682 Maitreya was the son of Kusharava and Mitra. Therefore, he is referred to as both Kousharava and Maitreya. He was Parashara’s disciple.

683 Krishna. This refers to Krishna’s role as an ambassador soliciting peace, at King Duryodhana’s court. Rebuffed, he stayed in Vidura’s house, not in Duryodhana’s palace.

684 Shuka.

685 Yudhishthira.

686 Dhritarashtra.

687 Probably Dhritarashtra, but could mean Duryodhana too.

688 Vidura.

689 Often known as Vidura niti.

690 This is what Vidura said.

691 The brahmanas and the kshatriyas.

692 Krishna.

693 Duryodhana.

694 Duhshasana.

695 Shakuni.

696 These are Duryodhana’s words.

697 The words, which were like arrows.

698 Krishna.

699 Yudhishthira.

700 The emperor’s umbrella.

701 Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti, who were burnt down in the forest.

702 And the friction results in a fire.

703 Cows.

704 Earlier, Uddhava had been Brihaspati’s disciple.

705 Krishna and Balarama.

706 Brahma.

707 Shurasena’s.

708 Meaning Vasudeva, Krishna’s father. Kunti was Vasudeva’s sister.

709 Ugrasena.

710 Krishna. Kamsa had ousted Ugrasena.

711 Kartikeya.

712 Satyaki. Satyaki was Arjuna’s student.

713 Akrura.

714 Meaning Devaki.

715 Rig, Sama and Yajur Veda.

716 Meaning the Vedas.

717 This requires interpretation. The four aspects are Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, respectively presiding over consciousness, ego, intelligence and the mind.

718 Satyabhama’s son.

719 Krishna.

720 Yudhishthira.

721 Arjuna.

722 Garuda/Suparna snatched amrita from Indra.

723 Pandu.

724 Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively.

725 Caused by false sense of learning, wealth and noble birth.

726 Uddhava.

727 As a child, Uddhava preferred serving Krishna to having breakfast.

728 For Krishna.

729 Ajagara. Alternatively, python, a metaphor for time.

730 Before the churning of the ocean, the moon used to be in the ocean.

731 Yudhishthira.

732 The text uses the word vidhatri, meaning creator.

733 Alternatively, cause and effect, or this world and the next.

734 The metaphor of fire being hidden in the wood, until it is ignited through friction.

735 The city means Mathura.

736 Chedi means Shishupala. Killed by Krishna, he was liberated at the royal sacrifice.

737 Sattva, rajas and tamas.

738 Putana, in the form of a crane.

739 After being killed by Krishna.

740 Sudarshana chakra.

741 Garuda.

742 Kamsa.

743 Brahma.

744 Balarama.

745 To kill Krishna.

746 Kaliya, who inhabited the Yamuna and poisoned the water.

747 From the water.

748 The gopas were cowherds and their king was Nanda. This sacrifice was performed instead of Indra’s sacrifice.

749 A demon named Panchajana had swallowed Sandipani’s son. Krishna brought him back to life.

750 Bhishmaka’s daughter was Rukmini, an incarnation of Lakshmi. Thus, Rukmini was Krishna’s share.

751 Meaning the gandharva form of marriage, one of the eight different forms of marriage. King Bhishmaka had expected it to be svayamvara, where the prospective bride chooses her groom from amidst assembled suitors.

752 Just as Garuda took away his share of amrita.

753 Usually known as Satyabhama.

754 The Parijata tree, desired by Satyabhama.

755 Shachi, Indra’s wife, urged him to bring the tree back.

756 The earth’s son was Narakasura, killed with the use of the sudarshana chakra.

757 Naraka’s son.

758 Naraka’s name.

759 As a husband.

760 Kalayavana.

761 The king of Magadha, Jarasandha.

762 Mathura.

763 Krishna did not kill them himself, but got them killed through Muchukunda and Bhima.

764 He killed Shambara, Mura and Dantavakra himself. Dvivida and Balvala were killed by Balarama. Bana was defeated by Krishna, but was allowed to live.

765 On the sides of the sons of Dhritarashtra and of Pandu.

766 These are Krishna’s thoughts.

767 Dharma’s son, Yudhishthira.

768 Permitted by the brahmanas, the Yadavas drank the liquor.

769 Maireya is liquor made from molasses or grain.

770 Maitreya.

771 Krishna.

772 Uddhava was a Vasu in a former life.

773 The Prajapatis.

774 Brahma.

775 Dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

776 In the householder stage of garhasthya.

777 Brahma.

778 Uddhava. Uddhava’s father is usually referred to as Devabhaga. It is possible that Aupavaga is being used as an adjective, derived from upagu, meaning, something or someone near a cow.

779 The three worlds.

780 Vidura.

781 Uddhava.

782 Another name for the Yamuna.

783 Ganga.

784 Maitreya.

785 The heavenly river is Ganga and the spot is therefore identified as Haridvara.

786 The three worlds.

787 Krishna’s account.

788 Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa.

789 Yama had inflicted an excessively harsh punishment on the sage and had been cursed by Mandavya.

790 Vichitravirya had a servant-maid and Vidura was the son of Vedavyasa and this servant-maid.

791 The universe had not been created.

792 This is interpreted in many different ways. Purusha is manifested from Vishnu and impregnates maya, or Purusha impregnates Prakriti.

793 Purusha.

794 Interpreted as ahamkara. Alternatively, Mahat tattva led to ahamkara.

795 Who preside over the senses.

796 Tanmatras.

797 Air possesses its own attributes, as well as that of space and so on.

798 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny), adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one’s own nature).

799 Ganga.

800 Sattva, rajas and tamas.

801 Vishnu and Lakshmi entered Kala (time), or entered Prakriti (being referred to as Kala).

802 Mahat, ahamkara, five gross elements, five subtle elements, five organs of senses, five organs of action and mind.

803 Ten means the ten vital airs (prana)—prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana, naga, kurma, krikala, devadatta and dhananjaya. The three are adhibhuta, adhidaiva and adhyatma.

804 Virat Purusha.

805 Vishnu was inside Virat Purusha. The divinities had entreated Vishnu earlier.

806 Virat Purusha’s.

807 Virat Purusha’s.

808 Vayu.

809 Two different kinds of skin are mentioned. The earlier skin was charman, the outside skin. This skin is tvach, which means either the inside skin, or both the outside and inside skin taken together.

810 Prajapati.

811 Brahma.

812 Abhimana is pride/haughtiness, the false sense of ego. The lord is Rudra.

813 Depending on their combinations of gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas), gods, humans and inferior beings occupy these worlds.

814 Humans remained on earth and have transactions with the gods in the form of performing sacrifices to them.

815 Tamas.

816 The heavenly planets and earth.

817 Interpreted as the Vedas.

818 That is, miscreants.

819 Brahma.

820 Meaning Rudra.

821 Someone asks the child to play, or the child comes across an object it can play with.

822 The illustrious one.

823 In a dream.

824 This has been interpreted in different ways—the independence of the illustrious one and the dependence of living creatures on him; listening to his account and serving him; Hari and attachment to material objects; and knowledge and devotion.

825 In maya, but inside Hari.

826 Vishnu killed a demon named Madhu.

827 Of the devotees.

828 Virat.

829 Organs of sense, objects of the senses and organs of action.

830 Each avatara had a different composition of gunas.

831 Literally, abstention from acts, interpreted as non-attachment to the fruits of the acts.

832 Pratiloma means against the natural order and applies to progeny where the mother is superior in varna to the father. Anuloma applies to progeny where the father is superior in varna to the mother.

833 Student.

834 Kings born in the Puru lineage.

835 Sanatkumara.

836 Ganga.

837 Balarama (Samkarshana) is identified with the serpent Ananta-Shesha.

838 Detachment from fruits and renunciation of action.

839 A sage in the Vasishtha lineage.

840 Parashara wished to destroy the rakshasas. In an attempt to save his progeny, Pulastya dissuaded him. When Parashara complied, Pulasyta blessed him that he would recite the Puranas. There are different accounts of how the Bhagavata Purana was disseminated over time and they don’t always agree.

841 He was sleeping on Ananta-Shesha.

842 The four yugas make up a mahayuga and he slept for one thousand mahayugas.

843 Brahma.

844 Inside the lotus.

845 One hundred years.

846 Vishnu was attired in a yellow garment.

847 The image of Vishnu continues, but is not stated explicitly. The golden peaks are compared to his diadem and the garland of trees to the garland of flowers he wears. Vishnu’s arms and feet are compared to those of the mountain, Vishnu being superior in beauty.

848 Brahma.

849 The darkness of ignorance.

850 Atheists and heretics.

851 Vata, pitta and kapha. These can be loosely translated as wind, bile and phlegm. In ayurveda, these are the three doshas or humours in the body and they are always striving against each other.

852 This part uses the third person.

853 Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

854 Of time.

855 There are various listings of the five, such as—anger, confusion, hatred, lack of perseverance and vanity.

856 Before the destruction.

857 Lakshmi.

858 So that I am not attached to the fruits of the action.

859 As the power to know, the presiding deity of speech, intelligence and the Vedas.

860 Brahma.

861 One in whom the Vedas are vested, Brahma.

862 Vidura’s.

863 Brahma.

864 This can also be translated as the calyx.

865 Three means above the earth, the earth and under the earth. Fourteen means the fourteen lokas mentioned earlier.

866 Brahma’s world.

867 Time.

868 This gets into interpretation. Creation due to Prakriti is interpreted as creation that takes place outside the cosmic egg, while creation due to vikriti is interpreted as creation that takes place inside the cosmic egg.

869 The three kinds of destruction are regular ones caused by time (known as nitya), that resulting from a fire in Ananta’s mouth (known as naimittika) and that resulting from interaction between the gunas (known as prakritika).

870 Meaning Brahma.

871 Osadhi, more accurately, trees and herbs that die after yielding fruit.

872 Like bamboo.

873 The first kind of creeper is lata, which requires support to grow. This kind of creeper is virudha, not requiring support from another tree/plant to grow.

874 The first kind of tree is vanaspati, which has fruits, but without visible flowers. This kind of tree is druma, which has fruits and visible flowers.

875 Kind of ox.

876 These are cloven-hooved.

877 Uncloven-hooved.

878 Kind of buffalo.

879 Sharabha has many meanings—young elephant, camel. It is also a mythical animal with eight legs, believed to be stronger than a lion. In this context, one probably means the mythical animal.

880 Mythical aquatic creature, can loosely be translated as crocodile.

881 A different kind of vulture.

882 A different kind of crane.

883 A different kind of owl.

884 Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara.

885 Resulting from both Prakriti and vikriti.

886 Learned ones, gods.

887 This is a total of nine. Therefore, siddhas probably is an adjective and means that any of the other categories can become a Siddha.

888 If one counts the earlier list as nine, one does have ten categories.

889 With other paramanus or atoms.

890 There are many difficulties in translating and interpreting this shloka. The meaning is not immediately obvious.

891 A pala is a measure of weight, but its stated weight varies across sources. 30 grams is a rough indication. Angula is the length of a finger. Masha is just short of one gram.

892 Season. There are six seasons—vasanta (spring), grishma (summer), varsha (monsoon), sharad (autumn), hemanta (just before winter) and shishira (winter).

893 Uttarayana is the movement of the sun to the north of the equator, the period from the winter to the summer solstice. Dakshinayana is the movement of the sun to the south of the equator, the period from the summer to the winter solstice.

894 Uttarayana is day and dakshinayana is night.

895 Samvatsara is the solar year, anuvatsara is the lunar year, parivatsara seems to have been calculated on the basis of Jupiter’s orbit and vatsara was calculated on the basis of the nakshatras. Since idavatsara occurred once every five years, it probably had an intercalary month.

896 Meaning the sun god.

897 One hundred years, according to their respective measurements of time.

898 Those who are beyond the three worlds.

899 Measured as years of the gods, krita yuga is four thousand years, treta yuga is three thousand years, dvapara yuga is two thousand years and kali yuga is one thousand years. This cycle is known as a mahayuga, but a mahayuga is more than ten thousand years. Each yuga has a sandhi at the beginning and an amsha at the end of the yuga. This is 400 years for krita yuga, 300 years for treta yuga, 200 years for dvapara yuga and 100 years for kali yuga. Hence, two thousand years are added to get twelve thousand years.

900 There were three feet in treta, two in dvapara and one in kali.

901 That is, mahayugas.

902 One of Brahma’s days.

903 One thousand divided by fourteen is 71.43.

904 These, including the lord of the gods (Indra) vary from one manvantara (the period of a Manu) to another.

905 Depending on the measure of time in the place one resides in. Alternatively, this may specifically refer to Brahma.

906 Brahma’s.

907 The present parardha.

908 For Hari.

909 Time.

910 Yojanas, though yojanas is not explicitly stated.

911 Covering the universe.

912 To Hari, the universe is like a paramanu.

913 Brahma’s.

914 Respectively, the darkness that makes one blind, darkness, great confusion and confusion. These have different nuances of interpretation in samkhya.

915 Nilalohita, nila (blue) and lohita (red).

916 Rud means to cry or weep.

917 That is, these are your names.

918 Brahma. They were born through Brahma’s mental powers.

919 Or Angira.

920 Meaning some other Brahma.

921 That is, Brahma.

922 Interpreted as collections of mantras.

923 The same as agnishtoma.

924 The names of different kinds of sacrifices.

925 These are the four kinds of conduct for brahmacharya. Savitra means that one is celibate for three nights, beginning with the sacred thread ceremony, reciting the savitri mantra. Prajapatya means the observance of celibacy for one year. Brahma means the observance of celibacy until the Vedas have been mastered. Brihat means the observance of celibacy throughout one’s life.

926 These are the four kinds of conduct for garhasthya. Varta means subsistence on the basis of permitted occupations. Sanchaya means subsistence on the basis of what has been stored, such as through earnings by performing sacrifices. Shalina means subsistence on the basis of whatever can be obtained without resorting to asking for alms. Shila-unccha means subsistence on the basis of collecting grains from the ground.

927 These are the four kinds of conduct for vanaprastha. Vaikhanasas are those who subsist on wild grain, obtained without resorting to agriculture; valakhilyas are those who subsist on fresh fruit; audumburas eat fruit gathered from whatever direction they first happen to look at in the morning; phenapas live on fruits and leaves that naturally drop down from trees.

928 These are the four kinds of conduct for those who are in sannyasa. Kutichakas follow the norms prescribed for the sannyasa stage. Bahvodas also follow these norms, but focus on knowledge, as do hamsas. A bahvoda carries three staffs and can stay at a place for three nights. A hamsa carries a single staff and can stay at a place for one night. There are such variations between the two, but they vary across texts. A nishkriya (also known as paramahamsa) is someone who has realized the brahman and has given up all action.

929 Dharma, artha and kama.

930 Vyahriti means the words bhuh, bhuvah and svah, uttered after Oum.

931 The sound of Oum.

932 The consonants, ka to ma, are Brahma’s sense organs.

933 Sha to ha.

934 This is probably a reference to Brahma having given up his body in shame.

935 Devahuti.

936 The father is Svayambhuva (Brahma) and the son is Svaayambhuva Manu.

937 Vishnu. This is interpreted as Krishna often resting his feet on Vidura’s lap.

938 The boar.

939 Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanatkumara.

940 The three Vedas.

941 More accurately, his three joints were the rites of sacrifices.

942 Before creation.

943 The text uses the word rasa and we have translated this simply as water. Rasa, in these shlokas, is often translated and interpreted as rasatala. In other words, the earth was not just in the waters, but in the specific nether region known as rasatala.

944 This daitya was Hiranyaksha.

945 The Sudarshana chakra.

946 Red chalk from the earth.

947 The three Vedas.

948 The earth.

949 Referred to as Yajna Varaha.

950 Vessel used to offer a share to Brahma.

951 Cup for holding soma.

952 There are three ishtis or upasads associated with a sacrifice—diksha (the initiation into the sacrifice), prayaniya (the initial rites of the sacrifice) and upaniya (the concluding rites of the sacrifice).

953 Pravargya is the rite performed before a soma sacrifice. Before each of the upasads, pravargya is performed. Sabhya sacrifices are performed without a fire and avasathya ones with a fire.

954 Agnishtoma, atyagnishtoma, ukthya, shodashi, vajapeya, atiratra and aptoryama.

955 The Vedas.

956 A kulachala is a great mountain, but any great mountain is not a kulachala. Each of the seven regions has a kulachala and their names are Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Shuktiman, Riksha, Vindhya and Pariyatra.

957 In the form of the boar incarnation.

958 Dhruva.

959 Narada.

960 The ocean of life.

961 Rudra or Shiva.

962 Shiva.

963 Probably implying that there is no secrecy.

964 Interpreted as Shiva having rejected material objects and maya, though these are enjoyed by others.

965 Kama, the god of love.

966 Sati, Shiva’s wife, was also Daksha’s daughter and Diti’s sister.

967 The vajra.

968 Sudarshana chakra.

969 Vishnu.

970 The moon.

971 Indra and the other gods might harm her sons.

972 The power of the foetus.

973 The guna of rajas.

974 Interpreted as the Vedas.

975 They have Vishnu’s form, with four arms.

976 Meaning something that leads to ultimate bliss.

977 Kind of creeper.

978 Mandara is the Indian coral tree, kunda is a kind of jasmine, kuraba is the Barleria Caerulea, utpala is a water lily or the blue lotus, champaka is the sampangi flower, arna is the teak tree, punnaga is the nutmeg tree or a white lotus, naga (nagakesara) is the Indian rose chestnut, bakula is a tree with fragrant blossoms, ambuja is a lotus and parijata is the night-flowering coral jasmine. The text says kurava, we have corrected it to kuraba.

979 Tulasi.

980 Other than Krishna’s deeds.

981 Of ignorance.

982 Vaikuntha is above the worlds of the gods.

983 Sanatkumara and his brothers.

984 The sages were beyond mundane concerns and distinctions.

985 Such as inside a pot.

986 But aren’t really gods.

987 The universe is in Hari’s stomach.

988 Lust, anger and avarice.

989 The same as Padmanabha, the one who had a lotus in his navel.

990 Garuda.

991 Sanatkumara and his brothers.

992 The brahman.

993 Brahma.

994 Such as material objects.

995 Literally, a svapacha is someone who eats dogs or cooks for dogs. In most instances, it is used as a synonym for a chandala.

996 Of brahmanas.

997 Shiva.

998 Yama.

999 Instead of noble rishis, translations usually say that Vishnu’s words were like mantras composed by rishis, that is, Vedic hymns. This seems to be forced and unnecessary.

1000 One who has avataras in the first three yugas.

1001 Lakshmi.

1002 Auspicious planets like Mercury, Jupiter and Venus were surpassed by inauspicious ones like Mars and Saturn.

1003 Kashyapa.

1004 If there were twins, contrary to current practice, the one born first was regarded as younger and the one born later (who remained longer in the womb) was regarded as elder.

1005 Hiranyaksha.

1006 The gods.

1007 A necklace or garland indicating victory, usually made out of eight kinds of pearls. This is also the name of Vishnu’s necklace.

1008 Though Garuda has earlier been described as Tarkshya’s son, Tarkshya is also a name for Garuda.

1009 Prachetas is Varuna and Varuna’s capital city is named Vibhavari.

1010 In his boar incarnation.

1011 The boar’s.

1012 Vanagochara means an animal that dwells in the forest, as well as one that lives in the water. Therefore, it can be taken to mean an animal that is amphibious.

1013 The earth.

1014 The one with the golden hair, another name for Hiranyaksha.

1015 Brahma.

1016 Hiranyaksha.

1017 The same as Hiranyaksha.

1018 Brahma.

1019 Brahma.

1020 Cattle.

1021 Abhijit is usually taken to be one muhurta, not two. There are thirty muhurtas in a span of twenty-four hours, fifteen during the day and fifteen during the night. Some muhurtas are auspicious, others are not and Abhijit muhurta is the most auspicious of the fifteen muhurtas during the day. Literally, Abhijit is a muhurta that brings victory. Today, Abhijit muhurta, depending on the place, will be around noon.

1022 As a boar.

1023 They were ignorant because they didn’t know about Vishnu’s powers.

1024 The text uses the word Hari, which means Indra too. But because two uses of the word Hari might cause confusion, we have rendered this as Indra. The reference is to an incident where Tarkshya/Garuda carried away amrita and was struck by Indra’s vajra. Though Garuda wasn’t hurt, out of respect for the vajra, he dropped one of his feathers.

1025 Hiranyaksha.

1026 The three rites of a sacrifice, diksha (the initiation into the sacrifice), prayaniya (the initial rites of the sacrifice) and upaniya (the concluding rites of the sacrifice) being used as a metaphor.

1027 The lord of the Maruts is Indra and Tvashta’s son is Vritra.

1028 Vishnu’s.

1029 Brahma.

1030 Shounaka.

1031 Of liberation.

1032 Kushavarta is identified with Haridvara.

1033 Brahma.

1034 The preceding sentence means independent of their wives. This sentence means all the Prajapatis acting together.

1035 This shloka is capable of being interpreted in many different kinds of ways and so are the ones that immediately follow.

1036 Vaikarika, taijasa and tamasa.

1037 Five gross elements, five organs of perception, five organs of action and so on.

1038 Enter Brahma.

1039 From night.

1040 Asuras.

1041 Meaning Vidura.

1042 She was actually evening.

1043 Brahma.

1044 The gandharvas.

1045 Every living being has four bodies—tandra (lassitude), jrimbhana (yawning), nidra (sleep) and unmada (madness).

1046 Bhutas and pishachas.

1047 Meaning disappearance.

1048 Thanks to humans being created.

1049 Hrishikesha means controller of the senses and is a word normally applied to Vishnu/Krishna. But here, it is being used for Brahma and Brahma is also referred to as a rishi.

1050 The word dvipa not only means island, but also a continent or region of the earth. The earth was believed to be divided into seven continents.

1051 Respectively, Akuti and Prasuti.

1052 The word used is kriya yoga, which can be interpreted in diverse ways.

1053 A complete form with attributes described in the Vedas.

1054 Kardama.

1055 Be as useful as a cow is to a householder.

1056 The months and the days, with an intercalary month included.

1057 The rims are the seasons, the leaves being various units of time. The naves are units of four months each.

1058 This is Maitreya speaking, not Kardama.

1059 Brahmavarta is the area around Kurukshetra. The seven oceans are Lavana, Kshira, Sura, Ghrita, Ikshu, Dadhi and Svadu. These have been speculatively identified as Lavana (Indian Ocean), Kshira (Shirwan, part of the Caspian Sea), Sura (Sarain, the remaining part of the Caspian Sea), Ghrita (Erythraean Sea), Ikshu (the river Oxus), Dadhi (Dahae, the Aral Sea) and Svadu (Tchadun, the river in Mongolia).

1060 The Samkhya texts.

1061 Vishnu.

1062 This is taken to mean Kardama, who performed austerities and sought refuge with him. However, the statement is general and doesn’t specifically mention Kardama. Bindusaras or Bindusarovara is identified with Siddhapura (Sitpur) in Gujarat. Bindu means drop and saras means lake.

1063 Ashoka is a tree with red flowers, karanja is the Indian beech tree, ashana is the Indian laurel, kutaja is a kind of coral tree and chuta is mango.

1064 Chakravaka is the ruddy goose or Brahmany duck, karandava is a type of duck, plava is a diving aquatic bird, chakora is a partridge.

1065 Kind of monkey, with a tail resembling a cow’s tail.

1066 Kardama.

1067 Brahmanas.

1068 The vow of celibacy.

1069 Shri is interpreted as Devahuti’s ornaments, but there seems to be no reason to do this.

1070 That is, withdraw from the householder stage.

1071 At being separated from her.

1072 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny), adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one’s own nature).

1073 Parvati.

1074 Kardama.

1075 That is, before she could speak.

1076 Female vidyadharas.

1077 This can be interpreted in two ways. The moon, the lord of the stars, makes night lotuses bloom. Alternatively, Kardama is the moon, the vimana is the sky, the maidens are the stars and the eyes of the maidens are night lotuses.

1078 As mentioned before, the kulachalas are Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Shuktiman, Riksha, Vindhya and Pariyatra. Their Indra is Mount Meru.

1079 Lokapalas are guardians of the world and the directions. The eight lokapalas are Kubera, Yama, Indra, Varuna, Ishana, Agni, Vayu and Nirriti.

1080 Ganga.

1081 Dhanada, Kubera.

1082 Manasa may also mean Lake Manasa.

1083 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-limbed) yoga is used. Dama is control of the senses and can be equated with yama.

1084 And also Devahuti, though she is not specifically mentioned.

1085 Vishnu killed two demons named Madhu and Kaitabha.

1086 Sanatkumara and his brothers.

1087 The word used is Hamsa, meaning Brahma.

1088 Indra.

1089 Kardama went to Kapila. Vishnu is known as Triyuga because he has appeared in satya yuga, treta yuga and dvapara yuga, but not in kali yuga.

1090 The three gunas.

1091 Resort to sannyasa.

1092 Transcendantal, about the atman.

1093 Since the left is inauspicious, the person being circumambulated must be kept to the right.

1094 Happiness and unhappiness, heat and cold and so on.

1095 The wheel of life, the circle of birth and death.

1096 To objects of the senses.

1097 Truths, principles.

1098 Of birth and death.

1099 These shlokas have diverse interpretations. Given the way we have translated it, Pradhana is unmanifest and undifferentiated, while Prakriti is manifest and differentiated.

1100 Five tanmatras or subtle elements, five mahabhutas or gross elements, five organs of perception, five organs of action, manas (mind), buddhi (intelligence), ahamkara (ego) and chitta (consciousness).

1101 The mind creates doubt, intelligence leads to conclusions, ego leads to pride and consciousness results in remembrance.

1102 Thus identifying itself with the body.

1103 Prakriti.

1104 This is the darkness at the time of destruction, when Mahat is absorbed back into Prakriti and Vishnu sleeps.

1105 Through contact with other objects like the earth.

1106 Respectively associated with sattva, rajas and tamas.

1107 The breath of life is also created from taijasa ahamkara.

1108 Receiving and conveying to the nose and the ear.

1109 Colour and form.

1110 Mahat, ahamkara and the elements.

1111 Interpreted as Indra.

1112 Brahma.

1113 Virat Purusha.

1114 Surya.

1115 Kshetrajna.

1116 Respectively, gods, humans and subhuman.

1117 The atman.

1118 Prakriti.

1119 Consciousness.

1120 Emancipation.

1121 Is not born again.

1122 Bija is a mystic akshara from a mantra. When yoga has such an object of meditation, it is sabija. When meditation is on the atman, without any other object, it is nirbija.

1123 Pursuit of dharma (ordinary), artha and kama.

1124 The chakras in the body are muladhara, svadhishthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna and sahasrara. As used in the text, svadhishthana probably means any of the first six chakras and not specifically the svadhishthana chakra.

1125 Respectively inhalation, retention and exhalation.

1126 Ganga.

1127 The sign of the vajra on the foot.

1128 The creator means Brahma. Since Brahma was created by Vishnu, Lakshmi is Brahma’s mother by extension.

1129 Garuda’s.

1130 The flower of flax, Linum usitatissimum. Vishnu’s complexion is often likened to this flower.

1131 Brahma.

1132 Lakshmi.

1133 When the ocean was being churned.

1134 Sudarshana chakra.

1135 Both are white.

1136 The name of Vishnu’s club.

1137 Koustubha.

1138 A lotus.

1139 Which take it to be a lotus. The eyes are being compared to fish.

1140 Relating to adhidaivika (destiny), adhibhoutika (nature) and adhyatmika (one’s own nature).

1141 Makaradhvaja is the one with the makara on his banner and means Madana. Madana distracts the sages from their meditations and Hari’s smile distracts Madana.

1142 This is interpreted in diverse ways, such as the following. Initially, the mind meditates on Hari, the hook. Once a person has progressed, the hook is no longer necessary and the person can meditate directly on the atman.

1143 That is, ahamkara.

1144 The text uses the word prapancha. This has many meanings, but visible world fits best.

1145 The other things are the senses and the mind.

1146 This probably means that the devotee sees himself as distinct from the brahman.

1147 Respectively, residence in the same world as Vishnu, powers like Vishnu, residing near Vishnu, forms like Vishnu and union with Vishnu.

1148 Rather than the fire.

1149 Meaning ashtanga yoga.

1150 Indra.

1151 Probably implying fraudulent.

1152 Hell or birth as inferior species.

1153 The jivatman.

1154 A yojana is a measure of distance, between 8 and 9 miles.

1155 As human, after having been born as inferior species several times.

1156 Of the sperm and the ovum.

1157 Karkandhu.

1158 Plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and seminal fluid. These are known as the seven dhatus.

1159 Alternatively, the membrane covering the embryo.

1160 Entering many wombs.

1161 Insects and worms.

1162 Brahma.

1163 Interpreted as the linga sharira.

1164 But this is not true of the jivatman.

1165 Tasks with a motive.

1166 Brahma is also destroyed.

1167 They are still proud of their devotion to Brahma. Thus, they are born again.

1168 Brahma.

1169 Between the jivatman and the paramatman.

1170 Brahma.

1171 The rishis.

1172 Dharma, artha and kama.

1173 Dakshinayana.

1174 That is, in the same families.

1175 Five organs of perception, five organs of action and the mind.

1176 The path of knowledge.

1177 Pravritti is action with a desire for the fruits, whereas nivritti is action without a desire for the fruits.

1178 While this could mean the four ashramas, it probably means sattva, rajas and tamas and the one which is beyond these three.

1179 It is possible to interpret this in many ways, the simplest is that Kapila founded the samkhya school.

1180 From me.

1181 Interpreted as thrice a day.

1182 Akhandala is Indra’s name.

1183 Vishnu’s body.

1184 Interpreted as celestial beings who took care of her.

1185 The stage of emancipation, when everything is extinguished.