A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism
Religion
A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism
Puranas. Bhagavatapurana. English
_Vidhâtri_ had, by his wife Kriyâ, five Agnis called Purishya. Charshani
is the wife of _Varuna_. Bhrigu incarnated as his son. It is said that
the great Rishi Vâlmika is also Varuna’s son. Mitra and Varuna once felt
love for Urvasî. Agastya and Vasishtha were then born of that Apsaras.
_Mitra_ had, by Revati, Utsarga, Arishta and Pippala.
_Indra_ had, by Paulomî, Jayanta, Rishabha and Midhusha.
_Vishnu_, as son of Aditi, is known as the Vâmana incarnation. He had by
his wife Kirti one son Brihat Śloka (great fame). His sons were Sambhoga
and others.
(13) _By Diti_: Hiranyakasipu, Hiranyâksha and the Maruts.
THE STORY OF VIVSVARÛPA.
*SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 7-8.*
Indra surrounded by the Devas, was seated on the throne of _Trilokî_. He
felt the pride of his position. Brihaspati, the preceptor and guide of
all Devas came, but Indra did not rise up to receive him. Thus insulted,
Brihaspati left the place at once and abandoned the Devas. The Asuras
took this opportunity to put down the Devas and carried on a severe
struggle under the lead of Sukra. The Devas were worsted in the fight
and they went to Brahmâ for redress. Brahmâ advised them to accept the
guidance of Visvarûpa, son of Tvastri. They gladly went to Visvarûpa and
he consented to be their preceptor. Visvarûpa initiated Indra into the
mysteries of Nârâyana Kabacha (an invocation to Vishnu which preserves
one against all danger. The invocation must be read in the original, so
no attempt has been made to render it into English). With the help of
that Kabacha, Indra easily conquered the Asuras and firmly established
once more the Kingdom of Trilokî.
Visvarûpa had three mouths. With one he used to drink Sōma, with
another he used to drink wine and with the third he used to take his
food. While performing Yajna, he openly gave oblations to the Devas, but
secretly reserved some for his mother’s relations the Asuras. Indra once
found out this treachery. He became angry and cut off the three heads of
Visvarûpa. The Sōma drinking head became Châtaka (the Swallow, supposed
to live only on rain drops). The liquor imbibing head became Chataka
(the Sparrow). The food eating head became Tittiri (the francoline
partridge). The sin of killing a Brâhmana attached to Indra. He divided
it into equal parts and distributed them between earth, water, trees and
woman. Earth accepted her part on receiving the boon that her cavities
would be filled up by nature. But the sin manifests itself in the barren
lands. The trees took their part in return for the boon that the wounds
on their cuticle should naturally heal up of themselves. But the sin
shows itself in the exudation. Water was persuaded by the boon that it
could mix with any other substance. But the sin shows itself in bubbles
and foam.
THE STORY OF VRITRU.
*SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 9-13.*
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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