The Vishnu Purana - 1

 

                           The Vishnu Purana

 

                                                              - by B.Lakshmi Ramesh

     

ÿI—karasngiÉRtanlizoam! saE> ¬I— kla< ibætIm!

saEv[aRMbrxair[Im! vrsuxa xaEtam! iÇneÇaeJvlam!

vNde puStk pazmNk…zxram! öGÉUi;tamuJvlam!

Tvam! gaErIm! iÇpuram! praTprk¦am! ïIc³s{cair[Im!,

hréìkäräsana garbhitänalaçikhäm sauù kléà kaläà bibhratém

sauvarëämbaradhäriëém varasudhä dhautäm trinetrojvaläm

vande pustaka päçamankuçadharäm sragbhüñitämujvaläm

tväm gaurém tripuräm parätparakaøäm çrécakrasaëcäriëém|

Introduction:

Puranas, the sacred texts of Hindus comprise the richest collection of religious myth, fables and legends in the world. Though their authorship is primarily attributed to Vedavyasa, it is generally agreed that most of the Puranas do contain interpolations from later writers and that most of them attained their final form around 500 A.D.

Vedas are described as “Shruti‘ and are ‘apourusheya’ entities, which are revelations of  Divine Truths, as ‘heard’ by the revered Sages. The Puranas, on the other hand, form a part of “Smriti’ and as such are documents of what is remembered and is to be remembered. Shruti and Smriti both form an indivisible part of Hindu spirituality. Their invaluable function in elevating an individual’s Consciousness is accepted with great and equal reverence. The Puranas are viewed more as a supplement to the Vedas, but also  serve the same purpose of making one realize his/her eternal relationship with the Lord and to surrender unto Him without further delay. While Vedas and Upanishads describe the Absolute Truth in metaphysical terms, Puranas clothe those lofty thoughts in more easily understandable, people-friendly parables and metaphors, so that even lay persons are not denied access to spiritual truths.

The very definition of Purana "puraapi navam puraaNam” (though ancient, yet appears new) is indicative of its perennial appeal and relevance to human race. While the Vedas and Upanishads, over the years, gradually and rather unfortunately grew to be the exclusive domain of only the erudite, the Puranas started becoming the most important or commonly used scriptural texts of the Hindus. Being founts of literary and spiritual knowledge, apart from conferring devotion, Puranas also doubled as ethical guide books for the society. They contained intriguing myths about the Gods and Goddesses, hymns, legends, an outline of ancient history, cosmology, astrology, rules of life, rituals, predictions about future and instructions on spiritual knowledge etc. The Puranas are also chronicles of important events in the evolution of man and culture. The Sages ensured that the mankind remembered certain events by loading them with potent spiritual messages. Puranas are encyclopedias of religion & culture and are an index to the collective consciousness of people of a particular period. While there are quite a few confusions / controversies surrounding the Puranas, let us cast them aside and like a Hamsa, confine ourselves only to savouring of the immortal ambrosia that the Seers preserved for us.

Classification

There are 18 major Puranas and an equal number of Upa (minor)Puranas. The list is quite standard, with one or two variations from one Purana to another. Because of their number (18), which is considered to be full of spiritual import, they are collectively referred to as the “Ashtadasa Puranas”. These Puranas are usually sub-divided into 3 categories, based on the predominant ‘guna’ reflected in the Purana. The role of the three gunas ( Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas) is critical in Creation, because it is their interaction with Panchabhutas / 5 primordial elements that gives rise to manifest world. Since each Purana mirrors the society and the values prevalent at a particular period, each Purana has a different flavour and caters to different classes of people, so that all individuals can truly empathize with the Puranas, leading to a much better understanding.

Out of the 18 puranas, six are Sattvic Puranas and glorify Vishnu; six are Rajasic and glorify Lord Brahma; six are Tamasic and they glorify Lord Shiva.

The Puranas are classified thus based on their dominant “guna’

Rajoguna : Brahma : Creation

1. Brahma Purana
2. Brahmand Purana
3. Brahma Vaivrata Purana
4. Markandeya Purana
5. Bhavishya Purana
6. Vamana Purana

Sattvaguna : Vishnu: Preservation

1. Vishnu Purana
2. Srimad Bhagavat Purana
3. Narad Purana
4. Garuna Purana
5. Padma Purana
6. Varaha Purana

Tamoguna : Shiva: Destruction

1. Shiva Purana
2. Linga Purana
3. Skanda Purana
4. Agni Purana
5. Matsya Purana
6. Kurma Purana

Characteristics of a Purana

According to Amara Simha, the ancient Sanskrit lexicographer, a Purana must have pancha lakshana or five distinguishing topics:

1. The Creation ;
2. Genealogy of gods and rsis;
3. Manvantara or Reigns of Manus
4. Pratisarga or history of humanity, destruction and construction;
5. Vansanucarit or history of Solar and Lunar dynasty

A discerning eye can detect a discreet reference to Pancha krityas in this structural sequence embedded in Puranas, indicating unambiguously that their subject matter is Brahman Himself. The Pancha kritya or the five-fold function of God are said to be 

1. Srishti - Creation
2. Sthiti - Preservation
3. Samhaara - Destruction
4. Tirodhaana - Withdrawal
5. Anugraha - Re-germination

Hence through the structure of a Purana itself, the Sages sought to convey the message that though outwardly there may be multiplicities and classifications based on Deities / Gunas etc, inwardly all percolate down to one thing…The One Constant at the Core!! It also appears that the Sages intended Purana as an iconic representation of Time or “Kaala” and specified Creation as a function of Time.

Vishnu Purana

The Vishnu Purana is considered to be perhaps the oldest Purana (4^th Century) and also the best preserved. This Purana devoted to Vishnu as the Supreme Entity, is said to contain 23,000 shlokas, though what is available right now is much less. But all scholars agree that the interpolations are minimal in this Purana and that it is a remarkably homogenous composition. Vishnu Purana is thus praised as not only the Puranaratna, but also the purest one, and stands out as the quintessential Purana. This particular book is said to conform more closely to the definition of a ‘Pancha-lakshana’ Purana than any other and the noted Philosopher Sudarshana Suri, even considered it to be a maha kavya, because of certain literary features and attributes. Incidentally, it also happens to be the first Purana that was translated into English in 1840.

As already discussed, according to the guna-classification, Vishnu Purana falls into the Sattwik category. Among the gunas, Sattwa guna is considered to be the highest and is said to directly pave the way to Nirguna Brahman. All sacred texts continually exhort people to cultivate this ‘goodness’ as a stepping stone to knowledge and salvation.

In Bhagavad Gita, where an entire chapter (Guna traya vibhaga yoga-chapter 14) is devoted to the description and results of these Gunas, the hagavan says…

tÇ sÅv< inmRlTvaTàkzkmnamym!,

suos¼en b×ait }ans¼en can".

tatra sattvaà nirmalatvätprakaçakamanämayam|

sukhasaìgena badhnäti jïänasaìgena cänagha|| (BG 14.6)

O sinless one, the mode of goodness being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.

Further, Lord Krishna also exposits that

yda sÅve àv&Ïe tu àly< yait dehÉ&t!,

tdaeÄmivda< laekanmlaNàitp*te.  

yadä sattve pravåddhe tu pralayaà yäti dehabhåt|

tadottamavidäà lokänamalänpratipadyate|| (BG 14.14)

When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets.

In the echelon of Puranas, Vishnu Purana thus occupies a pivotal place in revealing to an assiduous reader the true nature of Brahman, the Universe and Time…all those invariable Macro Variables that govern our existence. A man, thus humbled by magnificence of the Cosmic Intelligence that went into Creation and absorbed by the contemplation of the Atman, is ready to relinquish material attachments.

The Author

Apart from the obvious religious / spiritual / literary merits of Vishnu Purana, more pertinently for us astrologers, this Purana is considered to be expounded by Sage Parashara as a dialogue with his disciple Maitreya. This recalls to the mind another celebrated conversation between the two…the astrological magnum opus called the Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra. While all other Puranas are attributed to Veda Vyasa, this is the sole exception credited to Parashara, and perhaps it is the intention of the author that Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra should be studied in conjunction with Vishnu Purana, for obtaining a deeper insight into the Study of Time / Astrology.   

As already mentioned, the great Sage Parashara is said to have given Vishnu Purana through a dialogue with his disciple, Maitreya. Born with phenomenal intellect and blessed with divine vision, he imparted such a comprehensive training to his disciple Maitreya, that their association is immortalized by inclusion among the distinguished list of Guru-sishya pairs like Krishna-Arjuna, Yagynavalka - Janaka, Veda Vyasa – Vaishampayana. Sage Parashara is already familiar to the world as the father of Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, whose conception in itself was a masterpiece of practical predictive astrology.

Naimisharanya

Aaryaavartha, as India was known in ancient times, was universally hailed as a Karma Bhumi or a karmic territory. There existed many spiritual energy centres upon this land, but none comparable to the luster of Naimisaranya, which is justifiably praised as the oldest pilgrimage centre in the world. Situated in the heartland of India, this great forest was said to be sanctified by the presence and penance of as many as 60,000 sages down the ages. For eons, the smoke-filled precincts of Naimisharanya constantly reverberated with the vedic chants of legendary Rishis like Parashara, Vyasa, Romaharshana, Ugrasrava etc, who engaged in yagnas, immersed themselves in tapasya, wrote Puranas, pondered on Brahmasutras and evolved guiding principles through exalted debates with their sishyas. This remarkable setting invariably formed the sacred background for all Puranas.

One more legend from Varaha Purana describes how Sage Gaurmukha was being harassed by a demon called Durjaya.  Upon listening to the pleas of the Rishi, Lord Narayana rushed to help and killed the demon within a ‘nimisha’ (minute) with His chakra and thus the place came to be known as Naimisharanya.

There is a very descriptive shloka about Naimisharanya in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.4

nEim;e Ainim;]eÇe \;y> zaEnkady>,

sÇ< SvgaRy laekay shösmm! Aast.

naimiñe animiñakñetre åñayaù çaunakädayaù|

satraà svargäya lokäya sahasrasamam äsata||

As the above shloka from Bhagavatham indicates, Naimisharanya is said to be the favourite abode of Lord Vishnu or Narayana, who had been described as “Animisha” in shloka 23 of Vishnu Sahasranaamam.

guéguRétmae xam sTy> sTypra³m>,

inim;ae=inim;> öGvI vacSpitédarxI>.

gururgurutamo dhäma satyaù satyaparaakramaù|

nimiño'nimiñaù sragvé väcaspatirudäradhéù||

Infact, the term Animisha is often used in sacred texts as a generic term to refer to celestial beings, who are ‘all seeing’ and who “do not blink”. The similarity between the lines in the shloka of Bhagavatham and that of Vishnu Sahasranaamam is striking. The epithet nimisha stands for a unit of Time (aham evaksayah kalo..I am the Imperishable Time..BG10.33) and also for One whose eyes are closed in yoga nidra / sleep. The term,  animisha on the other hand, expressly refers to One who has transcended Time and Who is ever awake and vigilant. Thus, the yoking of the contrary terms nimisha-animisha implies a junction (Sandhya) between sleep and wakefulness, between darkness and light, between inanimate and animate, between non-being and being and between the Unmanifest Void and the Manifest Creation. Animisha is also a symbolic warning that one has to be extremely vigilant about getting deluded by the mystique of material creation.

Therefore, Naimisharanya can be cited as a metaphor for Sandhya, which is a crucial time for prayer and introspection. The term Sandhya is also defined as ‘samyak dhyaana’ indicating a deep meditative trance, and it is not surprising that Naimisaranya became the crux of evolution of Hindu thought and culture.

Sandhi / Gandanta

In astrological parlance, there are similar junctions, called sandhis (between two signs) and gandantas (between the Jala / Water and Agni / Fire  signs) and any planet falling in the sandhi / gandantha  is said to be extremely weak. Thus one has to extremely vigilant / alert about these planets.

According to mantra shastra, any mantra which exceeds 20 syllables qualifies as maala mantra and thus Sahasranaama stotram (containing 1000 names) can be treated as a huge maala mantra. While interpreting a particular name in the Sahasranaamam, the preceding and succeeding names / attributes are also to be reckoned as qualifying the particular name under consideration.

In the given shloka, the preceding names to nimisho animisha respectively refer to Sri Narayana as the Teacher, the greatest Guru, the remover of Darkness / avidya,  the abode of Light, Truth, and One who defends Truth (Satya ParakramaH was one name by which Sri Rama was repeatedly and specifically addressed by Sage Valmiki in Ramayana).

A similar examination of the succeeding term is also necessary to understand the full impact of the paradoxical “nimisha / animisha”, which is central to our discussion.

The very next term is ‘Sragvi’ which refers to the Vyjayanti garland (indicative of pancha tattwas), that adorns the neck of Lord Vishnu, quickly followed by the appellations of  vachaspati and udaradhiH, thus praising  Him as the Lord of speech and knowledge.

From the above, an interesting conclusion seems to emerge… ‘sound / speech’ is the first material emanation of the Lord.

As mentioned in the shloka from Bhagavatham, another legend about Naimisharanya says that in the Satya Yuga, the Rishis wanted to perform uninterrupted yagyas and tapas for the benefit of mankind and prayed to Lord Brahma for identifying an auspicious place. Lord Brahma is said to have created a huge wheel (called Manomaya chakra) and unleashed it, saying that wherever the wheel broke down, should be the ideal place. The Sages followed Lord Brahma’s instructions, and the hallowed ground, where the Nemi / rim of Manomaya chakra broke down, became the famous Naimisharanya. 

Manomaya Chakra as the name itself eloquently suggests refers to the vacillating mind, which is restlessly wandering hither thither…constantly seeking some thing or the other. When that very mind becomes focused and its ceaseless quest turns inward, greatest knowledge can be accrued. Here, I would once again revert to the concept of sandhya, because Sandhya also refers to the 4^th state or Tureeya state, which is that little imperceptible pause between one thought and another, when the mind, at least for a nano second, is absolutely still and absorbed in the Self. Indeed Sandhya is that tiny Eternity where neither the Time nor the Space matter or encroach. (Perhaps it is significant that all yuga avataras of Lord Vishnu always manifest during yuga sandhya, the overlapping period between two yugas).

An enlightened and tranquil Mind, akin to the Full Moon, is said to be complete and glorious like the Sun. Indeed that is what Naimisharanya must have been like…a resplendent Surya mandala emitting the glow of the thousand yagnyas the 60,000 sages had performed for millennia. No wonder the word “dhAma” or the abode of Light became connected with Naimisharanya. Apart from that specific reference to Sri Rama, the solar incarnation of Maha Vishnu, there is yet another very interesting correlation between Naimisharanya and the Sun. The number 60,000 immediately brings to one’s mind the 60,000 Valakhilyas, who are thumb sized Rigvedic rishis born from the hair of Prajapati. They are radiant like the sun rays, guard the chariot of the Sun and subsist on the rays of the Sun. And, the Sun’s chariot also has a single wheel….making the analogy complete. This is the place where Rishis meditated upon the Cosmic Design and were perhaps afforded the closest ever view to the fabled Vishnu Nabhi…

Brahma satra, a 1000 year sacrifice / yagnya was also said to have been performed during Dvapara yuga in Naimisharanya, because Kali can not set foot here. For this reason alone, it is the chosen place for establishing Dharma and it is the place where Sage Dadhichi sacrificed his life, so that an invincible weapon (the vajrayudha of Indra) might be fashioned out of his bones (Sun) to kill the demon Vritrasura and restore order.

Kali Purusha would never be able to cast his dark shadow upon the bright countenance of Naimisharanya, because it is supposed to be the aranya swaroopa / forest manifestation of Vishnu and where Vishnu dwells, Kali can never enter. This is also borne out by the fact at the exact moment Lord Krishna chose to give up His manifestation, Kali yuga started.

From the Shlokas quoted above, the Naimisharanya appears as the Abode of

• Guru
• Narayana
• Light
• Truth
• Sri Rama / Dharma
• Speech
• Knowledge

and it can be deduced that whoever invokes Naimisharanya within himself, by revering the Guru, Narayana, by inculcating Truth / Dharma, and by spreading Light / knowledge can never be troubled by Kali.

The importance of Sun and the 9^th Lord for Vishnu avatara

For all Vishnu avataras, Sun and the 9^th Lord are as crucial as the Moon in lagna. Sun and Jupiter are the karakas for 9^th house and all the above enumerated traits connected to Naimisharanya. The natural 9^th house is also ruled by Jupiter. Sun is consistently in strength in the charts of all Vishnu avataras. The 9^th Lord in these charts should be in digbala; connected to the Sun (placed in Abhijit Rasi) and he should aspect either Capricorn (Kaliyuga rasi) or Saturn, who is significator for Kali / darkness.

The Naimisharanya legend further describes how a huge torrent of water sprouted up in the form of a Shiva-linga, from the place where the rim of the Manomaya chakra broke down. In answer to the prayers of the Rishis, the Divine Mother manifested and by absorbing, stemmed the flow of water. There is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Lalitha here where Divine Mother is revered in the form of ‘Linga-Dharini Shakti’…or Mother in the mode of creation. The Jala which had sprung up in the form of Shiva linga clearly refers to the ‘desire’ or procreative urge of the Brahman, which was answered by manifestation of Prakriti.

This once again establishes the oneness between Vishnu and Shakti, and holds the clue to the Mohini avatara of Vishnu, which not only deluded the demons, but also infatuated Shiva, the archetypal yogi, who burnt Kamadeva himself to ashes with a mere glance from His third eye!! That is because only Divine Mother has the power to arouse His passion, and Vishnu being the same could achieve this supreme feat!!

Moon in Lagna for Vishnu avatara

This also explains why Parashara muni postulated that Moon (significator for Divine Mother) should be invariably in lagna in strength for all Vishnu avatara (also perhaps for Devi avatara?) because Moon is “rasa’ and embodies the principle of Prakriti.

Moon is also the significator for manas and in Bhagavadgita Chapter 10 on Vibhuti yoga, the Lord declares “indriyanam manas casmi” …that among indriyas He represents the manas, which is indeed the seat of the soul.

In Padma Purana Sri Krishna tells Narada

ahaà ca lalitä devé

puà rüpä kåñëa vigrahä

In Lalithopakhyana, a similar sentiment is asserted  that Mother in Her masculine form is Vishnu Himself. Moon (Prakriti / manifestation) represents Jala tattwa, which is the 4 th tattwa to evolve after Akasa, Vayu and Agni. Thus this element is represented by 4 faces (Brahma) and Cancer, owned by Moon, is the 4^th house of natural zodiac.  In a dialogue with Veerabhadra, Vishnu further confirms this by saying that similar to His chaturvyuha form of Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, the Divine Mother Herself exists in 4 main forms…as Kaali when angry, as Durga when valorous, as Bhavani when granting boons  and as Vishnu in a masculine form. This fact is also endorsed by the 4 ‘iim’ sounds called Devi Pranava, which occur in the famed Shodasakshari mantra, which is verily the encrypted manifestation of Divine Mother.

Prayer

naray[< nmSk«Ty nr< cEv nraeÄm<

devI— srSvtI— Vyas< ttae jymudIryet!

näräyaëaà namaskåtya naraà caiva narottamaà

devéà sarasvatéà vyäsaà tato jayamudérayet

One should offer respectful obeisance unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, unto Nara-Narayana Rishi, the foremost of men, unto Mother Saraswati, the goddess of learning, and unto VedaVyasa, before proceeding to understand / conquer sacred texts.

This is the first invocation contained in all the 18 Puranas and is basically a Praarthana or a dhyana shloka. It sets the right tone of seriousness required for pursuit of all knowledge, more so for paraa-vidya or higher knowledge.

The Dhyana shloka starts with the name of Narayana, who is the deity / tattwa devata for Akasa tattwa. Guru or Jupiter is the planet associated with Akasa tattwa, and thus from the very first syllable, it is designed firstly as an unparalleled tribute to the Guru. It is also to be understood that Akasa tattwa was the first primordial element to manifest and exist even in the Void, from which all other elements devolved.

Thus after praying to the Unmanifest Narayana, the name of Nara-Narayana Rishi is invoked, indicating the next stage of duality or manifest creation. While Narayana, as already discussed, refers to the Supreme Godhead, Nara refers to a man or a jiva and together they represent indivisible divine forces…(Satya Sai Baba)

 Nara –Narayana Rishis also jointly represent the 5^th avatara of Lord Vishnu and together they performed great penances at the holy spot of Badarika Ashrama or Badarinath, for the welfare and enlightenment of the world. They are the twin sons of Dharma by Murti. The names of the parents are themselves very figurative and indicate the interplay between Unmanifest Order / Purusha (Dharma) and Manifest Prakriti (Murti), which causes form and duality.  Arjuna is often identified with Nara, and Sri Krishna with Narayana.

Then the invocation moves on to Devi Saraswati, who is the presiding deity for sound / speech and rules knowledge, arts and wisdom. She represents Consciousness and is revered by all those seeking jnana. Saraswati is also venerated as the dispeller of ‘avidya’ or chaos, confusion and unhappiness. In Bhagavad Gita, the Gitacharya says“ bhutanam asmi cetana” that in living beings He is the Consciousness / Knowledge.

In the parable of creation in Lalithopakhyanam, it is mentioned that from Devi’s  left eye, which was of the nature of Soma (Moon) emerged Brahma and Lakshmi, from the right eye, which was of the nature of Surya (Sun) came Vishnu and Parvati and from the third eye, which was of the nature of Agni (Fire), manifested Shiva and Sarasvati. Thus one can understand how Saraswati, as representing pure Knowledge and Consciousness, could alone withstand the havoc wreaked by Shiva’s third eye, which burnt everything impure.

Saraswati, or Vagdevi as She is otherwise known, is said to dwell on the tongue of Brahma and is thus clearly related to the throat and tongue, the speech, the word. It is a well known fact that the Vishuddhi Chakra is located in the region of the throat. “Vishuddhi” as the name itself implies, is concerned with `purification' and the dominating element here is the Akasa tattwa, thus this Chakra has the capacity to pacify poison (Shiva held the poison at this position), to purify and to harmonize. The element of indestructibility is also associated with 16 petals of this chakra as the sounds (16 vowels from A to AH)  are designated as “akshara”. For a person, whose Kundalini is awake, nectar is said to drip into the palate along with poison (which masquerades as nectar) and this is the place where both are segregated and nectar is allowed to seep into the body to revitalise, while the poison is eliminated. The vaahana / carrier of  Saraswati is Hamsa or the Swan, which can distinguish between milk / good and water / base, and ultimately  absorbs only the milk.

2^nd house stands for throat / speech and represents Vishuddhi chakra. Moon (karaka for Amrita) is exalted and has Moola trikona in Taurus, Rahu the (karaka for poison) is also in ayus exaltation here. In the episode of Ksheera saagara mathana or churning of the milky ocean by the devas and the asuras. Rahu and Ketu masquerade as Devas in order to drink the nectar, but Maha Vishnu cuts their heads at the neck.

Saraswati Yoga

In astrology, this makes a lot of sense, because the natural 2nd house of speech, sustenance is also a maraka house, as is the 7^th house, both of which are owned in the natural zodiac by Shukra, a great Guru in his own right and a master of mantra shastra. Coincidentally, he also presides over Mrityunjaya Maha mantra and mrita sanjivini vidya.

Saraswati yogas are invariably associated with the 2^nd house, its Lord (Venus) or Karaka (Jupiter) and connected to Mercury, whose deity is Vishnu. The classic Definition of Saraswati yoga says that if Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury occupy lagna, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th or 10th either jointly or severally, Jupiter being in his own, exaltation, or friendly sign, the combination goes under the name of Saraswati yoga. Please note that apart from the 2^nd house, all others are either kendras or trikonas from the ascendant.

Examples: Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Swami Ramanujacharya etc.

Sound being the first emanation of the Supreme Being, is the tanmatra or attribute of Akasa tattwa and in itself contains two compartments. The first compartment is called “anahata’ or the unmanifest, like Parabrahma himself, while the second part is called “aahata’ or the manifest part, i.e., Prakriti. Thus, there is none else capable of expressing the entire saga of creation like Akasa tattwa / sound.

It is no wonder that in Sri Chakra the central Bindu, and the single triangle are immediately enclosed by the eight triangles called Vasukona, representing the 8 Vasinyaadi vagdevatas, who gave Lalitha Sahasranama stotram to the world, because the divine Mother opined that they alone are capable of expressing Her nature and glory. Infact, Bhaskararaya opined that the Vasukona, the central Triangle and the Bindu constitute a microcosm, thus containing the entire essence of Sri Chakra and in times of exigency can be worshipped as a minor Sri Chakra. In the cycle of Dissolution, Vasukona is the first layer and leads to Brahman.

 Identity and Dissolution

Whether in the shloka from Vishnu Sahasranaamam about Nimisha / Animisha or this particular dhyana shloka appearing in all Puranas, the invocation ends with Speech / Guru / Knowledge. As understood from the above reference to Sri Chakra, it is also the first layer leading back to dissolution. Upon mapping this to Kalapurusha, the Unmanifest is the 12^th house, Manifest is the head (1^st house)/followed by Face & throat (2^nd House). Indeed, this is what emerges first…in that order, at the time of the birth. An individual as a separate entity and creation are defined by 1^st and 2^nd houses…thus 2^nd house is the exaltation place for both Rahu and Moon.

After 2^nd house, the individual identity ends, because a face is an individual and vice versa. Thus creation is defined as 1^st and 2^nd houses….dissolution is also defined by the same pair, but in the reverse order…2^nd first and then 1^st house. Could this be the reason for Libra and Scorpio (lorded by Venus and Mar as are the 1^st & 2^nd houses) to be the natural 7 and 8^th houses and in that order of reversal, culminating in the exaltation of Ketu and debilitation of Moon indicating dissolution of individual identity and creation? Incidentally Sun which gets exalted in the natural 1^st house gets debilitated in 7^th house…indicating the soul leaving the body first at the time of death along with breath (vayu).

What is more wonderful is that the house preceding Manifestation and the house succeeding Dissolution are both owned by Jupiter, representing Akasa tattwa and the Devatha is Narayana. Perhaps this also explains why 2^nd house (last house in the Creation cycle) and the 9^th house (last house in the Dissolution cycle) are called Vishnu sthanas.

Vishnu Yoga

If the Lord of the navamsa in which 9^th lord is placed, and the 10^th Lord joins the 2^nd house in conjunction with the 9^th lord, Vishnu Yoga is caused.

According to Shri B. V. Raman, the native having this yoga would be like Vishnu himself…will lead an enjoyable life, acquire fortunes from various countries, earn in lakhs, will be strong, well-versed in discussions, witty in conversations, a worshipper of Vishnu, praised by the rulers and will live up to one hundred years free from disease.

As discussed above, the 2^nd and 9^th houses are Vishnu sthanas, the 10 house is also linked to Vishnu. Navamsa is the dharmamsa and the navamsa lord of the 9^th lord is very crucial here and should be placed in 2^nd house in conjunction with 9^th and 10^th lords causing Dharma Karmadhipati yoga.

Apart from the obvious reference to 2^nd house as dhana sthana, one must note the repeated emphasis on Dharma as the natural 2^nd house Vrishabha, represented by a white Bull, stands for Dharma. This is also the house where Moon, the significator for Vishnu avatara gets exalted along with Rahu (Vishnu Maya), as this is the cycle of creation.

Parallel to Shri Chakra

At this juncture, it is not incorrect to draw a structural parallel between Sri Chakra and this particular shloka, because in the beginning, both invoke the Brahman, and later on move to duality, and thence on to the expression of Brahma Vidya. Here, Narayana represents iccha shakti, because it was ‘iccha’ alone which impelled the Supreme Being to multiply Himself. Nara represents kriya shakti and Saraswati represents jnana shakti, all of which are propagated through the Guru, because Sage Vedavyasa, who is invoked next in the dhyana shloka as the compiler of Vedas and author of all Puranas, epitomizes Guru tattwa and is yet another emanation of Lord Vishnu. In an analogous manner, Guru parampara is also encrypted into the Sri Chakra. But, the name of Vyasa appears to be optional and is omitted in some versions of the shloka.

Here it is to be noted that in all matters of Vidya, the single downward triangle / 1^st manifestation is to be interpreted as the sishya..it holds true in all contexts. Nara as Arjuna was the first recipient of knowledge from Narayana, and in the Sri Vidya tradition, Prakriti or Parvati was the first recipient of knowledge from Shiva.

Parallel to Bhagavad Gita

Similarly, this entire dhyana shloka can also be construed as a direct reference to the manifestation of Bhagavadgita on the battle ground of Kurukshetra. Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, between Narayana and Nara, between Soul and Mind. Bhagavad Gita itself is revered as ‘Bhagavati‘ or Devi Saraswati and Vyasadeva is its illustrious author.

Brahma Yoga

In the light of the above, the first principle is Narayana or Akasa tattwa / Jupiter and Nara happens because of separation caused by Vayu tattwa (Saturn). Saturn and Jupiter are the two largest planets in our solar system after the Sun. Their conjunction is said to trigger a major event for humanity and cause Brahma Yoga which bestows deep knowledge / insight into shastras. Especially since Brahma is the deity of Saturn and Narayana / Sadashiva is the deity of Jupiter / Akasa tattwa, this combination is said to give commendable knowledge related to the aspects of Creation and rebirth. Dr. Raman opines that such a combination is very significant if it occurs in a Kendra, depending upon the dignities of Jupiter and Saturn.

Examples: Buddha, Jesus Christ and Shakespeare.

It is also understood from here why Saturn is said to be sattwik in the signs of exaltation and ownership of Jupiter. Jupiter denotes a superior element in hierarchy and is the Mentor / Administrator of all other tattwas, including Vayu. Thus Saturn, who would not even blink at the prospect of troubling Sun, his own Father, is basically on his best behaviour in Jupiterian signs. From this one would also understand why Jupiter in strength in Lagna or in a chart can single handedly counteract all other evils in the horoscope, because, except for the luminaries, all other tattwas emanate from Akasha. When in dignity, Jupiter bestows certain invincibility upon the native, which would protect the native throughout life.

Yogas for writers

Further, Jupiter as significator for sound represents the union (yoga) between the Soul (Sun) and the Mind (Moon). We have already discussed with reference to Shri Chakra format, how vaak-devathas get a ringside view of the entire process of creation between the Brahman and Prakriti.

Thus Jupiter, being the governor of ‘vaak’/ sound, being involved in the process of creation from the very first level, gives the best ability to write / create  lasting works of literature. Maharshi Jaimini did say that Jupiter with Moon (People) in trines to AK / karakamsa / lagnamsa can make the native an excellent  writer.

He also mentions the Venus + moon combination as of secondary nature. Venus is exalted in the house of Guru, because he is a guru himself. Venus is also the lord of the  natural 2^nd house, for which Jupiter is the karaka.

Jaya

The core of Mahabharata was originally called as Jaya (Victory), of which Bhagavad Gita forms the major part. Gradually this soubriquet became a collective term to refer to the body of sacred texts like, Ramayana and the Ashtaadasa puranas.

Through this term ‘Jaya’, we clearly understand the intent of our Rishis - that all these sacred readings are basically meant for leading an individual to emancipation by conquering his senses more than any external enemies - that’s the true meaning of Victory. When those most troublesome inner enemies are overcome, everything is conquered and there is nothing further to vanquish. That’s the ultimate ‘Jaya’ or victory. This is also the essence of the eka shloki gita (the very last shloka of Bhagavadgita)

yÇ yaegeñr> k«:[ae yÇ pawaeR xnuxRr>,

tÇ ïIivRjyae ÉUitØuva nIitmRitmRm.   

yatra yogeçvaraù kåñëo yatra pärtho dhanurdharaù|

tatra çrérvijayo bhütidhruvä nétirmatirmama||  

Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.

Bhagavadgita is also referred to as Yoga shastra and it is not incidental either, that each of the 18 chapters of Bhagavad gita is called a ‘yoga’. While Nara-Narayana represent ida-pingala nadis, Saraswati is the antarvahini or Sushumna, through which one’s creative energies are controlled and channeled.

This topic brings to mind another classic yoga called ‘Jaya Yoga’. This happens when the Lord of the 6^th house indicating “Ari / enemies” is debilitated, while the 10th lord is exalted / strong.

In one of the stories given in Satcharitra, Shirdi Sai Baba was heard urging  his disciple to break the ‘wall’ that stands between both of them and realize that in reality there is no difference between Guru and sishya.

Why Vishnu Purana?

Now the question is why are we talking about all this in connection with Vishnu Purana? We are focusing on it, because Vishnu Purana is the story of Creation, as told by the greatest Seer of Time (Parashara).

“Vishnu’ is specifically the name of Aditya associated with Pisces, the 12^th house of natural zodiac. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna avers that among the Adityas, He is Vishnu. When Sun transits Pisces, the vedic lunar New year or yugadi is celebrated. This festival is said to commemorate the beginning of creation. The two fishes of Pisces, Sun and Moon(New Moon/ Amavasya in Pisces), symbolize the male & female principles in unison and the jala of Pisces represents the amniotic fluid in which the seeds of creation lie cocooned.

We have already discussed the principle of Pancha kritya of the Supreme Godhead.

Signs	Function	Guna	Chaturvyuha	Deity
Aries & Taurus	Srishti/ Creation	Rajas	Pradyumna	Brahma
Cancer & Leo	Sthiti/ Preservation	Sattwa	Aniruddha	Vishnu
Libra & Scorpio	Samhaara/ Destruction	Tamas	Sankarshana	Rudra
Sagittarius	Tirodhaana/ Withdrawal		Vasudeva	Ishwara / Narayana
Pisces	Anugraha/  (Re-germination		Vasudeva	Sadashiva / Narayana

Out of the above, please note that the 4 upachaya houses of 3, 6, 10 and 11 are left out. These are the houses of free will, growth and karma accumulation and these four houses would play a critical role in deciding one’s destiny in the next birth. These are also the houses ruled by Mercury and Saturn (the neuter planets / napumsaka grahas), who rule Form (Prithvi) and Breath (Vayu) respectively, by which a ‘Living entity’ is primarily defined.  

Vishnu Purana is about Life and the very ‘ Prana’ that energizes creation. It is the story of all of us…a story of our roots and about how to go back to them…up the celestial Ashwatha Tree as described in shloka 15.1 of Bhagavad Gita.

^XvRmUlmx>zaomSvTw< àa÷rVyym!,

DNda

ürdhvamülamadhaùçäkhamasvatthaà prähuravyayam|

chandäàsi yasya parëäni yastaà veda sa vedavit||

There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

The root is the Para Brahman and the leaves are the material creation and “sound” (Vedas) are the first entity of manifest creation, as the universe is but an utterance of Lord Narayana.

Infact, the name “VishNu” itself refers to a Supreme Being who enters and pervades all existence…whether animate or inanimate. He is the One who is in all creation, yet is above creation. Whether it is the Vishnu Sahasranamam or the Narayana Suktam, the first epithet by which He is uniformly invoked is always “Vishwam”…meaning the Universe or the Creation. Vishnu Purana is the sacred lore of One who is Time (kaala swaroopam VishNoH), yet also the One who transcends Time. He is the One in Whom all contrarieties merge and cease. He is that “Akasa” / Ocean of Ether in which all Time and Space correlations, like waves that flow and ebb, emanate and dissolve.

The following lines from Maha sankalpam (statement of resolve) that precedes all Hindu worship / rituals states….

..mahäviñëoräjïayä pravartamänasya adya brahmaëe dvitéyaparärdhe çré çvetavarähakalpe vaivasvata manvantare kaliyuge prathamapäde..

This line unequivocally points to Vishnu as the Supreme Arbitrator of Time and Space. Time evolves as He ordains. As Narayana, He embodies the vast expanse of Unmanifest, and the material creation (Brahma) had sprung from His navel and unto Him it would be withdrawn at the time of Dissolution.

There is a technique of decoding the purpose of a sacred text / Purana by examining the first syllable / word of the first shloka and the last syllable / word of the last shloka in a sacred text. The Vishnu Purana starts with the word “Paraa” (part of ‘Parasharam’) and ends with “sidhiM” establishing beyond doubt that the intent of the Purana is Paraa SiddhiM / Attainment of Heaven or Brahma Vidya.

One of the definitions of the word of Parashara is given as ‘parän äçrëäti iti paräçarah’ indicating one who troubles the disputants in an argument with arrows of unassailable logic. A vedic sage credited with such a formidable intellect would never use the words inadvertently. The intent of Vishnu Purana is thus well deliberated and all the contents of the Purana only go towards endorsing the exalted mission of Paraa siddhi.

 

Let us gather around Guru Parashara and eagerly soak in everything he said. We are indeed like amateur archers learning to take an improbable aim at the Heavens…which is impossible except through the infinite mercy and guidance of the Guru. 

Thus unwinds the Vishnu Purana….

References:

1. Bhagavad Gita As It Is : Srila Prabhupada
2. Purana Ratna – Vishnu Purana (From Sapthagiri- Magazine published by the TTD) Also at http://sriranganatha.tripod.com/id116.html
3. Other web resources