431 As in attendants, servants and dependents.
432 The one without qualities or attributes, the brahman.
433 Alternatively, as revered as the Vedas.
434 Of life.
435 Though it is sometimes used in the sense of an instant, a muhurta is a measure of time equal to forty-eight minutes.
436 A-U-M or O-U-M, this is the seed of the brahman.
437 Vishnu’s.
438 Devotion.
439 Yoga has eight elements—yama (restraint), niyama (rituals), asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (retention), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (liberation). That’s the reason the expression ashtanga (eight-formed) yoga is used.
440 Pranayama.
441 The form known as Virat.
442 Interpreted as earth, water, fire, air, space, ahamkara and Mahat.
443 Literally, pure form of Purusha.
444 There are seven nether regions—atala, vitala, sutala, rasatala, talatala, mahatala and patala.
445 Known as mahitala.
446 Known as nabhastala.
447 There are actually fourteen worlds (lokas), seven above and seven below. The seven above are—bhurloka, kharloka, svarloka, maharloka, janarloka, taparloka and satyaloka (brahmaloka).
448 The two Ashvins.
449 Brahma.
450 Metres, as in metres used in the Vedas.
451 The brahmarandhra.
452 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
453 The unmanifest one (avyakta) is interpreted as Pradhana.
454 All semi-divine species.
455 The dark-complexioned ones are shudras.
456 Brahma.
457 At the time of the deluge and destruction.
458 Such as heaven. These shlokas are interpreted in many different ways.
459 Being naked.
460 With their fruits.
461 So that they can no longer supply water.
462 So that they do not offer shelter.
463 The river Vaitarani flows in the nether regions and must be crossed before entering Yama’s world.
464 Alternatively, reddish-brown or yellow.
465 This blossoming lotus is in the heart. The reference is possibly to the anahata chakra, the fourth chakra that is in the heart. It is in the form of a lotus with twelve petals.
466 The shrivatsa mark.
467 Kshetra is the field, that is, the body. Kshetrajna is one who knows the body, that is, the soul, both human and universal. The context makes it clear what is meant and this is also true of the word atman.
468 The jivatman into the paramatman.
469 The gods.
470 This sentence has complex interpretations, using Mahat, Prakriti and ahamkara. We have kept it simple, since none of these interpretations is self-evident.
471 The chakras located in the navel, abdomen, heart, chest, palate and forehead.
472 From the manipura chakra to the anahata chakra.
473 Vishuddhi chakra.
474 Ajna chakra.
475 Two ears, two eyes, two nostrils and mouth.
476 Brahmarandhra.
477 Brahma.
478 Divine and semi-divine species.
479 Yoga leads to eight major siddhis or powers. These are anima (becoming as small as one desires), mahima (as large as one desires), laghima (as light as one wants), garima (as heavy as one wants), prapti (obtaining what one wants), prakamya (travelling where one wants), vashitvam (powers to control creatures) and ishitvam (obtaining divine powers).
480 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
481 The sacred fire that pervades the universe.
482 Sushumna is the central artery in the body. Those who pass through this reach the brahman. Those who pass through the passage known as pingala (on the right) reach the gods. Those who pass through the passage known as ida (on the left) reach the ancestors.
483 The serpent, Ananta or Shesha.
484 Brahmaloka or satyaloka.
485 One parardha is fifty years of Brahma’s life. So two parardhas is 100 years of Brahma’s life. Thus, this is more than 300 trillion human years.
486 Satyaloka.
487 The divinities who rule over the senses.
488 The jivatman in the paramatman.
489 The three Vedas.
490 Meaning Vasudeva.
491 Interpreted as Durga.
492 The fire god.
493 The twelve Adityas.
494 Interpreted as the earth.
495 Interpreted as Vishnu.
496 Interpreted as Varuna.
497 Shiva.
498 The one who is spoken about in excellent shlokas, Vishnu.
499 Or Nairitti, a demoness.
500 Kaivalya.
501 Of the sun.
502 Of blacksmiths.
503 On a peacock’s feathers.
504 Dharma, artha and kama.
505 Of ignorance.
506 The gods.
507 Shuka.
508 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
509 The three Vedas.
510 Brahma, the one without birth.
511 According to their capacity.
512 For the sake of creation, Sarasvati standing for speech, manifested from Brahma’s mouth.
513 The five elements.
514 The five organs of sense, the five objects of the senses, the five elements and the mind.
515 Vedavyasa.
516 That is, Narada asked Brahma. Hari taught Brahma.
517 Covering not just preservation, but creation and destruction too.
518 The maya.
519 Meaning heavenly worlds.
520 Sattva, rajas and tamas.
521 The imbalance in sattva, rajas and tamas led to the creation of Mahat. This can also be translated as action leading to Mahat’s birth.
522 The same as sattvika.
523 The same as rajasika.
524 Associated with space.
525 Fire’s attribute is form. However, the earlier attributes of touch and sound were also assumed.
526 Referred to as vishesha.
527 The directions mean the five organs of sense—Vayu presides over the skin, Surya over the eyes, Varuna (referred to in the text as Prachetas) over the tongue, and the two Ashvins over the nose and the ears. The other five preside over organs of action—Agni (referred to in the text as Vahni) over the organ of speech, Indra over the hands, Upendra (Vishnu) over the legs, Mitra over the anus and Prajapati (Brahma, referred to in the text as Ka) over the genital organs.
528 Ears, skin, nose, eye and tongue.
529 Organ of speech, hands, feet, anus and genital organ.
530 Brahmanda.
531 The earth and the region around the earth.
532 Since tapoloka is higher than janaloka, this is also interpreted as the area between the lips.
533 Therefore, it is not created and need not be identified on the body.
534 The seven constituents (dhatu) of the body are rasa (plasma), rakta (blood), mamsa (flesh), meda (fat), asthi (bones), majja (nerve or marrow) and shukra (semen, reproductive tissue). Chhanda is a metre and the seven used in the Vedas are Gayatri, Ushnik, Anushtubh, Brihati, Pankti, Trishtubh and Jagati.
535 Havya is offerings to the gods and kavya is offerings to the ancestors.
536 Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara.
537 Shiva.
538 Such as the saptarshis.
539 Rakshasas.
540 Literally, based on the foot.
541 This is subject to various interpretations. In addition to foot, pada also means quarter. One quarter, or one foot, is for the three worlds of bhurloka, bhuvarloka and svarloka. The other three quarters, or feet, are for the worlds above, such as janaloka, tapoloka and satyaloka. The three heads support these and these are above maharloka, which is at the top.
542 Bhurloka, bhuvarloka and svarloka.
543 Brahmacharya, vanaprastha and sannyasa do not lead to offspring.
544 That is, meditate.
545 There are four types of officiating priests—hotar (one who recites from the Rig Veda), udgatar (one who recites from the Sama Veda), adhvaryu (one who recites from the Yajur Veda) and brahman (one who recites from the Atharva Veda). This brahman is not to be confused with the supreme soul (brahman or paramatman).
546 Of gods.
547 Gifts given to brahmanas after the sacrifice.
548 Procedures for the sacrifice.
549 The formal announcement of the intention to undertake the sacrifice.
550 For possible transgressions.
551 The number and names of Prajapatis varies. The number is sometimes given as ten and Brahma is excluding himself, leaving nine. The Prajapatis were born through Brahma’s mental powers.
552 Shiva.
553 Creation, preservation and destruction.
554 Shiva.
555 Interpreted as the gross body.
556 Interpreted as the gross elements.
557 Shiva.
558 Vishnu.
559 Prajapatis.
560 Ghosts.
561 A specific type of evil spirit.
562 Avataras assumed as part of his pastimes.
563 The boar (varaha) incarnation.
564 This was Hiranyaksha, who dragged the earth down into the ocean.
565 Suyama’s wife.
566 Hari means the remover. Svayambhu Manu was his maternal grandfather.
567 The path of samkhya.
568 Meaning someone who has been given. This was Datta or Dattatreya.
569 Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara.
570 Ananga (Kama), the god of love, sent apsaras to tempt Nara and Narayana. But these apsaras saw more beautiful apsaras emerge from the bodies of Nara and Narayana.
571 He is above Nara and Narayana, though they are his forms.
572 This is Dhruva, the son of King Uttanapada. He was abused by his stepmother. He became the Pole Star, with saptarshis (the constellation Ursa Major) around him.
573 This is Prithu, born as Vena’s son. The earth (prithvi or prithivi) is named after Prithu.
574 Also referred to as Hayagriva, the one with the head or neck of a horse.
575 Interpreted as the Vedas.
576 Vaivasvata Manu.
577 The fish incarnation.
578 Alternatively, Narasimha.
579 An elephant.
580 Garuda.
581 The Adityas.
582 This is a reference to the dwarf (vamana) incarnation.
583 The science of life, healing and medicine.
584 As Parashurama. Parashurama exterminated kshatriyas from the world twenty-one times.
585 Dasharatha’s.
586 Dashagriva, Ravana.
587 Sita.
588 A makara is a mythical aquatic creature, but can loosely be translated as shark or crocodile. There is a minor tense issue in this shloka, where the future tense is used, the dialogue between Brahma and Narada having occurred prior to the Ramayana incidents. However, we have stuck to the past tense of the other shlokas.
589 Indra’s mount is Airavata, the elephant, loaned to Rama when he fought against Ravana. The broken tusks were stuck in Ravana’s chest and illuminated the directions.
590 Two strands of hair, white and black, resulted in the two births on earth, as Balarama and Krishna respectively.
591 Putana.
592 Kaliya.
593 Balarama.
594 Yashoda.
595 About his greatness.
596 Maya’s son was Vyomasura.
597 Indra. They did not perform the sacrifice dedicated to Indra.
598 Govardhana.
599 Dhanada’s (Kubera) follower was Shankhachuda, who wanted to abduct one of those women.
600 Meaning Dhenukasura.
601 Chanura and Mushtika.
602 Kuvalayapida.
603 Kalayavana.
604 Dvivida.
605 Born from the earth, hence, Narakasura.
606 Vedavyasa.
607 Though this is by no means obvious, this is interpreted as a reference to Buddha.
608 From the first three varnas.
609 This is a reference to the Trivikrama form, where one foot was placed on Satyaloka, above the three worlds and a place where there is equilibrium between the three qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas.
610 That is, the physical bodies.
611 In the plural, so Narada and Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara. We will not always explain the other names through notes, except in instances where something needs to be clarified. The accounts will figure later in the Bhagavata Purana text.
612 Prahlada.
613 Svayambhu Manu and his wife, Shatarupa.
614 Ila’s son, Pururava.
615 King Janaka.
616 Yayati was Nahusha’s son.
617 Bhishma.
618 Shuka.
619 The atman.
620 When you recite it to others.
621 That is, the heart.
622 Autumn rains wash away muddy water.
623 A traveller who has returned to his own home after travelling.
624 The atman is not made out of the five elements, but the physical body is. A cause is something like karma, without a cause is something beyond karma.
625 As a human one.
626 Brahma.
627 Parikshit is asking for clarity on this.
628 A kalpa is the longer cycle of creation and destruction. Within that, there are subsidiary/secondary cycles of creation and destruction (vikalpa), the duration of a Manu’s rule.
629 Birth as someone who possesses qualities. Undesired means inferior birth.
630 Guilds.
631 Emergencies, known as apad dharma. In such situations, deviation from normal dharma is permitted.
632 Elements used in creation.
633 Spiritual.
634 Linga means linga sharira, the subtle body. How is it detached from the physical body?
635 Upavedas are texts like Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandharva-veda. Texts of dharma mean the Dharmashastras.
636 Dharma, artha and kama.
637 Shuka.
638 Alternatively, as revered as the Vedas.
639 When Brahma was born.
640 With the physical body.
641 I and mine.
642 Brahma.
643 Not exactly, but roughly, akshara is a syllable.
644 The sixteenth is ta, the twenty-first is pa, counting the consonants and not the vowels. Combined, they become tapa, austerities.
645 The sense organs and the objects of the senses.
646 Vaikuntha.
647 Of Hari’s attendants and devotees.
648 Celestial vehicles.
649 Literally, shrivatsa means the place where Shri resides. It is a twirl of curly hair on Vishnu’s/Krishna’s chest.
650 The four are Prakriti, Purusha, Mahat and Ahamkara. The sixteen are the five organs of perception (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin), the five organs of action (hands, legs, stomach, genital organs, organ of excretion), five elements and the mind. The five are the tanmatras (subtle elements). These twenty-five are his tattvas.
651 Yoga leads to eight siddhis or powers. These are anima (becoming as small as one desires), mahima (as large as one desires), laghima (as light as one wants), garima (as heavy as one wants), prapti (obtaining what one wants), prakamya (travelling where one wants), vashitvam (powers to control creatures) and ishitvam (obtaining divine powers). These are minor and temporary powers. His personal powers are his knowledge, power, strength, prosperity, valour and energy.
652 Brahma’s.
653 The lord.
654 Tapa (tapas).
655 Before creation.
656 After creating the universe.
657 This can be taken to mean either the elements, or the created beings.
658 Brahma created so that it was just as it was in the previous kalpa.
659 In the Bhagavata Purana. These are thus the ten characteristics of the Bhagavata Purana. The text doesn’t have a numbering though. The ten are listed, sarga, visarga, sthana, poshana, uti, manvantara, isha-anukatha, nirodha, mukti and ashraya.
660 As the brahman.
661 This shloka has many complicated interpretations.
662 This water is known as garbhodaka, the water that was the womb.
663 Virat Purusha, in the form of Brahma.
664 Purusha is Nara (man) and since water was created from Nara, it is Naara. Ayana is resting place. Since his resting place was water (Naara), he is Naaraayana (Narayana).
665 As a separate organ of the body.
666 The skin.
667 Through offspring.
668 The genital organs and the presiding deity, Prajapati.
669 The presiding deity.
670 Apana and Mrityu.
671 These are the presiding deities.
672 The presiding deity.
673 The other seven are made out of water, fire, air, space, Mahat, ahamkara and Prakriti.
674 These are different categories of beings, some semi-divine. Some are benevolent, others are malevolent.
675 Mobile and immobile.
676 Born from wombs, eggs, sweat (insects) and trees and herbs.
677 Sattva dominated by sattva, sattva dominated by rajas, sattva dominated by tamas and so on.
678 And preservation and destruction.
679 The present kalpa is known as Shveta Varaha Kalpa.
680 Vidura.
681 Maitreya.