Text 13: Brahmā continued: Even though the sages had been bitten by the serpent of anger, their souls were not satiated with hearing the Lord’s lovely and illuminating speech, which was like a series of Vedic hymns.
Text 14: The Lord’s excellent speech was difficult to comprehend because of its momentous import and its most profound significance. The sages heard it with wide-open ears and pondered it as well. But although hearing, they could not understand what He intended to do.
Text 15: The four brāhmaṇa sages were nevertheless extremely delighted to behold Him, and they experienced a thrill throughout their bodies. They then spoke as follows to the Lord, who had revealed the multiglories of the Supreme Personality through His internal potency, yoga-māyā.
Śrīdhara Svāmi-kṛtā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā Vyākhyā
The sages, having tasted the sweet, charming, beloved, divine, radiant Sarasvatī (speech), who is like a stream for the sage families, or suitable for sage families, even though bitten by snake-like anger and filled with the poison of wrath, their minds do not tolerate pleasant speech due to lack of experiencing rasa, but their souls were not satisfied. (13)
Opening (their ears) to the excellent (speech), giving ear, that is the meaning. Having deeply considered the concise, weighty in meaning, impenetrable, unfathomable in intent, profound in meaning (speech), they did not know whether it praises us, criticizes us, or lessens our punishment. (14)
Then, knowing that it praises (them), they spoke joyfully. Their skin was thrilled with horripilation. In the reading "kūpita", horripilation is expressed as "having raised hair follicles". He who has manifested the great rise of supreme lordship, having revealed his supreme rulership, honors the brahmins to teach proper conduct for kings - knowing this is the meaning. (15)
Śrī Vaṃśīdhara-kṛtā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā Prakāśa Vyākhyā
Sarasvatī (means) speech and also river; alternatively, the pure goddess playing with the varied thoughts etc. of the sages' intellects; alternatively, worthy of worship. The stream (kulya) of the sages means in the form of a water body. Here, even though they have great remorse, the fact that their anger is like unremovable snake venom indicates the irresistible nature of offenses against devotees. Even with such an offense against devotees, the experience of the sweetness of the fragrance etc. of tulasī from the Lord's feet verily indicates the power of the Lord's grace that follows the grace towards Jaya and Vijaya who were remorseful after transgressing against brahmins. Therefore, if they had not committed an offense against devotees, they would have developed pure devotional love as objects of grace of the devotees and the Lord. Thus, due to the presence of the offense, they did not become His devotees. As it is said: "Even bhāva disappears due to offenses against the best devotees of Krishna. It gradually becomes a semblance or even of a lower type." (13)
The meaning is that they listened intently, abandoning other engagements. The perspective of non-praise has already been explained. The perspective of criticism, though not intended by the Lord, should be explained thus as imagined by the fearful sages themselves and allowed by Sarasvatī: Although omniscient, by introducing the sages saying "These two are My attendants", He implied "Oh fools! You had the audacity to curse even My attendants!" In "mistreating Me", since there was no mistreatment of the Lord before disrespecting Sanaka etc., this is the Lord's sarcastic statement to the sages expressing anger. In reality, by hyperbole in the fourth case, the Lord used and approved an inversion of the sequence of cause and effect, saying "first mistreatment, not your transgression after that". If it was not approved by Us, then your punishment also would not have happened. As will be said: "Though able to destroy brahminical power, I do not wish to - that is My view." Thus you would have become worthless. My regard for brahmins is what makes you arrogant. That anger is self-created. By accepting Jaya and Vijaya as His own, it shows excess of love. Towards the sages, there is only respect as in "I am your servant". "I would cut off My own arm" shows they are objects of love. "By whose service" again shows respect for the sages, but that is only external - by brahmin service alone, did His foot dust become purifying? By that alone were all His pure qualities manifested? By that alone does Lakṣmī not abandon Him? Since these reasons are invalid, in "I am not like that" etc. it means: You brahmins are fond of food, fit only to be fed, to spread the fame in the world that "I eat through the mouths of brahmins". By pun, "eating grass" implies a brahmin is indeed to be respected and grazed like a cow. Only due to being treated as animals do they delight in the honor I give, but you cannot possibly perform any service aiming at My happiness. "On whose crowns I bear" means only from bearing the foot dust of brahmins on the crown comes the mystic power and lordship, and for that reason alone My foot-water becomes the Ganges that purifies the whole world - this honor is just mockery. "My cows" means there is no difference between cows and brahmins, both being My body. Again mockery in "those who (curse) brahmins". Anger is indeed the innate nature of brahmins, but - I and My devotees just laugh at it, showing tolerance. I have given nectar only to My devotees, by that alone I would be controlled. Since Jaya and Vijaya presently lack tolerance, I have become indifferent to them, thus the curse also affected you. Otherwise it would not have happened at all. For this reason, due to My non-indifference towards Ambarīṣa, even the matted lock thrown by the angry Durvāsas failed. On the contrary, My cakra weapon caused him distress. I directly, as the protector of brahmins, made him fall at Ambarīṣa's feet etc. Thus the perspective of criticism has been explained in light of the following verse: "Whatever punishment You deem fit for these two, O Lord, or for us, we will accept without duplicity. Impose on us whatever punishment is proper, for we have unknowingly become implicated in sin." (14)
Thus, after long consideration of which of the two perspectives - criticism or praise - is where the Lord's intention rests, having ascertained it is praise, they spoke joyfully. This is the meaning. Their idea is that even those who have committed offenses, though possessing great power and prosperity, should only worship brahmins, not punish them. Their skin had pores, by partial pronunciation rule, presence of hair follicles is implied, like "hearing Bhānu-nandinī" suggests Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī. The etymology is: "Pārameṣṭhya refers to the highest sovereignty, the position of Brahmā." (15)
Śrī Rādhā Ramaṇa dāsa Gosvāmi Viracitā Dīpanī Vyākhyā
After listening, those brahma-realized gurus were not satisfied, but rather remained desirous of hearing the sweetness of pronunciation with charming arrangement of syllables - this is the meaning. (13)
In intent means in essence. Unfathomable means bottomless. In meaning, even considering the literal meaning etc., (it is) profound, with difficult to understand purport. (14)
Then, after the Lord's desire to make them understand. (15)
Śrīmad Vīrarāghava Vyākhyā
Thus, having heard the words of the Lord endowed with qualities of easy accessibility, good character, etc. such as "The divine Brahman is indeed supreme to me", "By serving whom even Śrī does not abandon me though I am detached", "Whose pure foot-dust I bear on my crown", etc., the sages, not knowing the intent, thought: "Is the Lord, who is celebrated as the supreme deity by śrutis like 'Him, the supreme deity of deities' etc., saying this just for our sake, or is he speaking in accordance with his own Gītā 'Whatever a great person does, others follow' for the establishment of dharma?" Wishing to ascertain this again, thinking "Surely he does not deceive devotees, but speaks only for establishing dharma", they now spoke intending to explain those statements of his as having a different meaning, as stated in the next three verses.
After hearing such words of the Lord, tasting and experiencing his divine, superhuman, charming, desirable speech born of the Vedas, pleasing to sages, the minds of those sages, burned by anger like poison, were not satisfied. That is, due to not knowing the intent of his words and being bitten by anger, their minds were not very pleased. (13)
Hearing that true, virtuous, concise speech with profound meanings, difficult to understand, unfathomable and deep - that is, unfathomable in intention and deep in meaning - they did not understand what the Lord intended to do, even after considering and examining it. Rather, they understood only superficially at first. (14)
The Brāhmaṇas, with angry skin (i.e. enraged) from hearing the doubt-causing words, yet delighted from seeing the Lord who is the ocean of auspicious qualities and their personal deity, and joyful from conversing with him and receiving his merciful glances, spoke with folded hands to that Lord from whom arises the supreme dominion over the entire universe created by his yogamāyā (divine creative power). (15)
Śrīmad Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha-kṛtā Pada Ratnāvalī Vyākhyā
How can the permission to lift the curse be reconciled with their anger? He explains with "atha" etc. Having tasted, i.e. heard etc., elsewhere bathed etc. in, Hari's speech (Sarasvatī) which fulfills desires, is praised by sages, elsewhere dear to sages, divine, shining with jewel-like meanings, elsewhere suitable for gods' bathing and sports, the self (mind, elsewhere the inner and outer body) of those Sanaka etc. who were bitten by the snake of anger sprouting from the breaking of the Lord's command, was not satisfied, i.e. became full of bliss arising from the Lord's words as anger departed, elsewhere returned to normal state as other objects departed. (13)
He states that the mind was satisfied by tasting the sweetness of the speech, not by understanding the meaning, as it was unfathomable, saying "satīm" etc. Hearing with open mouths, they did not understand anything of what Hari intended to do or throw away, after diving into and considering his brief yet weighty speech that was inaccessible due to its profound meaning, bottomless and thus deep, impossible to fathom. The root "kṛ" means "to throw". (14)
Then why did they not say even what little they knew? He explains "te yoga" etc. The Sanaka etc. spoke thus to Hari, from whom arises great prosperity connected to Brahmā's position, produced by the frown born of his own yogamāyā (creative power). With trembling skin means with hair standing on end. (15)
Śrīmaj Jīva Gosvāmi-kṛtā Krama Sandarbha Vyākhyā
Divine means endowed with power. (13)
True means without deceit. Having a profound purpose that is difficult to understand, like an abyss. Hence unfathomable and deep. Unfathomable means bottomless in essence, and deep means hard to fathom in meaning also. Thus, diving into it as far as they could, though satisfied, they did not understand what he intended to do in terms of his war and other pastimes. (14)
The reason for their great devotion shown by folded hands etc. is explained in "yoga" etc. Yogamāyā means the internal potency. If read as "kupita", it means skin with depressed areas like wells formed between raised hair roots. (15)
Śrīmad Viśvanātha Cakravarti-kṛtā Sārārtha darśinī Vyākhyā
Sarasvatī means both speech and river. Desirable means charming, in the other sense pure. Divine means worshipable, in the other sense playing with the sages' intellects full of various arguments. Beneficial for sage families, in the other sense a watercourse for sages. Having tasted its sweetness, the minds of those bitten by anger like a snake's poison, pervaded by the venom of rage, could not tolerate even sweet speech due to lack of relishing the taste. But their self, intellect and mind were not satisfied, did not think "enough".
Though this shows their great remorse, the non-departure of the poison of the anger-snake indicates the irresistible nature of offenses to devotees. Even with such an offense to devotees, the experience of the sweetness of the Lord's lotus feet and tulasī fragrance etc. indeed indicates the power of the Lord's mercy following his mercy to Jaya and Vijaya who repented after transgressing against Brahmins. Therefore, if they had not committed this offense to devotees, they would have developed pure loving devotional service, being objects of mercy for the devotees and Lord. But due to the presence of the offense, they only attained the status of tired devotees. As stated: "Even bhāva disappears due to offenses to Krishna's dear ones, gradually becoming a semblance or of a lower type." (13)
Listening with ears wide open. Listening to the true, beautiful, concise, brief, weighty in meaning, profound, difficult to enter, unfathomable, with hidden intentions, deep, with inner and outer meanings hard to comprehend, they pondered and considered: "Does this praise or censure us? Does it establish or restrict or reject our punishment? Does it implicate us in wrongdoing or show increased favor to servants?" They did not know his intention. Here the aspect of praise has already been explained, but the aspect of censure, though not intended by the Lord, was imagined by the fearful sages about themselves, and given scope by Sarasvatī, should be explained thus: By introducing these two as "my attendants" to the omniscient sages, it is suggested "O fools, you dare to curse even my attendants - you have that much power!" In "mistreating me, you transgressed your limits", since there was no mistreatment of the Lord before Sanaka etc. transgressed, this crooked speech of the Lord to them only expresses anger. In reality, first I was mistreated by exaggeration, then your transgression - the Lord inverted the order of cause and effect. That very thing was approved by us. If we had approved, then even your imposed punishment would not have succeeded, as stated later: "Though able to destroy brahmin power, I do not wish to - that is my view." Then you too would have been worth half a cowrie. The meaning is that my kindness to brahmins itself maddens you. "I consider that done by myself" - by accepting Jaya and Vijaya as himself, it shows excess of love. "I who have obtained good fame through you" - mere respect for the sages. "I would cut off my own arm" - again shows they are objects of love. "By whose service" - again shows respect for the sages, but only outwardly. Did brahmin service alone make his foot-dust purifying? Did it alone destroy all his impurities? Did it alone make Lakṣmī not abandon him? These reasons are invalid. In "I am not so afraid" etc. - You brahmins are fond of food, merely to be fed. It is said "I eat through the mouth of brahmins." "Spread through the worlds, graze" - by pun, a brahmin is to be respected like a cow, but due to animal-like intelligence, he delights in the respect I give. You might perform some service aimed at my happiness. "On whose heads I bear" - just by bearing brahmin foot-dust on my crown, I have the glory of yogamāyā, and for that same reason, the water from my feet is the Ganges that purifies the whole world - this reverence results in mockery. "Milking my" - there is no difference between cows and brahmins, both being my body - again just mockery. "Those who endure brahmins" - anger is indeed an innate quality of brahmins, and I and my devotees always endure it. Forbearance is nectar given by me only to my devotees, by that alone I would be controlled. But since forbearance has not arisen now in Jaya and Vijaya, my indifference arose there, so the curse also befell you, otherwise it would not have happened at all. Therefore due to my lack of indifference regarding Ambarīṣa, even Durvāsas' angrily thrown matted lock failed, rather my Sudarśana cakra caused distress. I myself, devoted to brahmins, made Ambarīṣa fall at his feet etc. "Whatever punishment you decree for these two, O Lord, or whatever livelihood, we approve without deceit. Or let the fitting punishment be imposed on us, by which we may be freed from sin." By the following statement also, this aspect of censure has been explained. (14)
Thus after long reflection on which of the two aspects - censure or praise - the Lord's intention ultimately rests, deciding it was praise, they spoke joyfully, as stated in "te" (they). Yogamāyā is his essential power, by which is begun, expanded from beginningless time, the supreme lordship and great prosperity of the highest abode. Being independent of others with this great glory, why should this Lord make praise in the guise of censure at anyone's urging? If we are to be punished, he would have openly said "Let these brahmins who offended my devotees fall into hell." Considering thus, their skin bristled with hair standing on end from anger. In the reading "kupita", "with arisen body hair" is expressed by "with arisen goosebumps". (15)
Śrīmac Chukadeva-kṛta Siddhānta Pradīpaḥ
Now after hearing the Lord's words. Savoring the Lord's lovely, charming, shining speech suitable for sage families, "Whatever a great person does, that alone others do. Whatever standard he sets, the world follows" - according to the Gītā, for instructing people, speech suitable for sage families, and experiencing its sweetness, even though bitten by anger, their minds were not satisfied and did not think it enough. (13)
Moreover, listening with ears wide open to the true, concise, brief, profound in many weighty meanings, unfathomable, deep in intention, and profound in subject matter speech of Sarasvatī, pondering and churning it, knowing "I placate you today, for brahmins are supreme to me" etc. was Sarasvatī uttered by the Lord to instruct people for protecting dharma, they still did not understand the Lord's intention to either restrain or favor them and their selves through the sages' curse, and to banish his own servants. (14)
Therefore, from understanding the purport of that Sarasvatī speech, with minds agitated wondering "How will he restrain or favor these two and us?", with bristling skin, they spoke with folded hands to him whose yoga is resolve, whose māyā is compassion, by which the great prosperity of the supreme abode Vaikuṇṭha is manifested within the universe. (15)
Śrīmad Vallabhācārya Viracitā Subodhinī Vyākhyā
Thus, knowing that the Lord had become pleased, the sages whose anxiety was gone composed a proper hymn of praise. To explain this, he first states how their anxiety was removed by the Lord's words, using three verses:
The Lord's speech removed doubts through both its words and meaning. Through the words alone, doubt was removed without uncertainty. But the meaning of the Lord's words, being multi-faceted, was not definitively determined. So while determined in essence, it did not remove doubts regarding the result. Even so, due to the strength of the apparent circumstances, the entire inner faculty became pure, though still possessing some doubt. Thus there are three verses, due to the distinction between words, meaning, and circumstances.
First he states that they became happy through the words: "Then" (atha). The different beginning is to prevent consideration of the meaning. "Desirable" (uśatīṃ) means lovely, indicating its nature as a remover of sorrow. For further clarification he adds another adjective: "suitable for sages" (ṛṣikulyām). Suitable for the lineage of sages. For sages are seers of mantras, and mantras have supernatural effects. So that which is beneficial there has even more supernatural effects, removing sorrow by its own power. Moreover, "divine" (daivīm) - being illuminating, it becomes the cause of beauty, otherwise how could it illuminate the heart? From this also comes removal of sorrow. Further, "Sarasvatī" - "sara" means water. Being divine, that water becomes nectar. Their hearts were seen to be almost dead due to anger. It is revived by that nectar, illuminated by beauty, made capable of action by supernatural power, and attains supreme bliss. Thus there are four adjectives.
Even after relishing such a Sarasvatī, their souls were not satisfied while remaining, they did not say "enough." If it had been heard for its meaning, then the desire would have been fulfilled as the meaning was complete. But in hearing it for its own sake, the desire does not cease due to the absence of the notion of "enough" in bliss. One bitten by a snake is given water through mantras, but is not satisfied due to the excess of the poison's burning. Their own bites were seen to produce burning in all limbs. (13)
Having stated the result from the words, he now states what occurred from reflection on the meaning: "True" (satīm). For it establishes the true path, so happiness certainly arose from understanding the overall meaning. "Opening wide" (vyādāya) means hearing with open ear cavities. It is "light" (laghvī) in nature, so it can be easily contemplated and thus gives happiness. Thus by these two adjectives, the giving of happiness through the meaning as well is described.
To state that happiness did not arise in terms of result or means, he says: "With weighty meaning, impenetrable, unfathomable, profound." For the meaning is profound, as it teaches opposite qualities for the supreme Lord and the lowly servant souls. If one should say that doubt should be removed by determining the heard meanings through implication, to that he says "unfathomable and profound." Being unfathomable, implication of heard meanings is not imagined there. When word meanings touch bottom, then that can be imagined. And being profound, even by diving in, the bottom cannot be touched. From this much it is ascertained that the Lord has spoken something profound. Even so, they do not know what he intends by speaking thus. "Plunging in" means entering within. The meaning is that even after reflection they do not know. (14)
Thus, even after understanding the speech somewhat, seeing the Lord they became delighted and composed a hymn of praise. He states this with "They" (te). For Yogamāyā creates objects suitable for the Lord's glory. They are neither material nor created by Brahma, so they are greatly magnificent even compared to those of Brahmā. "Whose supreme magnificence is begun by Yogamāyā." So seeing the circumstances, supreme joy of many kinds appeared, and they became delighted. Though themselves sages, they had not imagined such even mentally, so knowing his greatness they were with joined palms. Seeing that, the inner full bliss coming out through the pores made their skin excited. For that is presided over by the wind deity, and since there is no movement of wind, excitement is indeed appropriate. With the reading "agitated" (kṣubhitā) the meaning is the same. (15)
Śrīmad Gosvāmi Śrī Puruṣottama Caraṇa Viracitaḥ Śrī Subodhinī Prakāśaḥ
On "Then" (atha): "Without doubt" means: so that there would be no doubt as to whether the Lord was pleased with us or not. "Does not cease" means the desire does not cease. (13)
Śrī Giridhara-kṛtā Bāla Prabodhinī
Then, after hearing the Lord's speech as stated, relishing the Lord's Sarasvatī speech and experiencing its sweetness, the souls of those sages, their inner faculties, were not satisfied and did not think "enough" - this is the syntactical connection. For those whose minds are pervaded by the object of anger do not experience sweetness and do not tolerate even sweet speech, but for them to not be satisfied is surprising. He indicates this, saying "even though bitten (pervaded) by anger like a snake." He qualifies the speech as the cause: "desirable" means charming, "divine" means shining, supernatural, "suitable for sages" means in the form of sages who are mantras, or suitable for the lineage of sages. (13)
Though there was no satisfaction, they did not understand the intention. He states this with "True" (satīm). Opening their ears wide and listening to the speech, even after plunging in and reflecting, they did not know his intention - whether he was praising us, criticizing us, or reducing the punishment we gave - this is the syntactical connection. He qualifies it, showing the reasons: "True" means excellent, "light" means with few syllables, "impenetrable" means difficult to enter in terms of intention, "unfathomable" and "profound" in meaning. (14)
"Yoga" means the inconceivable power that follows one's own will. "Māyā" begun, created by that, whose supreme magnificence is the highest excellence of supreme lordship. Delighted by seeing that, and thus with skin excited, i.e. with hair standing on end. With the reading "with angry skin" also, by mentioning the arising of goosebumps, hair standing on end is indeed stated. Those brahmins, with joined palms, spoke. (15)
Hindī Anuvāda
Brahmājī says - Deities! Although Sanaka and other sages were bitten by the serpent of anger, their minds were not satisfied listening to the Lord's sweet, mantra-filled voice that illuminates the inner consciousness. (13)
The Lord's speech was very charming and concise; however, it was so meaningful, substantive, difficult to comprehend, and profound that even after listening carefully and contemplating, they could not understand what the Lord wanted to do. (14)
Seeing this wonderful generosity of the Lord, they became very joyful and their entire body was filled with ecstasy. Then, influenced by yogamāyā (mystical power), they folded their hands and began to speak to the Lord who was manifesting the influence of His supreme opulence. (15)
SB 3.16.13-15
