anyasyām api jāyāyāṁ trayaḥ putrā āsann uttamas tāmaso raivata iti manvantarādhipatayaḥ.

śrī-śuka uvāca

iti samabhihito mahā-bhāgavato bhagavatas tri-bhuvana-guror anuśāsanam ātmano laghutayāvanata-śirodharo bāḍham iti sabahu-mānam uvāha.

Śukadeva said: Thus being instructed, Priyavrata, lowering his head while thinking himself inferior, consented, and with great respect carried out the order of the great devotee Brahmā, guru for the three worlds.

Priyavrata considered himself inferior, since he was the grandson of Brahmā.

|| 5.1.21 ||

bhagavān api manunā yathāvad upakalpitāpacitiḥ priyavrata-nāradayor aviṣamam abhisamīkṣamāṇayor ātmasam avasthānam avāṅ-manasaṁ kṣayam avyavahṛtaṁ pravartayann agamat.

Brahmā departed, after being worshiped suitably by Manu, while remembering the Supreme Lord who is not the object of material words and mind and who is beyond material dealings, as Priyavrata and Nārada looked on without being disturbed.

     

Manu worshipped Brahmā suitably (yathāvat) according to time and place. It is possible that Nārada would have been a little disturbed since the desire of his disciple was destroyed and Priyavrata would be disturbed since his vow was broken. But that was not so. They did not see this as improper (aviṣamam). Brahmā departed while remembering (pravartayan) in his heart the form of Paramātmā (ātmasam avasthānam), who cannot be approached by material words or mind and who is the supreme abode (kṣayam), since he is the shelter of all other abodes. Or in an alternate version (avāk-manasaḥ kṣayam) the Paramātmā is the abode of the mind which is beyond the words of the Vedas dealing with the three guṇas and rules and regulations. The Lord is also beyond normal dealings (avyavahṛtam). Or the sentence also mean “Engaging (pravartayan) Priyavrata who was not previously engaged in ruling, who was devoid of material words and mind (avāk-manasam), since he was ātmārāma, Brahmā then went to Satyaloka (kṣayam), his own place (ātmasam avasthānam).”

|| 5.1.22 ||

manur api pareṇaivaṁ pratisandhita-manorathaḥ surarṣi-varānumatenātmajam akhila-dharā-maṇḍala-sthiti-guptaya āsthāpya svayam ati-viṣama-viṣaya-viṣa-jalāśayāśāyā upararāma.

His desire accomplished by Brahmā, Manu, with the permission of Nārada, established his son for maintaining proper rules of conduct on the whole earth, and became detached from the desire to enjoy the poisonous ocean of disturbing material affairs.

Accomplishing (pratisandhitaḥ) his desires through Brahmā (pareṇa), Manu established his son for maintaining proper conduct on earth. He became disinterested in the desiring to enjoy the ocean of poison in the form of disturbing sense objects.

 

|| 5.1.23 ||

iti ha vāva sa jagatī-patir īśvarecchayādhiniveśita-karmādhikāro 'khila-jagad-bandha-dhvaṁsana-parānubhāvasya bhagavata ādi-puruṣasyāṅghri-yugalānavarata-dhyānānubhāvena parirandhita-kaṣāyāśayo 'vadāto 'pi māna-vardhano mahatāṁ mahītalam anuśaśāsa.

Thus Priyavrata, the master of the earth, preoccupied with performance of karma by the desire of the Lord, burned up all impurities in his heart by realization, through constant meditation on the lotus feet of the Lord who displays clear power to destroy the bondage of the whole universe. Though he was completely pure, respect for him increased by his ruling the earth, because he followed the order of Brahmā.

This verse answers the question posed in the first verse, “How did Priyavrata enjoy household life?” Iti ha vāva means thus. He meditated on the lotus feet of the Lord who had clear power to destroy the bondage of the whole world. Priyavrata had burned up all impurities in the heart (parirandhita-kaṣāya āśayaḥ). Though he was most pure (avadātaḥ), he increased his respect by following the order of Brahmā.

|| 5.1.24 ||

atha ca duhitaraṁ prajāpater viśvakarmaṇa upayeme barhiṣmatīṁ nāma tasyām u ha vāva ātmajān ātma-samāna-śīla-guṇa-karma-rūpa-vīryodārān daśa bhāvayām babhūva kanyāṁ ca yavīyasīm ūrjasvatīṁ nāma.

Thereafter, Mahārāja Priyavrata married Barhiṣmatī, the daughter of the Prajāpati named Viśvakarmā. In her he begot ten sons with abundant conduct, qualities, beauty, bravery, and magnanimity equal to his own, and a daughter, the youngest of all, named Ūrjasvatī.

He produced sons who were abundant (udarān) in conduct and qualities.

 

|| 5.1.25 ||

āgnīdhredhmajihva-yajñabāhu-mahāvīra-hiraṇyareto-ghṛtapṛṣṭha-savana-medhātithi-vītihotra-kavaya iti sarva evāgni-nāmānaḥ.

The ten sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata were named Āgnīdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Mahāvīra, Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Savana, Medhātithi, Vītihotra and Kavi. These are also names of Agni, the fire-god.

|| 5.1.26 ||

eteṣāṁ kavir mahāvīraḥ savana iti traya āsann ūrdhva-retasas ta ātma-vidyāyām arbha-bhāvād ārabhya kṛta-paricayāḥ pāramahaṁsyam evāśramam abhajan.

Three among these ten—namely Kavi, Mahāvīra and Savana—lived in complete celibacy. Thus trained in brahmacārī life, beginning from childhood, they were very conversant with knowledge of ātmā and entered the paramahaṁsa-āśrama.

|| 5.1.27 ||

tasminn u ha vā upaśama-śīlāḥ paramarṣayaḥ sakala-jīva-nikāyāvāsasya bhagavato vāsudevasya bhītānāṁ śaraṇa-bhūtasya śrīmac-caraṇāravindāvirata-smaraṇāvigalita-parama-bhakti-yogānu-bhāvena paribhāvitāntar-hṛdayādhigate bhagavati sarveṣāṁ bhūtānām ātma-bhūte pratyag-ātmany evātmanas tādātmyam aviśeṣeṇa samīyuḥ.

In the paramahaṁsa-āśrama, begin free from perception of difference caused by covering of body, these sons with peaceful disposition realized oneness of the self, with the Lord who is perceived within the heart purified by the power of bhakti-yoga, fixed in remembrance of the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, the abode of all jīvas and the shelter of those afflicted with fear, and who is the soul of all living beings.

 

In the paramahaṁsa-āśrama (tasmin), being free from perception of difference caused by covering of body (aviśeṣeṇa), the sons realized oneness of the self (tādātmyam) with the Lord who is perceived (adhigate) within the heart purified (paribhāvita) by the power (anubhāvena) of bhakti-yoga which is fixed (avigalita) in remembrance of the Lord’s lotus feet.

|| 5.1.28 ||

In his other wife, Mahārāja Priyavrata begot three sons, named Uttama, Tāmasa and Raivata. All of them later took charge of Manvantaras.[27]

|| 5.1.29 ||