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).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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