Source
Texts:
Summary
Description of the Mahâpurusha
Text
1
S'rî
Saunaka said: "And now, o great devotee of God known with the
essence, do we with you, the possessor of the broadest
knowledge, inquire about this matter of the definitive
conclusion described in all the supplementary literatures
[the tantras].
S'rî
S'aunaka said: O Sûta, you are the best of learned men
and a great devotee of the Supreme Lord. Therefore we now
inquire from you about the definitive conclusion of all
tantra scriptures.
Text
2-3:
In what way are
the tântrikas
of their regulated worship of the Husband of the Goddess, who
is Pure Spirit, and how do they conceive of His limbs, His
associates, His weapons and His ornaments? All good to you!
Please describe to us, eager to learn, that practical method of
cultivating the yoga [kriyâ-yoga]
by the expertise of which a mortal being may attain
immortality."
All
good fortune to you! Please explain to us, who are very
eager to learn, the process of kriyâ-yoga practiced
through regulated worship of the transcendental Lord, the
husband of the goddess of fortune. Please also explain how
the Lord's devotees conceive of His limbs, associates,
weapons and ornaments in terms of particular material
representations. By expertly worshiping the Supreme Lord, a
mortal can attain immortality.
Text
4
Sûta
said: "With offering obeisances to the gurus will I even
[though difficult] speak of the opulences belonging to
Lord Vishnu which by the standard authorities beginning with
the one born on the lotus [Padmaja or Lord
Brahmâ] are described in the Vedas and
tantras.
Sûta
Gosvâmî said: Offering obeisances to my
spiritual masters, I shall repeat to you the description of
the opulences of Lord Vishnu given in the Vedas and tantras
by great authorities, beginning from lotus-born
Brahmâ.
Text
5
The nine
elements of creation [tattvas]
that, beginning with mâyâ [or
prakriti],
make up the transformations [vikâras],
are seen in the created reign [the virâth
rûpa]
in the conscious existence of which the three worlds
[lokas]
are found [see also 11.22:
4-25].
The
universal form [virâth] of the Personality of
Godhead includes the nine basic elements of creation,
starting with the unmanifest nature, and their subsequent
transformations. Once this universal form is instilled with
consciousness, the three planetary systems become visible
within it.
Text
6-8
This form of
the Purusha,
the Master, has the earth as His feet, heaven as His head,
outer space as His navel, the sun as His eyes, the air as His
nostrils, the directions as His ears, the prajâpati
as His genital, death as His anus, the local rulers [the
demigods] as the many arms of the Absolute Controller, the
moon as His mind, yama
[or Yama]
as His eyebrows, shame as His upper lip, greed as His lower
lip, the moonlight as His teeth, delusion as His smile, the
trees as the hairs on the body of the Almighty Lord, and the
clouds as the hair on the head of the Purusha [see also
e.g. 2.6:
1-11,
2.10:
24-32,
10.40:
13-14,
11.12:
18-20].
This
is the representation of the Supreme Lord as the universal
person, in which the earth is His feet, the sky His navel,
the sun His eyes, the wind His nostrils, the demigod of
procreation His genitals, death His anus and the moon His
mind. The heavenly planets are His head, the directions His
ears, and the demigods protecting the various planets His
many arms. The god of death is His eyebrows, shame His lower
lip, greed His upper lip, delusion His smile, and moonshine
His teeth, while the trees are the almighty Purusha's bodily
hairs, and the clouds the hair on His head.
Text
9
Just as one can
determine the dimensions of a normal individual by measuring
the position of his limbs can one the same way indeed determine
the dimensions of Him, the Gigantic Person, according the
positions of the planetary systems [see also
5.20-24].
Just
as one can determine the dimensions of an ordinary person of
this world by measuring his various limbs, one can determine
the dimensions of the Mahâpurusha by measuring the
arrangement of the planetary systems within His universal
form.
Text
10
The
spiritual light of the individual soul is represented by the
Kaustubha gem that is carried by the Unborn One, and the
S'rîvatsa mark on the chest of the Almighty represents
the expansive effulgence of that
[gem/soul].
Upon
His chest the almighty, unborn Personality of Godhead bears
the Kaustubha gem, which represents the pure spirit soul,
along with the S'rîvatsa mark, which is the direct
manifestation of this gem's expansive effulgence.
Text
11 - 12
His
material energy composed of the various modes is represented by
His flower garland, the yellow garment He wears stands for the
vedic metres and His sacred thread represents the three
syllable AUM. The processes of sânkhya
and yoga does the Godhead carry in the form of His makara
['sea-monster'] earrings, and His crown, bringing
fearlessness to all the worlds, represents the superior
[transcendental] position.
His
flower garland is His material energy, comprising various
combinations of the modes of nature. His yellow garment is
the Vedic meters, and His sacred thread the syllable om
composed of three sounds. In the form of His two
shark-shaped earrings, the Lord carries the processes of
Sânkhya and yoga, and His crown, bestowing
fearlessness on the inhabitants of all the worlds, is the
supreme position of Brahmaloka.
Text
13
The
personal seat upon which He sits is known as Ananta [the
snakebed] and is the undeveloped of matter, and the lotus
whereupon He is said to be found is the [pure of]
goodness associated with the religion, the spiritual knowledge
and so on.
Ananta,
the Lord's sitting place, is the unmanifest phase of
material nature, and the Lord's lotus throne is the mode of
goodness, endowed with religion and knowledge.
Text
14-15
The club He
carries is the principle element [prâna or vital
air] relating to the sensory power, physical power and the
power of mind; His excellent conchshell is the element water
and His Sudars'ana disc is the principle of
tejas
[the vital power, the dignity, the fire in opposition].
His sword is, [pure] as the atmosphere, the ether
element, His shield consists of the mode of ignorance, His bow
S'arnga is the specific order [or spirit, the
rûpa]
of time, and His quiver of arrows consists of the karma
[the action or the karmendriyas].
The
club the Lord carries is the chief element, prâna,
incorporating the potencies of sensory, mental and physical
strength. His excellent conchshell is the element water, His
Sudars'ana disc the element fire, and His sword, pure as the
sky, the element ether. His shield embodies the mode of
ignorance, His bow, named S'ârnga, time, and His
arrow-filled quiver the working sensory organs.
Text
16
The
senses, they say, are His arrows, His chariot the incitement to
action, His external appearance constitutes the objects of
perception [tânmatras],
and his gestures [mudrâs]
represent the essence of purposeful action.
His
arrows are said to be the senses, and His chariot is the
active, forceful mind. His external appearance is the subtle
objects of perception, and the gestures of His hands are the
essence of all purposeful activity.
Text
17
The
cyclic [of time, viz. the sun and the moon] constitutes
the exercise of respect for the Godhead, spiritual initiation
[dîkshâ]
is for
the spiritual soul the way to purify, and the devotional
service of the Fortunate One is there for someone to put an end
to a bad course.
The
sun globe is the place where the Supreme Lord is worshiped,
spiritual initiation is the means of purification for the
spirit soul, and rendering devotional service to the
Personality of Godhead is the process for eradicating all
one's sinful reactions.
Text
18
Bhagavân
to the meaning of the word bhaga
[His opulences] carries the lotus of His pastimes, and
the fan and whisk that the Supreme Lord accepted for His
worship are the religion and fame.
Playfully
carrying a lotus, which represents the various opulences
designated by the word bhaga, the Supreme Lord accepts
service from a pair of câmara fans, which are religion
and fame.
Text
19
O
dear twice born ones, His umbrella is Vaikunthha, His spiritual
abode where there is no fear and the threefold Veda is there by
the name of Suparna [Garuda], the carrier of the
Personality of Sacrifice [Vishnu or
Yajña].
O
brâhmanas, the Lord's umbrella is His spiritual abode,
Vaikunthha, where there is no fear, and Garuda, who carries
the Lord of sacrifice, is the threefold Veda.
Text
20
The Lord His
inseparable goddess S'rî is directly the inner nature
[*];
Vishvaksena,
is known as the personification of the tantra scriptures and
the eight of Nanda and the other chief guardian associates
[**]
are the animâ and such [siddhis]
of the Lord His qualities.
The
goddess of fortune, S'rî, who never leaves the Lord's
side, appears with Him in this world as the representation
of His internal potency. Vishvaksena, the chief among His
personal associates, is known to be the personification of
the Pañcarâtra and other tantras. And the
Lord's eight doorkeepers, headed by Nanda, are His mystic
perfections, beginning with animâ.
Text
21
Vâsudeva,
Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are so considered the
separated forms [the vyûha
expansions] of the Original Person Himself, o
brahmin.
Vâsudeva,
Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are the names of the
direct personal expansions of the Supreme Godhead, O
brâhmana S'aunaka.
Text
22
Bhagavân
is by the functions of external objects [vis'va,
Pradyumna], physical power [taijasa, Sankarshana],
thought [prâjña, Aniruddha] and spiritual
realization [turîya, Vâsudeva] thus
conceived in the terms of waking consciousness, dreaming,
dreamless sleep and the transcendental position [see
avasthâtraya]
One
can conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in terms
of awakened consciousness, sleep and deep sleep-which
function respectively through external objects, the mind and
material intelligence-and also in terms of the fourth,
transcendental level of consciousness, which is
characterized by pure knowledge.
Text
23
In His four
personal forms does Bhaga-vân
[the possessor of the fullness], the Lord and
Controller, with His major [arms; as in verse
14-15]
and minor limbs [His extra limbs, His guardians],
weapons and ornaments, maintain these four
states.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, thus appears in
four personal expansions, each exhibiting major limbs, minor
limbs, weapons and ornaments. Through these distinct
features, the Lord maintains the four phases of
existence.
Text
24
O
best of the twiceborn, He alone is the self-illuminating source
of the One Self-existent Spirit who, perfect in His own
greatness and completeness, by His own material energy creates,
withdraws and maintains this universe; as such [a performer
of various material functions] sometimes being conceived as
if He, uncovered as He is in His transcendental awareness,
would be materially divided, can He by those who are devoted to
Him be realized as their one and true self, their
Soul.
O
best of brâhmanas, He alone is the self-luminous,
original source of the Vedas, perfect and complete in His
own glory. By His material energy He creates, destroys and
maintains this entire universe. Because He is the performer
of various material functions, He is sometimes described as
materially divided, yet He always remains transcendentally
situated in pure knowledge. Those who are dedicated to Him
in devotion can realize Him to be their true Soul.
Text
25
S'rî
Krishna, o friend of Arjuna, o chief of the Vrishnis, o
Annihilator of the Rebellious Royal Dynasties whose prowess
never deteriorates, o Govinda, place of pilgrimage whose
glories, bringing the auspicious just hearing about them, are
sung by Vraja's cowherd man and woman and their servants;
please protect Your servants!
O
Krishna, O friend of Arjuna, O chief among the descendants
of Vrishni, You are the destroyer of those political parties
that are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess
never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the
transcendental abode, and Your most sacred glories, which
are sung by Vrindâvana's cowherd men and women and
their servants, bestow all auspiciousness just by being
heard. O Lord, please protect Your devotees.
Text
26
Anyone who,
rising at dawn, with his mind on God to himself chants
[recites] these characteristics of the Supreme Original
Person, comes to the realization of the Absolute Truth situated
in the heart."
Anyone
who rises early in the morning and, with a purified mind
fixed upon the Mahâpurusha, quietly chants this
description of His characteristics will realize Him as the
Supreme Absolute Truth residing within the heart.
Text
27-28
S'rî
S'aunaka said: "As for the description of S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî to the one attending who is the grace of
Vishnu [Parîkchit] about the sungod his
associates who month by month reside in seven groups, could you
please tell us, so faithful, what the names and actions are of
those who, engaged by his various forms of control, are the
expansions of the Lord in His manifestation as Sûrya
[see also 5.21:
18]?"
S'rî
S'aunaka said: Please describe to us, who have great faith
in your words, the different sets of seven personal features
and associates the sun-god exhibits during each month, along
with their names and activities. The associates of the
sun-god, who serve their lord, are personal expansions of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari in His feature as
the presiding deity of the sun.
Text
29
Sûta
said: "This
regulator of all the planets [the sun] revolving in
their midst [around mount Meru, see 5.22:
2] was
[by the Lord in the form of Time] created from the
beginningless material energy of Vishnu, the Supreme Soul of
all embodied beings.
Sûta
Gosvâmî said: The sun travels among all the
planets and thus regulates their movements. It has been
created by Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Soul of all embodied
beings, through His beginningless material energy.
Text
30
The
sun being the one and only [alike the] Lord, the
original creator and self indeed of all the worlds, forms the
basis for all ritualistic activities as differently described
by the sages in all the Vedas.
The
sun-god, being nondifferent from Lord Hari, is the one soul
of all the worlds and their original creator. He is the
source of all the ritualistic activities prescribed in the
Vedas and has been given many names by the Vedic
sages.
Text
31
The
Lord in terms of the material energy is thus, given in nine,
described as the time, the place, the endeavor, the performer,
the instrument, the specific ritual, the scripture, the
paraphernalia and the result, o brahmin
[compare B.G.
18:
13-15].
Being
the source of the material energy, the Personality of
Godhead Lord Hari in His expansion as the sun-god is
described in nine aspects, O S'aunaka: the time, the place,
the endeavor, the performer, the instrument, the specific
ritual, the scripture, the paraphernalia of worship and the
result to be achieved.
Text
32
Beginning with
Madhu is the Supreme Lord assuming the form of time, for the
planetary motion there to the rule of twelve [months or
mâsas,
see also B.G. 10:
21],
moving separately with twelve sets of
associates.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, manifesting His potency of
time as the sun-god, travels about in each of the twelve
months, beginning with Madhu, to regulate planetary motion
within the universe. Traveling with the sun-god in each of
the twelve months is a different set of six
associates.
Text
33
Dhâtâ
[as the sun-god], Kritasthalî [as the
Apsara], Heti [as the Râkshasa],
Vâsuki
[as the Nâga], Rathakrit [as the Yaksha],
Pulastya
[as the sage] and Tumburu [as the Gandharva]
are the ones ruling the month of Madhu (or Caitra at the vernal
equinox, March/April).
My
dear sage, Dhâtâ as the sun-god,
Kritasthalî as the Apsara, Heti as the Râkshasa,
Vâsuki as the Nâga, Rathakrit as the Yaksha,
Pulastya as the sage and Tumburu as the Gandharva rule the
month of Madhu.
Text
34
[Like
wise do respectively] Aryamâ,
Puñjikasthalî, Praheti, Kacchanîra,
Athaujâ, Pulaha
and
Nârada
rule
the month of Mâdhava (Vais'âkha,
April/May).
Aryamâ
as the sun-god, Pulaha as the sage, Athaujâ as the
Yaksha, Praheti as the Râkshasa,
Puñjikasthalî as the Apsara, Nârada as
the Gandharva and Kacchanîra as the Nâga rule
the month of Mâdhava.
Text
35
Mitra,
Menakâ, Paurusheya, Takshaka, Rathasvana,
Atri
and Hâhâ are
the ones ruling
the month of S'ukra (Jyaisthha or Jeshthha,
May/June).
Mitra
as the sun-god, Atri as the sage, Paurusheya as the
Râkshasa, Takshaka as the Nâga, Menakâ as
the Apsara, Hâhâ as the Gandharva and Rathasvana
as the Yaksha rule the month of S'ukra.
Text
36
Varuna,
Rambhâ, Citrasvana, S'ukra, Sahajanya,
Vasishthha
and
Hûhû are
the ones ruling
the month of S'uci (Âshâdha,
June/July).
Vasishthha
as the sage, Varuna as the sun-god, Rambhâ as the
Apsara, Sahajanya as the Râkshasa, Hûhû as
the Gandharva, S'ukra as the Nâga and Citrasvana as
the Yaksha rule the month of S'uci.
Text
37
Indra,
Pramlocâ,
Varya, Elâpatra, S'rotâ, Angirâ
and Vis'vâvasu
are the ones ruling the month of Nabhas (S'râvana,
July/August).
Indra
as the sun-god, Vis'vâvasu as the Gandharva,
S'rotâ as the Yaksha, Elâpatra as the
Nâga, Angirâ as the sage, Pramlocâ as the
Apsara and Varya as the Râkshasa rule the month of
Nabhas.
Text
38
Vivasvân,
Anumlocâ, Vyâghra, S'ankhapâla,
Âsârana, Bhrigu
and Ugrasena
are the ones ruling the month of Nabhasya (Bhâdrapada,
August/September *4).
Vivasvân
as the sun-god, Ugrasena as the Gandharva, Vyâghra as
the Râkshasa, Âsârana as the Yaksha,
Bhrigu as the sage, Anumlocâ as the Apsara and
S'ankhapâla as the Nâga rule the month of
Nabhasya.
Text
39
Pûshâ,
Ghritâcî, Vâta, Dhanañjaya, Suruci,
Gautama
and Sushena are the ones ruling the month of Tapas
(Mâgha, January/February).
Pûshâ
as the sun-god, Dhanañjaya as the Nâga,
Vâta as the Râkshasa, Sushena as the Gandharva,
Suruci as the Yaksha, Ghritâcî as the Apsara and
Gautama as the sage rule the month of Tapas.
Text
40
Parjanya,
Senajit, Varcâ, Airâvata, Ritu,
Bharadvâja
and Vis'va are the ones ruling the month of Tapasya
(Phâlguna, February/March).
Ritu
as the Yaksha, Varcâ as the Râkshasa,
Bharadvâja as the sage, Parjanya as the sun-god,
Senajit as the Apsara, Vis'va as the Gandharva and
Airâvata as the Nâga rule the month known as
Tapasya.
Text
41
Ams'u,
Urvas'î,
Vidyucchatru, Mahâs'ankha, Târkshya,
Kas'yapa
and Ritasena are the ones ruling the month of Sahas
(Mârgas'îrsha, November/December).
Ams'u
as the sun-god, Kas'yapa as the sage, Târkshya as the
Yaksha, Ritasena as the Gandharva, Urvas'î as the
Apsara, Vidyucchatru as the Râkshasa and
Mahâs'ankha as the Nâga rule the month of
Sahas.
Text
42
Bhaga,
Pûrvacitti, Sphûrja, Karkothaka, Ûrna,
Âyu
and
Arishthanemi are
the ones ruling the month
of Pushya (Pausha, December/January).
Bhaga
as the sun-god, Sphûrja as the Râkshasa,
Arishthanemi as the Gandharva, Ûrna as the Yaksha,
Âyur as the sage, Karkothaka as the Nâga and
Pûrvacitti as the Apsara rule the month of
Pushya.
Text
43
Tvashthâ,
Tilottamâ, Brahmâpeta, Kambalâs'va, S'atajit,
Jamadagni
the son of Ricîka and Dhritarâshthra
as the Gandharva are
the ones ruling the month
of Isha (Âs'vina, September/October).
Tvashthâ
as the sun-god; Jamadagni, the son of Ricîka, as the
sage; Kambalâs'va as the Nâga; Tilottamâ
as the Apsara; Brahmâpeta as the Râkshasa;
S'atajit as the Yaksha; and Dhritarâshthra as the
Gandharva maintain the month of Isha.
Text
44
And
Vishnu,
Rambhâ, Makhâpeta, As'vatara, Satyajit,
Vis'vâmitra
and Sûryavarcâ are
the ones ruling the month
of Ûrja (Kârttika,
October/November).
Vishnu
as the sun-god, As'vatara as the Nâga, Rambhâ as
the Apsara, Sûryavarcâ as the Gandharva,
Satyajit as the Yaksha, Vis'vâmitra as the sage and
Makhâpeta as the Râkshasa rule the month of
Ûrja.
Text
45
These
ones constitute the glories of Vishnu, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead in the form of the sungod; they do, of those men who
at the junctures of each day remember them, take away the
sinful reactions.
All
these personalities are the opulent expansions of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, in the form of the
sun-god. These deities take away all the sinful reactions of
those who remember them each day at dawn and sunset.
Text
46
Thus
with each of the twelve months and six types of associates
moving through this universe, is the Godhead, for its
population, here and in the hereafter sure to disseminate pure
consciousness.
Thus,
throughout the twelve months, the lord of the sun travels in
all directions with his six types of associates,
disseminating among the inhabitants of this universe purity
of consciousness for both this life and the next.
Text
47-48
With
the sages glorifying Him with the Sâma, Rig and Yajur
hymns which reveal His identity, do the Gandharvas sing loudly
about Him, dance the Apasaras in front of Him, ready the
Nâgas the chariot, harness the Yakshas the horses and do
the strong Râkshasas push it from the
rear.
While
the sages glorify the sun-god with the hymns of the
Sâma, Rig and Yajur Vedas, which reveal his identity,
the Gandharvas also sing his praises and the Apsaras dance
before his chariot. The Nâgas arrange the chariot
ropes and the Yakshas harness the horses to the chariot,
while the powerful Râkshasas push from behind.
Text
49
In
front of the chariot go the sixty thousand Vâlakhilya
brahmin sages pure of praise with prayers to the
Almighty [see
also 4.1:
39].
Facing
the chariot, the sixty thousand brâhmana sages known
as Vâlakhilyas travel in front and offer prayers to
the almighty sun-god with Vedic mantras.
Text
50
The
Unborn Lord Hari, the Supreme Controller, the Beginningless
Possessor of All Opulences, expanding Himself each kalpa into
various forms, thus protects all the worlds.
For
the protection of all the worlds, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead Hari, who is unborn and without beginning or end,
thus expands Himself during each day of Brahmâ into
these specific categories of His personal
representations.
*
According the Skanda Purâna in the verses beginning with
'aparam tv aksharam yâ sâ' there are three
infallible energies thus: the external material energy of
mâyâ, the internal potency of Sr'î and the
Supreme Energy of the Purusha, the Lord
Himself.
**
The Padma Purâna (256.9-21) lists eighteen guardians or
attendants of the Lord: Nanda, Sunanda, Jaya, Vijaya, Canda,
Pracanda, Bhadra, Subhadra, Dhâtâ,
Vidhâtâ, Kumuda, Kumudâksha,
Pundarîksha, Vâmana, S'ankukarna, Sarvanetra,
Sumukha and Supratishthhita.
***
At this point is broken with the regular order of the months.
The different translators do not agree about the cause of this
break of order and some have suggested to correct the order of
the verses given to correct this.
