstrates how this knowledge can be understood even by women who are often not considered very philosophical, but even she was so exalted that she was able to understand this knowledge and the knowledge was further disseminated by teaching to various people and one of the prominent persons to whom Kapila gave the knowledge is Asuri, Brahma. So, now text 11. So, so the word Apatya is used to refer to relatives usually, children, sons.
The sixth incarnation was Atri and to whom sonship was bestowed or the lord became his son. Through his wife Anasuya, Atri Rishi obtained the lord as his son and this is referring to Atri. He taught the subject of transcendence and to Alarkar.
So, Prahalada and Adi, so Prabhupada writes Yadu, Hai Hai and others. So, now at one time Atri Rishi prayed very fervently to all the three Devatas, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and they all manifested together in one form, the Tatra and he gave spiritual knowledge. So, in the 11th canto when Avadhut Brahmana gives instructions to Yadu, often that Avadhut Brahmana is said to be the Tatra and similarly in the 7th canto also there is Avadhut Brahmana who gives instructions to Prahalada that is also thought by some to be the Tatra.
So, the Tatra enlightened people who were already very special and thus he elevated them to a system of knowledge that he disseminated. So, one of the prominent purposes that the lord descends is to share spiritual knowledge. 12th text.
So, the 7th was in the womb of Akuti. Akuti was the wife of the Prajapati Ruchi. Yagya was a person who was born Abhyayata.
Abhyayata means he had vented or he appeared. So, along with Yama and other, Suraganair, host of Devatas. So, the period when Manu rules is called as Manvantar.
That is a combination of two words Manu and Antara. Manvantar, the period of that Manu is called. So, if the particular Manu is there in that time, then his reign is called as Swayambhu Antaram.
So, during the reign of Swayambhu Manu, Yagya was the avatar who manifested through Akuti and Ruchi and he did administrative work. So, Yagya also has given instructions, but primarily he contributed by maintaining the cosmic administration along with the Devatas. So, in the start of the 8th Bhagavatam, it is described that Swayambhu Manu retires.
At that time, Swayambhu Manu is about to retire. He goes to the forest and performs austerities. At that time, some Rakshas come to eat him, to devour him.
And at that time, as he is invoking the Supreme Lord through his prayers and through the austerities, Yagya Avatar appears and Yagya Avatar delivers him from the demons who are about to devour him and also delivers him from material existence. So, this is Yagya. Now, he was born of Akuti and Ruchi.
The 8th avatar that manifested was through Merudevi and who was this? He was born from Nabhi through the womb of Merudevi. Urukramaha is the generic name for the Lord, one whose steps are wonderful, one whose activities are wonderful. Specifically, it can refer to Vamanudev who appears in this world and who with his steps covers the three worlds.
But apart from that, whatever the activities the Lord does, they are extraordinary. So, even the Lord who appears, any incarnation of the Lord, any manifestation of the Lord can be referred to as Urukrama. So, he is referred to as Urukrama.
He demonstrated the path of the sober people. That is, he offered respect by all the ashramas. So, now, usually among the ashramas, the sanyasis are considered to be the topmost and among the varanas, the brahmanas are considered spiritually to be the topmost, but the kshatriyas are considered materially to be the topmost.
Materially means the kshatriyas have opulence, the kshatriyas have power, the kshatriyas have followers. The brahmanas have the power of learning and quite often the kshatriyas submit to the brahmanas when there is a conflict. But essentially, from the administrative perspective, the brahmanas do not interfere unless the kshatriyas are going terribly wrong.
Anyway, the point here is, here it is that which is respected by all the ashramas. So, the sanyasis, sanyasa ashram is respected by all the ashramas and Maharaj Yurshabha, about who is being talked about over here, his actions and his teachings will be described in the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam and it is stated here that this Maharaj Yurshabha, what did he do? He demonstrated the path of perfection. He demonstrated actually extraordinary renunciation in the sanyasa ashrama.
He demonstrated what is called as Jada Yoga. So, it is actually very difficult to follow, but it also demonstrates how utterly indifferent and transcendent to the world one can become by being fixed in spiritual truth. So, all these different avatars are manifesting different aspects of the path to transcendence.
So, whereas Narayana and Rishi, they also demonstrated through their austere living the path to perfection, but they lived as renouncers throughout their lives, whereas Maharaj Yurshabha, if he lived as a king, he had children and he entrusted his children with the royal responsibilities, trained them, instructed and entrusted them and then he renounced the world and as he demonstrated, not just the renounced order of life, but he demonstrated the various ashrams including grahastha ashram and sanyasa ashram through his own example. Text 14. Rishi Bhir Yachito Bheje So, Rishi Bhir Yachito, when the Rishi is beseeched him, Bheje, he accepted at that time.
The word Bheje had come right at the beginning of this chapter also, that Paurushamrut, the Lord accepted and it come in third chapter also, second chapter also. So, Rishi Bhir Yachito Bheje, he accepted on the plea of the sages. So, he was known as Maharaj Pruthu.
So, he is referred to, Pruthu is in the inflected form, it is modified according to the grammatical form which is used. So, Parthivamruvapuhu, he manifested as the ruler of Prithvi. So, he milked the earth, various products from the earth.
In vernaculars, Aushadhi refers usually to medicines, but Aushadhi in Sanskrit has a generic meaning also where it refers to plants, herbs, fruits, flowers, grains, the products of the earth. Vipras, O Brahmana, so here this is being spoken by Tenayam, Tenayam by him, because he was able to get so many products on the earth, the earth blossomed under him, the earth looked attractive. So, prior to Maharaj Pruthu, there was the atrocious King Vena, who had exploited the earth terribly and because of his exploitation of the earth, the earth had stopped giving products and people had started starving.
So, that effect continued even after Pruthu became the king and his case this past time we described in the fourth canto that when Pruthu was the king and his citizens were starving because of the drought that had afflicted the kingdom, at that time his citizens, they came to him saying that we are being burned like an ant being burned on a log of wood with fire from both sides, with nowhere to go, like that we are being scorched by a digestive fire, please help us. So, Maharaj Pruthu requested the earth and the earth, thinking that it is of course a past time, but the earth initially thought that like father like son. So, Pruthu might also be an atrocious king like Vena and so she refused to give any produce and she ran away assuming the form of a cow and Pruthu ran after her and he was about to afflict her with the arrow in anger.
At that time, she sought forgiveness and then Maharaj Pruthu arranged for different people to come and get their needs milked from this cow. So, the point is that when the lord appears it is not just for spiritual well-being, the spiritual well-being also requires material provision. Even when we have to practise sadhana, we need some material provision so that we can practise sadhana and that material provision is provided by the lord and that material provision is what Maharaj Pruthu arranged.
Of course, you see he did not stop with material provision alone, he also performed elaborate yajnas for satisfying the lord, he engaged his population and the resource of the state in the process of worshipping the lord and practising bhakti. He also pleased the lord and he instructed his citizens in practising spiritual life and he set an example by even receiving instructions from the Kumaras although he himself was very exalted and then Maharaj Pruthu as a king offered all-round welfare to his citizens. So, he Jagruha accepted, the supreme lord accepted the form of a Matsyam, Matsyam sorry, Matsyam Matsyam is from Matsya, Matsya is fish, so the inflected form becomes Matsyam, she accepted the form of a fish, Chakshu Shodadhi Samplave, Chakshu Shodadhi towards the end of the period of Chakshu Shamanu, Odadhi Samplave, when there was inundation of water everywhere, Navya Aaropya Mahiyam, so when practically the whole earth was drowned under the inundation of water, Navya Aaropya, so he helped, there he with his snout, this fish enabled a ship to, Navya boat or a ship, it was a giant boat, this boat was this, the boat, various living beings during, along with Swayambhu Manu, sorry along with Vaivaswit Manu, during the, during this pralaya, during this cosmic flood that happened, they along with Vaivaswit Manu, they came in the boat and they were saved while the stormy waters of inundation went around causing plunder all around them, so thus, here we see that the Supreme offered his protection even from material destruction, so Paritranaya Sadhuna Vinaya Svaya Shuddhushkrtam, so here this, if you see in this particular incarnation, there might not be any direct Dushkruti, so Matsya, Matsya did not exactly fight against any particular enemy to kill that enemy, Matsya actually helped to overcome material calamities and offered to, and enabled his devotee to steer, to steer the devotee to safety even amidst that calamity, so when there is a general pattern, but the, that the Lord protects the saintly, destroys the demoniac and he establishes Dharma, each manifestation is also an individual and each situation is also individual and different and in such varying situations, the different manifestations of the Lord may manifest, may act in different ways for the purpose of elevating people and if people do not even exist, if people do not survive, how can they be elevated, so even offering protection from the dangers to natural calamities that also is done by the Lord when he descends, so 16th, surasuranaam uddhyam, matnatam mandarachalam, kamatharupena, prishtha eka dashevihum, so surasuranaam uddhyam, so among the devotees and the demons, among the devatas and the demons actually, there was a competition and to resolve that competition, there was, this is the past time we described in the 8th canto, there was a conflict, so to resolve the conflict, a peace measure was made that both of us can churn the milk ocean thereby get, get milk, so get, get nectar actually, not just milk, nectar, uddhyam, so they were churning the ocean, matnatam mandarachalam, while they were churning using mandar and mandra mountain, achalam, actually a mountain cannot even be moved, it is so big or to speak of being good continuously as a churning rod, it is a very difficult thing to do and the mountain was so heavy that it could not be sustained and despite the best efforts of the best combined efforts of the devatas and the asuras, still the mountain was sinking into the ocean, instead of being held up so that it could be used as a churning rod, so dadhre kamatharupena, dadhre, so at that time, it was sustained by kamatharupena, kamatha refers to tortoise, so the Lord appeared in the form of korma, kormadeva and prushtha eka dashe vibhu, prushtha refers to his shell, it was sustained on his shell, eka dashe vibhu, that vibhu manifested in his eka dasha, in his 11th manifestation thus, here when the devatas and asuras together were trying to do a dharmic endeavour, we will see what was the dharmic endeavour in this, actually they wanted nectar and we may say that the nectar, that seeking the nectar was not exactly a transcendental endeavour, it is a material endeavour by which they want to prolong mortality but they were doing it under the instruction of Vishnu and we will see that while they were doing this, various manifestations of the Lord appeared, Mohini Murthy appeared and Mohini Murthy even deluded Shiva and through it all, the supremacy of the Lord was established, the dependence of both the devata, of the asuras as well as the devatas, their subordination to the Supreme Lord Vishnu was demonstrated and thus this pastime, of course at an additional level, it also protected the devatas because otherwise the devatas were being overcome by the asuras and through the churning of the ocean, a cruise was brought and eventually the devatas got the nectar and they were able to defeat the asuras also, so the point is that there is a lot of that in this particular pastime, of course the Lord manifested in several ways, he manifested as Kurma below, then he also manifested in Ananta as a form above and he held the churning rod from above also because it was too heavy and they couldn’t sustain it and then he also manifested later as Mohini Murthy and eventually when the battle broke out, when the asuras felt they had been cheated, so at that time, the Lord manifested Vishnu also to fight and help the devatas overpower the demons but in the churning of the milk ocean, the most celebrated, the most well-known manifestation was that of Kurma Deva that he manifested below the churning rod, the mountain and sustained it on his body, so we can just conceive, imagine how enormous Kurma Deva must have been that on his back, the mountain was sustained, in this way the Lord manifests in many extraordinary wonderful forms for the purpose of Shemaya, for the purpose of delivering, protecting and delivering people,