I always thought that Vishnu reincarnated only for 10-12 times, depending upon whom you ask, but the Bhagwat Purana clearly says that he was incarnated countless times. After listening to his father, Brahma, Narada Muni about the path to Moksha and the story of creation, he asks Brahma about the incarnations. As it so happens, if one listens to the stories of Vishnu’s reincarnations, then one’s sins are removed. Brahma then started narrating the stories of the main reincarnations of Vishnu.
Bhumidevi, the Earth, was sinking into the Ekarnava, the first primordial sea and Vishnu appeared as Varaha, the great boar, whose body is made up of Yagnas to dive into the sea to save the earth. The first Asura Demon Hiranyaksha challenged him and Varaha destroyed him and saved Earth byraising her using his tusks.
His next reincarnation was when mankind peopled the earth and he appears as Suyagna, who liberates earth from another disaster. His grandfather Svayambhuva Manu calls him as Hari, the saviour. His next incarnation was as Kapila Deva, who provided guidance on Atman to his mother, who found Nivana. Muni Atri wanted a son and carried out deep meditation to the lord to provide him with this boon, so Vishnu was pleased by his devotion and then was born as Muni Atri’s son, called as Datta, the given one.
Brahma created the world via Vishnu’s guidance. Narayan has a lotus sprouting from his navel and thus is called as Padmanabha, incarnated himself as the four Kumaras, Sanatkumara, Sanaka, Sananda and Sanatana, taught them Dharma and set them free. From Dharma Deva and Brahma’s grand daughter Murti Devi, Vishnu was born as Nara and Narayana. Vishnu was reincarnated as the son of Veena, who abandoned the Dharmic path and thus was cursed. Vishnu saved her soul. When the deluge happened, (Dp you see the interesting links? Almost all ancient books of humankind have this deluge myth), earth was drowning and Vishnu, in his incarnation as the Matsya, the fish, saved the Earth.
Vishnu came as Koorma, the tortoise, who supported the Mandara mountain on his back, which was used as the mixer to carry out the Samudra Manthan (ocean churning) between the Devas and Asuras. He came again as the Narasimha, half man half lion, to save his devotee from Hiranyakashyapu the Demon. He did not just save humans, but he also saved the king of Elephants when he was attacked by a giant crocodile. One might recall this scene as quite a popular painting in current day India. He appeared as Dhanvantari, the original physician, who brought Amrita to humankind, chanting his name can help cure every sickness as he gifted the gift of Ayurveda to men.
As Parasurama, he slaughtered all the Kshatriyas, who had become Adharmic, as Rama, he got rid of Ravana, as Dwaipaynana he divided the Veda for men to understand it easily, as Krishna he got rid of Kansa and other tasks and finally he will appear as Kalki, when the Kali Yuga ends to get rid of evil from this world.
Parikshit is by now quite excited to know more about the Lord and asks Suka Muni about the soul, differences between man and God, the location of the Divine Man, how time is measured, dimensions of the cosmic egg, the details of Bhakti and a host of other questions. I am not writing down all the questions, because I think I will end up spending one essay on each of these questions and have to leave something to the reader and these questions are answered in the later Skandhas.
Suka Muni talks about how Brahma was worshiping the Paramatman, the Supreme Lord manifested himself and explained the difference between the Atman and the Brahman. Brahma then meditated on the type of creation, what would emerge, but could not do so till a voice murmured in his ear, “Tapa” (penance). So Brahma executed penance for 100 godly years till the Supreme Lord was pleased by him and showed him his own abode, Vaikuntha, the place without fear. It is without fear because the five miseries, ignorance, selfhood, attachment, hatred and death-fear have been banished. He saw the gods and goddesses, the views of Vishnu in his physical form. Vishnu explained to Brahma, who was in ecstasy from seeing the divine lord, that by his penance, the Lord is happy and the task of creation can begin. After giving more instructions, Vishnu disappears and thus Brahma begins the task of creating ‘creation’.
Suka Muni states that the Bhagwat Purana is the answer to all his questions. He further explains the ten characteristics of the Lord, which are described within the Purana. These ten characteristics or statements relate to the creation of the universe, the secondary creation, the different worlds created by the Lord, support via granting of boons or reincarnation, the creative drive, the changes of Manus, how to follow the Lord’s instructions, how to revert back to the supreme being, how to attain perfect liberty and Moksha and finally an exposition of what Lord Krishna did. The last two chapters of the second Skandha were very difficult for me. I am not sure if I have understood all and that is why I am perhaps summarising to a degree which is not borne out by the text. For example, in this chapter, eight elements are mentioned instead of five, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. I was not sure where the last three elements came from or what is their connection with the Lord.
The creation story and the demographics of creation are curiously numerical, a specific number of elements, number of worlds, ascribed to specific parts of the body of the Supreme Being, locations, etc. Was this because having concrete numbers and locations assists in the logical formation of the story? Is it because it makes it easier for people to remember? What is the philosophical angle behind this? Personally speaking, it made sense to me, although the mathematician inside my cranium was trying to draw up a taxonomy of the various worlds, a flow chart of the process of creation and I was constantly finding areas (like the elements mentioned above) where things were not clear, they were not typing up. Hair hurt time!
It’s just the second Skanda that I have finished now and there are still ten more to go. This is perhaps the most complicated and difficult things I have ever attempted and it shows. I find myself curiously incompetent to explain basic concepts. I can see the words in Sanskrit and in English, explained in various versions, but I struggle to explain them and put them down on this review. Is this why people tend to say that it is easier to talk verbally about the Bhagwata Purana rather than write about it? I feel insignificant. Onwards and upwards in the service of the Lord to the third Skanda, which talks about teachings and lessons using stories.
All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!
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