Srimad Bhagavata Skanda 2 – The Unfolding of the Virat Purusha (Part 2 of 2)
"The Bhagvan Sriman Narayana is the very essence of divine virtues, self-sustained, radiant with light, overflowing with boundless knowledge and bliss. He is the ‘Creator of The Universe,’ which encompasses countless forms of Himself, both the living beings and the non-living things. He sustains, transforms, and governs it all — bestowing both ignorance and wisdom, binding beings to the cycle of birth and death, and offering liberation to those who seek moksha. Thus, He is the Param, the Supreme.
In the dawn of creation, He manifested the first being, the four-faced Brahma, and gifted him the knowledge required to bring the cosmos into being. Through His blessings, wisdom unfolds. Though He seeks no gain for Himself, He creates and upholds the cosmos for the welfare of all living beings, endowed with all the wisdom necessary for such a grand design. For He is neither a juggler, nor a deceiver, crafting illusions in this world. Untainted by any flaw, He is the Satyam — the absolute truth.
With reverence, let us meditate upon Bhagvan Sriman Narayana, the embodiment of Satyam and Param."
"The Srimad Bhagavata encompasses the entirety of Dharma, safeguarding the soul from falling by purifying it, and guiding the individual soul towards the divine path leading to the Bhagvan. This sacred path calls for unwavering devotion — a life dedicated to honoring, worshipping, admiring, and praising the Bhagvan, free from jealousy, expectation, or deceit. As one treads upon this path, all obstacles dissolve, prosperity is bestowed, and the heart becomes imbued with virtue, turning one into a Sajjana, a virtuous soul. Above all, it fortifies bhakti, deepening one’s devotion.
Thus, the Srimad Bhagavata, composed by the Bhagvan in the form of sage Veda Vyasa shines as a beacon of truth, revealing Himself as Supreme Soul eternally resides in the heart of every living being."
"Salutations to Bhagvan Sriman Narayana, the eternal support of all, including the divine Goddess Lakshmi, and the very essence of the Srimad Bhagavata. Salutations to Bhagvan Veda Vyasa, the revered composer of this sacred scripture. Salutations to Devi, the Goddess of Fortune, who perpetually serves the Bhagvan and bestows the blessings of abundance upon all Bhagavatas, enriching them with the divine knowledge of Srimad Bhagavata — a wealth that encompasses Jnana, Bhakti, and Vairagya.
Salutations to the Gods Brahma and Vayu, the noblest of beings. Salutations to Sarasvati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Devotion, who inspires both wisdom and bhakti. Salutations to the divine Garuda, Sesha and Shiva, the greatest among the Vaishnavas.
Salutations to the Srimad Bhagavata, the sacred text that brings forth eternal victory and spiritual triumph."
यद्भनौ यत्क्र्शानौ यदमृतकिरणे यद् ग्रहेषू दितेषु
ज्योतिर्यत्तारकासु प्रथितमणिषु यद्यच्च सौदामिनिषु ।
सम्भूयौतत् समस्तं त्वदमितह्रदयाकाशनिर्यत्प्रकाशे
धीर श्रीराघवेन्द्रव्रतिवरभजते हन्त खद्योतरीतिम् ॥
The brightness of the Sun, Fire, Moon, Planets, Stars, Gems, Precious stones and Lightening put together is just like a firefly near the astonishing brilliance emanating from your lotus of Heart wherein the five forms of Bhagvan Sri Rama, Sri Narasimha, Sri Veda Vyasa, Sri Krishna and Sriman Narayana are present in a significant way bestowing you the Brahmavarchas or the Sacred Knowledge.
In the previous reflection, Sri Suka unfolded the Virat Purusha as the cosmic body through which Bhagavan Narayana manifests life, senses, organs, and their presiding deities, revealing the universe as a living, ordered expression of divine will. Although the Virat Purusha was already praised earlier in Skanda Two through the Virat Purusha Stotra, this vision is not repeated here merely for poetic emphasis. Rather, the Bhagavata now deepens that revelation, showing how from the same Virat Purusha arise not only planets and lokas, but also the devas, indriyas, varnas, humans, animals, plants, and even the inner faculties of mind, sankalpa, kama, and karma.
Having shown how the cosmos unfolds outwardly, the narration now turns inward and upward. In this concluding portion of Skanda Two, Sri Sukacharya leads King Parikshit beyond the visible anatomy of creation into its subtle foundations—mind, intellect, guna, hierarchy, and time—and finally beyond both gross and subtle manifestations altogether.
What unfolds here is the completion of the Virat Purusha vision: a teaching that affirms real plurality and cosmic order, yet firmly establishes that neither form nor function constitutes the Supreme. Through this movement, the seeker is gently guided from manifestation to meaning, from structure to transcendence, and from the many back to Ashraya—Bhagavan Himself.
निदिध्यासोरात्ममायां हृदयं निरभिद्यत ।
ततो मनस्ततश्चन्द्रः सङ्कल्पः काम एव च ॥ ३०॥
“When the Virat Purusha desired to contemplate the activities of His own energy as Maya-shakti, the heart, the seat of the mind, was formed. From the heart arose the mind, and the Moon manifested as its presiding deity. Along with these came the desire (kama) and the determination (sankalpa) to accomplish desire, shaping the subjects of thought and interest.
Thus, each faculty arises in threefold reality: as the soul’s inner organ (adhyatmika), conditioned yet upheld by Bhagavan; as the presiding deity (adhidaivika), a jiva empowered by Him; and as the external field (adhibhautika), the guṇas of sattva, rajas, and tamas regulated by Sri Tattva. In this way, the Virat Purusha reveals that even though itself is not autonomous but upheld by His supremethe desire (kama) will.”
त्वक्चर्ममांसरुधिरमेदोमज्जास्थिधातवः ।
भूम्यप्तेजोमयाः सप्त प्राणो व्योमाम्बुवायुभिः ॥ ३१॥
“In the Virat Purusha, the seven bodily elements — the outer layer, skin, flesh, blood, fat, marrow, and bone — are formed of earth, water, and fire. His life-breath is sustained by sky, water, and air.”
गुणात्मकानीन्द्रियाणि भूतादिप्रभवा गुणाः ।
मनः सर्वविकारात्मा बुद्धिर्विज्ञानरूपिणी ॥ ३२॥
“The five sensory organs—hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch—together with their respective objects, are material in nature, arising from the principle of ego (ahankara tattva). The mind, as the seat of all modifications, generates thoughts, desires, choices, and resolve. The intellect, of the nature of knowledge, discerns and determines the reality of subjects and objects.”
एतद्भगवतो रूपं स्थूलं ते व्याहृतं मया ।
मह्यादिभिश्चावरणैरष्टभिर्बहिरावृतम् ॥ ३३॥
“Thus I have explained to you the gross outward form of the Bhagvan, the Virat Purusha. From outside to within, it is enclosed by eight coverings: earth, water, fire, air, ether, ego, cosmic intelligence, and primordial nature.”
अतः परं सूक्ष्मतममव्यक्तं निर्विशेषणम् ।
अनादिमध्यनिधनं नित्यं वाङ्मनसः परम् ॥ ३४॥
“Beyond this gross manifestation lies the transcendental reality, subtler than the subtlest, unmanifest and without distinctions. It is eternal, without beginning, middle, or end, and beyond the grasp of speech and mind.”
अमुनी भगवद्रूपे मया ते अनुवर्णिते ।
उभे अपि न गृह्णन्ति मायासृष्टे विपश्चितः ॥ ३५॥
“These two forms of the Bhagvan — the gross Virat Purusha and the subtle unmanifest — I have described to you. Both are creations of Maya, and the wise do not accept them as the ultimate reality.”
स वाच्यवाचकतया भगवान् ब्रह्मरूपधृक् ।
नामरूपक्रिया धत्ते सकर्माकर्मकः परः ॥ ३६॥
“Now I am going to tell you about His attributes,” says Sri Shukacharya. “He, the Supreme Bhagavan, manifests Himself as both vacya (वाच्य) and vacaka (वाचक)—the reality signified and the word that signifies. By His mere will, actions are accomplished, though He Himself is beyond physical movement. As the indweller of Brahma and the Virat Purusha, He assumes the role of speech and its speaker, the form and its expression. He reveals Himself in a transcendental form, being both the subject and the signifier of His eternal names (nama), forms (rupa), qualities (guna), pastimes (lila), associates (parikara), and variegated manifestations (vibhuti). Though He appears to engage in activities, He remains ever beyond karma, the Supreme untouched by material law. Truly, He is Parabrahman—immaculate, full of attributes, manifesting form yet beyond all limitations of form.”
Just as fire and heat are inseparable, Bhagavan and His names, forms, and pastimes are inseparable. He is both the word and its meaning, both the speaker and the speech. His actions are accomplished by will alone, yet He remains untouched by karma.
प्रजापतीन् मनून् देवान् ऋषीन् पृथक्।
सिद्धचारणगन्धर्वान् विद्याध्रासुरगुह्यकान् ॥ ३७॥
किन्नराप्सरसो नागान् सर्पान् किम्पुरुषोरगान् ।
मातॄरक्षःपिशाचांश्च प्रेतभूतविनायकान् ॥ ३८॥
कूष्माण्डोन्मादवेतालान् यातुधानान् ग्रहानपि ।
खगान् मृगान् पशून् वृक्षान् नृप सरीसृपान् ॥३९॥
द्विविधाश्चतुर्विधा येऽन्ये जलस्थलनभौकसः ।
कुशलाकुशला मिश्राः कर्मणां गतयस्त्विमाः ॥ ४०॥
Sri Sukacharya continued:
“O King Parikshit, behold the vastness of creation! By the will of the Supreme Bhagvan, all beings arise, each according to their karma, each distinct in nature, yet all dependent upon Him. From the highest Brahma, born of the lotus, to the humblest creature crawling upon the earth, none exist apart from His sovereignty.
First came the progenitors — Prajapatis like Daksha, who populate the worlds. Then the Manus, who govern the cycles of time. The devas — Indra, Varuna, Chandra — shine with celestial brilliance, yet even they are bound to the Bhagvan’s command. The great rishis — Bhrigu, Vyasa, Vasishtha — embody wisdom, but their knowledge flows only by His grace. Alongside them dwell the Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas — beings of song and subtle power, each granted their station by the Bhagvan.
Yet creation is not only luminous. Asuras, Yakshas, and Guhyakas arise, fierce and hidden, their strength also allotted by Him. Kinnaras sing, Apsaras dance, Nagas coil in the depths, Kimpurushas roam with simian form. Even the Matrs, Rakshasas, Pisachas, Pretas, Bhutas, and Vinayakas — spirits of shadow and fear — are not outside His ordering. Kushmandas, Vetalas, Yatudhanas, and Grahas — all these too are woven into the tapestry of existence, each a reflection of karma, each sustained by His will.
Nor is creation limited to subtle beings. Birds fill the sky, beasts roam the forests, cattle serve mankind, serpents slither, trees stand rooted, mountains rise immovable. The Bhagvan fashions all — moving and unmoving, terrestrial and aquatic, aerial and subterranean. Some are born from wombs (jarayuja), others from eggs (andaja), others from moisture (svedaja), and still others from seeds (udbhijja). Thus fourfold is the manner of birth, and twofold is the destiny: some dwell in happiness, others in sorrow, and many in a mixture of both.
Know, O King, that these gradations are real. The jivas differ in nature, capacity, and destiny — this is taratamya, the eternal hierarchy. Brahma is higher than Manu, Manu higher than man, man higher than beast, beast higher than tree. Yet all are dependent, all are bound by karma, and all are sustained by Bhagvan Vishnu alone. He is the efficient cause, the dispenser of karma, the sovereign Bhagvan. Without His will, no being arises; without His grace, no soul is liberated.
Thus, the Bhagavata reveals: plurality is real, hierarchy is eternal, karma governs embodiment, and Vishnu is supreme. Even Brahma, the architect of the cosmos, is but a dasa or the servant of the Bhagvan, awaiting His command. What then of lesser beings? All must bow to Him, for He alone is the source, the sustainer, and the liberator.”
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति तिस्रः सुरनृनारकाः ।
तत्राप्येकैकशो राजन् भिद्यन्ते गतयस्त्रिधा ।
यदैकैकतरोऽन्याभ्यां स्वभाव उपहन्यते ॥ ४१॥
Sri Sukacharya continued:
“O King, living beings are broadly classified according to the three modes of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas. Those dominated by sattva, embodying goodness and clarity, take birth among the devas. Those dominated by rajas, driven by passion and activity, are born among human beings. And those dominated by tamas, steeped in ignorance and destructive tendencies, descend into the lower realms and hellish conditions.
Yet even within these three divisions, further distinctions arise. For each mode is never pure in isolation; it is always mixed with the other two. Thus, sattva itself may be tinged with rajas or tamas, rajas may be colored by sattva or tamas, and tamas may be influenced by sattva or rajas. In this way, each category is further divided into three, producing nine varieties of disposition. Accordingly, every living creature is shaped by a blend of qualities, acquiring habits and tendencies from the interplay of the gunas.”
स एवेदं जगद्धाता भगवान् धर्मरूपधृक् ।
पुष्णाति स्थापयन् विश्वं तिर्यङ् नरसुरादिभिः ॥ ४२॥
Sri Sukacharya continued:
“He alone is the sustainer of this universe, the Supreme Bhagavan manifesting as dharma. Through animals, humans, and gods alike, He nourishes and establishes the world. Truly, He is Jagaddhata, the eternal upholder of dharma.”
Bhagavan Himself is the cosmic sustainer. By manifesting as dharma, He ensures the nourishment and stability of the universe. The phrase tiryan-nara-suradibhih indicates that He works through all beings—animals, humans, and gods—as instruments of His sustaining power. Commentators often extend this further to include plants and all living entities. Yet this does not mean Bhagavan is confined to these beings; rather, He empowers them as agents of His will. Brahma, the devas, and even ordinary creatures are interconnected and act only because He sustains them.
Thus, He is the Jagaddhata who governs creation, sustenance, and dissolution. He binds the jiva to samsara according to its karma, and by His grace alone, He releases it into moksha. In this way, Bhagavan Veda Vyasa affirms that dharma is not autonomous; it is Bhagavan’s own manifestation, inseparable from Him, and the very principle by which He maintains the cosmos.
ततः कालाग्निरुद्रात्मा यत्सृष्टमिदमात्मनः ।
सन्नियच्छति कालेन घनानीकमिवानिलः ॥ ४३॥
Sri Sukacharya continued:
“At the time of dissolution, the Supreme Bhagavan, assuming the form of Rudra as the fire of Time, withdraws into Himself all that He has created. By the force of Time, He restrains the universe, just as the wind gathers together dense clouds.”
Here Bhagavan is revealed as Rudratma, the aspect of dissolution. Rudra is not independent, but an empowered form through which Bhagavan withdraws creation. The simile of the wind and clouds emphasizes that dissolution is not annihilation, but re‑absorption into the source. Just as clouds are dispersed and gathered by the wind, so the universe is dispersed and gathered by Time under Bhagavan’s will.
इत्थम्भावेन कथितो भगवान् भगवत्तमः ।
नेत्थम्भावेन हि परं द्रष्टुमर्हन्ति सूरयः ॥ ४४॥
“O King Parikshit! In this manner, the devotees describe the Supreme Bhagavan as Bhagavottama—the highest Bhagvan, endowed with aishvarya, supreme sovereignty and dominion over all worlds, beyond human comprehension, and the great transcendental reality. Yet the wise tattva-jnanis do not confine Him merely to the functions of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. They perceive Him as beyond all such operations, untouched by the modes of prakriti, the Supreme who transcends every limitation.”
To the devotee, Bhagavan is the king who rules, creates, sustains, and dissolves. To the tattva-jnani, He is the sun itself—whose shining is not diminished by the rising or setting of worlds. Both perspectives reveal Him, but the latter points to His transcendence beyond prakriti.
नास्य कर्मणि जन्मादौ परस्यानुविधीयते ।
कर्तृत्वप्रतिषेधार्थं माययाऽऽरोपितं हि तत् ॥ ४५॥
अयं तु ब्रह्मणः कल्पः सविकल्प उदाहृतः ।
विधिः साधारणो यत्र सर्गाः प्राकृतवैकृताः ॥ ४६॥
Sri Sukacharya explains:
“The Supreme Bhagavan is never bound by the acts of creation, birth, or dissolution, nor are such duties truly His own. These functions are attributed to Him only through the agency of Maya, for the purpose of denying any notion of doership in Him. Thus, the blame or limitation of karmic action can never be alleged against Bhagavan, who remains ever transcendent and untouched.
This is the kalpa of Brahma, described with its divisions. It is the general order in which both the primary creation (prakrita) and the secondary creation (vaikrta) take place.”
The primary creation (prakrita) refers to the emergence of mahat, prakriti, and the foundational cosmic principles. The secondary creation (vaikrta) involves the formation of beings, faculties, and subtle bodies that populate and animate the universe. This entire process follows a general regulative principle (vidhi sadharana), hence cycles of creation and dissolution occur repeatedly within the span of Brahma’s day.
These duties are carried out through Maya and Brahma as agents, while the Supreme Bhagavan remains untouched by blame or material involvement. The complete process of creation and annihilation is not to be ascribed to Bhagavan Himself, but to His empowered instruments. Thus, the responsibility of karmic action never attaches to Him.
In summary: this outlines the regulative principle that governs the span of Brahma’s day, as well as the principle by which mahat arises and material nature is dispersed, all while affirming that Bhagavan remains beyond doership, blame, and material entanglement.
परिमाणं च कालस्य कल्पलक्षणविग्रहम् ।
यथा पुरस्ताद्व्याख्यास्ये पाद्मं कल्पमथो शृणु ॥ ४७॥
Rajendra, I shall in due course explain the Kalpa, the measurement of time in its gross and subtle features like manvantara with the specific symptoms of each, but for the present let me explain unto you the Padma-kalpa.
शौनक उवाच
यदाह नो भवान् सूतभवान् सूत क्षत्ता भागवतोत्तमः ।
चचार तीर्थानि भुवस्त्यक्त्वा बन्धून् सुदुस्त्यजान् ॥४८॥
कुत्र कौषारवेस्तस्य संवादोऽध्यात्मसंश्रितः ।
यद्वा स भगवांस्तस्मै पृष्टस्तत्त्वमुवाच ह ॥ ४९॥
ब्रूहि नस्तदिदं सौम्य विदुरस्य विचेष्टितम् ।
बन्धुत्यागनिमित्तं च तथैवागतवान् पुनः ॥ ५०॥
After hearing Sukacharya’s narration of creation to Parikshit, Sri Shaunaka, speaking for the sages of Naimisaranya, addressed Suta: “O revered Sutacharya, you told us that Vidura, the foremost devotee of Bhagavan, left behind his family and the kingdom of the Kurus—a renunciation most difficult to perform—and wandered among the holy places. Tell us, where did he meet Maitreya, and what was their dialogue on transcendental truth? What questions did Vidura ask, and what answers did Maitreya, inspired by the Bhagvan, give? O gentle one, narrate to us Vidura’s activities during his pilgrimage, the reason for his renunciation of family ties, and why he later returned home.”
सूत उवाच
राज्ञा परीक्षिता पृष्टो यदवोचन्महामुनिः ।
तद्वोऽभिधास्ये शृणुत राज्ञः प्रश्नानुसारतः ॥ ५१॥
Suta said:
“O Shaunaka and revered sages, the very questions you have raised were once asked by King Parikshit to the great sage Suka. I shall now recount to you Suka’s reply, exactly as it was spoken to the king. Listen with full attention, for these words arise directly in response to the king’s inquiry.”
Thus ends the Tenth Chapter, entitled Description of the Form of the Purusha, in the Second Skanda of the Srimad‑Bhagavata Mahapurana, the great scripture of eighteen thousand verses, compiled by Vyasa, the supreme Paramahamsa.
This completion has been possible only by the grace of Guru Sri Raghavendra and the esteemed philosophical associates—Sri Shaunaka and his fellow rishis, Sri Suta, Sri Suka, God Vayu, and Sri Hari—whose divine wisdom (jnana‑prasada) has guided us.
With this, the Second Skanda comes to rest—not in abstraction, but in surrender—setting the stage for the Third Skanda, where this same Supreme truth will speak through the lives, questions, and realizations of His devotees. Let us seek God’s grace to take up the Third Skanda at the earliest to continue the journey together.
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