CHAPTER XIX. KSHATRA YUGA DESCRIBED.
Janamejaya said:—O Brahman, I have heard of the first Yuga which is called Brahma because it leads to the attainment of Brahman. O Lord, I wish to hear now some thing about the Kshatrayuga which abounds in regulations, brief and explanatory, which is sung by the Rishis conversant with expedients and which is beautified with sacrifices (1-2).
Vaishampāyana said:—I will sing the greatness of this Kshātrayuga, which is adored with diverse charities and sacrifices and beautified with many creatures (3). In this Kalpa the Lord, who knows himself as the four-armed Vishnu, seeing differences and incarnating himself as Daksha begotten by Brahmā, procreated many offspring. On account of his being shorn of attachments for the senses and the body he flourished amongst the Brāhmanas as having his soul immersed in communion and endued with the knowledge of inner self. All these Brāhmanas, who were of the size of a thumb, were capable of passing through the solar region and ranging over all other lokas by virtue of the regulations leading to emancipation and other religious rites. They were always busy with sacrifices and with controlling the senses and mental faculties. In order to gain the pleasure of Iswara they engaged themselves in Vedic rites. They were masters of the three Vedas. They led the life of celibacy and were enlightened with the knowledge of Brahman. These Brāhmanas, of good conduct and consummate understanding, met with death after thousands of years (3–3). The Brāhmanas are pervaded by the quality of Sattwa, the Kshatriyas by that of Rajas, the Vaishyas by that of Raja-Tamas and the Sudras by Tamas (9). The colour of Brāhmanas is white, that of the Kshatriyas is red, that of the Vaishyas is yellow and that of the Sudras is smoky-dark. Thus they have been divided by the thoughtful Vishnu (10). O king, thus according to qualities and colour, men are divided, in this world, into Brāhmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. Observing highly wonderful and different sorts of duties, men of the same size, although apprized of the means of the works, are divided into four Varnas for partaking of the fruits thereof (11-12). The first three castes are entitled to perform the rites laid down in the Vedas. Therefore, O king, on account of your faith in Vishnu, you are entitled to read the Vedas. And therefore the birth of the three Varnas, namely, the Brāhmanas, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas is owing to Lord's grace. Encompassed with works affording enlightenment regarding the true form of Vishnu, the Lord Prāchetas Daksha, through his Yoga power and wisdom, undertook the work of creation. Thereupon, for the advancement of arts and serving the three other Varnas the Sudras were produced. They are not entitled to perform the ceremony of initiation and read the Vedas. As before fire is produced from a piece of rod by concussion smoke rises, but it does not serve the practical purpose, so the Sudras, taking birth in this world, have multiplied themselves, but they, not being initiated, cannot perform the various Vedic rites (13–17).
Thereupon Daksha begat his other sons who were the supporters of the Vedas, strong, endued with great energy, power and effulgence. Daksha said to them:—"O ye powerful sons, from your mouths I wish to know the strength of your mother, the earth. I am powerful and therefore cannot find out the end of the earth; you should be like me. Afterwards ascertaining the truth I will distribute energy and strength amongst creatures. On account of the vastness of the soil my creatures will multiply themselves." The goddess, earth, the essence of the great creative energy of the Lord, did not show herself unto Daksha's sons who were desirous of seeing her. When in the Krita age the pure souls, of the sons of Prajāpati pervaded by the quality of Sattwa, are purified with seeing the Prakriti, Nature, the mother of all creatures, without being urged on by Purusha, creates all engendered by sweat and eggs and decreases and increases all creatures who, by nature, partake of the fruits of works (18-23).
CHAPTER XX. THE FRUITS OF YOGA.
Janamejaya said:—O foremost of the twice-born, I wish to learn that of the Treta yuga which I may know correctly the eternal Brahman who is the subject of all sorts of learning (1).
Vaishampāyana said:—Being dispirited the foremost of Purushas Daksha, through his Yoga power, assumed the form of a woman on the summit of the mount Meru. He became a highly charming damsel with well-formed thighs, breast, eye-brows, a lotus-like countenance and dark eyes. With his half body Prāchetas Daksha begat on that damsel maidens by the name of Padmas. Thereupon on renouncing the female form through his male form Daksha again assumed the form of a most handsome man. According to the rites of Brāhma marriage sanctioned by the Smritis Prāchetas gave away those maidens. Of them he conferred ten on Dharma, thirteen on Kashyapa and twenty seven maidens on Soma. O king, after giving away those daughters in marriage Dahsha repaired to the sacred shrine of Prayāga where Brahmā lived. And there concentrating his mental and intellectual faculties and practising penances with the deer he travelled over the world. Sustaining himself with grass, roots and fruits he continually practised rigid austerities. The deer found delight in seeing his harmless spirit and the Brāhmanas, who had been initiated, who used to perform religious works and whose sins had been dissipated through ascetic observances, were delighted with seeing the fruits of his austerities (2-10).
At the time of conflict between Yoga and intellectual faculties, the man, who is incapable of standing physical sufferings, who has controlled his mind and who knows the time, sees the Karma and the spiritual power acquired through Yajna on account of his omniscience. And living with their wives in the company of the deer the anchorites, living on vegetable food and shorn of anxiety, attain to decrepitude. The Brāhmanas, who have studied the Vedas, see the great Brahman in the human body and therefore they call it Brahmakshetra or the soil of Brahma (11-13). The yatis, divorced from works, who have controlled their anger and passions and who range on earth desirous of wending the eternal way, say this. At the time of Samādhi or mental concentration the entire creation is immersed in Brahman. And they again appear in the world on account of their pristine works. Although all creatures are immersed in Brahman at the time of Samādhi they again appear on earth on account of their pristine actions. Although unmanifest at the time of Samādhi, all creatures become manifest through the tendencies of nature. It is therefore difficult to overcome her. On account of the characteristics of the time the creatures become manifest and unmanifest (14-16).
Every object of creation, mobile or immobile, gross or subtle, can acquire Yoga under the influence of time. While this Yoga is possible for inanimate objects even every man should strive to acquire the knowledge of union with God. In the course of time the eternal Kashyapa begat all created beings on Daksha's daughters. O king, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, Viswadevas, Maruts, the many-headed serpents, Sadhyas, Pannagas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Yakshas, the vultures, Garuda with his wings, the Suvasan Kinnaras, cows and other quadrupeds, men, the entire earth, mobile and immobile, the mountains, elephants, lions, tigers, horses, tusked animals, boars, wolves, deer, elephants with four white tusks, and creatures, capable of assuming forms at will, were created. In this Bhāratavarsha the land of eternal religion, Munis again took birth, with same form, beauty, character and power as they possessed in the previous Kalpa. Pious men, who had mastered the Vedas and acquired the knowledge of Atman, created both the external and internal world through their mental faculties. In the region of Swarga situate there all the celestials were settled (17–25). Besides all the householders, who acquire spiritual power through ascetic observances, those who acquire it through leading the life of celibacy, those who do it through serving their preceptors, and those who acquire Yoga through Siddhi, will not be constrained to undertake painful works. Those, who controlling their minds and with forgiveness and firmness practise religious rites along with their wives, range in the celestial region (26-28).