Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.2534

c4.2534

In course of time, ten sons were born to them. After a long time, when the sons had reached manhood the old parents died. The sons felt very sorry. They regarded life as short and full of woe and misery. So they went for penance, as they had no relatives left to care for them. They abstained from all the pleasures of the world and reached Kailāsa. They began to meditate upon the shortness of life. "What is there which is noble in this world? Is there anything except woe and misery? How simple is the desire of man for greatness? One thinks himself prosperous if he becomes a house-holder. The head of the village is more prosperous than a house-holder. The King of a dependent state is more powerful than the head of a village. An independent king is far more prosperous than a dependent King. When we think of the state of an emperor how simple is an independent king! When compared with Indra, the Lord of the three worlds what is an emperor after all? But there is nothing glorious in the state of Indra also as it ends in a Brahmamuhūrtta (a period in the life of Brahmā). So what is there substantial and eternal? "Brahmā alone is eternal and indestructible." said the eldest brother. "Concentrate your mind and say to yourself, 'I am the supreme Being Brahmā seated on a lotus', and meditate upon it and pray for it and knowledge of Brahmā will be conferred upon you." They understood this and thus the ten brothers became Brahmās. There are ten heavens of them. They are ten worlds in the sky of mind. I am the sun who creates day and night in one of them," saying thus the Sun went away. Brahmā commenced his activity. (Jñānavāsiṣṭha).