1885. The Bengal reading is ashta-bhujau. The Bombay reading ashta-dangshtrau does not seem to be correct. By accepting the Bengal reading, the word mushka becomes clear.
1886. Avyagran means with tranquil souls. It is said that with most young men what occurs is that their hearts at first leave them when they see a respected guest arrived who is to be received with due honours. A little while after, they get back their hearts. In the Nara and Narayana, however, nothing of this kind happened when they saw Narada first, although Narada was one to whom their reverence was due.
1887. Nara and Narayana are the displayed forms of the undisplayed Hari.
1888. cf. Milton’s description of the mount of God. The highest angels are not competent to bear its effulgence, being obliged to cover their eyes with their wings in looking at it.
1889. Prithivi or Earth is said to be sarvamsaha. As forgiving as the Earth is a common form of expression in almost every Indian dialect.
1890. By Sat is meant all existent things. The correlative word is Asat or non-existent. Hence, aught and naught are the nearest approaches to these words. There are many secondary significations, however of these two words, Sat, for example, indicates effects or all gross objects; and asat indicates causes, etc.
1891. The story is that once on a time the deities, on the eve of going out on a campaign against the Asuras, communicated the Vedas unto their children, Agnishatta and others. In consequence, however, of the length of time for which they were occupied on the field, they forgot their Vedas. Returning to heaven, they had actually to re-acquire them from their own children and disciples. The Scriptures declare that the preceptor is ever the sire, and the disciple is the son. Difference of age would not disturb the relationship. A youth of sixteen might thus be the father of an octogenarian. With Brahmanas, reverence is due to knowledge, not age.
1892. The Hari-Gita is the Bhagavad-Gita. It is sometimes called also Narayana-Gita.
1893. It is not clear who is the Guru referred to in this verse. The commentator thinks that it is Vrihaspati, the preceptor of the celestials. The celestial preceptor never came to the Pandavas. It is probable that either Vyasa or Vaisampayana is meant.
1894. In these verses, it is to Vasudeva that the speaker is referring. The witness of the worlds means that he has witnessed innumerable Creation and Destructions and will witness them through eternity.
1895. This speech is really that of Saunaka. Some incorrect texts represent it as the speech of Janamejaya. The following speech is that of Sauti, though the texts alluded to above make it that of Vaisampayana. It is true in the speech the vocative ‘Brahman’ occurs, but we may easily take it as a slip of this pen. K. P. Singha makes the correction. The Burdwan translator, without perceiving the absurdity, adheres to the incorrect texts.
1896. It is difficult to settle the reading of this verse. The Bengal texts have alayah, the Bombay edition has alayam. At any rate, verse 58 seems to contradict the previous verse. If after resorting the Vedas to Brahmana, Narayana to his own nature, where would his form be that had the horse-head?
1897. Both the Vernacular translators give ridiculous versions of this verse. K. P. Singha takes Panchala to be a king and understands the verse to mean that king Panchala got back his kingdom through the grace of Narayana. The Burdwan translator errors as usual, by taking krama to imply gati or end. The fact is this verse repeats what has been already said in verses 100 to 102 of section 343 ante. Krama means the science by whose aid the words used in the Vedas are separated from each other.
1898. ‘Those who have burnt of their fuel’ means men that have freed themselves from desire. Param paryyagati means knowledge as handed down from preceptor to preceptor.
1899. Vasudeva is called the Fourth because below Him is Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.
1900. What is stated in these two verses is the difference between the ends of those that rely on Knowledge, and those that are devoted to Narayana with their whole souls. The former attain to Vasudeva, it is true, but then they have to pass gradually through the three others one after another, viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, and Sankarshana. The latter, however, at once attain to Vasudeva. It is curious to note how the Burdwan translator, with the commentary before him and from which he quotes, misunderstands the second verse completely. K. P. Singha’s version also is not clear though not incorrect.
1901. The word Ekantin is explained by the commentator to mean a nishkama worshipper, i.e., one who adores the Supreme Deity without the expectation of any fruit whatever. There can be no error, however in rendering it as one devoted with his whole soul. Such devotion verily implies nishkama worship.
1902. i.e., all creatures were righteous and compassionate. Of evil, there was nothing in that age.
1903. One of the foremost of Samans is called by the name of Jeshthya. One conversant with the Jeshthya Saman would have this name.
1904. Ikshaku was the progenitor of the solar race of kings.
1905. This desire, of course, relates to the acquisition of Emancipation. Yoga-kshema literally means the acquisition of what is desired and the protection of what has been acquired.
1906. Buddha or Pratibuddha literally implies _awakened_. The sense, of course, is that such a person has succeeded in casting off all impurities and desires. He has, as it were been awakened from the slumber of ignorance or darkness.
1907. Those that follow the religion of Pravritti acquire heaven, etc., through their merits. Merits however, are exhaustible. They have, therefore, to fall down from heaven. The Creator Brahma casts his eye on [(illegible–JBH)] that follow Pravritti. The religion of Nivritti, however, leads to Emancipation. It is Narayana that looks upon men that betake to Nivritti.
1908. What is stated here is this the deities and Rishis are certainly endued with Sattwa. But then that Sattwa is of a great form. Hence, they cannot attain to Emancipation. It is only that Sattwa which is of subtile form that leads to Emancipation. The deities, without being able to attain to Emancipation, remain in a state that is mutable or fraught with change.
1909. That is, the practices which constitute the religion of the Ekantins are not really different for those laid down in the scriptures adverted to above.
1910. Who are the Whites referred to in this place? The commentator explains that the word has reference to persons leading the domestic mode of life. Yatis wear robes that are coloured yellow or yellowish red. Households, however, use cloth that is white. The word may also mean the inhabitants of White Island.
1911. The name Apantara-tamas implies one whose darkness or ignorance has been dispelled.
1912. Vedakhyane Srutih karyya, literally, I think, means thou shouldst turn thy ears to the description of the Vedas, implying that thou shouldst set thyself to a distribution or arrangement of the Vedic hymns and Mantras.
