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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 3: Chapter 7: Verses 17-33
Vidura's questions
He who is the most ignorant and he who has realized God, who is beyond the reach of mind, both these lead a care-free life in this world; while he who stands between the two (is full of doubt) lives in misery. Having concluded that the material world, though appearing to exist, is not real, I shall now, by the service of your feet, get rid even of that false appearance (mental illusion). Through the service of these feet can be had the feast of intense devotion to the feet of the immutable Lord, the Slayer of the demon Madhu-devotion that puts an end to the agony of birth and death. The service of the Lord's devotees, who are living approaches to Lord Visnu (or His divine realm) and in whose company are ever sung the praises of Lord Janardana (lit., He who is invoked by His devotees), who is adored even by gods, cannot be easily secured by men of little penance. (You have just told me that) at the dawn of creation the almighty Lord brought forth in their order of sequence the Mahat-tattva and other categories along with their evolutes and, having evolved the Cosmic Body out of those categories, eventually entered the same.It is that Cosmic Being whom the Vedas call the most ancient Person, who is endowed with thousands of ( a myriad) feet, thighs and arms and in whom all these different worlds abide with ample space about them. Nay, it is in that Cosmic Being, as you declare, that the ten vital airs,each of which again manifests itself in three forms (viz., vigour, will-power and bodily strength) abide along with the Indriyas and their objects as well as the deities presiding over them; and from the same Being have emanated the four classes of society. Pray, speak to me now about the glorious manifestations (Brahma and others) of that Cosmic Being, from whom were evolved along with their sons and grandsons, great grandsons and kinsmen, living beings of various forms and shapes, who filled this universe. Who are the Prajapatis (lords of created beings) that were evolved by Brahma (that lord of Prajapatis)? Again, what are the main categories of beings that he created and what are their subdivisions ? And in what order did he evolve the fourteen Manus (Swayambhuva and others), that preside over one full Manvantara each ? Pray, also let me know their lines of descent and narrate the doings of their descendants; and further describe, 0 Maitreya (son of Mitra), the relative position and dimensions of the spheres that are located above and below the earth, as well as of the terrestrial region,and the detailed process of creation of beasts, human beings and gods, reptiles and birds, in short, of all living beings-viviparous and oviparous, those born of sweat and those sprouting from the soil (such as trees and plants). Also kindly recount at length the glorious exploits-connected with the creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe-of the Lord who is the abode of Sri (the goddess of beauty and prosperity), and who bodied Himself forth as Brahma, Visnu and Siva, His manifestations with reference to a particular Guna (mode of Prakrti). O lord, further tell me the grouping of society into so many Varnas (grades or classes) and Asramas (stages of life) on the basis of outward marks, conduct and temperament, the birth and doings etc., of the Rsis (seers) and the division of the Vedas, the extensive details of sacrifices, the path of Yoga (disinterested action), the path of renunciation and the path of Knowledge or discrimination between Matter and Spirit, the Vaisnava Cult (the Pancaratra Agama) taught by the Lord (to the sage Narada), the heterogeneity caused by the dissemination of heretic doctrines, the descent of races through a mother belonging to a higher caste than the father, and the nature and variety of destinies reached by men after their death according to their Gunas (characteristics) and Karma (doings). Also tell me, O holy Brahmana, the means conducive severally to religious merit, worldly riches, sensuous enjoyment and final beatitude without prejudice to one another, the methods, one by one, of agriculture, trade etc., as well as of administration of justice and study of the Vedas, the method of performing Sraddha (a ceremony in honour and tor the benefit of dead relatives) and even so the evolution of the Pitrs (the manes), and likewise the relative position of the planets, lunar mansions and other stars among the heavenly bodies as determining the divisions of time.
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