"The Renunciation of Kardama Muni "

 

 

Skandham-3.2

 

Chapter-24.

 

Slokam- 1 to 47.

 

 The Renunciation of Kardama Muni :
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(1) Maitreya said: 'The merciful praiseworthy sage who was thus speaking of renunciation to the daughter of Manu replied of what he recalled that was said by Lord Vishnu. (2) The sage said: 'Do not be disappointed, o princess; setting yourself thus towards the Supreme Lord, o praiseworthy one, He will infallibly come very soon into your womb. (3) May God bless you, who took up the sacred vows of sense-control, religious observance and austerities, the giving of money in charity and the worship of the Lord above with great faith. (4) He, worshiped by you will spread my fame; He, as your son, will cut the knot in your heart teaching the knowledge of the all-pervading spirit [Brahman]'.

 

(5) Maitreya said: 'Devahûti close in her great respect for the direction of this father of mankind had full faith in the Original Personality of God and thus worshiped the most worshipable one situated in everyone's heart. (6) After many, many years the Supreme Lord, the killer of Madhu, entered the semen of Kardama, and appeared the way fire does in firewood. (7) At that time musical instruments resounded from the rainclouds in the sky, the Gandharvas sang to Him and the Apsaras were dancing in joyful ecstasy. (8) Beautiful flowers were dropped by the gods from heaven and in all directions, in all the waters and each his mind there was happiness. (9) The selfborn one [Brahmâ] along with his sages, like Marîci and others, then came to that place of Kardama at the Sarasvatî river. (10) The Supreme Lord of the Spirit of pure existence had, by a plenary portion, o killer of the enemy, appeared for explaining the truth of Sânkhya [the analytic of yoga] so that one may know of the independent unborn one. (11) With a pure heart In worship of the Ultimate and glad about His intended activities is it the following that was spoken to Kardama and Devahûti.

 

(12) Brahmâ said: 'By you, Kardama, it was accomplished to worship Me without duplicity, o son; since you have fully accepted my instructions, you have, in your honoring of others, honored me. (13) Sons should render service to their father to the acceptance of exactly this extent therewith with due deference obeying the commands of the spiritual teacher. (14) These thin-waisted chaste daughters of yours, o dear son, will by their own descendants variously contribute to this creation. (15) Please give therefore today your daughters away, in accord with their temperament and taste, to the foremost of the sages, thus spreading your fame over the universe. (16) I know that the original enjoyer, the bestower of all desired by the living entities, has incarnated by His own energy, assuming the body of Kapila Muni, o sage. (17) By scripture and the practice of the yogic uniting of consciousness will He, who is known by His golden hair, lotus-eyes and lotus-marked feet, uproot the roots of profitminded labor. (18) And Devahûti, the killer of the demon Kaithabha has entered your womb and cutting the knot of ignorance and doubt He will travel all over the world. (19) This personality will be the head of the perfected ones, be approved by the teachers of example [the âcâryas] in vedic analysis and to your greater fame be celebrated in the world as Kapila [the Tawny One]'.

 

(20) Maitreya said: 'Having reassured the couple did Hamsa [another name for Brahmâ as flying the transcendental swan] the creator of the universe along with the Kumâras [his sons] and Nârada [the spokesman] return to his supreme position over the three worlds. (21) After the departure of Brahmâ, o Vidura, handed Kardama as was told, his own daughters over to the ones who were thereafter responsible for the creation of the world population. (22-23) Kalâ he handed over to Marîci, Anasûyâ he then gave to Atri, S'raddhâ he gave Angirâ and Havirbhû was given to Pulastya. Gati he gave Pulaha and the virtuous Kriyâ he found suitable for Kratu; unto Bhrigu he gave away Khyâti and also Arundhatî was given away to sage Vasishthha. (24) Atharvâ he gave to S'ânti, by whom the sacrificial ceremonies are performed. Thus were the foremost brahmins married to their wives and were they maintained by him. (25) When they were married this way, o Vidura, did the sages take leave of Kardama to their own places of meditation, departing in joy over what they had obtained.

 

(26) And he Kardama, having understood that He, who appears in the three Yuga's [Vishnu, only seen as a covered 'channa' - avatâr in the last, fourth yuga], the supreme intelligence of all the wise, had descended, went to Him in His seclusion, offered his obeisances and spoke to Him as follows: (27) 'Oh, finally after such a long time is the divine of mercy for the one's so afflicted in the entanglement of their own misdeeds in this world. (28) After many births, mature yogîs who are perfect by their absorption in yoga endeavor to see in seclusion His feet. (29) That very same Supreme Lordship, He who is in support of His own devotees, has today, irrespective of the negligence of us ordinary householders high and low, appeared in our homes. (30) To be true to your own words You have descended in my house, desirous to disseminate the knowledge of the Supreme Personality who increases the honor of the devotees. (31) By whichever of those truly apt forms of You, who are Yourself without a material form, You please the ones on your path. (32) The seat of Your feet is surely always worth the worshipful respect of the great sages who desire to understand the Absolute Truth. Unto You, who are full of riches, renunciation, fame, knowledge, strength and beauty [the so-called six opulences of the Lord] I do surrender myself. (33) I surrender myself to Lord Kapila, who is the transcendental supreme personality, the origin of the world and full cognizance of the time and the three modes of nature; the maintainer of all the worlds, who in Himself after His own potency dissolved His manifestations and who is the power of independence. (34) This moment I request You, o father of all created beings, as You have set me free from my debts and fulfilled my desires, that I may accept the path of an itinerant mendicant so that I will wander with You in my heart, keeping myself free from lamentation.

 

(35) The Supreme Lord said: 'Whatever I have spoken of in the scripture or by ordinary speech is in fact the authority for the people; therefore I took birth with you to be true to that which I have told you, o sage. (36) This birth of Mine in this world is for explaining, to the ones seeking liberation from the troubles of the material position, the truths so highly esteemed in self-realization. (37) Please know that this body was assumed by Me, so that I can now introduce again this path of the soul which is so difficult to know and has been lost in the course of time. (38) Now welcomed by Me, go as you desire, acting to the renounced order; to overcome the insurmountable of death, engage for the eternal of life in devotional service unto Me. (39) With your intellect always set to Me, the supreme self-effulgent soul of all living beings, you will indeed see Me in your heart and achieve freedom from fear and lamentation. (40) My mother I shall also give this knowledge which opens the door of spiritual life putting an end to all fruitive activities, so that also she will conquer the fear.'

 

(41) Maitreya said: 'The progenitor of human society thus addressed by Kapila, circumambulated Him and, verily pacified, then left for the forest. (42) He accepted the vow of silence, and taking exclusively shelter of the soul, the sage traveled unaccompanied the earth without having a dwelling place or making fire. (43) He fixed his mind in the spirit of that which is beyond cause and effect, which manifests itself as the three modes of nature, itself being free from them and which is only perceived through devotion. (44) Not identifying with the body with no interest in matter and the duality he, with an equal vision, saw himself, having turned inward, with a perfectly composed mind being sober, undisturbed and as an ocean with its waves pacified. (45) Unto Vâsudeva, the Personality of Godhead, the omniscient Supersoul within everyone, he situated himself in transcendence by devotional service being freed from material bondage. (46) He saw the Supreme Personality of God as the soul situated in all living beings and above that that all living beings exist in the Supreme Person on that soul. (47) Freed from all like and dislike he, with his mind in every respect freed in the connectedness of devotion for the Supreme Lord, attained the ultimate goal of the devotee.