| Philosophy and Religion / Harivamsa |
Harivaṃśa
1. An account of the primeval creation
Having saluted Hari, the master of senses and the preceptor or the mobile and immobile, the Prime Purusha lcāna, who is eulogised and propitiated with oblations by many in sacrifices, who is real, who is Brahman, shorn of all attachments, is both manifest and not manifest,
who does exist for ever, who is above the real and unreal and from whom has emanated this universe, visible and invisible, who is above all, the creator of all, ancient, great and undecaying;
who is joy and the giver of joy, who is Vishnu, the worshipful of all, sinless and pure, the virtuous-souled great Muni Kulapati1 Sounaka, well-read in all scriptures, said to Souti in the forest of Naimisha (1-4).
SOUNAKA said: - O Souti, you have recounted the great history of the descendants of Bharata as well as that of other kings; of the gods, demons, Gandharvas, serpents, Rākshasas, Daityas, Siddhas and of Guhyakas as well (5-6).
You have described in sweet words the most excellent and sacred Purāna, dealing with their wondrous deeds, heroic feats and religious practices and their births. This nectarine theme, affording pleasure unto the mind and ears, O Souti, has given us satisfaction.
O son of Lomaharshana, while describing the birth and history of the Kurus, you forgot to narrate the history of Vrishnis and Andhakas.2. It becomes you to relate their history (7–9).
SOUTI said:—I shall now relate to you the story of the birth of Vrishnis from the very beginning about which the pious disciples of Vyasa, Vaishampāyana was accosted by Janamejaya (10). Hearing the complete history of the descendants of Bharata, the highly wise Janamejaya, born in their race, said to Vaishampāyana (11).
JANAMEJAYA said:—You described before in full and I heard the story of Mahābhārata full of many meanings and Historical accounts (12).
Therein you mentioned the names and deeds of many mighty car-warriors and heroes of the Vrishni and Andhaka families (13).
O foremost of the twice born, you have described briefly and fully their many excellent deeds (14).
Though this ancient story has been recounted again and again, still I have not been satiated with it. The Pāndavas and Vrishnis are related to each other; you are competent enough to describe their families and you have with your own eyes seen everything.
Therefore, O you having asceticism for your wealth, do you describe their family at length (15–16).
I wish to know who were born in which families. Therefore, O great ascetic, beginning with the Patriarch and recollecting their previous creations, do you describe truly everything at length (17).
SOUTi said:—Having been welcomed and accosted by him, the high-souled ascetic of rigid austerities described in full the whole story from the very beginning (18).
VAISHAMPAYANA said:—Listen,O king, to the sacred theme, as narrated by me, heavenly, destructive of sins, wonderful and abounding in various meanings and sacred stories (19).
He, who circulates this story or listens to it constantly, multiplies his own family and is spoken high of in the celestial region (20).
This universe, permeated by Isvara (God), emanated from Pradhāna Purusha who is the unmanifest cause, eternal and identical with the existent and nonexistent (21).
Know him, O monarch, as Brahmā (Creator) of incomparable energy, the creator of all beings and ever devoted to Nārāyana (Vishnu) (22).
From Mahat has emanated Ahankara ; from the latter the five subtle elements have sprung and from them the grosser elements: thus the eternal work of creation is carried on.3
Hear, I shall relate as I have heard and as I think, of the long extending genealogies of families increasing the glory of their fore-fathers (23–24).
The account of these pious men of everlasting glory always gives fruit and leads to the multiplication of race and attainment of heaven (25).
On account of this theme being fruitful and because you are competent to hear it and are pure I shall relate, to you, beginning with the family of Vrishnis the most excellent creation of beings (26).
Thereupon desirous of creating various creatures the Divine Self-sprung (Brahmā) at first created waters and then created seeds therein (27).
The waters are designated as Nārā for they are the offspring of Nara. The deity first rested thereon and is therefore called Nārāyana (28).
The egg, lying in the waters, assumed golden hue—from that sprang Brahmā, of his own accord and he is (therefore) called Self-sprung (29).
Having lived there for many years the divine Hiranyagarbha divided the egg into two and they were called the heaven and earth (30).
The Lord created Akāsa or space between the two portions and in the waters he created the floating earth and the ten quarters (31).
Thereupon desirous of creating the Patriarchs or lords of creation he created time, mind, speech, passion, anger and desire (32).
The highly effulgent deity then created his seven mind-born sons—Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vashistha. (33).
These seven have been ascertained as Brāhmanas in the Puranas. These seven created by Brahmā, are like Nārāyana himself (34).
Thereupon Brahmā created Rudra born of his anger and Sanat Kumar, the predecessor of those born before (35).
O descendant of Bharata, these seven and Rudra engaged in the work of creation. Skanda and Sanat Kumar sustained the energy of creation (36).
Their seven great families consisted of Yakshas, Pishachas, the celestials and others who all performed heavenly deeds and created progeny and were adorned with Kaçyapa and other leading saints (37).
He then created lightning, thunderbolt, the straight and bent rainbows, the rangers of the sky and clouds (38).
He, then for the successful celebration of Yajnas, created Riks, Yuyush and Sāman; he then created the gods from his mouth and the ancestral manes from his breast (39).
He then engendered human beings from his organ of generation and from his hips the Asuras, Sādhyas and other classes of gods. This we have heard (40).
From the body of the Patriarch Vashishtha when he was desirous of creating progeny, sprang the various kinds of elemental creations (41).
When the progeny, created by his mind, did not multiply he divided his own body into two and with the half he created man (42).
With the other half he created woman and through her he engendered various kinds of progeny. He resides enveloping the heaven and earth with his own glory (43).
Vishnu created a universal form which again created a Purusha: You should know him as Manu and his regeme is known as Manwantara (44).
The second creation of Vashishtha is called Manwantara. The great Virat Purusha created the progeny. He is the creation of Nārāyana and his progeny are not born in any sex (45).
Having known this primaeval creation a man gains longivity, fame, wealth, progeny and his wished-for region (46).
Footnotes
1. The head of the family of Rishis of the same name.
2. Two clans representing two royal families of ancient India.
3. According to Sankhya Mahat is the intellect. It is the intellectual principle which appartains to individual beings. Ahankara is self consciousness or the consciousnes of ego.
The five subtle elements are Akasa or ether, air, fire, water and earth. By them are produced the four kinds of grosser elements such as Viviparous born from the womb as man and other animals; oviparous, or born of the egg as birds, fishes and serpents; those engendered by heat and damp as insects and worms; and those springing from the earth - as vegetables, trees &c.
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