The wise do not accept these two forms of the Lord described by me since they are composed of matter.

When the universal form desired to speak, from his mouth, the devatā of fire, the voice sense organ and speech, which is dependent on the devatā and the sense organ, appeared. When the form resided in the water for a long time, obstruction appeared for the universal form. When the life air became active, the two nostrils became differentiated. When the universal form desired to smell, Vāyu, who carries fragrance, fragrance, and the nose appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

In the location of the mouth (mukhataḥ) of the universal form appeared the devatā fire, the subtle sense organ voice and the sense object speech (vyāhrtam), which is dependent on the devatā and the sense (tayoḥ).  

 

When obstruction took place in the water for the universal form, without breathing he could not continue existence. The nostrils are the location, the gross form, by which breathing can take place. When the life air (nabhasvati) became very active (dodhūyati), the two nostrils (gross organ) became differentiated. Air or Vāyu, who carries the fragrance, is the devatā, and fragrance is the sense object. The nose is the subtle sense object. Jighṛkṣataḥ means “of he who desired to receive smells.”

 

|| 2.10.21 ||

yadātmani nirālokam ātmānaṁ ca didṛkṣataḥ |

nirbhinne hy akṣiṇī tasya jyotiś cakṣur guṇa-grahaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

When there was no vision in the universal form, and he desired to see, the two eyes, the presiding deity known as the sun, the sense organ called the eye, which experiences form (sense object) appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

When there was no vision (nirālokam) within himself (ātmani), desiring to see himself and other objects (ca), the location called the gross eye, the sun devatā and the eye (subtle sense organ) which experiences form (guṇa) appeared. Form is the sense object. Nirālokam (devoid of vision) is an indeclinable word, like nirmakṣikam (free from flies).

 

|| 2.10.22 ||

bodhyamānasya ṛṣibhir ātmanas taj jighṛkṣataḥ |

karṇau ca nirabhidyetāṁ diśaḥ śrotraṁ guṇa-grahaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired to understand himself, which is revealed by Vedic sound, the two gross ears, the direction devatās, and subtle ear organ, which receives sound, appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

When the universal form desired to receive understanding about himself which is revealed in the Vedas, the ears appeared. Guṇa-grahaḥ here means that the ears receive sound, the sense object for the ear.

 

 

|| 2.10.23 ||

vastuno mṛdu-kāṭhinya- laghu-gurv-oṣṇa-śītatām |

jighṛkṣatas tvaṅ nirbhinnā tasyāṁ roma-mahī-ruhāḥ |

tatra cāntar bahir vātas tvacā labdha-guṇo vṛtaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

When he desired to experience softness, hardness, lightness, heaviness, warmth and coolness, the gross skin became differentiated along with body hairs and plants, the sense devatās of the hairs. Vāyu, the sense devatā of the skin, along with the subtle sense organ skin, pervades internally and externally.

COMMENTARY

When the universal form desired to receive the sensations or qualities of softness, hardness, lightness, heaviness, warmth and coolness in objects, skin appeared. Oṣṇa stands for ā uṣṇa, which means slight heat. Since intense warmth is the sense object (which only arises after the desire), slight warmth is mentioned because of the desire for warmth in general. There is also a version without the prefix, gurv uṣṇa. The skin is the location of the sense organ. Because one understands the lightness or heaviness of objects by placing them in the hands, lightness and heaviness are the sense objects. This is according to the followers of the Purāṇas. In that location (adhibhūta) the devatā Vāyu (adhidaiva) is situated, extending internally and externally, by the sense organ (adhyātma) called skin which receives the sense object called touch (adhibhūta). In that location also, the hair is the sense organ, the herbs are the devatā and the sense object is itching. Thus in the skin there are two sense organs. The meaning is this. The sense organ skin is called hair when it receives touch sensation along with itching externally. The plants act as the presiding deity of that skin (hair). When the sense organ skin receives touch internally or externally it is called skin. Its deity is Vāyu or air. In the Third Canto it is said:

 

nirbhinnāny asya carmāṇi loka-pālo ’nilo ’viśat |

prāṇenāṁśena saṁsparśaṁ yenāsau pratipadyate ||

tvacam asya vinirbhinnāṁ viviśur dhiṣṇyam oṣadhīḥ |

aṁśena lomabhiḥ kaṇḍūṁ yair asau pratipadyate ||

 

When there was a manifestation of skin separated from the gigantic form, Anila, the deity directing the wind, entered with the sense organ skin, and thus the living entities can realize tactile knowledge.

 

 

When the gross skin of the universal form appeared, the presiding deities the plants (along with their portion subtle organ called body hair entered. By these body hairs, relief from itching appears. . SB 3.6.16, 18

 

Carmāṇi indicates skin. Prāṇena aṁśena means “with the sense organ called skin, which is spread with prāṇa-vāyu.” In the Bahvṛca-śruti this is partly described.

 

tvaṅ nirabhidyata tvaco lomāni lomabhya oṣadhi-vanaspatayaḥ

 

The skin differentiated. From that came hairs. From hairs came the plants and trees. Aitareya Upaniṣad 1.4

 

|| 2.10.24 ||

hastau ruruhatus tasya nānā-karma-cikīrṣayā |

tayos tu balavān indra ādānam ubhayāśrayam ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired to perform various activities, the two hands, their strength, the deity Indra and the sense object, namely, receiving things, which takes shelter of the devatā and the sense organ, appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

Strength of the hands is the sense organ. Indra is the devatā; the sense object is receiving things, which is dependent on the sense organ and the devatā (ubhayāśrayam).

 

|| 2.10.25 ||

gatiṁ jigīṣataḥ pādau ruruhāte ’bhikāmikām |

padbhyāṁ yajñaḥ svayaṁ havyaṁ karmabhiḥ kriyate nṛbhiḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired movement, dear to him, two feet appeared. The devatā of the feet is Yajña. By the sense organ of feet, men go about to collect objects for sacrifice.

 

COMMENTARY

Desiring to move about (gatim) which was dear to him (abhikāmikām), the two feet (adhibhūta) appeared. The literal meaning of jigīṣataḥ (of one who desires to obtain) means in this case simply “of one who desires.” Yajña, empowered by Viṣṇu, is situated as the devatā of the feet. The sense organ is indicated by the word karmabhiḥ, the śakti of the action of going. By the sense organ of the feet one goes about to collect items for sacrifice. This going about is the sense object. Nṛbhiḥ indicates that all the individual jīvas perform these acts. The feet are used to obtain objects which are prescribed by the scriptures.  

 

|| 2.10.26 ||

nirabhidyata śiśno vai prajānandāmṛtārthinaḥ |

upastha āsīt kāmānāṁ priyaṁ tad-ubhayāśrayam ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired offspring, sexual pleasure and enjoyment of Svarga, the penis appeared. The subtle sense organ, the devatā of the sex organ, and the pleasure of enjoyment with woman, which is dependent on the sex organ and the devatā, appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

When the universal form desired offspring, sexual pleasure and enjoyment like Svarga, the location of the sex organ (adhibhūta) appeared. As well as the sense organ called  the penis, the devatā Prajāpati should be understood to have appeared.[203] The sense object happiness, arising from relationship with a woman, which is dependent on the sense organ and the devatā, also arose.

 

|| 2.10.27 ||

utsisṛkṣor dhātu-malaṁ nirabhidyata vai gudam |

tataḥ pāyus tato mitra utsarga ubhayāśrayaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired to expel waste products, the gross anus appeared. Then the sense organ called anus, its devatā Mitra, and the sense object expulsion, dependent on the anus and Mitra, appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

Desiring to expel the waste products of digested food (dhātu-malam) the anus, the gross location, appeared. The sense organ of excretion (pāyuḥ), the devatā Mitra[204] and the sense object expulsion appeared.

 

|| 2.10.28 ||

āsisṛpsoḥ puraḥ puryā nābhi-dvāram apānataḥ |

tatrāpānas tato mṛtyuḥ pṛthaktvam ubhayāśrayam ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired to go from his body to another body by the path of apāna and prāṇa, the location of the opening of the navel, sense organ apāna, the devatā Mṛtyu and the sense object death, which takes shelter of the devatā and the sense organ, arose.

 

COMMENTARY

When the universal form desired to go from his body (puryā) into other bodies (puraḥ), by the path of apāna and also prāṇa, though not mentioned, the location of the navel, the sense organ apāna, the devatā Mṛtyu and the sense object death (pṛthaktvam), which depends on the apāna and the devatā, arose. It is well known that death involves separation from the bonds of both prāṇa and apāna in the navel region.

 

|| 2.10.29 ||

āditsor anna-pānānām āsan kukṣy-antra-nāḍayaḥ |

nadyaḥ samudrāś ca tayos tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭis tad-āśraye ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired to take in food and drink, the location of the abdomen, the sense organs in the form of the intestines and veins, their devatās the rivers and oceans, and their sense objects, fullness from food and fullness from liquids, which take shelter of the sense organs and their devatās, appeared.

 

COMMENTARY

When the universal form desired to consume food and drink, the abdomen, intestine and veins appeared. The abdomen is the location. The sense organ is located in the intestines which absorbs the food. The veins are the sense organs which absorb liquids. The devatās of the veins are the rivers and the devatā of the intestines is the ocean. Tuṣṭi means the fullness of the belly and puṣṭi means fullness because of taste. Tuṣṭi is the sense object dependent on the intestines and the ocean, and puṣṭi is the sense object dependent on the veins and rivers.

 

|| 2.10.30 ||

nididhyāsor ātma-māyāṁ hṛdayaṁ nirabhidyata |

tato manaś candra iti saṅkalpaḥ kāma eva ca ||

 

TRANSLATION

When the universal form desired to contemplate material objects and illusions concerning himself, the heart appeared. Then the sense organ called the mind, the devatā called Candra and the sense objects determination and desire arose.

 

COMMENTARY

Desiring to contemplate māyā concerning himself and objects created by māyā, the location called the heart appeared. Then sense organ called the mind, the devatā called Candra, and the sense objects determination and desire appeared. From the Third Canto (3.6.23-26) it is also understood that in the location of the heart, the senses known as cittā, false ego and intelligence, and the devatās Vāsudeva, Rudra and Brahmā also appeared. In this way, eighteen senses have been mentioned. This is known from the Eleventh Canto.[205]

 

|| 2.10.31 ||

tvak-carma-māṁsa-rudhira- medo-majjāsthi-dhātavaḥ |

bhūmy-ap-tejomayāḥ sapta prāṇo vyomāmbu-vāyubhiḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

The seven dhātus known as skin, its upper layer, muscle, blood, fat, marrow and bone,are composed of predominantly of earth, water and fire. The life airs are nourished by ether and water.

 

COMMENTARY

Having described the sense organs (adhyātma), gross locations, sense objects (adhibhūta) and sense devatās (adhidaiva), Śukadeva describes the nature of the dhātus and other items which arise as portions of the elements in two verses. Tvak and carma are the gross and subtle aspects of skin. The seven dhātus starting with skin and ending with bone are composed of earth, water and fire elements. Though those items have all five elements as components, because air and ether do not nourish the body through food and other items (whereas water, earth and fire do), only three elements are mentioned. The prāṇa composed of airs is nourished by ether and water. Putting all three items in plural instrumental case is poetic license.

 

|| 2.10.32 ||

guṇātmakānīndriyāṇi bhūtādi-prabhavā guṇāḥ |

manaḥ sarva-vikārātmā buddhir vijñāna-rūpiṇī ||

 

TRANSLATION

The senses gravitate to sense objects. The sense objects appear attractive because of false ego. The mind sustains all changes. The intelligence consists of the power of discrimination.

 

COMMENTARY

The senses’ nature is to gravitate to sense objects (gunātmaka). The sense objects (guṇāḥ) become attractive (prabhavā) by false ego (bhūtādi). The mind sustains all changes (sarva-vikārātmā – like happiness, distress, etc.) Buddhi consists of the power of discrimination. In this way, the nature of both the mind and the intelligence has been described.

 

|| 2.10.33 ||

etad bhagavato rūpaṁ sthūlaṁ te vyāhṛtaṁ mayā |

mahy-ādibhiś[206] cāvaraṇair aṣṭabhir bahir āvṛtam ||

 

TRANSLATION

I have thus described to you the composition of one universe as a form of the Lord, which is covered by eight layers of earth, water, fire, air, ether, false ego, mahat-tattva and prakṛti.

COMMENTARY

Sthūlam refers to the universal form, the totality of one universe. Mahy-ādhibhiḥ refers to the layers around the universe. The universe with its covering is called the mahā-samaṣṭi or mahā-sthūlam.

 

|| 2.10.34 ||

ataḥ paraṁ sūkṣmatamam avyaktaṁ nirviśeṣaṇam |

anādi-madhya-nidhanaṁ nityaṁ vāṅ-manasaḥ param ||

 

TRANSLATION

Besides this there is the very subtle invisible form, without qualities or form, which has no beginning or end, remains eternally in one form and which is beyond words and mind.

 

COMMENTARY

Having described the gross form, now the subtle form of the universe is described. When the most subtle is mentioned, it means very subtle. The subtle body (of the universe), a form of māyā, is described by four phrases.

 

|| 2.10.35 ||

amunī bhagavad-rūpe mayā te hy anuvarṇite |

ubhe api na gṛhṇanti māyā-sṛṣṭe vipaścitaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

 

COMMENTARY

Śukadeva condemns these two forms which are imposed on the form of the Lord for purposes of worship. Dual case indicates the oneness of the gross and subtle forms of the universe (samaṣṭi) and its coverings (mahā-samaṣṭi). The wise do not accept these two forms as the object of attainment, but only as forms for worship at the beginning stage, since they are made of māyā. Even the very subtle form, the cause of the others, is material. Those who are wise, the pure devotees (vipaścitaḥ), do not accept these forms even at the first stage. They accept the forms of Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Nṛsiṁha made of śuddha-sattva in the stages of sādhana and perfection.  

 

|| 2.10.36 ||

sa vācya-vācakatayā bhagavān brahma-rūpa-dhṛk |

nāma-rūpa-kriyā dhatte sakarmākarmakaḥ paraḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

Mahā-viṣṇu, Bhagavān, the Supreme lord, though not performing material actions, by accepting the form of Brahmā, performed actions. He created the forms and activities for the living entities, subject to names, and as well created the names suitable for each type of body and its activities.

 

COMMENTARY

Now Śukadeva describes the creation, maintenance and destruction of the individual bodies. This continues till verse 44. The puruṣaḥ who manifests mahat-tattva (saḥ), the Supreme Lord (paraḥ), thought without material actions (akarmakaḥ), accepting the form of Brahmā, taking up activities (sakarma), creating forms and activities suitable to be named (vācya) as well as names which suitably designate them (vācakatayā), for the individual jīvas existing in the universe. 

 

|| 2.10.37-39 ||

prajā-patīn manūn devān ṛṣīn pitṛ-gaṇān pṛthak |

siddha-cāraṇa-gandharvān vidyādhrāsura-guhyakān ||

kinnarāpsaraso nāgān sarpān kiṁpuruṣoragān [207] |

mātṛ-rakṣaḥ-piśācāṁś ca preta-bhūta-vināyakān ||

kūṣmāṇḍonmāda-vetālān yātudhānān grahān api |

khagān mṛgān paśūn vṛkṣān girīn nṛpa sarīsṛpān |

dvi-vidhāś catur-vidhā ye ’nye jala-sthala-nabhaukasaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

Brahmā created the Prajāpatis, the Manus, the devatās, the sages, the Pitṛs, the Siddhas, Caraṇas, Gandharvas, Vidhādharas, Asuras, Guhyakas (guardians of Kuvera), Kinnaras, Apsaras, Nāgas, Sarpas, Kimpuruṣas, Uragas, Mātṛs, Rakṣasas, Piśācas, Pretas, Bhūtas, Vināyakas, Kūṣmāṇḍas, Unmādas, Vetālas, Yātudhānas,[208] Grahas, birds, wild and domestic animals, trees, mountains and reptiles, and as well various living beings of two types, four types and three types.

 

COMMENTARY

These forms are now listed. The list is the object of the verb from the previous sentence. O King! Brahmā created the Prajāpatis. The created beings with two types of bodies are the non-moving and moving bodies. He created other forms. He created bodies of four types: those born from the womb, from eggs, from perspiration and sprouting from seeds. The three types are those dwelling in the water, on land and in the air.

 

|| 2.10.40-41 ||

kuśalākuśalā miśrāḥ karmaṇāṁ gatayas tv imāḥ |

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti tisraḥ sura-nṛ-nārakāḥ ||

tatrāpy ekaikaśo[209] rājan bhidyante gatayas tridhā |

yadaikaikataro’nyābhyāṁ sva-bhāva upahanyate ||

 

TRANSLATION

The results of action are good, bad and mixed. Because of the guṇas of sattva, rajas and tamas, men become devatās, humans and inhabitants of hell. O King! These three types of beings are again divided into three when each nature is mixed with the other two guṇas.

 

COMMENTARY

How did he create these beings? The results of actions are three: those giving good results (kuśala), those giving suffering (akuśalā) and those giving mixed results (miśrāḥ). This indicates that the jīvas attain these results according to their individual actions. There is no fault in the creator. This is the answer to the question that Parīkṣit asked, “O brāhmaṇa! Speak about the progress of time with large and small divisions and the number and types of destinations achieved by action.” (SB 2.8.13) The cause of these results is guṇas. The result of sattva is devatā body. The result of rajas is human body. The result of tamas is hellish existence. These three results are subdivided into three each, to make nine results. Each of the three is mixed with each of the other two. Thus a human with rajas, by a mixture with a great amount of sattva becomes a brāhmaṇa and by mixture with a great amount of tamas becomes a śūdra.

 

|| 2.10.42 ||

sa evedaṁ jagad-dhātā[210] bhagavān dharma-rūpa-dhṛk |

puṣṇāti sthāpayan viśvaṁ tiryaṅ-nara-surādibhiḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

The maintainer of the universe, Bhagavān, accepting the form of Viṣṇu, establishing this universe, maintains it with the animals, men and human beings expressing their own natures of maintenance.

 

COMMENTARY

Dharma here means Viṣṇu. From dharma there is preservation of the universe, and from lack of dharma there is destruction. The creation is endowed with dharma and adharma. The birds and beasts protect themselves, their offspring, friends and family by their nature.

 

|| 2.10.43 ||

tataḥ kālāgni-rudrātmā yat sṛṣṭam idam ātmanaḥ |

sanniyacchati kālena[211] ghanānīkam ivānilaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord, Kālāgni Rudra, destroys this universe which he alone created by time energy, just as the wind destroys a mass of clouds.

 

COMMENTARY

The Lord destroys whatever he has created. Ghanānīkam means “all the clouds.”

 

|| 2.10.44 ||

ittham-bhāvena kathito bhagavān bhagavattamaḥ |

nettham-bhāvena hi paraṁ draṣṭum arhanti sūrayaḥ ||

 

TRANSLATION