Explanation of 1st Four Cantos in English Canto 1 2 3 4
Canto 4
On hearing this – Rishi Kashyapa said to Pingala, the supramental Poet, that this epic is too lengthy and vast and it will not be easy to manifest. Human beings have now a very short span of life. To write such an epic one needs at least a hundred years. How can one human life be sufficient to manifest this vast epic, tell me, 0 Poet of poets?
To that the Lord answered - 0 Creator of Gods, listen, I have decided to compress the time.
From the twelve thousand pages of Devayan, take ten pages daily and through your power of words, push it towards manifestation. If ten pages could be completed daily, then three hundred pages could be manifested in a month if we count thirty days in a month.
Thus in three months and ten days, one thousand pages will be manifested. Now you have to multiply this by twelve. Thus, the complete time to manifest the whole of Devayan would be three years and four months only. In this time, the whole epic will be completed. On hearing this plan of the divine poet, Kashyapa mentioned that it still was not easy to manifest.
He said that for a human being to sit three years and four months quietly at one place and await the descent of the Devayan would be impossible as human beings need food and rest and in this way there is a constant distraction through hunger and thirst.
Replied the poet – O Kashyap, through the immense power that you gained through your penance (tapasya) for twenty-six thousand years continuously, you have the power to support the person. With your support, surely this mortal being will be able to receive this Epic.
He will have no suffering; he will sit quietly as long as the work of the Epic will continue to manifest by the influence of your power. On the other hand, his heart will be full of joy, and the flow of the Epic will make him stronger each progressing day.
The Creator replied, 0 Lord of the Poets! For the manifestation of such a gigantic Epic, that is twelve times longer than the previously manifested Epics, twelve times more words are needed than before.
The divine poet agreed that many times more words will be required than before. Also, many turbulences, obstacles and hostility will be coming from the forces of darkness in the process of its manifestation.
Pingal asked Kashyap to invoke the elephant headed god, Ganesha, who is the Lord of all people and who gives accomplishment and perfection to all manifestations. He would also control opposition to this Epic and gather the great number of words required for it. He added that by the presence of Lord Ganesha all problems will be solved, all hindrances removed, as He is Brahmanaspati himself who manifests the creation of Brahman.
On hearing these words of Pingala - Kashyap with a melodious tone started to invoke the elephant headed God Ganesh, the remover of all obstacles. He said - I invoke at this moment of commencement of the Epic – Ganesh, the beloved son of Parvati, who is the giver of perfection, 0 Vinayaka, Brahmanaspati! I invoke the king of all who rides on a rat and request him to appear amongst the people to manifest this Epic - and thus to awaken the divine truth on this earth.
O Ganesh, where there is little faith in the existence of gods, take up the work of removing all obstacles with joy. 0 Supreme King stand with the power of Rudra. Manifest yourself swiftly for the work on the earth.
Your might is felt through the power of words. With your art of words, you serve the truth, and your intelligence provides constant felicity. To provide purity in words, and to invoke the divine with powerful words in order to manifest the Epic, I call on you to come quickly.
On hearing this invocation, the godhead Ganesh appeared sitting on the Rat. In his four hands, he held - a conch, a wheel, a club, and a lotus. His three eyes were full of compassion, scattering grace and love all around. There appeared a pure light surrounding him and he smiled radiantly.
He appeared like the golden dawn, his body having a red colour. He was attired in heavenly clothes and was wearing magnificent ornaments. Around his neck was a wonderful garland. When I saw his glorious white elephant head, it was as if I was witnessing the pure dawn. My whole body thrilled and started trembling with joy.
With my inner eyes, I saw the king of poets – Pingal Maheshwar before me. With him was the creator of gods, Kashyapa and with them Ganesh, the beloved son of Parvati. When I heard their divine voices and the powerful conversation of the Gods, I felt elevated and my entire being vibrated with joy. Thus, I was engaged to remember and recollect the words uttered by their divine voices.
As the poor collects gold and jewels that are very rare and precious, I started to collect and compile the divine words by penning them down every day, each hour as they came from above.
Days passed by turning into months and years. I heard the divine voices with an increasing astonishment without my becoming tired. My heart was blessed and swept along with the flow of descending words. I compiled and collected this vast Epic that was to manifest on the earth through me as a medium.
The divine creator smiled to the poet, and called upon Ganapati; who appeared with his famous and magnificent white elephant head with a golden red halo, wonderfully dressed. He is the destroyer of obstacles and giver of perfection. He would fulfil the wish of poet Pingala to manifest the Devayan in this world.
End of Chaturtha Sanvarga.
-- End of Canto 4 -- Canto 1 2 3 4
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