SECTION CCCXXXVII
"Bhishma said, 'Then upon the expiration of the great Kalpa, when the
celestial Purohita Vrihaspati was born in the race of Angiras, all the
deities became very happy. The words, Vrihat, Brahma, and Mahat all bear
the same sense.[1800] The celestial Purohita, O king came to be called
Vrihaspati because he was endued with all these attributes. King
Uparichara, otherwise called Vasu, became a disciple of Vrihaspati and
soon became the foremost of his disciples. Admitted as such, he began to
study at the feet of his preceptor that science which was composed by the
seven Rishis who were (otherwise) known by the name of Chitrasikhandins.
With soul cleansed from all sorts of evil by sacrifices and other
religious rites, he ruled the Earth like Indra ruling the Heaven. The
illustrious king performed a great Horse-sacrifice in which his preceptor
Vrihaspati became the Hota. The sons of Prajapati (Brahman) themselves,
viz., Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, became the Sadasyas in that
sacrifice.[1801] There were others also who became Sadasyas in that
sacrifice, viz., Dhanusha, Raivya, Arvavasu, Parvavasu, the Rishi
Medhatithi, the great Rishi Tandya, the blessed Rishi Santi, otherwise
called Vedasiras, the foremost of Rishis, viz., Kapila, who was the
father of Salihotra, the first Kalpa, Tittiri the elder brother of
Vaisampayana, Kanwa, and Devahotra, in all forming sixteen. In that great
sacrifice, O monarch, all the requisite articles were collected. No
animals were slain in it. The king had ordained it so. He was full of
compassion. Of pure and liberal mind, he had cast off all desires, and
was well-conversant with all rites. The requisites of that sacrifice all
consisted of the products of the wilderness. The ancient God of gods
(viz., Hari), became highly gratified with the king on account of that
sacrifice. Incapable of being seen by any one else, the great God showed
himself to his worshipper. Accepting by taking its scent, the share
offered to him he himself took up the Purodasa.[1802] The great God took
up the offerings without being seen by any one. At this, Vrihaspati
became angry. Taking up the ladle he hurled it with violence at the sky,
and began to shed tears in wrath. Addressing king Uparichara he
said,--Here, I place this as Narayana's share of the sacrificial
offerings. Without doubt, he shall take it before my eyes.
"Yudhishthira said, 'In the great sacrifice of Uparichara, all the
deities appeared in their respective forms for taking their shares of the
sacrificial offerings and were seen by all. Why is it that the puissant
Hari only acted otherwise by invisibly taking his share?'
"Bhishma continued, 'When Vrihaspati gave way to wrath, the great king
Vasu and all his Sadasyas sought to pacify the great Rishi. With cool
heads, all of them addressed Vrihaspati, saying,--It behoveth thee not to
give way to anger. In this Krita age, this anger to which thou hast given
way, should not be the characteristic of any one. The great deity for
whom the share of the sacrificial offerings was designed by thee, is
himself free from anger. He is incapable of being seen either by
ourselves or by thee, O Vrihaspati! Only he can see Him to whom He
becomes gracious.--Then the Rishis Ekata, Dwita, and Trita, who were well
conversant with the science of morality and duties compiled by the seven
Rishis, addressed that conclave and began the following narration.--We
are the sons of Brahman, begotten by a fiat of his will (and not in the
ordinary way). Once on a time we repaired to the north for obtaining what
is for our highest good. Having undergone penances for thousands of years
and acquired great ascetic merit, we again stood on only one foot like
fixed stakes of wood. The country where we underwent the austerest of
penances, lies to the north of the mountains of Meru and on the shores of
the Ocean of Milk. The object we had in mind was how to behold the divine
Narayana in his own form. Upon the completion of our penances and after
we had performed the final ablutions, an incorporeal voice was heard by
us, O puissant Vrihaspati, at once deep as that of the clouds and
exceedingly sweet and filling the heart with joy. The voice said,--Ye
Brahmanas, well have ye performed these penances with cheerful souls.
Devoted unto Narayana, ye seek to know how ye may succeed in beholding
that god of great puissance! On the northern shores of the Ocean of Milk
there is an island of great splendour called by the name of White Island.
The men that inhabit that island have complexions as white as the rays of
the Moon and that are devoted to Narayana. Worshippers of that foremost
of all Beings, they are devoted to Him with their whole souls. They all
enter that eternal and illustrious deity of a thousand rays.[1803] They
are divested of senses. They do not subsist on any kind of food. Their
eyes are winkless. Their bodies always emit a fragrance. Indeed, the
denizens of White Island believe and worship only one God. Go thither, ye
ascetics, for there I have revealed myself!--All of us, hearing these
incorporeal words, proceeded by the way indicated to the country
described. Eagerly desirous of beholding Him and our hearts full of Him,
we arrived at last at that large island called White Island. Arrived
there, we could see nothing. Indeed, our vision was blinded by the energy
of the great deity and accordingly we could not see Him.[1804] At this,
the idea, due to the grace of the great God Himself, arose in our minds
that one that had not undergone sufficient penances could not speedily
behold Narayana. Under the influence of this idea we once more set
ourselves to the practice of some severe austerities, suited to the time
and place, for a hundred years. Upon the completion of our vows, we
beheld a number of men of auspicious features. All of them were white and
looked like the Moon (in colour) and possessed of every mark of
blessedness. Their hands were always joined in prayer. The faces of some
were turned towards the North and of some towards the East. They were
engaged in silently thinking on Brahma.[1805] The Yapa performed by those
high-souled persons was a mental yapa (and did not consist of the actual
recitation of any mantras in words). In consequence of their hearts
having been entirely set upon Him, Hari became highly pleased with them.
The effulgence that was emitted by each of those men resembled, O
foremost of ascetics, the splendours which Surya assumes when the time
comes for the dissolution of the universe. Indeed, we thought that Island
was the home of all Energy. All the inhabitants were perfectly equal in
energy. There was no superiority or inferiority there among them.[1806]
We then suddenly beheld once more a light arise, that seemed to be the
concentrated effulgence of a thousand Suns, O Vrihaspati. The
inhabitants, assembling together, ran towards that light, with hands
joined in reverential attitude, full of joy, and uttering the one word
Namas (we bow thee!) We then heard a very loud noise uttered by all of
them together. It seemed that those men were employed in offering a
sacrifice to the great God. As regards ourselves, we were suddenly
deprived of our senses by his Energy. Deprived of vision and strength and
all the senses, we could not see or feel anything.[1807] We only heard a
loud volume of sound uttered by the assembled inhabitants. It
said,--Victory to thee, O thou of eyes like lotus-petals! Salutations to
thee, O Creator of the universe! Salutations to thee, O Hrishikesa, O
foremost of Beings, O thou that art the First-born! Even this was the
sound we heard, uttered distinctly and agreeably to the rules of
orthoepy.[1808] Meanwhile, a breeze, fragrant and pure, blew, bearing
perfumes of celestial flowers, and of certain herbs and plants that were
of use on the occasion. Those men, endued with great devotion, possessed
of hearts full of reverence, conversant with the ordinances laid down in
the Pancharatra, were then worshipping the great deity with mind, word,
and deed.[1809] Without doubt, Hari appeared in that place whence the
sound we heard arose. As regards ourselves, stupefied by His illusion, we
could not see him. After the breeze had ceased and the sacrifice had been
over, our hearts became agitated with anxiety, O foremost one of Angira's
race. As we stood among those thousands of men all of whom were of pure
descent, no one honoured us with a glance or nod. Those ascetics, all of
whom were cheerful and filled with devotion and who were all practising
the Brahma-frame of mind, did not show any kind of feeling for us.[1810]
We had been exceedingly tired. Our penances had emaciated us. At that
time, an incorporeal Being addressed us from the sky and said unto us
these words--These white men, who are divested of all outer senses, are
competent to behold (Narayana). Only those foremost of regenerate persons
whom these white men honoured with their glances, become competent to
behold the great God.[1811] Go hence, ye Munis, to the place whence ye
have come. That great Deity is incapable of being ever seen by one that
is destitute of devotion. Incapable of being seen in consequence of his
dazzling effulgence, that illustrious Deity can be beheld by only those
persons that in course of long ages succeed in devoting themselves wholly
and solely to Him. Ye foremost of regenerate one, ye have a great duty to
per-form. After the expiration of this the Krita age, when the Treta age
comes in course of the Vivaswat cycle, a great calamity will overtake the
worlds. Ye Munis, ye shall then have to become the allies of the deities
(for dispelling that calamity).--Having heard these wonderful words that
were sweet as nectar, we soon got back to the place we desired, through
the grace of that great Deity. When with the aid of even such austere
penances and of offerings devoutly given in sacrifices, we failed to have
a sight of the great Deity, how, indeed, can you expect to behold Him so
easily? Narayana is a Great Being, He is the Creator of the universe. He
is adorned in sacrifices with offerings of clarified butter and other
food dedicated with the aid of Vedic mantras. He has no beginning and no
end. He is Unmanifest. Both the Deities and the Danavas worship
Him.--Induced by these words spoken by Ekata and approved by his
companions, viz., Dwita and Trita, and solicited also by the other
Sadasyas, the high-minded Vrihaspati brought that sacrifice to a
completion after duly offering the accustomed adorations to the Deities.
King Uparichara also, having completed his great sacrifice, began to rule
his subjects righteously. At last, casting off his body, he ascended to
heaven. After some time, through the curse of the Brahmanas, he fell down
from those regions of felicity and sank deep into the bowels of the
Earth. King Vasu, O tiger among monarchs, was always devoted to the true
religion. Although sunk deep into the bowels of the Earth, his devotion
to virtue did not abate. Ever devoted to Narayana, and ever reciting
sacred mantras having Narayana for their deity, he once more ascended to
heaven through Narayana's grace. Ascending from the bowels of the Earth,
king Vasu in consequence of the very highest end that he attained,
proceeded to a spot that is even higher than the region of Brahman
himself.'"[1812]
