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Parasara said: I told you that Lord Brahma also created the Pitrus. These are of two types:
the Agnishwattas and the Barhishads. The first have no fires; in them, the fire of
consciousness goes into a dormant state, since they have to live as the atoms of
inanimate matter. They produce what we call the inanimate creation. They produce the
creation of the various awakenings in the various kingdoms that take birth during the
hatching of a unit solar system.
Swadha, the good lady, the self-subsistence of metabolic activity, married the first group of
Pitrus, the Agnishwattas, and among their progeny are two ladies named Dharini and
Mena. Mena means mental existence and Dharini means conception. Mena then married
the second group of Pitrus, the Barhishads. These ladies are adepts in Yoga and they
teach the Vedas. They bear the highest wisdom and stand as the mothers of all. They
possess the highest possible comprehension of wisdom and are highly virtuous.
Thus I have narrated to you my boy Maitreya, the progeny of the virgin daughters of
Daksha: Anasuya, Priti, Kshama, Santhati, Urja, Swaha, and Swadha (see previous
chapters). One who takes notice with devotion of these generations will never be devoid of
progeny.
CHAPTER XI
I told you that the Manu Swayambhuva had two sons, Priyavratha and Uttanapada.
Uttanapada gave birth to Uttama by his first wife, Suruchi. The son was dear and near to
the father. Another wife of Uttanapada is named Suniti. In fact she was the queen, but she
was not lucky enough to receive much of the warm affection of the husband. She gave
birth to a son, Dhruva by name.
One day, Uttama was sitting on the thighs of his father, and Dhruva also wanted to sit
there. Suruchi could not relish it. She said to Dhruva: "If at all you have a desire to sit on
the lap of your father along with my son, you have to be born to me as my son. There is no
place here for the child of any other lady. You are foolish to aspire for the place of Uttama.
No doubt, you are also the son of this King, but at the same time, you are not lucky
enough to be born as my son. This throne of the king is venerated by all kings and all the
rulers of the earth submit themselves under its banner. My son has the justification to sit
upon this throne. Why do you struggle uselessly? This desire of yours is too high for you to
aspire. You are born to Sunithi and this makes it impossible for you to aspire."
Parasara said: Dhruva heard these words, turned his face away from the father and went
to the palace of his mother. She took him into her lap, understood the situation and said:
"My boy, no one insults his father on this earth. What Suruchi has said is true, since you
are born to me, the unfortunate queen. Those who have the result of their past good deeds
in store will not be insulted by their step mothers. What you have experienced now is the
result of what you have done in the past. Do not be agitated. Nobody can confer upon you
what was not done by you. There is no place for sorrow because of her words. The throne,
Text of discourses by Dr. E. Krishnamachaya, originally published in MY LIGHT, the magazine of
the World Teacher Trust, India

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the might, the white umbrella of an emperor, good horses and elephants are inherited by
those who acquire enough good from their past deeds. Suruchi did all this in her previous
life and she is now the real wife of the king. Although I am called the queen I have nothing
in store for me from my past birth. The son of Suruchi is the product of her past good
deeds. You, my son, are the product of my good deeds, which were only a few. One gets
the pleasure of what one has done in the past, and that much only. If you are really sorry
about this incident, make an attempt to gather the one good deed which gives all the good
results. Be good in behaviour and follow the law. Be a friend of the living beings and strive
hard for their welfare. Your good deeds will form a downward flow upon which you will float
and bring near you what you call wealth, like a ship."
Dhruva said: "Mother! My heart is no longer disturbed because of the bad words of
Suruchi. I do not keep them in mind. I will try to follow your advice, which is really great. I
will acquire a place which is worshipped by all the beings of all the worlds. Suruchi is the
beloved wife of the king. Uttama, her son, may enjoy the throne and I am happy about it,
since he is my brother and since the kingdom will be offered to him by my father. I do not
desire for something which is given to others. I aspire for something which is not yet given,
not even to my father."
Parasara said: Having said so, Dhruva left his home and his mother. He travelled through
many a city and reached a nearby forest. He saw the seven great Rishis, who walked
before him, and followed their footsteps. They were all shining on their seats, dressed in
the skins of black deer. He bowed down to them with great veneration and said: "O Noble
Ones, I am the son of Uttanapada and my mother's name is Suniti. Out of despondency
and detachment I approach you." Then the Rishis said: "O Prince, your are still a boy of
four or five years. How can there be a cause for despondency in such an young one?"
Then the boy narrated to them what had happened. The sages were surprised and talked
among themselves: "See the nature of ruler's mind. It cannot bear the idea of something
surpassing." They asked him: "If at all there is anything we can do in your favour, please
explain." Dhruva said: "I do not aspire to money or the kingdom. O wise ones, I aspire for
that position which has not been enjoyed by anyone hitherto. Teach me what I should do to
achieve my end. See that I am placed high above all." Then Marichi spoke: "Really good
position can neither be understood nor achieved without worshipping Lord Govinda.
Therefore worship the Lord." Atri said: "The Lord is always greater than those who are
great. He is the one Man in all men. He is the greatest of all beings by whom the Lord is
pleased. Thereby you will acquire a place which cannot be aspired to by a competitor."
Angirasa said: "All this world exists only within the body of the Lord of all Lords. You
worship Him and you will acquire that place." Pulastya said: "All this creation is filled by the
one light, the one ever-expanding principle called Hari. You worship him and be liberated
into the highest of all conceivable states of existence." Pulaha said: "Indra could obtain the
place of Indra by worshipping the Lord of the world. Worship Vishnu, the Lord of the spirit
of offering exists in the whole creation as His own offering. He is the one living being in all
those who live. Offer prayers to Him and obtain what others cannot obtain." Vasista said:
"Offer your mind to Vishnu by meditating that He is your mind. You will achieve the three
worlds as your own seat."
Text of discourses by Dr. E. Krishnamachaya, originally published in MY LIGHT, the magazine of
the World Teacher Trust, India

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Then Dhruva answered to the seven great lights who appeared before him as the seven
seers: "I bowed down to you, and the result is that you made me understand the One who
is to be worshipped. I feel satisfied. To please the Lord, what should I meditate? How
should I worship Him? What is to be done by me? How can I see the Lord favouring me?"
The Rishis explained: "Now you listen to our words as to what is to be done by those who
want to worship the Lord of all Lords. The first step is to make your mind free from the
objects around you. The whole world is an abode of many things, but the Lord is the abode
of the whole world. Make your mind stable by remembering this. Detect yourself as the
one who has his abode in yourself. Like this you can achieve tranquillity of mind. The mind
wanders about in the environment in the name of the various objects and their natures.
When the indwelling Lord of all these is remembered, the mind becomes tranquil. Then
you will see the Lord as the globe of golden light. He is made up of the basic substance of
creation. In it also he exists as its own Lord. Address him as follows: I offer myself to the
living god who is the form of pure knowledge. Repeat this utterance and get yourself
absorbed in it. This mantra is the outcome of self-manifestation. Your grandfather is
himself an outcome of self-manifestation and the Lord is pleased by this way. You follow
his footsteps. The Lord conferred upon him the highest accomplishment that can be
conceived. You too will attain that state which is unattainable by knowledge of the three
worlds. Worship the Lord of all perceptions and of the faculties of the senses."
CHAPTER XII
Having heard these words, the prince bowed down to the seven great lights. He found
himself accomplished and entered the thick jungles of what is called "the sweet forest".
This means that the boy could find his entrance into the sweetness of the experience of
the Lord.
Once upon a time, this forest was inhabited by the great giant Madhu, the sweet one
(ordinary beings understand the wisdom of the whole world as the world of the sweetness
of intelligence. By the realised ones, the same world is understood as the sweetness of the
Lord's presence). For this reason, this forest is called Madhuvana, the forest of sweetness.
Once upon a time, the son of Madhu, Lavana by name, inhabited the forest and was killed
by Rama's brother Satrugnu (the world "lavana" means the pinch of salt, or the sorrow
which results from the indulgence of man in sensory pleasure. The name Satrugnu means
slayer of enemies. It denotes discrimination which kills desire, indulgence and sorrow).
Satrugnu had built a city named Madhura, after killing the giant Lavana (the term Madhura
means that which brings sweetness. Discrimination brings the sweetness of real wisdom to
experience and build life as a city of the sweet experience of the Lord). This place makes
one free from all sins, and there the boy, Dhruva, stood in penance. He followed closely
what was being imparted to him by the seven great lights. He imagined the Lord of all
Lords pervading his whole personality and existence. His mind contained nothing but the
Lord Himself. Thereby he could pervade all the existences and all the abodes of creation
(since the boy replaced himself by the presence of the all pervading Lord, he could
Text of discourses by Dr. E. Krishnamachaya, originally published in MY LIGHT, the magazine of
the World Teacher Trust, India

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pervade all). Then the whole globe of earth felt that it could not contain him. The boy stood
only on his left foot but the earth felt that it could not stand the pervasion of the boy. The
earth felt that she was bowing down under his foot. The whole earth shuddered unto the
very foundations of the various nodal points. All the streams, rivers and oceans of the
earth shuddered by his very pervasion. All the Devas who inhabit the earth shuddered. A
group of Devas called Yamas approached Indra and consulted him as to what to do (Yama
is the duration of three hours which forms the eighth part of the day. All these divisions of
time entered into the centre-forming consciousness called Indra). They attempted to
disturb the boy from his meditation. Indra sent various gods in different hideous forms to
disturb the boy. His mother Suniti took a holy bath, approached him, stood before him and
cried loudly in piteous voice, because Maya, the great illusion, entered her mind to disturb
the child in his meditation. The mother said: "My son, you were born to me after a great
many sufferings and miseries. I wish you to save your body from the disaster of this
penance. Withdraw from this fearful process of penance. I am helpless and alone. Save
me, come to my aid. It is no proper for you to make your mother sorrowful by this process
of yours. You are but a boy of five years. The penance you are doing is of a merciless and
frightful nature. Save my mind from this sorrow. This is the age when you have to go round
and spend time playing. Then it is time for you to study the scriptures. Then it will be the
age for you to enjoy everything worldly. After testing the enjoyment of everything, then it
will be the proper time for you to take to penance. I do not wish to see you destroying
yourself with this great affliction of penance. Is it not your lawful duty to please your
helpless mother? Anything is fit when performed according to its age and stage. It is really
lawful and good for you to follow my advice. If you do not leave this penance I am going to
leave my body before you."

Text of discourses by Dr. E. Krishnamachaya, originally published in MY LIGHT, the magazine of

the World Teacher Trust, India