The Ninth Book. Chapter 29
The Ninth Book
Chapter Xxix
On The Anecdote Of Svitr, On Gifts And On The Effects Of Karmas
p. 914
1. Nryana said :-- Yama got thunderstruck at these queries of Svitr. He then began to describe, with a smiling countenance, the fruition of the several works of the Jvas.
2-8. He said :-- "O Child! You are now a daughter only twelve years old. But you speak of wisdom like the Highest Jnins and Yogis, Sanaka and others. O Child! By virtue of the boon granted by Svitr, you have become incarnate of Her in part. The King Asvapati got you before by performing severe penances. As Laksm is dear and fortunate with regard to Visnu, as Mahdevi is to Mahdeva, Aditi to Kasyapa, Ahaly to Gautama, so you are to Satyavna in respect of affection and good-luck and other best qualities. As Sach is to Mahendra, as Rohin is to Moon, as Rati is to Kma, as Svh is to Fire, as Svadh is to the Pitris, as Sanj is to the Sun, as Varunn is to Varuna, as Daksin is to Yaj, as Earth is to Varha, as Devasen is to Krtika, so you are fortunate and blessed with respect to Satyavna. O Svitr! I myself grant you this boon of my own accord. Now ask other boons. O highly fortunate One! I will fulfil all your desires."
9-12. Svitr said :-- "O Noble One! Let there be one hundred sons of mine by Satyavna. This is the boon that I want. Let there be one hundred sons of my Father as well; let my Father-in-law get back his (lost) eyesight and may he get back his lost kingdom. This is another boon that I want. Thou art the Lord of the world. So grant me this boon, too, that I may have this my very body for a lakh years when I may go to Vaikuntha with Satyavna. Now I am eager to hear the various fruitions of Karmas of several Jvas. Kindly narrate them and oblige."
13-70. Dharma said :-- You are very chaste. So what you have thought will verily come to pass. Now I describe the fruition of Karmas of the Jvas. Listen. Excepting this holy land of Bhrata, nowhere do the people enjoy wholly the fruition of their two-fold Karmas, good and bad. It is only the Suras, Daityas, Dnavas, Gandharvas, Rksasas, and men that do Karmas. The beasts and the other Jvas do not do Karmas. The special Jvas, e.g., men, etc., experience the fruition of their Karmas in Heavens, hells and in all the other Yonis (wombs). Specially, as the Jvas
p. 915
roam in all the different Yonis, they enjoy their Karmas, good or bad, as the case may be, carved in their previous births. The good works get fructified in Heavens; and the bad works lead the Jvas to hells. This Karma can be got rid of by Bhakti. This Bhakti is of two kinds :-- (1) Nirgun of the nature of Nirvna; and (2) towards Prakriti, of the astute of Brahm, and with My inherent. Diseases come as the result of bad and ignorant actions and healthiness comes from good and certain scientific Karmas. Similar are the remarks for short and long lives for happiness and pain. By bad works, one becomes blind or deformed in body. So by doing excellent Karmas, one acquires Siddhis, etc.. These are spoken generally. I will now speak in detail; listen. This is very secret even in Purnas and Smritis. In this Bhratavarsa men are the best of all the various classes of beings. The Brhmans are the best of men and are best in all Kinds of Karmas. They are responsible, too, for their actions. O Chaste One! Of the Brhmins, again, those that are attached to the Brhmanas are the best. The Brhmanas are of two kinds as they are Sakma (with desires) or Niskma (without desires). The Niskm Brhmanas are superior to the Sakm Brhmanas. For the Sakms are to enjoy the fruits of their Karmas, while the Niskm Brhmanas are perfectly free from any such disturbances (they have not to come back to this field of Karma). The Niskma Bhakta after they quit their bodies, go to a place free from sickness or disease, pure and perfect. From there they do not come back. The Niskma Bhaktas assuming the divine forms go to the Goloka and worship the Highest God, the Highest Self, the two-armed Krisna. The Sakm Vaisnavas go to Vaikuntha; but they come back in Bhrata and get into the wombs of the twice-born. By degrees they also become Niskma when they certainly acquire pure undefiled Bhakti. The Brhmanas and Vaisnavas that are Sakms in all the births, never get that pure undefiled intellect and never get the devotion to Visnu. The Brhmanas, living in the Trthas (sacred places of pilgrimages) and attached to Tapas go to Brahmaloka (the region of Brahm); they again come down to Bhrata. Those that are devotedly attached to their own Dharma (religion) and reside in places other than Trthas, go to Satyaloka and again come to Bhrata. The Brhmanas, following their own Dharma and devoted to the Sun go to the world of the Sun and again come to Bhrata. And those who are devoted to Mla Prakriti and devoted to Niskma Dharma go to Mani Dvpa and have not to come back from thither. The Bhaktas of Siva, Sakti, and Ganesa, and attached to their own Dharmas respectively go to the Siva Loka and return from thence. Those Brhmanas that worship the other Devas and attached to their
p. 916
own Dharmas go to those regions of theirs respectively and again come to Bhrata. Attached to their own Dharmas, the Niskm Bhaktas of Hari go by their Bhakti step by step to the region of Sr Hari. Those that are not attached to their own Dharmas and do not worship the Devas and always bent on doing things as they like without any regard to their chras go certainly to hells. No doubt in this. The Brhmanas and the other three Varnas, attached to their own Dharmas all enjoy the fruits of their good works. But those who do not do their Svadharma, go verily down into hells. They do not came to Bhrata for their rebirth, they enjoy their fruits of Karmas in hells! Therefore the four Varnas ought to follow their own Dharmas of the Brhmanas, they are to remain attached to their own Dharmas and give their daughters in marriage to the similarly qualified Brhmanas. They then go to the Chandraloka (the region of the Moon). There they remain for the life periods of the fourteen Indras. And if the girl be given, with ornaments, the results obtained would be twice. If the girl be given with a desire in view, then that world is obtained; but if the girl be given without any desire but to fulfil the Gods will and Gods satisfaction only, then one would not have to go to that world. They go to Visnu Loka, bereft of the fruits of all Karmas. Those that give to the Brhmanas pasture ground and cattle, silver, gold, garment, fruits and water, go to the Chandraloka and live there for one Manvantara. They live long in those regions by virtue of that merit. Again those that give gold, cows, copper, etc., to the holy Brhmanas, go to the Srya Loka (the region of the Sun) and live there for one Ayuta years (10,000 years), free from diseases, etc., for a long time. Those that give lands and lots of wealth to the Brhmins, go to the Visnu Loka and to the beautiful Sveta Dvpa (one of the eighteen minor divisions of the known continents). And there they live as long as the Sun and Moon exist. O Muni! The meritorious persons live long in that wide region. Note :-- Sveta Dvpa may mean Vaikuntha, where Visnu resides. Those who give with devotion dwelling places to the Brhmanas, go to the happy Visnu Loka. And there, in that great Visnu Loka, they live for years equal to the number of molecules, in that house. He who offers a dwelling house in honour of any Deva, goes to the region of that Deva and remains there for a number of years equivalent to the number of particles in that house. The lotus-born Brahm said that if one offers a royal palace, one obtains a result four times and if one offers a country, one gets the result one hundred times that; again if one offers an excellent country, twice as much merit one acquires. One who dedicates a tank for the expiation of
p. 917
all ones sins, one lives in Janar Loka (one of the pious regions) for a period equivalent to the number of particles therein). If any man offers a Vp (a well) in preference to other gifts, one gets ten fold fruits thereby. If one offers seven Vps, one acquires the fruits of offering one tank. A Vp is one which is four thousand Dhanus long and which is as much wide or less (Note :-- Dhanu equals a measure of four hastas). If offered to a good bridegroom, then the giving of a daughter in marriage is equivalent to a dedication of ten Vps. And if the girl be offered with ornaments, twice the merits accrue. The same merit accrues in clearing the bed of the mud of a pond as in digging it. So for the Vp (well). O Chaste One! He who plants an Asvattha tree and dedicates it to a godly purpose, lives for one Ayuta years in Tapar Loka. O Svitr! He who dedicates a flower garden for the acquirement of all sorts of good, lives for one Ayuta years in Dhruva Loka.
O Chaste One! He who gives a Vmna (any sort of excellent carriage) in honour of Visnu, in this Hindoosthn, lives for one Manvantara in Visnuloka. And if one gives a Vmna of variegated colours and workmanship, four times the result accrues. And one who gives a palanquin, acquires half the fruits. Again if anybody gives, out of devotion, a swinging temple (the Dol Mandir) to Bhagavn Sr Hari, lives for one hundred Manvantras, in the region of Visnu. O Chaste One! He who makes a gift of a royal road, decorated with palatial buildings on either side, lives with great honour and love in that Indraloka for one Ayuta years. Equal results follow whether the above things are offered to the Gods or to the Brhmanas. He enjoys that which he gives. No giving, no enjoying. After enjoying the heavenly pleasures, etc., the virtuous person takes birth in Bhrata as a Brhmin or in other good families, in due order, and ultimately in the Brhmana families. The virtuous Brhmana, after he has enjoyed the heavenly pleasures, takes his birth again in Bhrata in Brhmana, Ksattriya or in Vaisya families. A Ksattriya or a Vaisya can never obtain Brhmanahood, even if he performs asceticism for one Koti Kalpas. This is stated in the Srutis. Without enjoying the fruits, no Karma can be exhausted even in one hundred Koti Kalpas. So the fruits of the Karmas must be enjoyed, whether they be auspicious or inauspicious. By the help of seeing the Devas and seeing the Trthas again and again, purity is acquired. O Svitr! So now I have told you something. What more d o you want to hear? Say.
Here ends the Twenty-Ninth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the anecdote of Svitr on the fruits of making gifts and on the effects of Karmas in Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vysa.
Chapter Xxix
On The Anecdote Of Svitr, On Gifts And On The Effects Of Karmas
p. 914
1. Nryana said :-- Yama got thunderstruck at these queries of Svitr. He then began to describe, with a smiling countenance, the fruition of the several works of the Jvas.
2-8. He said :-- "O Child! You are now a daughter only twelve years old. But you speak of wisdom like the Highest Jnins and Yogis, Sanaka and others. O Child! By virtue of the boon granted by Svitr, you have become incarnate of Her in part. The King Asvapati got you before by performing severe penances. As Laksm is dear and fortunate with regard to Visnu, as Mahdevi is to Mahdeva, Aditi to Kasyapa, Ahaly to Gautama, so you are to Satyavna in respect of affection and good-luck and other best qualities. As Sach is to Mahendra, as Rohin is to Moon, as Rati is to Kma, as Svh is to Fire, as Svadh is to the Pitris, as Sanj is to the Sun, as Varunn is to Varuna, as Daksin is to Yaj, as Earth is to Varha, as Devasen is to Krtika, so you are fortunate and blessed with respect to Satyavna. O Svitr! I myself grant you this boon of my own accord. Now ask other boons. O highly fortunate One! I will fulfil all your desires."
9-12. Svitr said :-- "O Noble One! Let there be one hundred sons of mine by Satyavna. This is the boon that I want. Let there be one hundred sons of my Father as well; let my Father-in-law get back his (lost) eyesight and may he get back his lost kingdom. This is another boon that I want. Thou art the Lord of the world. So grant me this boon, too, that I may have this my very body for a lakh years when I may go to Vaikuntha with Satyavna. Now I am eager to hear the various fruitions of Karmas of several Jvas. Kindly narrate them and oblige."
13-70. Dharma said :-- You are very chaste. So what you have thought will verily come to pass. Now I describe the fruition of Karmas of the Jvas. Listen. Excepting this holy land of Bhrata, nowhere do the people enjoy wholly the fruition of their two-fold Karmas, good and bad. It is only the Suras, Daityas, Dnavas, Gandharvas, Rksasas, and men that do Karmas. The beasts and the other Jvas do not do Karmas. The special Jvas, e.g., men, etc., experience the fruition of their Karmas in Heavens, hells and in all the other Yonis (wombs). Specially, as the Jvas
p. 915
roam in all the different Yonis, they enjoy their Karmas, good or bad, as the case may be, carved in their previous births. The good works get fructified in Heavens; and the bad works lead the Jvas to hells. This Karma can be got rid of by Bhakti. This Bhakti is of two kinds :-- (1) Nirgun of the nature of Nirvna; and (2) towards Prakriti, of the astute of Brahm, and with My inherent. Diseases come as the result of bad and ignorant actions and healthiness comes from good and certain scientific Karmas. Similar are the remarks for short and long lives for happiness and pain. By bad works, one becomes blind or deformed in body. So by doing excellent Karmas, one acquires Siddhis, etc.. These are spoken generally. I will now speak in detail; listen. This is very secret even in Purnas and Smritis. In this Bhratavarsa men are the best of all the various classes of beings. The Brhmans are the best of men and are best in all Kinds of Karmas. They are responsible, too, for their actions. O Chaste One! Of the Brhmins, again, those that are attached to the Brhmanas are the best. The Brhmanas are of two kinds as they are Sakma (with desires) or Niskma (without desires). The Niskm Brhmanas are superior to the Sakm Brhmanas. For the Sakms are to enjoy the fruits of their Karmas, while the Niskm Brhmanas are perfectly free from any such disturbances (they have not to come back to this field of Karma). The Niskma Bhakta after they quit their bodies, go to a place free from sickness or disease, pure and perfect. From there they do not come back. The Niskma Bhaktas assuming the divine forms go to the Goloka and worship the Highest God, the Highest Self, the two-armed Krisna. The Sakm Vaisnavas go to Vaikuntha; but they come back in Bhrata and get into the wombs of the twice-born. By degrees they also become Niskma when they certainly acquire pure undefiled Bhakti. The Brhmanas and Vaisnavas that are Sakms in all the births, never get that pure undefiled intellect and never get the devotion to Visnu. The Brhmanas, living in the Trthas (sacred places of pilgrimages) and attached to Tapas go to Brahmaloka (the region of Brahm); they again come down to Bhrata. Those that are devotedly attached to their own Dharma (religion) and reside in places other than Trthas, go to Satyaloka and again come to Bhrata. The Brhmanas, following their own Dharma and devoted to the Sun go to the world of the Sun and again come to Bhrata. And those who are devoted to Mla Prakriti and devoted to Niskma Dharma go to Mani Dvpa and have not to come back from thither. The Bhaktas of Siva, Sakti, and Ganesa, and attached to their own Dharmas respectively go to the Siva Loka and return from thence. Those Brhmanas that worship the other Devas and attached to their
p. 916
own Dharmas go to those regions of theirs respectively and again come to Bhrata. Attached to their own Dharmas, the Niskm Bhaktas of Hari go by their Bhakti step by step to the region of Sr Hari. Those that are not attached to their own Dharmas and do not worship the Devas and always bent on doing things as they like without any regard to their chras go certainly to hells. No doubt in this. The Brhmanas and the other three Varnas, attached to their own Dharmas all enjoy the fruits of their good works. But those who do not do their Svadharma, go verily down into hells. They do not came to Bhrata for their rebirth, they enjoy their fruits of Karmas in hells! Therefore the four Varnas ought to follow their own Dharmas of the Brhmanas, they are to remain attached to their own Dharmas and give their daughters in marriage to the similarly qualified Brhmanas. They then go to the Chandraloka (the region of the Moon). There they remain for the life periods of the fourteen Indras. And if the girl be given, with ornaments, the results obtained would be twice. If the girl be given with a desire in view, then that world is obtained; but if the girl be given without any desire but to fulfil the Gods will and Gods satisfaction only, then one would not have to go to that world. They go to Visnu Loka, bereft of the fruits of all Karmas. Those that give to the Brhmanas pasture ground and cattle, silver, gold, garment, fruits and water, go to the Chandraloka and live there for one Manvantara. They live long in those regions by virtue of that merit. Again those that give gold, cows, copper, etc., to the holy Brhmanas, go to the Srya Loka (the region of the Sun) and live there for one Ayuta years (10,000 years), free from diseases, etc., for a long time. Those that give lands and lots of wealth to the Brhmins, go to the Visnu Loka and to the beautiful Sveta Dvpa (one of the eighteen minor divisions of the known continents). And there they live as long as the Sun and Moon exist. O Muni! The meritorious persons live long in that wide region. Note :-- Sveta Dvpa may mean Vaikuntha, where Visnu resides. Those who give with devotion dwelling places to the Brhmanas, go to the happy Visnu Loka. And there, in that great Visnu Loka, they live for years equal to the number of molecules, in that house. He who offers a dwelling house in honour of any Deva, goes to the region of that Deva and remains there for a number of years equivalent to the number of particles in that house. The lotus-born Brahm said that if one offers a royal palace, one obtains a result four times and if one offers a country, one gets the result one hundred times that; again if one offers an excellent country, twice as much merit one acquires. One who dedicates a tank for the expiation of
p. 917
all ones sins, one lives in Janar Loka (one of the pious regions) for a period equivalent to the number of particles therein). If any man offers a Vp (a well) in preference to other gifts, one gets ten fold fruits thereby. If one offers seven Vps, one acquires the fruits of offering one tank. A Vp is one which is four thousand Dhanus long and which is as much wide or less (Note :-- Dhanu equals a measure of four hastas). If offered to a good bridegroom, then the giving of a daughter in marriage is equivalent to a dedication of ten Vps. And if the girl be offered with ornaments, twice the merits accrue. The same merit accrues in clearing the bed of the mud of a pond as in digging it. So for the Vp (well). O Chaste One! He who plants an Asvattha tree and dedicates it to a godly purpose, lives for one Ayuta years in Tapar Loka. O Svitr! He who dedicates a flower garden for the acquirement of all sorts of good, lives for one Ayuta years in Dhruva Loka.
O Chaste One! He who gives a Vmna (any sort of excellent carriage) in honour of Visnu, in this Hindoosthn, lives for one Manvantara in Visnuloka. And if one gives a Vmna of variegated colours and workmanship, four times the result accrues. And one who gives a palanquin, acquires half the fruits. Again if anybody gives, out of devotion, a swinging temple (the Dol Mandir) to Bhagavn Sr Hari, lives for one hundred Manvantras, in the region of Visnu. O Chaste One! He who makes a gift of a royal road, decorated with palatial buildings on either side, lives with great honour and love in that Indraloka for one Ayuta years. Equal results follow whether the above things are offered to the Gods or to the Brhmanas. He enjoys that which he gives. No giving, no enjoying. After enjoying the heavenly pleasures, etc., the virtuous person takes birth in Bhrata as a Brhmin or in other good families, in due order, and ultimately in the Brhmana families. The virtuous Brhmana, after he has enjoyed the heavenly pleasures, takes his birth again in Bhrata in Brhmana, Ksattriya or in Vaisya families. A Ksattriya or a Vaisya can never obtain Brhmanahood, even if he performs asceticism for one Koti Kalpas. This is stated in the Srutis. Without enjoying the fruits, no Karma can be exhausted even in one hundred Koti Kalpas. So the fruits of the Karmas must be enjoyed, whether they be auspicious or inauspicious. By the help of seeing the Devas and seeing the Trthas again and again, purity is acquired. O Svitr! So now I have told you something. What more d o you want to hear? Say.
Here ends the Twenty-Ninth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the anecdote of Svitr on the fruits of making gifts and on the effects of Karmas in Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vysa.
