Devahūti inquired: My dear Lord, You have already very scientifically described the symptoms of the total material nature and the characteristics of the spirit according to the Sāṅkhya system of philosophy. Now I shall re quest You to explain the path of devotional ser vice, which is the ultimate end of all philosoph ical systems (1-2).Devahūti continued: My dear Lord, please also describe in detail, both for me and for people in general, the continual process of birth and death, for by hearing of such calamities we may become detached from the activities of this material world (3).

Please also describe eternal time, which is a represen tation of Your form and by whose influence people in general engage in the performance of pious activities (4). My dear Lord, You are just like the sun, for You illuminate the darkness of the conditional life of the living entities. Be cause their eyes of knowledge are not open, they are sleeping eternally in that darkness without Your shelter, and therefore they are falsely engaged by the actions and reactions of their material activities, and they appear to be very fatigued (5). Śrī Maitreya said: O best amongst the Ku rus, the great sage Kapila, moved by great com passion and pleased by the words of His glori ous mother, spoke as follows (6). Lord Kapila, the Personality of Godhead, replied: O noble lady, there are multifarious paths of devotional service in terms of the dif ferent qualities of the executor (7).

 Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a sepa ratist, is considered to be in the mode of dark ness (8).The worship of Deities in the temple by a separatist, with a motive for material en joyment, fame and opulence, is devotion in the mode of passion (9).When a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offers the results of his activities in order to free him self from the inebrieties of fruitive activities, his devotion is in the mode of goodness (10). The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one’s mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone’s heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ec stasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord (11-12).

A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liber ation sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, sārūpya or ekatva even though they are offered by the Su preme Personality of Godhead (13).By attain ing the highest platform of devotional service, as I have explained, one can overcome the in fluence of the three modes of material nature and be situated in the transcendental stage, as is the Lord (14).

 A devotee must execute his prescribed du ties, which are glorious, without material profit. Without excessive violence, one should regu larly perform one’s devotional activities.The devotee should regularly see My statues in the temple, touch My lotus feet and offer worship able paraphernalia and prayer. He should see in the spirit of renunciation, from the mode of goodness, and see every living entity as spir itual.The pure devotee should execute devo tional service by giving the greatest respect to the spiritual master and the ācāryas. He should be compassionate to the poor and make friend ship with persons who are his equals, but all his activities should be executed under regulation and with control of the senses. A devotee should always try to hear about spiritual mat ters and should always utilize his time in chant ing the holy name of the Lord. His behavior should always be straightforward and simple, and although he is not envious but friendly to everyone, he should avoid the company of per sons who are not spiritually advanced.When one is fully qualified with all these transcen dental attributes and his consciousness is thus completely purified, he is immediately at tracted simply by hearing My name or hearing of My transcendental quality (15-19).

 As the chariot of air carries an aroma from its source and immediately catches the sense of smell, similarly, one who constantly engages in devotional service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can catch the Supreme Soul, who is equally present everywhere (20). I am present in every living entity as the Supersoul. If someone neglects or disregards that Supersoul everywhere and en gages himself in the worship of the Deity in the temple, that is simply imitation (21).One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes (22). One who offers Me respect but is envious of the bodies of others and is therefore a separatist never attains peace of mind, because of his in imical behavior towards other living entities (23).

My dear mother, even if he worships with proper rituals and paraphernalia, a person who is ignorant of My presence in all living entities never pleases Me by the worship of My Deities in the temple (24).Performing his prescribed duties, one should worship the Deity of the Su preme Personality of Godhead until one real izes My presence in his own heart and in the hearts of other living entities as well (25).As the blazing fire of death, I cause great fear to whoever makes the least discrimination be tween himself and other living entities because of a differential outlook (26).Therefore, through charitable gifts and attention, as well as through friendly behavior and by viewing all to be alike, one should propitiate Me, who abide in all creatures as their very Self (27).

Living entities are superior to inanimate ob jects, O blessed mother, and among them, liv ing entities who display life symptoms are bet ter. Animals with developed consciousness are better than them, and better still are those who have developed sense perception (28).Among the living entities who have developed sense perception, those who have developed the sense of taste are better than those who have developed only the sense of touch. Better than them are those who have developed the sense of smell, and better still are those who have de veloped the sense of hearing (29).Better than those living entities who can perceive sound are those who can distinguish between one form and another. Better than them are those who have developed upper and lower sets of teeth, and better still are those who have many legs. Better than them are the quadrupeds, and better still are the human beings (30).

 Among human beings, the society which is divided according to quality and work is best, and in that society, the intelligent men, who are designated as brāhmaṇas, are best. Among the brāhmaṇas, one who has studied the Vedas is the best, and among the brāhmaṇas who have studied the Vedas, one who knows the actual purport of Veda is the best (31).Better than the brāhmaṇa who knows the purpose of the Vedas is he who can dissipate all doubts, and better than him is one who strictly follows the brahminical prin ciples. Better than him is one who is liberated from all material contamination, and better than him is a pure devotee, who executes devotional service without expectation of reward (32).

Therefore I do not find a greater person than he who has no interest outside of Mine and who therefore engages and dedicates all his ac tivities and all his life everything unto Me without cessation (33).Such a perfect devotee offers respects to every living entity because he is under the firm conviction that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the body of every living entity as the Supersoul, or control ler (34). My dear mother, O daughter of Manu, a dev otee who applies the science of devotional ser vice and mystic yoga in this way can achieve the abode of the Supreme Person simply by that devotional service (35).

This puruṣa whom the individual soul must approach is the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Brahman and Paramātmā. He is the transcendental chief personality, and His activities are all spiritual (36).The time factor, who causes the transformation of the various material manifestations, is another feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anyone who does not know that time is the same Su preme Personality is afraid of the time factor (37).Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices, is the time factor and the master of all masters. He enters everyone’s heart, He is the support of everyone, and He causes every being to be an nihilated by another (38).

No one is dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor is anyone His enemy or friend. But He gives inspiration to those who have not forgotten Him and de stroys those who have (39).Out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the wind blows, out of fear of Him the sun shines, out of fear of Him the rain pours forth showers, and out of fear of Him the host of heavenly bodies shed their luster (40).Out of fear of the Su preme Personality of Godhead the trees, creepers, herbs and seasonal plants and flowers blossom and fructify, each in its own season (41).Out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the rivers flow, and the ocean never overflows. Out of fear of Him only does fire burn and does the earth, with its mountains, not sink in the water of the universe (42).

Subject to the control of the Supreme Personality of God head, the sky allows outer space to accommo date all the various planets, which hold innu merable living entities. The total universal body expands with its seven coverings under His supreme control (43). Out of fear of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, the directing demigods in charge of the modes of material nature carry out the functions of creation, maintenance and destruction; everything ani mate and inanimate within this material world is under their control (44).The eternal time fac tor has no beginning and no end. It is the repre sentative of the Supreme Personality of God head, the maker of the criminal world. It brings about the end of the phenomenal world, it car ries on the work of creation by bringing one in dividual into existence from another, and like wise it dissolves the universe by destroying even the lord of death, Yamarāja (45).  

The Personality of Godhead said: My dear mother, O daughter of the King, now I shall ex plain to you the system of yoga, the object of which is to concentrate the mind. By practicing this system one can become joyful and progres sively advance towards the path of the Absolute Truth (1).One should execute his prescribed duties to the best of his ability and avoid per forming duties not allotted to him. One should be satisfied with as much gain as he achieves by the grace of the Lord, and one should wor ship the lotus feet of a spiritual master (2).

One should cease performing conventional religious practices and should be attracted to those which lead to salvation. One should eat very frugally and should always remain secluded so that he can achieve the highest perfection of life (3).One should practice nonviolence and truth fulness, should avoid thieving and be satisfied with possessing as much as he needs for his maintenance. He should abstain from sex life, perform austerity, be clean, study the Vedas and worship the supreme form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (4). One must observe silence, acquire steadiness by practicing differ ent yogic postures, control the breathing of the vital air, withdraw the senses from sense ob jects and thus concentrate the mind on the heart (5).

Fixing the vital air and the mind in one of the six circles of vital air circulation within the body, thus concentrating one’s mind on the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, is called samādhi, or samādhāna, of the mind (6). By these pro cesses, or any other true process, one must con trol the contaminated, unbridled mind, which is always attracted by material enjoyment, and thus fix himself in thought of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead (7). After controlling one’s mind and sitting pos tures, one should spread a seat in a secluded and sanctified place, sit there in an easy posture, keeping the body erect, and practice breath con trol (8).

The yogī should clear the passage of vi tal air by breathing in the following manner: first he should inhale very deeply, then hold the breath in, and finally exhale. Or, reversing the process, the yogi can first exhale, then hold the breath outside, and finally inhale. This is done so that the mind may become steady and free from external disturbances (9).The yogīs who practice such breathing exercises are very soon freed from all mental disturbances, just as gold, when put into fire and fanned with air, becomes free from all impurities (10).

By practicing the process of prāṇāyāma, one can eradicate the contamination of his physiological condition, and by concentrating the mind one can become free from all sinful activities. By restraining the senses one can free himself from material asso ciation, and by meditating on the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead one can become free from the three modes of material attachment (11).When the mind is perfectly purified by this practice of yoga, one should concentrate on the tip of the nose with half-closed eyes and see the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (12).

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has a cheerful, lotuslike countenance with ruddy eyes like the interior of a lotus, and a swarthy body like the petals of a blue lotus. He bears a conch, discus and mace in three of His hands (13). His loins are covered by a shining cloth, yellowish like the filaments of a lotus. On His breast He bears the mark of Śrīvatsa, a curl of white hair. The brilliant Kaustubha gem is sus pended from His neck (14).He also wears around His neck a garland of attractive sylvan flowers, and a swarm of bees, intoxicated by its delicious fragrance, hums about the garland. He  is further superbly adorned with a pearl neck lace, a crown and pairs of armlets, bracelets and anklets (15).

His loins and hips encircled by a girdle, He stands on the lotus of His devotee’s heart. He is most charming to look at, and His serene aspect gladdens the eyes and souls of the devotees who behold Him (16).The Lord is eternally very beautiful, and He is worshipable by all the inhabitants of every planet. He is ever youthful and always eager to bestow His bless ing upon His devotees (17).The glory of the Lord is always worth singing, for His glories enhance the glories of His devotees. One should therefore meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead and upon His devotees. One should meditate on the eternal form of the Lord until the mind becomes fixed (18).

Thus always merged in devotional service, the yogī visualizes the Lord standing, moving, lying down or sitting within him, for the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are always beautiful and at tractive (19).In fixing his mind on the eternal form of the Lord, the yogī should not take a col lective view of all His limbs, but should fix the mind on each individual limb of the Lord (20). The devotee should first concentrate his mind on the Lord’s lotus feet, which are adorned with the marks of a thunderbolt, a goad, a banner and a lotus. The splendor of their beautiful ruby nails resembles the orb of the moon and dispels the thick gloom of one’s heart (21).

The blessed Lord Śiva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the Lord’s lotus feet. The Lord’s feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the mountain of sin stored in the mind of the meditating devotee. One should therefore meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time (22). The yogī should fix in his heart the activities of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, who is wor shiped by all demigods and is the mother of the supreme person, Brahmā. She can always be found massaging the legs and thighs of the tran scendental Lord, very carefully serving Him in this way (23).

Next, the yogi should fix his mind in meditation on the Personality of Godhead’s thighs, the storehouse of all energy. The Lord’s thighs are whitish blue, like the luster of the lin seed flower, and appear most graceful when the Lord is carried on the shoulders of Garuḍa. Also the yogī should contemplate His rounded hips, which are encircled by a girdle that rests on the exquisite yellow silk cloth that extends down to His ankles (24). The yogī should then meditate on His moon like navel in the center of His abdomen. From His navel, which is the foundation of the entire universe, sprang the lotus stem containing all the different planetary systems. The lotus is the residence of Brahmā, the first created being. In the same way, the yogī should concentrate his mind on the Lord’s nipples, which resemble a pair of most exquisite emeralds and which ap pear whitish because of the rays of the milk white pearl necklaces adorning His chest (25).

The yogī should then meditate on the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the abode of goddess Mahā-Lakṣmī. The Lord’s chest is the source of all transcendental pleas ure for the mind and full satisfaction for the eyes. The yogī should then imprint on his mind the neck of the Personality of Godhead, who is adored by the entire universe. The neck of the Lord serves to enhance the beauty of the Kaust ubha gem, which hangs on His chest (26).

 The yogī should further meditate upon the Lord’s four arms, which are the source of all the powers of the demigods who control the various functions of material nature. Then the yogi should concentrate on the polished orna ments, which were burnished by Mount Man dara as it revolved. He should also duly con template the Lord’s discus, the Sudarśana cakra, which contains one thousand spokes and a dazzling luster, as well as the conch, which looks like a swan in His lotuslike palm (27).

The yogī should meditate upon His club, which is named Kaumodakī and is very dear to Him. This club smashes the demons, who are always inimical soldiers, and is smeared with their blood. One should also concentrate on the nice garland on the neck of the Lord, which is al ways surrounded by bumblebees, with their nice buzzing sound, and one should meditate  upon the pearl necklace on the Lord’s neck, which is considered to represent the pure living entities who are always engaged in His service (28). The yogī should then meditate on the lo tuslike countenance of the Lord, who presents His different forms in this world out of compas sion for the anxious devotees. His nose is prom inent, and His crystal-clear cheeks are illumi nated by the oscillation of His glittering alliga tor-shaped earrings (29).

The yogi then medi tates upon the beautiful face of the Lord, which is adorned with curly hair and decorated by lo tuslike eyes and dancing eyebrows. A lotus sur rounded by swarming bees and a pair of swim ming fish would be put to shame by its elegance (30). The yogīs should contemplate with full de votion the compassionate glances frequently cast by the Lord’s eyes, for they soothe the most fearful threefold agonies of His devotees. His glances, accompanied by loving smiles, are full of abundant grace (31).A yogī should sim ilarly meditate on the most benevolent smile of Lord Śrī Hari, a smile which, for all those who bow to Him, dries away the ocean of tears caused by intense grief. The yogī should also meditate on the Lord’s arched eyebrows, which are manifested by His internal potency in order to charm the sex-god for the good of the sages (32).

With devotion steeped in love and affec tion, the yogī should meditate within the core of his heart upon the laughter of Lord Viṣṇu. The laughter of Viṣṇu is so captivating that it can be easily meditated upon. When the Su preme Lord is laughing, one can see His small teeth, which resemble jasmine buds rendered rosy by the splendor of His lips. Once devoting his mind to this, the yogī should no longer de sire to see anything else (33). By following this course, the yogī gradually develops pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. In the course of his progress in devotional service, the hairs on his body stand erect through excessive joy, and he is constantly bathed in a stream of tears occa sioned by intense love. Gradually, even the mind, which he used as a means to attract the Lord, as one attracts a fish to a hook, withdraws from material activity (34).

When the mind is thus completely freed from all material contam ination and detached from material objectives, it is just like the flame of a lamp. At that time the mind is actually dovetailed with that of the Supreme Lord and is experienced as one with Him because it is freed from the interactive flow of the material qualities (35).Thus situated in the highest transcendental stage, the mind ceases from all material reaction and becomes situated in its own glory, transcendental to all material conceptions of happiness and distress. At that time the yogī realizes the truth of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He discovers that pleasure and pain as well as their interactions, which he attributed to his own self, are actually due to the false ego, which is a product of ignorance (36).

Because he has achieved his real identity, the perfectly realized soul has no conception of how the ma terial body is moving or acting, just as an intox icated person cannot understand whether or not he has clothing on his body (37).The body of such a liberated yogī, along with the senses, is taken charge of by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it functions until its destined ac tivities are finished. The liberated devotee, be ing awake to his constitutional position and thus situated in samādhi, the highest perfec tional stage of yoga, does not accept the by products of the material body as his own. Thus he considers his bodily activities to be like the activities of a body in a dream (38).

Because of great affection for family and wealth, one accepts a son and some money as his own, and due to affection for the material body, one thinks that it is his. But actually, as one can understand that his family and wealth are different from him, the liberated soul can understand that he and his body are not the same (39).The blazing fire is different from the flames, from the sparks and from the smoke, although all are intimately connected because they are born from the same blazing wood (40).The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Parambrahma, is the seer. He is different from the jīva soul, or individual liv ing entity, who is combined with the senses, the  five elements and consciousness (41).

A yogi should see the same soul in all manifestations, for all that exists is a manifestation of different energies of the Supreme. In this way the devo tee should see all living entities without distinc tion. That is realization of the Supreme Soul (42).As fire is exhibited in different forms of wood, so, under different conditions of the modes of material nature, the pure spirit soul manifests itself in different bodies (43).Thus the yogī can be in the self-realized position af ter conquering the insurmountable spell of māyā, who presents herself as both the cause and effect of this material manifestation and is therefore very difficult to understand (44).

The Personality of Godhead Kapila con tinued: When the living entity is thus unaf fected by the modes of material nature, because he is unchanging and does not claim proprietor ship, he remains apart from the reactions of the modes, although abiding in a material body, just as the sun remains aloof from its reflection on water (1).When the soul is under the spell of material nature and false ego, identifying his body as the self, he becomes absorbed in mate rial activities, and by the influence of false ego he thinks that he is the proprietor of everything (2).

The conditioned soul therefore transmi grates into different species of life, higher and lower, because of his association with the modes of material nature. Unless he is relieved of material activities, he has to accept this po sition because of his faulty work (3).Actually a living entity is transcendental to material exist ence, but because of his mentality of lording it over material nature, his material existential condition does not cease, and just as in a dream, he is affected by all sorts of disadvantages (4).It is the duty of every conditioned soul to engage his polluted consciousness, which is now at tached to material enjoyment, in very serious devotional service with detachment. Thus his mind and consciousness will be under full con trol (5).

 One has to become faithful by practicing the controlling process of the yoga system and must elevate himself to the platform of unal loyed devotional service by chanting and hear ing about Me (6).In executing devotional ser vice, one has to see every living entity equally, without enmity towards anyone yet without in timate connections with anyone. One has to ob serve celibacy, be grave and execute his eternal activities, offering the results to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (7).For his income a devotee should be satisfied with what he earns without great difficulty. He should not eat more than what is necessary. He should live in a se cluded place and always be thoughtful, peace ful, friendly, compassionate and self-realized (8).

One’s seeing power should be increased through knowledge of spirit and matter, and one should not unnecessarily identify himself with the body and thus become attracted by bodily relationships (9).One should be situated in the transcendental position, beyond the stages of material consciousness, and should be aloof from all other conceptions of life. Thus realizing freedom from false ego, one should see his own self just as he sees the sun in the sky (10).A liberated soul realizes the Absolute Personality of Godhead, who is transcendental and who is manifest as a reflection even in the false ego. He is the support of the material cause and He enters into everything. He is ab solute, one without a second, and He is the eyes of the illusory energy (11).

The presence of the Supreme Lord can be realized just as the sun is realized first as a re flection on water, and again as a second reflec tion on the wall of a room, although the sun it self is situated in the sky.The self-realized soul is thus reflected first in the threefold ego and then in the body, senses and mind.Although a devotee appears to be merged in the five mate rial elements, the objects of material enjoy ment, the material senses and material mind and intelligence, he is understood to be awake and to be freed from the false ego (12-14).The living entity can vividly feel his existence as the seer, but because of the disappearance of the ego during the state of deep sleep, he falsely takes himself to be lost, like a man who has lost his fortune and feels distressed, thinking him self to be lost (15).

When, by mature under standing, one can realize his individuality, then the situation he accepts under false ego be comes manifest to him (16). Śrī Devahūti inquired: My dear brāhmaṇa, does material nature ever give release to the spirit soul? Since one is attracted to the other eternally, how is their separation possible? (17) As there is no separate existence of the earth and its aroma or of water and its taste, there cannot be any separate existence of intelligence and consciousness (18). Hence even though he is the passive performer of all activities, how can there be freedom for the soul as long as ma terial nature acts on him and binds him? (19)

 Even if the great fear of bondage is avoided by mental speculation and inquiry into the funda mental principles, it may still appear again, since its cause has not ceased (20). The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One can get liberation by seriously dis charging devotional service unto Me and thereby hearing for a long time about Me or from Me. By thus executing one’s prescribed duties, there will be no reaction, and one will be freed from the contamination of matter.This devotional service has to be performed strongly in perfect knowledge and with transcendental vision. One must be strongly renounced and must engage in austerity and perform mystic yoga in order to be firmly fixed in self-absorp tion.The influence of material nature has cov ered the living entity, and thus it is as if the liv ing entity were always in a blazing fire. But by the process of seriously discharging devotional service, this influence can be removed, just as wooden sticks which cause a fire are them selves consumed by it (21-23).

By discovering the faultiness of his desiring to lord it over ma terial nature and by therefore giving it up, the living entity becomes independent and stands in his own glory (24).In the dreaming state one’s consciousness is almost covered, and one sees many inauspicious things, but when he is awakened and fully conscious, such inauspi cious things cannot bewilder him (25).The in fluence of material nature cannot harm an en lightened soul, even though he engages in ma terial activities, because he knows the truth of the Absolute, and his mind is fixed on the Su preme Personality of Godhead (26).When a person thus engages in devotional service and self-realization for many, many years and births, he becomes completely reluctant to en joy any one of the material planets, even up to the highest planet, which is known as Brah maloka; he becomes fully developed in con sciousness (27).

My devotee actually becomes self-realized by My unlimited causeless mercy, and thus, when freed from all doubts, he stead ily progresses towards his destined abode,  which is directly under the protection of My spiritual energy of unadulterated bliss. That is the ultimate perfectional goal of the living en tity. After giving up the present material body, the mystic devotee goes to that transcendental abode and never comes back (28-29). When a perfect yogī’s attention is no longer attracted to the by-products of mystic powers, which are manifestations of the external energy, his pro gress towards Me becomes unlimited, and thus the power of death cannot overcome him (30).  

The Personality of Godhead, Kapila, con tinued: My dear mother, now I shall describe unto you the different categories of the Absolute Truth, knowing which any person can be released from the influence of the modes of ma terial nature (1).Knowledge is the ultimate per fection of self-realization. I shall explain that knowledge unto you by which the knots of at tachment to the material world are cut (2).

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Su preme Soul, and He has no beginning. He is transcendental to the material modes of nature and beyond the existence of this material world. He is perceivable everywhere because He is self-effulgent, and by His self-effulgent luster the entire creation is maintained (3).As His pas time, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the greatest of the great, accepted the subtle mate rial energy, which is invested with three mate rial modes of nature and which is related with Viṣṇu (4).

 Divided into varieties by her three fold modes, material nature creates the forms of the living entities, and the living entities, seeing this, are illusioned by the knowledge-covering feature of the illusory energy (5).Because of his forgetfulness, the transcendental living entity accepts the influence of material energy as his field of activities, and thus actuated, he wrongly applies the activities to himself (6).Material consciousness is the cause of one’s conditional life, in which conditions are en forced upon the living entity by the material en ergy. Although the spirit soul does not do any thing and is transcendental to such activities, he is thus affected by conditional life (7).The cause of the conditioned soul’s material body and senses, and the senses’ presiding deities, the demigods, is the material nature. This is un derstood by learned men. The feelings of hap piness and distress of the soul, who is transcen dental by nature, are caused by the spirit soul himself (8).

 Devahūti said: O Supreme Personality of Godhead, kindly explain the characteristics of the Supreme Person and His energies, for both of these are the causes of this manifest and un manifest creation (9). The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifest state and is called pradhāna. It is called prakṛti when in the manifested stage of existence (10). The aggregate elements, namely the five gross elements, the five subtle elements, the four in ternal senses, the five senses for gathering knowledge and the five outward organs of ac tion, are known as the pradhāna (11). There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle ele ments: smell, taste, color, touch and sound (12).

The senses for acquiring knowledge and the organs for action number ten, namely the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, the sense of smell, and the active organs for speaking, working, travel ing, generating and evacuating (13).The inter nal, subtle senses are experienced as having four aspects, in the shape of mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated consciousness. Distinc tions between them can be made only by differ ent functions, since they represent different characteristics (14).All these are considered the qualified Brahman. The mixing element, which is known as time, is counted as the twenty-fifth element (15).The influence of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead is felt in the time factor, which causes fear of death due to the false ego of the deluded soul who has contacted material nature (16).

My dear mother, O daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, the time factor, as I have explained, is the Supreme Personality of God head, from whom the creation begins as a result of the agitation of the neutral, unmanifested na ture (17).By exhibiting His potencies, the Su preme Personality of Godhead adjusts all these different elements, keeping Himself within as the Supersoul and without as time (18). After the Supreme Personality of Godhead impregnates material nature with His internal potency, material nature delivers the sum total of the cosmic intelligence, which is known as Hiraṇmaya. This takes place in material nature when she is agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls (19).Thus, after manifesting variegatedness, the effulgent mahat-tattva, which contains all the universes within itself, which is the root of all cosmic manifestations and which is not destroyed at the time of anni hilation, swallows the darkness that covered the effulgence at the time of dissolution (20).

 The mode of goodness, which is the clear, sober status of understanding the Personality of Godhead and which is generally called vāsudeva, or consciousness, becomes manifest in the mahat-tattva (21).After the manifestation of the mahat-tattva, these features appear sim ultaneously. As water in its natural state, before coming in contact with earth, is clear, sweet and unruffled, so the characteristic traits of pure consciousness are complete serenity, clarity, and freedom from distraction (22).The material ego springs up from the mahat-tattva, which evolved from the Lord’s own energy. The ma terial ego is endowed predominantly with ac tive power of three kinds: good, passionate and ignorant. It is from these three types of material ego that the mind, the senses of perception, the organs of action, and the gross elements evolve (23-24).

 The threefold ahaṅkāra, the source of the gross elements, the senses and the mind, is identical with them because it is their cause. It is known by the name of Saṅkarṣaṇa, who is directly Lord Ananta with a thousand heads (25).This false ego is characterized as the doer, as an instrument and as an effect. It is further characterized as serene, active or dull accord ing to how it is influenced by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance (26).From the false ego of goodness, another transformation takes place. From this evolves the mind, whose thoughts and reflections give rise to desire (27).The mind of the living entity is known by the name of Lord Aniruddha, the supreme ruler of the senses. He possesses a bluish-black form resembling a lotus flower growing in the au tumn. He is found slowly by the yogis (28).

 By transformation of the false ego in passion, in telligence takes birth, O virtuous lady. The functions of intelligence are to help in ascer taining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses (29).Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their dif ferent functions, are said to be the distinct char acteristics of intelligence (30).Egoism in the mode of passion produces two kinds of senses: the senses for acquiring knowledge and the senses of action. The senses of action depend on the vital energy, and the senses for acquiring knowledge depend on intelligence (31). When egoism in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme Personality of God head, the subtle element sound is manifested, and from sound come the ethereal sky and the sense of hearing (32).

 Persons who are learned and who have true knowledge define sound as that which conveys the idea of an object, indi cates the presence of a speaker screened from our view and constitutes the subtle form of ether (33).The activities and characteristics of the ethereal element can be observed as the ac commodation of room for the external and in ternal existences of all living entities, namely the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and the mind (34). From ethereal existence, which evolves from sound, the next transformation takes place under the impulse of time, and thus the subtle element touch and thence the air and sense of touch become prominent (35).

Softness and hardness and cold and heat are the distinguish ing attributes of touch, which is characterized as the subtle form of air (36).The action of the air is exhibited in movements, mixing, allow ing approach to the objects of sound and other sense perceptions, and providing for the proper functioning of all other senses (37). By interactions of the air and the sensations of touch, one receives different forms accord ing to destiny. By evolution of such forms, there is fire, and the eye sees different forms in color (38).My dear mother, the characteristics of form are understood by dimension, quality and individuality. The form of fire is appreci ated by its effulgence (39).Fire is appreciated by its light and by its ability to cook, to digest, to destroy cold, to evaporate, and to give rise to hunger, thirst, eating and drinking (40).

By the interaction of fire and the visual sen sation, the subtle element taste evolves under a superior arrangement. From taste, water is pro duced, and the tongue, which perceives taste, is also manifested (41).Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances (42).The characteristics of water are exhibited by its moistening other substances, coagulating various mixtures, caus ing satisfaction, maintaining life, softening things, driving away heat, incessantly supply ing itself to reservoirs of water, and refreshing by slaking thirst (43). Due to the interaction of water with the taste perception, the subtle element odor evolves un der superior arrangement. Thence the earth and the olfactory sense, by which we can variously experience the aroma of the earth, become manifest (44).

Odor, although one, becomes many as mixed, offensive, fragrant, mild, strong, acidic and so on according to the pro portions of associated substances (45). The characteristics of the functions of earth can be perceived by modeling forms of the Supreme Brahman, by constructing places of residence, by preparing pots to contain water, etc. In other words, the earth is the place of sustenance for all elements (46). The sense whose object of perception is sound is called the auditory sense, and that whose object of perception is touch is called the tactile sense (47).

The sense whose object of perception is form, the distinctive characteristic of fire, is the sense of sight. The sense whose object of perception is taste, the distinctive characteristic of water, is known as the sense of taste. Finally, the sense whose object of percep tion is odor, the distinctive characteristic of earth, is called the sense of smell (48). Since the cause exists in its effect as well, the charac teristics of the former are observed in the latter. That is why the peculiarities of all the elements exist in the earth alone (49).When all these ele ments were unmixed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of creation, along with time, work, and the qualities of the modes of material nature, entered into the universe with the total material energy in seven divisions (50).

 From these seven principles, roused into ac tivity and united by the presence of the Lord, an unintelligent egg arose, from which ap peared the celebrated Cosmic Being (51).This universal egg, or the universe in the shape of an egg, is called the manifestation of material en ergy. Its layers of water, air, fire, sky, ego and mahat-tattva increase in thickness one after an other. Each layer is ten times bigger than the previous one, and the final outside layer is cov ered by pradhāna. Within this egg is the univer sal form of Lord Hari, of whose body the four teen planetary systems are parts (52).The Su preme Personality of Godhead, the virāṭ puruṣa, situated Himself in that golden egg, which was lying on the water, and He divided it into many departments (53).

First of all a mouth appeared in Him, and then came forth the organ of speech, and with it the god of fire, the deity who presides over that organ. Then a pair of nostrils appeared, and in them appeared the olfactory sense, as well as prāṇa, the vital air (54). In the wake of the olfactory sense came the wind-god, who presides over that sense. Thereafter a pair of eyes appeared in the uni versal form, and in them the sense of sight. In the wake of this sense came the sun-god, who presides over it. Next there appeared in Him a pair of ears, and in them the auditory sense and in its wake the Dig-devatās, or the deities who preside over the directions (55). Then the uni versal form of the Lord, the virāṭ-puruṣa, man ifested His skin, and thereupon the hair, mus tache and beard appeared. After this all the herbs and drugs became manifested, and then His genitals also appeared (56).

After this, se men (the faculty of procreation) and the god who presides over the waters appeared. Next appeared an anus and then the organs of defe cation and thereupon the god of death, who is feared throughout the universe (57). Thereafter the two hands of the universal form of the Lord became manifested, and with them the power of grasping and dropping things, and after that Lord Indra appeared. Next the legs became manifested, and with them the process of move ment, and after that Lord Viṣṇu appeared (58).The veins of the universal body became manifested and thereafter the red corpuscles, or blood. In their wake came the rivers (the deities presiding over the veins), and then appeared an abdomen (59).

Next grew feelings of hunger and thirst, and in their wake came the manifes tation of the oceans. Then a heart became man ifest, and in the wake of the heart the mind ap peared (60).After the mind, the moon appeared. Intelligence appeared next, and after intelli gence, Lord Brahmā appeared. Then the false ego appeared and then Lord Śiva, and after the appearance of Lord Śiva came consciousness and the deity presiding over consciousness (61).When the demigods and presiding deities of the various senses were thus manifested, they wanted to wake their origin of appearance. But upon failing to do so, they reentered the body of the virāṭ-puruṣa one after another in or der to wake Him (62).

The god of fire entered His mouth with the organ of speech, but the virāṭ-puruṣa could not be aroused. Then the god of wind entered His nostrils with the sense of smell, but still the virāṭ-puruṣa refused to be awakened (63).The sun-god entered the eyes of the virāṭ-puruṣa with the sense of sight, but still the virāṭ-puruṣa did not get up. Similarly, the predominating deities of the directions entered through His ears with the sense of hearing, but still He did not get up (64).The predominating deities of the skin, herbs and seasoning plants entered the skin of the virāṭ-puruṣa with the hair of the body, but the Cosmic Being refused to get up even then. The god predominating over water entered His organ of generation with the faculty of procreation, but the virāṭ-puruṣa still would not rise (65).

The god of death entered His anus with the organ of defecation, but the virāṭ-puruṣa could not be spurred to activity. The god Indra entered the hands with their power of grasping and dropping things, but the virāṭ-puruṣa would not get up even then (66).Lord Viṣṇu entered His feet with the fac ulty of locomotion, but the virāṭ-puruṣa refused to stand up even then. The rivers entered His blood vessels with the blood and the power of circulation, but still the Cosmic Being could not be made to stir (67).The ocean entered His ab domen with hunger and thirst, but the Cosmic Being refused to rise even then. The moon-god entered His heart with the mind, but the Cosmic Being would not be roused (68).Brahmā also entered His heart with intelligence, but even then the Cosmic Being could not be prevailed upon to get up. Lord Rudra also entered His heart with the ego, but even then the Cosmic Being did not stir (69).

However, when the in ner controller, the deity presiding over con sciousness, entered the heart with reason, at that very moment the Cosmic Being arose from the causal waters (70).When a man is sleeping, all his material assets namely the vital energy, the senses for recording knowledge, the senses for working, the mind and the intelligence can not arouse him. He can be aroused only when the Supersoul helps him (71).Therefore, through devotion, detachment and advance ment in spiritual knowledge acquired through concentrated devotional service, one should contemplate that Supersoul as present in this very body although simultaneously apart from it (72).

ŚrīŚaunaka said: Although He is unborn, the Supreme Personality of Godhead took birth as Kapila Muni by His internal potency. He de scended to disseminate transcendental knowledge for the benefit of the whole human race (1).Śaunaka continued: There is no one who knows more than the Lord Himself. No one is more worshipable or more mature a yogī than He. He is therefore the master of the Ve das, and to hear about Him always is the actual pleasure of the senses (2).Therefore please pre cisely describe all the activities and pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is full of self desire and who assumes all these activities by His internal potency (3).

 Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyāsadeva. Be ing encouraged and pleased by Vidura’s in quiry about transcendental knowledge, Mait reya spoke as follows (4). Maitreya said: When Kardama left for the forest, Lord Kapila stayed on the strand of the Bindu-sarovara to please His mother, Devahūti (5).When Kapila, who could show her the ulti mate goal of the Absolute Truth, was sitting lei surely before her, Devahūti remembered the words Brahmā had spoken to her, and she therefore began to question Kapila as follows (6).

 Devahūti said: I am very sick of the disturb ance caused by my material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen into the abyss of ignorance (7).Your Lordship is my only means of getting out of this darkest region of ignorance because You are my tran scendental eye, which, by Your mercy only, I have attained after many, many births (8). You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin and Supreme Lord of all living entities. You have arisen to disseminate the rays of the sun in order to dissipate the darkness of the ig norance of the universe (9).Now be pleased, my Lord, to dispel my great delusion. Due to my feeling of false ego, I have been engaged by Your māyā and have identified myself with the body and consequent bodily relations (10).

Devahūti continued: I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet because You are the only per son of whom to take shelter. You are the ax which can cut the tree of material existence. I therefore offer my obeisances unto You, who are the greatest of all transcendentalists, and I inquire from You as to the relationship between man and woman and between spirit and matter (11). Maitreya said: After hearing of His mother’s uncontaminated desire for transcen dental realization, the Lord thanked her within Himself for her questions, and thus, His face smiling, He explained the path of the transcen dentalists, who are interested in self-realization (12).

The Personality of Godhead answered: The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, which is meant for the ulti mate benefit of the living entity, and which causes detachment from all happiness and dis tress in the material world, is the highest yoga system (13).O most pious mother, I shall now explain unto you the ancient yoga system, which I explained formerly to the great sages. It is serviceable and practical in every way (14). The stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situ ated in the consciousness of liberation (15).

 When one is completely cleansed of the impu rities of lust and greed produced from the false identification of the body as “I” and bodily pos sessions as “mine,” one’s mind becomes puri fied. In that pure state he transcends the stage of so-called material happiness and distress (16).At that time the soul can see himself to be transcendental to material existence and always self-effulgent, never fragmented, although very minute in size (17).In that position of self-real ization, by practice of knowledge and renunci ation in devotional service, one sees everything in the right perspective; he becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influ ence acts less powerfully upon him (18).Perfec tion in self-realization cannot be attained by any kind of yogī unless he engages in devo tional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for that is the only auspicious path (19).

Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest en tanglement of the spirit soul. But that same at tachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation (20). The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tol erant, merciful and friendly to all living enti ties. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteris tics are sublime (21).Such a sādhu engages in staunch devotional service to the Lord without deviation. For the sake of the Lord he re nounces all other connections, such as family relationships and friendly acquaintances within the world (22).Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from ma terial miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities (23).

O My mother, O virtuous lady, these are the qualities of great devotees who are free from all attachment. You must seek attachment to such holy men, for this counteracts the per nicious effects of material attachment (24).In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead is very pleasing and satis fying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes ad vanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin (25).Thus consciously engaged in devo tional service in the association of devotees, a person gains distaste for sense gratification, both in this world and in the next, by constantly thinking about the activities of the Lord. This process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the easiest process of mystic power; when one is actually situated on that path of devotional service, he is able to control the mind (26).

Thus by not en gaging in the service of the modes of material nature but by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, knowledge in renunciation, and by practicing yoga, in which the mind is always fixed in de votional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one achieves My association in this very life, for I am the Supreme Personality, the Absolute Truth (27). On hearing this statement of the Lord, Devahūti inquired: What kind of devotional service is worth developing and practicing to help me easily and immediately attain the ser vice of Your lotus feet?(28) The mystic yoga system, as You have explained, aims at the Su preme Personality of Godhead and is meant for completely ending material existence. Please let me know the nature of that yoga system. How many ways are there by which one can understand in truth that sublime yoga? (29)

 My dear son, Kapila, after all, I am a woman. It is very difficult for me to understand the Absolute Truth because my intelligence is not very great. But if You will kindly explain it to me, even though I am not very intelligent, I can under stand it and thereby feel transcendental happi ness (30). Śrī Maitreya said: After hearing the state ment of His mother, Kapila could understand her purpose, and He became compassionate to wards her because of being born of her body. He described the Sāṅkhya system of philoso phy, which is a combination of devotional ser vice and mystic realization, as received by dis ciplic succession (31).

 Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their nat ural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are rep resentatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind’s natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devo tional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation (32).Bhakti, devotional service, dis solves the subtle body of the living entity with out separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat (33).A pure devotee, who is attached to the activities of devotional ser vice and who always engages in the service of My lotus feet, never desires to become one with Me. Such a devotee, who is unflinchingly en gaged, always glorifies My pastimes and activ ities (34).

O My mother, My devotees always see the smiling face of My form, with eyes like the rising morning sun. They like to see My various transcendental forms, which are all be nevolent, and they also talk favorably with Me (35).Upon seeing the charming forms of the Lord, smiling and attractive, and hearing His very pleasing words, the pure devotee almost loses all other consciousness. His senses are freed from all other engagements, and he be comes absorbed in devotional service. Thus in spite of his unwillingness, he attains liberation without separate endeavor (36).Thus because he is completely absorbed in thought of Me, the devotee does not desire even the highest bene diction obtainable in the upper planetary sys tems, including Satyaloka. He does not desire the eight material perfections obtained from mystic yoga, nor does he desire to be elevated to the kingdom of God. Yet even without desir ing them, the devotee enjoys, even in this life, all the offered benedictions (37).

The Lord con tinued: My dear mother, devotees who receive such transcendental opulences are never bereft of them; neither weapons nor the change of time can destroy such opulences. Because the devotees accept Me as their friend, their rela tive, their son, preceptor, benefactor and Su preme Deity, they cannot be deprived of their possessions at any time (38). Thus the devotee who worships Me, the all pervading Lord of the universe, in unflinching devotional service, gives up all aspirations to be promoted to heavenly planets or to become happy in this world with wealth, children, cat tle, home or anything in relationship with the body. I take him to the other side of birth and death (39-40).The terrible fear of birth and death can never be forsaken by anyone who re sorts to any shelter other than Myself, for I am the almighty Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of all creation, and also the Supreme Soul of all souls (41).

It is because of My supremacy that the wind blows, out of fear of Me; the sun shines out of fear of Me, and the lord of the clouds, Indra, sends forth showers out of fear of Me. Fire burns out of fear of Me, and death goes about taking its toll out of fear of Me (42).The yogīs, equipped with transcendental knowledge and renuncia tion and engaged in devotional service for their eternal benefit, take shelter of My lotus feet, and since I am the Lord, they are thus eligible to enter into the kingdom of Godhead without fear (43).Therefore persons whose minds are fixed on the Lord engage in the intensive prac tice of devotional service. That is the only means for attainment of the final perfection of life (44).

Recalling the words of Lord Viṣṇu, the mer ciful sage Kardama replied as follows to Svāyambhuva Manu’s praiseworthy daughter, Devahūti, who was speaking words full of renunciation (1). The sage said: Do not be disappointed with yourself, O princess. You are actually praise worthy. The infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead will shortly enter your womb as your son (2).You have undertaken sacred vows. God will bless you. Hence you should worship the Lord with great faith, through sensory control, religious observances, austerities and gifts of your money in charity (3).

The Personality of Godhead, being worshiped by you, will spread my name and fame. He will vanquish the knot of your heart by becoming your son and teach ing knowledge of Brahman (4). Śrī Maitreya said: Devahūti was fully faithful and respectful toward the direction of her husband, Kardama, who was one of the Prajāpatis, or generators of human beings in the universe. O great sage, she thus began to wor ship the master of the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in eve ryone’s heart (5).After many, many years, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Madhusūdana, the killer of the demon Madhu, having entered the semen of Kardama, ap peared in Devahūti just as fire comes from wood in a sacrifice (6).

At the time of His de scent on earth, demigods in the form of raining clouds sounded musical instruments in the sky. The celestial musicians, the Gandharvas, sang the glories of the Lord, while celestial dancing girls known as Apsarās danced in joyful ecstasy (7).At the time of the Lord’s appearance, the demigods flying freely in the sky showered flowers. All the directions, all the waters and everyone’s mind became very satisfied (8).Brahmā, the first-born living being, went along with Marīci and other sages to the place of Kardama’s hermitage, which was sur rounded by the river Sarasvatī (9). Maitreya continued: O killer of the enemy, the unborn Lord Brahmā, who is almost independent in ac quiring knowledge, could understand that a portion of the Supreme Personality of God head, in His quality of pure existence, had ap peared in the womb of Devahūti just to explain the complete state of knowledge known as sāṅkhya-yoga (10).

After worshiping the Su preme Lord with gladdened senses and a pure heart for His intended activities as an incarna tion, Brahmā spoke as follows to Kardama and Devahūti (11). Lord Brahmā said: My dear son Kardama, since you have completely accepted my in structions without duplicity, showing them proper respect, you have worshiped me properly. Whatever instructions you took from me you have carried out, and thereby you have honored me (12).Sons ought to render service to their father exactly to this extent. One should obey the command of his father or spiritual master with due deference, saying, “Yes, sir.” (13)Lord Brahmā then praised Kardama Muni’s nine daughters, saying: All your thin waisted daughters are certainly very chaste. I am sure they will increase this creation by their own descendants in various ways (14).

There fore, today please give away your daughters to the foremost of the sages, with due regard for the girls’ temperaments and likings, and thereby spread your fame all over the universe (15).O Kardama, I know that the original Su preme Personality of Godhead has now ap peared as an incarnation by His internal energy. He is the bestower of all that is desired by the living entities, and He has now assumed the body of Kapila Muni (16).By mystic yoga and the practical application of knowledge from the scriptures, Kapila Muni, who is characterized by His golden hair, His eyes just like lotus pet als and His lotus feet, which bear the marks of lotus flowers, will uproot the deep-rooted de sire for work in this material world (17).

Lord Brahmā then told Devahūti: My dear daughter of Manu, the same Supreme Personality of Godhead who killed the demon Kaiṭabha is now within your womb. He will cut off all the knots of your ignorance and doubt. Then He will travel all over the world (18).Your son will be the head of all the perfected souls. He will be approved by the ācāryas expert in dissemi nating real knowledge, and among the people He will be celebrated by the name Kapila. As the son of Devahūti, He will increase your fame (19). Śrī Maitreya said: After thus speaking to Kardama Muni and his wife Devahūti, Lord Brahmā, the creator of the universe, who is also known as Haṁsa, went back to the highest of the three planetary systems on his swan carrier with the four Kumāras and Nārada (20).

O Vidura, after the departure of Brahmā, Kar dama Muni, having been ordered by Brahmā, handed over his nine daughters, as instructed, to the nine great sages who created the popula tion of the world (21). Kardama Muni handed over his daughter Kalā to Marīci, and another daughter, Anasūyā, to Atri. He delivered Śraddhā to Aṅgirā, and Havirbhū to Pulastya. He delivered Gati to Pulaha, the chaste Kriyā to Kratu, Khyāti to Bhṛgu, and Arundhatī to Va siṣṭha (22-23).He delivered Śānti to Atharvā. Because of Śānti, sacrificial ceremonies are well performed. Thus he got the foremost brāhmaṇas married, and he maintained them along with their wives (24). Thus married, the sages took leave of Kardama and departed full of joy, each for his own hermitage, O Vidura (25).

 When Kardama Muni understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the chief of all the demigods, Viṣṇu, had descended, Kar dama approached Him in a secluded place, of fered obeisances and spoke as follows (26). Kardama Muni said: Oh, after a long time the demigods of this universe have become pleased with the suffering souls who are in material en tanglement because of their own misdeeds (27).After many births, mature yogīs, by com plete trance in yoga, endeavor in secluded places to see the lotus feet of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead (28).Not considering the negligence of ordinary householders like us, that very same Supreme Personality of God head appears in our homes just to support His devotees (29).Kardama Muni said: You, my dear Lord, who are always increasing the honor of Your devotees, have descended in my home just to fulfill Your word and disseminate the process of real knowledge (30).

My dear Lord, although You have no material form, You have Your own innumerable forms. They truly are Your transcendental forms, which are pleasing to Your devotees (31). My dear Lord, Your lo tus feet are the reservoir that always deserves to receive worshipful homage from all great sages eager to understand the Absolute Truth. You are full in opulence, renunciation, transcenden tal fame, knowledge, strength and beauty, and therefore I surrender myself unto Your lotus feet (32).I surrender unto the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, descended in the form of Ka pila, who is independently powerful and tran scendental, who is the Supreme Person and the Lord of the sum total of matter and the element of time, who is the fully cognizant maintainer of all the universes under the three modes of material nature, and who absorbs the material manifestations after their dissolution (33).

To day I have something to ask from You, who are the Lord of all living entities. Since I have now been liberated by You from my debts to my fa ther, and since all my desires are fulfilled, I wish to accept the order of an itinerant mendi cant. Renouncing this family life, I wish to wander about, free from lamentation, thinking always of You in my heart (34). The Personality of Godhead Kapila said: Whatever I speak, whether directly or in the scriptures, is authoritative in all respects for the people of the world. O Muni, because I told you before that I would become your son, I have de scended to fulfill this truth (35).My appearance in this world is especially to explain the philos ophy of Sāṅkhya, which is highly esteemed for self-realization by those desiring freedom from the entanglement of unnecessary material de sires (36).

This path of self-realization, which is difficult to understand, has now been lost in the course of time. Please know that I have as sumed this body of Kapila to introduce and ex plain this philosophy to human society again (37).Now, being sanctioned by Me, go as you desire, surrendering all your activities to Me. Conquering insurmountable death, worship Me for eternal life (38).In your own heart, through your intellect, you will always see Me, the su preme self-effulgent soul dwelling within the hearts of all living entities. Thus you will achieve the state of eternal life, free from all lamentation and fear (39).I shall also describe this sublime knowledge, which is the door to spiritual life, to My mother, so that she also can attain perfection and self-realization, ending all reactions to fruitive activities. Thus she also will be freed from all material fear (40).

 Śrī Maitreya said: Thus when Kardama Muni, the progenitor of human society, was spoken to in fullness by his son, Kapila, he cir cumambulated Him, and with a good, pacified mind he at once left for the forest (41). The sage Kardama accepted silence as a vow in order to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and take shelter of Him exclusively. Without association, he traveled over the sur face of the globe as a sannyāsī, devoid of any relationship with fire or shelter (42).He fixed his mind upon the Supreme Personality of God head, Parabrahman, who is beyond cause and effect, who manifests the three modes of mate rial nature, who is beyond those three modes, and who is perceived only through unfailing devotional service (43).

 Thus he gradually be came unaffected by the false ego of material identity and became free from material affec tion. Undisturbed, equal to everyone and with out duality, he could indeed see himself also. His mind was turned inward and was perfectly calm, like an ocean unagitated by waves (44).He thus became liberated from condi tioned life and became self-situated in transcen dental devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, the omniscient Supersoul within everyone (45).He began to see that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is seated in everyone’s heart, and that everyone is existing on Him, because He is the Supersoul of every one (46).Freed from all hatred and desire, Kar dama Muni, being equal to everyone because of discharging uncontaminated devotional ser vice, ultimately attained the path back to God head(47).

Maitreya continued: After the departure of her parents, the chaste woman Devahūti, who could understand the desires of her husband, served him constantly with great love, as Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva, serves her hus band (1).O Vidura, Devahūti served her hus band with intimacy and great respect, with con trol of the senses, with love and with sweet words (2).

Working sanely and diligently, she pleased her very powerful husband, giving up all lust, pride, envy, greed, sinful activities and vanity (3).The daughter of Manu, who was fully devoted to her husband, looked upon him as greater even than providence. Thus she ex pected great blessings from him. Having served him for a long time, she grew weak and emaci ated due to her religious observances. Seeing her condition, Kardama, the foremost of celes tial sages, was overcome with compassion and spoke to her in a voice choked with great love (4-5).

Kardama Muni said: O respectful daugh ter of Svāyambhuva Manu, today I am very much pleased with you for your great devotion and most excellent loving service. Since the body is so dear to embodied beings, I am aston ished that you have neglected your own body to use it on my behalf (6). Kardama Muni con tinued: I have achieved the blessings of the Lord in discharging my own religious life of austerity, meditation and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Although you have not yet experienced these achievements, which are free from fear and lamentation, I shall offer them all to you be cause you are engaged in my service. Now just look at them. I am giving you the transcenden tal vision to see how nice they are (7).

Kardama Muni continued: What is the use of enjoyments other than the Lord’s grace? All material achievements are subject to be annihilated simply by a movement of the eyebrows of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By your principles of devotion to your husband, you have achieved and can enjoy transcenden tal gifts very rarely obtained by persons proud of aristocracy and material possessions (8). Upon hearing the speaking of her husband, who excelled in knowledge of all kinds of tran scendental science, innocent Devahūti was very satisfied. Her smiling face shining with a slightly bashful glance, she spoke in a choked voice because of great humility and love (9).

Śrī Devahūti said: My dear husband, O best of brāhmaṇas, I know that you have achieved perfection and are the master of all the infallible mystic powers because you are under the pro tection of yoga-māyā, the transcendental na ture. But you once made a promise that our bodily union should now fulfill, since children are a great quality for a chaste woman who has a glorious husband (10).Devahūti continued: My dear lord, I am struck by excited emotion for you. Therefore kindly make what arrange ments must be made according to the scriptures so that my skinny body, emaciated through un satisfied passion, may be rendered fit for you. Also, my lord, please think of a suitable house for this purpose (11).

 Maitreya continued: O Vidura, seeking to please his beloved wife, the sage Kardama ex ercised his yogic power and instantly produced an aerial mansion that could travel at his will (12).It was a wonderful structure, bedecked with all sorts of jewels, adorned with pillars of precious stones, and capable of yielding what ever one desired. It was equipped with every form of furniture and wealth, which tended to increase in the course of time (13). The castle was fully equipped with all necessary parapher nalia, and it was pleasing in all seasons. It was decorated all around with flags, festoons and artistic work of variegated colors. It was further embellished with wreaths of charming flowers that attracted sweetly humming bees and with tapestries of linen, silk and various other fabrics (14-15).

The palace looked charming, with beds, couches, fans and seats, all separately ar ranged in seven stories (16).Its beauty was en hanced by artistic engravings here and there on the walls. The floor was of emerald, with coral daises (17).The palace was very beautiful, with its coral thresholds at the entrances and its doors bedecked with diamonds. Gold pinnacles crowned its domes of sapphire (18).With the choicest rubies set in its diamond walls, it ap peared as though possessed of eyes. It was fur nished with wonderful canopies and greatly valuable gates of gold (19).

Here and there in that palace were multitudes of live swans and pigeons, as well as artificial swans and pigeons so lifelike that the real swans rose above them again and again, thinking them live birds like themselves. Thus the palace vibrated with the sounds of these birds (20).The castle had pleas ure grounds, resting chambers, bedrooms and inner and outer yards designed with an eye to comfort. All this caused astonishment to the sage himself (21). When he saw Devahūti looking at the gigan tic opulent palace with a displeased heart, Kar dama Muni could understand her feelings be cause he could study the heart of anyone. Thus he personally addressed his wife as follows (22).

My dear Devahūti, you look very much afraid. First bathe in Lake Bindu-sarovara, cre ated by Lord Viṣṇu Himself, which can grant all the desires of a human being, and then mount this airplane (23). The lotus-eyed Devahūti accepted the order of her husband. Because of her dirty dress and the locks of matted hair on her head, she did not look very attractive (24).Her body was coated with a thick layer of dirt, and her breasts were discolored. She dove, however, into the lake, which contained the sacred waters of the Saras vatī (25).In a house inside the lake she saw one thousand girls, all in the prime of youth and fra grant like lotuses (26).Seeing her, the damsels suddenly rose and said with folded hands, “We are your maidservants. Tell us what we can do for you” (27).

The girls, being very respectful to Devahūti, brought her forth, and after bathing her with valuable oils and ointments, they gave her fine, new, spotless cloth to cover her body (28).They then decorated her with very excellent and val uable jewels, which shone brightly. Next they offered her food containing all good qualities, and a sweet inebriating drink called āsavam (29).Then in a mirror she beheld her own re flection. Her body was completely freed from all dirt, and she was adorned with a garland. Dressed in unsullied robes and decorated with auspicious marks of tilaka, she was served very respectfully by the maids (30). Her entire body, including her head, was completely bathed, and she was decorated all over with ornaments. She wore a special necklace with a locket. There were bangles on her wrists and tinkling anklets of gold about her ankles (31).

 About her hips she wore a girdle of gold, set with numerous jewels, and she was further adorned with a pre cious pearl necklace and auspicious substances (32). Her countenance shone, with beautiful teeth and charming eyebrows. Her eyes, distin guished by lovely moist corners, defeated the beauty of lotus buds. Her face was surrounded by dark curling tresses (33).When she thought of her great husband, the best of the sages, Kar dama Muni, who was very dear to her, she, along with all the maidservants, at once ap peared where he was (34). She was amazed to find herself surrounded by a thousand maids in the presence of her husband and to witness his yogic power (35).

 The sage could see that Devahūti had washed herself clean and was shining forth as though no longer his former wife. She had re gained her own original beauty as the daughter of a prince. Dressed in excellent robes, her charming breasts duly girded, she was waited upon by a thousand Gandharva girls. O de stroyer of the enemy, his fondness for her grew, and he placed her on the aerial mansion (36 37).Though seemingly attached to his beloved consort while served by the Gandharva girls, the sage did not lose his glory, which was mas tery over his self. In the aerial mansion, Kar dama Muni with his consort shone as charm ingly as the moon in the midst of the stars in the sky, which causes rows of lilies to open in ponds at night (38).

In that aerial mansion he traveled to the pleasure valleys of Mount Meru, which were rendered all the more beautiful by cool, gentle, fragrant breezes that stimulated passion. In these valleys, the treasurer of the gods, Kuvera, surrounded by beautiful women and praised by the Siddhas, generally enjoys pleasure. Kardama Muni also, surrounded by the beautiful damsels and his wife, went there and enjoyed for many, many years (39). Satisfied by his wife, he enjoyed in that aer ial mansion not only on Mount Meru but in dif ferent gardens known as Vaiśrambhaka, Su rasana, Nandana, Puṣpabhadraka and Cai trarathya, and by the Mānasa-sarovara Lake (40).

He traveled in that way through the vari ous planets, as the air passes uncontrolled in every direction. Coursing through the air in that great and splendid aerial mansion, which could fly at his will, he surpassed even the demigods (41).What is difficult to achieve for determined men who have taken refuge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s lotus feet? His feet  are the source of sacred rivers like the Ganges, which put an end to the dangers of mundane life (42). After showing his wife the globe of the uni verse and its different arrangements, full of many wonders, the great yogī Kardama Muni returned to his own hermitage (43).

After com ing back to his hermitage, he divided himself into nine personalities just to give pleasure to Devahūti, the daughter of Manu, who was ea ger for sex life. In that way he enjoyed with her for many, many years, which passed just like a moment (44).In that aerial mansion, Devahūti, in the company of her handsome husband, situ ated on an excellent bed that increased sexual desires, could not realize how much time was passing (45).While the couple, who eagerly longed for sexual pleasure, were thus enjoying themselves by virtue of mystic powers, a hun dred autumns passed like a brief span of time (46).The powerful Kardama Muni was the knower of everyone’s heart, and he could grant whatever one desired. Knowing the spiritual soul, he regarded her as half of his body. Divid ing himself into nine forms, he impregnated Devahūti with nine discharges of semen (47).

Immediately afterward, on the same day, Devahūti gave birth to nine female children, all charming in every limb and fragrant with the scent of the red lotus flower (48). When she saw her husband about to leave home, she smiled externally, but at heart she was agitated and distressed (49).She stood and scratched the ground with her foot, which was radiant with the luster of her gemlike nails. Her head bent down, she spoke in slow yet charming accents, suppressing her tears (50). Śrī Devahūti said: My lord, you have ful filled all the promises you gave me, yet because I am your surrendered soul, you should give me fearlessness too (51).

My dear brāhmaṇa, as far as your daughters are concerned, they will find their own suitable husbands and go away to their respective homes. But who will give me solace after your departure as a sannyāsī? (52)Until now we have simply wasted so much of our time in sense gratification, neglecting to cultivate knowledge of the Supreme Lord (53).Not knowing your transcendental situa tion, I have loved you while remaining attached to the objects of the senses. Nonetheless, let the affinity I have developed for you rid me of all fear (54).Association for sense gratification is certainly the path of bondage. But the same type of association, performed with a saintly person, leads to the path of liberation, even if performed without knowledge (55).

Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to reli gious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Su preme Personality of Godhead, must be consid ered dead, although he is breathing (56).My lord, surely I have been solidly cheated by the insurmountable illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for in spite of having obtained your association, which gives libera tion from material bondage, I did not seek such liberation (57).

Śrī Maitreya said: After describing the greatness of the Emperor’s manifold qualities and activities, the sage became silent, and the Emperor, feeling modesty, addressed him as follows (1). Manu replied: To expand himself in Vedic knowledge, Lord Brahmā, the personified Veda, from his face created you, the brāhmaṇas, who are full of austerity, knowledge and mystic power and are averse to sense gratification (2).For the protection of the brāhmaṇas, the thousand-legged Supreme Be ing created us, the kṣatriyas, from His thousand arms. Hence the brāhmaṇas are said to be His heart and the kṣatriyas His arms (3).

That is why the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas protect each other, as well as themselves; and the Lord Himself, who is both the cause and effect and is yet im mutable, protects them through each other (4).Now I have resolved all my doubts simply by meeting you, for Your Lordship has very kindly and clearly explained the duty of a king who desires to protect his subjects (5).It is my good fortune that I have been able to see you, for you cannot easily be seen by persons who have not subdued the mind or controlled the senses. I am all the more fortunate to have touched with my head the blessed dust of your feet (6).

I have fortunately been instructed by you, and thus great favor has been bestowed upon me. I thank God that I have listened with open ears to your pure words (7). O great sage, graciously be pleased to listen to the prayer of my humble self, for my mind is troubled by affection for my daughter (8).My daughter is the sister of Priyavrata and Ut tānapāda. She is seeking a suitable husband in terms of age, character and good qualities (9). The moment she heard from the sage Nārada of your noble character, learning, beautiful ap pearance, youth and other virtues, she fixed her mind upon you (10).Therefore please accept her, O chief of the brāhmaṇas, for I offer her with faith and she is in every respect fit to be your wife and take charge of your household duties (11).

To deny an offering that has come of itself is not commendable even for one abso lutely free from all attachment, much less one addicted to sensual pleasure (12).One who re jects an offering that comes of its own accord but later begs a boon from a miser thus loses his widespread reputation, and his pride is hum bled by the neglectful behavior of others (13). Svāyambhuva Manu continued: O wise man, I heard that you were prepared to marry. Please accept her hand, which is being offered to you by me, since you have not taken a vow of per petual celibacy (14). The great sage replied: Certainly I have a desire to marry, and your daughter has not yet married or given her word to anyone. Therefore our marriage according to the Vedic system can take place (15).

Let your daughter’s desire for marriage, which is recognized in the Vedic scriptures, be fulfilled. Who would not accept her hand? She is so beautiful that by her bodily luster alone she excels the beauty of her orna ments (16).I have heard that Viśvāvasu, the great Gandharva, his mind stupefied with infat uation, fell from his airplane after seeing your daughter playing with a ball on the roof of the palace, for she was indeed beautiful with her tinkling ankle bells and her eyes moving to and fro (17).What wise man would not welcome her, the very ornament of womanhood, the be loved daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu and sis ter of Uttānapāda? Those who have not wor shiped the gracious feet of the goddess of for tune cannot even perceive her, yet she has come of her own accord to seek my hand (18).

There fore I shall accept this chaste girl as my wife, on the condition that after she bears semen from my body, I shall accept the life of devotional service accepted by the most perfect human be ings. That process was described by Lord Viṣṇu. It is free from envy (19). The highest au thority for me is the unlimited Supreme Person ality of Godhead, from whom this wonderful creation emanates and in whom its sustenance and dissolution rest. He is the origin of all Prajāpatis, the personalities meant to produce living entities in this world (20).

 Śrī Maitreya said: O great warrior Vidura, the sage Kardama said this much only and then became silent, thinking of his worshipable Lord Viṣṇu, who has a lotus on His navel. As he si lently smiled, his face captured the mind of Devahūti, who began to meditate upon the great sage (21).After having unmistakably known the decision of the Queen, as well as that of Devahūti, the Emperor most gladly gave his daughter to the sage, whose host of virtues was equaled by hers (22). Empress Śatarūpā lov ingly gave most valuable presents, suitable for the occasion, such as jewelry, clothes and household articles, in dowry to the bride and bridegroom (23).

Thus relieved of his responsi bility by handing over his daughter to a suitable man, Svāyambhuva Manu, his mind agitated by feelings of separation, embraced his affection ate daughter with both his arms (24).The Em peror was unable to bear the separation of his daughter. Therefore tears poured from his eyes again and again, drenching his daughter’s head as he cried, “My dear mother! My dear daugh ter!” (25) After asking and obtaining the great sage’s permission to leave, the monarch mounted his chariot with his wife and started for his capital, followed by his retinue. Along the way he saw the prosperity of the tranquil seers’ beautiful hermitages on both the charm ing banks of the Sarasvatī, the river so agreea ble to saintly persons (26-27).

Overjoyed to know of his arrival, his sub jects came forth from Brahmāvarta to greet their returning lord with songs, prayers and mu sical instruments (28). The city of Barhiṣmatī, rich in all kinds of wealth, was so called be cause Lord Viṣṇu’s hair dropped there from His body when He manifested Himself as Lord Boar. As He shook His body, this very hair fell and turned into blades of evergreen kuśa grass and kāśa [another kind of grass used for mats], by means of which the sages worshiped Lord Viṣṇu after defeating the demons who had in terfered with the performance of their sacrifices (29-30).Manu spread a seat of kuśas and kāśas and worshiped the Lord, the Personality of Godhead, by whose grace he had obtained the rule of the terrestrial globe (31).

Having entered the city of Barhiṣmatī, in which he had previously lived, Manu entered his palace, which was filled with an atmosphere that eradicated the three miseries of material existence (32).Emperor Svāyambhuva Manu enjoyed life with his wife and subjects and ful filled his desires without being disturbed by un wanted principles contrary to the process of re ligion. Celestial musicians and their wives sang in chorus about the pure reputation of the Em peror, and early in the morning, every day, he used to listen to the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a loving heart (33).

Thus Svāyambhuva Manu was a saintly king. Although absorbed in material happiness, he was not dragged to the lowest grade of life, for he always enjoyed his material happiness in a Kṛṣṇa conscious atmosphere (34).Conse quently, although his duration of life gradually came to an end, his long life, consisting of a Manvantara era, was not spent in vain, since he ever engaged in hearing, contemplating, writ ing down and chanting the pastimes of the Lord (35).

He passed his time, which lasted seventy one cycles of the four ages [71 × 4,320,000 years], always thinking of Vāsudeva and al ways engaged in matters regarding Vāsudeva. Thus he transcended the three destinations (36).Therefore, O Vidura, how can persons completely under the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa in devotional service be put into miseries pertain ing to the body, the mind, nature, and other men and living creatures? (37) In reply to questions asked by certain sages, he [Svāyambhuva Manu], out of compassion for all living entities, taught the diverse sacred duties of men in gen eral and the different varṇas and āśramas (38). I have spoken to you of the wonderful char acter of Svāyambhuva Manu, the original king, whose reputation is worthy of description. Please hear as I speak of the flourishing of his daughter Devahūti (39).

Vidura said: The line of Svāyambhuva Manu was most esteemed. O worshipful sage, I beg you: Give me an account of this race, whose progeny multiplied through sexual inter course (1).The two great sons of Svāyambhuva Manu Priyavrata and Uttānapāda ruled the world, consisting of seven islands, just accord ing to religious principles (2).O holy brāhmaṇa, O sinless one, you have spoken of his daughter, known by the name Devahūti, as the wife of the sage Kardama, the lord of created beings (3).

How many offspring did that great yogī be get through the princess, who was endowed with eightfold perfection in the yoga princi ples? Oh, pray tell me this, for I am eager to hear it (4).O holy sage, tell me how the wor shipful Ruci and Dakṣa, the son of Brahmā, generated children after securing as their wives the other two daughters of Svāyambhuva Manu (5). The great sage Maitreya replied: Com manded by Lord Brahmā to beget children in the worlds, the worshipful Kardama Muni prac ticed penance on the bank of the river Sarasvatī for a period of ten thousand years (6).

During that period of penance, the sage Kardama, by worship through devotional service in trance, propitiated the Personality of Godhead, who is the quick bestower of all blessings upon those who flee to Him for protection (7).Then, in the Satya-yuga, the lotus-eyed Supreme Personal ity of Godhead, being pleased, showed Himself to that Kardama Muni and displayed His tran scendental form, which can be understood only through the Vedas (8). Kardama Muni saw the Supreme Personal ity of Godhead, who is free from material con tamination, in His eternal form, effulgent like the sun, wearing a garland of white lotuses and water lilies. The Lord was clad in spotless yel low silk, and His lotus face was fringed with slick dark locks of curly hair (9).

Adorned with a crown and earrings, He held His characteris tic conch, disc and mace in three of His hands and a white lily in the fourth. He glanced about in a happy, smiling mood whose sight capti vates the hearts of all devotees (10).A golden streak on His chest, the famous Kaustubha gem suspended from His neck, He stood in the air with His lotus feet placed on the shoulders of Garuḍa (11).When Kardama Muni actually re alized the Supreme Personality of Godhead in person, he was greatly satisfied because his transcendental desire was fulfilled. He fell on the ground with his head bowed to offer obei sances unto the lotus feet of the Lord. His heart naturally full of love of God, with folded hands he satisfied the Lord with prayers (12).

The great sage Kardama said: O supreme worshipful Lord, my power of sight is now ful filled, having attained the greatest perfection of the sight of You, who are the reservoir of all existences. Through many successive births of deep meditation, advanced yogīs aspire to see Your transcendental form (13).Your lotus feet are the true vessel to take one across the ocean of mundane nescience. Only persons deprived of their intelligence by the spell of the deluding energy will worship those feet with a view to attain the trivial and momentary pleasures of the senses, which even persons rotting in hell can attain. However, O my Lord, You are so kind that You bestow mercy even upon them (14).

Therefore, desiring to marry a girl of like disposition who may prove to be a veritable cow of plenty in my married life, to satisfy my lustful desire I too have sought the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the source of every thing, for You are like a desire tree (15).O my Lord, You are the master and leader of all living entities. Under Your direction, all conditioned souls, as if bound by rope, are constantly en gaged in satisfying their desires. Following them, O embodiment of religion, I also bear ob lations for You, who are eternal time (16).

 However, persons who have given up stere otyped worldly affairs and the beastly follow ers of these affairs, and who have taken shelter of the umbrella of Your lotus feet by drinking the intoxicating nectar of Your qualities and ac tivities in discussions with one another, can be freed from the primary necessities of the mate rial body (17).Your wheel, which has three naves, rotates around the axis of the imperisha ble Brahman. It has thirteen spokes, 360 joints, six rims and numberless leaves carved upon it. Though its revolution cuts short the life span of the entire creation, this wheel of tremendous velocity cannot touch the life span of the devo tees of the Lord (18).

My dear Lord, You alone create the universes. O Personality of Godhead, desiring to create these universes, You create them, maintain them and again wind them up by Your own energies, which are under the control of Your second energy, called yoga māyā, just as a spider creates a cobweb by its own energy and again winds it up (19).My dear Lord, although it is not Your desire, You man ifest this creation of gross and subtle elements just for our sensual satisfaction. Let Your causeless mercy be upon us, for You have ap peared before us in Your eternal form, adorned with a splendid wreath of tulasī leaves (20). I continuously offer my respectful obei sances unto Your lotus feet, of which it is wor thy to take shelter, because You shower all ben edictions on the insignificant. To give all living entities detachment from fruitive activity by re alizing You, You have expanded these material worlds by Your own energy (21).

 Maitreya resumed: Sincerely extolled in these words, Lord Viṣṇu, shining very beauti fully on the shoulders of Garuḍa, replied with words as sweet as nectar. His eyebrows moved gracefully as He looked at the sage with a smile full of affection (22). The Supreme Lord said: Having come to know what was in your mind, I have already arranged for that for which you have worshiped Me well through your mental and sensory dis cipline (23).The Lord continued: My dear ṛṣi, O leader of the living entities, for those who serve Me in devotion by worshiping Me, espe cially persons like you who have given up eve rything unto Me, there is never any question of frustration (24).The Emperor Svāyambhuva Manu, the son of Lord Brahmā, who is well known for his righteous acts, has his seat in Brahmāvarta and rules over the earth with its seven oceans (25).

The day after tomorrow, O brāhmaṇa, that celebrated emperor, who is ex pert in religious activities, will come here with his queen, Śatarūpā, wishing to see you (26).He has a grown-up daughter whose eyes are black. She is ready for marriage, and she has good character and all good qualities. She is also searching for a good husband. My dear sir, her parents will come to see you, who are exactly suitable for her, just to deliver their daughter as your wife (27).That princess, O holy sage, will be just the type you have been thinking of in your heart for all these long years. She will soon be yours and will serve you to your heart’s content (28).She will bring forth nine daughters from the seed sown in her by you, and through the daughters you beget, the sages will duly be get children (29).

With your heart cleansed by properly carrying out My command, resigning to Me the fruits of all your acts, you will finally attain to Me (30).Showing compassion to all living entities, you will attain self-realization. Giving assurance of safety to all, you will per ceive your own self as well as all the universes in Me, and Myself in you (31).O great sage, I shall manifest My own plenary portion through your wife, Devahūti, along with your nine daughters, and I shall instruct her in the system of philosophy that deals with the ultimate prin ciples or categories (32).

 Maitreya went on: Thus having spoken to Kardama Muni, the Lord, who reveals Himself only when the senses are in Kṛṣṇa conscious ness, departed from that lake called Bindu-sa rovara, which was encircled by the river Saras vatī (33).While the sage stood looking on, the Lord left by the pathway leading to Vaikuṇṭha, a path extolled by all great liberated souls. The sage stood listening as the hymns forming the basis of the Sāma Veda were vibrated by the flapping wings of the Lord’s carrier, Garuḍa (34). Then, after the departure of the Lord, the worshipful sage Kardama stayed on the bank of Bindu-sarovara, awaiting the time of which the Lord had spoken (35).

Svāyambhuva Manu, with his wife, mounted his chariot, which was decorated with golden ornaments. Placing his daughter on it with them, he began traveling all over the earth (36).O Vidura, they reached the hermitage of the sage, who had just completed his vows of austerity on the very day foretold by the Lord (37).The holy Lake Bindu-sa rovara, flooded by the waters of the river Sar asvatī, was resorted to by hosts of eminent sages. Its holy water was not only auspicious but as sweet as nectar. It was called Bindu-sa rovara because drops of tears had fallen there from the eyes of the Lord, who was over whelmed by extreme compassion for the sage who had sought His protection (38-39).The shore of the lake was surrounded by clusters of pious trees and creepers, rich in fruits and flow ers of all seasons, that afforded shelter to pious animals and birds, which uttered various cries. It was adorned by the beauty of groves of forest trees (40).

The area resounded with the notes of overjoyed birds. Intoxicated bees wandered there, intoxicated peacocks proudly danced, and merry cuckoos called one another (41).Lake Bindu-sarovara was adorned by flowering trees such as kadamba, campaka, aśoka, karañja, bakula, āsana, kunda, mandāra, kuṭaja and young mango trees. The air was filled with the pleasing notes of kāraṇḍava ducks, plavas, swans, ospreys, waterfowl, cranes, cakravākas and cakoras (42-43).Its shores abounded with deer, boars, porcupines, gavayas, elephants, baboons, lions, monkeys, mongooses and musk deer (44).

Entering that most sacred spot with his daughter and going near the sage, the first mon arch, Svāyambhuva Manu, saw the sage sitting in his hermitage, having just propitiated the sa cred fire by pouring oblations into it. His body shone most brilliantly; though he had engaged in austere penance for a long time, he was not emaciated, for the Lord had cast His affection ate sidelong glance upon him and he had also heard the nectar flowing from the moonlike words of the Lord. The sage was tall, his eyes were large, like the petals of a lotus, and he had matted locks on his head. He was clad in rags. Svāyambhuva Manu approached and saw him to be somewhat soiled, like an unpolished gem (45-47).

Seeing that the monarch had come to his hermitage and was bowing before him, the sage greeted him with benediction and received him with due honor (48). After receiving the sage’s attention, the King sat down and was silent. Recalling the in structions of the Lord, Kardama then spoke to the King as follows, delighting him with his sweet accents (49).The tour you have under taken, O lord, is surely intended to protect the virtuous and kill the demons, since you embody the protecting energy of Śrī Hari (50). When necessary, You assume the part of the sun-god; the moon-god; Agni, the god of fire; Indra, the lord of paradise; Vāyu, the wind-god; Yama, the god of punishment; Dharma, the god of pi ety; and Varuṇa, the god presiding over the wa ters. All obeisances to you, who are none other than Lord Viṣṇu! (51)

 If you did not mount your victorious jeweled chariot, whose mere presence threatens culprits, if you did not pro duce fierce sounds by the twanging of your bow, and if you did not roam about the world like the brilliant sun, leading a huge army whose trampling feet cause the globe of the earth to tremble, then all the moral laws gov erning the varṇas and āśramas created by the Lord Himself would be broken by the rogues and rascals (52-54). If you gave up all thought of the world’s situation, unrighteousness would flourish, for men who hanker only after money would be unopposed. Such miscreants would attack, and the world would perish (55).In spite of all this, I ask you, O valiant King, the pur pose for which you have come here. Whatever it may be, we shall carry it out without reserva tion (56).

ŚrīŚaunaka inquired: O Sūta Gosvāmī, af ter the earth was again situated in its orbit, what did Svāyambhuva Manu do to show the path of liberation to persons who were to take birth later on? (1) Śaunaka Ṛṣi inquired about Vidura, who was a great devotee and friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa and who gave up the company of his elder brother because the latter, along with his sons, played tricks against the desires of the Lord (2).Vidura was born from the body of Ve davyāsa and was not less than he. Thus he ac cepted the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa wholeheartedly and was attached to His devotees (3).

 Vidura was purified of all passion by wandering in sa cred places, and at last he reached Hardwar, where he met the great sage who knew the sci ence of spiritual life, and he inquired from him. Śaunaka Ṛṣi therefore asked: What more did Vidura inquire from Maitreya? (4)Śaunaka in quired about the conversation between Vidura and Maitreya: There must have been many nar rations of the spotless pastimes of the Lord. The hearing of such narrations is exactly like bath ing in the water of the Ganges, for it can free one from all sinful reactions (5).

O Sūta Gosvāmī, all good fortune to you! Please nar rate the activities of the Lord, which are all magnanimous and worth glorifying. What sort of devotee can be satiated by hearing the nec tarean pastimes of the Lord? (6) On being asked to speak by the great sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, the son of Romaharṣaṇa, Sūta Gosvāmī, whose mind was absorbed in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, said: Please hear what I shall now speak (7). Sūta Gosvāmī continued: Vidura, the de scendant of Bharata, was delighted to hear the story of the Lord, who, having assumed by His own divine potency the form of a boar, had en acted the sport of lifting the earth from the bot tom of the ocean and indifferently killing the demon Hiraṇyākṣa. Vidura then spoke to the sage as follows (8).

Vidura said: Since you know of matters in conceivable to us, tell me, O holy sage, what did Brahmā do to create living beings after evolving the Prajāpatis, the progenitors of liv ing beings?(9) Vidura inquired: How did the Prajāpatis [such progenitors of living entities as Marīci and Svāyambhuva Manu] create accord ing to the instruction of Brahmā, and how did they evolve this manifested universe? (10) Did they evolve the creation in conjunction with their respective wives, did they remain inde pendent in their action, or did they all jointly produce it? (11) Maitreya said: When the equilibrium of the combination of the three modes of nature was agitated by the unseen activity of the living en tity, by Mahā-Viṣṇu and by the force of time, the total material elements were produced (12).

As impelled by the destiny of the jīva, the false ego, which is of three kinds, evolved from the mahat-tattva, in which the element of rajas predominates. From the ego, in turn, evolved many groups of five principles (13). Separately unable to produce the material universe, they combined with the help of the energy of the Su preme Lord and were able to produce a shining egg (14).For over one thousand years the shiny egg lay on the waters of the Causal Ocean in the lifeless state. Then the Lord entered it as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu (15).From the navel of the Personality of Godhead Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu sprouted a lotus flower effulgent like a thousand blazing suns. This lotus flower is the reservoir of all conditioned souls, and the first living entity who came out of the lotus flower was the omnipotent Brahmā(16).

 When that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean entered the heart of Brahmā, Brahmā brought his intel ligence to bear, and with the intelligence in voked he began to create the universe as it was before (17).First of all, Brahmā created from his shadow the coverings of ignorance of the conditioned souls. They are five in number and are called tāmisra, andha-tāmisra, tamas, moha and mahā-moha (18).Out of disgust, Brahmā threw off the body of ignorance, and taking this opportunity, Yakṣas and Rākṣasas sprang for possession of the body, which continued to ex ist in the form of night. Night is the source of hunger and thirst (19).

Overpowered by hunger and thirst, they ran to devour Brahmā from all sides and cried, “Spare him not! Eat him up!” (20) Brahmā, the head of the demigods, full of anxiety, asked them, “Do not eat me, but pro tect me. You are born from me and have be come my sons. Therefore you are Yakṣas and Rākṣasas” (21). He then created the chief demigods, who were shining with the glory of goodness. He dropped before them the effulgent form of day time, and the demigods sportingly took posses sion of it (22).Lord Brahmā then gave birth to the demons from his buttocks, and they were very fond of sex. Because they were too lustful, they approached him for copulation (23).

The worshipful Brahmā first laughed at their stupid ity, but finding the shameless asuras close upon him, he grew indignant and ran in great haste out of fear (24). He approached the Personality of Godhead, who bestows all boons and who dispels the agony of His devotees and of those who take shelter of His lotus feet. He manifests His innumerable transcendental forms for the satisfaction of His devotees (25). Lord Brahmā, approaching the Lord, addressed Him thus: My Lord, please protect me from these sinful de mons, who were created by me under Your or der. They are infuriated by an appetite for sex and have come to attack me (26).

My Lord, You are the only one capable of ending the affliction of the distressed and inflicting agony on those who never resort to Your feet (27). The Lord, who can distinctly see the minds of others, perceived Brahmā’s distress and said to him: “Cast off this impure body of yours.” Thus commanded by the Lord, Brahmā cast off his body (28). The body given up by Brahmā took the form of the evening twilight, when the day and night meet, a time which kindles passion. The asuras, who are passionate by nature, dominated as they are by the element of rajas, took it for a damsel, whose lotus feet resounded with the tinkling of anklets, whose eyes were wide with intoxication and whose hips were covered by fine cloth, over which shone a girdle (29).

Her breasts projected upward because of their cling ing to each other, and they were too contiguous to admit any intervening space. She had a shapely nose and beautiful teeth, a lovely smile played on her lips, and she cast a sportful glance at the asuras (30).Adorned with dark tresses, she hid herself, as it were, out of shy ness. Upon seeing that girl, the asuras were all infatuated with an appetite for sex (31).The de mons praised her: Oh, what a beauty! What rare self-control! What a budding youth! In the midst of us all, who are passionately longing for her, she is moving about like one absolutely free from passion (32). Indulging in various speculations about the evening twilight, which appeared to them en dowed with the form of a young woman, the wicked-minded asuras treated her with respect and fondly spoke to her as follows (33).

 Who are you, O pretty girl? Whose wife or daughter are you, and what can be the object of your ap pearing before us? Why do you tantalize us, un fortunate as we are, with the priceless commod ity of your beauty? (34) Whosoever you may be, O beautiful girl, we are fortunate in being able to see you. While playing with a ball, you have agitated the minds of all onlookers (35).O beautiful woman, when you strike the bouncing ball against the ground with your hand again and again, your lotus feet do not stay in one place. Oppressed by the weight of your full grown breasts, your waist becomes fatigued, and your clear vision grows dull, as it were. Pray braid your comely hair (36).

The asuras, clouded in their understanding, took the even ing twilight to be a beautiful woman showing herself in her alluring form, and they seized her (37). With a laugh full of deep significance, the worshipful Brahmā then evolved by his own loveliness, which seemed to enjoy itself by it self, the hosts of Gandharvas and Ap sarās(38).After that, Brahmā gave up that shin ing and beloved form of moonlight. Viśvāvasu and other Gandharvas gladly took possession of it (39). The glorious Brahmā next evolved from his sloth the ghosts and fiends, but he closed his eyes when he saw them stand naked with their hair scattered (40).

The ghosts and hobgoblins took possession of the body thrown off in the form of yawning by Brahmā, the creator of the living entities. This is also known as the sleep which causes drooling. The hobgoblins and ghosts attack men who are impure, and their at tack is spoken of as insanity (41). Recognizing himself to be full of desire and energy, the worshipful Brahmā, the creator of the living entities, evolved from his own invis ible form, from his navel, the hosts of Sādhyas and Pitās (42).The Pitās themselves took pos session of the invisible body, the source of their existence. It is through the medium of this in visible body that those well versed in the rituals offer oblations to the Sādhyas and Pitās [in the form of their departed ancestors] on the occa sion of śrāddha (43).

 Then Lord Brahmā, by his ability to be hid den from vision, created the Siddhas and Vidyādharas and gave them that wonderful form of his known as the Antardhāna (44). One day, Brahmā, the creator of the living entities, beheld his own reflection in the water, and ad miring himself, he evolved Kimpuruṣas as well as Kinnaras out of that reflection (45).The Kim puruṣas and Kinnaras took possession of that shadowy form left by Brahmā. That is why they and their spouses sing his praises by recounting his exploits at every daybreak (46). Once Brahmā lay down with his body stretched at full length. He was very concerned that the work of creation had not proceeded apace, and in a sullen mood he gave up that body too (47).

 O dear Vidura, the hair that dropped from that body transformed into snakes, and even while the body crawled along with its hands and feet contracted, there sprang from it ferocious serpents and Nāgas with their hoods expanded (48). One day Brahmā, the self-born, the first liv ing creature, felt as if the object of his life had been accomplished. At that time he evolved from his mind the Manus, who promote the welfare activities or the universe (49).The self possessed creator gave them his own human form. On seeing the Manus, those who had been created earlier the demigods, the Gandharvas and so on applauded Brahmā, the lord of the universe (50).

They prayed: O crea tor of the universe, we are glad; what you have produced is well done. Since ritualistic acts have now been established soundly in this hu man form, we shall all share the sacrificial ob lations (51). Having equipped himself with austere pen ance, adoration, mental concentration and ab sorption in devotion, accompanied by dispas sion, and having controlled his senses, Brahmā, the self-born living creature, evolved great sages as his beloved sons (52).To each one of these sons the unborn creator of the universe gave a part of his own body, which was charac terized by deep meditation, mental concentra tion, supernatural power, austerity, adoration and renunciation (53).