496:21 The passage is somewhat obscurely expressed, and is differently interpreted; p. 497 it is, 'Not from no cause, nor from cause, nor from cause and no cause.' The term 'no cause' may, the commentator says, designate fixed prescribed duties, the Nityakarma; 'cause' may signify occasional sacrifices, the Kámya-karma: neither of these can form any necessity for Vishńu's descent, as they might of a mere mortal's being born on the earth: or Kárańa is explained to mean 'obtaining pleasure,' from Ka and Árańa, 'obtaining;' obtaining happiness, or the cause of it, piety, virtue; and with the negative, Akárańa, the reverse, pain, the consequence of wickedness. The purport is clear enough; it is merely meant to state that Vishńu is not subject to the necessity which is the cause of human birth.

497:22 The term Pradhána, which is repeated in this passage, is explained in the second place to mean Pumán, 'soul' or 'spirit.'

497:23 The same account of the origin of Krishńa is given in the Mahábhárata, Ádi P., vol. I. p. 266. The white hair is impersonated as Balaráma; the black, as Krishńa. The commentator on our text maintains that this is not to be literally understood: 'Vishńu did not intend that the two hairs should become incarnate, but he meant to signify, that, should he send them, they would be more than sufficient to destroy Kansa and his demons: or the birth of Ráma and Krishńa was a double illusion, p. 498 typified by the two hairs.' This seems to be a refinement upon an older and somewhat undignified account of the origin of Krishńa and his brother. The commentator on the Mahábhárata argues that they are to be understood merely as the media by which Devakí and Rohíní conceived.

498:24 Yoganidrá is the sleep of devotion or abstraction, the active principle of illusion, personified, and also termed Máyá and Mahamáyá, also Avidyá or ignorance. In the Durgá Máhátmya of the Márkańd́eya Puráńa a she appears as Deví or Durgá, the Śakti or bride of Śiva; but in our text as Vaishńavi, or the Śakti of Vishńu.

499:25 Allusion is here made to the exploits of Durgá, as celebrated especially in the Durgá Máhátmya; and it must be posterior to the date of that or some similar composition. The passage may be an interpolation, as the Márkańd́eya P. in general has the appearance of being a more recent compilation than the Vishńu.