Srimad Bhagavata Book 2
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Srimad Bhagavata is one of the main books of Hindu philosophy. The Bhagavata is a devotional account of the Supreme Being and His incarnations. The second book of the Srimad Bhagavata covers the creation of the universe according to
Hindu Mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...
and gives a summary of the Bhagavata. This book consists of 10 chapters. The Bhagavata is authored by Veda Vyasa and the source material for this summary is the translation presented by Swami Tapasyananda. Additional material and analysis is included. Gita Press. ''Narada Purana'' For the events leading up to this point, see Srimad Bhagavata Book 1.


Chapter 1

* Suka Rishi is very happy to hear Parikshit's question, as its answer will benefit mankind. * Suka Rishi tells
Parikshit Parīkṣit (, ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th–9th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic ...
that even though he was already completely established in the formless, infinite Atman, his mind was still attracted to
Narayana Narayana (, ) is one of the forms and epithets of Vishnu. In this form, the deity is depicted in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, symbolising the masculine principle and associated with his role of creation. He is also known as Pu ...
’s playful acts in His incarnations. ** This is an example of the power of Bhakti (devotion) to Narayana even over knowledge of the Atman. ** Whoever hears the Bhagavata with faith will through Bhakti reach the highest state. * Sri Suka explains to Parikshit the True purpose of life ** Life is for the attainment of the Spiritual Goal (not only material goals) ** Life is very short and should not be wasted ** Importance of meditation and renunciation in order to purify the mind. ** Beauty of the Bhagavata and story of
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
and His playful acts. *** This will lead to love of Vishnu. ** At least think of renunciation when Death is approaching. * Meditate on the cosmic form (Viratpurusha) ** Description of the cosmic form, each part represents something abstract. *** For example, the Vedas are the top of Vishnu's head, and the wind is Vishnu's breath. ** All the worlds are parts of Vishnu's body.


Chapter 2

* Importance of renunciation * Meditate on the form of Narayana in the space within the heart ** This form is similar to Vishnu's 4-armed form with the lotus, discus, mace, and conch ** One should meditate on the whole form until the mind is steady ** One should then meditate on each part of the Lord individually starting with the feet and going up to the face ** If an individual cannot do this, he/she can meditate on the entire universe as a form of the Lord (Viratrupa) * Gross substances are made of subtler substances ** This idea is one of the fundamental axioms of Hindu philosophy. ** For example, jewelry (a gross substance) is made of gold (a subtler substance) * One should raise the energy from the lower Chakra (Muladhara) all the way to the highest one (Brahmarandhra). * The idea of renunciation is to merge the gross senses/elements/organs into their subtler versions one by one until that (the Mahattattva, or great element) is merged in Prakriti. At this point the Jiva (individual) is one with Brahman, the Supreme.


Chapter 3

* People who want a specific object or status should worship a specific deity. ** Worshipping
Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
gives Vedic learning and powers ** Worshipping Sri (
Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...
) gives wealth * However, all the deities get their powers from the Supreme. * By worshipping the Supreme, one gets all their material and spiritual desires fulfilled. * The True purpose of life is to worship the Supreme and develop Bhakti (devotion).


Chapter 4

* Parikshit asks Suka Rishi numerous questions about the Supreme, his power Maya (the power of illusion), and the knowledge of the Atman (soul) * Suka Rishi's praises of the Supreme ** Director of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe ** One who gives all rewards (including liberation) and punishments ** Thinking of and worshipping the Supreme destroys all sins ** Having numerous self-willed incarnations for the good of all ** The creator of the Vedas ** Creates and lives in the bodies of all


Chapter 5

* Narada believes that Brahma created the universe and praises Brahma as the Supreme, but wonders then why Brahma had to do great austerities * Brahma takes the opportunity to praise Vasudeva, the true creator of the universe, as the one even above Brahma * Brahma describes the creation of the universe: * Vishnu created Maya (the agent that causes people to associate the world of objects with themselves) * Vishnu is Himself unaffected by Maya * The existence of Maya led to the creation of matter, Kala (Time), Karma (the effects of actions on the future), Swabhava (Nature), and the Jiva (individual soul) * Everything is an aspect of Narayana * Even though the Iswara (Narayana) and Jiva (individual) are part of the same Atman (all-pervading spirit and life-force), Iswara knows the Truth about this and is free, while the Jiva thinks himself to be mortal, and is bound ** This idea is one of the key ideas of the philosophy taught in the Bhagavata. * This led to the creation of Mahattattva, which led to the creation of the subsequent categories. * The first of the categories is the 3 Gunas (or modes of nature). They are Sattva (good), Rajas (average), and Tamas (bad). * Ahankara (the ego) is mostly Tamas * The elements were evolved from Tamas in the following order ** Space (with the property of Sound) ** Wind (with the property of Touch) ** Fire (with the property of Sight) ** Water (with the property of Taste) ** Earth (with the property of Smell) ** This ordering describes how the gross elements evolved from the subtle elements. * The Manas (mind) was born out of the Sattva aspect of Ahankara * The Buddhi (intellect) and Prana (life-breath) were born out of the Rajas aspect of Ahankara ** From these come the sense organs and organs of action * The universe was created, but existed in an inert state. * Narayana entered into the universe, and gave it life * All the worlds are part of Narayana's universal form.


Chapter 6

* Brahma continues explaining about Narayana's Universal Form to Narada * The Purusha is Narayana's Universal Form, which is described in Purusha Sukta * Each part of the Purusha is the original and complete prototype and contains all the related senses and objects. ** An infinitesimal part is found in the human body. * The Supreme is unaffected by all creation, and is in the ultimate state of Sat-Chit-Ananda (existence-knowledge-bliss). * Worldly life is restricted to the 3 worlds of Bhu (earth), Bhava (the intermediate regions), and Svah (Heaven) * There are 4 regions higher than this – these are achieved by the paths of knowledge and God-dedicated correct action * Vidya (knowledge of the Supreme) and Avidya (ignorance of the Spiritual Truth) ** Vidya leads to Moksha ** Avidya leads to being bound in the cycle of Samsara (worldly life) * All Yajna is an offering of the Purusha to the Purusha done by the Purusha ** The individual performing the Yajna, the materials involved, and the goal of the Yajna are all Purusha! * The Supreme directs Brahma to create the world


Chapter 7

* Summary of the Narayana's Incarnations and glories told by Brahma to Narada Muni: * Cosmic Boar – to rescue the Earth * Suyajna – removes the sufferings of all. For this, He is called Hari (the remover of sufferings). * Kapila Muni – to give the Supreme Knowledge (Sankyha philosophy) *
Dattatreya Dattatreya (, ), Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, who are also collectively known as the Trimurti, incarna ...
– the son of Rishi Atri and Anasuya * Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatakumara – 4 sons of Brahma who are among the greatest of sages * Nara and Narayana – 2 great sages * Narayana came to help
Dhruva Dhruva (Sanskrit: ध्रुव, , Literal translation, lit. "''unshakeable, immovable, fixed or eternal"'') was an Asceticism, ascetic devotee of Vishnu mentioned in the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. The Sanskrit term ''dhruva na ...
after his prayers * Prithu – a very good king who brought out multiple resources from the earth * Rishaba – a very great sage *
Hayagriva Hayagriva ( IAST , ) is a Hindus, Hindu deity, the horse-headed avatar of Vishnu. The purpose of this incarnation was to slay a Danava (Hinduism), danava also named Hayagriva (A descendant of Kashyapa and Danu), who had the head of a horse a ...
– with the neck of a horse * Cosmic Fish – saved the earth during the deluge * Divine Tortoise – during the churning of the ocean * Man-lion – to help
Prahlada Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu scriptures. He is known for his staunch devotion to the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the lion avatara of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by disimboweling and killing hi ...
and destroy
Hiranyakasipu Hiranyakashipu (, ), also known as Hiranyakashyap, was a daitya king of the asuras in the Puranas. In Hinduism, Hiranyakashipu's younger brother, Hiranyaksha, was slain by the Varaha (boar) avatar of Vishnu. Angered by this, Hiranyakashipu d ...
* To save the lordly elephant (
Gajendra Shachi.html" ;"title="Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi">Indra (alias Sakra) and Shachi riding the five-headed Divine Elephant Airavata, Folio from a Jain text, Panch Kalyanaka (Five Auspicious Events in the Life of Jina Rishabhanatha), c. 1670 ...
) *
Vamana Vamana (, ) also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (, ), and Balibandhana (), is an Dashavatara, avatar of the Hinduism, Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu and the first Dashavatara in the Treta ...
– to win back the worlds from
Mahabali Mahabali (IAST: Mahābalī), also known as Bali, Indrasenan, or Māveli, is a daitya king featured in Hinduism. He is the grandson of Prahlada, and a descendant of the sage Kashyapa. There are many versions of his legend in ancient texts suc ...
and give it to
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
* Vishnu incarnates in each Manvantra to protect the
Manu Manu may refer to: Religion Proto Indo European Mythology * Manu (Indo European Mythology) one of the mythical duo Manu and Yemo Ancient Mesopotamia * Manu the Great, a Chaldean god of fate Hinduism *Manu (Hinduism), Hindu progenitor of mank ...
*
Dhanvantari Dhanvantari () is the physician of the devas in Hinduism. He is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu. He is mentioned in the Puranas as the god of Ayurveda. During his incarnation on earth, he reigned as the King of Kashi, today locally referred t ...
– cures men from diseases by the power of His name *
Parasurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...
– destroyed the rulers as they had become corrupt * Sri
Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
– to destroy Ravana and teach the worlds about righteous living * Narayana's incarnation as
Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
is given special emphasis ** Summary of Krishna's deeds, especially His charming playful childhood mischief * Narayana's future incarnations * Narayana's powers, glories, and incarnations are infinite * Bhramaji concludes that whoever recites and/or hears about these incarnations of the Lord with faith and devotion, and enjoys thinking about the Lord's actions, will be free from Maya and eventually reach the Highest State


Chapter 8

* Narayana quickly enters the heart of one who thinks of His glories constantly. ** This completely purifies the devotee. * Parikshit asks Sri Suka 20 questions whose answers form the Bhagavata: ** Nature of the Atman ** Difference between man and God ** Creation ** The result of actions ** Incarnations ** Duties ** Rituals


Chapter 9

*
Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...
(Narayana's illusory power) causes the Jiva to identify itself with the body * Brahma is unsure how to proceed with creation and hears Tapa, Tapa (Meditate! Meditate!) * Brahma meditates for many divine years and Vishnu appears * Brahma sees Vishnu's Realm (
Vaikuntha Vaikuntha (), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil language, Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the Parabrahman , supreme deity in the Vaishnavism, Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism' ( ...
) where all beings have Vishnu's wonderful 4-armed form ** Vaikuntha is beyond constraints of worldly life (such as Time) ** Sri Devi lives in Vaikuntha constantly praising Vishnu * Tapas (Meditation) is the core of Vishnu's being * Everything is Vishnu * Brahma asks Vishnu for the knowledge of His powers and the creation of the universe * Brahma wants to understand how to proceed with the creation of the Universe (Brahma's duty) without having pride/attachment in his position and accomplishments * Vishnu teaches Brahma the Supreme Knowledge ** Only the Supreme exists before creation and after dissolution ** Maya is a reflection superimposed on the Atman without any reality of its own, which does not change the Atman in any way ** The elements combine into things but still keep their pure forms ** The Supreme creates the beings but is not bound by them in any way ** The Supreme Spirit creates and persists through everything, but is not affected by them and their destruction * The knowledge given in the Bhagavata comes from Narayana, who taught It to Brahma, who taught It to Narada (his son), who taught It to Maharishi Veda Vyasa, who taught It to Suka Rishi


Chapter 10

* The Viratpurusha (Cosmic Person) created the Cosmic Waters in order to have a place to exist. ** Therefore, the Viratpurusha is known as Narayana, the one who rests in the water. * Description of the Gross Cosmic Form of Narayana * Every part of the Cosmic Form was formed with 4 entities: ** The place (such as the mouth) ** The organ (such as the tongue) ** The sense object (such as taste) ** The Deity (such as Varuna) * The first part to develop was the mouth, in order to satisfy hunger * Suka Rishi describes the creation of the categories in the creative cycle (Kalpa) ** More details will be given in the next book of the Bhagavata. For the continuation of the Bhagavata, see Srimad Bhagavata Book 3.


References

{{Reflist Krishna Puranas Hindu texts Vaishnava texts