ACCOUNT OF PAST AGES.
Argument.--The various Events of bygone days, and the changes in the
order of things in the world.
Bhusunda continued:--Moreover I will tell you sir, many other things
that I remember to have occurred in the course of the world, and
under the flight of by gone times. I remember the births of the seers
Bharadwája, Pulasta, Atri, Nárada, Indra, the Maríchis and yourselves
also.
2. I bear in my mind the venerable Pulaha, Uddálaka, kratu, Bhrigu,
Angiras and Sanatkumára, Bhringi and Ganesa, and Skanda and others in
their train, who were known as Siddharshis or consummate sages of yore.
3. I retain the memory of Guarí, Sarasvatí, Laxmí, Gayatrí and many
more famous females, who are reckoned as female personifications of
divine attributes. I have seen the mountains Meru, Mandara, Kailása,
the Himalayas and the Dardura hills.
4. I carry in my memory the exploits of the demons Hiranyáksha,
Kálanimí, Hayagríva, Hiranya Kasipu, Vati and Prahláda and many others
of the Dánava or Demoniac race.
5. I keep in my mind the remembrance of the renowned Sibi, Nyanku,
Prithu, Vainya, Nala, Nábhága, Mandháta, Sagara, Dilipa and Nahusa
kings of men and rulers of earth.
6. I know by heart the names of Atriya, Vyasa, Válmíki, Sukadeva,
Vátsyayana and other sages, and know by rote the names of Upamanyu,
Manimanki, Bhagíratha and other pious princes of old.
7. So there are many things of remote past times, and others of later
ages and some relating to the present age; all of which are imprinted
in the memory, wherefore it is needless to recount them over again.
8. O thou Sagely son of Brahmá! I remember thy eight births, in the
eight different epochs of the world, and this is verily thy eight
births in which thou hast become a guest to my nest.
9. You are at one time born of air, and at another of heavenly fire;
you are some time produced from water, and at others from empty
vacuity or of the solid rock. (_i.e._, formed of one or other of these
elementary bodies at different periods of the world).
10. The constitution of created bodies, conforms us with the nature of
the principle elements of which they are formed; and the positions of
heavenly bodies, have a great influence on their production. I have
witnessed three such formations of the world composed of igneous,
aqueous and terrene substances at different times.
11. I remember ten repeated creations, in which the usages of people
were uniform and alike; and the gods were settled in their abodes
(_i.e._, the Aryans led nomadic life). They were coeval with the Asuras
whom they braved in battle, and were located in their homestead.
12. I saw the earth sinking five times under, and lifted up as many
times by the divine _Kurmamanantara_, or incarnation of Vishnu in the
form of the tortoise, from below the overflowing ocean.
13. I witnessed the great tumult of Suras and Asuras or the Gods
and demi-gods, in uprooting and uplifting the Mandara mountain, for
churning out the last ambrosia from underneath the ocean for twelve
times over. (The meaning of _Samudara manthana_ or churning of the sea,
seems to be the refining of the salt water of the deluging sea).
14. Thrice have seen the imposing Hiranyáksha, that levied his tax upon
the gods in heaven, hurling the fruitful earth with all her balmy and
medicinal plants underneath the ocean.
15. I beheld Hari to have come down six times in the shape of Renuka's
son or Parashuráma, and extirpate the Kshetriya race at the intervals
of very long periods.
16. I remember, O Sage! the return of a hundred _kaliyuga_ ages, and a
hundred incarnations of Hari in the form of Buddha, and as the son of
royal Suka or Suddhadana in the land of Kirata.
17. I bear in my remembrance the overthrow of _tripura_ thrice ten
times by Siva, and the discomfiture of Dakhas' ceremony for more than
once by the irritated Hara; and I recall to my mind the downfall of
ten Indras by the offending God, who bears the crescent moon on his
forehead (and the confinement of their thunder-bolts within the caverns
of volcanoes glass).
18. I recollect the battle that has been fought eight times between
Hari and Hara, and the first appearance of Vishnu and Siva, jvaras or
the cold typhoid fevers in these conflicts. (This means the rising of
the malarious fevers of Dinajpur, which raged among the belligerent
forces on both sides).
19. I remember, O silent Sage! the difference in the intellects of
men at every succeeding age, and the various readings of vedas at the
ceremonial observances of mankind. (This means the varieties of reading
of the vedas as pointed in the prati sákha, and the difference of
phonetic intonation as shown in the sikshas, have greatly tended to the
depravity of vedic recitation, and consequently to their inefficacy in
producing their desired consequence also).
20. O sinless saint! The Puránas also though they agree in the main
substance, are so full of interpolations, that they have been greatly
multiplied in successive ages. (It is quite true of works in manuscript
and without their gloss).
21. I remember also many historical works, which have been composed by
authors learned in the vedas in the succeeding ages. (These works are
called Itihásas or legendary accounts, as the epics of Rámáyana and
Mahábhárata by Válmíki and Vyása respectively).
22. I have the recollection of the other wondrous composition of
legendary accounts, under the title of the Mahárámáyana a work
comprising one hundred thousand slokas or tetrastichs, and replete with
sound wisdom. (This was revealed by Brahmá to Vasishtha and Viswámitra).
23. This work presents the conduct of Ráma for the imitation of the
men, and sets the misbehaviour of Rávana to the opprobrium of mankind.
This precept contains the essence of all wisdom, and serves as the
luscious fruit of the tree of knowledge, placed in the palm of all
people. (The substance of these instances is, that virtue is true
happiness below and vice is bane of life).
24. This work is composed by Válmíki, who will compose some others also
in time; and these you will come to know, when they will be presented
to world in time (as I have known them before hand by my foreknowledge
of things, gloss) (This work is called Vasishtha Ráma samváda in the
form of a dialogue as those of Socrates and Plato).
25. This work whether it is a composition of Válmíki, or the
composition of some other person, is published for the twelve times,
and is now going to be almost forgotten by men.
26. The other work of like importance, is known under the name of
Bhárata; I remember it to have been written by Vyása at first, but is
becoming obsolete at present.
27. Whether it is the composition of person known by the name of Vyása,
or a compilation of some other person, it has up to this time undergone
its seventh edition, and is now going fastly to be forgotten.
28. I remember also, O chief of Sages! many tales and novels and other
sástras, composed in every age and Yuga; which have been written in a
variety of styles and diction.
29. O good sage! I remember to have seen also many new productions
and inventions, following one another in succeeding age; and it is
impossible to enumerate this innumerable series of things.
30. I remember the Lord Vishnu descending many times on earth, for
the destruction of ferocious Ráksasas, and is now to appear here the
eleventh time under the appellation of Ráma.
31. I know the lord Hari to have thrice come down in his form of
Nrisinha or leonine man, and thrashed the demon Hiranyakasipu as many
times, as a lion kills a gigantic elephant. (_i.e._ Although the gods
are of smaller forms and figures, yet they got the better of the
giants, by means of their better arms and knowledge of warfare).
32. Vishnu is yet to be born in his sixteenth incarnation at Vasudeva's
abode, for the purpose of rescuing the earth from the burthen of the
oppression of its tyrannic lords and despots.
33. This cosmic phenomenon is no reality, nor it is even in existence;
it is but a temporary illusion, and appears as bubble of water to
disappear in next moment.
34. This temporary illusion of the phenomenals, rises and sets in the
conscious soul of its own accord; as the boisterous billows heave and
subside themselves in the bosom of the waters.
35. I have known the world to be sometimes uniform in its course and in
the state of things, at others there is a partial difference in their
nature and order, and again total change has also been observed to take
place in the constitution of things. (Nature is never uniform, but all
are subject to change more or less from its original state).
36. I remember the former nature and state of things, and the manner
and actions of bygone people and the usages of those times; I saw them
give room to others in their turn and those again to be displaced by
others. (He that wants an even uniformity to see, expects what never
had been, nor ever will be).
37. Every Manwantara or revolution of time; is attended O Brahman! with
a reversion in the course of the world; and a new generation is born to
supplant the old men of renown.
38. I have then a new set of friends and a new train of relatives; I
get a new batch of servants, and a new habitation for my dwelling.
39. I had to remain some times in my solitary retreat by the side of
the Vindhyan range, and some times on the ridge of the Sahya Mountain.
I had at other times my residence on the Dardura Hills, and so my
lodging is ever shifting from one place to another and never fixed in
any spot forever. (The Dardura is the Dardue Hill in Afghanistan).
40. I have often been a resident of the Himalayas, and of the Malaya
Mountain in the South of India, and then led by destiny as described
before, I have found my last abode on this mount of Meru.
41. By getting to it, I built my nest on the branch of an Amra or mango
tree, and continued to live there, O chief of the Munis! for ages and
time without end.
42. It is by my pristine destiny that this tree has grown here for my
residence, therefore, O sage! I can have no release from this body
of mine to come to my desirable end. (_i.e._ the soul like a bird is
destined by its prior acts, to endless transmigrations in material
bodies, which are compared to its habitable trees, and from which it
can have no release, although it pines for its dis-embodied liberation,
as a decrepit old man wishes to get loose of his loathsome body).
43. It is by appointment of the predestination, that the same tree
has grown here in the form of the _kalpa_ arbour, which preserves the
beauty even now, as it did at the time when my father Chanda had been
living.
44. Being thus pre-ordained by destiny I was settled in this place,
when there had been no distinction of the quarters of heaven as the
north or east, nor of the sky or mountain.
45. Then the north was on another side, and this Meru was in another
place; I was then one and alone, and devoid of any form or body, and
was as bright as the essence, which is never shrouded by the darkness
of night.
46. After awaking from the insensibility of my trance (at the beginning
of another _kalpa_ creation or of my generation), I saw and recognized
all the objects of creation (as one comes to see and know the things
about him after waking from the forgetfulness of his sleep); and knew
the situations of the Meru and other hills and dales from the positions
of the stars, and the motions of heavenly bodies.
47. The site of the polar circle of Meru and the course of the planets
being changed in different creations, there ensues an alteration of the
points of the compass, and a difference in the sides of the quarters;
therefore there is nothing as a positive truth, except our conception
of it such and such.
48. It is the vibration of the soul, that displays these wonderful
conceptions in the mind; and excites the various phenomena in nature.
It converts a son to a father and makes a son of the father, and
represents a friend as a foe and again shows a foe in the light of a
friend. (Hence there is no such thing as a positive certainty, but
becomes transmutable to one in opposite nature, as the father supports
the child in its youth, and is supported by the boy in his dotage).
49. I remember many men to become effeminate, and many women also to
grow quite masculine; and I have seen the good manners of the golden
age to prevail in Kali [yuga], and those of Iron-age gaining ground in
its preceding ages.
50. I have seen also many men in the Tretá and Dwápara Yugas or the
silver and brazen ages of the world, that were ignorant of the Vedas
and unacquainted with their precepts; and followed the fictions of
their own invention which led them to heterodoxy.
51. I remember also O Brahman! the laxity of manners and morals among
the gods, demi gods and men since the beginning of the world.
52. I remember after the lapse of a thousand cycles of the four Yuga
ages, that Brahmá created from his mind some aerial beings of unearthly
forms; and these spiritual beings occupied a space extending over ten
cycles of creations.
53. I remember likewise the varying positions and boundaries of
countries, and also the very changing and diversified actions and
occupations of their people. I remember too the various costumes and
fashions and amusements of men, during the ceaseless course of days and
nights in the endless duration of time.