Vāmanāya namah

We are now entering the Eighth skanda of Srimad Bhagavatam. Eighth Canto is the shoulders of the Supreme Lord. This Canto covers many important incarnations of the Lord and the transcendental astonishing sports displayed by Him. As these incarnations took place in different creation periods (Manvantara), they are narrated in the same sequential order. As such they will not exactly match to the present popular sequential order of incarnations with which we are familiar.

Eighth Canto has 24 chapters. Story of Gajendra’s liberation, churning of the ocean, the emergence of nectar (amrita), Mohini distributing the nectar, the battle between the Devatas and demons, Lord Maheshwara being enchanted by Mohini’s beauty, the Lord’s incarnation as Vamana, the story of Emperor Bali, the incarnation as a fish (matsya) and other such topics are covered.

**If the story of Gajendra’s liberation is chanted in the early hours of the day, the sufferings caused due to bad dreams will get destroyed. The person obtains liberation. Time keeps in its grip the leg of the person who has succumbed to lustful desires. Only when the vision of the Supreme Lord is obtained, the person is freed from the grip of time. This important lesson is taught through the story of Gajendra’s liberation. **

Through the story of the churning of the ocean we are taught that in the ocean called repeated cycle of re-births (samsāra), we should churn our life and drink the resultant nectar. Then comes the story of the Lord’s incarnation as Vamana. Many a time people claim that they have surrendered everything. What is the use of such wasteful verbal statements when it is unaccompanied by the thought that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord alone? ‘I own nothing in this universe’- should be the firm inner belief. Only when such belief exists, your offering will be fruitful.

It is imperative to retain the Lord’s or Guru’s pādukas (sandals) on the head and to eternally focus only upon them! Only then the ego (sense of I-ness) that resides in the head will vanish. We learn this from the story of Vamana.

We then come to the story of Matsya avatara wherein the Lord incarnated as a fish. This is the last story in this Canto. Only when the living entity is bound by the discipline called truthfulness (satya-niṣṭa), his intellect will be enveloped by feelings of overflowing devotion to the Lord. In its absence, it is impossible. A person who is established in truthfulness will not be destroyed even if unending troubles, which are comparable to tsunamis, land on his head from all directions. We learn this from the fish incarnation.

Gajendra’s story stands as an example for lust and other desires (kāma), Emperor Bali’s story for righteousness (dharma), the churning of the ocean for material prosperity (artha) while the matsya avatara (fish incarnation story) is an example for liberation (moksha). Thus the four primary stories in this Canto represent the four goals of life (puruśārthas). By remembering this Canto, which is the shoulder of the Supreme Lord, and by listening to it attentively the eight forms of impediments and difficulties (aṣṭa kaṣṭa) will get destroyed. Let us now enter into the eighth canto.

Eighth Canto Chapter One

In this chapter, the description of period of time known as Manvantara is given.

Emperor Parikshit enquired, “O Maharishi Śuka, O Gurudeva! I have listened to the lineage of Swayambhuva Manu and the creation as undertaken by the various leaders (Prajapatis). Kindly explain to me the stories of other Manus i.e. the Lords of other Manvantara time periods”.

There is a hidden significance in enquiring about other Manus. Through these stories, Parikshit wanted to hear the divine transcendental sports of the Lord in those creations. His intent is clear in the following verse:

“Yatra yatre harēr janma karmāni ja mahīysaḥ gṛṇanti kavayo brahmaṁs tāni no vada śṛṇvatām

O Mahatma! Please narrate to us the stories from all those creations in which the Supreme Lord Srihari playfully incarnated and displayed divine sports which are sung by eminent Mahatmas. We want to listen to them with absolute dedication.

The Supreme Lord Srihari is the cause for this entire creation. Please describe to us all the divine sports playfully exhibited by Him in the earlier creations. Please also describe those divine sports which He is exhibiting in the present creation, as well as those which He will exhibit in the future creations”.

Maharishi Śuka replied, “O Emperor, in this Kalpa (4.32 million years) 6 Manus including Swayambhuva Manu have thus far ruled. I have already explained to you the process by which Devatas and other living beings were created in the first Manvantara. I shall now narrate the events that took place in the subsequent Manvantaras. Please listen.

Swayambhuva Manu had two daughters Ākuti and Devahuti. The Supreme Lord, incarnated in both their homes and as their sons, imparted to them the rules of righteousness (dharma) as well as Supreme Knowledge (jnana). I have already explained to you the preaching given to Devahuti by her son Maharishi Kapila. I shall now explain to you the preaching given by Lord Yagna, the son of Ākuti.

Having developed total dispassion towards worldly material comforts, Swayambhuva Manu together with wife Shataroopa devi, retired to the forests. Reaching the banks of River Sunanda he stood on one leg and undertook intense austerities for a period of hundred years. Daily, in the early hours of the morning, he would chant the below hymn-

‘Yena cetayate viśvaṁ viśvaṁ cetayate na yam Yo jāgarti śayāne ’smin nāyaṁ taṁ veda veda saḥ

The touch of the Supreme Lord, who is a form of Pure Consciousness, bestows this world with consciousness. This world, however cannot bestow consciousness upon Him. Even during annihilation, when this world merges completely into Him i.e. when the body merges during the state of deep sleep, He continues to remain awake and conscious. He is beyond the understanding of this body, nevertheless, as the inner ruler (kṣetrajna) He understands this body.

All animate and inanimate objects in this creation are pervaded by the Self alone. It is therefore imperative for the spiritual aspirant to discard all desires in order to protect his true form. He should discard desire towards wealth of others as all wealth contained in the universe belongs solely to God.

The Lord who resides as the inner Self perceives everything, nevertheless, the eye is unable to perceive Him. The mind is unable to understand Him. Even when the mind and senses disappear during deep sleep, the Self’s power of seeing continues to exist. It remains a witness even during this deep sleep state”.

Hrishikeshaya namah